Assessment of Psycho-social factors associated with Relapses among Mental Patients. A Cross-sectional study at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital.

Background:  WHO (1996) estimated that 12.5% of the global burden of disease is caused by mental and neurological disorders. In a few studies carried out in Uganda mental illnesses seem to claim a big share of medical costs because of relapses. Objectives:  The major objective was to assess Psycho-social factors associated with relapses among Mental patients and reduce readmission at the Psychiatric ward, Mbale Regional Referral Hospital. The specific objectives were: to identify demographic characteristics of relapsed mental patients and to determine psychological and social factors associated with relapses among mental patients. Methodology:  A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed to target all mentally relapses patients who had improved using consecutive sampling on a sample of 168 respondents. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using spss18 software and manually, presented in frequency tables and charts. Data were managed by storage in hard copies and electronically under lock and key. Results:  The study findings revealed that females (51.2%) of young aged 15-24 years had more mental relapses. Most respondents had attained secondary education (41.7%) with many peasants (33.6%) staying single (53.0%). The commonest mental disorder was bipolar mania (25.6%). The majority also accepted that psychologically they had improved (57.1%) with highly expressed emotions and socially medicines were expensive (78.6%). Conclusion:  Mental illnesses start early in life, and incapacitate patients through relapses but psychosocial factors can be importantly considered to remedy their plight.  Recommendations: Health care providers should strengthen the health education given to mental patients and their caretakers to reduce the vice of relapses. The government put up ring funding to community health programs to improve school mental health important in the prevention of mental disorders

Fatty and amino acids composition of selected wild edible mushrooms of Bunyoro Sub-region, Uganda

For thousands of years, mushrooms have long been used for their health promoting properties. The aim of this study was to determine the fatty acids and amino acids contents in priority wild mushrooms: Termitomyces microcarpus, Termitomyces sp. (Bunyanaka), Termitomyces globulus, Termitomyces eurrhizus and Polyporus tenuiculus widely consumed in Bunyoro Sub-region, Uganda. The study revealed seventeen amino acids using pre-column derivatization with a phenylisothiocyanate followed by HPLC-UV-vis, and tryptophan using spectrophotometry. Fatty acidswere determined by gas chromatography and detected by a flame ion detector. The essential amino acids ranged from 23.6% P. tenuiculus to 59.0% T. microcarpus of the total amino acids. Termitomyces sp. (Bunyanaka) and T. globulus were the most nutritious species based on essential amino acid indices. Generally, glutamic acid was high followed by phenylalanine, histidine, tryptophan and lysine concentrations, whereas threonine, valine, methionine, leucine, cysteine, arginine and tyrosinecontents were either low or absent. T. eurrhizus and T. globulus were limited in leucine and valine, T. microcarpus in leucine and Termitomyces sp. (Bunyanaka) in isoleucine and valine. Unsaturated fatty acids predominated over saturated ones. Termitomyces sp. (Bunyanaka) and T. globulus had poor fatty acid profiles, rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (nervonic and eruic acids), had low PUFA:MUFA ratio and a PUFA+MUFA:SFA ratio greater than two. Docosahexaenoic (DHA) and a trans-fatty acid, elaidic were also identified in these mushroom species. This represents the first report on the occurrence of DHA in mushrooms. T. microcarpushad a fairly good profile, high in palmitoleic, ë-linolenic, á- linolenic, palmitic and oleic acids. Stearic DHA, linoleic and eicosapentaenic acids were detected in small quantities. The odd carbon number fatty acids (heptadecanoic, heneicosanoic and cis-10-heptadecanoic) were also identified. These results serve as a basis to encourage the local communities to exploit the nutritive potentials of these mushrooms in order to reduce the burden of nutritional deficiencies.Key words: Amino acids, fatty acids, mushroom

Alterations in fruit and vegetable β-carotene and vitamin C content caused by open-sun drying, visqueen-covered and polyethylene-covered solar-dryers

This study investigated the effects of three drying methods (open sun drying, visqueen-covered solar dryer and polyethylene-covered solar dryer) on β-carotene and vitamin C content of edible portions of mango fruit (Mangifera indica) and cowpea leaves (Vigna unguiculata). Commercial samples were analysed for vitamin C by titrimetry and β-carotene by spectrophotometery at 450nm. Differences in vitamin retention and loss associated with the three drying methods were assessed by analysis of variance and least significant difference (LSD) at (

Socio-Ecologic Factors Responsible for Increased Malaria Vulnerability in Six Most Affected Counties in Kenya

This paper intends to understand the socio-ecologic factors responsible for increased vulnerability to malaria in six counties of Kenya. Available official information indicates that over the years the six counties of Busia, Siaya, Tharaka Nithi, Homa Bay, Kisumu and Migori had the highest number of malaria cases – double the national average. It is therefore necessary to have a quick collection of preliminary information to understand this occurrence. Using desk top research, this paper assembles information that may shed light on this phenomenon

Microbiological Quality of Traditionally Smoked Fish from Lake Victoria Crescent, Uganda

