EFFECT OF ENTREPRENEUR CHARACTERISTICS ON PERFORMANCE OF NONTIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN KENYA

Limited literature is available on the relationship between entrepreneurcharacteristics and performance of non-timber forest products small and medium enterprisesraising debate whether the link is tenable with such firms. Thus, a study covering 314 small andmedium enterprises in nine counties in Kenya was conducted to explore the relationship. Thecoefficient of determination, F statistic, and the t-value and their significance levels were used inpresenting the relationship between entrepreneur characteristics and firm performance. The resultsshow that that firm performance is significantly affected by entrepreneur characteristics of age,managerial skills, industry experience and social skills. Thus, it is concluded that entrepreneurcharacteristics and performance of non-timber forest products small and medium enterprises areempirically related. Firms run by relatively young, well-experienced and skilled entrepreneursregister better performance. It is necessary, therefore, that the non-timber forest products small andmedium enterprises match their strategic decisions with characteristics of owners/managers toenhance their competitiveness and performance. The implications of this study are that specificpolicy measures are necessary to encourage the many well trained but unemployed young people toengage in businesses. Additionally it also implies that specific training programmes are necessaryto equip the practitioners with necessary theoretical and practical capacities to enhanceperformance of their firms

Simulation model for solar energy harnessing by the solar tunnel dryer

Models were developed to predict global solar radiation and the energy harnessed by a solar tunnel dryer, and simulated in Visual Basic 6.  In addition, the simulated data were compared with actual data.  Using a 10% absolute residual error interval, the developed model achieved 78.4% and 83.3% performance for global solar radiation and energy harnessing, respectively.  Further, the relationship between global solar radiation and the ten years mean satellite solar radiation, and that between the actual and simulated plenum chamber temperatures were linear, with coefficients of determination (R2) of 0.788 and 0.962.  Thus, it shows that there is the existence of strong correlation between satellite and predicted global solar radiation, and between predicted and actual plenum chamber temperatures.  Furthermore, Student’s t-test did not show any significant difference between simulated and actual data for solar radiation and energy harnessing.  Finally, this study shows that the developed model can be used to predict solar radiation and the energy harnessed by the solar tunnel dryer.Keywords: modeling, tunnel-dryer, global, direct, solar-radiation, plenum-temperature Citation: Kituu G. M., D. Shitanda, C. L. Kanali, J. T. Mailutha, C. K. Njoroge, J. K.Wainaina, and J. S Bongyereire. Simulation model for solar energy harnessing by the solar tunnel dryer.  Agric Eng Int: CIGR Journal, 2010, 12(1): 91-98

Tumour necrosis factor allele variants and their association with the occurrence and severity of malaria in African children: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is central to the immune response to Plasmodium infection. Its plasma concentration is influenced by allele variants in the promoter region of TNF. The study's objectives were to assess TNF allele variants (TNF(-1031), TNF(-308)): (1) modulation of malaria rates in young Tanzanian children; (2) modulation of the severity of malaria as indicated by haemoglobin concentrations at the time of presentation with febrile episodes; and (3) the association between Plasmodium infection and haemoglobin concentration in symptomless parasite carriers. METHODS: Data from a placebo-controlled trial in which 612 Tanzanian children aged 6-60 months with height-for-age z-score in the range -3 SD to 1.5 SD was utilised. Those with Plasmodium infection at baseline were treated with artemether-lumefantrine. An episode of malaria was predefined as current Plasmodium infection with an inflammatory response (axillary temperature ≥37.5°C or whole blood C-reactive protein concentration ≥8 mg/L) in children reported sick. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) pattern assessment as well as haplotype analysis was conducted using HAPLOVIEW. Cox regression models used in the primary analysis accounted for multiple episodes per child. RESULTS: Genotyping of 94.9% (581/612) children for TNF(-1031) (TNF(-1031)T>C); allele frequency was 0.39. Corresponding values for rs1800629 (TNF(-308)G>A) were 95.4% (584/612) and 0.17. Compared to the wild type genotype (TT), malaria rates were increased in the TNF -1031CC genotype (hazard ratio, HR [95% CI]: 1.41 [1.01‒1.97] and 1.31 [0.97‒1.76] for crude analysis and adjusting for pre-specified baseline factors, respectively) but decreased in those with the TNF(-308)AA genotype (corresponding HR: 0.13 [0.02‒0.63] and 0.16 [0.04‒0.67]). These associations were weaker when analysing first episodes of malaria (P value -0.59 and 0.38, respectively). No evidence that allele variants of TNF(-1031) and TNF(-308) affected haemoglobin concentration at first episode of malaria, or that they modified the association between Plasmodium infection and haemoglobin concentrations at baseline was observed. CONCLUSION: In this cohort of Tanzanian children, the TNF (-1031)CC genotype was associated with increased rates of malarial episodes, whereas the TNF(-308)AA genotype was associated with decreased rates

