Digital Commons Network^™

Paired Associative Stimulation As A Tool To Assess Plasticity Enhancers In Chronic Stroke, Joshua Silverstein, Mar Cortes, Katherine Z. Tsagaris, Alejandra Climent, Linda M. Gerber, Clara Oromendia, Pasquale Fonzetti, Rajiv R. Ratan, Tomoko Kitago, Marco Iacoboni, Allan Wu, Bruce Dobkin, Dylan J. Edwards

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background and Purpose: The potential for adaptive plasticity in the post-stroke brain is difficult to estimate, as is the demonstration of central nervous system (CNS) target engagement of drugs that show promise in facilitating stroke recovery. We set out to determine if paired associative stimulation (PAS) can be used (a) as an assay of CNS plasticity in patients with chronic stroke, and (b) to demonstrate CNS engagement by memantine, a drug which has potential plasticity-modulating effects for use in motor recovery following stroke.

Methods: We examined the effect of PAS in fourteen participants with chronic hemiparetic stroke at five time-points …

Assessing The Variability And Predictability Of Adipokines (Adiponectin, Leptin, Resistin And Their Ratios) In Non-Obese And Obese Women With Anovulatory Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Christian Obirikorang, William K. B. A. Owiredu, Sandra Adu-Afram, Emmanuel Acheampong, Evans Adu Asamoah, Enoch Kwabena Antwi-Boasiakoh, Eddie-Williams Owiredu

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objectives

To assess the variability and predictability of adiponectin, leptin, resistin and their ratios in non-obese and obese women with anovulatory polycystic ovary syndrome (aPCOS).

Results

A total of 52 ovulatory controls (mean age = 31.63 ± 4.88 years, BMI = 25.33 ± 2.68 kg/m2); 54 non-obese (mean age = 32.11 ± 4.25 years, BMI = 25.72 ± 2.95 kg/m2) and 50 obese women with aPCOS (mean age = 33.64 ± 4.14 years, BMI = 39.19 ± 2.99 kg/m2) were recruited. The aPCOS group had lower adiponectin [13.0 (10.49–16.59) vs 18.42 (15.72–19.92) µg/ml, p < 0.0001], adiponectin: leptin ratio (A:L) [0.60 (0.35–0.88) vs 1.19 (0.92–1.37), p < 0.0001], and adiponectin: resistin ratio (A:R) [0.30 (0.21–0.43) vs 0.42 (0.32–0.62), p < 0.0001] but a higher leptin [20.02 (14.54–26.80) vs 16.17 (14.51–18.36) ng/ml, p < 0.0001] and leptin: resistin ratio (L:R) [0.53 (0.37–0.82) vs 0.40 (0.27–0.48), p < 0.0001] compared to the controls. The obese aPCOS group had lower adiponectin [11.04 (5.66–13.25) vs 14.18 (11.04–18.02), p < 0.0001 and 18.42 (15.72–19.92) µg/ml, p < 0.0001], A:L [0.36 (0.27–0.44) vs 0.78 (0.61–1.16), p < 0.0001 and 1.19 (0.92–1.37), p < 0.0001], and A:R [0.24 (0.17–0.38) vs 0.40 (0.23–0.58), p < 0.0001 and 0.42 (0.32–0.62), p < 0.0001] but a higher leptin [26.80 (14.28–32.09) vs 17.95 (14.86–21.26), p < 0.05 and 16.17 (14.51–18.36) ng/ml, p < 0.0001] and L:R [0.63 (0.46–1.03) vs 0.41 (0.30–0.61), p < 0.0001 and 0.40 (0.27–0.48), p < 0.0001] compared to the non-obese aPCOS and control group, respectively. A:L showed the best discriminatory power in predicting aPCOS (AUC = 0.83), followed by adiponectin alone (AUC = 0.79), L:R and leptin alone (both AUC = 0.69). Resistin alone had the poorest discriminatory power (AUC = 0.48).

