Abstract Fluviicola taffensis O'Sullivan et al. 2005 belongs to the monotypic genus Fluviicola within the family Cryomorphaceae. The species is of interest because of its isolated phylogenetic lo-cation in the genome-sequenced fraction of the tree of life. Strain RW262T forms a monophy-letic lineage with uncultivated bacteria represented in freshwater 16S rRNA gene libraries. A similar phylogenetic differentiation occurs between freshwater and marine bacteria in the family Flavobacteriaceae,...
Abstract Oceanithermus profundus Miroshnichenko et al. 2003 is the type species of the genus Ocea-nithermus, which belongs to the family Thermaceae. The genus currently comprises two spe-cies whose members are thermophilic and are able to reduce sulfur compounds and nitrite. The organism is adapted to the salinity of sea water, is able to utilize a broad range of carbo-hydrates, some proteinaceous substrates, organic acids and alcohols. This is the first com-pleted genome sequence of a membe...
Abstract Four commercial watermelon cultivars available in Kenya and one local landrace were evaluated for their susceptibility/resistance to naturally occurring diseases, pests and non-pathogenic disorders. The accessions included three most common commercial watermelon cultivars in Kenya namely ‘Sugarbaby’, ‘Crimson Sweet’ and ‘Charleston Gray’; one newly introduced cultivar from United States namely ‘Yellow Crimson’; and one local landrace (GBK-043014) from Kakamega distri...
Abstract Crotalaria is a plant genus that is found all over the world, with over 700 species of herbs and shrubs. The species are potential alternative food and industrial crops due to their adaptability to different environments. Currently, information on the genetic diversity and population structure of these species is scanty. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) is a costeffective high-throughput technique in diversity evaluation of plant species that have not been fully sequenced. In the curr...
Abstract Seagrass beds occur globally in both intertidal and subtidal zones within shallow marine environments, such as bays and estuaries. These important ecosystems support fisheries production, attenuate strong wave energies, support human livelihoods and sequester large amounts of CO2 that may help mitigate the effects of climate change. At present, there is increased global interest in understanding how these ecosystems could help alleviate the challenges likely to face humanity and the...
Abstract Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPN) are harmful pests that have become a severe threat to crop production worldwide. Diversity of PPN at horizontal and spatial scales influence the effectiveness of control strategies. This study evaluated the vertical distribution of PPN genera at 0 cm to 30 cm and 30 cm to 60 cm in sweet potato fields in Central, Manyatta, and Nembure regions of Embu County, Kenya. A significant region × depth interaction was observed for Tylenchus. For all the other ...
Abstract Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) are important food crops in developing countries due to their multiple benefits. However, their production is constrained by plant-parasitic nematodes (PPN) which cause significant yield losses. Understanding the nematode-based soil food web structure in maize-pigeon pea agroecosystems will allow sustainable PPN management by improving soil health. This study explored nematode community assemblages, indices and metabolic footprin...
Abstract Kenya. Despite its importance as a nutritious vegetable and having inherent medicinal value, African nightshade has been neglected, few farmers are growing it, there is potential reduction of food supply and these may be as a result of few studies carried out to improve the crop. Recently, growing demand is necessary for the development of improved, high yielding varieties, intensify diversity studies of interest, conservation and utilization of genetic resources especially in Weste...
Abstract/Overview In modern financial mathematics, accurate values are obtained by taking into account a considerable number of more realistic assumptions in logistic Black Scholes equation. The aspects considered here are cost of transactions in trading, perfect illiquid markets and risks that occur from non – protected portfolio or large investments that have a lot of impact on price of the assets, volatility, the percentage drift and the life of the portfolio itself. In modern world ...
Abstract/Overview Black Scholes formula is crucial in modern applied finance. Since the introduction of Black – Scholes concept model that assumes volatility is constant; several studies have proposed models that address the shortcomings of Black – Scholes model. Heston’s models stands out amongst most volatility models because the process of volatility is positive and is a process that obeys mean reversion and this is what is observed in the real market world. One of the shortcomin...
Abstract/Overview The interaction of primary cosmic rays in the atmosphere produces, among other particles, pions and kaons. They decay to muons, which form an important component of extensive air showers, which can be measured on the Earth's surface. The ratio of positively to negatively charged muons, called the muon charge ratio, provides important information about the cosmic ray interactions in the atmosphere. In this study, the theoretical hadronic interaction models in the cosmic r...
Abstract/Overview Topological Data Analysis (TDA) is an important aspect in the field of topological data theory since the 21st century’s first decade. Modern TDA utilizes the structural characteristics of Big Data (BD), otherwise known as point cloud data sets. Topology and Geometry are tools used to analyze highly complex and multi-dimensional data by creating a summary of these characteristics to uncover hidden features in these datasets, while preserving feature relationships with...
Abstract/Overview Increased human population has led to increased vulnerabilities to hunger and reduced sources of affordable food. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is a root vegetable with large, starchy, tuberous roots, consumed worldwide. It is a potential food security crop, with high nutritional and economic value. Production of sweet potatoes in Kenya is low due to disease constraints such as sweet potato leaf spot (SPLS). Fungal SPLS results in reduced tuber yield, since the patho...
Abstract/Overview This study investigated the abundance and control of malaria mosquito larvae in a traditional water management agro-ecosystem of Kasagam, Kisumu City, western Kenya. The study of larval habitats of malaria vectors is important in determining abundance and fitness of resultant adult mosquito populations and planning for suitable control measures. Dominant types of plants found in the study site were identified, recorded and categorized. Sampling of mosquito larvae was don...
Abstract/Overview Population dynamics indicate the changes in size and composition of population through time, as well as biotic and abiotic factors influencing those changes. Predator-prey (PP) relationship with harvesting and functional response involving prey refuge with Holling type I functional response (HTIFR) has been studied with recommendations on their extension to include Holling type II functional response (HTIIFR). There persists a problem in fifinding the numerical solution ...