Effects of Temporal Rainfall Variability on Water Quality of River Ruiru, Kiambu County, Kenya

This paper assessed the effects of temporal rainfall variability on water quality of River Ruiru, Kiambu County. Findings from the study indicated that DO, TDS, thermal conductivity, total phosphorus and total nitrogen values were within World Health Organization (WHO) (2011) and National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) (2006) recommended values. The BOD values were found to be within NEMA (2006) limits in all sampling sites though above WHO (2011) limits both seasons except at Kwa Maiko where they were within the limit during the dry season. The pH and turbidity values were above WHO (2011)/ NEMA (2006) recommended values during dry and wet seasons except for Ruiru dam sampling site where they were within the limits during the dry season. The results for the total coliforms and E. coli indicated that River Ruiru was severely polluted. Moreover, the results indicated that pH, turbidity, DO, thermal conductivity and TDS had higher mean during wet season (M=8.40, M=79.00, M=51.20, M=87.00 and M=54.20) than in dry season (M=6.80, M=11.60, M=43.40, M=73.00, and M=45.40). The difference for these water quality parameters between dry and wet seasons was significant (P=0.003, P=0.034, P=0.005, P=0.013 and P=0.014).These findings will help in understanding the effects of temporal rainfall variability on water quality which is one component of the knowledge base required in applying the principles of integrated water resources management (IWRM) thus providing critical input to the decision making on water resources management and planning. Keywords: River Ruiru, Temporal rainfall, Watershed, Water qualit

Assessment of Soil Loss in a Typical Ungauged Dam Catchment using RUSLE Model (Maruba Dam, Kenya)

Soil erosion is a serious land degradation problem which nations all over the world are struggling with. It has affected many river catchments most of which are very dynamic and have become quite vulnerable due to human influence. As such, the functionality of the ecosystem has been largely compromised. Soil erosion has been reported as an expensive problem to remedy and therefore numerous of efforts have shifted to its prevention. This has called for estimation of soil loss which has been adequately achieved by use erosion models over the past. One such model is the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) which has been applied at catchment level. Maruba dam catchment has become very unhealthy due to the unsustainable modifications of the terrain. This is evident at the rate at which the dam is losing its storage capacity due to sedimentation. The current situation in the dam formed the basis for this study. Information on soil loss within the catchment is missing and as such decision makers do not have a basis for initiating soil and water conservation plans. The methodological framework for this study was the use of RUSLE model integrated in a GIS framework. The parameters of the model were derived using GIS and RS tools. The study revealed that soil loss ranged between 0 and 29 t ha-1 yr-1 and this explains why the dam if silting up at a fast rate. With this set of information on soil loss, the health of the catchment would be adequately restored and this would save the dam from unwarranted sedimentation. Keywords: Soil erosion, catchment, RUSLE, sedimentation, GIS DOI: 10.7176/JEES/11-16-06 Publication date:June 30th 202

Key limitations of fish feeds, feed management practices, and opportunities in Kenya’s aquaculture enterprise

Profitability is key in fish farming, just as it is to any other enterprise. For the farmers to actualize high-profit margins, it is imperative to have access to well-balanced nutritive and cost-effective feeds, backed by sound on-farm feed management practices.  This paper audits Kenya’s fish feed industry and the on-going on-farm feed management practices, and emerging opportunities for fish farmers. The development of fish feed quality standards has boosted the aquaculture sector in Kenya, providing them hope that farmers will access high quality fish feeds. Much of the fish feed currently being used in Kenya is produced on-farm or by small-scale fish feed manufacturers within the East African region, while a few are imported directly from overseas countries, notably Israel, Netherlands, Mauritius and Denmark. Fish feeds produced by small-scale manufacturers are not closely monitored by quality standard agencies and not surprising that a majority are of poor quality. The improvement in the quality of these feeds is likely to lead to increased productivity and profitability because they are cheaper and readily available to fish farmers, compared to imported fish feeds. Besides feed quality, feed management practices markedly impact both the growth and economic performance of fish production. Adopting appropriate feed management strategies, therefore, is instrumental in the maximization of fish production and economic returns. Research has demonstrated several strategies for best feed management practices, which have not hitherto, been adopted by fish farmers in Kenya. Farmers have mainly focused on the mode of delivery of feeds to the fish. Furthermore, promoting natural pond productivity and supplementary feeding is still a common practice in the East African region. Provision of species-specific feeds and targeting the nutritional requirements of the different life stages of fish is still a major issue, although some local companies like Unga Farm Care (EA) have come up with a size and species-specific feed for catfish such as Fugo catfish®. To improve access to such information, public-private partnerships should be developed and, programmes that utilize the local media platforms such as extension service outlets must also be encouraged. Feed quality checks can also be carried out amongst fish feed suppliers. Lastly, farmers should be trained in various fish feed aspects like formulation, transportation and storage to sustain a steady fish feed supply and save on associated feed costs