Microbiological quality of traditionally smoked fish was assessed to ascertain the effectiveness of traditional smoking process and handling conditions for smoked fish shelf-life and safety. Fish smoking is a popular preservation method in Uganda. Although fish smoking is a widely used method of preservation, the presence of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria in smoked fish and food borne illnesses remain a threat in developing countries. However, little is known about microbial quality of fish smoked from Uganda. In light of this, the status of spoilage, hygiene and pathogenic indicator organisms in fish (Nile perch) was investigated. A total of 75 randomly selected fresh, freshly smoked, and on shelf smoked fish from landing sites and markets respectively, were obtained for microbial and moisture content analysis. Descriptive statistics was used to present the data, while ANOVA and Tukey tests were used to analyze the data. The study revealed that, the smoking process significantly (P<0.05) reduced microbial load in freshly fish to levels acceptable for consumption, despite the high levels of moisture content in the range of 59.2% to 66.5%. The mean microbial load (log of cfu/g) of indicator organisms for samples from different sites varied from; 9.97 to 10.18; 7.39 to 8.19 (aerobic mesophilic bacteria or TPC), 5.18 to 5.27; 0 to 4.28 (total coliforms), 2.73 to 5.55; 0 to 0.85 (E. coli), 4.97 to 7.32; 0 to 3.11 (S. aureus), and 2.21 to 4.56; 0 to 0.82 (Yeasts and molds), for fresh and smoked fish samples respectively. Additionally, mean microbial load for on shelf smoked fish from markets varied from; 8.2 to 10.57 (TPC), 2.8-6.63 (total coliforms), 0 to 6.11 (E. coli), 6.74 to 8.89 (S. aureus), and 0 to 5.51 (Yeasts and molds). Although findings showed that, traditional fish smoking was somewhat effective in reducing microbial load to acceptable levels, the microbial status of on shelf smoked fish indicated poor fish handling and storage. Therefore, proper fish handling during and post-smoking as well as cooking before consumption, are highly recommended for assured shelf-life and safety of smoked fish for consumption in Uganda. Keywords: Microbiological, quality, smoked fish, Uganda, indicator organisms DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/104-05 Publication date: January 31st 2021

Pastoral community coping and adaptation strategies to manage household food insecurity consequent to climatic hazards in the cattle corridor of Uganda

Establishing short and long term measures that pastoral and agropastoral households use to ensure they have access to food in periods of climate extremes could provide insights into ways to support households in similar conditions. Using semi structured elicitation, 15 purposively selected participants from case households and 13 community leaders, in the central cattle corridor of Uganda were interviewed in January to February 2013. Thematic analysis revealed four coping strategies: harvesting immature food crops, selling off cattle, searching for alternative water sources and using alternative non-production based means to access food. The three adaptation strategies identified were: diversifying livelihood activities, changing agricultural practices and investing in alternative water sources. Several adaptation strategies were related to incremental crop system changes, to maintain the existing way of practice. However some strategies were transformational, like formerly specialised livestock keepers taking on crop farming. Some strategies presented environmentally erosive effects; a mechanism to curb this would be to evaluate the opportunity cost of diversification and transformative practices in relation to incremental adaptation. Insights gleaned could assist researchers to consider aspects for in-depth adaptation analysis and inform on how policies and institutions in Uganda could be used to facilitate, rather than undermine, pastoralists’ coping and adaptation; and thus guide development interventions to strengthen food security

Female philopatry and male dispersal in a cryptic, bush-dwelling antelope: A combined molecular and behavioural approach

In most mammals, females are philopatric while males disperse in order to avoid inbreeding. We investigated social structure in a solitary ungulate, the bushbuck Tragelaphus sylvaticus in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda by combining behavioural and molecular data. We correlated spatial and social vicinity of individual females with a relatedness score obtained from mitochondrial DNA analysis. Presumed clan members shared the same haplotype, showed more socio-positive interactions and had a common home range. Males had a higher haplotype diversity than females. All this suggests the presence of a matrilineal structure in the study population. Moreover, we tested natal dispersal distances between male and female yearlings and used control region sequences to confirm that females remain in their natal breeding areas whereas males disperse. In microsatellite analysis, males showed a higher genetic variability than females. The impoverished genetic variability of females at both molecular marker sets is consistent with a philopatric and matrilineal structure, while the higher degree of genetic variability of males is congruent with a higher dispersal rate expected in this sex. Evidence even for male long-distance dispersal is brought about by one male carrying a haplotype of a different subspecies, previously not described to occur in this area. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation. © 2009 The Zoological Society of London

Ethnodiagnostic Skills of the Digo Community for Malaria: A Lead to Traditional Bioprospecting

Malaria is a major public health problem that is presently complicated by the development of resistance by Plasmodium falciparum to the mainstay drugs. Thus, new drugs with unique structures and mechanism of action are required to treat drug-resistant strains of malaria. Historically, compounds containing a novel structure from natural origin represent a major source for the discovery and development of new drugs for several diseases. This paper presents ethnophytotherapeutic remedies, ethnodiagnostic skills, and related traditional knowledge utilized by the Digo community of the Kenyan Coast to diagnose malaria as a lead to traditional bioprospecting. The current study was carried out in three Digo villages of Diani sub-location between May 2009 and December 2009. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews, and open and close-ended questionnaires. A total of 60 respondents (34 men and 26 women) provided the targeted information. The results show that the indigenous knowledge of Digo community on malaria encompasses not only the symptoms of malaria but also the factors that are responsible for causing malaria, attributes favoring the breeding of mosquitoes and practices employed to guard against mosquito bites or to protect households against malaria. This knowledge is closely in harmony with scientific approaches to the treatment and control of the disease. The Digo community uses 60 medicinal plants distributed in 52 genera and 27 families to treat malaria. The most frequently mentioned symptoms were fever, joint pains, and vomiting while the most frequently mentioned practices employed to guard against mosquito bites and/or to protect households against malaria was burning of herbal plants such as Ocimum suave and ingestion of herbal decoctions and concoctions. The Digo community has abundant ethnodiagnostic skills for malaria which forms the basis of their traditional bioprospecting techniques