IDENTIFICATION OF SOME PARAMPHISTOMES INFECTING SHEEP IN MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA

The prevalence of paramphislome infection in sheep slaughtered at Maiduguri abattoir, Nigeria was studied. Of the 100 slaughtered sheep examined, 28.0% were infected, with an overall worm burden of 203. Of 39 males, 23.1% were infested with a worn burden of 63, while of the 61 females examined, 31.1% were infested with a worm burden of 140. Also of the 91 adult sheep, 28.6% were infested with a worm burden of 189, while out of the 9 young sheep, 22.2% were infested, with a worm burden of 14. Among breeds, 50 Balami were examined with 32.0% infested, and a worm burden of 112, while of the 49 and 1 Udda and Yankassa sheep examined 24.5% and 0.0% were infested, respectively. However, the differences in the prevalence of paramphistomes between sexes, age groups and breeds of sheep were non significant. Identification of the parampluistomes of sheep based on their size and predilection site showed Paramhistome cervi to inhabit the rumen with a mean size of 8.5 x 3.5 mm, while Gastrothylax cruminefer inhabited also the rumen but of the size 13 x 5 mm. The distribution of paramphistome species based on the sex, age and breed of sheep examined showed that more females were infested with P. cervi (52.6%) than the males (33.3%), while more males were infested with G. crumenifer (66.7%) than the females (47.4%)

The two-phase approximation for black hole collisions: Is it robust?

Recently Abrahams and Cook devised a method of estimating the total radiated energy resulting from collisions of distant black holes by applying Newtonian evolution to the holes up to the point where a common apparent horizon forms around the two black holes and subsequently applying Schwarzschild perturbation techniques . Despite the crudeness of their method, their results for the case of head-on collisions were surprisingly accurate. Here we take advantage of the simple radiated energy formula devised in the close-slow approximation for black hole collisions to test how strongly the Abrahams-Cook result depends on the choice of moment when the method of evolution switches over from Newtonian to general relativistic evolution. We find that their result is robust, not depending strongly on this choice.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Classical and Quantum Gravit

Estimating the uptake of brain imaging and 30-days stroke mortality in Nigeria : a meta-analysis of hospital-based studies

Purpose This study aims to estimate the computed tomography (CT) and Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uptake, stroke subtypes and 30-days case-fatality in Nigeria. Methods Stroke diagnosis and mortality data were identified from relevant databases. A random effect meta-analysis was conducted to obtain the pooled percentage uptake of CT/MRI, including 30-days case fatality and a meta-regression-like epidemiological model was applied on all data points. Findings A total of 24 studies involving 5874 stroke patients conducted in predominantly tertiary referral hospitals met the inclusion criteria. The pooled CT/MRI uptake in the last seven years was 46.66% (95% CI  = 15.35 to 77.98, 8 studies). There were significant variations in the prevalence of stroke subtypes. The pooled prevalence ischemic stroke was highest (55.32%, 95% CI 48.67 to 61.97, 16 studies), followed by intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) (32.69%, 95% CI 25.54 to 39.83, 16 studies), subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) (3.76%, 95% CI 2.30 to 5.22, 14 studies). In addition, the stroke of undetermined aetiology was found to be 16.57% (95% CI, 7.44–25.70, 8 studies). Overall, the 24-h, one-week and 30-days case-fatality from stroke were 10.84% (95% CI, 4.48–17.20), 24.62% (95% CI, 17.20–32.04) and 33.28% (95% CI, 27.80–38.77), respectively. There was a moderate negative correlation between prevalence of brain imaging uptake and ischaemic stroke, albeit not statistically significant (Spearman rho = 0.333, p-value = .412). Conclusion Uptake of CT/MRI procedure for stroke is poor in Nigeria. Although poverty, inaccessibility and influence of major risk factors remain pronounced, scaling up of effective strategies for stroke prevention and management should be a major public health policy priority in Nigeria

A Potential Pollen Proxy for ENSO Derived From the Sajama Ice Core

An annually resolved pollen record spanning a 39-year period ( 1958 - 1996) from the Sajama Ice Cap, located on the western Bolivian Altiplano, reveals significant interannual variations in both pollen concentration and composition. The pollen assemblages within the annual layers are dominated by typical Altiplano taxa, especially Poaceae and Asteraceae. On an annual basis the pollen concentrations are strongly negatively correlated (Pearson\u27s r = - 0.716) with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). Studies from Sajama and other tropical ice caps have shown that during El Nino years, the weather on the Altiplano is decidedly warmer and drier, which enhances ablation on tropical ice caps through increased sublimation. This process results in the concentration of pollen within an annual layer, and thus provides a mechanism to reconstruct past El Nino events, so long as annual resolution is obtainable within the ice core

Prevalence of Nematodes of Domesticated Guinea Fowl in Maiduguri, Nigeria

Abstract:A study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of nematodes of domesticated guinea fowls slaughtered at the Maiduguri central market. Postmortem examinations of 100 samples each of trachea and gastrointestinal tracts revealed an overall prevalence of 90%. Male guinea fowls had a higher prevalence of infection 35.6% compared to the females 64.4% (p >0.05). Parasites identified were Heterakis gallinarum with 20%, Ascaridia galli 6.7%, Subulura brumpti 13.3% Strongyloides avium 11.1% and Capillaria bursata 2.2%. Mixed infections were those by Ascaridia galli and S. avium 15. 6%, H. gallinarum and S. avium 15.6%, H. gallinarum and Subulura brumpti 6.6%, A. galli and H. gallinarum 6.6 % and S. avium and Sub. brumpti and A. galli and Syngamus trachea with 2.2%. These findings indicate that guinea fowls harbor nematodes that are parasitic, and the effect of these parasites on the productivity of the guinea fowls is discussed. Some factors of these parasites are also considered

