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Institution

Makerere University

EducationKampala, Uganda
About: Makerere University is a education organization based out in Kampala, Uganda. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The organization has 7220 authors who have published 12405 publications receiving 366520 citations. The organization is also known as: Makerere University Kampala & MUK.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is concluded that the pygmy phenotype likely arose due to positive natural selection and that it arose possibly multiple times within Africa, supporting the hypothesis that small body size confers a selective advantage for tropical rainforest hunter-gatherers but raising questions about the antiquity of this behavior.
Abstract: The evolutionary history of the human pygmy phenotype (small body size), a characteristic of African and Southeast Asian rainforest hunter-gatherers, is largely unknown. Here we use a genome-wide admixture mapping analysis to identify 16 genomic regions that are significantly associated with the pygmy phenotype in the Batwa, a rainforest hunter-gatherer population from Uganda (east central Africa). The identified genomic regions have multiple attributes that provide supporting evidence of genuine association with the pygmy phenotype, including enrichments for SNPs previously associated with stature variation in Europeans and for genes with growth hormone receptor and regulation functions. To test adaptive evolutionary hypotheses, we computed the haplotypebased integrated haplotype score (iHS) statistic and the level of population differentiation (FST) between the Batwa and their agricultural neighbors, the Bakiga, for each genomic SNP. Both jiHSj and FST values were significantly higher for SNPs within the Batwa pygmy phenotype-associated regions than the remainder of the genome, a signature of polygenic adaptation. In contrast, when we expanded our analysis to include Baka rainforest hunter-gatherers from Cameroon and Gabon (west central Africa) and Nzebi and Nzime neighboring agriculturalists, we did not observe elevated jiHSj or FST values in these genomic regions. Together, these results suggest adaptive and at least partially convergent origins of the pygmy phenotype even within Africa, supporting the hypothesis that small body size confers a selective advantage for tropical rainforest hunter-gatherers but raising questions about the antiquity of this behavior.

93 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The FilmArray Meningitis/Encephalitis panel offers a promising platform for rapid meningitis diagnosis and differentiated between fungal relapse and paradoxical immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in recurrent episodes.

93 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
09 Dec 2008-PLOS ONE
TL;DR: Formula-feeding was associated with a higher risk of infant mortality than breastfeeding in this rural population and the findings suggest that formula-feeding should be discouraged in similar African settings.
Abstract: Background: Data comparing survival of formula-fed to breast-fed infants in programmatic settings are limited. We compared mortality and HIV-free of breast and formula-fed infants born to HIV-positive mothers in a program in rural, Rakai District Uganda. Methodology/Principal Findings: One hundred eighty two infants born to HIV-positive mothers were followed at one, six and twelve months postpartum. Mothers were given infant-feeding counseling and allowed to make informed choices as to whether to formula-feed or breast-feed. Eligible mothers and infants received antiretroviral therapy (ART) if indicated. Mothers and their newborns received prophylaxis for prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (pMTCT) if they were not receiving ART. Infant HIV infection was detected by PCR (Roche Amplicor 1.5) during the follow-up visits. Kaplan Meier time-to-event methods were used to compare mortality and HIV-free survival. The adjusted hazard ratio (Adjusted HR) of infant HIV-free survival was estimated by Cox regression. Seventy-five infants (41%) were formula-fed while 107 (59%) were breast-fed. Exclusive breast-feeding was practiced by only 25% of breast-feeding women at one month postpartum. The cumulative 12-month probability of infant mortality was 18% (95% CI=11%–29%) among the formula-fed compared to 3% (95% CI=1%–9%) among the breast-fed infants (unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) =6.1(95% CI=1.7–21.4, P-value,0.01). There were no statistically significant differentials in HIV-free survival by feeding choice (86% in the formula-fed compared to 96% in breast-fed group (Adjusted RH=2.8[95%CI=0.67–11.7, P-value=0.16] Conclusions/Significance: Formula-feeding was associated with a higher risk of infant mortality than breastfeeding in this rural population. Our findings suggest that formula-feeding should be discouraged in similar African settings.

93 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Sputum concentration did not increase the sensitivity of light microscopy for TB diagnosis in this HIV-infected population and additional studies using maximal blinding, high-quality direct microscopy, and a rigorous gold standard should be conducted before universally recommending this technique.
Abstract: Sputum concentration increases the sensitivity of smear microscopy for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB), but few studies have investigated this method in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals. We performed a prospective, blinded evaluation of direct and concentrated Ziehl-Neelsen smear microscopy on a single early-morning sputum sample in HIV-infected patients with > 2 weeks of cough hospitalized in Kampala, Uganda. Direct and concentrated smear results were compared with results of Lowenstein-Jensen culture. Of 279 participants, 170 (61%) had culture-confirmed TB. The sensitivity of direct and concentrated smear microscopy was not significantly different (51% vs. 52%, difference 1%, 95% confidence interval (CI): [-7%, 10%], p = 0.88). However, when results of both direct and concentrated smears were considered together, sensitivity was significantly increased compared with either method alone (64%, 95% CI: [56%, 72%], p < 0.01 for both comparisons) and was similar to that of direct smear results from consecutive (spot and early-morning) specimens (64% vs. 63%, difference 1%, 95% CI: [-6%, 8%], p = 0.85). Among 109 patients with negative cultures, one had a positive direct smear and 12 had positive concentrated smears (specificity 99% vs. 89%, difference 10%, 95% CI: [2%, 18%], p = 0.003). Of these 13 patients, 5 (38%) had improved on TB therapy after two months. Sputum concentration did not increase the sensitivity of light microscopy for TB diagnosis in this HIV-infected population. Given the resource requirements for sputum concentration, additional studies using maximal blinding, high-quality direct microscopy, and a rigorous gold standard should be conducted before universally recommending this technique.

93 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this 9 month study of mangabeys in the Kanyawara study area of Kibale National Park, mangabey moved longer distances during the wet season than during the dry season, consistent with the hypothesis that fruit availability is a main factor influencing mangabey ranging patterns.
Abstract: Two opposing hypotheses concerning determinants of mangabey (Cercocebus albigena) ranging patterns have been advocated. One hypothesis suggests that ranging patterns of mangabeys are largely a response to fruit availability, while the other hypothesis advocates that concerns of fruit availability are supplemented or overridden by concerns of fecal contamination and that the risk of parasite infection, especially during dry weather, determines their pattern of range use. In this 9 month study of mangabeys in the Kanyawara study area of Kibale National Park, mangabeys moved longer distances during the wet season than during the dry season. There were no seasonal differences in group spread, number of 50 by 50 m quadrats used, or in quadrat overlap between sequential sample periods. Intensity of quadrat use was closely related to the number of fruiting trees/lianas in the quadrats, irrespective of season. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that fruit availability is a main factor influencing mangabey ranging patterns. The results are not consistent with the hypothesis that mangabey ranging patterns largely reflect differential seasonal risk of parasite infection.

93 citations


Authors

Showing all 7286 results

NameH-indexPapersCitations
Pete Smith1562464138819
Joy E Lawn10833055168
Philip J. Rosenthal10482439175
William M. Lee10146446052
David R. Bangsberg9746339251
Daniel O. Stram9544535983
Richard W. Wrangham9328829564
Colin A. Chapman9249128217
Ronald H. Gray9252934982
Donald Maxwell Parkin8725971469
Larry B. Goldstein8543436840
Paul Gepts7826319745
Maria J. Wawer7735727375
Robert M. Grant7643726835
Jerrold J. Ellner7634717893
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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers from the Institution in previous years
YearPapers
202343
202289
20211,200
20201,120
2019900
2018790