NASA-Kenya LANDSAT programme

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

The applicability of ERTS-1 data covering the major landforms of Kenya

The author has identified the following significant results. Five investigators report on the applicability of ERTS-1 data covering the major landforms of Kenya. Deficiencies due to lack of equipment, repetitive coverage and interpretation know-how are also reported on. Revision of lake shorelines is an immediate benefit. Basement system metasediments are rapidly differentiated, but dune areas are not readily distinguishable from sandy soils. Forest, moorland, high altitude grass, tea, and conifer plantations are readily distinguished, with podocarpus forest especially distinguishable from podocarpus/juniperus forest. In the arid areas physiographic features, indicating the major soil types, are readily identified and mapped. Preliminary vegetation type analysis in the Mara Game Reserve indicates that in a typical savannah area about 36% of the vegetation types are distinguishable at a scale of 1:1 million as well as drainage patterns and terrain features

Reconfiguring international pharmaceutical patent protection principles to combat linkage evergreening :|b'de-linking the evergreen' and proposing a solution for developing countries

Recent remarks made by the current South African Minister of Health describing as a plot to ‘genocide’ a leaked document allegedly authored by a group of multinational pharmaceutical companies in response to the country’s Draft IP Policy is evidence of the importance of both pharmaceutical patents and the national intellectual property policies underpinning their legislative landscape. The proliferation of linkage evergreening provisions through multilateral agreements has also recently become a trend globally. Evergreening has been described as the various ways in which pharmaceutical patent owners use the law and related regulatory processes to extend the patent term of their high profit-making pharmaceuticals. The evergreening phenomenon has also been referred to as patent evergreening, which involves the practice of obtaining multiple patents that cover different aspects of the same product. Linkage evergreening however specifically refers to the phenomenon where generics pharmaceutical manufacturers cannot receive regulatory approval or marketing authorization for developing a pharmaceutical product that is still protected by a patent. The evergreening phenomenon is achieved through Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) which require participating nations to incorporate linkage and other intellectual property provisions in their national patent systems in exchange for preferential trade terms. These agreements generally provide for stronger provisions than the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and are thus referred to as “TRIPS Plus". Not surprisingly, these “TRIPS Plus” FTAs are negotiated outside the purview of the World Trade Organization (WTO). This thesis examines the role, legality and impact of bilateral free trade agreements which include wide ranging provisions that allow the proliferation of linkage evergreening and thereby frustrate and delay generic medicines’ market entry, prolong and expand patent protections and constrain the exercise of TRIPS flexibilities intended to support access and promote public health. The free trade agreements discussed include the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the US - Australia Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) and the US - Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUSFTA). This study also examines the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) in the context of access to medicines and linkage evergreening in developing countries and LDCs in Africa, with a focus on the recently concluded EU – SADC EPA and the EU-EAC EPA still under negotiation. Relevant legislation, policy documents and case law from South Africa, India, the EAC and ARIPO are also explored in this study to gauge their potential to effectively address the challenges of access to medicines and evergreening. This thesis offers a solution to evergreening through the recommendation of guidelines which show law and policy makers how to curtail linkage evergreening. More specifically, it is hoped that the said guidelines as well as the discussion and analyses presented in this thesis will assist in the development of national and regional intellectual property policies, amendment of national and regional legislative instruments as well as the negotiation of regional trade agreements aimed at securing the interests of LDCs and developing countries. It is further hoped that the recommendations made will contribute to ongoing efforts to improve access to affordable medicines in the developing world

