Reaction of Pearl Millet Infected with Downy Mildew (Sclerospora Graminicola (Sacc.) Schroet) Intercropped Cowpea with on Days to 50% Heading and Grain Yield in the Savanna Zone of Northern Nigeria

Field trials were carried out at the Teaching and Research farm of Kano University of Science and Technology Wudil with three pearl millet varieties in 2003, 2004 and 2005 rainy seasons to find out the reaction of cowpea intercropped with pearl millet infected with downy mildew on days to 50% heading and grain yield. The experiment was a 3 x 2 factorial in randomized blocks of six plots with three pearl millet varieties (LCIC 9702, Ex-Borno and Zango) and each variety was intercropped with a cowpea and planted sole making six treatments. Data collected on days to 50% heading and grain yield were subjected to T-test for the separation of means of sole and intercropped to bring out the differences between them at 1% and 5% levels of significance. Results showed that intercropped LCIC pearl millet variety had significantly (P≤0.05) more days to 50% heading than other varieties either planted sole or intercropped in 2004. Similarly, from the combined result, it showed that intercropped LCIC pearl millet variety had significantly (P≤0.05) more days to 50% heading than other varieties either solely planted or intercropped. Maximum grain yield was however obtained from sole Zango and intercropped LCIC 9702 pearl millet varieties. Combined result shows only intercropped LCIC 9702 had significantly (P≤0.05) maximum grain yield than other pearl millet varieties. It is imperative to grow sole LCIC 9702 pearl millet variety than intercropped with cowpea for less number of days to 50% heading. But for maximum grain yield, it is advisable to grow sole Zango and intercrop LCIC 9702 with cowpea.&#160

Phaeochromocytoma in a 4-year old girl: case report

This is a report of a 4-year old female Nigerian patient with phaeochromocytoma, a rare surgically correctable cause of hypertension, highlighting the problems in diagnosis and management in our sub region with review of the literature

Microenvironmental immune cell alterations across the spectrum of nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma and T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND: The clinicopathological spectrum of nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL), also known as nodular lymphocyte predominant B-cell lymphoma, partially overlaps with T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma (THRLCBL). NLPHL histology may vary in architecture and B-cell/T-cell composition of the tumour microenvironment. However, the immune cell phenotypes accompanying different histological patterns remain poorly characterised. METHODS: We applied a multiplexed immunofluorescence workflow to identify differential expansion/depletion of multiple microenvironmental immune cell phenotypes between cases of NLPHL showing different histological patterns (as described by Fan et al, 2003) and cases of THRLBCL. RESULTS: FOXP3-expressing T-regulatory cells were conspicuously depleted across all NLPHL cases. As histology progressed to variant Fan patterns C and E of NLPHL and to THRLBCL, there were progressive expansions of cytotoxic granzyme-B-expressing natural killer and CD8-positive T-cells, PD1-expressing CD8-positive T-cells, and CD163-positive macrophages including a PDL1-expressing subset. These occurred in parallel to depletion of NKG2A-expressing natural killer and CD8-positive T-cells. DISCUSSION: These findings provide new insights on the immunoregulatory mechanisms involved in NLPHL and THLRBCL pathogenesis, and are supportive of an increasingly proposed biological continuum between these two lymphomas. Additionally, the findings may help establish new biomarkers of high-risk disease, which could support a novel therapeutic program of immune checkpoint interruption targeting the PD1:PDL1 and/or NKG2A:HLA-E axes in the management of high-risk NLPHL and THRLBCL

Relationship between fibroblastic foci profusion and high resolution CT morphology in fibrotic lung disease

Background Fibroblastic foci profusion on histopathology and severity of traction bronchiectasis on highresolution computed tomography (HRCT) have been shown to be predictors of mortality in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between fibroblastic foci (FF) profusion and HRCT patterns in patients with a histopathologic diagnosis of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), fibrotic non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) and chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (CHP). Methods The HRCT scans of 162 patients with a histopathologic diagnosis of UIP or fibrotic NSIP (n = 162) were scored on extent of groundglass opacification, reticulation, honeycombing, emphysema and severity of traction bronchiectasis. For each patient, a fibroblastic foci profusion score based on histopathologic appearances was assigned. Relationships between extent of fibroblastic foci and individual HRCT patterns were investigated using univariate correlation analysis and multivariate linear regression. Results Increasing extent of reticulation (P < 0.0001) and increasing severity of traction bronchiectasis (P < 0.0001) were independently associated with increasing FF score within the entire cohort. Within individual multidisciplinary team diagnosis subgroups, the only significant independent association with FF score was severity of traction bronchiectasis in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)/UIP (n = 66, r2 = 0.19, P < 0.0001) and patients with chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (CHP) (n = 49, r2 = 0.45, P < 0.0001). Furthermore, FF score had the strongest association with severity of traction bronchiectasis in patients with IPF (r2 = 0.34, P < 0.0001) and CHP (r2 = 0.35, P < 0.0001). There was no correlation between FF score and severity of traction bronchiectasis in patients with fibrotic NSIP. Global disease extent had the strongest association with severity of traction bronchiectasis in patients with fibrotic NSIP (r2 = 0.58, P < 0.0001). Conclusion In patients with fibrotic lung disease, profusion of fibroblastic foci is strikingly related to the severity of traction bronchiectasis, particularly in IPF and CHP. This may explain the growing evidence that traction bronchiectasis is a predictor of mortality in several fibrotic lung diseases

