Biotechnological Advances in Methods for Functional Analysis of Genes

This review was written in an attempt to present the reader with a decent spectrum of the available methods for gene function analysis that have been applied in the past decade. Knowledge emanating from the functional analysis of genes has applications in the fields of genetics and genomics, medical diagnostics, the pharmaceutical industry and in plant and animal biotechnology. DNA sequencing provides the primary data for the functional analysis of genes by determining the sequence order of nucleic acid residues of a DNA molecule. Computational tools are then used for characterization of genes, prediction of function, establishing structural and physiochemical properties of proteins, phylogenetic analyses, and performing simulations of the cellular interactions of biomolecules. Gene expression is done to analyse promoter activity, detect RNA transcript levels, monitor protein expression and post-translational modification. The most common purpose of a gene expression study is to find statistically differentially expressed genes. One way to understand the function of a gene is to observe a biological system that lacks that gene. Several techniques have been developed to alter a gene sequence to result in an inactivated gene. The emergence of genome-editing technologies has provided new tools for introducing sequence-specific modifications into genomes. Keywords: Gene function, Mutation, Gene expression, Genome editin

Opportunities and Challenges of Providing Electronic Information Services Through Public Libraries in India

Public demand for library services has not only grown enormously but is also becomingmore diversified. This is due to the widespread acceptance of libraries as central toeducation and research, community development and nation building programmes.Libraries are expected to meet this critical challenge by providing adequate and effective'services to the public. This paper examines the concept of public libraries in general, aswell as the state of public libraries in India in the light of the new and emergingtechnological dispensation. It proceeds to give a detailed account of recommended stepsfor introducing and maintainingelectronicinformation services for public use. Somefledgling real cases involving impressive attempts of delivering much neededinformation services in rural areas, using electronic or "digital" media, are mentioned.Conceivable suggestions for the' way forward affecting public libraries are given, wherever applicable

Recombinants between Deformed wing virus and Varroa destructor virus-1 may prevail in Varroa destructor-infested honeybee colonies

We have used high-throughput Illumina sequencing to identify novel recombinants between deformed wing virus (DWV) and Varroa destructor virus-1 (VDV-1), which accumulate to higher levels than DWV in both honeybees and Varroa destructor mites. The recombinants, VDV-1VVD and VDV-1DVD, exhibit crossovers between the 5’-untranslated region (5’-UTR), and/or the regions encoding the structural (capsid) and non-structural viral proteins. This implies the genomes are modular and that each region may evolve independently, as demonstrated in human enteroviruses. Individual honeybee pupae were infected with a mixture of observed recombinants and DWV. The strong correlation between VDV-1DVD levels in honeybee pupae and the associated mites was observed, suggesting that this recombinant, with a DWV-derived 5’-UTR and non-structural protein region flanking VDV- 1-derived capsid encoding region, is better adapted to transmission between V. destructor and honeybees than the parental DWV or a recombinant bearing the VDV-1-derived 5’-UTR (VDV-1VVD)

Evaluation of university websites targeting english speaking users: A comparative analysis of selected sites in developed and developing countries

The rapid development and increasingly popular usage of the Internet through the World Wide Web (WWW) have offered information professionals a very lucrative opportunity to assert themselves as information gatekeepers and gateways. Through systematic evaluation procedures on information resources such as websites, proper guidance may be offered to targeted end users in order to facilitate much more efficient retrieval of information and hopefully, better utilization of the same. This paper looks at several selected university websites designed in English, all of which were subjected to a uniform set of criteria for the purposes of evaluating the website design and content coverage. Following its classification into developing and developed countries of origin, the data collected was comparatively analysed and subsequent inferences together with recommendations proffered in line with the set objectives

Perceptions of healthcare workers on the human papilloma virus vaccines at selected health facilities in Nairobi, Kenya

Background: Human papilloma virus is a common sexually transmitted viral infection that affects both men and women with an overall prevalence of cytology given as 21.8% for women.Objective: The main objective of the study was to determine the healthcare worker’s perception on the HPV vaccines at Nairobi Women’s Hospital and Mbagathi District Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya.Materials and methods: The study which was carried out in Mbagathi district hospital and Nairobi Women’s hospital was a descriptive cross sectional which utilized both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Self-administered questionnaire was done to 107 participants while key informant interviews were conducted amongst the in-charges of the facilities. Data from the questionnaire was entered into a computer using EXCEL and exported to Social Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for analysis. Comparisons between the two hospitals were done using chi-square (Fishers exact test) for categorical variables. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors influencing perception of healthcare workers on HPV vaccine. The level of statistical significance was 5%. Data from the interviews were manually sorted out based on themes developed from the responses in line with the objectives and are presented verbatim.Results: Health workers at Nairobi Women were 1.3 times more likely to report knowledge that HPV is sexually transmitted compared to their colleagues at Mbagathi (RR = 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.4, p 0.005). 87.7% of health workers in Mbagathi and 97% at Nairobi Women’s recognised that HPV was associated with cervical cancer and there was no significant differences in knowledge of the association between HPV infection and cancer at the two hospitals (RR = 1.1, 95% CI 0.99-1.3). Health workers at Nairobi women’s predominantly reported that HPV causes cancer of the cervix (RR = 5.0, 95% CI 2.9-8.7, p < 0.001). Those at Nairobi women’s were likely to report that HPV predisposes infected individual to cancer of the cervix (RR = 0.1, 95% CI 0.1-0.4, p < 0.001). There were no differences in attitude towards vaccination in terms of recommending HPV to clients (81.8% versus 81.1%) and recommending or receiving vaccine if funding was made available to subsidise HPV vaccine costs (93.9% versus 82.4%).Conclusions and recommendations: The knowledge, perceptions and the practices of health workers relating to HPV are largely dependent upon the sector (private or public), availability of vaccine, policies and not on their level of education and the professional training thereof. There is need to empower healthcare workers in public health facilities by providing information, prioritizing the availability and the acquisition of the vaccines in an attempt to improve their perception and practices.Afr J Health Sci. 2016; 29(1): 69-7