Interplay Between Residual Protease Activity In Commercial Lactases And The Subsequent Digestibility Of Β-Casein In A Model System, Di Zhao, Thao T. Le, Lotte B. Larsen, Yingqun Nian, Cong Wang, Chunbao Li, Guanghong Zhou

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

One of the conventional ways to produce lactose-hydrolyzed (LH) milk is via the addition of commercial lactases into heat-treated milk in which lactose is hydrolyzed throughout storage. This post-hydrolysis method can induce proteolysis in milk proteins due to protease impurities remaining in commercial lactase preparations. In this work, the interplay between lactose hydrolysis, proteolysis, and glycation was studied in a model system of purified β-casein (β-CN), lactose, and lactases using peptidomic methods. With a lactase presence, the proteolysis of β-CN was found to be increased during storage. The protease side-activities mainly acted on the hydrophobic C-terminus of β-CN at Ala, …

Unlocking The Decibel Scoreplayer, Aaron Wyatt, Lindsay Vickery, Stuart James

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper discusses recent developments in the Decibel ScorePlayer project, including the introduction of a canvas scoring mode, python ScorePlayer externals, and enhancements to the ScoreCreator application. Firstly, the canvas scoring mode of the Decibel ScorePlayer app allows for other applications, such as Max, to send drawing commands to the ScorePlayer via OSC. Several examples of implementations of generative and animated notation scores are discussed and evaluated. An object model has been developed allowing for the creation of hierarchies of drawn elements. The object model defines a framework of commands that can be used to create and control these objects, …

From Criminalisation To Individual Choice: Policy Responses To Changing Constructions Of Intellectual Disability In Western Australia, Wendy Simpson, Trudi Cooper, Vicki Banham

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This article uses an historical perspective to explore how constructions of disability influenced policy and services for people with intellectual disabilities in Western Australia (WA) from the time of British colonisation until the present day. The authors approach the discussion from a critical disability perspective in the analysis of disability constructs, political responses and social change, incorporating the Foucauldian concept of biopower to explain the physical infrastructure, classification and dividing practices that produced ‘docile subjects’. The authors argue that changing social constructions of disability since the 18th century affected the lives of people with disability in WA and continue, through …

Surficial And Deep Earth Material Prediction From Geochemical Compositions, Hassan Talebi, Ute Mueller, Raimon Tolosana-Delgado, Eric C. Grunsky, Jennifer M. Mckinley, Patrice De Caritat

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Prediction of true classes of surficial and deep earth materials using multivariate spatial data is a common challenge for geoscience modelers. Most geological processes leave a footprint that can be explored by geochemical data analysis. These footprints are normally complex statistical and spatial patterns buried deep in the high-dimensional compositional space. This paper proposes a spatial predictive model for classification of surficial and deep earth materials derived from the geochemical composition of surface regolith. The model is based on a combination of geostatistical simulation and machine learning approaches. A random forest predictive model is trained, and features are ranked based …

Recurrence Of Clostridium Difficile Infection In The Western Australian Population, M. Alfayyadh, Deirdre A. Collins, S. Tempone, R. Mccann, P. K. Armstrong, Thomas V. Riley, A. Cook

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Clostridium difficile, the most common cause of hospital-associated diarrhoea in developed countries, presents major public health challenges. The high clinical and economic burden from C. difficile infection (CDI) relates to the high frequency of recurrent infections caused by either the same or different strains of C. difficile. An interval of 8 weeks after index infection is commonly used to classify recurrent CDI episodes. We assessed strains of C. difficile in a sample of patients with recurrent CDI in Western Australia from October 2011 to July 2017. The performance of different intervals between initial and subsequent episodes of CDI was investigated. …

Children Exhibit A More Comparable Neuromuscular Fatigue Profile To Endurance Athletes Than Untrained Adults, Bastien Bontemps, Enzo Piponnier, Emeric Chalchat, Anthony J. Blazevich, Valérie Julian, Olivia Bocock, Martine Duclos, Vincent Martin, Sébastien Ratel

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The present study compared neuromuscular fatigue profiles between children, untrained adults and adult endurance athletes during repeated maximal muscle contractions. Eighteen prepubertal boys, 19 untrained men and 13 endurance male athletes performed 5-s maximal voluntary isometric knee extensor contractions (MVICs) interspersed with 5-s recovery until MVIC reached 60% of its initial value. Single and doublet magnetic stimulations were delivered to the femoral nerve to quantify the time course of potentiated twitch amplitude (T_tw,pot), high-frequency torque (T_{100 Hz}) and the low-to-high frequency torque ratio (T_{10 Hz}/T_{100 Hz}), i.e., indicators of peripheral fatigue. M-wave-normalized …

