112 research outputs found
Replication Data for: Hypothermia amongst neonatal admissions in Kenya: A Retrospective Cohort Study Assessing Prevalence, Trends, Risk Factors, and its Relationship with All-Cause Neonatal Mortality
No full textThis is a replication dataset for the publication titled: "Hypothermia amongst neonatal admissions in Kenya: A Retrospective Cohort Study Assessing Prevalence, Trends, Risk Factors, and its Relationship with All-Cause Neonatal Mortality".
Hypothermia among newborns has reported to increase risk of neonatal mortality. However, these reports have originated from small sampled studies, in small centers and in cross sectional designs. We utilized a large dataset spanning several years collected routinely from 21 different inpatient neonatal units among those born within those hospitals. This data contains `at/during birth` information, examination, diagnoses, treatments, and supportive care and finally discharge information. The objectives were to describe: (i) the burden of hypothermia on admission across 21 newborn units in Kenya, (ii) any trend in prevalence of hypothermia over time, (iii) risk factors for hypothermia at admission, and (iv) hypothermia’s association with inpatient neonatal mortality. The patient level information were analyzed from the `Inpatient Neonatal Dataset.RData`. To explore the role of ambient temperature, we access land surface data as substitutes for the room temperature in the NBU. These land surface temperatures were obtained from MODIS, a satellite source, with a spatial resolution of 1 kilometer (km). Through the Geographical Positioning System (GPS), we acquired the dataset that included daily temperature recordings specifically for the geographical areas of the study hospitals. Further information and specifics regarding the dataset can be found elsewhere (https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/missions-and-measurements/products/MOD11A1). - `surface_data.csv
Mathematical Modelling of the Impact of stigmatization on Vaccination and on the Spread of COVID -19 in Kenya
No full textAbstract: In this study, a mathematical model incoporating stigmatization and vaccination is developed to asses the effect of stigma on vaccination and transmission dynamics of COVID-19. Unlike several earlier model studies on this condition, we took into account the impact of stigma on vaccination and transmission on COVID-19. The disease free equilibrium is calculated and its stability proven using the jacobian method, The endemic equilibrium is also evaluated and stablity proven by Hurwitz criteria. The parameters are estimated using available data from the ministry of health and available lierature review. Finally numerical analysis validate the prediction of the model.
Keywords: COVID-19 spread dynamics, mathematical modelling, vaccination.
Title: Mathematical Modelling of the Impact of stigmatization on Vaccination and on the Spread of COVID -19 in Kenya
Author: Sharon Chebet George Kimathi, Mary Wainaina
International Journal of Mathematics and Physical Sciences Research
ISSN 2348-5736 (Online)
Vol. 10, Issue 1, April 2022 - September 2022
Page No: 68-81
Research Publish Journals
Website: www.researchpublish.com
Published Date: 26-September-2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7113180
Paper Download Link (Sources)
https://www.researchpublish.com/papers/mathematical-modelling-of-the-impact-of-stigmatization-on-vaccination-and-on-the-spread-of-covid--19-in-kenyaInternational Journal of Mathematics and Physical Sciences Research, ISSN 2348-5736 (Online), Research Publish Journals, Website: www.researchpublish.co
Mathematical Modeling of the effects of gender-based stigmatization on COVID-19 virus transmission in Kenya
No full textAbstract: Covid-19 has spread throughout the globe, killed millions of people, shattered economies of even the superpower countries and made people to change their way of living since it was discovered in wuhan, china. Covid-19 reached kenya on march 2020 when the ministry of health announced the first positive case in the city of Nairobi from an international traveller. Understanding the transmission dynamics and effective control measures have been crutial for researchers in creating mathematical models and determining the transmission potential of covid-19 in new areas. Our research aims to determine the effect of gender-based stigmatization in the spread of covid-19 and therefore we developed a (S, Em, Ef, Im, If, T, Q, R) mathematical model of Covid-19 comprising of eight compartments; Susceptible (S), Exposed male (Em), Exposed female (Ef), Infected male (Im), Infected female (If), Treatment (T), Stigmatized (Q)and Recovered (R). We used the next generation matrix approach to calculate the reproduction number R0, explore the occurrence of equilibrium points, both disease-free and endemic, and analyze their stabilities. We used MATLAB to solve and generate the numerical solutions of the model differential equations. After interpretation the results show that increase of stigmatization, increases the infection rate of of covid -19 and decrease of stigmatization decreases the infection rate of covid-19 for both male and female.Hence we recommended that the government and relevant authorities should use this report to curb stigmatization through sensitization,awareness, speaking against negative stereotypes and providing the necessary support required by encouraging people to take tests and seek healthcare immediately they start showing covid symptoms.
