A Critical Evaluation of the Textbook Programme in Public Primary Schools and Implications for Laptop Classrooms in Kenya

Social development gravitates around the quality of learning experiences and skills acquired in the school. The utilization of effective teaching and learning strategies as well as the integration of technology are key drivers of Kenya’s Vision 2030 and social transformation. Importantly teaching and learning resources such as textbooks are essential but perhaps insufficient to facilitate learning. This paper reports the findings of an evaluation study of the textbook programme in a selected rural district in Kenya and analyses the implication for laptop classrooms within the Kenyan context. Keywords: Instructional effectiveness; textbook programme; public primary schools; learning achievement; laptop classroom

Correlates of Behavior Management Strategies among Learners with Autistic Spectrum Disorders in Primary Schools in Western Kenya

Practitioners handling learners with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) often feel ill-prepared to effectively manage this disorder.  Quite often, when faced with cases of challenging behaviour, teachers use coping strategies which may be counter-productive. This paper reports the findings of a study that sought to determine factors that influence practitioners’ choice of behaviour management strategies among learners with ASDs in primary schools in Western Kenya. An exploratory analysis set out to determine the practitioners’ perception of challenging behaviour and its influence on the choice of management strategies. The findings of the study revealed that practitioners training, work experience, collaboration and networking with other professionals, staffing levels, and support received from parents of children with ASDs played a significant role in the choice of strategies in management of behaviour presented by learners with ASDs. Keywords: Challenging behavior, Practitioners, Teachers, Autistic Spectrum Disorde

Interaction between financial risk management and value of the firm among private equity firms in frontier markets : a theoretical perspective

Purpose: The study attempts to establish a theoretical basis for the interaction between financial risk management and value of the firm among private capital firms. Design and Methodology: The study was based on a theoretical review of the interaction between financial risk management and value of the firm focusing on the applicability of agency theory, trade-off theory and credit metrics model in anchoring capital management risk, liquidity risk and credit risk Findings: The study shows that although private equity firms are not publicly listed, they face financial risks associated with defaults on loans advanced, volatility of interest rates, liquidity management and capital management. The agency theory explains the role of capital management risk and liquidity risk by incurring agency costs to deter the management from engaging in activities hindering achievement of wealth maximization goal. Similarly, companies balance between threat of bankruptcy and tax benefits of debt by finding an understanding between the advantages and the disadvantages that come with debt as outlined in the trade-off theory while credit metrics model help firms to quantify credit risk on loans, fixed income instruments, commercial contracts. Practical Implications: Private equity firms must constantly be engaged in risk mitigation activities by extensively evaluating their financial, legal and business environments. The management of private equity companies must also always try to balance between the threat of bankruptcy and the tax benefits of debt in the formulation of capital structure by finding a compromise between the benefits and costs of raising debt. The management should also carefully consider credit risks during the credit appraisal and credit awarding process by using appropriate credit appraisal models such as credit metrics model. The Significance of the Study: The conclusions reached in this study significantly impacts the perspective of the management with regard to risk management particularly in the banking sector which is predominantly adversely affected by credit risk, liquidity risk and capital management risks. Consequently the management would be in a better position to manage their risks using appropriate models and improve organizational efficiency and performance.peer-reviewe

The Dantu blood group prevents parasite growth in vivo: Evidence from a controlled human malaria infection study

