Abstract: The objective of the current study was to determine the potential effects of changes in climate, population density and land use land cover (LULC) on the spatial distri-bution of Adansonia digitata (baobab tree) suitable habitats in Africa using MaxEnt. Across its distribution, A. digitata is confined to Africa's mainland and isolated parts of the continent such as Madagascar. The geographical distribution of A. digitata will shrink gradually under climate change scenarios (RCP 4.5...
Abstract: Background: Pesticides are washed from agricultural felds into adjacent streams, where even short-term exposure causes long-term ecological damage. Detecting pesticide pollution in streams thus requires the expensive monitor ing of peak concentrations during run-of events. Alternatively, exposure and ecological efects can be assessed using the SPEARpesticides bioindicator that quantifes pesticide-related changes in the macroinvertebrate community compo sition. PEARpesticides has be...
Abstract: Pollinator decline has attracted global attention and substantial efforts are underway to respond through national pollinator strategies and action plans. These policy responses require clarity on what is driving pollinator decline and what risks it gener ates for society in different parts of the world. Using a formal expert elicitation process, we evaluated the relative regional and global importance of eight drivers of pollinator decline and ten consequent risks to human well-be...
Abstract: The acceptance of eco-friendly black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) as sustainable alternative protein ingredient in poultry feeds continues to gain momentum worldwide. This study evaluates the impact of BSFLM in layer chick and grower diets on the growth, carcass quality and economic returns. Mean weekly weight gain and total live weight per chick and grower varied significantly. The highest final weight gain was achieved when birds were provided diet with 25.6% BSFLM. Average da...
Abstract: Edible orthopterans (grasshoppers, crickets, and locusts) are major delicacies, especially across sub-Saharan Africa. Their promotion as food ingredients is increasingly gaining momentum.This study evaluates the nutritional profiles of three widely consumed orthopterans: Gryllus bimacu latus, Locusta migratoria, and Schistocerca gregaria after blanching and oven-drying. All three species had high protein (65.3, 54.2, and 61.4% on a dry matter (DM) basis for G. bimaculatus, L. migra...
Abstract: Bees of the tribes Biastini, Neolarrini, and Townsendiellini are cleptoparasites in the subfamily Nomadinae (Hymenoptera, Apidae) and parasitize solitary bees. Understanding their phylogenetic relationships has proven difficult for many decades. Previous research yielded ambiguous results because of conflicting phylogenetic sig-nals of larval and adult morphological characters. Molecular data settled some of this disparity but our knowledge remains fragmented due to limited taxon s...
Abstract: Multiple regulatory mechanisms including post-translational modifcations (PTMs) confer complexity to the simpler genomes and proteomes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). PTMs such as glycosylation play a signifcant role in Mtb adaptive processes. The glycoproteomic patterns of clinical isolates of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) representing the lineages 3, 4, 5 and 7 were characterized by mass spectrometry. A total of 2944 glycosylation events were discovered in 13...
Abstract: Background: Organisms typically face infection by diverse pathogens, and hosts are thought to have developed specific responses to each type of pathogen they encounter. The advent of transcriptomics now makes it possible to test this hypothesis and compare host gene expression responses to multiple pathogens at a genome-wide scale. Here, we performed a meta-analysis of multiple published and new transcriptomes using a newly developed bioinformatics approach that filters genes based...
Abstract: Plants are master regulators of rhizosphere ecology, secreting a complex mixture of compounds into the soil, collectively termed plant root exudate. Root exudate composition is highly dynamic and functional, mediating economically important interactions between plants and a wide range of soil organisms. Currently we know very little about the molecular basis of root exudate composition, which is a key hurdle to functional exploitation of root exudates for crop improvement. Root exp...
Abstract: We report here the genome sequence of a Commensalibacter sp. strain (AMU001) isolated from honey bees (Apis mellifera) from Seychelles. By combining long- and short-read sequencing technologies, we produced the first complete reference genome assembly for the Commensalibacter genus. We anticipate that this will aid future comparative and functional genomic studies.
Abstract: A study on the spatial distribution of the silkmoth Anaphe panda (Boisduval) cocoon nests, egg clusters and the host plant Bridelia micrantha (Hochst) Baill. was conducted in two different habitats of the Kakamega Forest of western Kenya: Ikuywa (indigenous forest) and Isecheno (mixed indigenous forest). The mean densities of cocoon nests, egg clusters and B. micrantha were significantly different in the two blocks and were not semi-randomly distributed in the two habitats. The hos...
Abstract: The life cycle of the African wild silkmoth Gonometa postica Walker was studied between September 2000 and September 2001 in the Uasin Gishu District of western Kenya with Acacia mearnsii deWild and Acacia hockii deWild as host plants. The initial population of G. postica was set up from healthy live pupae in cocoons collected from host plants in the study area. Oviposition was carried out in net sleeves and small plastic cages. Moth emergence and oviposition were bimodal, occurrin...
Abstract: Microorganisms in the intestinal tracts of termites play a crucial role in the nutritional physiology of termites. The bacterial diversity in the fungus-cultivating Macrotermes michaelseni was examined using both molecular and culture dependent methods. Total DNA was extracted from the gut of the termite and 16S rRNA genes were amplified using bacterial specific primers. Representatives from forty-one (41) RFLP patterns from a total of one hundred and two (102) clones were sequence...
Abstract: Adamski, David, Robert S. Copeland, Scott E. Miller, Paul D. N. Hebert, Karolyn Darrow, and Quentin Luke. A Review of African Blastobasinae (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Coleophoridae), with New Taxa Reared from Native Fruits in Kenya. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, number 630, vi + 68 pages, 62 figures, 13 maps, 2 tables, 2010. — Twenty-five species of African Blastobasinae (Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae) are reviewed; 12 species are redescribed, and 13 species are described a...
Abstract: We report on the first meeting of SMBE in Africa. SMBE Malawi was initiated to bring together African and internationalresearchers who use genetics or genomics to study natural systems impacted by human activities. The goals of thisconference were 1) to reach a world-class standard of science with a large number of contributions from Africa, 2) toinitiate exchange between African and international researchers, and 3) to identify challenges and opportunities forevolutionary genomics...