Relationship between the usage of equipment designed for right-handed people and attitudes towards chemistry among left-handed high school students in Kenya

Research into left-handedness concurs that generally, left-handed people experience difficulties manipulating right handed tools. Specifically, left-handers face challenges associated with right handed instructional resources because of their inherent peculiarities due to their hand orientation in science classrooms. There is evidence for a general cognitive disadvantage for lefthanders compared to right-handers according to recent research. Studies have explicitly shown that left-handed learners are disadvantaged when using mismatched instructional resources that are generally ‘ungraspable’, and more so during chemistry laboratory timed tasks. Whereas the importance of practical work in science cannot be ignored based on its significance to learning school science, adaptations left-handers have to make so as to fit with right handed instructional resources gets in the way of their learning. A persistent failure to effectively interact with the resources fluidly lowers learners’ self-efficacy thereby causing them to harbor negative attitudes and interest towards chemistry. This comparative case study assuming a mixed methods concurrent triangulation design sought to find out the relationship between left-handers’ use of right handed instructional resources and their attitudes towards high school chemistry. Participants were drawn from a cross-section of secondary schools in Kenya. Left-handedness was determined using the Torque test for handedness. Quantitative data was collected by use of questionnaires. Qualitative data was collected through focus group discussions. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically while quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS. The final report had contextual description and direct quotations from the research participants, a statistical significance of findings, correlations, and comparisons of means. Suggestions to instruction designers to generate instruction designs that encourage low cognitive load were made. Practical suggestions to instructors on the best practices when instructing left-handed learners during chemistry practical sessions were also highlighted. The findings served to contribute to existing literature on special learning needs, enlightening education stakeholders to embrace the unique needs of left-handed learners. [African Journal of Chemical Education—AJCE 5(2), July 2015

Strengthening regional capacity for climate services in Africa, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, 27 October 2015.

CCAFS (through the International Livestock Research Institute and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society) and the Africa Climate Policy Center sponsored a workshop on ‘Strengthening Regional Capacity for Climate Services in Africa’, held on 27th October 2015 at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The workshop, which was associated with and reported to the fifth conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-V), aimed to initiate a collaborative effort to strengthen capacity, through African regional institutions, to support smallholder farmers with relevant climate services. The workshop brought together 17 participants including scientists and technical experts to learn from and build on examples of good practice in farmer-focused climate information and advisory services, and to share elements of good practice in food security contingency planning. Discussions highlighted two key constraints to achieving the potential benefits of climate services for smallholder farming and pastoralist communities across Africa. The first is limited capacity to produce relevant climate information that is tailored to the needs of farmers, at a scale that is relevant to farm decision-making. The second is limited capacity to communicate climate-related information effectively, in a manner that farmers can incorporate into their decision-making. Organizations present at the workshop offer several promising innovations that have potential to overcome some of the critical gaps in the production and communication of climate-related information for farmers. Gaps in capacity to produce farmer-relevant climate information are closely linked to gaps in capacity to work with farming communities to communicate the information effectively and support its use. Financial investments and capacity-development efforts should address these gaps in parallel. National meteorological and hydrological services (NMHS) have the mandate to produce weather and climate information; but institutions in the agriculture sector are generally better positioned to translate raw climate information into decision-relevant information and advisories, and to communicate that information with farmers. If climate services are to work for farmers, they must therefore be developed and implemented jointly by NMHS and agricultural technical institutions. This may require new institutional arrangements at the national level. Regional institutions, such as African Climate Policy Center (ACPC), IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Center (ICPAC) and AGRHYMET Regional Center, are well positioned to assist national governments to strengthen climate services that can benefit smallholder farmers – at scale. The workshop provided an opportunity to advance discussions about collaboration toward strengthening climate services for agriculture in Africa, through regional organizations and processes

Agricultural Adaptation and Institutional Responses to Climate Change Vulnerability in Ethiopia

