Research Papers/Topics in Biological Science

Evaluation Of Point-Of-Care Test For Early Infant Diagnosis And Viral Load Monitoring Of Hiv-1 Infection In Western Kenya

ABSTRACT In developing countries with disproportionately high burden of HIV-1 (HIV) infections, access to early infant diagnosis (EID) and viral load (VL) HIV nucleic acid testing is limited by the prohibitive infrastructural costs of centralized testing laboratories. To increase access to HIVEID and VL monitoring, development of robust and low cost point of care (POC) technologies is a priority of current HIV diagnostic research. In Kenya, a number of POC technologies are being evaluated for...

Effect Of Glycine Max, Rastrineobola Argentea And Caridina Nilotica Meals On Water Quality, Growth Performance And Survival Of Oreochromis Niloticus Fry

ABSTRACT Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), one of the main stay of Lake Victoria fisheries, was introduced in the 1950s and 1960s to boost capture fisheries. However, its production has declined dramatically over the years due to over exploitation and its consumption preference by the ever increasing Kenyan population. The decline of capture fisheries has made aquaculture production be considered as the future solution to the declining of capture fisheries and the availability of fish glo...

Additive Stabilization Of Plasmodium Proteins Present In Dried Infected Blood Specimens

ABSTRACT Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are a great achievement to the implementation of parasite based diagnosis before treatment. They use a nitrocellulose strip coated with antibodies that target the Plasmodium antigens; histidine rich protein II (HRP2), lactose dehydrogenase (LDH), and aldolase. A major drawback of the method is that the majority of RDTs do not have positive control materials to test different batches of RDTs at the point of care. Dried Plasmodium-infected samples ...

An Investigation to Determine The Resistance of The Tick (blue tick) to Amitraz in Selected Areas of Zimbabwe.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine if the Boophilus species spectrum of ticks infesting cattle owned by resource limited farmers in the state owned communal land areas of Zimbabwe, are resistant to Amitraz. The study was also aimed at finding a concentration of the acaricide that the tick species are susceptible to, and can give at least 99.9% mortality. Five districts were selected from the Matabeleland South province and five farms were randomly selected from each district...

Effects Of Rates And Split Applications Of Nitrogen Fertilizer On Soil And Leaf Nutrients Levels, Quality And Harvesting Age Of Ratoon Crop Of Two Sugarcane Varieties In Western Kenya

ABSTRACT Sugarcane is the third most important commodity crop in Kenya after tea and coffee. The productivity of the crop has been declining despite existence of recommended agronomic and cultural practices and opening new sugarcane lands. Though high yielding and early maturing varieties have been introduced in Kenya Sugar Industry to overcome low yields, the problem persists. Farmers apply nitrogen either in single dose or split. It is not known if the rates and mode of application are appr...

Pathogenicity Of Fusarium Oxysporum F. Sp. Strigae Strains On Striga Hermonthica (Del) Benth Infesting Maize (Zea Mays L.) And Maize Performance In Siaya County, Kenya.

ABSTRACT Striga hermonthica weed is the most widespread and noxious species that parasitises many economically important cereal crops including maize ( Zea mays L.) in sub-Saharan Africa. Striga is also called witchweed in the family Orobanchaceae. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Strigae is a fungus of the genus Fusarium that causes fusarium wilt disease on S. hermonthica. Most control methods against Striga; chemicals, cultural and resistant maize are expensive, ineffective and toxic to environmen...

Characterisation Of Phaeoisariopsis Griseola, Phytochemical Screening And Fungicidal Activity Of Selected Plant Extracts Against Phaeoisariopsis Griseola Of Common Bean Var. Glp 1127 Mwezi Mo

ABSTRACT Common bean is an important legume and a cheap source of proteins. Phaeoisariopsis griseola causing Angular Leaf Spot disease (ALS) is a major constraint for common bean production in Kenya contributing to yield losses estimated at 80%. ALS disease has been difficult to control using cultural practices and resistant varieties which necessitates the need to search for an alternative management option. Synthetic fungicides too have numerous side effects, so the plant-based products are...