Background: The long co-evolution of Homo sapiens and Plasmodium falciparum has resulted in the selection of numerous human genetic variants that confer an advantage against severe malaria and death. One such variant is the Dantu blood group antigen, which is associated with 74% protection against severe and complicated P. falciparum malaria infections in homozygous individuals, similar to that provided by the sickle haemoglobin allele (HbS). Recent in vitro studies suggest that Dantu exerts this protection by increasing the surface tension of red blood cells, thereby impeding the ability of P. falciparum merozoites to invade them and reducing parasite multiplication. However, no studies have yet explored this hypothesis in vivo. Methods: We investigated the effect of Dantu on early phase P. falciparum (Pf) infections in a controlled human malaria infection (CHMI) study. 141 sickle-negative Kenyan adults were inoculated with 3.2 × 103 aseptic, purified, cryopreserved Pf sporozoites (PfSPZ Challenge) then monitored for blood-stage parasitaemia for 21 days by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)analysis of the 18S ribosomal RNA P. falciparum gene. The primary endpoint was blood-stage P. falciparum parasitaemia of ≥500/μl while the secondary endpoint was the receipt of antimalarial treatment in the presence of parasitaemia of any density. On study completion, all participants were genotyped both for Dantu and for four other polymorphisms that are associated with protection against severe falciparum malaria: α+-thalassaemia, blood group O, G6PD deficiency, and the rs4951074 allele in the red cell calcium transporter ATP2B4. Results: The primary endpoint was reached in 25/111 (22.5%) non-Dantu subjects in comparison to 0/27 (0%) Dantu heterozygotes and 0/3 (0.0%) Dantu homozygotes (p=0.01). Similarly, 49/111 (44.1%) non-Dantu subjects reached the secondary endpoint in comparison to only 7/27 (25.9%) and 0/3 (0.0%) Dantu heterozygotes and homozygotes, respectively (p=0.021). No significant impacts on either outcome were seen for any of the other genetic variants under study. Conclusions: This study reveals, for the first time, that the Dantu blood group is associated with high-level protection against early, non-clinical, P. falciparum malaria infections in vivo. Learning more about the mechanisms involved could potentially lead to new approaches to the prevention or treatment of the disease. Our study illustrates the power of CHMI with PfSPZ Challenge for directly testing the protective impact of genotypes previously identified using other methods

The effect of alpha(+)-thalassaemia on the incidence of malaria and other diseases in children living on the coast of Kenya

BACKGROUND: The alpha-thalassaemias are the commonest genetic disorders of humans. It is generally believed that this high frequency reflects selection through a survival advantage against death from malaria; nevertheless, the epidemiological description of the relationships between alpha-thalassaemia, malaria, and other common causes of child mortality remains incomplete. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We studied the alpha+-thalassaemia-specific incidence of malaria and other common childhood diseases in two cohorts of children living on the coast of Kenya. We found no associations between alpha+-thalassaemia and the prevalence of symptomless Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia, the incidence of uncomplicated P. falciparum disease, or parasite densities during mild or severe malaria episodes. However, we found significant negative associations between alpha+-thalassaemia and the incidence rates of severe malaria and severe anaemia (haemoglobin concentration < 50 g/l). The strongest associations were for severe malaria anaemia (> 10,000 P. falciparum parasites/mul) and severe nonmalaria anaemia; the incidence rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for alpha+-thalassaemia heterozygotes and homozygotes combined compared to normal children were, for severe malaria anaemia, 0.33 (95% CI, 0.15,0.73; p = 0.006), and for severe nonmalaria anaemia, 0.26 (95% CI, 0.09,0.77; p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: Our observations suggest, first that selection for alpha+-thalassaemia might be mediated by a specific effect against severe anaemia, an observation that may lead to fresh insights into the aetiology of this important condition. Second, although alpha+-thalassaemia is strongly protective against severe and fatal malaria, its effects are not detectable at the level of any other malaria outcome; this result provides a cautionary example for studies aimed at testing malaria interventions or identifying new malaria-protective genes

Correlates of Behavior Management Strategies Among Learners With Autistic Spectrum Disorders In Primary Schools In Western Kenya

Practitioners handling learners with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) often feel ill-prepared to effectively manage this disorder.  Quite often, when faced with cases of challenging behaviour, teachers use coping strategies which may be counter-productive. This paper reports the findings of a study that sought to determine factors that influence practitioners’ choice of behaviour management strategies among learners with ASDs in primary schools in Western Kenya. An exploratory analysis set out to determine the practitioners’ perception of challenging behaviour and its influence on the choice of management strategies. The findings of the study revealed that practitioners training, work experience, collaboration and networking with other professionals, staffing levels, and support received from parents of children with ASDs played a significant role in the choice of strategies in management of behaviour presented by learners with ASDs. Key words: Challenging behavior, Practitioners, Teachers, Autistic Spectrum Disorde

Striga parasitizes transgenic hairy roots of Zea mays and provides a tool for studying plant-plant interactions

