Fertilizer Use and Maize Production in Sub-Saharan Africa

In sub-Saharan Africa, greater use of mineral fertilizers is crucial to increasing food production and slowing the rate of environmental degradation. Regional growth rates in fertilizer consumption have never been particularly high, in part because the real price of fertilizer is higher in Africa than in many other developing regions. As subsidies have been removed and exchange-rate distortions corrected over the past decade or more, relative prices paid by farmers have risen to reflect more closely the economic cost of fertilizer. Consumption growth has thus slowed even more. Nonetheless, during the period of declining growth in consumption, fertilizer use on cereals, particularly maize, has become relatively more important than use on cash crops. Strategies for increasing fertilizer use should thus direct more attention to maize and other important staples. In higher potential areas, some fertilizer use on maize is often economically profitable even at higher relative prices of fertilizer. Additional research on the limiting nutrient under farmers' conditions or on the interactions between nutrients and other crop-management factors could help to increase profitability. Policy analysis for Africa�s fertilizer sector has tended to focus on subsidies and to neglect other important issues, such as solving credit problems at many points in the marketing channel, supporting appropriate agricultural research, and developing and maintaining infrastructure. Agricultural sector strategies that give sufficient attention to these issues must be developed. Although subsidy removal must be one ultimate policy objective, we recommend gradual withdrawal in countries where fertilizer consumption levels are relatively high. Because many African governments require time and stability to develop policy capacity, detailed institutional analyses can help design second-best solutions to problems of fertilizer policy.Crop Production/Industries,

Low income food systems and food safety in Kenya: a case study of Kangemi peri-urban area

This study was a part of a large study that examined food systems and food safety in developing countries. The Kenyan study was mainly based on a case study of Kangemi village, which is a peri-urban area of Nairobi. At Kangemi, two major food systems exist. There is firstly, the typical low-income rural food systems, which mainly involve growing own food or buying locally grown food. In this system only a few essential items are purchased outside the farm, and nearly all food is prepared within the home. The major food safety problem in this system is due to inadequate drying and storage of staple food stuffs; poor practices of handling and preparing food within the home. Food safety standards in this system can be enhanced through teaching of food safety and extension of primary health care programmes. The other food system is typical of any low-income urban areas. The people here are predominantly dependent on purchased food; consisting mainly of a cereal or starchy root staple with some vegetables and pulses together with supplementary sources of animal protein and fruit. Here the main food safety problem i s due to considerable risks of deterioration, contamination and adulteration as the food moves through the distribution channel. In this system food safety standards can be enhanced through devotion of societal resources to health education to all involved in the distribution channel. As a conclusion it must be emphasised that it is seldom appreciated how widespread food contamination is, nor how tremendous are the costs it imposes to our society. This study has also indicated very clearly that at this stage of our development, food systems and food safety can be improved and enhanced significantly only through government participation as the private sector finds it impossible without causing undue financial burden to low-income consumers

Alternatives for improving production, employment and income distribution in Kenyan agriculture

The ever increasing population pressure with concomitant increasing food demand, land fragmentation and employment pose major challenges to agricultural development in Kenya. In this paper we explore various ways in which the Government can concentrate its scarce resources to accelerate production growth and employment in agriculture to at least keep abreast of population growth. These measures include land use intensification, shift in cropping patterns, land redistribution, increased supply of land and dry land farming. The second part of the paper examines the various Government policies directed towards agriculture and attempts to assess their impact on income distribution. The policies considered here include pricing, marketing, credit, research, extension and land policy. Most of the future increase in production will have to come from higher productivity, but increasing yields is going to cost money for irrigation, import of inputs like fertilizer, farm-to-market transport and the entire range of infrastructure soft ware such as research, extension and credit. Thus the country will need much higher levels of investment than at present especially in smallholder sector. Technically there seem to be few problems outside the feasible range of currently available possibilities. But the perennial issues of management and institutional structure will pose the biggest problems

Evaluation of a Diabetes Management Program for Persons with Serious and Persistent Mental Illness

Clinical Practice Recommendations and Evidence-Based Guidelines for Integrated Care were used to evaluate a diabetes management program for persons with serious and persistent mental illness in an integrated primary and behavioral health care center in New England. A simple random method was used to select a sample of 25 medical records of patients with diabetes and at least one mental illness. Data on seven diabetes content areas offered to patients and biophysical measures of weight, body mass index (BMI) and Hemoglobin A1C were collected via retrospective electronic chart reviews. Results showed the center focused on nutrition and exercise education, offered to 90% and 85% of patients respectively. Other education areas, including medications, self-monitoring of blood sugar, foot care, dental care and smoking cessation were offered to 5%-40% of the patients. An unexpected finding was noted, in that most participants (65%) gained weight despite focused nutrition and exercise education. The BMI was consequently elevated at a median level of 35, identified as obese. In spite of the weight and BMI increase, 65% of the patients had well controlled diabetes with an A1C below 7.The finding may be attributed to compliance and personalized diabetes medication regimen. Keeping all appointments did not improve biophysical measures: 67% of those who kept all appointments gained weight and increased A1C from base line. The unexpected results underscore the complexity and confounding nature of factors influencing diabetes in this population despite measures to improve health outcomes

Prevalent Elements of Consumer Wellbeing in Wearable Technology Use: An Interdisciplinary Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda

