The National Research Repository of Uganda - NRU
Welcome to the National Research Repository of Uganda, abbreviated as "NRU". NRU was established in 2021. NRU is a collection of scholarly output by researchers from the UNCST Community, including scholarly articles and books, electronic theses and dissertations, conference proceedings, journals, technical reports and digitised library collections. It is the official Institutional Archive (IA) of UNCST.
Copyright Information:
For information about the publishers' copyright policy on archiving your articles online or in an institutional archive, visit the Sherpa Site at http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo.php The site gives a summary of the permissions normally given as part of each publisher's copyright transfer agreement. If you wish to publish your research findings in the NRU, please contact NRU administrator at admin@uncst.go.ug for details. NRU operates both open access and closed access models. Access to fulltext has been restricted in adherence to the UNCST Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Copyrights policies.
Other Useful Resources:
Africa Portal is an online repository of open access library collection with over 3,000 books, journals, and digital documents on African policy issues. This is an initiative by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Makerere University (MAK), and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). Please visit the Africa Portal at http://www.africaportal.org/library.
Communities in NRU
Select a community to browse its collections.
- This community contains Open Access Books and Book Abstracts
- This community contains Ugandan Conference proceedings
- This community contains consolidated Ugandan Institutional Annual Research Reports on a broad range of subjects
- This community contains approved and running institutional repository policies from different research institutions
- This community contains Open access peer reviewed publications about Uganda and from Ugandan Researchers. The community has been classified to thematic research sub communities of Agricultural Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Humanities, Medical and Health Sciences, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences.
Recent Submissions
Research involvement among undergraduate health profession students in a resource‑limited setting: awareness, attitude, motivators and barriers
(BMC Medical Education, 2022) Kiyimba, Blaise; Atulinda, Linda; Nalunkuma, Racheal; Asasira, Ignatius; Kabunga, Jonathan; Banturaki, Davis; Nabyonga, Anastacia S.; Nakiganda, Rachel; Ndyabawe, Rachael; Nkalubo, Jonathan; Ssewante, Nelson; Bongomin, Felix; Bakeera‑Kitaka, Sabrina
Involvement of undergraduate health professions students (HPS) in research will facilitate evidencebased clinical practice among future healthcare practitioners. This study aimed to assess research involvement among undergraduate HPS students and associated factors in Uganda. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online assessment tool sent through WhatsApp groups and E-mail addresses of HPS in 12 medical schools in Uganda between 20th September and 5th October 2021. Results: We enrolled 398 participants with a mean age of 23.9 ± 3.7 years. Of this, 267 (67.1%) were male. One hundred twenty (30.2%) participants previously participated in a research activity: 90 (58.4%) as research assistants, 39 (25.3%) published as first authors, and 25 (16.2%) as co-authors. Training on the conduct of research was received by 242 (65.8%) participants, and 326 (81.9%) had intentions of conducting research in the future. Factors influencing participation in research activities were, age ≥ 25 years (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.9, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.2–3.2, p = 0.012), being male (aOR: 2.1, 95%CI: 1.2–3.6, p = 0.008), and being in a clinical year i.e., year 3 (aOR: 3.2, 95% CI: 1.1–9.3, p = 0.033), year 4 (aOR: 3.3, 95% CI: 1.1–9.5, p = 0.028) and year 5(aOR: 11.6, 95% CI: 3.2–42.1, p < 0.001). Lack of funds (79.6%), and mentorship (63.3%) were reported as major barriers to research. Conclusions: Despite a high proportion of HPS showing interest in getting involved in research, less than one-third reported previous involvement. Addressing barriers such as funding could potentially improve research involvement and output among undergraduate HPS in resource-limited settings.
Knowledge on Infection Prevention and Control and associated factors among undergraduate health professional students at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Uganda
(PLoS ONE, 2021) Nalunkuma, Racheal; Nkalubo, Jonathan; Abila, Derrick B.
To practice adequate Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures, health professional students need to have adequate knowledge of IPC. In this study, we assessed the knowledge
of health professional students at Makerere University College of Health Sciences on Infection Prevention and Control. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional online survey among health professional students studying at Makerere University College of Health Sciences located in Kampala, Uganda. An adapted questionnaire was used to measure knowledge on Infection Prevention and Control among students. Results A total of 202 health professional students were included in the study. The mean age was 24.43 years. Majority were male 63.37% (n = 128), from the school of medicine 70.79% (n = 143) and used one source of information for IPC 49.50% (n = 100). Being in year three (Adjusted coefficient, 6.08; 95% CI, 2.04–10.13; p-value = 0.003), year four (Adjusted coefficient, 10.87; 95% CI, 6.91–14.84; p < 0.001) and year five (Adjusted coefficient, 8.61; 95% CI, 4.45–12.78; p < 0.001) were associated with a higher mean in total percentage score of knowledge on IPC compared to being in year one. Conclusion IPC knowledge was good among health professional students in Makerere University although more emphasis is needed to improve on their IPC knowledge in various sections
Widespread Pyrethroid and DDT Resistance in the Major Malaria Vector Anopheles funestus in East Africa Is Driven by Metabolic Resistance Mechanisms
(PloS one, 2014) Mulamba, Charles; Riveron, Jacob M.; Ibrahim, Sulaiman S.; Irving, Helen; Barnes, Kayla G.; Mukwaya, L. G.; Birungi, Josephine; Wondji, Charles S.
