Kenya – Page 2 – Shamskm: A site to exchange knowledge and solutions

UF Biologist Discovers Mammal with Salamander-like Regenerative Abilities

By Guest PostSeptember 29, 2012Natureafrican, african mammal, amphibian biology, ashley seifert, biopsy, blastema like, cartilage, damaged tissue, florida, hair follicles, human biology, ken muneoka, Kenya, lost limbs, model, mpala, nairobi, regenerative medicine, regrow, research, research centre, salamander, skin, skin autotomy, spiny mouse, structure, tissue regeneration, university, wound healing

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A small African mammal with an unusual ability to regrow damaged tissues could inspire new research in regenerative medicine, a University of Florida study finds.

For years biologists have studied salamanders for their ability to regrow lost limbs. But amphibian biology is very different than human biology, so lessons learned in laboratories from salamanders are difficult to translate into medical therapies for humans. New research in the Sept. 27 issue of the journal Nature describes a mammal that can regrow new body tissues following an injury. The African spiny mouse could become a new model for research in regenerative medicine. (more…)

How Technology is Changing Kenya

By Guest PostSeptember 10, 2012Economy, Technologyafrica, big name, blog, business, changing, data, data collection, Economy, everyday life, facility, forefront, healthcare, information technology, internet, julie, Kenya, kenyans, next, online map, online resource, paul, portable, provider, smart phone, startup, Technology, wife

It is not often you think about how technology can affect an entire country, but the upsurge of affordable smart phones and portable internet have made a huge impact on the everyday lives on Kenyans. Not only do people now have access to things around the world, but they also have educational and health opportunities they have never had before. The idea of using smart phones as makeshift computers is nothing new, especially in developing countries. Where the income is limited, a smartphone can be a costly expense. However, having access to current technology will allow Kenyans to expand and grow in the world economy. To that end, here are some examples of improvements that new technology has had in the lives of Kenyans: (more…)

Groundbreaking Research Paves Way for HIV Prevention Drug Approval

By Guest PostJuly 15, 2012Healthafrica, antiretroviral drugs, connie celum, fda, hiv, hiv infection, hiv prevention, hiv treatment, hiv vaccine, hiv-positive, jared baeten, Kenya, kenya puppets, nelly mugo, partners prep, placebo, prevention drug, tenofovir, thika, truvada, uganda

For the first time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering approving a drug that helps prevent someone from acquiring HIV. It’s called Truvada, and has been approved for use since 2004 to treat infected people.

Now it has been shown to protect healthy people who are exposed to HIV. The UW’s International Clinical Research Center, within the Department of Global Health, played a key role in examining the drug’s effectiveness for HIV prevention.

Researchers Connie Celum and Jared Baeten led a study, published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine, of pre-exposure prophylaxis among heterosexual couples in Kenya and Uganda. One partner had HIV (and was not yet eligible for HIV treatment) and the other partner did not have HIV. Uninfected partners were given either Truvada or Tenofovir (both antiretroviral drugs) or a placebo. (more…)

Relationship Between Social Status and Wound-Healing in Wild Baboons

By Guest PostMay 26, 2012Nature, Scienceamboseli baboon research project, amboseli national park, anthropology, baboon, beth archie, carolyn ehardt, chronic stress, george gilchrist, immune function, jeanne altmann, Kenya, kinyua warutere, national science foundation, old age, relationship, social status, susan alberts, university of notre dame, wild baboons, wound healing

Findings show it’s best to be “top baboon”

Turns out it’s not bad being top dog, or in this case, top baboon.

Results of a study by University of Notre Dame biologist Beth Archie and colleagues from Princeton University and Duke University finds that male baboons that have a high rank within their society recover more quickly from injuries, and are less likely to become ill than other males.

The finding is somewhat surprising, given that top-ranked males also experience high stress, which should suppress immune responses. (more…)

Internet Use Promotes Democracy Best in Countries That Are Already Partially Free

By Guest PostApril 9, 2012Politics, Technologyafrobarometer, arab world, asia, asian barometer, autocratic regime, democracy, democratic revolution, elizabeth stoycheff, erik nisbet, frequency, internet, internet use, katy pearce, Kenya, mobilize citizen, mozambique, ohio state university, political change, political regime, pro democratic attitude, senegal, singapore, sociodemographic factor, sub-saharan africa, Tanzania, uganda, zambia

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Although use of the internet has been credited with helping spur democratic revolutions in the Arab world and elsewhere, a new multinational study suggests the internet is most likely to play a role only in specific situations.

Researchers at Ohio State University found that the internet spurs pro-democratic attitudes most in countries that already have introduced some reforms in that direction. (more…)

Geologists Correct a Rift in Africa

By Guest PostMarch 26, 2012Scienceafrica today, australia, climate change, earth crust, east africa, east african rift, eric roberts, ethiopia, geological sciences, giant arc, great rift valley, human evolution, human species, james cook university, Kenya, malawi, michael gottfried, michigan state university, model, nancy stevens, nature geoscience, ohio university, plate boundary, rukwa rift, system, tectonic forces, uganda, vertebrate fossils, volcanic ash

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The huge changes in the Earth’s crust that influenced human evolution are being redefined, according to research published today in Nature Geoscience.

The Great Rift Valley of East Africa – the birthplace of the human species – may have taken much longer to develop than previously believed.

“We now believe that the western portion of the rift formed about 25 million years ago, and is approximately as old as the eastern part, instead of much younger as other studies have maintained,” said Michael Gottfried, Michigan State University associate professor of geological sciences. “The significance is that the Rift Valley is the setting for the most crucial steps in primate and ultimately human evolution, and our study has major implications for the environmental and landscape changes that form the backdrop for that evolutionary story.” (more…)

Hyenas’ Ability to Count Helps Them Decide to Fight or Flee

By Guest PostAugust 23, 2011Nature, Scienceafrica, animal behaviour, beacon researcher, chimpanzees, evolution of big brains, kay holekamp, Kenya, lions, michigan state university, sarah benson amram, sean dryer, spotted hyenas, study of evolution in action, virginia heinen, zoology

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Being able to count helps spotted hyenas decide to fight or flee, according to research at Michigan State University.

When animals fight, the larger group tends to win. In the current issue of Animal Behaviour, Sarah Benson-Amram, an MSU graduate student studying zoology, showed that hyenas listen to the sound of intruders’ voices to determine who has the advantage. (more…)

Pity the Boss Man

By Guest PostJuly 21, 2011Nature, Scienceadult male baboons, alpha males, baboon groups, baboons, beta males, catherine markham, ecologists, female, fertilizations, glucocoricoids, human behavior and societal structures, jeanne altmann, kaye reed, Kenya, laurence gesquiere, male, national science foundation, princeton university, sexual consortship, sexual swelling, social hierarchy, social ranks in baboons, stress hormones

*Researchers find that being at the top may come at a high cost*

Ecologists at Princeton University recently discovered top-ranking male baboons exhibit higher levels of stress hormones than second-ranking males, suggesting that being at the top of a social hierarchy may be more costly than previously thought. (more…)

Tag Archives: Kenya