Relationship between Ageing and Self-Worth of the Elderly in Maina Village, Nyahururu, Kenya

The process of ageing is a natural phenomenon that starts at birth progressively ending at death at which the individual is exposed to social, psychological, physical, and emotional vulnerabilities. With improvement in health care there is increased life expectancy and consequently the number of the elderly in the world is more. This is complicated by modernization of societies through urbanization. This creates the need to investigate vulnerabilities of the ageing not only to make their life more fulfilling but also to harness their skills and knowledge. The overall purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between ageing and self worth of the elderly in an urbanizing settlement in this case, Maina village of Nyahururu town, Kenya. The study used Ex-post-factor research design. The target population included 300 male and female elderly people between the ages of 60 and 80 years residing in Maina village of Nyahururu Town; those working or not working or may have worked, and living alone or living with others. The sampling frame was a list provided by the local administration. A sample size of 36 elderly people was sampled using stratified sampling technique that regarded both men and women guided by postulations from Gay (1976) who observes that a sample size of 10% is considered minimum for large populations and 20% for small populations. The study employed random sampling procedure to select the study sample. The data in the study was collected using a structured questionnaire containing statements of preference on the domains being measured. Collected data was analyzed using the statistical package for Social Sciences windows version (22). Results were presented through frequency and percentage tables. The study showed revealed that self-worth of the elderly in Maina urbanizing settlement is influenced by whether they feel of value and thus important to their local community and the larger society. They also felt other people have a great part to contribute on how happy they feel, concluding that the self- worth of elderly is greatly determined by how other people treat them. The study recommends that the government and local administrators should deliberately co-opt ageing individuals who are able in the community activities. The elderly should be involved in areas such as security, community peace and harmony. This would in turn make the elderly feel of worth to the local community. In addition, policy requirements that consider the unique needs and living conditions of the elderly should be formulated. Housing and public facilities and transport should be user friendly to the elderly in order to make them feel an important part of society.   Keywords: Ageing, Self-Worth, Psychological well-being, vulnerability, Life expectancy, Natural phenomenon, Modernization, Urbanization        ,NGOs, Social economic-statu

P20-08. Glycosylation: an important factor in Env diversity

Supported by a CAVD Grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Analysis of markets for African leafy vegetables within Nairobi ant its environs and implications for on-farm conservation of biodiversity

African Leafy Vegetables (ALVs) are important sources of essential macro and micro-nutrients. In addition they offer a source of livelihood when marketed, and also contribute to crop biodiversity. Despite these positive aspects, only a few ALVs are grown, marketed and consumed in Kenya. This study analyses the ALV market in Nairobi and the neighbouring areas, highlighting the factors that enable or inhibit its development. Furthermore, the study determined different factors influencing inter- and intra-specific on-farm biodiversity, with a focus on the role of ALV market development

Gender Roles and Constraints in Beekeeping: A Case from Kitui County, Kenya

Beekeeping is a form of agriculture that involves management of wild or domesticated bee colonies for production of honey and wax. Generally, in Kenya, women perform most of the agricultural activities (GOK, 2005; Oduol et al., 2013). Even though they play a major role in these activities, they end up receiving a fraction of the income generated. In most of the African countries, beekeeping has often been a male-dominated enterprise (Nel & Illgner, 2004; Ogaba & Akongo, 2001; Shackleton, Paumgarten, Kassa, Husselman, & Zida, 2011). However, with intervention from rural development agencies, a change in this practice could occur..

