ABSTRACT Geo-environmental hazards associated with active and abandoned borrow pits are on the increase following rising trend in road construction. This situation presents a major challenge to Citizens, Environmentalists and Governments. Several highway failures have been directly linked to the action of erosion initiated by active or abandoned borrow pits situated close to roads. This study investigated environmental hazards and reclamation requirements associated with abandoned borrow pit...
ABSTRACT Structural interpretation of Younger Granite complex of northern Nigeria using aeromagnetic and Landsat imagery was carried out to determine the depth to the magnetic basement, delineate the basement morphology and relief, delineate the structural features associated with the basin and to infer the influence of such structures on mineralization in the study area. Also, this study is aimed at determining the geothermal potentials of the area. The application of directional edge enhan...
ABSTRACT In African tropical zones, cereals are kept as grains or flour in storage structures and constitute important source of income for farmers. Protecting stored product in this case is an emergency to ensure food security for people living in these areas of deficiency where agriculture is not highly productive. Some of the pursued measures include physical, traditional, and biological methods; and application of synthetic pesticides. The above techniques have some problems including con...
ABSTRACT Molecular studies of ESβL-producing bacteria isolated from clinical samples was determined as well as the effects of medicinal plants on the isolates. The study was conducted from September 2013 to September 2015. A total of 480 bacterial isolates (250 from urine, 110 from wound swab & 120 from HVS & US) were used. The knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of health workers in Imo State towards multiple antibiotic resistant bacterial isolates and extended spectrum beta-lactamase ...
ABSTRACT Tuberculosis, an air-borne infectious disease, remains a major threat to public health in Kenya. In this study we derived a system of non-linear ordinary differential equations from SLICR mathematical model of TB to study the effects of hygiene consciousness as a control strategy against TB in Kenya. The effective basic reproduction number (R0) of the model was determined by the next generation matrix approach. We established and analysed the equilibrium points. Using the Routh-Hurw...
ABSTRACT Cross section studies are important as they supply fundamental level researchers with necessary information and predictions for their experiments. Once experimental measurements agree with some prediction, the theoretical model yielding the prediction is then applied to other situations and finally validated. Very few studies have been made on electron impact double excitation of (2s2) 1S and (2s2p) 1P states of helium and even the results obtained in these studies do not agree among...
ABSTRACT The current global pollination crisis and the importance of insects in pollination service that maintains the native plant populations, agricultural enterprise, ecosystem resilience and food security do motivate the concern to conserve insect pollinators. Kaya forests are rich in biodiversity and endemism; they are potential sites for conservation of these pollinators in the coastal region of Kenya. However, they are threatened by illegal deforestation, charcoal burning, settlement ...
ABSTRACT Control of disease vectors by use of synthetic chemical pesticides has been associated with a series of problems, including resistance development, environmental pollution, and safety risks for humans and domestic animals. Plant-based products have been used for generations in traditional practices to control different arthropods. These have been used in space or personal protection either to repel the arthropods from distance or to deter them from blood-feeding on contact. In the p...
ABSTRACT Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are enzymes that mediate resistance to βlactam antibiotics by opening the beta-lactam ring of penicillin derived antibiotics, and another family of antibiotics, rendering them inactive against the bacteria they are intended to kill. The ESBLs were first identified in 1939 and since then, they have proliferated worldwide and have been found in a number of different bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumonia, and Escherichia coli among others. Th...
ABSTRACT In malaria endemic areas, fever is commonly caused by malaria infection but it may be a manifestation of several childhood diseases for example bacterial and viral illnesses. Malaria microscopy is the gold standard for diagnosis of malaria although other diagnostic platforms do exist for example rapid diagnostic tests. The World Health Organization recommends parasitological diagnosis by microscopy or rapid diagnostic test for all children under the age of 5 years. However, in malar...
ABSTRACT Multiple imputation procedure is used in handling of item non-response. The imputation procedure is affected by model misspecification and leads to loss in efficiency and biased results. The inclusion of auxiliary variables in the sampling design helps to avoid sensitivity of inference to model misspecification and improves the precision of estimate of population mean. The main aim of this study was to incorporate auxiliary variables in the Multiple Imputation to improve the accurac...
ABSTRACT Essential plant nutrients are necessary for plant growth, However, some of these nutrients are added as inorganic fertilizers due to high demand of food arising from fast growth in population which has necessitated the need to expand agricultural activities. This has lead to overuse of commercial inorganic fertilizers leading to drop in soil pH. Low pH reduces the availability of essential nutrients to plants and also low rate of decomposition of organic matter that is required to in...
ABSTRACT Rice is the third major food crop in Kenya and, its production is estimated at 129,000 tons which is below the annual national demand of 548,000 tons. Kenya rice yields per hectare are very low compared to major producers like China. Basmati (B) varieties, B370 and B217, are preferred by most rice consumers and are cultivated as a cash crop by 98.8% of Mwea rice farmers. This is because they have strong aroma. Due to the demand, basmati rice command high premium prices locally and in...
ABSTRACT The greater Taita community lives in crowded parcels of land that are intensely used to generate household food and family income. Wundanyi division which is the district headquarters is divided into Upper, Medium and Lower zones and has a high population density of 92 persons per Km2. Each household is estimated to generate 95 % of economic income from agriculture. High population, overdependence on agriculture and low income can have adverse effects on soil fertility. The objective...
ABSTRACT Fish contain omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA’s), vitamins and other micronutrients. However, fish and seafood rank among foods highly associated with food borne disease outbreaks especially in poor hygienic conditions while handling or processing foods. The objectives of this study were to determine the risk factors associated with fish contamination, levels of microbial contamination and molecular profiles of bacterial isolates. In addition, antimicrobial response patter...