Climate change is a major development challenge to Ethiopia. Climate change is expected to adversely affect all economic sectors, eco-regions, and social groups. Agriculture is one of the most vulnerable sectors as it is highly dependent on rainfall. This report synthesises four case studies focusing on the impacts, vulnerabilities and local adaptation practices in Ethiopia‘s agricultural sector, including policy and institutional responses. The case studies were carried out in nine districts, representing the major agro-ecological and farming systems. The case studies use qualitative data generated through rapid appraisal methods, complimented with a review of relevant literature. The results show that there are changes in local climatic conditions, manifested through several indicators. These include increased temperatures, changes in rainfall amounts and patterns, and increased incidence of drought and flood events. Drought was a major problem in almost all sites, while floods affected localized areas in some of the sites. Informants attributed climate change to poor management of natural resources (forests and grazing lands), with rapid population growth as a key driver

Co-inoculation effect of rhizobia and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria on common bean growth in a low phosphorus soil

Open Access JournalNitrogen (N) fixation through legume-Rhizobium symbiosis is important for enhancing agricultural productivity and is therefore of great economic interest. Growing evidence indicates that other soil beneficial bacteria can positively affect symbiotic performance of rhizobia. Nodule endophytic plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) were isolated from common bean nodules from Nakuru County in Kenya and characterized 16S rDNA partial gene sequencing. The effect of co-inoculation of rhizobium and PGPR, on nodulation and growth of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) was also investigated using a low phosphorous soil under greenhouse conditions. Gram-positive nodule endophytic PGPR belonging to the genus Bacillus were successfully isolated and characterized. Two PGPR strains (Paenibacillus polymyxa and Bacillus megaterium), two rhizobia strains (IITA-PAU 987 and IITA-PAU 983) and one reference rhizobia strain (CIAT 899) were used in the co-inoculation study. Two common bean varieties were inoculated with Rhizobium strains singly or in a combination with PGPR to evaluate the effect on nodulation and growth parameters. Co-inoculation of IITA-PAU 987 C B. megaterium recorded the highest nodule weight (405.2 mg) compared to IITAPAU 987 alone (324.8 mg), while CIAT 899 C B. megaterium (401.2 mg) compared to CIAT 899 alone (337.2 mg). CIAT 899 C B. megaterium recorded a significantly higher shoot dry weight (7.23 g) compared to CIAT 899 alone (5.80 g). However, there was no significant difference between CIAT 899 C P. polymyxa and CIAT 899 alone. Combination of IITA-PAU 987 and B. megaterium led to significantly higher shoot dry weight (6.84 g) compared to IITA-PAU 987 alone (5.32g) but no significant difference was observed when co-inoculated with P. polymyxa. IITA-PAU 983 in combination with P. polymyxa led to significantly higher shoot dry weight (7.15 g) compared to IITA-PAU 983 alone (5.14 g). Plants inoculated with IITA-PAU 987 and B. megaterium received 24.0 % of their nitrogen demand from atmosphere, which showed a 31.1% increase compared to rhizobium alone. Contrast analysis confirmed the difference between the co-inoculation of rhizobia strains and PGPR compared to single rhizobia inoculation on the root dry weight. These results show that co-inoculation of PGPR and Rhizobia has a synergistic effect on bean growth. Use of PGPR may improve effectiveness of Rhizobium biofertilizers for common bean production. Testing of PGPR under field conditions will further elucidate their effectiveness on grain yields of common bean

Impact of soil acidity and liming on soybean (Glycine max) nodulation and nitrogen fixation in Kenyan soils

Open Access Article; Published online: 22 Oct 2020There is a wide application of rhizobia inoculants to legume crops in Africa, irrespective of the soil acidity, though the latter limits the effectiveness of inoculants. Two trials were conducted in a controlled environment to determine suitable soil pH and impact of liming on soybean nodulation and nitrogen fixation to inform proper application of the rhizobia-inoculant technology on acid soils. In the first trial; soil, variety and inoculation had significant influence (p < 0.05) on weighed nodule effectiveness (WNE) and N fixation. Strongly acidic soils recorded low WNE and N fixation. In the second trial, WNE and N fixation significantly increased with co-application of lime and inoculation (p < 0.05). The results showed that soybean inoculation is effective in increasing nodulation and N fixation in moderate acidic soils, contrarily to strongly acidic soils. Interestingly, co-application of lime and inoculation has potential of increasing nodulation and N fixation in strongly acidic soils. The WNE is recommended as a robust formula to report nodule effectiveness, compared to the current percentage method