Correlation between Pest Abundance and Prevalence of Honeybee Pathogens at Selected Apiaries in Kenya, 2013/2014

Routine screening for pathogens plays an invaluable role in the detection of diseases in pre-clinical stages and prevention of losses. The present study was part of a larger surveillance effort to identify the determinants of African honeybee health, and particularly, to quantify honeybee pest abundance and to determine the prevalence of pathogens across Kenya, where 161 colonies from 32 apiaries were examined. From each colony, 20 individuals of foragers, nurse bees, worker pupae and drone pupae were sampled separately. These were organized as 30 foragers, 32 nurse bees, 28 worker pupae and 10 drone pupae pools. The pest abundance was determined by counting the number per colony and their occurrence in each apiary was computed by calculating the arithmetic mean values. Honeybee diseases were detected by PCR and the prevalence per apiary was computed. Varroa destructor mites and Aethina tumida were the most abundant pests. There was near universal presence of Varroa and to a smaller extent A. tumida in majority of the locations visited. Overall, Varroa destructor virus 1, deformed wing virus and black queen cell virus were detected with the highest prevalence in the apiaries at 66%, 69% and 69% respectively. Other pathogens detected were Sacbrood virus, Israeli acute paralysis virus, Acute bee paralysis virus and Nosema ceranae at 28%, 22%, 19% and 13% respectively. Spearman Ranked Correlation between the mean pest count and the specific pathogen prevalence revealed an overall positive though non-significant correlation between the pests and most pathogens. The exceptional finding of this study was the identification of a key association between the abundance of A. tumida and Nosema infection, with a statistically significant positive correlation (R = 0.89803; P = 0.01507). Further studies will be required to understand the nature of this association with the aim of unravelling if the A. tumida has a biological role in Nosema transmission. Keywords: Aethina tumida, Nosema, DWV, VDV 1, BQC

Seroprevalence of Dengue virus among febrile patients visiting selected Hospitals in the Western Region of Kenya, 2010/2011

Background: Dengue fever (DF) and Dengue Hemorrhagic fever’s (DHF) lack of an effective vaccine and specific treatment promotes the diseases’ significance as a public health problem leading to increased morbidity and mortality. The disease is caused by any four closely-related, but antigenically distinct, Dengue virus (DENV) serotypes; DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4 transmitted through mosquito vectors, Aedes mosquitoes. Currently, there is scanty information on its incidence and prevalence in populations naturally-exposed to mosquito-borne diseases in western Kenya.Methods: This study was therefore designed to determine the sero-prevalence of DF in patients (n=422, aged>5 years) presenting with fever at three selected health facilities in Kenya; Anderson Medical Centre (in Trans-Nzoia District in Rift Valley Province), and KEMRI/CIPDCR Alupe Clinic and Alupe Sub-district Hospital (in Teso-south District of Western Province). Furthermore, the socio-demographic characteristics associated with potential risk on sero-prevalence of dengue virus were evaluated. Using serum, indirect ELISA was performed as the screening test with Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test (PRNT) as the confirmatory test, while sociodemographic characteristics were evaluated using structured questionnaires. Chi-square tests were used to test for proportionality.Results: Overall, a low sero-prevalence of 1.2% (5/422) was recorded in the two regions. Among the main significant symptoms of classical DF were retro-orbital pain (OR; 7.75, 95% CI; 1.25-48.07, P=0.013), muscle ache (OR; 10.89, 95% CI; 1.20-78.50, P=0.016) and joint pain (OR; 53.47, 95% CI; 1.22-45.32, P=0.009). In addition, walls with cracks (OR; 8.75, 95% CI; 1.43-2.389, P<0.001), place of storage of water vessel (OR; 3.20, 95% CI; 2.78-68.10, P=0.014), burning of charcoal (OR; 0.06, 95% CI; 0.01-0.38, P<0.001) and farming (OR; 8.83, 95% CI; 1.97-79.78, P<0.001) were significantly associated with DENV-2 sero-positivity. The current study identifies additional factors that may predispose to DF in populations naturally-exposed to mosquito-borne diseases.Conclusion: The overall seroprevalence was low but non-zero implying that dengue is not a main cause of febrile illness in these study regions, but it may be a potential hazard to public health.Keywords: sero-prevalence, dengue virus, health facilities, KenyaAfr J Health Sci. 2013; 26:248-27