Establishing the extent, geographical distribution and mechanisms of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors is a prerequisite for resistance management. Here, we report a widespread distribution of insecticide resistance in the major malaria vector An. funestus across Uganda and western Kenya under the control of metabolic resistance mechanisms.
Methodology/Principal Findings Female An. funestus collected throughout Uganda and western Kenya exhibited a Plasmodium infection rate between 4.2 to 10.4%. Widespread resistance against both type I (permethrin) and II (deltamethrin) pyrethroids and DDT was observed across Uganda and western Kenya. All populations remain highly susceptible to carbamate, organophosphate and dieldrin insecticides. Knockdown resistance plays no role in the pyrethroid and DDT resistance as no kdr mutation associated with resistance was detected despite the presence of a F1021C replacement. Additionally, no signature of selection was observed on the sodium channel gene. Synergist assays and qRT-PCR indicated that metabolic resistance plays a major role notably through elevated expression of cytochrome P450s. DDT resistance mechanisms differ from West Africa as the L119F-GSTe2 mutation only explains a small proportion of the genetic variance to DDT resistance. Conclusion The extensive distribution of pyrethroid and DDT resistance in East African An. funestus populations represents a challenge to the control of this vector. However, the observed carbamate and organophosphate susceptibility offers alternative solutions for resistance management.
Variation in morphological characters of adults of the Aedes (Stegomyia) simpsoni complex from Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa (Diptera: Culicidae)
(Mosquito Systematics, 1994) Lutwama, Julius J.; Mukwaya, L. G.
Examination of adult Aedes simpsoni (Theobald) s.Z. from locations in Uganda and Kenya showed more variation than reported previously. Four patterns of white banding on the midtarsomeres were identified, and they occurred in varying frequencies in samples from different locations. The length of the tarsal bands was distributed continuously within samples from different locations and was variable among progeny of single mothers. This character therefore is not diagnostic of species in the complex. Midtarsomeres 1 and 2 have longer white bands in the majority of males and females of anthropophilic populations in Kenya and Uganda, but there is considerable overlap between the anthropophilic and nonanthropophilic biotypes. A few females in some samples did not bear a tooth on all claws of the fore- or midlegs. Twelve patterns of scutal lines occurred in varying frequencies in samples from different locations. A scutal pattern with long inner lines and short outer lines was most common, with an average occurrence of 5 1.2% in females and 32.2% in males. An H-pattern of scutal lines was more frequent in males (42.1%) than in females (12.10/o), indicating a sex association. Three tergal banding patterns were defined. We conclude that the nominotypical Ae. simpsoni in southern Africa is a distinct species different from the
more widespread Ae. Zilii (Theobald) in tropical Africa. Aedes bromeliae (Theobald) cannot be distinguished from the latter based on characters presently described as diagnostic.
The role of olfaction in host preference by Aedes (Stegomyia) simpsoni and Ae.aegypti
(Physiological Entomology, 1976) Mukwaya, L. G.
Host preference in females of the mosquitoes Aedes simpsoni (Theo.) and Aedes aegypti (L) appears to be based largely on responses to specific odours at short range, with the site of olfaction being the antennae. In blank Y‐olfactometer tests, 48 % of an anthropophilic (llobi) strain of Ae. aegypti responded to one arm and 52% to the other. However, presented with a man's hand in one arm of the olfacto‐meter and a whole rat, Arvicanthis niloticus, in the other, 65% responded to man and 35% to the rat. With the same strain in a blank Gouck's type of olfactometer, the response was very poor, only 1 % of the mosquitoes in the olfactometer responded at all, again with no preference for either side. On the introduction of the same hosts into the Gouck's olfactometer, the total response was c. 31 %, of which 72 % responded to man and 28 % to the rat. Elimination of some visual cues affected neither the total response nor the preference. Removing one antenna, reduced the preference for man from about 70 % in the normal mosquitoes to about 58%. The total response remained approximately the same as in the normal mosquitoes. Removing both antennae, in both Ae. aegypti and Ae. simpsoni, caused a sharp depression in the total response and in host discrimination.