Characterization of Small-Scale Farmers and Assessment of Their Access to Crop Production Information in Selected Counties of Kenya

Small-scale farming accounts for 78% of total agricultural production in Kenya and contributes to 23.5% of the country’s GDP. Their crop production activities are mostly rainfed subsistence with any surplus being sold to bring in some income. Timely decisions on farm practices such as farm preparation and planting are critical determinants of the seasonal outcomes. In Kenya, most small-scale farmers have no reliable source of information that would help them make timely and accurate decisions. County governments have extension officers who are mandated with giving farmers advisory services to farmers but they are not able to reach most farmers due to facilitation constraints. The mode and format of sharing information is also critical since it’s important to ensure that it’s timely, well-understood and usable. This study sought to assess access to geospatial derived and other crop production information by farmers in four selected counties of Kenya. Specific objectives were to determine the profile of small-scale farmers in terms of age, education and farm size;to determine the type of information that is made available to them by County and Sub-County extension officers including the format and mode of provision;and to determine if the information provided was useful in terms of accuracy, timeliness and adequacy. The results indicated that over 80% of the farmers were over 35 years of age and over 56% were male. Majority had attained primary education (34%) or secondary education (29%) and most farmers in all the counties grew maize (71%). Notably, fellow farmers were a source of information (71%) with the frequency of sharing information being mostly seasonal (37%) and when information was available (43%). Over 66% of interviewed farmers indicating that they faced challenges while using provided information. The results from the study are insightful and helpful in determining effective ways of providing farmers with useful information to ensure maximum benefits.

Challenges and New Directions of Information Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities in China: From the Perspective of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Accessibility is the basis and prerequisite for persons with disabilities to enjoy and exercise all human rights and fundamental freedoms With the rapid development of the internet, providing and promoting information accessibility is considered an important obligation for the State In the process of transforming international human rights law into domestic law, how to deal with the human rights protection of persons with disabilities and the obligations of the private sector to ensure persons with disabilities receive services and products that meet the requirements and principles of information accessibility has become a development issue in the new era Against the backdrop of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and in the context of the booming development of the cause of persons with disabilities in China, legal scholars, persons with disabilities, and organizations have jointly proposed the Beijing Initiative on the Principles of Information Accessibility for Science and Technology Products It clarifies that the private sector should embrace the human rights model advocated by the Convention in terms of information accessibility, and provide equal participation for persons with disabilities in the process of designing, producing and selling scientific and technological products The Initiative also states that the private sector should keep pace with the United Nation’s sustainable development goals and the basic national policy of building a well-to-do society in an all round way, ensuring persons with disabilities are included within a moderately well-off society It also provides civil opinions on the formulation and clarification of relevant laws in the future.

Research on Mobile Information Access based on Intemet of Things Technology

The paper design mobile information collection system based on lnternet of Things, implemented access gateway by smart mobile devices through a variety of ways, such as Wi-Fi and access the underlying perceptual information based on ZigBee wireless sensor networks. On the one hand, For information sensitivity of the sensor network, we design the mobile terminal through the gateway access authentication protocol, and effective solute the authentication and infbnnation between mobile devices and gateways, gateway and sensor network nodes obtain permission problem; on the other hand, according to the practical application of mobile information collection characteristics, the paper proposed information collection strategy based on historical data movement path to solve the problem for too long the device connection is established when the mobile smart devices collecting information along fixed lines, increasing the actual data transmission time and improve the efficiency of information transmission.

A Study on the Difference of Information Acquisition Ability among Students in Higher Vocational Colleges

The explosive growth of all kinds of online information brought by mobile Internet has brought challenges to the information acquisition ability of students in higher education institutions. In order to explore the differences, influencing factors and ways to improve the information acquisition of college students in higher education institutions, 306 questionnaires from students in five higher vocational colleges were collected and analyzed. It was found that there was no significant difference in the information acquisition ability of students by gender. However, the majors of higher vocational college students have a significant impact on their information acquisition ability. It was suggested to taking comprehensive measures to improve the information acquisition ability of students in higher vocational colleges according to their characteristics.