AI in Africa : Framing AI through an African Lens

Development and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in Africa has occurred slowly relative to developed countries. A vibrant AI ecosystem is growing on the continent. Due to the unique geographical, cultural and political nature of the continent, the 4th industrial revolution on the continent is evolving differently from its global counterparts. The motivations for development of AI systems, the parties involved, and the impact of the AI ecosystem on the continent are therefore best analyzed and framed through a unique African lens. This paper seeks to begin this process by developing a conceptual framework to characterize the parties involved in the African AI ecosystem. i.e., the African AI stakeholder. Identification of these stakeholders will aid in determining their interests, responsibilities and accountability and will provide a basis for the development and implementation of an equitable AI ecosystem. It is our goal that this framework, ultimately, be used to guide the contributions from the African AI perspective in global dialogues on ethics, bias, inclusion and similar topics in the AI sphere.El desarrollo y la adopción de la inteligencia artificial (IA) en África se han producido con lentitud en relación con los países desarrollados. Un vibrante ecosistema de IA está creciendo en el continente. Debido a la singular naturaleza geográfica, cultural y política del continente, la cuarta revolución industrial en el continente está evolucionando de manera diferente a sus homólogos mundiales. Por lo tanto, las motivaciones para el desarrollo de los sistemas de IA, las partes involucradas y el impacto del ecosistema de IA en el continente se analizan y enmarcan mejor a través de una lente africana única. El presente documento trata de iniciar este proceso elaborando un marco conceptual para caracterizar a las partes que intervienen en el ecosistema africano de la IA, es decir, el actor africano de la IA. La identificación de estas partes interesadas ayudará a determinar sus intereses, responsabilidades y rendición de cuentas y servirá de base para el desarrollo y la aplicación de un ecosistema de IA equitativo. Nuestro objetivo es que este marco, en última instancia, se utilice para orientar las contribuciones desde la perspectiva de la IA africana en los diálogos mundiales sobre la ética, el sesgo, la inclusión y temas similares en la esfera de la IA.Le développement et l'adoption de l'intelligence artificielle (IA) en Afrique s'est fait lentement par rapport aux pays développés. Un écosystème d'IA dynamique se développe sur le continent. En raison de la nature géographique, culturelle et politique unique du continent, la 4e révolution industrielle sur le continent évolue différemment de ses homologues mondiaux. Les motivations du développement des systèmes d'IA, les parties impliquées et l'impact de l'écosystème de l'IA sur le continent sont donc mieux analysés et encadrés à travers une lentille africaine unique. Le présent document vise à amorcer ce processus en élaborant un cadre conceptuel permettant de caractériser les parties impliquées dans l'écosystème africain de l'IA, c'est-à-dire la partie prenante africaine de l'IA. L'identification de ces parties prenantes aidera à déterminer leurs intérêts, leurs responsabilités et leur obligation de rendre compte et servira de base au développement et à la mise en œuvre d'un écosystème d'IA équitable. Notre objectif est que ce cadre soit utilisé pour guider les contributions du point de vue de l'IA africaine dans les dialogues mondiaux sur l'éthique, les préjugés, l'inclusion et autres sujets similaires dans la sphère de l'IA

Solitary colon metastasis from renal cell carcinoma nine years after nephrectomy: A case report

AbstractIntroductionRenal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common renal malignancy in adults. Metastatic disease is relatively common at presentation and frequently involves the lung, bone, brain, liver and adrenal glands. After curative resection, there is a 30–40% risk of recurrence, and a 10% risk of developing metastatic disease after 5 years. The gastrointestinal tract, particularly the colon, represents a very uncommon site of late metastatic disease.Presentation of CaseWe present a case of a 67 year-old-male who underwent a left radical nephrectomy for RCC 9 years before presenting with a metastatic large bowel obstruction. He was later found to have a near-completely obstructing mass in the rectosigmoid colon and underwent a sigmoidectomy with anterior resection of the upper rectum. Histopathology confirmed metastatic RCC confined to the colonic wall with negative microscopic margins.DiscussionThe tendency of RCC to metastasize to unusual sites such as the pancreas or thyroid gland has been widely reported. However, cases of colon metastasis from RCC are extremely rare. Despite the absence of randomized prospective data, widespread consensus supports the surgical treatment of solitary and oligometastatic disease in light of the poor patient outcomes in non-surgically treated disease (Milovic et al., 2013) [3]. Multiple groups have reported favorable outcomes for surgically resected solitary metastatic disease with long disease-free intervals and good performance status.ConclusionThe colon is a potential, though uncommon, site for solitary metastasis from RCC. The clinical presentation is frequently several years after initial curative resection. Oncologic resection with negative margins may result in long-term survival in patients with isolated metastatic disease

Strengthening cyber policy research centres in the Global South

The Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law (CIPIT) is an independent center operating within the Research and Innovation Department, Strathmore University (Nairobi, Kenya) and now separate from the Law School. Regarding the broader ICT community which includes governmental policy makers, practitioners, and average citizens, a primary point of engagement for CIPIT is its database for ICT laws and policies in Africa (www.ictpolicy.org). The impact of cyberspace on so-called “illiberal” African governments (and vice-versa) is currently a topic critical to civil society, businesses, human rights and democracy activists. The report provides an update on CIPIT activities and aims