Assessing feasibility of using Oral Fluid assay as Alternative method in the Detection of Rubella Virus-Specific IgM Antibodies in routine disease surveillance Programme in Kenya

Background: The WHO recommends the inclusion of rubella testing in the measles surveillance system. Laboratory diagnosis of measles and rubella virus infection is achieved by serological assay for specific IgM from a sample of blood drawn by vein puncture. This conventional method of sample collection is invasive and less acceptable. Aim: To assess feasibility of using oral fluid as an alternative method in the detection of rubella-virus specific IgM in routine surveillance of rubella Settings and Design: A prospective laboratory-based cross-sectional study using matched oral fluid and serum collected from emerging outbreaks of rash-like illnesses across Kenya. Methods and Material: Matching samples of 176 patients were investigated for IgM specific antibodies using enzyme linked immunosorbent assays. Statistical analysis used: The kappa (k) statistic was used to measure inter-observer variations. Results: The prevalence of rubella using serum and oral methods was 26.7% and 23.3% respectively. Sensitivity and specificity for rubella IgM in oral fluid when tested against the gold standard was 86% and 93% respectively.  Kappa statistic value was 0.80 suggesting substantial agreement between the two methods. Conclusion: The study showed that oral fluid method is a promising simple alternative, non-invasive and more acceptable specimen of choice for rubella diagnosis. The alternative method will be more applicable to disease surveillance programmes where clinical settings are varied. The advantage of this method of sample collection is ease and safety with minimum requirement for shipment to laboratory. These findings will support the entire disease surveillance system in Kenya and also can have extended use in conducting epidemiological studies. Key words: Oral fluid, serum, diagnosis, surveillance, prevalence, diseases, measles and rubell

Inter-laboratory variability of haemoglobin measurements obtained from selected clinical laboratories in Kenya

Background: Accurate and precise tests results generated by clinical laboratories would assist correct decision making in the diagnosis and management of patients. Quality assurance, which comprises of internal quality control (IQC) and external quality assessment (EQA), is intended to ensure the reliability of the laboratory results.Objectives: To evaluate the inter-laboratory variation of haemoglobin (Hb) measurements.Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study.Subjects: EQA samples with low (A), normal (B) and high (C) Hb concentrationsSetting: A total of 292 clinical laboratories selected from 21 out of 47 Kenyan Counties. Main outcome measures: Mean deviation from the expected mean of the references and coefficient of variation (CV).Results: A total of 68%, 64% and 51% of laboratories gave accurate results for the sample A, B and C respectively. Based on the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA’88) criteria, 61% of laboratories had acceptable performance. Interlaboratory variation of 33.3%, 25.1% and 29.4% for samples A, B and C was recorded irrespective of the analyser a laboratory used. When grouped according to the type of analyser, CV reduced to 5.1% (Haemocontrol) to 41% (Urit) for sample A, 2.2% (Celltac) to 35% (Diaspect) for sample B and 3.4% (Medonic) to 42.6% (Diaspect) for sample C. These differences were statistically significant (p <0.001) across all Hb concentrations.Conclusions: The inter-laboratory variation in Hb measurements resulted from variation in methodologies and types of analysers. Regular participation in External Quality Assessment Schemes (EQAS) is essential in order to achieve inter-laboratory comparability of Hb results

Seroprevalence of Anti-Dengue Virus 2 Serocomplex antibodies in out-patients with fever visiting selected hospitals in rural parts of western Kenya in 2010-2011: A cross sectional study

Introduction: There has been a recent increase in the spread of dengue to rural areas. Rural parts of western kenya are naturally prone to mosquito-borne diseases, however, limited research has been documented on infections with dengue. This study therefore investigated the presence of antibodies against dengue virus 2 (denv-2) in a cross-section of febrile out-patients visiting three selected hospitals to assess the level of exposure and to possibly identify the epidemiologic and clinical factors of seropositive participants. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we administered a questionnaire and used indirect elisa to test for the presence of denv-2 antibodies in febrile outpatients (n=422) visiting three selected hospitals in rural western  kenya. All positive and borderline samples were re-evaluated by plaque reduction neutralization tests (prnt).Results: The prevalence of denv-2 serocomplex antibodies was 8.5% by indirect elisa and 1.2% by prnt. Using bivariable analysis, age (p<0.0001), headache (or, 3.4 (1.6-7.4); p=0.002), retro-orbital pain (or, 3.1  (1.2-7.7); p=0.015), muscle ache (or, 2.6 (1.3-5.2); p= 0.007), jointpain (or, 3.5 (1.7-7.3); p=0.001) and abdominal pain (or, 9.5  (2.44-37.24); p=0.001) were significantly associated with denv-2 seropositivity.Conclusion: This study confirms that there is an existence of dengue virus 2 circulating in regions of western kenya. Age, headache, retro-orbitalpain, muscle ache, joint pain and abdominal pain were associated with increased denv-2 seropositivity