There is a growing acceptance of wearable technology (WT) in multiple domains including workplaces, leisure, and in medical practice. As WT becomes ubiquitous, there is a need to better understand its impact on wellbeing amongst users, especially as consumers are under increasing pressure to manage their individual wellbeing. In recent years, there has been a surge in research on wearable technology and wellbeing, but this stream of research remains fragmented. This conceptual paper aims to consolidate literature on prevalent elements of consumer wellbeing in WT use through an interdisciplinary systematic review of research from psychology, information technology and business literature, 23 empirical journal articles are included in the review. Our findings summarise the principal conceptualisations of wellbeing within these studies, offer insights into the theoretical perspectives of prior research and examine methods and key variables included in these studies. We identify gaps in extant research and propose directions for future research in each of these areas, thus contributing to this emerging literature domain

Prevalent Elements of Consumer Wellbeing in Wearable Technology Use: An Interdisciplinary Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda

The impact of wearable technology (wearables) on user wellbeing requires closer examination given the growth in adoption across multiple domains including workplaces, leisure, and healthcare. This paper consolidates research on consumer wellbeing and wearables through an interdisciplinary systematic review of 23 empirical journal articles from psychology, information technology and business domains. Our analysis highlights the principal conceptualisations of wellbeing and offers insights into theories, methods, and key variables in these studies. The findings reveal an overemphasis on adoption and usage of wearables in the literature; a narrow definition of wellbeing; and a limited range of theoretical and methodological perspectives. We propose that future research should be holistic, drawing on mainstream wellbeing theories and examining micro, meso, and macro level conceptualisations of wellbeing. Employing diverse methodologies such as longitudinal, time sampling, cross-sectional, qualitative, and quantitative approaches, and randomised control trials. We develop a framework outlining avenues for future research to extend current understanding in this research domain

Promoting identification and support of learners with visual problems in public primary schools, central Kenya

Visual impairment in childhood has implications in all aspects of the child’s development. It posses educational, occupational and social challenges, with affected children being at risk of behavioral, psychological difficulties, impaired self-esteem and poor social integration. Moreover, visual problems are an important contribution to poor school performance. Visual problems are known to deteriorate and become visual impairments if they are not identified and treated early. Despite this realization, high risk learners in primary schools remain unnoticed, undiagnosed and do not benefit from special education services and interventions. The purpose of this study was to document challenges that teachers in public primary schools experienced in identifying and assisting children with visual problems. Utilizing a descriptive survey design, a study involving 36 teachers was conducted in 12 public primary schools in Central Kenya. Questionnaires and observation schedules were used. The study established the major challenges faced by teachers in identifying learners with visual problems as:  lack of knowledge and skills in special education and visual screening as well as lack of school visual screening programs. Strategies suggested to address the challenges included special education training and special education seminars for teachers and introduction of school visual screening programs for all the learners

Sustainable sound waste management startegies in Juja, Kenya

Integrated solid waste management includes source reduction, source separation, recycling and reuse as well as materials recovery. The waste materials that remain should be safely disposed into a sanitary landfill. Up to 2010 when this study was done, no Kenyan city had a sanitary landfill and solid waste piles along inner city streets was a common sight in  Nairobi. This study found that the solid waste in Juja consisted of 80% food and other organic wastes, 10% plastics, 2% metal and glass, and 3% mixed refuse. The waste had a very low level of toxic substances. The majority of the households produced less than 3 kg per day, which translated to less than 0.5 kg/person/day. JKUAT-SWMM, a solid waste management model developed in this study, suggested that if 25% of the population would do composting using household compost digesters of 288 L, the area of a disposal site required for 1 million people would be 16 ha. The identified site was on fallow land that received an annual rainfall of 600-800 mm. A waste disposal facility in Juja Farm could cater for most ofthe towns in the area of interest, including Juja, Mangu, Kimunyu,  Gatundu, Thika, Ruiru and Kahawa. The landfill would be accessible to institutions such as Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Juja, Mount Kenya University in Thika, Kilimambogo Teachers’ College in Kilimambogo, and numerous secondary schools in the area

Role of student affairs in international student transition and success

International student mobility has grown significantly in recent years, with over 4.1 million students in 2013 who studied abroad around the world (Institute of International Education [IIE], 2016). With the changes in student demographics and increased mobility, student affairs professionals are in a unique role to support international student transition and success. Unfortunately, current research and practice in higher education tends to place a high level of responsibility on the international student to successfully transition to a new campus environment or places the responsibility on the international student affairs/student services office to solely work with these students. Given the multi-faceted needs of international students, we argue that it is critical for student affairs professionals across functional areas to be prepared to support this diverse population

THE EFFECT OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRACTICES ON EARNINGS MANAGEMENT OF COMPANIES LISTED AT THE NAIROBI SECURITIES EXCHANGE

The objective of the study was to establish the effect of corporate governance practices on earnings management of companies listed at the Nairobi Security Exchange (NSE). The target population consisted of the 49 companies that had been continuously and actively trading at the NSE between January 2010 and December 2012. Secondary data was used covering the period 2010 to 2012 and analyzed using linear regression to test the effect of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The study found that earnings management is negatively related to ownership concentration, board size and board independence but positively related to board activity and CEO duality. The study recommended the need for effective corporate governance practices in listed companies in Kenya to contribute to reduced earnings management and avert possible collapse of listed companies in Kenya