Background Striga species are noxious root hemi-parasitic weeds that debilitate cereal production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Control options for Striga are limited and developing Striga resistant crop germplasm is regarded as the best and most sustainable control measure. Efforts to improve germplasm for Striga resistance by a non-Genetic Modification (GM) approach, for example by exploiting natural resistance, or by a GM approach are constrained by limited information on the biological processes underpinning host-parasite associations. Additionaly, a GM approach is stymied by lack of availability of candidate resistance genes for introduction into hosts and robust transformation methods to validate gene functions. Indeed, a majority of Striga hosts, the world’s most cultivated cereals, are recalcitrant to genetic transformation. In maize, the existing protocols for transformation and regeneration are tedious, lengthy, and highly genotype-specific with low efficiency of transformation. Results We used Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain K599 carrying a reporter gene construct, Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), to generate transgenic composite maize plants that were challenged with the parasitic plant Striga hermonthica. Eighty five percent of maize plants produced transgenic hairy roots expressing GFP. Consistent with most hairy roots produced in other species, transformed maize roots exhibited a hairy root phenotype, the hallmark of A. rhizogenes mediated transformation. Transgenic hairy roots resulting from A. rhizogenes transformation were readily infected by S. hermonthica. There were no significant differences in the number and size of S. hermonthica individuals recovered from either transgenic or wild type roots. Conclusions This rapid, high throughput, transformation technique will advance our understanding of gene function in parasitic plant-host interactions

Patient safety in developing countries: retrospective estimation of scale and nature of harm to patients in hospital

OBJECTIVE: To assess the frequency and nature of adverse events to patients in selected hospitals in developing or transitional economies. DESIGN: Retrospective medical record review of hospital admissions during 2005 in eight countries. SETTING: Ministries of Health of Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia, Sudan, South Africa and Yemen; the World Health Organisation (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean and African Regions (EMRO and AFRO), and WHO Patient Safety. PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample of 26 hospitals from which 15,548 patient records were randomly sampled. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Two stage screening. Initial screening based on 18 explicit criteria. Records that screened positive were then reviewed by a senior physician for determination of adverse event, its preventability, and the resulting disability. RESULTS: Of the 15,548 records reviewed, 8.2% showed at least one adverse event, with a range of 2.5% to 18.4% per country. Of these events, 83% were judged to be preventable, while about 30% were associated with death of the patient. About 34% adverse events were from therapeutic errors in relatively non-complex clinical situations. Inadequate training and supervision of clinical staff or the failure to follow policies or protocols contributed to most events. CONCLUSIONS: Unsafe patient care represents a serious and considerable danger to patients in the hospitals that were studied, and hence should be a high priority public health problem. Many other developing and transitional economies will probably share similar rates of harm and similar contributory factors. The convenience sampling of hospitals might limit the interpretation of results, but the identified adverse event rates show an estimate that should stimulate and facilitate the urgent institution of appropriate remedial action and also to trigger more research. Prevention of these adverse events will be complex and involves improving basic clinical processes and does not simply depend on the provision of more resources

Potential economic and poverty impact of improved chickpea technologies in Ethiopia. Socioeconomics Discussion Paper Series 9

The national agricultural research organization of Ethiopia in collaboration with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) developed and released a total of 11 improved chickpea varieties between 1974 and 2005. These varieties are high-yielding, stress tolerant, with desirable agronomic and market traits. However, until now there exists no systematic study to assess the economic impact of this research investment in Ethiopia. This information is useful for justifying future donor investments and other collaborative ventures in such projects. The objective of this study is to assess the potential economic and poverty impact of improved chickpea varieties adopted by Ethiopian farmers. The economic surplus model (based on DREAM model) was applied to estimate total benefits. With an annual chickpea production of 175,734 tons, chickpea price of US$164/tonne, a 31$ 111 million for 30 years. Consumers are estimated to get 39% of the benefit and producers 61%.With project costs of US$ 22 million, the benefit cost ratio is estimated at 5:1 and an internal rate of return of 55%, indicating that the investment is profitable. Even with the worst-case scenario i.e. lowest benefit (15%), highest discount rate (13%), lowest elasticities and price the benefit-cost ratio of 2:1, still justified the investment. The generated benefit is expected to lift more than 0.7 million people (both producers and consumers) out of poverty. Thus, further investments in the chickpea and other legume research in Ethiopia is justified as a means of poverty alleviatio