A Multi-Center Comparison Of Vo2 Peak Trainability Between Interval Training And Moderate Intensity Continuous Training, Camilla J. Williams, Brendon J. Gurd, Jacob T. Bonafiglia, Sarah Voisin, Zhixiu Li, Nicholas Harvey, Ilaria Croci, Jenna L. Taylor, Trishan Gajanand, Joyce S. Ramos, Robert G. Fassett, Jonathan P. Little, Monique E. Francois, Christopher M. Hearon, Satyam Sarma, Sylvan L. J. E. Janssen, Emeline M. Van Craenenbroeck, Paul Beckers, Véronique A. Cornelissen, Nele Pattyn, Erin J. Howden, Shelley E. Keating, Anja Bye, Dorthe Stensvold, Ulrik Wisloff, Ioannis Papadimitriou, Xu Yan, David J. Bishop, Nir Eynon, Jeff S. Coombes

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

There is heterogeneity in the observed VO_2peak response to similar exercise training, and different exercise approaches produce variable degrees of exercise response (trainability). The aim of this study was to combine data from different laboratories to compare VO_2peak trainability between various volumes of interval training and Moderate Intensity Continuous Training (MICT). For interval training, volumes were classified by the duration of total interval time. High-volume High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) included studies that had participants complete more than 15 min of high intensity efforts per session. Low-volume HIIT/Sprint Interval Training (SIT) included studies using less than 15 min …

Achieving Economic Sustainability For Niche Social Profession Courses In The Australian Higher Education Sector: Final Report, Trudi Cooper, Miriam Rose Brooker

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The purpose of this fellowship was to develop a nationwide collaborative strategy to improve the economic sustainability and geographic availability of niche social profession courses. The niche courses in social professions examined in this program meet specialist social needs in disability services, social gerontology, and youth work. Specialist courses in social professions have limited availability across the Australian university sector and availability has declined over the last decade. This is despite a continuing need for specialist graduates, as attested by the relevant professional bodies, and by policy implementation reviews in the areas where graduates from these courses might provide stronger …

The Landscape Of Movement Control In Locomotion: Cost, Strategy, And Solution, James L. Croft, Ryan T. Schroeder, John E. A. Bertram

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Features of gait are determined at multiple levels, from the selection of the gait itself (e.g., walk or run) through the specific parameters utilized (stride length, frequency, etc.) to the pattern of muscular excitation. The ultimate choices are determined neurally, but what is involved with deciding on the appropriate strategy? Human locomotion appears stereotyped not so much because the pattern is predetermined, but because these movement patterns are good solutions for providing movement utilizing the machinery available to the individual (the legs and their requisite components). Under different circumstances the appropriate solution may differ broadly (different gait) or subtly (different …

Comparison Of Subsequent Injury Categorisation (Sic) Models And Their Application In A Sporting Population, Liam A. Toohey, Michael K. Drew, Lauren V. Fortington, Miranda J. Menaspa, Caroline F. Finch, Jill L. Cook

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: The original subsequent injury categorisation (SIC-1.0) model aimed to classify relationships between chronological injury sequences to provide insight into the complexity and causation of subsequent injury occurrence. An updated model has recently been published. Comparison of the data coded according to the original and revised subsequent injury categorisation (SIC-1.0 and SIC-2.0) models has yet been formally compared.

Methods: Medical attention injury data was prospectively collected for 42 elite water polo players over an 8 month surveillance period. The SIC-1.0 and SIC-2.0 models were retrospectively applied to the injury data. The injury categorisation from the two models was compared using …

Analysis, Optimization, And Characterization Of Magnetic Photonic Crystal Structures And Thin-Film Material Layers, Mikhail Vasiliev, Kamal Alameh, Mohammad Alam

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The development of magnetic photonic crystals (MPC) has been a rapidly evolving research area since the late 1990s. Magneto-optic (MO) materials and the techniques for their characterization have also continually undergone functional and property-related improvements. MPC optimization is a feature-rich Windows software application designed to enable researchers to analyze the optical and magneto-optical spectral properties of multilayers containing gyrotropic constituents. We report on a set of computational algorithms which aim to optimize the design and the optical or magneto-optical spectral analysis of 1D MPC, together with a Windows software implementation. Relevant material property datasets (e.g., the spectral dispersion data for …

A Note On Science, Legal Research And Artificial Intelligence, Sean Goltz, Giulia Dondoli

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper discusses the principles of scientific research and in turn review legal research that was done using Artificial Intelligence arguing that it is the tools (Artificial Intelligence) that take center stage while the meaning (legal research) is left back stage. In turn, this kind of research does not adhere to the fundamentals of scientific research nor comply with scientific and industry ethical codes.