Agro-morphological characterization of Arabica coffee cultivars in Burundi

Open Access JournalBackground and Objective: Arabica coffee is an important beverage crop in world trade. The crop is gaining increasing importance in Burundi as an export crop. This study aimed to evaluate diversity among coffee cultivars based on quantitative agro-morphological traits for developing superior cultivars in Burundi. Materials and Methods: Fifteen coffee accessions including five commercial cultivars) were used in the study. From each accession, data were collected from three randomly selected trees on 17 quantitative agro-morphological traits and subjected to various statistical analyses including, analysis of variance (ANOVA), PCA biplot and cluster analysis. Results: The analysis of variance showed significant differences (p<0.05) among the accessions for most of the quantitative traits studied. Considering the number of fruits per internode and percentage of fruit-bearing primary branches, the highest yielding accessions were SL28, Mysore and S795. PCA showed that four principal components namely, PC1(33.70), PC2(30.57), PC3(10.21) and PC4(9.15) explained about 83.63% of the total variation. Cluster and distance analysis of quantitative traits revealed the existence of three different groups. The number of accessions in each group was 3, 3 and 9 for clusters I, II and III respectively. The maximum distance was seen between clusters I and II (88) while the minimum was seen between I and III (23). Conclusion: The results show wide diversity among the 15 coffee genotypes grown in Burundi concerning most quantitative morphological traits studied. The genotypes were grouped into three clusters where, Cluster II and III contained genotypes with valuable quantitative agronomic traits, while most of the accessions in cluster I exhibited poor agronomic performance

Hypothermia amongst neonatal admissions in Kenya: a retrospective cohort study assessing prevalence, trends, associated factors, and its relationship with all-cause neonatal mortality

Background: Reports on hypothermia from high-burden countries like Kenya amongst sick newborns often include few centers or relatively small sample sizes. Objectives: This study endeavored to describe: (i) the burden of hypothermia on admission across 21 newborn units in Kenya, (ii) any trend in prevalence of hypothermia over time, (iii) factors associated with hypothermia at admission, and (iv) hypothermia's association with inpatient neonatal mortality. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 2020 to March 2023, focusing on small and sick newborns admitted in 21 NBUs. The primary and secondary outcome measures were the prevalence of hypothermia at admission and mortality during the index admission, respectively. An ordinal logistic regression model was used to estimate the relationship between selected factors and the outcomes cold stress (36.0°C–36.4°C) and hypothermia (<36.0°C). Factors associated with neonatal mortality, including hypothermia defined as body temperature below 36.0°C, were also explored using logistic regression. Results: A total of 58,804 newborns from newborn units in 21 study hospitals were included in the analysis. Out of these, 47,999 (82%) had their admission temperature recorded and 8,391 (17.5%) had hypothermia. Hypothermia prevalence decreased over the study period while admission temperature documentation increased. Significant associations were found between low birthweight and very low (0–3) APGAR scores with hypothermia at admission. Odds of hypothermia reduced as ambient temperature and month of participation in the Clinical Information Network (a collaborative learning health platform for healthcare improvement) increased. Hypothermia at admission was associated with 35% (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.22, 1.50) increase in odds of neonatal inpatient death. Conclusions: A substantial proportion of newborns are admitted with hypothermia, indicating a breakdown in warm chain protocols after birth and intra-hospital transport that increases odds of mortality. Urgent implementation of rigorous warm chain protocols, particularly for low-birth-weight babies, is crucial to protect these vulnerable newborns from the detrimental effects of hypothermia

Aflatoxin contamination: Knowledge disparities among agriculture extension officers, frontline health workers and small holder farming households in Malawi

