29 research outputs found
Nutritional Status of Under-five Children Living in an Informal Urban Settlement in Nairobi, Kenya
Malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa contributes to high rates of childhood morbidity and mortality. However, little information on the nutritional status of children is available from informal settlements. During the period of post-election violence in Kenya during December 2007–March 2008, food shortages were widespread within informal settlements in Nairobi. To investigate whether food insecurity due to post-election violence resulted in high prevalence of acute and chronic malnutrition in children, a nutritional survey was undertaken among children aged 6-59 months within two villages in Kibera, where the Kenya Medical Research Institute/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducts population-based surveillance for infectious disease syndromes. During 25 March–4 April 2008, a structured questionnaire was administered to caregivers of 1,310 children identified through surveillance system databases to obtain information on household demographics, food availability, and child-feeding practices. Anthropometric measurements were recorded on all participating children. Indices were reported in z-scores and compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) 2005 reference population to determine the nutritional status of children. Data were analyzed using the Anthro software of WHO and the SAS. Stunting was found in 47.0% of the children; 11.8% were underweight, and 2.6% were wasted. Severe stunting was found in 23.4% of the children; severe underweight in 3.1%, and severe wasting in 0.6%. Children aged 36-47 months had the highest prevalence (58.0%) of stunting while the highest prevalence (4.1%) of wasting was in children aged 6-11 months. Boys were more stunted than girls (p<0.01), and older children were significantly (p<0.0001) stunted compared to younger children. In the third year of life, girls were more likely than boys to be wasted (p<0.01). The high prevalence of chronic malnutrition suggests that stunting is a sustained problem within this urban informal settlement, not specifically resulting from the relatively brief political crisis. The predominance of stunting in older children indicates failure in growth and development during the first two years of life. Food programmes in Kenya have traditionally focused on rural areas and refugee camps. The findings of the study suggest that tackling childhood stunting is a high priority, and there should be fostered efforts to ensure that malnutrition-prevention strategies include the urban poor
Allosteric Regulation of DNA Cleavage and Sequence-Specificity through Run-On Oligomerization
SummarySgrAI is a sequence specific DNA endonuclease that functions through an unusual enzymatic mechanism that is allosterically activated 200- to 500-fold by effector DNA, with a concomitant expansion of its DNA sequence specificity. Using single-particle transmission electron microscopy to reconstruct distinct populations of SgrAI oligomers, we show that in the presence of allosteric, activating DNA, the enzyme forms regular, repeating helical structures characterized by the addition of DNA-binding dimeric SgrAI subunits in a run-on manner. We also present the structure of oligomeric SgrAI at 8.6 Å resolution, demonstrating the conformational state of SgrAI in its activated form. Activated and oligomeric SgrAI displays key protein-protein interactions near the helix axis between its N termini, as well as allosteric protein-DNA interactions that are required for enzymatic activation. The hybrid approach reveals an unusual mechanism of enzyme activation that explains SgrAI’s oligomerization and allosteric behavior
Nutritional Status of Under-five Children Living in an Informal Urban Settlement in Nairobi, Kenya
Malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa contributes to high rates of
childhood morbidity and mortality. However, little information on the
nutritional status of children is available from informal settlements.
During the period of post-election violence in Kenya during December
2007-March 2008, food shortages were widespread within informal
settlements in Nairobi. To investigate whether food insecurity due to
post-election violence resulted in high prevalence of acute and chronic
malnutrition in children, a nutritional survey was undertaken among
children aged 6-59 months within two villages in Kibera, where the
Kenya Medical Research Institute/Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention conducts population-based surveillance for infectious
disease syndromes. During 25 March-4 April 2008, a structured
questionnaire was administered to caregivers of 1,310 children
identified through surveillance system databases to obtain information
on household demographics, food availability, and child-feeding
practices. Anthropometric measurements were recorded on all
participating children. Indices were reported in z-scores and compared
with the World Health Organization (WHO) 2005 reference population to
determine the nutritional status of children. Data were analyzed using
the Anthro software of WHO and the SAS. Stunting was found in 47.0% of
the children; 11.8% were underweight, and 2.6% were wasted. Severe
stunting was found in 23.4% of the children; severe underweight in
3.1%, and severe wasting in 0.6%. Children aged 36-47 months had the
highest prevalence (58.0%) of stunting while the highest prevalence
(4.1%) of wasting was in children aged 6-11 months. Boys were more
stunted than girls (p<0.01), and older children were significantly
(p<0.0001) stunted compared to younger children. In the third year
of life, girls were more likely than boys to be wasted (p<0.01). The
high prevalence of chronic malnutrition suggests that stunting is a
sustained problem within this urban informal settlement, not
specifically resulting from the relatively brief political crisis. The
predominance of stunting in older children indicates failure in growth
and development during the first two years of life. Food programmes in
Kenya have traditionally focused on rural areas and refugee camps. The
findings of the study suggest that tackling childhood stunting is a
high priority, and there should be fostered efforts to ensure that
malnutrition-prevention strategies include the urban poor
United States contributions to the Second International Indian Ocean Expedition (US IIOE-2)
From the Preface: The purpose of this document is to motivate and coordinate U.S. participation in the Second
International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE-2) by outlining a core set of research priorities that
will accelerate our understanding of geologic, oceanic, and atmospheric processes and their
interactions in the Indian Ocean. These research priorities have been developed by the U.S.
IIOE-2 Steering Committee based on the outcomes of an interdisciplinary Indian Ocean science
workshop held at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography on September 11-13, 2017. The
workshop was attended by 70 scientists with expertise spanning climate, atmospheric sciences,
and multiple sub-disciplines of oceanography. Workshop participants were largely drawn from
U.S. academic institutions and government agencies, with a few experts invited from India,
China, and France to provide a broader perspective on international programs and activities and
opportunities for collaboration. These research priorities also build upon the previously
developed International IIOE-2 Science Plan and Implementation Strategy. Outcomes from the
workshop are condensed into five scientific themes: Upwelling, inter-ocean exchanges,
monsoon dynamics, inter-basin contrasts, marine geology and the deep ocean. Each theme is
identified with priority questions that the U.S. research community would like to address and the
measurements that need to be made in the Indian Ocean to address them.We thank the following organizations and programs for financial contributions, support
and endorsement: the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the U.S.
Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry program funded by the National Science
Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; the NASA Physical
Oceanography Program; Scripps Institution of Oceanography; and the Indo-US Science
and Technology Forum