Jumping Finite Automata for Tweet Comprehension

Every day, over one billion social media text messages are generated worldwide, which provides abundant information that can lead to improvements in lives of people through evidence-based decision making. Twitter is rich in such data but there are a number of technical challenges in comprehending tweets including ambiguity of the language used in tweets which is exacerbated in under resourced languages. This paper presents an approach based on Jumping Finite Automata for automatic comprehension of tweets. We construct a WordNet for the language of Kenya (WoLK) based on analysis of tweet structure, formalize the space of tweet variation and abstract the space on a Finite Automata. In addition, we present a software tool called Automata-Aided Tweet Comprehension (ATC) tool that takes raw tweets as input, preprocesses, recognise the syntax and extracts semantic information to 86% success rate

Student Unrest in Public Universities in Kenya: The Nexus between Principles of Governance and Student Leadership

Student unrest has been a major problem in Kenya for the government, public universities, the community, society, and even students themselves for several decades. However, the student leaders, majority of who are undergraduates in their late teens to early twenties, lack governance and leadership skills and experience. This study focused on principles of governance and leadership among student leaders in public universities. The study was anchored on positivist research philosophy and adopted a cross sectional design. The target population was all the 35 public universities in Kenya and data was collected from 70 student chairpersons and their deputies. Data was mainly collected from primary source using structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and regression analysis. The study established that student leaders exhibited both performance and accountability principles of governance albeit weakly. The study however found no significant relationship between and student leadership and governance principles of legitimacy and voice; direction; and fairness. This study thus concludes that when student leaders are articulating their fellow students’ issues, the leaders are guided by responsiveness, effectiveness, efficiency, transparency, and information flow. The leaders however lack appreciation for rule of law; equity; consensus orientation and mediation; as well as long-term strategic vision for the student body. The study therefore recommends that public universities should immediately train all incumbent student leaders on leadership concepts and principles of governance. However as a long-term measure, universities should introduce curriculums on principles of governance and leadership concepts contextualized to undergraduate students’ area of study

Effects of Light Attenuation on Local and Bulk Mechanical Properties of Photopolymerized PEG Hydrogels

Cell experiments investigating cell behavior as a function of material stiffness are often carried out on the surface of hydrogels. An assumption that the bulk hydrogel mechanical properties represent the surface properties is often employed but in many cases is not valid. In photo-initiated radical polymerization, photons are absorbed by initiator chromophores generating high energy electrons. As photons progress through the prepolymer solution, the intensity of light that reaches the distal end of the solution is decreased through this attenuation. This work aims to determine whether light attenuation plays a significant role in local stiffness within a poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogel, compared to its bulk stiffness. Differences in bulk properties were tested by varying the polymerization parameters of hydrogel cylindrical plugs, including sample thickness (0.7mm – 1.2mm), photoinitiator type (EosinY vs LAP), PEGDA weight percent, and exposure time. Mechanical loading data of the plugs was analyzed to reveal the relationships between the physical properties (e.g. thickness, surface area, volume) and chemical properties (e.g. monomer and initiator concentrations, exposure settings). Preliminary data suggests that an appreciable difference in physical properties exists between gels of differing thickness (1.0mm vs 0.3mm based on gel point). The goals of this work are to quantify the extent of this difference based on sample thickness, and to compare the bulk stiffness data with local surface stiffness measurements obtained using an AFM nano-indentation technique and determine whether changes in bulk properties carry over to changes in surface properties

Strengthening foundational literacy : a process and outcome evaluation of the Wordworks Early Literacy programme

The purpose of this evaluation was to investigate the effects of a volunteer-run, school-based Wordworks Early Literacy intervention that was implemented in the Western Cape for struggling Grade One learners at risk of falling into the Learning Achievement Gap. The process evaluation investigated the extent to which volunteers received adequate training to deliver the programme to learners, as well as the perceived benefits that volunteers gained from this experience. The outcome evaluation investigated the extent to which several literacy and psychosocial development indicators improved amongst children who took part in The Wordworks Early Literacy Programme (ELP). Secondary data from volunteer programme records such as attendance of training sessions, volunteers' reasons for leaving the programme where applicable, and a Volunteer Feedback survey detailing perceived benefits of volunteering, were analysed to ascertain the volunteer outcomes. Secondly, data from learner assessments measuring changes in literacy indicator variables (such as letter knowledge, sentence construction ability, and reading ability), in 3 cohorts of learners enrolled in the programme, were analysed. Cohort 1 consisted of the 2014 12-month programme, Cohort 2 of the 2014 6-month programme and Cohort 3 of the 2015 6-month programme. Thirdly, qualitative data from responses given in a Teachers Feedback survey, detailing perceived changes in learner psychosocial well-being, were analysed

Longitudinal study regarding Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato populations in defined habitats in Latvia