Men with prostate cancer and the accessibility to information—a literature review

Objective: To explore possible consequences of short stays in hospitals, as these short contacts reduce the patients’ time for information and support. Method: A literature survey was carried out to get an insight in possible consequences by summarizing the state of knowledge on how men with prostate cancer undergoing prostatec-tomy surgery experience their contacts with the healthcare professionals. Results: A consequence is that often men with prostate cancer, treated with prostatectomy surgery, do not receive the individualized support, infor-mation, and dialogue they need, which leads to feelings of uncertainty, insecurity, and loss of control. The men use the Internet in their search for information and support, which makes them able to stay in control and be active, responsible partners in their own course of treatment. Conclusion: For men to feel secure and certain the accessibility of the healthcare professionals and the healthcare professionals’ ability to individualize information and support are important aspects. Practice Implications: It is relevant to provide male cancer patients with tools that can underpin their contact to the healthcare professionals. Utilizing Web 2.0 technologies, Internet based tools can support exchange-ability, towards dialogue-based contacts, between men with prostate cancer and healthcare professionals.

Baishideng's century goal:Editing and publishing high-quality articles

Baishideng's goal over the next few years is to edit and publish high-quality articles through the open-access model, to maximize the benefits to members of the editorial board, authors and readers, as well as achieving social and economic benefits.

Harnessing the Potential of Community Radio in Empowering Rural Women in Malawi

This paper examines the extent to which community radio has the empowering and transformation potential. It draws on Nkhotakota community radio station in Malawi to analyze how community radio can empower women especially in rural areas. Although the whole of the rural population can be considered as marginalized, women are the most affected as they face marginalization in the family and village setting. Based on the data drawn from semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis, and participant observation, the paper observes that inequality and high illiteracy rate are the major hindrances among rural women which prevent them from accessing information necessary for their improvement. This paper argues that community radio has the potential to empower women in rural areas by providing them with access to information necessary to empower and transform their lives and enable them to participate in development activities.

The differenced of characteristics of contraceptive method of condom and vasectomy: A cross-sectional study among married of male in Indonesia

Background and aims:Indonesian government is regulating a family planning program to restricted fertility among reproductive aged.However,participated of married male for using contraceptive is very lowest in Indonesia.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 168 of married male(84 of condom method and 84 of vasectomy method)from April to August 2019 in Jember regency of East Java,Indonesia using purposive sampling method.A self-administered questionnaire was used to measure sociodemographic and contraceptive method of participants.Chi square test was performed to analyze the differences of characteristic of contraceptive method of condom and vasectomy among married male(P<0.05).Results:There were a significant differenced ethnic(χ^2=7.664,P-value=0.006)and access of information(χ^2=8.111,P-value=0.044)between condom and vasectomy method among married male.Conclusion:Characteristics of ethnic and access information are related with contraceptive method choosing for using condom and vasectomy among married male in Indonesia.Therefore,accessibility of contraceptive method through health education should be implemented for married male in Indonesia setting regarding their social and cultural context.

How Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality Benefit the Elderly and Individuals with Disabilities

The growing and evolving use of emerging technology including Artificial Intelligence(AI)and Virtual Reality(VR),has significantly impacted the lives of two specific groups-the elderly and the disabled.This paper investigates potential reasons for this phenomenon.Clearly,AI and VR Technology alters the everyday lives of people with disabilities and how they navigate the world.Technological developments increasingly work to address the isolation that people with disabilities as well as the elderly experience for they are often unable or limited in how they engage with their communities.This research paper outlines the way technology has improved social communication,information distribution,and day-to-day living for those with disabilities and the elderly.Undoubtedly,the internet has transformed social communication and interaction for most people.Socially isolated individuals with disabilities have gained exposure to social environments through social media.Moreover,the broad range of information available on the internet has increased access to resources such as government services,health services,and social services support.On a related point,assistive devices have enabled disabled people including many seniors to overcome motor,sensory,or cognitive difficulties that may have previously hindered them from performing daily tasks.However,although AI and VR technology has been effectively integrated in the lives of those with disabilities,many such individuals lack access to commonplace technologies,like a personal computer.This paper examines how AI and VR technology has enhanced communication,information access,and everyday activities for the disabled and aging communities despite such socio-economic limitations.

