Case studies from the experience of early career researchers in East Africa in building community engagement in research.

In this paper, we explain how three early career researchers actively engaged community members in their health research projects in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and what was learnt from the experience. The research project in Kenya was on camel trypanosomiasis and the role of camel biting keds (or louse flies) in disease transmission. The project in Tanzania looked at the effect of human immunodeficiency virus and antiretroviral therapy on fertility and ascertained the trends in the use of family planning services amongst women of reproductive age.

Tallo: A global tree allometry and crown architecture database.

Data capturing multiple axes of tree size and shape, such as a tree's stem diameter, height and crown size, underpin a wide range of ecological research-from developing and testing theory on forest structure and dynamics, to estimating forest carbon stocks and their uncertainties, and integrating remote sensing imagery into forest monitoring programmes. However, these data can be surprisingly hard to come by, particularly for certain regions of the world and for specific taxonomic groups, posing a real barrier to progress in these fields. To overcome this challenge, we developed the Tallo database, a collection of 498,838 georeferenced and taxonomically standardized records of individual trees for which stem diameter, height and/or crown radius have been measured.

A Flexible Bayesian Parametric Proportional Hazard Model: Simulation and Applications to Right-Censored Healthcare Data.

Survival analysis is a collection of statistical techniques which examine the time it takes for an event to occur, and it is one of the most important fields in biomedical sciences and other variety of scientific disciplines. Furthermore, the computational rapid advancements in recent decades have advocated the application of Bayesian techniques in this field, giving a powerful and flexible alternative to the classical inference. The aim of this study is to consider the Bayesian inference for the generalized log-logistic proportional hazard model with applications to right-censored healthcare data sets.

Attitudes towards interprofessional education and associated factors among faculty at the college of health sciences in a public university in Kenya: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: conforming health professional´s curricula and training to emerging needs and exponential growth in medical information and education is key. Interprofessional education is one such conformity. Faculty attitudes towards interprofessional education is a good predictor to their engagement.

Sub-Lineage Specific Phenolic Glycolipid Patterns in the Complex Lineage 1.

"Ancestral" complex (MTBC) strains of Lineage 1 (L1, East African Indian) are a prominent tuberculosis (TB) cause in countries around the Indian Ocean. However, the pathobiology of L1 strains is insufficiently characterized. Here, we used whole genome sequencing (WGS) of 312 L1 strains from 43 countries to perform a characterization of the global L1 population structure and correlate this to the analysis of the synthesis of phenolic glycolipids (PGL) - known MTBC polyketide-derived virulence factors.

An integrated kinetic and polymer science approach to investigate the textural stability of red kidney beans during post-harvest storage and subsequent cooking.

Evaluation of food quality and stability during storage and processing necessitates understanding the kinetics of food functional property changes and the underlying reactions. In this study, textural stability of beans during storage and subsequent cooking was evaluated through an integrated kinetic approach. Red kidney beans stored for different periods at various conditions of temperature (25 °C - 42 °C) and moisture content (6.

Non-inferiority test for a continuous variable with a flexible margin in an active controlled trial: an application to the "Stratall ANRS 12110 / ESTHER" trial.

Background: Non-inferiority trials are becoming increasingly popular in public health and clinical research. The choice of the non-inferiority margin is the cornerstone of such trials. Most of the time, the non-inferiority margin is fixed and constant, determined from historical trials as a fraction of the effect of the reference intervention.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in female sex workers in an STI clinic in Nairobi, Kenya.

Background: Gonorrhea caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the second most prevalent curable sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Female Sex Workers (FSWs) are at a higher risk of contracting gonorrhea due to their risky sexual behaviors like inconsistent condom use and multiple sexual partners. We determined the prevalence and risk factors associated with gonorrhea and its antimicrobial susceptibility pattern among symptomatic FSWs attending Sexual Workers Outreach Program (SWOP) city clinic in Nairobi, Kenya.

Effect of Pretreatments and Drying Methods on Physical and Microstructural Properties of Potato Flour.

This study evaluated the effects of pretreatments (blanching (60 and 95 °C) and boiling) and drying methods (freeze-drying and oven drying) on the quality characteristics of potato flour derived from three potato varieties, namely, Shangi, Unica, and Dutch Robjin. The percentage flour yield, color, particle size distribution, flow characteristics, microstructural and functional properties of the potato flour were determined. Unica recorded the least peeling loss, while the Dutch Robjin variety had the highest.

Insight into pectin-cation-phytate theory of hardening in common bean varieties with different sensitivities to hard-to-cook.

In this study, a detailed quantitative analysis of the mechanisms linked with pectin-cation-phytate hypothesis of hard-to-cook development (HTC) was evaluated to assess the plausibility of this hypothesis. Several common bean varieties with varying sensitivities to HTC were characterized for pectin, cell wall bound calcium and inositol hexaphosphate (InsP) content before and after ageing. Ageing resulted in a significant decrease in InsP content (resulting in calcium release) in all varieties.

The developmentally dynamic microRNA transcriptome of tsetse flies, vectors of animal trypanosomiasis.

Summary: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are single stranded gene regulators of 18-25 bp in length. They play a crucial role in regulating several biological processes in insects. However, the functions of miRNA in , one of the biological vectors of African animal trypanosomosis in sub-Saharan Africa, remain poorly characterized.

Bayesian and Classical Inference for the Generalized Log-Logistic Distribution with Applications to Survival Data.

