Household food (in)security and nutritional status of urban poor children aged 6 to 23 months in Kenya

Background Millions of people in low and low middle income countries suffer from extreme hunger and malnutrition. Research on the effect of food insecurity on child nutrition is concentrated in high income settings and has produced mixed results. Moreover, the existing evidence on food security and nutrition in children in low and middle income countries is either cross-sectional and/or is based primarily on rural populations. In this paper, we examine the effect of household food security status and its interaction with household wealth status on stunting among children aged between 6 and 23 months in resource-poor urban setting in Kenya. Methods We use longitudinal data collected between 2006 and 2012 from two informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. Mothers and their new-borns were recruited into the study at birth and followed prospectively. The analytical sample comprised 6858 children from 6552 households. Household food security was measured as a latent variable derived from a set of questions capturing the main domains of access, availability and affordability. A composite measure of wealth was calculated using asset ownership and amenities. Nutritional status was measured using Height-for-Age (HFA) z-scores. Children whose HFA z-scores were below −2 standard deviation were categorized as stunted. We used Cox regression to analyse the data. Results The prevalence of stunting was 49 %. The risk of stunting increased by 12 % among children from food insecure households. When the joint effect of food security and wealth status was assessed, the risk of stunting increased significantly by 19 and 22 % among children from moderately food insecure and severely food insecure households and ranked in the middle poor wealth status. Among the poorest and least poor households, food security was not statistically associated with stunting. Conclusion Our results shed light on the joint effect of food security and wealth status on stunting. Study findings underscore the need for social protection policies to reduce the high rates of child malnutrition in the urban informal settlements

Women in the Aviation Industry

The Aviation industry has developed extensively since its establishment by the Wright Brothers in 1903. Over time, the highly male-dominated industry experienced significant changes to incorporate female aviators. Determined women initiated this process through participating in the aircraft engineering sector and pursuing careers as pilots. However, these women faced various challenges, which resulted in setbacks to their effective growth in the industry. In fact, vital issues encountered in the past are still present and often overlooked in today’s aviation industry. Therefore, identifying these problems and proposing solutions with effective corrective measures is necessary to increase and motivate female pilots globally

The effect of education on household food security in two informal urban settlements in Kenya: a longitudinal analysis

Poverty and food insecurity continue to feature prominently in the global agenda, with particularly close attention being paid to the determinants of food insecurity. However, the effect of education is mixed and remains understudied in low income countries. Using longitudinal data collected between 2007 and 2012 in Kenya, we investigated the effect of household education attainment on food security among poor urban households. Household food security was constructed from a set of four key items while education was the average years of schooling for individuals aged 18 years and above in a household. To determine the association between education attainment and food security, we fitted a random effects generalised ordered probit model. The prevalence of severe food insecurity ranged from 49% in 2008 to 35% in 2012. The ordered probit results showed a significant effect of education on food security. The probability of being food insecure decreased by 0.019 for a unit increase in the average years of schooling for a given household. The effect of education, remained significant even after controlling for household wealth index, a more proximate determinant of food security in a cash-based economy such as the urban slums. The findings highlight the need to focus on the food security status of the urban poor. Specifically, results suggest the need for programs aimed at reducing food insecurity among the urban poor and enhancing household livelihoods. In addition, investment in the education of the slum households may, in the long term, contribute to reduction in the prevalence of food insecurity

Evaluation of Counter Terrorism Strategies in Kenya

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of counter-terrorism measures in Kenya. The study adopted experimental, correlational, meta-analytic, review and semi-experimental research design. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 192 participants from Kenya Defense Forces (KDF), National Counter- Terrorism Center (NCTC), Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), (NSIS), (ATPU), Ministry of Interior and Internal Coordination and Ministry of Defense (MoD). Questionnaires were used together with interview guides and group chats for collection of primary data. Quantitative were used to gather primary data. A desktop technique was used in collection of secondary data. Findings revealed international responses to terrorism in Kenya and successful strategies adopted by Kenya and other Horn of Africa nations. The study highlighted challenges such as insufficient training and funding within security agencies. Recommendations emerged for Kenya and East Africa to implement anti-terrorism measures for reducing attacks, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts with partner nations to effectively combat terrorism

SYNTHESIS OF NANOCOMPOSITES BY LASER ABLATION

Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-conjugated gold nanoparticles were produced via in situ conjugation of gold nanoparticles with immunoglobulin E by laser ablation of Au in a liquid solution. The colloidal stability and the size distribution of the resulting bio-nanoconjugates were examined with UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These techniques showed that the Au nanoparticles in aqueous solutions were highly monodispersed spherical particles with a very narrow size distribution. The particles net diameter using TEM, was found to be D5 =3.8±0.9nm and D10 =4.7±1.3nm while the hydrodynamic diameter obtained with DLS was found to be h5 D =171±12nm , h10 D =164±18nm for 5min and 10min laser ablation time respectively. Enzyme-Linked immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and flow cytometry measurements of the conjugates confirmed that the gold-bound protein remained biologically active, thus paving the way for the application of these nanoparticles in immuno-diagnostics, particularly in tumor-targeted drug delivery