Discovery of non-invasive biomarkers for the diagnosis of endometriosis

Background Endometriosis is a common gynaecological disorder affecting 5–10% of women of reproductive age who often experience chronic pelvic pain and infertility. Definitive diagnosis is through laparoscopy, exposing patients to potentially serious complications, and is often delayed. Non-invasive biomarkers are urgently required to accelerate diagnosis and for triaging potential patients for surgery. Methods This retrospective case control biomarker discovery and validation study used quantitative 2D-difference gel electrophoresis and tandem mass tagging–liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry for protein expression profiling of eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissue samples collected from 28 cases of endometriosis and 18 control patients undergoing surgery for investigation of chronic pelvic pain without endometriosis or prophylactic surgery. Samples were further sub-grouped by menstrual cycle phase. Selected differentially expressed candidate markers (LUM, CPM, TNC, TPM2 and PAEP) were verified by ELISA in a set of 87 serum samples collected from the same and additional women. Previously reported biomarkers (CA125, sICAM1, FST, VEGF, MCP1, MIF and IL1R2) were also validated and diagnostic performance of markers and combinations established. Results Cycle phase and endometriosis-associated proteomic changes were identified in eutopic tissue from over 1400 identified gene products, yielding potential biomarker candidates. Bioinformatics analysis revealed enrichment of adhesion/extracellular matrix proteins and progesterone signalling. The best single marker for discriminating endometriosis from controls remained CA125 (AUC = 0.63), with the best cross-validated multimarker models improving the AUC to 0.71–0.81, depending upon menstrual cycle phase and control group. Conclusions We have identified menstrual cycle- and endometriosis-associated protein changes linked to various cellular processes that are potential biomarkers and that provide insight into the biology of endometriosis. Our data indicate that the markers tested, whilst not useful alone, have improved diagnostic accuracy when used in combination and demonstrate menstrual cycle specificity. Tissue heterogeneity and blood contamination is likely to have hindered biomarker discovery, whilst a small sample size precludes accurate determination of performance by cycle phase. Independent validation of these biomarker panels in a larger cohort is however warranted, and if successful, they may have clinical utility in triaging patients for surgery

Returns to research and outreach for integrated pest management of western flower thrips infesting French bean and tomato in Kenya

Thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is a major invasive pest that causes extensive yield losses in French bean and tomato in Kenya. Thrips management is based on the application of pesticides. In addition to increased environmental risks associated with pesticides, frequent use of these chemicals increases production costs and pesticide resistance. Furthermore, exports are restricted due to non-compliance to maximum residue levels in important consumer export markets, especially the European Union (EU). This study was conducted to estimate the potential benefits of the effectiveness of the icipe-developed strategy for control of western flower thrips before dissemination of the technology in Kenya, using the economic surplus model. We calculated the benefit–cost ratio, the Net Present Value (NPV) and the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) using Cost–Benefit Analysis (CBA). Assuming a maximum conservative adoption rate of 1% and a 10% discount rate for the base deterministic scenario, the NPV of the research was estimated at US$2.2 million, with an IRR of 23% and a BCR of 2.46. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the NPV, IRR and BCR increased at an increasing rate as adoption rates increased. However, as elasticities of supply and demand increased, the NPV, IRR and BCR increased at a decreasing rate. The findings demonstrate that farmers from developing countries can gain when they obtain access to suitable pest management innovations such as integrated pest management technologies. Consequently, investment in IPM technologies for suppression of western flower thrips should be enhanced

Postharvest processes of edible insects in Africa: A review of processing methods, and the implications for nutrition, safety and new products development

In many African cultures, insects are part of the diet of humans and domesticated animals. Compared to conventional food and feed sources, insects have been associated with a low ecological foot print because fewer natural resources are required for their production. To this end, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recognized the role that edible insects can play in improving global food and nutrition security; processing technologies, as well as packaging and storage techniques that improve shelf-life were identified as being crucial. However, knowledge of these aspects in light of nutritional value, safety, and functionality is fragmentary and needs to be consolidated. This review attempts to contribute to this effort by evaluating the available evidence on postharvest processes for edible insects in Africa, with the aim of identifying areas that need research impetus. It further draws attention to potential postharvest technology options for overcoming hurdles associated with utilization of insects for food and feed. A greater research thrust is needed in processing and this can build on traditional knowledge. The focus should be to establish optimal techniques that improve presentation, quality and safety of products, and open possibilities to diversify use of edible insects for other benefits

Social support for students with visual impairments in educational institutions : an integrative literature review

Students with visual impairments often experience emotional problems and encounter difficulties in forming and maintaining social relationships. Research indicates that the social support provided to these students by staff members and their peers in educational institutions may have a positive impact on their academic learning and socioemotional development. The purpose of this integrative literature review was to synthesise the results from 17 academic articles published during 1998 and 2018, which examined the topic of social support for students with visual impairments in educational institutions. This review reveals that for students with visual impairments cooperation, empathetic behaviour, and practical assistance are the main components of social support. These students actively seek social support from staff members and peers, but they face many challenges, such as the lack of training and awareness. Support from staff members contributes to students’ academic learning and social inclusion, whereas peers’ social support enhances their self-esteem and social acceptance. The outlined positive effects of educational interventions on students’ social skills and social interaction support the need for implementing more interventions. The limitations of the studies reviewed and recommendations for future research are discussed