Keywords: COVID-19 spread dynamics, mathematical modelling, epidemiological modelling,stigmatization.
Title: Mathematical Modeling of the effects of gender-based stigmatization on COVID-19 virus transmission in Kenya
Author: Kelvin Omori Obino, George Kimathi, Mary Wainaina
International Journal of Novel Research in Physics Chemistry & Mathematics
ISSN 2394-9651
Vol. 9, Issue 3, September 2022 - December 2022
Page No: 8-22
Novelty Journals
Website: www.noveltyjournals.com
Published Date: 28-September-2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7119027
Paper Download Link (Source)
https://www.noveltyjournals.com/upload/paper/Mathematical%20Modeling%20of%20the%20effects-28092022-4.pdfInternational Journal of Novel Research in Physics Chemistry & Mathematics, ISSN 2394-9651, Novelty Journals, Website: www.noveltyjournals.co
Słowa klucze czy słowa wytrychy? Analiza dyskursu medialnego o Afryce w magazynie „Kontynenty”
No full textThe aim of the article is to characterize the keywords referring to the image of Africa in “The Continents” magazine (“Kontynenty”). The introduction describes a manifesto of Kenyan intellectual Kenneth Binyavanga Wainaina – “How to write about Africa”. The next section briefly discusses the source base – the profile of the magazine. Then, the author analyses texts published in “The Continents” according to the selected keywords in the matter of Africa
LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES ON PERFOMANCE IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF UASIN GISHU, KENYA
No full textAbstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of leadership strategies on performance of Uasin Gishu County. The study was guided by the following specific objectives; to evaluate the effect of work environment on performance in Uasin Gishu County. The study was guided by Transformational Leadership Theory. A descriptive survey research design was employed with a target population of 95 respondents consisting of the county executive committee members, county chief officers, county directors, chief principals, and principals. The data collection instrument was questionnaires both closed and open ended. Piloting was done to test the validity and reliability of the data collection instrument. Data collected using questionnaires was entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. In addition, inferential statistics that include Analysis of variance, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis was used establishing the nature and extent of relationship between variables. To ascertain the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable, a regression model was used. In conclusion basing on the findings, the study concluded that working environment has a significant effect on performance of Uasin Gishu county government. The study recommended that the management of the county government of Uasin Gishu should provide their employees a fair and conducive working condition to enable high performance. Due to an ever changing environment, the county government of Uasin Gishu should embrace regular trainings to enhance high and required competencies that facilitates good county government performance. The management of the county government of Uasin Gishu should establish a good relationship with their stakeholders through provision of good reception to enhance customer satisfaction. The study is useful to all the stakeholders in the County governments.
Keywords: Working Environment, Organizational Performance.
