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Emerging from the energy crisis of 2008 in South Africa, climate change concerns and the global desire to reduce high ozone-depleting emissions, renewable energy sources like biogas are gaining wide acceptance in most localities for heating and electricity. The paucity of feedstock varieties is a major challenge plaguing the sustainability of this sector. Biomethane potential, biodegradability and degradation kinetics of organic substrates are essential for assessing the suitability of feedstocks for methane generation and the overall performance of the anaerobic digestion process in biogas plants. Waste from the vegetable okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is a novel substrate; its biodegradability and degradation dynamics in biomethane production are largely unstudied, and were therefore the aims of this research. The substrate was digested for 25 days at the mesophilic condition and the biomethane potential data were recorded. Measured data of methane yield and the elemental composition of the substrate were used to fit five models (modified Gompertz, Stannard, transference function, logistic and first-order models) to predict degradation parameters and determine biodegradability of the substrate, respectively. Low lag phase (0.143 d), positive kinetic constant (0.2994/d) and the model fitness indicator (

Nitrogen-doped carbon materials have garnered much interest due to their electrocatalytic activity towards important reactions such as the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. N-doped carbon materials are typically prepared and deposited on solid conductive supports, which can sometimes involve time-consuming, complex, and/or costly procedures. Here, nitrogen-doped screen-printed carbon electrodes (N-SPCEs) were fabricated directly from a lab-formulated ink composed of graphite that was modified with surface nitrogen groups by a simple soft nitriding technique. N-SPCEs prepared from inexpensive starting materials (graphite powder and urea) demonstrated good electrocatalytic activity towards hydrogen peroxide reduction. Amperometric detection of H2O2 using N-SPCEs with an applied potential of −0.4 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) exhibited good reproducibility and stability as well as a reasonable limit of detection (2.5 µM) and wide linear range (0.020 to 5.3 mM).

The idea of ''student voice'' in decision making and change efforts of schools, has emerged as a potential strategy for improving learners' outcomes. It is expected in its participatory curriculum implementation of secondary school agriculture programme could transfer scientific knowledge through classroom teaching thus attain its academic objective, Also, impart vocational skills in student youth through demonstration of best practices and implementation of agricultural projects in the school farm. However, past studies show that youth that have gone through school agriculture curriculum are inadequately equipped with vocational agricultural skills necessary for self-reliance hence the need for improvement. The objective of this study is to determine the influence of participation of student youth in decision making on implementation of school agriculture programme and to suggest measures to improve its impact on the vocational objective. Student youth are school form fours studying agriculture subject and implementing projects for the Kenya certificate of secondary school examination (KCSE) 2019 which is a national test. Student youth were selected from three categories of schools offering agriculture subject, spread in five typical of Kenyan farm types found in Kisii and Nyamira counties region, Kenya. Cross-sectional survey design was used. Proportionate, stratified, purposive, and simple random sampling procedures were used to select a sample of 361 student youth as respondents for the study. Data was collected using questionnaires, analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics at significance level of 0.05 using SPSS version 21. Results show that student youth rate their level of participation in decision making on implementation of school agriculture programme at a mean score of 6 out of 10 indicating that there is still room for improvement on the same. Student youth rated as very important the five strategies proposed to enhance their engagement in decision making on implementation of school agriculture programme with some plans being ranked more significantly very important. There is a strong positive correlation between level of participation in decision making and level of implementation of the agriculture programme. The high rating of strategies proposed indicates the need to address the pertinent issues in them to enhance quality of participation of student youth in decision making on implementation of the programmes. The strategies ranked as more significantly very important are 5, 4 and 2. These findings will be useful to improve transfer of knowledge, skills and thus attain the vocational objective. Also to enhance learning and developmental outcomes in young people for self-reliance.