Diffuse Pulmonary Ossification in Fibrosing Interstitial Lung Diseases: Prevalence and Associations

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of diffuse pulmonary ossification (DPO) in patients with fibrosing interstitial lung disease (ILD) and determine whether there are differences among the types of ILDs. // Materials and Methods: Institutional review board approval was given and patient consent was not required for this study. The study population comprised 892 consecutive patients with fibrosing ILD, including 456 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) (men, 366; women, 90; median age, 72 years [range, 38–93 years]), 244 with nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (men, 79; women, 165; median age, 60.5 years [range, 23–86 years]), and 192 with chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (men, 76; women, 116; median age, 66 years [range, 35–88 years]). Pulmonary ossifications were recorded when nodules (<4 mm diameter) were identified on bone window images (width, 2500 HU; level, 500 HU). DPO was defined as 10 or more bilateral nodular ossifications (definition 1) or as one or more lobes with five or more bilateral nodular ossifications (definition 2). Relationships among pulmonary ossification and parenchymal patterns, clinical parameters, and multidisciplinary team diagnoses were examined. The prevalence of DPO was compared with the χ2 statistic or Fisher exact test, and multivariate analysis was performed with logistic regression. // Results: In the whole population, the prevalence of DPO was 166 (18.6%) and 106 (11.9%) of 892 patients according to definitions 1 and 2, respectively. The prevalence of DPO (definition 1) was significantly higher in patients with IPF (28.5%) than in those without IPF (8.3%, P < .001). Nine of 192 (4.7%) had chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (P < .001), and 27 of 244 (11.1%) had nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (P < .001). At multivariate analysis, DPO according to definition 1 was an independent predictor of IPF diagnosis (P < .001) and male sex (P = .003). Coarseness of fibrosing ILD (P = .011) and IPF diagnosis (P = .016) were independently associated with pulmonary ossification profusion. // Conclusion: DPO is common in patients with fibrosing ILD and is significantly more prevalent in patients with IPF than in those with other fibrosing ILDs, and thus, computed tomographic signs of DPO may be helpful for diagnosis of IPF

Diagnostic criteria for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a Fleischner Society White Paper.

This Review provides an updated approach to the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), based on a systematic search of the medical literature and the expert opinion of members of the Fleischner Society. A checklist is provided for the clinical evaluation of patients with suspected usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). The role of CT is expanded to permit diagnosis of IPF without surgical lung biopsy in select cases when CT shows a probable UIP pattern. Additional investigations, including surgical lung biopsy, should be considered in patients with either clinical or CT findings that are indeterminate for IPF. A multidisciplinary approach is particularly important when deciding to perform additional diagnostic assessments, integrating biopsy results with clinical and CT features, and establishing a working diagnosis of IPF if lung tissue is not available. A working diagnosis of IPF should be reviewed at regular intervals since the diagnosis might change. Criteria are presented to establish confident and working diagnoses of IPF

Genome-wide signatures of convergent evolution in echolocating mammals

Evolution is typically thought to proceed through divergence of genes, proteins, and ultimately phenotypes(1-3). However, similar traits might also evolve convergently in unrelated taxa due to similar selection pressures(4,5). Adaptive phenotypic convergence is widespread in nature, and recent results from a handful of genes have suggested that this phenomenon is powerful enough to also drive recurrent evolution at the sequence level(6-9). Where homoplasious substitutions do occur these have long been considered the result of neutral processes. However, recent studies have demonstrated that adaptive convergent sequence evolution can be detected in vertebrates using statistical methods that model parallel evolution(9,10) although the extent to which sequence convergence between genera occurs across genomes is unknown. Here we analyse genomic sequence data in mammals that have independently evolved echolocation and show for the first time that convergence is not a rare process restricted to a handful of loci but is instead widespread, continuously distributed and commonly driven by natural selection acting on a small number of sites per locus. Systematic analyses of convergent sequence evolution in 805,053 amino acids within 2,326 orthologous coding gene sequences compared across 22 mammals (including four new bat genomes) revealed signatures consistent with convergence in nearly 200 loci. Strong and significant support for convergence among bats and the dolphin was seen in numerous genes linked to hearing or deafness, consistent with an involvement in echolocation. Surprisingly we also found convergence in many genes linked to vision: the convergent signal of many sensory genes was robustly correlated with the strength of natural selection. This first attempt to detect genome-wide convergent sequence evolution across divergent taxa reveals the phenomenon to be much more pervasive than previously recognised

A short-term in situ CO2 enrichment experiment on Heron Island (GBR)

Ocean acidification poses multiple challenges for coral reefs on molecular to ecological scales, yet previous experimental studies of the impact of projected CO2 concentrations have mostly been done in aquarium systems with corals removed from their natural ecosystem and placed under artificial light and seawater conditions. The Coral–Proto Free Ocean Carbon Enrichment System (CP-FOCE) uses a network of sensors to monitor conditions within each flume and maintain experimental pH as an offset from environmental pH using feedback control on the injection of low pH seawater. Carbonate chemistry conditions maintained in the −0.06 and −0.22 pH offset treatments were significantly different than environmental conditions. The results from this short-term experiment suggest that the CP-FOCE is an important new experimental system to study in situ impacts of ocean acidification on coral reef ecosystems