Executive function abnormalities in pathological gamblers

Background: Pathological gambling (PG) is an impulse control disorder characterized by persistent and maladaptive gambling behaviors with disruptive consequences for familial, occupational and social functions. The pathophysiology of PG is still unclear, but it is hypothesized that it might include environmental factors coupled with a genetic vulnerability and dysfunctions of different neurotransmitters and selected brain areas. Our study aimed to evaluate a group of patients suffering from PG by means of some neuropsychological tests in order to explore the brain areas related to the disorder. Methods: Twenty outpatients (15 men, 5 women), with a diagnosis of PG according to DSM-IV criteria, were included in the study and evaluated with a battery of neuropsychological tests: the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), the Wechsler Memory Scale revised (WMS-R) and the Verbal Associative Fluency Test (FAS). The results obtained in the patients were compared with normative values of matched healthy control subjects. Results: The PG patients showed alterations at the WCST only, in particular they had a great difficulty in finding alternative methods of problem-solving and showed a decrease, rather than an increase, in efficiency, as they progressed through the consecutive phases of the test. The mean scores of the other tests were within the normal range. Conclusion: Our findings showed that patients affected by PG, in spite of normal intellectual, linguistic and visual-spatial abilities, had abnormalities emerging from the WCST, in particular they could not learn from their mistakes and look for alternative solutions. Our results would seem to confirm an altered functioning of the prefrontal areas which might provoke a sort of cognitive "rigidity" that might predispose to the development of impulsive and/or compulsive behaviors, such as those typical of PG. © 2008 Marazziti et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Emergency Medical Service, Nursing, and Physician Providers’ Perspectives on Delirium Identification and Management

Purpose of the study The study objective was to understand providers’ perceptions regarding identifying and treating older adults with delirium, a common complication of acute illness in persons with dementia, in the pre-hospital and emergency department environments. Design and methods The authors conducted structured focus group interviews with separate groups of emergency medical services staff, emergency nurses, and emergency physicians. Recordings of each session were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for themes with representative supporting quotations identified. Results Providers shared that the busy emergency department environment was the largest challenge to delirium recognition and treatment. When describing delirium, participants frequently detailed hyperactive features of delirium, rather than hypoactive features. Participants shared that they employed no clear diagnostic strategy for identifying the condition and that they used heterogeneous approaches to treat the condition. To improve care for older adults with delirium, emergency nurses identified the need for more training around the management of the condition. Emergency medical services providers identified the need for more support in managing agitated patients when in transport to the hospital and more guidance from emergency physicians on what information to collect from the patient’s home environment. Emergency physicians felt that delirium care would be improved if they could have baseline mental status data on their patients and if they had access to a simple, accurate diagnostic tool for the condition. Implications Emergency medical services providers, emergency nurses, and emergency physicians frequently encounter delirious patients, but do not employ clear diagnostic strategies for identifying the condition and have varying levels of comfort in managing the condition. Clear steps should be taken to improve delirium care in the emergency department including the development of mechanisms to communicate patients’ baseline mental status, the adoption of a systematized approach to recognizing delirium, and the institution of a standardized method to treat the condition when identified

Spatial Targeting of Agricultural Support Measures: Indicator-Based Assessment of Coverages and Leakages

This article evaluates the targeting strategy of a national-level program in Mexico that distributed agricultural support based on seven criteria that prioritized poor smallholder farming communities at high risk of cropland failure. The findings highlight the continued lack of financial support for smallholder agriculture in Mexico, despite program rules and priority statements that stress the vulnerability of this sector. The article also illustrates the important role of spatial targeting in better aligning agricultural support payments with stated policy priorities

ANTAGONISTIC EFFECTS OF BIOCONTROL AGENTS AGAINST Phytophthora infestans AND GROWTH STIMULATION IN TOMATOES