Offline Versus Online Travel Experience Sharing: The National Profile Of China, Songshan (Sam) Huang, Xiang Wei

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose: This study aims to examine the demographic differences of Chinese nationals’ travel experience sharing through different offline and online platforms.

Design/methodology/approach: Cross-tabulation analysis was applied on a national sample of 6081 respondents in China.

Findings: The study found that Chinese women tend to share travel experience more often than Chinese men; old people in China tend to use the face-to-face approach more than online or social media to share their travel experience. About 66.5 per cent of the survey sample used WeChat Moments to share their travel experience, highlighting WeChat as the dominating social media platform in China for …

Fractional Anisotropy Of Thalamic Nuclei Is Associated With Verticality Misperception After Extra-Thalamic Stroke, Taiza E. G. Santos, Jussara A. O. Baggio, Carlo Rondinoni, Laura Machado, Karina T. Weber, Luiz H. Stefano, Antonio C. Santos, Octavio M. Pontes-Neto, Joao P. Leite, Dylan J. Edwards

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Verticality misperception after stroke is a frequent neurological deficit that leads to postural imbalance and a higher risk of falls. The posterior thalamic nuclei are described to be involved with verticality perception, but it is unknown if extra-thalamic lesions can have the same effect via diaschisis and degeneration of thalamic nuclei. We investigated the relationship between thalamic fractional anisotropy (FA, a proxy of structural integrity), and verticality perception, in patients after stroke with diverse encephalic extra-thalamic lesions. We included 11 first time post-stroke patients with extra-thalamic primary lesions, and compared their region-based FA to a group of 25 age-matched healthy …

Positive Veteran Teachers: Who Are They, And Where Are They To Be Found?, Geoffrey Lowe, Christina Gray, Peter Prout, Sarah Jefferson, Therese Shaw

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Teacher career trajectory studies have identified a small group of veteran teachers who remain positive and committed to teaching, while others become disenchanted or disengaged. These, and related studies suggest key characteristics of positive veteran teachers revolve around a strong sense of agency and professional identity including: 1) a continuing desire to experiment and embrace challenges; 2) high levels of personal comfort in their teaching roles; and 3) a willingness to take on leadership roles across a range of capacities and contexts, and in turn be affirmed in these roles. While studies describe these characteristics, there has been little attempt …

A Systematic Review Of The Antecedents And Prevalence Of Suicide, Self-Harm And Suicide Ideation In Australian Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Youth, Joanne M. Dickson, Kate Cruise, Clare A. Mccall, Peter J. Taylor

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Suicide and self-harm represent serious global health problems and appear to be especially elevated amongst indigenous minority groups, and particularly amongst young people (aged 24 years or younger). This systematic review investigates for the first time the antecedents and prevalence of suicide, self-harm and suicide ideation among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth. Web of Science, PubMed, PsychINFO, CINAHL databases and grey literature were searched from earliest records to April 2019 for eligible articles. Twenty-two empirical articles met the inclusion criteria. The data confirmed that indigenous youth in Australia have elevated rates of suicide, self-harm and suicidal ideation relative …

Cetacean Sightings Within The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Susan E. Gibbs, Chandra P. Salgado Kent, Boyan Slat, Damien Morales, Leila Fouda, Julia Reisser

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Here, we report cetacean sightings made within a major oceanic accumulation zone for plastics, often referred to as the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ (GPGP). These cetacean records occurred in October 2016 and were made by sensors and trained observers aboard a Hercules C-130 aircraft surveying the GPGP at 400 m height and 140 knots speed. Four sperm whales (including a mother and calf pair), three beaked whales, two baleen whales, and at least five other cetaceans were observed. Many surface drifting plastics were also detected, including fishing nets, ropes, floats and fragmented debris. Some of these objects were close to …