Genetic diversity study of Kenyan cassava germplasm using simple sequence repeats

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Cranzt) is an important food security crop for resource poor rural communities particularly in Africa. Little is however known about molecular diversity of Kenyan cassava germplasm. This led to a study whose objective was to identify genetic constitution of cassava accessions from different regions of Kenya using molecular tools. Seven pairs of micro satellite (SSR) primers previously developed from cassava were used to detect polymorphic 21 alleles in a sample of 69 accessions. The cluster analysis of similarity matrix obtained at 68% with SSR data showed that the 69 accessions were grouped into five marker based groups. This study proved that SSRs could be used to identify cassava accessions as well as in the assessment of level of genetic relatedness among accessions.Keywords: Cassava, simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, genetic diversity

Odorant and gustatory receptors in the tsetse fly Glossina morsitans morsitans

Tsetse flies use olfactory and gustatory responses, through odorant and gustatory receptors (ORs and GRs), to interact with their environment. Glossina morsitans morsitans genome ORs and GRs were annotated using homologs of these genes in Drosophila melanogaster and an ab initio approach based on OR and GR specific motifs in G. m. morsitans gene models coupled to gene ontology (GO). Phylogenetic relationships among the ORs or GRs and the homologs were determined using Maximum Likelihood estimates. Relative expression levels among the G. m. morsitans ORs or GRs were established using RNA-seq data derived from adult female fly. Overall, 46 and 14 putative G. m. morsitans ORs and GRs respectively were recovered. These were reduced by 12 and 59 ORs and GRs respectively compared to D. melanogaster. Six of the ORs were homologous to a single D. melanogaster OR (DmOr67d) associated with mating deterrence in females. Sweet taste GRs, present in all the other Diptera, were not recovered in G. m. morsitans. The GRs associated with detection of CO2 were conserved in G. m. morsitans relative to D. melanogaster. RNA-sequence data analysis revealed expression of GmmOR15 locus represented over 90% of expression profiles for the ORs. The G. m. morsitans ORs or GRs were phylogenetically closer to those in D. melanogaster than to other insects assessed. We found the chemoreceptor repertoire in G. m. morsitans smaller than other Diptera, and we postulate that this may be related to the restricted diet of blood-meal for both sexes of tsetse flies. However, the clade of some specific receptors has been expanded, indicative of their potential importance in chemoreception in the tsetse.German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) South African Research Chair Initiative Department of Science and Technology National Research Foundation of South AfricaWeb of Scienc

Successes and Challenges in an Integrated Tuberculosis/HIV Clinic in a Rural, Resource-Limited Setting: Experiences from Kericho, Kenya

Objective. To describe TB/HIV clinic outcomes in a rural, Ministry of Health hospital. Design. Retrospective, secondary analyses. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses evaluated baseline characteristics and outcomes. Results. Of 1,911 patients, 89.8% were adults aged 32.0 (±12.6) years with baseline CD4 = 243.3 (±271.0), 18.2% < 50 cells/mm3. Pulmonary (84.8%, (32.2% smear positive)) exceeded extrapulmonary TB (15.2%). Over 5 years, treatment success rose from 40.0% to 74.6%, lost to follow-up dropped from 36.0% to 12.5%, and deaths fell from 20.0% to 5.4%. For patients starting ART after TB treatment, those with CD4 ≥ 50 cells/mm3 were twice as likely to achieve treatment success (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.3–3.1) compared to those with CD4 < 50 cells/mm3. Patients initiating ART at/after 2 months were twice as likely to achieve treatment success (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.3–3.3). Yearly, odds of treatment success improved by 20% (OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.0–1.5). Conclusions. An integrated TB/HIV clinic with acceptable outcomes is a feasible goal in resource-limited settings

Potential applications of the CRISPR/Cas technology for genetic improvement of yam (Dioscorea spp.)

