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In Kenya, 'Ugali', made from milled whole sifted dry maize (corn) flour, is the popular staple food consumed by nearly 80% of the population. The overreliance on 'Ugali' has posed a major problem s[degrees]Cially, economically and politically. Ugali is generally perceived to have higher energy and satiety compared to other carbohydrate staple foods. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using 322 purposefully selected respondents. The objective was to determine the preference ranking of selected commonly consumed carbohydrate energy staple foods by Very Active Manual Workers (VAMW). The VAMW require high energy in order to sustain their very active lifestyle. Three group categories were targeted: VAMW, moderately active Civil servants (CS) and University students (US). Structured questionnaires were administered to respondents to indicate their top ranking and preferred staple foods among six commonly consumed carbohydrate energy foods - Ugali, rice, chapati, Irish potatoes, bananas (Matoke), and 'others' category (foods such as Githeri (mixed maize and beans), cassava, spaghetti, noodles, Sweet potatoes, and bread among many alternatives). The foods were ranked according to the most preferred to the least preferred on a scale of 1 to 6. Results indicated a higher preference for Ugali by all respondent groups. The mean rank for Ugali by VAMW was 1.134[+ or -]0.492, followed by chapati 2.588[+ or -]0.976, third was rice 3.27[+ or -]1.242, fourth was Irish Potatoes 4.299[+ or -]0.970, fifth bananas (matoke) 4.588[+ or -]1.068, and sixth was 'others' 5.165[+ or -]1.296. US preference ranking for Ugali was 1.628[+ or -]1.067, rice 2.5[+ or -]1.085, chapati 2.564[+ or -]1.083, Irish potatoes 4.053[+ or -]0.943, bananas 4.394[+ or -]0.918, and others 5.872[+ or -]0.421; CS ranking for Ugali was 1.471[+ or -]0.930, rice 2.608[+ or -]1.101, chapati 3.09[+ or -]1.264, bananas 4.029[+ or -]1.173, Irish potatoes 4.51[+ or -]0.972, and others 5.284[+ or -]1.396. Combined groups mean was 1.410[+ or -]0.064 and food preference ranking was very significantly different, P < 0.0001. Pairwise comparison of mean ranks indicated a significant difference between rank means of all groups, but there was no significant difference between the ranking for rice versus chapati, and Irish potatoes versus bananas. The VAMW had a higher preference for Ugali compared to the moderately active groups. Key words: 'Ugali,' Preference ranking, Carbohydrate energy staple, Satiety, Very active manual workers, INTRODUCTION Human food preferences and diet have evolved over time and vary within and between ethnicities [1]. Communities around the world have established preferences for specific foods as their main [...]

Individuals of African origin have an increased risk of developing various progressive chronic kidney diseases (CKD). This risk has been attributed to genetic variants (G1, G2) in apolipoprotein-L1 (APOL1) gene. In the pediatric population, especially in children affected by sickle cell disease (SCD), by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or with various glomerular diseases, APOL1 risk variants have been associated with the development of hypertension, albuminuria, and more rapid decline of kidney function. The present review focuses on existing APOL1-related epidemiological data in children with CKD. It also includes data from studies addressing racial disparities in CKD, the APOL1-related innate immunity, and the relationship between APOL1 and CKD and pathogenic pathways mediating APOL1-related kidney injury., Author(s): Pepe M. Ekulu [sup.1] [sup.2] , Agathe B. Nkoy [sup.2] , Oyindamola C. Adebayo [sup.1] , Orly K. Kazadi [sup.2] , Michel N. Aloni [sup.2] , Fanny O. Arcolino [...]

In this article, the authors examine the psychometric properties of the Student Risk Screening Scale (SRSS), including evaluating the concurrent validity of the SRSS to predict results from the Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD) when used to detect school children with externalizing or internalizing behavior concerns at three assessment points during one academic year. Results suggest strong internal consistency and test-retest stability. Analyses of receiver operating characteristics curves also suggest that the SRSS is more accurate for detecting externalizing than internalizing behaviors. The authors conclude by offering recommendations to school site teams and researchers interested in conducing systematic screenings at the elementary level. Limitations and future directions are offered. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

This study investigated the use of diagrammatic representation as an aid for recalling a past event for 30 4-5-year-olds in their preschool year prior to commencing primary school. The children were randomly placed into one of two groups: "talkers" (verbal memory) or "drawers" (diagrammatic memory). They were interviewed individually, both one day and one month after the event that involved making a much-needed tool for a game at their preschool. Both interviews were conducted by a familiar adult through three different levels of engagement--neutral, verbal and visual. Results showed that a combination of drawing and specific questioning ("verbal" level of engagement) facilitated better recall of detail than either drawing or talking independently. No significant differences regarding accuracy of responses were found between the two groups. (Contains 1 table.)

This article presents an exploratory study into the use of diagrammatic representation to aid problem-solving. It consists of a case study of one preschooler (3.9 years) who over a 12-month period was encouraged to use drawing as a way of reasoning about daily problems or issues. For this child, diagrammatic representation was found to facilitate effective reasoning as well as the use of metacognitive strategies. The implications for educational practice are discussed. (Contains 4 drawings.)

Objective: This prospective study characterizes trajectories of symptoms and impairment in pediatric patients with abdominal pain not associated with identifiable organic disease. Method: The Children's Somatization Inventory and the Functional Disability Inventory were administered four times over 5 years to 132 patients (6-18 years old) seen in a pediatric gastroenterology clinic. Individual trajectories were empirically grouped and correlates of trajectory group membership at baseline were evaluated. Results: A model with three unique trajectories was found to adequately fit both symptom and impairment data. Two trajectories indicated relatively long-term improvement and one indicated continued high levels of symptoms and impairment. At baseline, the long-term risk group did not have the most severe pain but had significantly more anxiety, depression, lower perceived self-worth, and more negative life events. Conclusions: These results indicate that several distinct trajectories of relatively long-term outcomes may exist in children with functional abdominal pain. One trajectory indicated long-term risk for a high level of symptoms and impairment. Psychosocial correlates of long-term risk for physical symptoms and impairment, such as child-reported stress and internalizing symptoms, may be useful for treatment planning. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)

This paper describes a longitudinal study undertaken with 40 pre-schoolers during their last six months in an early childhood centre and their first six months at school. The study presents an investigation of the pathways that child drawers and painters make towards representational depictions. As such its primary focus is on cognitive processes. Monthly samples of 40 children's drawings and paintings were collected over a 12-month period that included the children's transition into formal schooling. CrossTabs analysis showed that the relevant cognitive abilities tended to present in clusters and that patterning may be a serious component both in its own right, as well as in facilitating representational depictions, as previously claimed by Booth. (Contains 4 tables and 15 figures.)