Title: LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES ON PERFOMANCE IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF UASIN GISHU, KENYA
Author: Jack Wainaina Kariuki, Dr. Elizabeth Nambuswa Makokha, Dr. Duncan Nyaberi
International Journal of Recent Research in Mathematics Computer Science and Information Technology
ISSN 2350-1022
Vol. 9, Issue 1, April 2022 - September 2022
Page No: 37-53
Paper Publications
Website: www.paperpublications.org
Published Date: 22-September-2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7104938
Paper Download Link (Source)
https://www.paperpublications.org/upload/book/LEADERSHIP%20STRATEGIES%20ON%20PERFOMANCE-22092022-3.pdfInternational Journal of Recent Research in Mathematics Computer Science and Information Technology, ISSN 2350-1022, Paper Publications, Website: www.paperpublications.or
Developing a food waste-based volatile fatty acids platform using an immersed membrane bioreactor
No full textApproximately 1.3 billion tons of food waste is produced globally every year. In principle, all the resources in the supply chain are lost (e.g. land, energy, and water) when the food is not consumed as intended. Anaerobic digestion is an established biological technology to treat food waste, and is mainly employed for recovery of energy in the form of biogas. Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are formed as intermediate products of the anaerobic digestion process, and can be applied as precursors for various essential biomaterials. The manipulation of the anaerobic digestion process to synthesize these intermediates instead of biogas is considered to recover more value from food waste. However, some bottlenecks that prevent large-scale production and application of VFAs still exist. Among the key issues to be addressed are the difficulty in recovering the VFAs from the fermentation medium and the overall low product yields. The goals of the present thesis were: 1) to investigate methods to boost the production of VFAs from food waste; 2) to continuously recover VFAs from food waste fermentation medium; 3) to determine the changes in the microbial structure during high organic loading of food waste in membrane bioreactors; and 4) to study a novel approach for applying food waste-derived VFAs for cultivating edible filamentous fungi. For continuous product recovery at high yields, an immersed membrane bioreactor was constructed with robust cleaning capabilities to withstand the complex anaerobic digestion medium. The membrane bioreactor was first operated without pH control and a yield of 0.54 g VFA/g VSadded was achieved when an organic loading rate of 2 gVS/L/d was applied. Moreover, only a 16.4% reduction in the permeate flux during a 40-day operation period was recorded. In the second experimental work, the immersed membrane bioreactor system was subjected to high organic loading rates of 4, 6, 8, and 10 g VS/L/d as a tool of manipulating the anaerobic digestion process towards high VFAs and hydrogen production. The highest yield of VFAs was attained at 6 g VS/L/d (0.52 g VFA/gVSadded), while at 8 g VS/L/d, a maximal hydrogen yield of 14.7 NmL/gVSadded was obtained. An analysis of the microbial structure revealed that the presence of Clostridium resulted in high production of acetate, butyrate and caproate. On the other hand, the relative abundance of Lactobacillus was found to influence lactate biosynthesis. Cultivation of edible filamentous fungi presents a novel possibility for application of food waste-derived VFAs. Due to the growing demand of single-cell protein, one of the potential uses for the fungal biomass is the production of animal feed. In this thesis, an edible filamentous fungus, Rhizopus oligosporus was grown solely on the VFAs recovered from the membrane bioreactors. It was revealed that high concentrations could inhibit fungal growth; thus, the dilution of the VFAs solution used as substrate was necessary. Furthermore, when a fed-batch cultivation technique was applied, a four-fold improvement in the biomass production relative to standard batch cultivation was realized. A maximum biomass yield of 0.21 ± 0.01g dry biomass/ g VFAs COD eq. consumed, containing 39.28 ± 1.54% crude protein, was obtained. With further improvements in the VFAs uptake and the biomass yield, this novel concept could be a fundamental step in converting anaerobic digestion facilities into biorefineries
Revisiting the self-supply model : A foundational, not a complimentary model for water supply in rural households
No full textIn this opinion article, we propose that self-supply, as a model for household-managed water supply in rural areas, is the foundational model for water supply in rural households. Any other model is only complementary while it lasts. Therefore, self-supply needs more emphasis in research and intentional exposure and support in practice. This is underscored by the fact that despite the use of taxes, transfers, and tariffs that fund other service models, major water service gaps still exist in rural households forcing them to invest directly in self-supply. Over 2.2 billion people globally still lack access to safe water. Our argument is not that other models such as communal or government models are irrelevant; rather, it is that self-supply is the foundational and often preferred model for rural households due to reliability, predictability, control, and flexibility. Yet it is overlooked often. Therefore, we call for investing in research informing self-supply policy, practice, and funding especially where it links with other models to be prioritized. This will likely accelerate the achievement of SDG 6. © 2024 The Author(s). World Water Policy published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Policy Studies Organization.</p
