Abstract/Overview Colchicine has been used to induce chromosome doubling in plant species. Diploid cotton species have inherited desirable genes that are resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses and also possesses useful fiber quality traits, such as higher fiber length and strength. To transfer these desirable traits to the most extensively cultivated tetraploid cotton species through hybridization, it is a prerequisite to double the chromosome number of the diploid species. In this stud...
Abstract Human pathogens can survive and grow in hot springs. For water quality assessment, Escherichia coli or Enterococci are the main thermotolerant enteric bacteria commonly used to estimate the load of pathogenic bacteria in water. However, most of the environmental bacteria are unculturable thus culture methods may cause bias in detection of most pathogens. Illumina sequencing can provide a more comprehensive and accurate insight into environmental bacterial pathogens, which can be use...
Abstract Background: Drugs are an important tool for control of malaria. However, drug resistance is likely to compromise available antimalarial drugs with time. As a result, efforts are being directed towards discovery and development of novel and affordable malaria drug molecules including those from medicinal plants. Objectives: To investigate suppressive, curative, prophylactic and acute toxicity properties of hexane and chloroform extracts of Clausena anisata against murine malaria. Met...
Abstract Stem borers (Chilo partellus) are important field insect pests of maize (Zea mays L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) in Africa. They account for more than 30% yield losses depending on the composition of the pest community. C. partellus larvicide like Bacillus thuringiensis have been widely and effectively used in C. partellus control programs, but the industrial production of theses bacilli is expensive. Here we have attempted to develop three cost-effective media, based on legum...
Abstract Bean rust (Uromyces appendiculatus (Pers.:Pers.) Unger var. appendiculatus) is one of the most devastating and variable pathogens of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) worldwide that can cause total crop loss. Characterization of bean rust races can help in screening resistant materials during gene pyramiding. The aims of the present research were first, to characterize bean rust isolates collected from snap bean growing areas in Kenya. Secondly, to identify which of the available ...
Abstract/Overview The adoption of aquaponics systems faces challenges due to the high cost of fish feed, lack of sustainability, and reliance on fishmeal as a primary input. One potential solution to replace fishmeal is the use of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) in aquaponics. The study aimed to explore the effect of substituting fish meals with BSFL meals on the growth performance of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in aquaponics. The study employed the Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). A...
Abstract/Overview Edible caterpillars have nutritional and economic value, thus providing food security at the household level during their harvesting seasons. Despite the significant value of these insects, they are harvested seasonally, and there is little or no documented research about the edible caterpillar species and their phenotypic characteristics, their host plants, and the effects of ecosystem utilization on the insects. This study explored the phenotypic characteristics of edi...
Abstract The current operational setup in Kenya’s Universities is a turbulent one and highly competitive market condition. To ensure survival and sustainability, public universities require to adopt and implement competitive strategies. Many scholars have investigated sustainability efforts by universities in pursuit of performance, however, it is still not clear how sustainable strategies have the greatest influence on the performance of Public Universities. Thus, the study set to establi...
Abstract Abstract - The information and communication technology (ICT) is closely related to the future of global energy consumption, not only because the ICT equipment itself increasingly consumes energy, but also because it is a general-purpose technology, which may affect energy use of almost all sectors. The growing demand for ICT devices and services outpaces the efficiency gains of individual devices. Previous studies had alluded that cumulated potentials for ICT-induced savings is sev...
Abstract Adoption of technology in instruction requires the unconditional support of school administration. Certain mandatory pillars of support services must be in the right place for educational technology adoption by teachers to take place. Studies seem to suggest that technology adoption in schools has been impeded by the lack of support by school administrations. Such bottlenecks include the inability to purchase and maintain the required technology infrastructure, a lack of teacher mot...
Abstract Effective utilization of instructional resources during instruction in Kiswahili subjects is crucial for the students’ academic performance. Competence in teaching and learning the Kiswahili language has been a challenge, particularly at the secondary school level. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to establish the influence of the utilization of instructional resources on students’ performance in Kiswahili secondary schools in Kenya. The specific objective was to establis...
Abstract Information and communications technology (ICT) incorporation in teaching physics in Kenyan secondary schools cannot be overlooked, given the key roles and benefits that ICT offers in the process of teaching and learning. Consistently poor average scores in the subject currently witnessed at the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) level in Physics can be attributed to low student motivation and traditional teaching strategies. For instance, in the years 2016, 2017, 2018,...
Abstract The philosophy that advances the study of physics as one of the learning areas in secondary schools cannot be overlooked due to the realization of the contributions of physics towards the industrial and vocational development of the country. The major concern of this particular study is the consistent poor average scores in the subject currently witnessed at the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) level in Physics, which can be attributed to low student motivation and tr...
Abstract While agriculture is a major source of employment, it is notable that youths in developing countries are unemployed, yet the countries’ economies are dependent on it. Though there are immense prospects in the agricultural sector in Kenya, agriculture is taught in schools as an optional subject under the 8-4-4 syllabus so that it may stimulate youths’ participation in agriculture and improve productivity. In the current competency-based curriculum, agriculture is taught in upper ...
Abstract Worldwide, cervical cancer is still a major health concern. The problem is worse in developing nations because there is a lack of access to trustworthy cancer information, which discourages people from getting screened. The usefulness of interpersonal communication channels in spreading awareness about cervical cancer screening was investigated in this inquiry. The study was carried out at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, within the Materna...