ABSTRACT Although molecular toxins and emission of particulates from the thermal degradation of biomass materials such as meat is a complex area of study, it has become necessary to investigate this phenomenon and determine how it affects biological functions and as precursors for cancer, degenerative diseases that stress the respiratory landscape. Accordingly, this study describes the pyrolysis of goat meat in the temperature range 300-525 ˚C. Goat meat sample of 10±0.2 g was heated under...
ABSTRACT Dairy losses due to spoilage microorganisms have remained high from previous studies in Kenya. Poor hygiene has been reported to be the main cause of milk contamination with these microorganisms. Antibiotic residues are also continually reported in Kenyan milk due to misuse of veterinary drugs in treating animals by unskilled personnel or farmers themselves. The aim of this study was to quantify milk losses due spoilage microorganisms and determine levels of antibiotic residues in ru...
ABSTRACT Plants are a potential source of antimicrobial compounds. In this study, a plant from the family Simaroubaceae, Harrisonia abyssinica, traditionally used to treat a number of diseases was used. Research has been carried out on its stem bark, root bark and leaves and a number of chemical constituents have been isolated but no research has been carried out on its berries. Therefore the berries of this plant were chosen in order to investigate for antimicrobial compounds. The berries o...
Abstract Mathematical study of human pulse wave was studied with the view to gaining an insight into physiological situations. Fluid –Structure interaction (FSI) in blood flow is associated with pressure pulse wave arising from ventricular ejection. Solution of the coupled system of nonlinear PDEs that arose from the FSI was sought in order to determine pressure. Further study on pressure pulse waves showed that the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equations hold well for the propagation of nonline...
ABSTRACT Human African trypanosomosis (HAT) is caused by subspecies of T. brucei found in East, Central and West Africa, with T. b. rhodesiense and T. b .gambiense causing sleeping sickness in human through the bite of a tsetse fly of the genera Glossina. The treatment of CNS infection is difficult and at the same time the biology of late stage trypanosome infection is poorly understood. In addition, the parasites hideout in the brain and their mode of survival and multiplication in the brain...
Abstract In recent years, advance in technology have made it possible for the stock markets to trade in real time and also for large dataset to be available for statistical analysis. Thus, we examined the impact of macroeconomic variables on the stock returns of 114 companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange Market. We have established the mathematical framework required to solve our model and perform various empir- ical analysis on the stock market data and macroeconomic variable. The f...
ABSTRACT The potentials of Adansonia digitata root (ADRP) and stem powders (ADSP) and the stem activated carbon (ADSAC) for adsorption of Pb2+, Cd2+, Cu2+ and Co2+ from aqueous solutions were investigated. The activated carbon was prepared via chemical activation using ZnCl2 as the activating agent. Physico-chemical analysis of the adsorbents (ADRP, ADSP and ADSAC) showed the moisture contents (< 20 %), volatile matter (9.2 - 11.2 %), ash content showed < 5.0 %, fixed carbon (68 - 81.0 %), p...
ABSTRACT The disinfection of water is of prime importance both for the animals and humans, since the presence of microorganisms in water may cause diseases including hepatitis, cholera, typhoid fever and dysentery. Reagents, techniques based on the use of a broad range of chemical agents are commonly used to disinfect water. Among them are chlorine, fluorine, ozone and ions of heavy metals. However, in the case where some organic substances remain in water, chlorine and ozone reacts with them...
ABSTRACT In Kenya, most studies involving exotic dairy goats and their cross breeds with indigenous goats have majorly focused on milk yield, kidding and growth rates with little information on the technological performance of the milk from cross breeds. In this study milk from the Toggenburg and its cross breed with Galla goat was evaluated fortnightly for composition and its capability for mozzarella cheese making over a three months lactation period. Samples of milk were analyzed for compo...
ABSTRACT Cobalt (III) oxide (Co3O4) thin films were deposited on glass substrates at a temperature of 70°C with continuous stirring and heating of the alkaline bath of various pH of 8, 10, 12 and 14. Cobalt (II) chloride hexahydrate (CoCl2·6H2O) was used as source of Co2+ and to make it alkaline, 25% aqueous ammonia solution was added as the complexing agent with constant heating and stirring. The bath was doped with zinc nitrate (Zn(NO3)2 and later, some samples were annealed at 200°C fo...
ABSTRACT The botanical insecticides are generally pest-specific, relatively harmless to non-target organisms and biodegradable. Unlike conventional insecticides which are based on a single active ingredient, plant-derived insecticides comprise of an array of chemical compounds which act concertedly on both behavioural and physiological processes. Thus the chances of pest developing resistance to such substances are less likely. Essential oils are good example of plant compounds with such pro...
ABSTRACT A cross sectional study was carried out in Iringa Region involving two Districts of Kilolo and Iringa Municipal to determine the epidemiological risk factors of the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak and genotyping the circulating African swine fever virus (ASFV) during a hemorrhagic disease outbreak in 2012 in Iringa. A structured questionnaire was used to collect epidemiological risk factors from pig keepers. Eighty households that kept pigs and that experienced the disease in 201...
ABSTRACT The success of entomopathogenic fungi as microbial control agents ultimately depends on the use of the right propagule, formulated in an optimum fashion and applied at the right time to a susceptible host. In this study, the pathogenicity of six isolates of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. and 14 isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorok to Metopolophium dirhodum (Walker) and Rhopalosiphum padi (Linneaus) was for the first time determined in the laboratory. The differential...
ABSTRACT The present study was carried out to confirm and genetically characterize dengue virus (DENV) present in sera collected from patients with dengue fever during the 2013 and 2014 dengue outbreaks in Tanzania. Sera were collected from patients who met the clinical case definition for dengue fever. Dengue fever was diagnosed in patients included in this study by detection of IgM and IgG DENV antibodies using a combination of a rapid test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). DE...
ABSTRACT Animal African Trypanosomiasis (AAT) causes economic losses estimated at US $5 billion per annum. Records from the veterinary department indicate high levels of trypanocidal drugs use in Lamu County. The objective of this study was to identify the trypanosome species causing infections in domestic animals in Lamu using parasitological and molecular techniques and to determine their drug sensitivity in white Swiss mice. Fifteen trypanosome stabilates and 92 whole blood samples collect...