The Coupled Effect of Light and Iron on the Photogranulation Phenomenon.

Cyanobacteria occasionally self-immobilize and form spherical aggregates. This photogranulation phenomenon is central for oxygenic photogranules, which present potential for aeration-free and net-autotrophic wastewater treatment. Light and iron are tightly coupled via photochemical cycling of Fe, suggesting that phototrophic systems continually respond to their combined effects.

Photogranulation in a Hydrostatic Environment Occurs with Limitation of Iron.

Filamentous cyanobacteria are an essential element of oxygenic photogranules for granule-based wastewater treatment with photosynthetic aeration. Currently, mechanisms for the selection of this microbial group and their development in the granular structure are not well understood. Here, we studied the characteristics and fate of iron in photogranulation that proceeds in a hydrostatic environment with an activated sludge (AS) inoculum.

Rotavirus prevalence and seasonal distribution post vaccine introduction in Nairobi county Kenya.

Rotaviruses are one of the leading etiological agents of gastroenteritis in young children, for which a monovalent G1P(8) vaccine has been provided for free in Kenyan since July 2014. The main objective was to estimate the post vaccine prevalence and seasonal distribution of rotavirus diarrhea in children less than 5 years in Nairobi County, Kenya. Rotavirus positive samples were collected from children below 5 years of age in two hospitals within Nairobi County where vaccination status was card-confirmed.

Molecular characterization of group A rotaviruses in Mukuru slums Kenya: detection of novel strains circulating in children below 5 years of age.

Background: Gastroenteritis is a public health concern due to high morbidity and mortality among children. Rotaviruses are the leading etiological agents of severe gastroenteritis in children and accounts for more than half a million deaths per year in Africa. The study aimed at investigating the rotavirus genotypes that were circulating in children aged 5 years and below in and around Mukuru slums in Nairobi County Kenya.

Characterization of particles from ferrate preoxidation.

Studies were conducted evaluating the nature of particles that result from ferrate reduction in a laboratory water matrix and in a natural surface water with a moderate amount of dissolved organic carbon. Particle characterization included size, surface charge, morphology, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Characteristics of ferrate resultant particles were compared to particles formed from dosing ferric chloride, a common water treatment coagulant.

Human rotavirus group a serotypes causing gastroenteritis in children less than 5 years and HIV-infected adults in Viwandani slum, Nairobi.

Background: Rotavirus remains a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in children worldwide with an estimated 2000 deaths each day in developing countries. Due to HIV/AIDS scourge in Kenya, it is possible that rotavirus-related gastroenteritis has been aggravated in adults. The Global Alliance for Immunizations has ranked rotavirus infection a priority for vaccine, and, to ensure its success, there is a need to document the local strain(s) circulating in different regions.