INFORMATION ACCESSIBILITY FOR PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES--A CASE STUDY OF INFORMATION ACCESSIBILITY DURING THE NEW CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

Barrier-free information construction has not been included in the information disclosure system for public emergencies in China.This makes it difficult for obstacle groups to obtain government information timely.By contrast,social forces,sign language videos and online accessible mini programs all give quick responds,which to some extent,bridge the information gap during the pandemic.This phenomenon is caused by the insufficient construction of information accessibility within the legal system,and the lack of popularization of accessibility concepts.The corresponding departments should improve the legal system of information accessibility by incorporating it into the information disclosure system for public emergencies in China.This will speed up the construction of modern public cultural service systems,promote the development of TV sign language hosting,and improve awareness of accessibility in science and technology to promote the design standards and principles of network accessibility and improve the dissemination of barrier-free information,hence meeting the information needs of barrier-free groups for major public emergencies.

BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION ACT IN NORWAY

Making market operators responsible for having and giving access to information about their impact on the environment is an important part of changing the way the economy operates in relation to environmental sustainability. To this end, the Norwegian access to environmental information act has established a right for the public to access to environmental information from private entities such as business enterprises. In this point, the Norwegian Act goes further than international rules, such as the Aarhus Convention, and also further than any other national legislation. This article presents the rules on access to information from business enterprises, and presents and discusses examples from the implementation of these rules.

Public access to information and open governance in Kenya

This paper investigates the role of public access to information in open governance in Kenya;identifies the factors affecting access to public information in Kenya;establishes the extent to which access to public information has influenced open governance in Kenya;and recommends strategies to enhance open governance through access of public information in Kenya.The paper is based on a qualitative study designed as an exploratory survey.Qualitative data was collected through key informant interviews with staff of the Commission on Administrative Justice(Office of the Ombudsman),which is tasked with implementing the Act,and documentary analysis.Content analysis of reports generated by implementing or oversight agencies was also conducted.The findings of the study show that the implementation of the Access to Information Act(2016)has had major contributions to the attainment of Kenya's commitments to open governance.Access to information underlies initiatives relating to open data sharing,beneficial ownership and access to justice.However,the implementation of the Act in Kenya faces challenges such as lack of funding,corruption,low levels of citizen awareness,and a culture of secrecy.The study recommends that the government should set up monitoring mechanisms to evaluate milestones of open governance initiatives such as the Act so as to be able to better evaluate the contributions of each commitment internally rather than relying on external evaluators.

The Way to Open Access-French Strategies to Move Forward

In France, the movement in favour of open access to scientific research output is getting increasingly coordinated and supported at the political level. The CNRS, a leading research organization in Europe and signatory of the Berlin Declaration, has an evident strategic role to play in this development. Various initiatives that have emerged in the French academic world in recent years have led, for example, in early 2005 to the joint announcement, by four major research institutions, of a common policy to promote open access to published material and other types of digital resources, and to set up institutional archives. The article highlights some key issues of this policy, gives an overview of the current and past CNRS involvement in open access and describes the principal functions, as well as the related challenges, of the future institutional repositories.

Scientific Communication in the Developing World in an Open Access Mode: The SciELO Model

This paper introduces the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) program and its three main objectives. Then the paper presents the methodology of open access to scientific information by the SciELO. At last, it shows the perspectives of open access in developing countries.

Design of power balance SRAM for DPA-resistance

A power balance static random-access memory（SRAM） for resistance to differential power analysis（DPA） is proposed. In the proposed design, the switch power consumption and short-circuit power consumption are balanced by discharging and pre-charging the key nodes of the output circuit and adding an additional shortcircuit current path. Thus, the power consumption is constant in every read cycle. As a result, the DPA-resistant ability of the SRAM is improved. In 65 nm CMOS technology, the power balance SRAM is fully custom designed with a layout area of 5863.6 μm^2.The post-simulation results show that the normalized energy deviation（NED） and normalized standard deviation（NSD） are 0.099% and 0.04%, respectively. Compared to existing power balance circuits, the power balance ability of the proposed SRAM has improved 53%.