Late blight disease is a major cause of economic losses in tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum L.) production in eastern Africa. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Trichoderma species in controlling late blight disease and their role on the growth of tomato. Trichoderma asperellum and T. harzianum were isolated from two commercial products containing the antagonistic species. Culture-based and molecular approaches, genomic DNA isolation and amplification, using ITS1 and ITS4 universal primers, and sequencing, were used to characterise the products. Trichoderma antagonistic effects against Phytophthora infestans (causative of tomato late blight) experiments were conducted in vitro and in the greenhouse. The greenhouse experiment had five treatments; namely, a negative control, Metalaxl-M, T. asperellum, T. harzanium and mixture of the two biocontrol agents, laid out in a randomised complete block design. The experiment was carried out for 12 weeks, with 3 weeks measurements intervals. Morphological and molecular characterisation confirmed the organism in most of the commercial products as T. harzianum and T. asperellum. An inhibiting action was observed on the P. Infestans mycelial growth, by the effect of T. asperellum (30.7%), and T. harzianum (36.9%).Trichoderma spp. suppressed late blight disease in the greenhouse experiment. These effects were specific to soil type, with the higher effectiveness realised in Ferralsols (27% disease severity) and least in Nitisols (36% disease severity). Trichoderma harzianum and T. asperellum resulted in higher above ground biomass of tomato of 31 and 19% increase over the control, respectively. There is potential of biocontrol agents in reducing P. infestans effects in tomatoes and in stimulating growth.La maladie du mildiou est une cause majeure de pertes \ue9conomiques dans la production de tomate ( Lycopersicon esculentum L.) en Afrique de l\u2019Est. L\u2019objectif de cette \ue9tude \ue9tait d\u2019\ue9valuer l\u2019efficacit\ue9 des esp\ue8ces de Trichoderma dans la lutte contre le mildiou et leur r\uf4le sur la croissance de la tomate. Trichoderma asperellum et T. harzianum ont \ue9t\ue9 isol\ue9s de deux produits commerciaux contenant les esp\ue8ces antagonistes. En se basant sur la culture et des approches mol\ue9culaires, l\u2019isolement de l\u2019ADN g\ue9nomique et l\u2019amplification, en utilisant des amorces universelles ITS1 et ITS4, et le s\ue9quen\ue7age ont \ue9t\ue9 utilis\ue9s pour caract\ue9riser les produits. Des effets antagonistes de Trichoderma contre Phytophthora infestans (causant le mildiou de la tomate) ont \ue9t\ue9 men\ue9s in vitro et en serre. L\u2019exp\ue9rience en serre a eu cinq traitements; \ue0 savoir, un contr\uf4le n\ue9gatif, Metalaxl-M, T. asperellum, T. harzanium et un m\ue9lange des deux agents de lutte biologique, dispos\ue9s dans un mod\ue8le de bloc complet randomis\ue9. L\u2019exp\ue9rience a dur\ue9 12 semaines, avec des intervalles de mesure de 3 semaines. La caract\ue9risation morphologique et mol\ue9culaire a confirm\ue9 l\u2019organisme dans la plupart des produits commerciaux comme T. harzianum et T. asperellum. Une action inhibitrice a \ue9t\ue9 observ\ue9e sur la croissance myc\ue9lienne de P. Infestans, sous l\u2019effet de T. asperellum (30,7%) et T. harzianum (36,9%). Trichoderma spp. supprim\ue9 la maladie du mildiou dans l\u2019exp\ue9rience en serre. Ces effets \ue9taient sp\ue9cifiques au type de sol, avec une efficacit\ue9 plus \ue9lev\ue9e r\ue9alis\ue9e dans les Ferralsols (27% de gravit\ue9 de la maladie) et moins dans les Nitisols (36% de gravit\ue9 de la maladie). Trichoderma harzianum et T. asperellum ont entra\ueen\ue9 une augmentation de la biomasse a\ue9rienne de la tomate de 31 et 19% par rapport au t\ue9moin, respectivement. Les agents de lutte biologique peuvent r\ue9duire les effets de P. infestans sur les tomates et stimuler la croissance