ABSTRACT Innate immunity has a key role in the control of microbial infections in both vertebrates and invertebrates. In insects, including vectors that transmit parasites that cause major diseases such as trypanosomosis, leishmaniasis and filariasis, antimicrobial peptides and agglutinins form an important component of innate immunity and participate in regulating parasite development. In this study, induced haemolymph peptides from a non-vector, nonheamatophagous insect, Schistocerca grega...
ABSTRACT Mosquitoes present a worldwide, public health and nuisance challenge since they transmit human diseases including west Nile virus, malaria, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, filiarisis and other viral diseases throughout the globe. An obvious method for preventing the spread of these diseases is to control mosquito vector population by insecticides and synthetic agents, which have been developed and employed in the field with considerable success. As a result of insects’ resistance a...
Summary This short report describes the results of a rapid; simple and cost effective immuno diagnostic test for malaria in Ibadan, Nigeria. A total of 77% patients presenting at the children outpatient clinic, University College Hospital with malaria symptoms were screened for malaria parasites by microscopy using Giemsa stain and by the immuno chromatographic card test. The immunodiagnostic test had a sensitivity of 93.1 % and a specificity of 95.8%, making a gog,d alternative for malaria ...
ABSTRACT Urinary tract infections (UTI) during pregnancy can lead to serious obstetric complications, poor maternal and perinatal outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determinethe prevalence of bacterial UTI in pregnant women in Morogoro municipality, Tanzania. This study was conducted at SabaSaba Health Centre from May 2014 to July 2014 involving 196 pregnant women. Mid stream of urine samples were obtained and analyzed by dipstick and processed for culture. Out of 196 pregnant women ...
ABSTRACT The dynamic buckling loads of some imperfection-sensitive elastic structures subjected to slowly varying time dependent loading are determined using perturbation procedures. First, we consider an elastically imperfect column resting on a softening nonlinear elastic foundation. The governing differential equation has two small parameters. We determine the dynamic buckling load of this column subjected to the stipulated loading for three different cases. The cases are when the small p...
ABSTRACT The greatest human nutritional problem in Nigeria is that of inadequate animal protein in the diet of a large proportion of the population. The development and sustenance of the poultry industry in Nigeria appears to be the fastest means of meeting human need for dietary animal protein supply. However, diseases constitute a major problem to the development of the poultry industry and Newcastle disease (ND) is the most important of these diseases. Newcastle disease is caused by ...
ABSTRACT Food insecurity has been an issue in developing nations worldwide including Kenya. This is as a result of soil related problems, climate change, crop pests and diseases among food crops. Late blight disease caused by Phytophthora infestans in Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum L) is a major challenge among the small-scale farmers in the highlands of Kenya. Yield losses as a result of late blight in Kenya are about 40 - 50%. The appropriate use of fungicides and fertilizers application r...
ABSTACT The Maas trichian-Pale ocene sediments in Yuli area me composed of the Gombe Sandstone and the Kerri-Kerri Formation. They cover 400 square kilometres have a thichess of more than 100 metres. Six stratigraphic sections were studied, representing the entire stratigraphic succession of the Gombe Sandstone i n the Yuli area, The formation has a thickness of about 30 metres in the studied area. The Gombe Sandstone consists of folded beds of sandstone, siltstone and mudstone. The sandstone...
EXTENDED ABSTRACT A study was conducted to develop extruded instant mixed mushroom soup supplemented with banana, soybean and orange fleshed sweet potatoes. The nutritional qualities, physical properties, sensory acceptability and the shelf life of the developed product were evaluated. Proximate compositions were determined to evaluate the potential of the product to supply energy and required nutrients. Moisture, ash, protein, fiber, ether extract, carbohydrate and energy content ranged fro...
ABSTRACT Cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis are common infections in humans in Kenya and Cryptosporidiosis in particular is an opportunistic infection in HIV-infected individuals. Diarrhoeal disease caused by these parasites is a major public health problem particularly in countries with poor socioeconomic status. The study on Cryptosporidium species and Giardia lamblia was carried out in Siaya county referral hospital and was conducted to assess the prevalence and risk factors associated with ...
ABSTRACT The uses of composite flour in bread making are becoming more important as people become health conscious and accept the role of functional foods globally. The effect of partial replacement of wheat with 10% to 40% plantain flour and the subsequent effect of 1% to 3% gum arabic addition on composite bread quality attributes was investigated. It was hypothesized that wheat- plantain flour physicochemical properties did not differ from the control (100% wheat); and that neither substit...
ABSTRACT Taeniasis is a common zoonosis whose epidemiology is estimated at 50 million cases of infestation worldwide with economic losses in Kenya amounting to $1.289 million by 2003. The infection has been grouped among the neglected tropical diseases thus its impact has been trivialized. A slaughter house survey was undertaken to determine the prevalence rate of bovine cysticercosis in carcasses slaughtered within selected abattoirs in Kajiado County and establish the viability of Cysticerc...
ABSTRACT Tea is a beverage and also a stimulant that is consumed by many people all over the world. It contains various bioactive compounds like alkaloids, polyphenols, and amino acids among others. Amino acids play the role of moderating taste of the tea infusion. Theanine is a unique amino acid found in the Camellia sinensis species and has been reported to reduce high blood pressure, improve learning and concentration and reduce premenstrual symptoms. This study was conducted to determine ...
ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to assess the quality and safety of peanut butter processed by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Dar es Salaam region. Samples for peanut butter were collected randomly from 33 SMEs selected from the list provided by Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO). Production knowledge and challenges facing these SMEs were assessed using pretested structured questionnaire and checklist. Chemical composition and microbiological qualities were evaluate...