Secondary school agriculture programme is meant among other benefits to prepare youth in attaining self-reliance using vocational skills gained, in the post-schooling period as they transition to adulthood. A study was done to determine reflection of out of school youth on participation in decision-making on implementation of the programme in an effort to establish measures to improve its outcomes. In the feedback, the out of school youth rated their level of participation in decision making on implementation at a mean score of 6 out of 10 indicating that there is still room for improvement. The out of school youth rated as very important the five strategies proposed to enhance their engagement in decision making on implementation. The strategies 4 and 6 were ranked more significantly very important thereby standing out from the rest. Strategy 4, states that if school administration could listen to the voices of youth it will build confidence for free discussions on the challenges faced in implementation. Strategy 6 advocates for the inclusion of youth in decision making on the use of the school farm to enable them air their views on its proper utilization as a training facility rather than being used to administer punishment to errant students. There was a strong positive correlation between the level of participation in decision making and the level of implementation of the school agriculture curriculum. The high rating of strategies proposed suggests the need to address the pertinent issues in them so as to enhance participation of youth in decision making on implementation for improved outcome. Thus, the inclusion of feedback from the out of school youth and elements of the strategies developed in the review of school agriculture programme would improve its effectiveness in attaining intended objectives.

The study was carried out to evaluate influence of participation of in and out of school youth in decision-making on showcasing success stories by young agri-preneurs for motivation of adolescents in rural areas to implement agricultural programmes for self-reliance. The first objective evaluated influence of the level of exposure to showcasing success stories on the level of implementation using a Likert scale coded 1 to 10. The second objective determined how youth in and out of school rated strategies proposed to increase their participation in decision making on showcasing success stories using a 5 point rating scale. The study was carried out in Kisii and Nyamira counties region, Kenya in 2019-2021. Survey research design was used. Stratified, purposive and simple random procedures were applied in sampling of respondents. The in-school youth comprised of fourth forms enrolled in school agriculture for the Kenya certificate of secondary education examination (KCSE). There were 361 youth sampled from 36 secondary schools of 3 different categories. The out of school youth consisted of 161 young people out of 280, that had similarly studied agriculture in their schooling days and are registered with 75 youth groups promoting agricultural activities for livelihood. The schools and youth groups are spread in 5 different farm types typical of Kenyan farming systems. The farm types were used as sampling points to provide varied segments of youth in exposure to farming activities, opportunities for livelihood and challenges in the application of vocational skills acquired in school agriculture for self-reliance. Results show that gender of youth in and out of school does not have a significant difference in the level of participation in decision making on showcasing success stories in agripreneurship. School youth were significantly more exposed to success stories than out of school. Youth in and out of school were in concurrence that strategies 5, 6, 4 and 3 were more significantly very important than the rest in increasing their participation in decision making in showcasing events. Strategy 5 on decision making is rated as outstanding by both in-and-out of school youth. The strategy 5 prioritizes formation of agribusiness clubs at community level in rural areas where successful agri-preneurs could mentor the out of school youth, share ideas, and experiences to motivate them and acquire more and specialized agricultural vocational skills for livelihood. There is a positive significant and linear correlation between the level of participation in decision making on showcasing success stories in agripreneurship and the level of implementation of agricultural programmes by youth in (R = 0.30, p < 0.01) and out (R = 0.438762, p < 0.01) of school. So, showcasing success stories could considerably contribute to learning experiences, acquisition of more and specialized skills, and motivate implementation of the programmes for self-reliance.