Rates Of Age- And Amyloid Β-Associated Cortical Atrophy In Older Adults With Superior Memory Performance, Christa Dang, Nawaf Yassi, Karra D. Harrington, Ying Xia, Yen Ying Lim, David Ames, Simon M. Laws, Martha Hickey, Stephanie Rainey-Smith, Hamid R. Sohrabi, James D. Doecke, Jurgen Fripp, Olivier Salvado, Peter J. Snyder, Michael Weinborn, Victor L. Villemagne, Christopher C. Rowe, Colin L. Masters, Paul Maruff

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction: Superior cognitive performance in older adults may reflect underlying resistance to age-associated neurodegeneration. While elevated amyloid b (Ab) deposition (Ab1) has been associated with increased cortical atrophy, it remains unknown whether “SuperAgers” may be protected from Ab-associated neurodegeneration. Methods: Neuropsychologically defined SuperAgers (n 5 172) and cognitively normal for age (n 5 172) older adults from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle study were case matched. Rates of cortical atrophy over 8 years were examined by SuperAger classification and Ab status. Results: Of the case-matched SuperAgers and cognitively normal for age older adults, 40.7% and 40.1%, respectively, were Ab1. …

Accelerating Breeding For Heat Tolerance In Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.): An Integrated Approach, Mathieu Anatole Tele Ayenan, Agyemang Danquah, Peter Hanson, Charles Ampomah-Dwamena, Sodedji Frejus Ariel Kpedetin, Isaac K. Asante, Eric Yirenkyi Danquah

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Heat stress is a major limiting factor for crop productivity. Tomato is highly sensitive to heat stress, which can result in a total yield loss. To adapt to current and future heat stress, there is a dire need to develop heat tolerant cultivars. Here, we review recent attempts to improve screening for heat tolerance and to exploit genetic and genomic resources in tomatoes. We provide key factors related to phenotyping environments and traits (morphological, physiological, and metabolic) to be considered to identify and breed thermo-tolerant genotypes. There is significant variability in tomato germplasm that can be harnessed to breed for …

Distilling And Applying Criteria For Best Practice Eia Follow-Up, Elise Pinto, Angus Morrison-Saunders, Alan Bond, Jenny Pope, Francois Retief

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Follow-up is an essential component of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) if the success of EIA in improving the sustainability of a project once implemented is to be determined. This paper aims to establish universally-applicable criteria for EIA follow-up to evaluate project performance once assessed and underway. A suite of 24 criteria is derived from EIA follow-up best practice principles published by the International Association for Impact Assessment. The criteria are categorized according to the five dimensions of EIA follow-up: monitoring, evaluation, management, communication and governance. Posed as questions, the criteria support qualitative assessments of EIA follow-up performance for a project. …

The Owner-Manager’S Role As A Facilitator Of Informal Learning In Small Businesses, Alan Coetzer, Andreas Wallo, Henrik Kock

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Few studies have examined the owner-manager as a facilitator of learning in small businesses. Furthermore, these studies are typically not framed by distinctive characteristics of small businesses. These limitations of the literature stimulated us to ask: How do the situational opportunities and constraints that emanate from the distinctive characteristics of small businesses affect the small business owner-manager’s role as a facilitator of learning? To address this question, we first conducted a narrative review of existing research on the owner-manager as facilitator of learning in small businesses (10–49 employees). Four themes emerged from our analysis of research findings, including a theme …

Mating System Variation In Hybrid Zones: Facilitation, Barriers And Asymmetries To Gene Flow, Melinda Pickup, Yaniv Brandvain, Christelle Fraïsse, Sarah Yakimowski, Nicholas H. Barton, Tanmay Dixit, Christian Lexer, Eva Cereghetti, David L. Field

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Plant mating systems play a key role in structuring genetic variation both within and between species. In hybrid zones, the outcomes and dynamics of hybridization are usually interpreted as the balance between gene flow and selection against hybrids. Yet, mating systems can introduce selective forces that alter these expectations; with diverse outcomes for the level and direction of gene flow depending on variation in outcrossing and whether the mating systems of the species pair are the same or divergent. We present a survey of hybridization in 133 species pairs from 41 plant families and examine how patterns of hybridization vary …

Visualization Is Crucial For Understanding Microbial Processes In The Ocean, Marta Sebastián, Josep M. Gasol

