A rapidly evolving new subspecies of the cryptosporidium parasite – a leading cause of diarrhoeal disease in children worldwide – has been revealed by scientists at the University of East Anglia. The study, published in Nature Microbiology, sheds new light on how this parasite has evolved the ability to spread more easily between people. Researchers sequenced and compared whole genomes from over 20 different cryptosporidium cases to find out more about the parasite and how it infects people. Their work will help public health interventions aimed at preventing the spread of the disease. The Cryptosporidium parasite is one of several microorganisms that cause diarrhoeal disease. It is…
Author: NBM CORRESPONDENT
BY CYNTHIA WAIRIMU Skin chafing happens when there is so much friction on the skin against skin or clothes, from which it tears, forms blisters, bleeds and becomes itchy and uncomfortable. The discomfort is worse when sweating. Often times, this happens if you work out a lot or are overweight. Chafing can happen to any body type. It can also be caused by straps such as bra straps and belts. With the sun shining bright these past couple of weeks, chafing is bound to happen. However, there are ways to fix this as well as prevent it. First , identify…
By TOM ODHIAMBO There has been talk of Kenya having borrowed beyond its ability to repay regularly over some time now. Commentators have castigated the Kenyatta II government for going on a ‘borrowing spree’ since it came to power. Most of these loans are apparently from China. Consequently conspiracy theorists argue that Kenya is basically mortgaged to China. But Kenya isn’t alone. Most African countries are now beholden to Beijing, where they run to annually to beg for ‘development’ loans, ostensibly to build ‘infrastructure’ – a word that mainly means roads in the African context. Well, China is definitely a…
Craig Coley never should have spent 39 years in prison. On this, everyone seems to agree. They also concur the 71-year-old should spend the rest of his life as a wealthy man. Simi Valley announced Saturday it would settle a federal lawsuit, giving Coley $21 million for his almost four decades of wrongful incarceration in the 1978 murders of Rhonda Wicht and her 4-year-old son, Donald. Thirty-nine years is the longest prison term overturned in California, the city says. “While no amount of money can make up for what happened to Mr. Coley, settling this case is the right thing…
BRCK, the Kenyan communications software and hardware company, has acquired Surf, a local internet service provider to become the second largest public Wi-Fi network in Africa. The acquisition is meant to help BRCK to gain more fixed Wi-Fi locations. According to Erik Hersman, BRCK CEO, the acquisition has the entire company very excited about the potential to be across multiple Kenyan cities and to continue growing their network quickly. “BRCK is rapidly expanding its network, so adding the Surf network and software assets to our company allows us to grow faster in fixed Wi-Fi locations,” he said. Following the acquisition,…
BY ALOIS MALUVU Managing risk in financial institutions has never been more complex. As cyber-attacks continue to evolve and increase in frequency and sophistication, cyber security has become a major area of attention and investment. Complying with the large number of global regulations that aim to combat money laundering and terrorist financing is also a challenge for the industry, both in terms of costs and resources. As a result, many global transaction banks have been reviewing and rationalising their relationships with banks in areas of perceived high risk. The phenomenon, known as de-risking, is driven primarily by concerns about anti-money…
Nexign, a Business Support System (BSS) and Internet of Things (IoT) platform provider, has announced new capabilities to its product portfolio that will empower communications service providers (CSPs) to build digital partnerships and collaborate more efficiently, with other industry players, on a global level. This will enable CSPs to create new business models, accelerate time-to-market (TTM) for new advanced products and services and reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) by up to 25%, all while improving the overall user experience. As a result, end-users will benefit from personalisation, optimisation and expanded service offerings from CSPs. “Ecosystems are at the heart…
BY ROB SINFIELD It’s no secret that ‘Industry 4.0 – also known as the fourth industrial revolution – is causing dramatic shifts in how businesses operate. What started as a marketing buzzword has now become one of the key drivers of change across a whole host of industries – particularly manufacturing. Characterised by the development of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics and the Internet of Things (IoT), the rise of Industry 4.0 is continuing to gather pace. Indeed, a report from KPMG suggests that the component markets of Industry 4.0 will be worth a combined $4 trillion by…
BY VICTOR ADAR The word going round is that female-run businesses are few. Sectors that should attract more ladies than men, like public relations, seem to appeal more to men. Looking at the faces behind big (industry) boys like Trascend Media run by Mike Njeru, Scangroup (Bharat Thakrar), and Lens Media (Ahmed Mohamed), we still have a long way to go. Actually, it has been tough for women to get commercial advantage when it comes to building business empires. There are exceptions however. Shreya Karia is one creative who believes that if strategy and craftsmanship were the canvas to an…
BY KOSTA KIOLEOGLOU Every day, Kenyans are anxiously wondering about the future of the real estate market. Many people have put their future’s family financial stability in real estate investments. Over the last almost four years the market has not been able to meet their expectations. Real Estate in Kenya was mistakenly seen by many as an easy and secure way of enrichment. Unfortunately, the reality of the property market is disappointing, as the return on the real estate market is not yet close to their awaited expectations. In the vortex of the property market over the last years, several…