Syngnathid embryos (seahorses, pipefishes and seadragons) develop on or in the male in a specialised brooding structure (brood pouch). Seahorse brood pouches supply nutrients, including lipids, to developing embryos (patrotrophy). We tested the hypothesis that proteins, vital for gene regulation and tissue growth during embryogenesis, are also transported from father to embryos, using the Australian pot-bellied seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis. We used dry masses and total nitrogen content to estimate the total protein content of newly fertilised egg and neonate H. abdominalis. Neonates contained significantly greater protein mass than newly fertilised eggs. This result indicates that paternal protein transport to developing embryos occurs during H. abdominalis pregnancy. This study is the first to show paternal protein transport during pregnancy in seahorses, and furthers our understanding of paternal influence on embryonic development in male pregnant vertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was carried out to determine the influence of agricultural education on the uptake of tissue culture bananas in Kiambu County. The objective was to determine the influence of formal agricultural education on the uptake of improved banana technology using a Likert scale of 1-5. The second objective examined the influence of non-formal agricultural education on the uptake of improved agricultural technology using a five-point scale. The study was carried out in 2022 in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The study targeted 1881 farmers in the 12 sub-counties in Kiambu County. The purposive sampling method was used to select 6 sub-counties that were part of the study. The stratified random sampling method was used to select the farmers in the selected sub counties. The study's sample size was 302 respondents. The study collected quantitative data which was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 23) was used. A linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Multiple regressions were also conducted to determine the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable. The study found that formal agricultural education has a significant influence on the uptake of improved technology for tissue culture bananas in Kiambu County. The study recommends that the government increase its funding on agricultural education in learning institutions. This would ensure that more learners take agriculture as a subject in school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study objective of this study was to determine the influence of non-formal agricultural education on uptake of tissue culture banana in Kiambu County, Kenya. The theoretical foundation for this study was diffusion innovation theory and technology acceptance model. This study utilized a descriptive survey research design. The target population for the study were 1881 farmers in the 12 sub-counties in Kiambu County. The purposive sampling method was used to select 6 sub-counties which included Gatundu South, Thika Town, Githunguri, Kiambu, Kabete and Limuru. Therefore, the sample size for the study was 302 farmers from 6 sub-counties in Kiambu County. Primary data was collected using questionnaires. Descriptive statistics was adopted to analyze quantitative data. A linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between non-formal agricultural education and the uptake of improved agricultural technology. The study found that non-formal agricultural education had a significant and positive influence on uptake of tissue culture banana in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study concludes that non-formal agricultural education has a significant influence on uptake of improved agricultural technology of tissue culture banana in Kiambu County. The study recommends that more vocational institutions offering agricultural education should be established in Kenya. This would increase the number of individuals in agriculture who are innovative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The United Republic of Tanzania has had a 41.4% mortality rate in the intensive care unit. In Tanzania, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has implemented quality improvement (QI), yet the Tanzanian health sector continues to face resource constraints, unsustainable projects and gaps in knowledge and skills, contributing to unacceptably high mortality rates for Tanzanian patients. This research aims to determine if a Critical Care Training Program incorporating QI concepts can improve technical competence and self-efficacy of providers in a critical care setting in Tanzania.Methods A 2-day Critical Care Training Program was developed for providers. It included the following modules: vital signs directed therapy (VSDT), cardiopulmonary and brain resuscitation (CPBR), blood glucose monitoring, introduction to critical care concepts and the QI concept of change management. For analysis, data were collected from pretests and post-tests and reported in REDCap. Descriptive statistics and paired t-tests were performed (alpha=0.05).Results A total of 77 nurses and three providers attended the training. The overall score changes among participants for CPBR and VSDT were significant (p

Abstract Digital media (DM) takes an increasingly large part of children’s time, yet the long-term effect on brain development remains unclear. We investigated how individual effects of DM use (i.e., using social media, playing video games, or watching television/videos) on the development of the cortex (i.e., global cortical surface area), striatum, and cerebellum in children over 4 years, accounting for both socioeconomic status and genetic predisposition. We used a prospective, multicentre, longitudinal cohort of children from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study, aged 9.9 years when entering the study, and who were followed for 4 years. Annually, children reported their DM usage through the Youth Screen Time Survey and underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging scans every 2 years. Quadratic-mixed effect modelling was used to investigate the relationship between individual DM usage and brain development. We found that individual DM usage did not alter the development of cortex or striatum volumes. However, high social media usage was associated with a statistically significant change in the developmental trajectory of cerebellum volumes, and the accumulated effect of high-vs-low social media users on cerebellum volumes over 4 years was only β = − 0.03, which was considered insignificant. Nevertheless, the developmental trend for heavy social media users was accelerated at later time points. This calls for further studies and longer follow-ups on the impact of social media on brain development.

