An investigation into poverty among domestic maids in Lusaka, Zambia

Despite tall claims of GDP growth, Zambian Poverty remained un addressed. Zambia has drafted its first Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) in 2002-2005 and mainstreamed the successive poverty reduction strategies into the National Development Plans beginning with the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) 2006-2010. Zambia after independence has progressively moved southwards in terms of GDP growth and achieved the status of Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC). Nevertheless, Zambia’s progress reports show some achievements in GDP growth and containing poverty during the initial years of FNDP. The midterm review reports show that there has been a growth in GDP and poverty reduction in Zambia, and more reduction in urban poverty. These claims have led me to find out “Has the GDP growth during the Fifth National Development Plan resulted in poverty reduction among the most vulnerable women workers- the domestic maids in Lusaka?” In the process of determining this, a review of Zambian Economy, the urban poverty levels; growth in GDP before and after FNDP; and living standards of randomly selected Domestic Maids from different compounds in Lusaka have been analyzed, evaluated and related to poverty reduction, growth and development theories. To support the analysis, a questionnaire (Appendix-I) was designed and data was collected from eight domestic maids. Apart from the primary data collection process, some data was recorded from the offices of Government of Zambia, FNDP, PRSP, and living standard surveys conducted by the United Nations Organization present in Zambia. From the information composed the appropriate data has been utilized effectively to analyze it and arrive at conclusions. In conclusion it is found that the growth in GDP and reduction in poverty levels have no tangible impact on the poverty levels of domestic maids in Lusaka.Domestic Maids, Poverty Reduction, Lusaka, Zambian Economy, Hingly Indebted Poor Country

Primary Amoebic (Naegleria fowleri) Meningoencephalitis Presenting as Status Epilepticus

Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare entity. Usual presenting features are fever, headache and seizures with meningeal signs and this disease carries high mortality rate. We present a case report of PAM presenting as status epilepticus

An investigation into poverty among domestic maids in Lusaka, Zambia

Despite tall claims of GDP growth, Zambian Poverty remained un addressed. Zambia has drafted its first Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) in 2002-2005 and mainstreamed the successive poverty reduction strategies into the National Development Plans beginning with the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) 2006-2010. Zambia after independence has progressively moved southwards in terms of GDP growth and achieved the status of Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC). Nevertheless, Zambia’s progress reports show some achievements in GDP growth and containing poverty during the initial years of FNDP. The midterm review reports show that there has been a growth in GDP and poverty reduction in Zambia, and more reduction in urban poverty. These claims have led me to find out “Has the GDP growth during the Fifth National Development Plan resulted in poverty reduction among the most vulnerable women workers- the domestic maids in Lusaka?” In the process of determining this, a review of Zambian Economy, the urban poverty levels; growth in GDP before and after FNDP; and living standards of randomly selected Domestic Maids from different compounds in Lusaka have been analyzed, evaluated and related to poverty reduction, growth and development theories. To support the analysis, a questionnaire (Appendix-I) was designed and data was collected from eight domestic maids. Apart from the primary data collection process, some data was recorded from the offices of Government of Zambia, FNDP, PRSP, and living standard surveys conducted by the United Nations Organization present in Zambia. From the information composed the appropriate data has been utilized effectively to analyze it and arrive at conclusions. In conclusion it is found that the growth in GDP and reduction in poverty levels have no tangible impact on the poverty levels of domestic maids in Lusaka

Network and matrix analysis of the respiratory disease interactome

BACKGROUND: Although respiratory diseases exhibit in a wide array of clinical manifestations, certain respiratory diseases may share related genetic mechanisms or may be influenced by similar chemical stimuli. Here we explore and infer relationships among genes, diseases, and chemicals using network and matrix based clustering methods. RESULTS: In order to better understand and elucidate these shared genetic mechanisms and chemical relationships we analyzed a comprehensive collection of gene, disease, and chemical relationships pertinent to respiratory disease, using network and matrix based analysis approaches. Our methods enabled us to analyze relationships and make biological inferences among over 200 different respiratory and related diseases, involving thousands of gene-chemical-disease relationships. CONCLUSIONS: The resulting networks provided insight into shared mechanisms of respiratory disease and in some cases suggest novel targets or repurposed drug strategies

STUDY ON THE ANTIMICROBIAL EFFICACY OF HAND SANITIZERS DEVELOPED BY THE PHARMACEUTICAL CORPORATION (I.M) KERALA LTD (OUSHADHI)