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (B. burgdorferi s.l.) is a species complex that currently comprise 22 named or proposed genospecies. In Europe five species are known to be the agents of the human disease - Lyme borreliosis (LB). With approximately 650,000-850,000 assumed new LB cases in Europe annually, LB is the most common human tick-borne disease in Europe (Lit EU). For control measures and eventual prevention of this tick-borne disease, it will be beneficial to study and interpret the B. burgdorferi s.l. population dynamics and structure. The bacteria are maintained in a natural transmission cycle between reservoir hosts and ticks of the genus Ixodes. Keeping in mind that the tick vectors` life cycle may be up to more than five years, long term studies are required for a better understanding of such correlations. Hence this study is designed to cover the tick sampling periods between 1999 and 2010 in defined habitats in Latvia. As preliminary study the most economical and efficient method for DNA extraction was determined. Subsequently polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) was used to obtain information about population structure, fluctuations and stability regarding B. burgdorferi s.l.. The average prevalence over all years was 18.9 %. From initial high infection prevalences of 25.5 %, 33.1 % and 31.8 %, from 2002 onwards the infection rates steadily decreased to 7.3 % in 2010. Borrelia afzelii and B. garinii were the most commonly found genospecies but striking local differences were obvious. In one habitat, a significant shift from rodent-associated to birdassociated Borrelia species was noted whilst in the other habitats, Borrelia species composition was relatively stable over time. Sequence types (STs) showed a random spatial and temporal distribution. These results demonstrated that there are temporal regional changes and extrapolations from one habitat to the next are not possible

Women in rural development: report of a discussion group

This paper was prepared as the report of a discussion group participating in the Conference on Assembling and Collecting Data on the Participation of Women in Kenyan Society, held at the Nairobi School on August 11 to 15, 1975. It was agreed that the search for improvements in agriculture and in extension to rural women must take into account the complexity of rural society, the diverse activities of rural residents and the variety of their economic and nutritional needs. The principal concern of the group was to underscore the need for systematic and standardised collection of data which will more genuinely reflect women's participation in the economic activities which are the principal target of rural development. Five priority areas were identified in which the need for greater information on the role of women is especially urgent: accurate representation of the household unit, wage differentials, and their consequences for rural incomes, the sociological context of communal labour activities, access to extension and credit, and diversification and upgrading of non-farm activities. Finally, the need for an action-oriented research programme was stressed, in which work is carried out on several levels, coordinated and presented to a wide audience

Longitudinal study regarding Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato populations in defined habitats in Latvia

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (B. burgdorferi s.l.) is a species complex that currently comprise 22 named or proposed genospecies. In Europe five species are known to be the agents of the human disease - Lyme borreliosis (LB). With approximately 650,000-850,000 assumed new LB cases in Europe annually, LB is the most common human tick-borne disease in Europe (Lit EU). For control measures and eventual prevention of this tick-borne disease, it will be beneficial to study and interpret the B. burgdorferi s.l. population dynamics and structure. The bacteria are maintained in a natural transmission cycle between reservoir hosts and ticks of the genus Ixodes. Keeping in mind that the tick vectors` life cycle may be up to more than five years, long term studies are required for a better understanding of such correlations. Hence this study is designed to cover the tick sampling periods between 1999 and 2010 in defined habitats in Latvia. As preliminary study the most economical and efficient method for DNA extraction was determined. Subsequently polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) was used to obtain information about population structure, fluctuations and stability regarding B. burgdorferi s.l.. The average prevalence over all years was 18.9 %. From initial high infection prevalences of 25.5 %, 33.1 % and 31.8 %, from 2002 onwards the infection rates steadily decreased to 7.3 % in 2010. Borrelia afzelii and B. garinii were the most commonly found genospecies but striking local differences were obvious. In one habitat, a significant shift from rodent-associated to birdassociated Borrelia species was noted whilst in the other habitats, Borrelia species composition was relatively stable over time. Sequence types (STs) showed a random spatial and temporal distribution. These results demonstrated that there are temporal regional changes and extrapolations from one habitat to the next are not possible

A preliminary survey of the avenues for and contraints on women in the development process in Kenya

This paper attempts to review the social conditions of women in Kenya with specific reference to the position of women in the rural areas. The main purpose of the paper is to present information on factors which facilitate the participation of women in the national economy and others which act as constraints on their full involvement in development in Kenya. Of special significance are levels of literacy and access to educational facilities and the degree to which these constrain women's entry into formal employment; the legal position of women with regard to marriage, divorce and land holding and how this affects the management of resources at the farm level; government assistance for women; and questions concerning the use of time by rural women. The findings emerging from this research, as well as from secondary source material, suggest that the present conditions of rural women are inadequate. In the face of a narrowing land base and a rising population, women in the rural areas of Kenya have to be enabled through legislation, education and training to channel their potential into development efforts more effectively. They form a majority in the rural areas and are responsible for most of the agricultural work. The success of agricultural improvement in the rural areas requires that women be educated, that certain institutional structures be relaxed which have discouraged the full involvement of women in rural change and that women achieve recognition for the part they have played so far