Open Access Journal; Published online: 30 Sep 2021Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is an economically important crop grown in the tropical and subtropical regions, producing tuberous roots that serve as a staple food, an income source, and an excellent source of various pharmaceutical precursors. Yam production is constrained by disease and pest infestations and a range of abiotic stresses. Genetic improvement can significantly mitigate these challenges, improve productivity, expand the yam markets, and increase economic gains. However, several intrinsic attributes of the crop have curtailed progress in yam breeding. Advanced genetic engineering such as genome editing by sequence-specific nucleases has emerged as complementary approaches to conventional breeding techniques. Mainly, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR/Cas) system for genome editing has provided robust platforms for gene function analysis and crop improvement in the post-genomic era. Despite its significance, research towards improving the yam species remains under-represented compared to other staple tuber crops such as cassava and sweet potato. Thus, it is critical to explore avenues for increasing the genetic gains from this under-exploited crop. The present review focuses on the progress and prospects for applying the CRISPR/Cas technology for yam improvement. The study elaborates on the currently available CRISPR/Cas tool for yam genome engineering and explores the potential applications of this toolkit in mitigating the various challenges encountered in yam production and consumption. Furthermore, we have delved into the challenges associated with this technology and the improvements made to minimize these challenges. The insights presented herein provide a guide for yam improvement to increase genetic gains from this under-researched and under-utilized resource

Where there’s smoke, there’s more smoke: The social settings and friendship interactions that encourage young adults to smoke cigarettes

Despite widespread public health campaigns in Western countries people continue to smoke cigarettes and more worryingly, young people continue to take up the habit. In this thesis it is argued that cigarette smoking practices for young adults can be understood in terms of contributing to their sense of identity construction through friendship interactions and sociability. Data collected from email administered surveys and snowball sampling techniques, alongside secondary data from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (2007), inform the research undertaken in this thesis and the results support the social benefits hypothesis in explaining why young adults smoke cigarettes. This study thereby suggests that in order for anti-smoking initiatives to be more successful in tackling the smoking habits of young adults additional research is required in identity formation, interactive factors and sociability factors that affect cigarette smoking practices of young adults

Task Sharing and Shifting to Provide Pathology Diagnostic Services: The Kenya Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy Cytology and Bone Marrow Aspiration and Trephine Biopsy Training Program

Purpose: Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) cytology is a simple, inexpensive, and accurate diagnostic test for benign, infectious, and malignant lesions of the breast, thyroid, lymph nodes, and other organs. Similarly, bone marrow aspiration and trephine (BMAT) biopsy procedures are relatively simple and inexpensive techniques that are important for diagnosing and monitoring many hematologic diseases including leukemias and lymphomas. However, the scarcity of pathologists in Kenya limits patient access to these simple diagnostic tests. We describe a task sharing and shifting program that sought to improve the provision of FNABs and BMAT biopsies in tertiary public hospitals in Kenya. Methods: Between January 2016 and February 2017, we trained pathologists, pathology residents, and technologists from the University of Nairobi and Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, in FNAB and BMAT biopsies, who in turn trained pathologists, medical officers (MO), clinical officers (CO), and technologists at five tertiary public hospitals. The program involved curriculum development, training workshops, the establishment of new and strengthening existing FNAB and BMAT biopsy clinics, interim site visits, audits, and stakeholder workshops. Results: Fifty-one medical personnel at the tertiary hospitals were trained. The FNAB numbers increased by 41% to 1,681, with 139 malignant diagnoses (7.1%). BMAT biopsy numbers increased by 268% to 140, with 34 malignant cases. Between 60% and 100% of the FNAB and BMAT biopsy procedures were performed by MO and CO over the project period. One new FNAB and two new BMAT biopsy clinics were established. Conclusion: This project demonstrates a successful model of task sharing and shifting from specialist pathologists to MO and CO that improved access to important FNAB and BMAT biopsy services in a low-resource setting