Hand sanitizers are used to ensure hygiene in the absence of hand washing facilities or where frequent sanitizing is required especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Handsanitizers using different combinations were prepared at Oushadhi using WHO recommendations and also to promote Kerala Government’s initiative of break the chain campaign. The campaign was launched on 15th March 2020 and it aims to cut down the progress of disease transmission. The efficacy of the batches of sanitizers prepared was tested against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. They were also tested against common air and water contaminants found in the premises which would be of more significance to the general workforce. The susceptibility test was performed by agar well diffusion method and it revealed that the antimicrobial efficacy of the prepared hand sanitizer Batch III with Cymbopogon citratus oil was the most effective among the three combinations. A hedonic sensory evaluation was carried out for better consumer acceptability

PHYSICAL CONDITIONS IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM TOWARD HD 185418

We have developed a complete model of the hydrogen molecule as part of the spectral simulation code Cloudy. Our goal is to apply this to spectra of high-redshift star-forming regions where H2 absorption is seen, but where few other details are known, to understand its implication for star formation. The microphysics of H2 is intricate, and it is important to validate these numerical simulations in better understood environments. This paper studies a well-defined line of sight through the Galactic interstellar medium (ISM) as a test of the microphysics and methods we use. We present a self-consistent calculation of the observed absorption-line spectrum to derive the physical conditions in the ISM toward HD 185418, a line of sight with many observables. We deduce density, temperature, local radiation field, cosmic-ray ionization rate, and chemical composition and compare these conclusions with conditions deduced from analytical calculations. We find a higher density and similar abundances, and we require a cosmic-ray flux enhanced over the Galactic background value, consistent with enhancements predicted by MHD simulations

Activity Assay of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells Using Peptide-Conjugated Magnetic Beads

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive subtype of breast cancer with limited treatment options. Epidermal growth factor receptor I (EGFR) has emerged as a promising target in TNBC. Limited success of the EGFR kinase inhibiting small molecules in clinical trials may be attributed in part to inaccuracy in identifying EGFR signatures in patient tumors. In light of the absence of a simple correlation between EGFR expression and its degree of activation, a simple and reliable tool that can quantify EGFR kinase activity in tumor samples may be of therapeutic value in predicting patient-specific EGFR targeted therapies. This study reports the development of an assay that can quantitatively profile EGFR kinase activities and inhibitor sensitivities in TNBC cell lysates by using peptide reporters covalently tethered to magnetic beads in a controlled orientation. The use of magnetic beads provides rapid sample handling and easy product isolation. The potential of this approach was demonstrated by screening a set of five clinically relevant EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Formatted for microwell plates, this magnetic bead-based kinase assay may be used as a complementary approach for direct high-throughput screening of small molecule inhibitors.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140099/1/adt.2012.454.pd

MEA Manufacturing using an Additive Manufacturing Process to Deposit a Catalyst Pattern in an MEA and Its Impact on Cost Reduction

The manufacturing of a fuel cell Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) is a significant cost driver in polymer-electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell technologies, primarily due to the inclusion of expensive materials in the catalyst layer. The selective deposition of a catalyst on the MEA of a fuel cell can drastically reduce the costs depending upon the catalyst, method used for deposition, and production volume. In this paper, testing and analysis of a novel catalyst iridium oxide is discussed. The performance of the catalyst will be compared with the conventional catalysts which will give us an estimate of its effectiveness however, in this paper, only its feasibility in terms of cost is discussed

Prescission neutron multiplicity and fission probability from Langevin dynamics of nuclear fission

A theoretical model of one-body nuclear friction which was developed earlier, namely the chaos-weighted wall formula, is applied to a dynamical description of compound nuclear decay in the framework of the Langevin equation coupled with statistical evaporation of light particles and photons. We have used both the usual wall formula friction and its chaos-weighted version in the Langevin equation to calculate the fission probability and prescission neutron multiplicity for the compound nuclei $^{178}$W, $^{188}$Pt, $^{200}$Pb, $^{213}$Fr, $^{224}$Th, and $^{251}$Es. We have also obtained the contributions of the presaddle and postsaddle neutrons to the total prescission multiplicity. A detailed analysis of our results leads us to conclude that the chaos-weighted wall formula friction can adequately describe the fission dynamics in the presaddle region. This friction, however, turns out to be too weak to describe the postsaddle dynamics properly. This points to the need for a suitable explanation for the enhanced neutron emission in the postsaddle stage of nuclear fission.Comment: RevTex, 14 pages including 5 Postscript figures, results improved by using a different potential, conclusions remain unchanged, to appear in Phys. Rev.