The generalized log-logistic distribution is especially useful for modelling survival data with variable hazard rate shapes because it extends the log-logistic distribution by adding an extra parameter to the classical distribution, resulting in greater flexibility in analyzing and modelling various data types. We derive the fundamental mathematical and statistical properties of the proposed distribution in this paper. Many well-known lifetime special submodels are included in the proposed distribution, including the Weibull, log-logistic, exponential, and Burr XII distributions.

Viromes and surveys of RNA viruses in camel-derived ticks revealing transmission patterns of novel tick-borne viral pathogens in Kenya.

Tick-borne viruses (TBVs) capable of transmitting between ticks and hosts have been increasingly recognized as a global public health concern. In this study, ticks and serum samples from camels were collected using recorded sampling correlations in eastern Kenya. Viromes of pooled ticks were profiled by metagenomic sequencing, revealing a diverse community of viruses related to at least 11 families.

Transmission of 'Candidatus Anaplasma camelii' to mice and rabbits by camel-specific keds, Hippobosca camelina.

Anaplasmosis, caused by infection with bacteria of the genus Anaplasma, is an important veterinary and zoonotic disease. Transmission by ticks has been characterized but little is known about non-tick vectors of livestock anaplasmosis. This study investigated the presence of Anaplasma spp.

Thermal treatment of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.): Factors determining cooking time and its consequences for sensory and nutritional quality.

Over the past years, the shift toward plant-based foods has largely increased the global awareness of the nutritional importance of legumes (common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in particular) and their potential role in sustainable food systems. Nevertheless, the many benefits of bean consumption may not be realized in large parts of the world, since long cooking time (lack of convenience) limits their utilization.

Secondary malaria vectors in western Kenya include novel species with unexpectedly high densities and parasite infection rates.

Background: Malaria vector control has been implemented chiefly through indoor interventions targeting primary vectors resulting in population declines-pointing to a possible greater proportional contribution to transmission by secondary malaria vectors with their predominant exophagic and exophilic traits. With a historical focus on primary vectors, there is paucity of data on secondary malaria vectors in many countries in Africa. This study sought to determine the species compositions and bionomic traits, including proportions infected with Plasmodium falciparum and phenotypic insecticide resistance, of secondary vectors in three sites with high malaria transmission in Kisumu County, western Kenya.

Prevalence of asymptomatic gametocyte carriage among school children in Mbita, Western Kenya and assessment of the association between gametocyte density, multiplicity of infection and mosquito infection prevalence.

Asymptomatic gametocyte carriers are reservoirs for sustaining transmission in malaria endemic regions. Gametocyte presence in the host peripheral blood is a predictor of capacity to transmit malaria. However, it does not always directly translate to mosquito infectivity.

Corrigendum to "Development and Evaluation of an Immuno-Capture Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay to Quantify the subsp. Capripneumoniae (Mccp) Protein in Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP) Vaccine".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2020/4236807.].

Assessment of delayed tuberculosis diagnosis preceding diagnostic confirmation among tuberculosis patients attending Isiolo County level four hospital, Kenya.

Introduction: delayed diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection leads to accelerated individual to individual transmission. This study evaluated this aspect of delayed diagnosis among patients visiting Isiolo level four hospital in northern Kenya.

Methods: this was a cross-sectional cohort study conducted during January, 2018-January, 2019 with systematically sampled 172 tuberculosis (TB) patients.

In vitro cytotoxicity of Aspilia pluriseta Schweinf. extract fractions.

Objectives: We and others have shown that Aspilia pluriseta is associated with various biological activities. However, there is a lack of information on its cytotoxicity. This has created an information gap about the safety of A.

Can black soldier fly Desmodium intortum larvae-based diets enhance the performance of Cobb500 broiler chickens and smallholder farmers' profit in Kenya?

This study aimed to evaluate the performance of broiler chickens fed on 3 black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) (Hermetia illucens) and Greenleaf desmodium (Desmodium intortum)-based meals. We evaluated growth performance, carcass quality, and profitability under various commercial pathways (doorstep, retail, whole, and assorted). Desmodium and BSFL powders were formulated into 3 ratios: T1 25:75, T2 50:50, and T3 75:25.

Health providers´ knowledge on maternal and newborn care: implications on health systems strengthening in Vihiga County, Kenya.

Introduction: pregnant women need access to skilled attendance at birth and emergency obstetric care (EmOC) to avert maternal deaths. While poor EmOC services may explain the high maternal mortality, inadequate knowledge of providers is also part of the problem. This forms the basis of this paper, in a setting where 50.

Antimicrobial activity, phytochemical characterization and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of Schweinf. extracts.

is associated with various bioactivities, although with limited scientific justification. In this study, we evaluated the antimicrobial activity, and characterized the phytochemicals of root extracts of aimed at validating its therapeutic potential. We used BACTEC MGIT™ 960 system to test for antitubercular activity, disc-diffusion together with the microdilution method to evaluate antimicrobial activities and qualitative phytochemical tests together with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis to determine the phytochemicals that associated with extracts activity.

Plasmid mediated penicillin and tetracycline resistance among Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from Kenya.

Background: Treatment of gonorrhea is complicated by the development of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) to the antibiotics recommended for treatment. Knowledge on types of plasmids and the antibiotic resistance genes they harbor is useful in monitoring the emergence and spread of bacterial antibiotic resistance. In Kenya, studies on gonococcal antimicrobial resistance are few and data on plasmid mediated drug resistance is limited.