The aims of this study were to assess the state of knowledge and perceptions regarding aflatoxin contamination among frontline workers in direct contact with small holder farming households in Malawi as well as among the households themselves. The study first investigated and documented demographic profiles of agriculture extension workers (n = 22) and frontline health workers (n = 161) both from Ntchisi district and small holder farming households (n = 915) from Dedza, Balaka and Mzimba districts. Structured questionnaires were administered to document knowledge and perceptions. Majority of the respondents in Ntchisi were frontline nutrition and health workers as follows: care group promoters (31.7%), cluster leaders (51.9%) and health surveillance assistants (4.4%). Only 12% of the respondents were agriculture extension officers. Among frontline workers, using factor analyses, factors highly associated with the knowledge on domestic management of aflatoxin contamination and the impact of aflatoxin contamination on child linear growth and health in general were most prominent. Whereas, their knowledge of pre & post-harvest practices that pre-dispose crops to aflatoxin contamination and impact of aflatoxin contamination on trade and income losses was relatively low. On the other hand, among small holder farming households, lowest knowledge was related to occurrence of aflatoxin contamination pre and post-harvest. Highest knowledge was observed on issues around loss of income due to aflatoxin contamination. Across all districts over 50% of surveyed respondents reported that they perceived aflatoxin contamination severity as low. Majority of the households (>50%) did not perceive aflatoxin contamination as a problem that could be controlled. This is the first study to investigate knowledge, attitudes, practices and perceptions on aflatoxin contamination among a combination of agriculture extension officers and frontline health workers in parallel with the households they usually are in contact with. The current investigation is crucial because it elucidates knowledge gaps in aflatoxin critical control across agriculture extension, health workers and the small holder farming households. This is especially crucial among agriculture extension workers and frontline health workers as they have direct contact with households and therefore serve as an important source of information that could influence behavior change

Associations between Common Variants in Iron-Related Genes with Haematological Traits in Populations of African Ancestry.

BACKGROUND: Large genome-wide association (GWA) studies of European ancestry individuals have identified multiple genetic variants influencing iron status. Studies on the generalizability of these associations to African ancestry populations have been limited. These studies are important given interethnic differences in iron status and the disproportionate burden of iron deficiency among African ancestry populations. METHODS: We tested the associations of 20 previously identified iron status-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 628 Kenyans, 609 Tanzanians, 608 South Africans and 228 African Americans. In each study, we examined the associations present between 20 SNPs with ferritin and haemoglobin, adjusting for age, sex and CRP levels. RESULTS: In the meta analysis including all 4 African ancestry cohorts, we replicated previously reported associations with lowered haemoglobin concentrations for rs2413450 (β = -0.19, P = 0.02) and rs4820268 (β = -0.16, P = 0.04) in TMPRSS6. An association with increased ferritin concentrations was also confirmed for rs1867504 in TF (β = 1.04, P = <0.0001) in the meta analysis including the African cohorts only. CONCLUSIONS: In all meta analyses, we only replicated 4 of the 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms reported to be associated with iron status in large GWA studies of European ancestry individuals. While there is now evidence for the associations of a number of genetic variants with iron status in both European and African ancestry populations, the considerable lack of concordance highlights the importance of continued ancestry-specific studies to elucidate the genetic underpinnings of iron status in ethnically diverse populations

From community to assemblage? : ICT provides a site for inclusion and exclusion in the global south

The role of information and communication technology (ICT) in development has been discussed from two distinctly different perspectives: some view it as a means for opening new alleys for the facilitation of development and democracy, while others assess it as counterproductive. Furthermore, it has been emphasised that people in cities and rural areas utilise ICT in different ways, as do people with wealth and education compared to poor people. In Africa, Kenya has declared itself an ICT hub. The state has emphasised ICT in promoting services, much less freedom of expression. This article discusses ICT and development via the filter of assemblage, a key concept developed by Deleuze and Guattari (2004/1980. A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia. London: Continuum.). They emphasised fluidity as well as micro- and macro-level dichotomies. When communities based on sharing and consistent social order meet new technology, the change goes deeper than that of improved services. The basic difference might be the fact that a community is constructed on cultural ties developed over time, which strengthens immobility and stability, while an assemblage is characterised by mobility and fluidity. Thus, a system of values, hierarchies, and inherited traditions is challenged, mixed with ‘new’ problems brought about by individualised behaviour.Peer reviewe