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Food security is one of the major elements of development and poverty alleviation and has been the goal of many international and national public organizations. The extent to which gender inequalities in general and the gender gaps in empowerment in particular, thwart attainment of this priority goal is a key concern, given the vital role of women in household food security. This study was conducted to assess the influence of empowerment on household food security among women in Obafemi Awolowo University community. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit relevant information from 540 women in the university community using simple random sampling technique. Women Empowerment (WE) was assessed using Women Decision-making (WDM) ability from Women Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI). Household Food Security (HFS) was also assessed using the accessibility component of food security (physical, social and economic access to food). Data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that 28.9% and 20.0% of the women were rated high in WDM (WE) and HFS respectively. The decisions mostly taken by women were food related (73.3%), while the least was purchase of household gadgets like electronics (25.2%). Having a backyard garden as physical access to food (55.6%) and earning salary only as economic access to food (60.7%) had the highest form of access to food. Level of education had a positive and significant relationship with HFS (p = 0.014). Those with secondary education are twice more likely to have access to food (OR = 2.865, CI = 0.247-33.254) than those with other levels of education. Significant association existed between WDM (WE) ability and HFS (X² = 43.7, p = 0.013). It was concluded that education and decision-making ability of women are key to women's empowerment and household food security, which has implication on gender related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Modern MEG technology provides whole head helmet systems which extend posterior to the base of the skull. While this provides better visualization of low temporal structures it also allows the intrusion of activity that is of cardiac origin. This consists not only of the QRS complex of the MCG but a late component (LC) during the SP interval. This tends to consist of a series of waves and has a different topographic distribution from the magnetic QRS complex. The LC is usually most prominent in the low occipital and sub-occipital sensors but can occur also in other areas. When the high pass filter is set to 0.1 Hz it can be seen that the LC rides on a slow wave of about 0.3 Hz, which is linked to respiration. Principal component analysis of cardiac cycles averaged from the ECG separates the MCG from the LC. The physiology of the LC is unknown at this time but it may be related to the ballistocardiogram. Algorhythms designed to remove the cardiac contributions to the MEG will have to take the LC and its marked variability into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]