The study was carried out to evaluate influence of economic factors on uptake of avocado improved production technologies by small scale farmers to increase yields. The study was carried out in Kisii and Nyamira counties region, Kenya. The general objective of the study is to improve avocado production in the study region. The specific objective is to evaluated influence of farmer's economic factors; farm size and access to finance on uptake of the production technologies, respectively. Reduced avocado yields in the region could be due to low uptake of improved production technologies by small scale farmers. The study hypothesized that the low uptake could be due to chance and there is no significant influence of the farmer's economic factors; farm size and access to funds on the uptake. Descriptive survey research design was used. Stratified and purposive sampling procedures and Morgan's table of sample size determination were applied in choosing of respondents. There was one sub-county purposively sampled from each of the 4 agroecological zones in the region for study area. Thus from 4 sub counties with 1,211 households, a sample of 291 respondents was accessed using Morgan's table. Reliable structured questionnaires with Cronbach Alpha, a=0.724 were used to collect field data from 291 small scale avocado farmers. The data was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SSP) computer software. Descriptive analysis of variance, least significant difference and regression outputs were obtained. Results show that influence of farmer's farm size of more than 3 acres and access of funds from formal employment make significant difference and have positive correlation with uptake of avocado improved production technologies, respectively. Farmer's access of funds from banks or SACCOs does not have a significant influence on uptake of the avocado production technologies. Land subdivision among small scale farmers should be discouraged and affordable credit sources for them considered, respectively for increased uptake of avocado improved production technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was carried out to evaluate influence of social factors on uptake of avocado improved production technologies by small scale avocado farmers for increasing avocado production. The study was carried out in Kisii and Nyamira counties region, Kenya.The general objective of the study is to improve avocado production in the study region. The specific objective evaluated influence of farmer’s social factors; gender roles, age and level of formal education on uptake of the technologies respectively. Low avocado production in the region could be due to low uptake of its improved production technologies by small scale farmers. The study hypothesized that the low uptake could be due to chance and there is no significant influence of the farmer’s social factors; gender roles, age and level of formal education on the uptake hence the study. Descriptive survey research design was used. Stratified and purposive sampling procedures and Morgan’s table of sample size determination were applied in sampling of respondents.1 sub county was purposively sampled from each of the 4 agroecological zones in the region. Thus from 4 sub counties with 1,211 households, a sample of 291 respondents was accessed using Morgan’s table. Reliable structured questionnaires with Cronbach Alpha, α=0.724 were used to collect field data from 291 small scale avocado farmers. The data was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences computer software. Descriptive analysis of variance, least significant difference and regression outputs were obtained. Results show that where male farmers control family resources more than females, influence of the gender roles has more significant mean difference and positive correlation on uptake of avocado improved production technologies hence better for the uptake. Although influence of farmer’s age of over 70 years has more significant difference on uptake of the technologies, their correlation is not significant. Thus, farmers’ uptake of the technologies non-significantly decreases with both decrease and increase in age. Influence of farmer’s secondary level of formal education has more significant difference and positive correlation on uptake of avocado improved production technologies hence better for the uptake. Gender inclusivity should be encouraged and there is room for offering extension services even to the aged farmers involved in production of improved production technologies such as avocado. Secondary level of formal education should be prioritized for the citizenry for increased uptake of avocado improved production technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of alleles into commercial crop breeding pipelines is both time consuming and costly. Two technologies that are disrupting traditional breeding processes are doubled haploid (DH) breeding and genome editing (GE). Recently, these techniques were combined into a GE trait delivery system called HI-Edit (Haploid Inducer-Edit) [1]. In HI-Edit, the pollen of a haploid inducer line is reprogrammed to deliver GE traits to any variety, obviating recurrent selection. For HI-Edit to operate at scale, an efficient transformable HI line is needed, but most maize varieties are recalcitrant to transformation, and haploid inducers are especially difficult to transform given their aberrant reproductive behaviors. Leveraging marker assisted selection and a three-tiered testing scheme, we report the development of new Iodent and Stiff Stalk maize germplasm that are transformable, have high haploid induction rates, and exhibit a robust, genetically-dominant anthocyanin native trait that may be used for rapid haploid identification. We show that transformation of these elite “HI-Edit” lines is enhanced using the BABYBOOM and WUSCHEL morphogenetic factors. Finally, we evaluate the HI-Edit performance of one of the lines against both Stiff Stalk and non-Stiff Stalk testers. The strategy and results of this study should facilitate the development of commercially scalable HI-Edit systems in diverse crops.