Comparison Of Variations In Soil-Foliar Nutrients Levels And Productivity Of Three Ratoon-Sugarcane Cultivars Due To Nitrogen-Potash Rates And Harvesting Age In Western Kenya

ABSTRACT Sugarcane productivity in Kenya has declined despite increased acreage and new cultivars possibly due to use of old-cultivar agronomic inputs. The N-K2O optimal rates for new cultivars are unknown. Kenya Sugar Industry intends to pay farmers based on sucrose instead of tonnage however, factors that influence productivity e.g. N-K2O rates and harvesting age have not been evaluated. Foliar analysis is a diagnostic tool, but has not been embraced. The objective was to compare variations...

Prevalence Of Sickle Cell Trait And Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency And Their Association With Immunoglobulin- G Antibody Responses To Selected Plasmodium Falciparum Antigens In

ABSTRACT The prevalence of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency and sickle cell trait (SCT) may vary within very close localities in malaria endemic areas due to dynamics in malaria incidence and demographics. Immunoglobulin-G (IgG) antibodies against Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) circumsporozoite protein (CSP) and apical membrane antigen-1 (AMA1) confer protection against malaria. Both G6PD deficiency and SCT increase resistance to Pf malaria and it is not well understood if this...

Nutritional Contribution Of Atmospheric Deposition To The Strandveld Vegetation Of West Coast South Africa

Abstract Ecosystem nutrient availability depends on the balance between rates of nutrient inputs and losses. Nutrients may be lost through fire and displacement of ash, herbivory, leaching and volatilization. The main pathways through which nutrients may be acquired are weathering of rock and atmospheric deposition. Symbiotic and free-living diazotrophic bacteria and blue green algae also contribute N. In ecosystems with limited occurrence of N2-fixation and occurring on low-nutrient bedrock,...

A Comparative Study Of The Effectiveness Of Alkaline Soaking, Bleach And Boiling For Pasteurization Of Substrate In The Cultivation Of White Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus Ostreatus)

Abstract A study was carried out on substrate pasteurisation for P. ostreatus cultivation. The major aim of this work was to compare the effectiveness of wood ash, hydrated lime, bleach and boiling for pasteurisation of the substrate for cultivation of white oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, on maize straw. To achieve this objective, weed occurrence, the number of days to completely colonise the straw (NDCC), the number of days to initiate primordial sprouting (NDIPS), the number of prim...

An Investigation Into The Effects Of Storage Periods On Germination Vigour And Malt Quality In Malting Barley (Hordeum Vulgare), Variety “Hope” :A Case Study At Delta Beverages, Kwekwe Maltin

ABSTRACT Malts with high extract values, high enzymatic activities and good modification are fundamental to increase the brewing yield and efficiency. To produce malt that meets these requirements, the barley employed must have minimal post-harvest dormancy and be able to germinate rapidly and uniformly. The aims of this study were to assess the changes in seed germination vigour trends and the general storage stability of a Zimbabwean two-row malting barley variety “Hope” as the post-ha...

Suitability Of Yellow Maize As An Alternative To White Maize As An Adjunct In Lager Beer Brewing

ABSTRACT Yellow maize is used as a raw material in many food industries but its use as an adjunct in beer brewing has not received much attention. This study was carried out at Delta Beverages Southerton Plant, Harare, to determine the suitability of yellow maize as an adjunct in larger beer brewing in terms of proximate analysis of its milled grits and wort analysis. The proximate composition of the yellow maize milled grits was determined through analysis of moisture content, gelatinization...

Association Between Ncr3 Promoter Polymorphisms With Plasmodium Falciparum Malaria Outcomes In Paediatric Population (Aged Below 3 Years) In Siaya County In Western Kenya

ABSTRACT Malaria is the main cause of paediatric morbidity and mortality in holoendemic areas. The populations in these areas have similar transmission intensity and infection rates of Plasmodium falciparum malaria but present different malaria outcomes. The cause of the different clinical outcomes is poorly understood. Pf. has exerted selective pressure on the human genome leading to genetic variability in the host’s immune response genes mediating protection and susceptibility to Pf. mala...


61 - 75 Of 160 Results