Prevalence of Strongyle

Gastrointestinal parasitism is one of the major health problems affecting productivity of small ruminants worldwide. A dry season study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of Strongyle ova in goats and their faecal egg counts, as well as to compare different faecal culture methods for larval counts and identification. Out of 200 faecal samples examined, 114 were from male and 86 from female goats. An overall prevalence of 42(21%) for Strongyle ova was observed with a mean EPG of 91.67 + 6.12. The prevalence was higher in the male 26(22.8%) than in female 16(18.6%) with mean EPG of 90.38 ± 7.35 and 93.75 ± 11.06 respectively (p > 0.05). It was also higher in adults 38(22.22%) compared with the young 4(13.79%). All positive goats were of the Sahelian breed. No significant difference (p > 0.05%) was observed between sexes and age but a significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed between breeds. The infection was higher from samples collected in the abattoir 36 (25.35%) compared with 6(18.75%) in Mairi Village and none was positive from the University of Maiduguri Farm. A significant difference (p<0.05) was thus observed between locations. Only Strongyle ova was seen throughout the study and on subjection of the positive samples to larval recovery, Oesophagostomum columbianum was the only larva recovered. The test tube method yielded the highest larval recovery with mean larval count of 9.14 + 0.72 (p<0.05), compared with bottle with no charcoal; bottle with charcoal and Baermann’s techniques.Keywords: Goats, Strongyle ova, Faecal Culture Techniques, Prevalenc

The Effects of Tropical Cyclone-Generated Deposition on the Sustainability of the Pearl River Marsh, Louisiana: The Importance of the Geologic Framework

Shoreline retreat is a tremendously important issue along the coast of the northern Gulf of Mexico, especially in Louisiana. Although this marine transgression results from a variety of causes, the crucial factor is the difference between marsh surface elevation and rising sea levels. In most cases, the primary cause of a marsh's inability to keep up with sea level is the lack of input of inorganic material. Although tropical cyclones provide an important source of such sediment, little effort has been made to determine the point of origin of the deposited material. In this study we use sedimentary, geochemical and biogeochemical data to identify the bed of the Pearl River and/or Lake Borgne as the source of a ~5 cm thick clastic layer deposited on the surface of the Pearl River marsh on the Louisiana/Mississippi border. Radiochemical chronologies and sedimentary evidence indicate that this layer was associated with the passage of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. As this material would otherwise have been lost to the system, this deposition indicates a net gain to marsh surface elevation. Accretion rates, determined from 137Cs and 14C profiles and the use of the Katrina layer as a stratigraphic marker, indicate that short-term (~50 years) rates are as much as an order of magnitude higher than the long- term (1000s of years) rates. We suggest that the marsh's geologic setting in an incised river valley with steep vertical constraints and a large fluvial discharge, promotes rapid accretion rates, with rates accelerating as the sea moves inland, due to extended hydroperiods and the input of clastic material from both the marine and terrestrial sides. These rates are especially large when compared to accretion occurring in the more common open marshes fringing the Gulf that lack fluvial input. The difference is particularly large when related to marsh recovery/regrowth following the deposition of thick hurricane-generated clastic layers. Given the number of similar incised river valleys along the Gulf Coast, we believe that understanding the processes controlling marsh accretion in such environments is essential in evaluating marsh sustainability on a regional basis

Correlation between three assay systems for anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) determination

PURPOSE: Analysis of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is becoming of recognized importance in reproductive medicine, but assays are not standardized. We have evaluated the correlation between the new Gen II ELISA kit (Beckman-Coutler) and the older ELISA kits by Immunotech (IOT) and Diagnostic Systems Laboratories (DSL). METHODS: A total of 56 archived serum samples from patients with subfertility or reproductive endocrine disorders were retrieved and assayed in duplicate using the three AMH ELISA kits . The samples covered a wide range of AMH concentrations (1.9 to 142.5 pmol/L). RESULTS: We observed good correlations between the new (AMH Gen II) and old AMH assay kits by IOT and DSL (R(2) = 0.971 and 0.930 respectively). The regression equations were AMH (Gen II) = 1.353 × AMH (IOT) + 0.051 and AMH (Gen II) = 1.223 × AMH (DSL) – 1.270 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: AMH concentrations using the Gen II kit are slightly higher than those from the IOT and DSL kits. Standardization of assay results worldwide is urgently required but this analysis facilitates the interpretation of values obtained historically and in future studies using any of the 3 assays available. Meanwhile, adapting clinical cut-offs from previously published work by direct conversion is not recommended

Examining CP symmetry in strange baryon decay

Non-conservation of CP symmetry can manifest itself in non-lepton ichyperon decays as a difference in the decay parameter between the strange-baryon decay and its charge conjugate. By comparing the decay distribution in the {Lambda} helicity frame for the decay sequence {Xi}{sup -} {yields} {Lambda}{pi}{sup -}, {Lambda} {yields} p{pi}{sup -} with that of {bar {Xi}}{sup +} decay, E756 at Fermilab did not observe any CP-odd effect at the 10{sup -2} level. The status of a follow-up experiment, HyperCP (FNAL E871), to search for CP violation in charged {Xi}-{Lambda} decay with a sensitivity of 10{sup -4} is also presented