Developing a food waste-based volatile fatty acids platform using an immersed membrane bioreactor [Elektronisk resurs]
No full textApproximately 1.3 billion tons of food waste is produced globally every year. In principle, all the resources in the supply chain are lost (e.g. land, energy, and water) when the food is not consumed as intended. Anaerobic digestion is an established biological technology to treat food waste, and is mainly employed for recovery of energy in the form of biogas. Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are formed as intermediate products of the anaerobic digestion process, and can be applied as precursors for various essential biomaterials. The manipulation of the anaerobic digestion process to synthesize these intermediates instead of biogas is considered to recover more value from food waste. However, some bottlenecks that prevent large-scale production and application of VFAs still exist. Among the key issues to be addressed are the difficulty in recovering the VFAs from the fermentation medium and the overall low product yields. The goals of the present thesis were: 1) to investigate methods to boost the production of VFAs from food waste; 2) to continuously recover VFAs from food waste fermentation medium; 3) to determine the changes in the microbial structure during high organic loading of food waste in membrane bioreactors; and 4) to study a novel approach for applying food waste-derived VFAs for cultivating edible filamentous fungi.For continuous product recovery at high yields, an immersed membrane bioreactor was constructed with robust cleaning capabilities to withstand the complex anaerobic digestion medium. The membrane bioreactor was first operated without pH control and a yield of 0.54 g VFA/g VSadded was achieved when an organic loading rate of 2 gVS/L/d was applied. Moreover, only a 16.4% reduction in the permeate flux during a 40-day operation period was recorded. In the second experimental work, the immersed membrane bioreactor system was subjected to high organic loading rates of 4, 6, 8, and 10 g VS/L/d as a tool of manipulating the anaerobic digestion process towards high VFAs and hydrogen production. The highest yield of VFAs was attained at 6 g VS/L/d (0.52 g VFA/gVSadded), while at 8 g VS/L/d, a maximal hydrogen yield of 14.7 NmL/gVSadded was obtained. An analysis of the microbial structure revealed that the presence of Clostridium resulted in high production of acetate, butyrate and caproate. On the other hand, the relative abundance of Lactobacillus was found to influence lactate biosynthesis.Cultivation of edible filamentous fungi presents a novel possibility for application of food waste-derived VFAs. Due to the growing demand of single-cell protein, one of the potential uses for the fungal biomass is the production of animal feed. In this thesis, an edible filamentous fungus, Rhizopus oligosporus was grown solely on the VFAs recovered from the membrane bioreactors. It was revealed that high concentrations could inhibit fungal growth; thus, the dilution of the VFAs solution used as substrate was necessary. Furthermore, when a fed-batch cultivation technique was applied, a four-fold improvement in the biomass production relative to standard batch cultivation was realized. A maximum biomass yield of 0.21 ± 0.01g dry biomass/ g VFAs COD eq. consumed, containing 39.28 ± 1.54% crude protein, was obtained. With further improvements in the VFAs uptake and the biomass yield, this novel concept could be a fundamental step in converting anaerobic digestion facilities into biorefineries.</p
Children of Prisoners: Interventions and mitigations to strengthen mental health
No full textWorldwide, unprecedented numbers of people are being imprisoned and in many countries incarceration is on the increase (Walmsley, 2009); indeed ‘more parents than ever are behind bars’ (Murray et al., 2012) and each year, an estimated 800,000 children within the newly-expanded European Union are separated from an incarcerated parent. Despite this, the psychosocial impact on children is little known and rarely considered in sentencing even though the evidence to date suggests that children whose parents are imprisoned are exposed to triple jeopardy through break-up of the family, financial hardship, stigma and secrecy, leading to adverse social and educational repercussions. The rationale for the study of the impact of parental imprisonment is underscored by the findings of a recent meta-analysis of studies of children of prisoners (Murray et al. 2012). This systematic review synthesized empirical evidence on the associations between parental incarceration and children’s later behavioural, educational and health outcomes from 40 studies involving a total of over 7,000 children of prisoners
Additional file 1 of Prokaryotic-virus-encoded auxiliary metabolic genes throughout the global oceans [Dataset]
Full text linkThe Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) G. Unger Vetlesen and Ambrose Monell Foundations National Science Foundation Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Investigator AwardPeer reviewe
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