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Recent developments in community and single-cell genomic approaches have provided an unprecedented amount of information on the ecology of microbes in the aquatic environment. However, linkages between each specific microbe's identity and their in situ level of activity (be it growth, division or just metabolic activity) are much more scarce. The ultimate goal of marine microbial ecology is to understand how the environment determines the types of different microbes in nature, their function, morphology and cell-to-cell interactions and to do so we should gather three levels of information, the genomic (including identity), the functional (activity or growth), and the morphological, …

Variation In Sexual Dimorphism In A Wind-Pollinated Plant: The Influence Of Geographical Context And Life-Cycle Dynamics, Gemma Puixeu, Melinda Pickup, David L. Field, Spencer C. H. Barrett

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Understanding the mechanisms causing phenotypic differences between females and males has long fascinated evolutionary biologists. An extensive literature exists on animal sexual dimorphism but less information is known about sex differences in plants, particularly the extent of geographical variation in sexual dimorphism and its life‐cycle dynamics.

Here, we investigated patterns of genetically based sexual dimorphism in vegetative and reproductive traits of a wind‐pollinated dioecious plant, Rumex hastatulus, across three life‐cycle stages using open‐pollinated families from 30 populations spanning the geographic range and chromosomal variation (XY and XY₁Y₂) of the species.

The direction and degree of sexual …

Modelling Of The Radiant Heat Flux And Rate Of Spread Of Wildfire Within The Urban Environment, Greg Penney, Steven Richardson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

One approach to increase community resilience to wildfire impacts is the enhancement of residential construction standards in an effort to provide protective shelters for families within their own homes. Current wildfire models reviewed in this study assume fire growth is unrestricted by vegetation fuel bed geometry; the head fire has attained a quasi-steady rate of spread; and the shielding effects of urban development are ignored. As a result, radiant heat flux may be significantly overestimated for small vegetation fires in road reserves, urban parklands, and similar scenarios. This paper proposes two new models to address this issue, and utilises two …

Knowledge And Practices Of Pesticides Use Against The Bean Fly (Ophyiomyia Phaseoli) And Associated Health Effects Among Bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris) Smallholder Farmers In Kabaru Location, Nyeri County, Beritah Mumbi Mutune

All Master’s Theses

Farmers' knowledge on pesticides use, the practices and the associated health effects is of great importance. The effect of pesticides on human health and the environment is a major global public health issue. The main objective of this study was to determine the knowledge and practices on pesticide use against the bean fly and the associated health effects among bean smallholder farmers in Kabaru location, Nyeri County. A cross-sectional study design was used in which a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to three hundred and eighty-five study respondents who were selected using systematic random sampling method. The selection was based on …

Dengue Serotype-2 And Sindbis-Like Viruses Circulating In Zoophilic Mosquitoes At Human-Wildlife Interfaces In Kenya., Ali Abdulahi Musa

All Master’s Theses

Zoophilic mosquitoes play an important role in the transmission of arboviruses of medical importance at human-wildlife interfaces, yet arbovirus surveillance efforts have been focused mostly on anthropophilic mosquitoes. Besides pathogen identification, knowing mosquito blood-meal sources aids in identifying disease transmission trends and reservoir hosts during inter-epidemic periods, which can inform appropriate vector control strategies. We morphologically identified mosquito species collected from two game reserves, the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) and locations near the Shimba Hills National Reserve (SHNR), in Kenya. Subsequently, representative mosquitoes sampled from both sites were identified by cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) barcode sequencing. In …

A Comparative Study On Genetic Profiles And Repellent Effects Of Murraya Koenigii From Four Regions In Kenya On Anopheles Gambiae S.S., Sean Waswa Levi

All Master’s Theses

Ethnobotanical analyses highlight therapeutic and chemotypic variations of geographically and ecologically diverse Murraya koenigii (Spreng) samples. However, the genetic correlation of this observation remains obscure. The present study aimed at studying the intraspecific genetic variation of Murraya koenigii and the possible effect on the bioactivity of volatiles of plant samples collected from four different geographical locations of Kenya. Genomic DNA isolated from various plant samples were screened for plastid maturase K (matK) gene polymorphisms within and among populations to estimate genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships. Further, oils from the plant samples were tested for repellent activity against Anopheles gambiae s.s …