Abstract Root parasitism by Radopholus similis may vary under different nutritional conditions and soil substrates. Such variations in nematode infection may affect deductions from evaluations of pest control measures. Three parallel factorial experiments (nutrients × soil sterility × nematode) were conducted to investigate the effects of N-P-K and soil biota on R. similis infection and banana plant growth. Chlorophyll content was lower in plants receiving N-deficient solution or w...
Abstract Background: Uncorrected refractive errors (URE) present an enormous burden on children in Kenya. The study investigated factors associated with URE in school-going adolescents in Kakamega County, Kenya. Material and methods: An observational, cross-sectional study with multistage sampling was conducted with randomly selected secondary school students in forms one to four. Comprehensive clinical examinations conducted by optometrists were used to determine participants’ URE types a...
Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ever-present pollutants in the environment. They are persistent and bio-accumulative with deleterious health effects on biota. This study assesses the levels of PFAS in environmental matrices along the Nairobi River, Kenya. An aggregate of 30 PFAS were determined in water, while 28 PFAS were detected in sediments and plants using solid phase extraction then liquid chromatography–mass spectrometric techniques. In water, higher levels o...
Abstract The oil industry is a source of revenue and foreign exchange for an economy. Nevertheless, oil exploration is an inherent risk to the environment due to the pollution of water resources, especially surface water resources. The main waste is produced water which is increasing around the world .As a consequence,water pollution resulting from normal oil drilling, refining, distribution, and accidents is the principal concern of oil exploration in the environment. Oil pollution is assoc...
Abstract We illustrate the mechanism for the C–O, C–H and O–H bond activation in the coupling of ethanol to butanol over small coinage clusters (copper, silver and gold). It is found that charge transfer interactions between the clusters and the alcohol initiate their reactions allowing a chemisorption step. The binding energy is calculated, whereby ethanol adsorbs very strongly on Au in comparison to Ag and Cu. The nature of bonding is investigated using natural bond orbital (NBO) ana...
Abstract distribution width (RDW) measures anisopoikiloytosis and is readily reported by haematology analysers as a complete blood count parameter. The utility of RDW as a diagnostic marker of haemoglobinopathies in Kenya remains undetermined and undocumented. Objective: This study aimed to determine the diagnostic efficacy of RDW in discriminating haemoglobinopathy and haemoglobinopathy-free cases in Kenya. Methods: The case-control study used randomly selected haematology analyser outputs ...
Abstract The contributions of soil biota toward outcomes of pathogenic interactions between Radopholus similis and Fusarium oxysporum V5w2 in tissue culture banana plants starved of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) were investigated. The study was based on three screenhouse factorial experiments (2 × 2 × 2) comprising of potted banana plants with or without R. similis, with or without F. oxysporum V5w2, and either grown in sterile or non-sterile soil. All plants in each of t...
Abstract Biology continues to present difficulties in teaching and learning. Among other biology domains classification of living things is considered to be one of the challenging subjects as different studies indicated students’ misconceptions in the test to classify both plants and animals. Inadequate teaching methods were the core source of these challenges which were also found to lead to poor performance in schools. This review paper shows the role of active teaching methods to improv...
Abstract Background. Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) and schistosome infections have been known to be major causes of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan countries. School aged and preschool children are known to be at high risk of infection. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with soil-transmitted helminths among school-going children in Lurambi Subcounty, Kakamega, Kenya. Method. A cross-sectional study was conducted from Jan 2...
Abstract Background Several human-produced volatiles have been reported to mediate the host-seeking process under laboratory conditions, yet no effective lure or repellent has been developed for field application. Previously, we found a gradation of the attractiveness of foot odors of different malaria free individuals to Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto Giles. In this study, foot odor of the individual with the most attractive ‘smelly’ feet to the An. gambiae was collected, analyzed and ...
Abstract Bacteremia is a leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa where childhood mortality rates are the highest in the world. The early diagnosis of bacteremia and initiation of treatment saves lives, especially in high-disease burden areas. However, diagnosing bacteremia is challenging for clinicians, especially in children presenting with co-infections such as malaria and HIV. There is an urgent need for a rapid method for detecting bacteremia in pediatric patients with co-morbiditie...
Abstract We report here the genome sequence of a Staphylococcus xylosus clinical isolate, strain SMA0341-04 (UGA5), which contains one chromosome and at least one plasmid. Notably, strain SMA0341-04 (UGA5) contains the tetracycline efflux major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporter (tetK) gene.
Abstract Here, we report the genome sequences of a Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolate, strain SMA0034-04 (UGA22), which contains one chromosome and one plasmid. We also reveal that isolate SMA0034-04 (UGA22) contains loci in the genome that encode multiple exotoxins.
Abstract Here, we report the sequence of a Staphylococcus pettenkoferi clinical isolate, strain SMA0010-04 (UGA20), which contains the PC1 beta-lactamase (blaZ) gene.
Abstract Background Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is the only anti-malarial drug formulation approved for intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp). However, mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum dhfr (Pfdhfr) and dhps (Pfdhps) genes confer resistance to pyrimethamine and sulfadoxine, respectively. Here, the frequencies of SP resistance-associated mutations from 2005 to 2018 were compared in samples from Kenyan children with malaria residing in a holoendemic transmission region...