Challenges and Lessons Learned from Counter Terrorism Strategies in Kenya

The changing nature of terrorism activities both in the developed and developing countries makes it imperative to fully tackle this problem. Fears of advancement in weapons by terrorists to chemical, biological and nuclear weapons continue to be on the rise. As such, despite formulation of numerous strategies, the states and regions remain vulnerable to future terrorist attacks. The objective of this study to explore the challenges encountered in counter terrorism strategies employed in Kenya. The study employed a desktop review and thematic analysis to provide a multi-dimensional exploration of the challenges confronting Kenya's efforts to counter terrorism. This approach not only contextualized the current state of counter-terrorism within the nation but also contributed to a more holistic comprehension of the intricate dynamics involved. The study revealed that the respondents encounter challenges in the fight against terrorism in Kenya. The study also found that the most faced challenge was inadequate training and inadequate funding in the security organizations. These tend to act as a limit barrier in not only acquiring but also utilizing modern terrorism equipment. However, unclear definition of law was the least experienced challenge showing that there were no legal barriers in the implementation of the counter terrorism strategies. The study recommends that the security agents should put measures to ensure increased public participation in countering terrorism. Additionally, the study recommends audit and scrutiny of the security agencies so as to ensure that they are well capable and trained for their respective positions

Metabolomics biomarkers for diet and adiposity

Diet is an important determinant of health and well-being. Epidemiologic studies link higher habitual intake of sweetened beverages (SBs), sweet and fatty snacks, and the broad range of ultra-processed foods (UPF) with an increased risk of obesity. Poor nutritional profiles, higher caloric intake, and energy imbalance are some of the proposed mechanisms, but other biological pathways underlying diet-related weight gain and regulation are not fully defined. Human metabolome provides a rich resource for understanding metabolic alterations associated with diet. Here, we conduct a literature review on biomarkers of SBs (study 1); investigate the metabolomic signatures of SBs and added sugar intake in children, adolescents, and young adults and their association with adiposity measures (study 2); investigate the reproducibility of urine biomarkers of sweet and fatty snacks across two independent cohorts (study 3); and investigate the metabolomic profiles of UPF intake in adolescents and young adults and their association with adiposity (study 4). In study 1, we conducted a systematic review of the literature on biomarkers of SBs and their levels of validity. In study 2, we used 3 data sets across 3 age groups: children (3.0–10.3 y), adolescents (14.9–18.4 y), and young adults (18.0–21.9 y), from the DONALD cohort study. In study 3, we included the previously defined sample of children and children from an external cohort, the IDEFICS/I.Family cohort. In study 4, we included the adolescent and young adult analytic samples defined in study 2. We used untargeted metabolomics in urine and plasma across all studies and additionally conducted lipidomics on plasma. We applied multiple machine learning methods because of the high-dimensional data: the random forest, partial least squares, and LASSO for joint metabolite selection (study 2 and 3); particle swarm optimization and extreme gradient boosting for investigating metabolite data missing mechanisms (study 4); and robust sparse PCA for deriving metabolite patterns (study 4). We used linear and mixed effects for covariate adjustments (study 2-4). We identified metabolomic signatures of SBs, added sugar, sweet and fatty snacks, and UPF intake in young individuals. Some of these metabolomic changes were related to adiposity measures and may be important research targets for better understanding of the mechanisms through which these foods contribute to weight gain and adiposity

Primary Teacher Trainees Preparedness to Teach Science: A Gender Perspective

The purpose of this study was to determine Primary Teacher Education (PTE) Trainees’ perceptions regarding their preparedness to teach science in primary schools. A descriptive survey research design was used and stratified proportionate random sampling techniques used to select 177 males and 172 females. The study found out that more male trainee than female trainees had studied the three science subjects in secondary schools. Overall more male trainees than female trainees expressed high level of conceptual understanding of science subject content and SPS. More male trainee than female trainees further indicated they were ready to teach science during teaching practice and after training. The study recommends that science tutors to use SPS approach in teaching of PTE science, PTE to ensure trainees have high mastery of science subject content and SPS and to provide a gender-appropriate training to demystify gender differences in performance in science and promote gender equity in science education. The study further recommends that affirmative action be used in subject specialization selection to ensure gender parity in science education. Finally Kenya National Examination Council to include practical science examination measuring competency to teach science. Key words: Science Process Skills and Science Content, Inquiry Based science Educatio