Framing of Police Enforcement of the Covid-19 Laws in Kenya: A Comparative Analysis of the Daily Nation and Standard Newspapers

This study analysed how the Standard and The Daily Nation Newspapers framed the Kenyan police enforcement of Legal Notice No. 36 of 2020. Three major objectives were interrogated; the frames used by the two newspapers in reporting police enforcement of the curfew, the figures of speech used in the framing the police enforcement work and the sources of the stories used. Content analysis was the main data collection method. The key findings of the study were: The Daily Nation and the Standard newspapers framed the police enforcement of the curfew through negative valance via use of: brutality frames, conflict frames, death and murder frames. It also emerged that, the voicing of the police enforcement of the curfew order was largely supressed and left mainly to the mass media institutions and the journalists. Inferentially, the two newspapers played their watchdog role effectively. It also emerged that, critical voices necessary in ensuring accountability and transparent of the police enforcement of Covid 19 curfew in Kenya like: The Judiciary, Parliament, International Community and other key human right agencies were silent. It is recommended that, police should be trained on matters human rights and freedom and that both the journalists and the public should be empowered in order to hold police to account for their sometimes illegal actions during executions of their mandates. Keywords: Media framing, Police brutality, Governance, public order, DOI: 10.7176/NMMC/105-01 Publication date:October 31st 202

Flow cytometry analysis of the effect of allopurinol and the dinitroaniline compound (Chloralin) on the viability and proliferation of Leishmania infantum promastigotes

BACKGROUND: Leishmaniasis is a major parasitic disease in the tropical regions. However, Leishmania infantum has recently emerged as a very important cause of opportunistic infections for individuals positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, there is a lack of in vitro tests for assessing the effect of anti-parasitic drugs on the viability and proliferation of Leishmania infantum. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of anti-parasitic drugs like allopurinol and Chloralin on the viability and proliferation of L. infantum promastigotes by utilizing two complementary flow cytometric approaches after exposure of the promastigotes to various concentrations of the drugs. RESULTS: The density of the cultures in the presence and absence of allopurinol was determined by haemocytometer enumeration. The two flow cytometric approaches used to monitor the drug effect were: (i) a quantitative method to measure cell division using 5-,6-carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) staining and (ii) evaluation of cell viability by dual-staining with the membrane-permeable nuclear stain, SBRY-14 and propidium iodide. It was found that concentrations of allopurinol above 50 μg/ml yielded a clear decrease in the proliferation rate of the promastigotes. However, the viability results showed that about 46.8% of the promastigotes incubated in the presence of 800 μg/ml of allopurinol were still alive after 96 hours. In sharp contrast, more than 90% of promastigotes treated with Chloralin 10 μM (2.7 μg/ml) were dead after 48 hours of treatment. These flow cytometric findings suggest that allopurinol has a leishmaniostatic effect while the dinitroaniline compound (Chloralin) has a leishmaniocidal effect against promastigotes. CONCLUSIONS: The flow cytometric data on proliferation and viability were consistent with results obtained from haemocytometer counts and allowed us to develop a model for assessing in vitro the effects of medicaments like allopurinol and chloralin on L. infantum promastigotes on a cellular level

Effect of the modulation of the membrane lipid composition on the localization and function of P-glycoprotein in MDR1-MDCK cells

Summary: Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major obstacle in cancer therapy. It results from different mechanisms; among them is P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated drug efflux out of cells. The mechanism of action remains elusive. The membrane lipid surrounding of P-gp, especially cholesterol, has been postulated to play an important role. To determine the effect of cholesterol depletion on P-gp, Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells, transfected with the mdr1 gene (MDR1-MDCK cells), were treated with methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD). The localization and function of P-gp were analyzed using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Treatment with 100 mM MβCD did not affect viability but altered the structural appearance of the cells and abolished efflux of rhodamine 123, a P-gp substrate. The MβCD treatment released P-gp from intact cells into the supernatant and reduced the amount of P-gp in total membrane preparations. The P-gp was shifted from the raft fractions (1% Triton X-100, 4° C) to higher density fractions in MβCD-treated cells. The amount of cholesterol was significantly decreased in the raft fractions. Treatment of cells with 1-phenyl-2-decanoylamino-3-morpholino-1-propanol, a glucosylceramide synthase inhibitor, also led to a shift of P-gp to higher density fractions. These results show that removal of cholesterol modulates the membrane lipid composition, changes the localization of P-gp, and results in loss of P-gp functio

Teaching Methods and Quality of Business Studies Textbook in Secondary Schools in Kenya

Well-structured business studies textbook provides enjoyable episodes of knowledge creation which promotes achievement learning outcome for sustained academic results. Business textbook represents potentially implemented curriculum as its vehicle through which intended curriculum is availed to learner encouraging achievement of learning objectives. However, adopting methodology that does not facilitate achievement of specific objectives may limit knowledge construction degrading learner’s mean score. The study adopted is exploratory research design. Data collected were both quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative data were analyzed through counts, percentages, means, standard deviations and Chi square tests while Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. Cross tabulation results further indicated that teaching methods significantly influence quality of textbook implying that appropriate teaching methods supports achievement of learning. It was also found that presentation, visuals and differentiated instruction influence quality of instruction content encouraging learning. Therefore, it is recommended that teaching method selected should be learner centered to accelerate learning

INSTRUCTIONAL POLICY AND QUALITY OF BUSINESS STUDIES TEXTBOOK IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KENYA

