Short communications: Kenya Bird Map: an internet-based system for monitoring bird distribution and populations in Kenya

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Factors influencing cervical cancer screening in a Kenyan Health Facility: a mixed qualitative and quantitative study

Background: Cervical cancer is the commonest cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality among women in developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Screening for cervical cancer among HIV infected women is crucial as they are more at risk of developing the disease and progressing faster once infected with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).Methods: We aimed to determine the factors affecting the utilization of cervical cancer screening among HIV infected women above 18 years of age at Kenyatta National Hospital by conducting a cross-sectional mixed quantitative and qualitative methods study. Descriptive and inferential analysis was carried out on quantitative data to determine significant associations with cervical cancer utilization. Qualitative data were analyzed after coding for significant clauses and transcribing to determine themes arising.Results: Three hundred and twenty eight of the total 387 women enrolled reported they had been advised by their health providers to go for screening. However, only 179 (46%) reported cervical cancer screening.  Women were more likely to report cervical cancer screening if recommendation by a staff was made (p <0.001), and prior to joining KNH CCC (p <0.001). Qualitatively the main barrier to screening included fear of screening due to concerns about excessive pain or bleeding, lack of proper communication on screening procedures and long waiting timeConclusions: The utilization of cervical cancer screening services was low despite high rates of health care recommendation. The women were more likely to utilize the service if recommendation from the health care worker was made, and if they had ever screened before

Кислотные дожди, как фактор, приводящий к загрязнению воздуха

В данной работе рассмотрена проблема загрязнения воздуха. Выявлено негативное влияние кислотных дождей на флору и фауну, на растительный и животный мир, на почвы. Обозначен путь к решению данной проблемы. In this paper the problem of air pollution is studied. A negative effect of acid rain on the flora and the fauna, to the soil is revealed. We outline a way to solve this problem

Avifauna of Ishaqbini Community Conservancy in Ijara District, NE Kenya

Ishaqbini community conservancy, in the arid northern-eastern Kenya was established in 2006 by local pastoralists as a community initiative to safeguard their wildlife heritage especially the endemic Hirola Beatragus hunteri. Prior to this survey there were no known recent avifaunal surveys for the area despite the fact that the conservancy lies adjacent to the relatively well-known lower Tana River forests, an important bird area (Bennun &amp; Njoroge 1999), as well as the East Africa coast forests endemic bird area (Stattersfield et al. 1998). In this paper we present the results of an avifaunal survey of the conservancy that includes a description of the bird assemblages in the conservancy, and an annotated account of some species of global and regional conservation concern occurring there

Targeting dairy interventions in Kenya: a guide for development planners, researchers and extension workers

This easy-to-use guide to effective targeting of selected dairy interventions in Kenya is intended for use by anyone involved in dairy farming in the country, such as development planners, researchers, service providers, suppliers of dairy inputs and extension workers. The guide answers the question often faced by these workers: where is their proposed intervention most likely to be adopted? Using a combination of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) mapping methods and economic regression techniques, this guide shows where and under what circumstances dairy technologies are most likely to succeed. The guide is divided into three sections. The first section deals with concepts, rationale and methodologies for targeting dairy interventions. It also explains, with examples, how to use the guide. The second section presents the targeting maps for various dairy interventions. A total of eleven dairy interventions are considered in this guide. For each, a map shows relative probability of adoption together with a description of the innovation and background information. Also presented are the socio-economic, biophysical and agro-climatic characteristics that predispose uptake of each intervention. The third section presents some policy-relevant research results in three topical areas: Cost of milk production; Evaluation and assessment of alternative milk preservation techniques; and Employment generation in the dairy marketing chain

A practical guide for collecting farmers socio-economic and agronomic data: an AfSIS Project field protocol

One of the aims of the AfSIS (Africa Soil Information Service) project is to document farmers’ characteristics and practices to determine their ability to engage in effective soil and crop management. This document outlines how agronomic surveys are integrated with knowledge of farmers’ condition, wealth, status, access to knowledge, and access to markets, using pre-designed questionnaires and field surveys, and including the use of Global Positioning System-based field surveys and Geographic Information Systems

Nutrients limiting soybean (glycine max l) growth in acrisols and ferralsols of western Kenya

Low soybean yields in western Kenya have been attributed to low soil fertility despite much work done on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) nutrition leading to suspicion of other nutrient limitations. To investigate this, a nutrient omission trial was set up in the greenhouse at the University of Eldoret-Kenya to diagnose the nutrients limiting soybean production in Acrisols from Masaba central and Butere sub-Counties, and Ferralsols from Kakamega (Shikhulu and Khwisero sub-locations) and Butula sub-Counties and to assess the effect of liming on soil pH and soybean growth. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design with ten treatments viz; positive control (complete), negative control (distilled water), complete with lime, complete with N, minus macronutrients P, potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulphur (S) and with, micro-nutrients boron (B), molybdenum (Mo), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) omitted. Visual deficiency symptoms observed included interveinal leaf yellowing in Mg omission and N addition and dark green leaves in P omission. Nutrients omission resulted in their significantly low concentration in plant tissues than the complete treatment. Significantly (P≤ 0.05) lower shoot dry weights (SDWs) than the complete treatment were obtained in different treatments; omission of K and Mg in Masaba and Shikhulu, Mg in Khwisero, K in Butere and, P, Mg and K in Butula. Nitrogen significantly improved SDWs in soils from Kakamega and Butula. Liming significantly raised soil pH by 9, 13 and 11% from 4.65, 4.91 and 4.99 in soils from Masaba, Butere and Butula respectively and soybean SDWs in soils from Butere. The results show that, poor soybean growth was due to K, Mg and P limitation and low pH in some soils. The results also signify necessity of application of small quantities of N for initial soybean use

Power-Law Distributions in a Two-sided Market and Net Neutrality

"Net neutrality" often refers to the policy dictating that an Internet service provider (ISP) cannot charge content providers (CPs) for delivering their content to consumers. Many past quantitative models designed to determine whether net neutrality is a good idea have been rather equivocal in their conclusions. Here we propose a very simple two-sided market model, in which the types of the consumers and the CPs are {\em power-law distributed} --- a kind of distribution known to often arise precisely in connection with Internet-related phenomena. We derive mostly analytical, closed-form results for several regimes: (a) Net neutrality, (b) social optimum, (c) maximum revenue by the ISP, or (d) maximum ISP revenue under quality differentiation. One unexpected conclusion is that (a) and (b) will differ significantly, unless average CP productivity is very high

'If she gets married when she is young, she will give birth to many kids': a qualitative study of child marriage practices amongst nomadic pastoralist communities in Kenya

Child marriage is associated with adverse health and social outcomes for women and girls. Among pastoralists in Kenya, child marriage is believed to be higher compared to the national average. This paper explores how social norms and contextual factors sustain child marriage in communities living in conflict-affected North Eastern Kenya. In-depth interviews were carried out with nomadic and semi-nomadic women and men of reproductive age in Wajir and Mandera counties. Participants were purposively sampled across a range of age groups and community types. Interviews were analysed thematically and guided by a social norms approach. We found changes in the way young couples meet and evidence for negative perceptions of child marriage due to its impact on the girls’ reproductive health and gender inequality. Despite this, child marriage was common amongst nomadic and semi-nomadic women. Two overarching themes explained child marriage practices: 1) gender norms, and 2) desire for large family size. Our findings complement the global literature, while contributing perspectives of pastoralist groups. Contextual factors of poverty, traditional pastoral lifestyles and limited formal education opportunities for girls, supported large family norms and gender norms that encouraged and sustained child marriage