Meticulously developed business studies textbook facilitates individualized learning contributing to the achievement of learning objectives even in the absence of the teacher. Think-pair and share is accelerated as learners are likely to discuss amongst themselves new knowledge acquired through business studies textbook hence boosting learner enthusiasm in construction of knowledge. However, instructional information in business studies textbook may not necessarily facilitate realization of specific objectives where policy governing textbook selection, acquisition and review is inadequate and missing full implementation. Nevertheless, in an instance where the instructional policy guiding textbook selection, acquisition and review are adhered to, the quality textbook is availed to learners in secondary schools in Kenya. This study adopted an exploratory research design through qualitative approach to data collection and analysis. Further analysis showed that textbook selection, acquisition and review influence quality of textbooks used in secondary schools thereby determining quality of learning through textbook contributing to achievement of academic excellence for lifelong learning. Therefore, it is recommended that educational policies be developed considering the needs of the curriculum as well as the learners in order to boost learner mean score in secondary schools in Kenya.  Article visualizations

Isolated Rafts from Adriamycin-Resistant P388 Cells Contain Functional ATPases and Provide an Easy Test System for P-glycoprotein-Related Activities

No Heading: Purpose.: P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a membrane ATPase expelling many structurally unrelated compounds out of cells, is one of the major contributors to multidrug resistance. It is enriched in cold TritonX-100 insoluble membrane domains (i.e., rafts). The purpose of this work was to characterize the ATPase activities of raft preparations from P388 cells overexpressing P-gp (P388/ADR) or devoid of P-gp (P388) and to establish a P-gp-enriched screening system for P-gp-interfering compounds. Methods.: Rafts were extracted with cold TritonX-100. The ATPase activity was characterized in 96-well plates using a fluorescence assay. Results.: The ATPase activity per mg protein was about five times higher in P388/ADR rafts than in crude membranes. The anti-P-gp antibody C219 inhibited 20% of the activity in P388/ADR rafts but only about 10% of the activity in P388/ADR crude membranes and had no effect on the activity of P388 rafts. The known P-gp-activating compounds verapamil, progesterone, and valinomycin revealed the typical bell-shaped activity/concentration profiles in P388/ADR rafts, indicative for activation at low compound concentrations and inhibition at concentrations >10 to 100 μM. The inhibitory effect was also observed in P388 rafts. Conclusions.: Extracted rafts are rich in functional ATPases. Rafts from P-gp-overexpressing cells display P-gp-typical ATPase activity and provide an easy, P-gp-enriched screening syste

Financial profitability of diversified farming systems: A global meta-analysis

Diversified farming systems are promoted as a pathway to more sustainable agricultural production. Yet wide scale adoption may be slow because of uncertainty about the viability of farmer livelihoods on diversified farms and entrenched perceptions that monocultures are key to making farming profitable. Here, a global meta-analysis of 3192 effect sizes from 119 peer-reviewed articles provides evidence that diversified farming systems are at least as profitable as simplified farming systems. Our study showed that, on average, total costs, gross income and profits (net income, or gross margin) were higher in diversified systems relative to simplified ones, while the benefit-cost ratio was equivalent. These results held in developed and developing countries and across geographic regions. From a subset of 43 articles reporting labour inputs, we found that labour costs increased in diversified farming systems, but so did gross incomes leading to farm profits equivalent to those in simplified systems and dispelling myths that higher labour requirements undermine the viability of diversification. Our global meta-analysis provides compelling evidence that diversified farming systems are not only viable but actually economically preferable to simplified systems in the wide range of contexts represented in this study. Policies, markets, investments, and value chains need to align with this evidence and promote diversified farming systems for the benefit of farmers and rural economies

Enhancement of the efficiency of non-viral gene delivery by application of pulsed magnetic field

New approaches to increase the efficiency of non-viral gene delivery are still required. Here we report a simple approach that enhances gene delivery using permanent and pulsating magnetic fields. DNA plasmids and novel DNA fragments (PCR products) containing sequence encoding for green fluorescent protein were coupled to polyethylenimine coated superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SPIONs). The complexes were added to cells that were subsequently exposed to permanent and pulsating magnetic fields. Presence of these magnetic fields significantly increased the transfection efficiency 40 times more than in cells not exposed to the magnetic field. The transfection efficiency was highest when the nanoparticles were sedimented on the permanent magnet before the application of the pulsating field, both for small (50 nm) and large (200-250 nm) nanoparticles. The highly efficient gene transfer already within 5 min shows that this technique is a powerful tool for future in vivo studies, where rapid gene delivery is required before systemic clearance or filtration of the gene vectors occur

Enhancement of the efficiency of non-viral gene delivery by application of pulsed magnetic field

New approaches to increase the efficiency of non-viral gene delivery are still required. Here we report a simple approach that enhances gene delivery using permanent and pulsating magnetic fields. DNA plasmids and novel DNA fragments (PCR products) containing sequence encoding for green fluorescent protein were coupled to polyethylenimine coated superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SPIONs). The complexes were added to cells that were subsequently exposed to permanent and pulsating magnetic fields. Presence of these magnetic fields significantly increased the transfection efficiency 40 times more than in cells not exposed to the magnetic field. The transfection efficiency was highest when the nanoparticles were sedimented on the permanent magnet before the application of the pulsating field, both for small (50 nm) and large (200–250 nm) nanoparticles. The highly efficient gene transfer already within 5 min shows that this technique is a powerful tool for future in vivo studies, where rapid gene delivery is required before systemic clearance or filtration of the gene vectors occurs