Ground scintillometric investigations of parts of Kerri-Kerri formation, south – west Gombe, north - eastern Nigeria

A ground scintillometric survey was carried out in the south - western part of the Kerri - Kerri Formation to identify areas of more prominent radioactive anomalies for further detailed spectrometric investigation. The total count rates recorded were generally higher in the south – western part of the study area. Analysis of the reduced data reveals the threshold activity value for the study area is 27.5 cps. Activities of more than twice the mode that will be of significance in terms of mineralization is 40 cps observed in the area north east of Tumu village with occurrence of granitic feldspar. The cosmic ray contribution to the ground activity measured in the field and used for the background correction is 4 cps. Detailed ground spectrometric investigation should be carried out in the area north – east of Tumu village to determine the radiometric mineralization potentials of the area and confirm if the radiation is due to the rocks or soil of the area.KEYWORDS: Scintillometric, Total count rates, Background correction, Threshold activity, Mineralization

Salicylic acid and hydrogen peroxide accumulation in relation to hydrolyte leakage in barley plants challenged with Cochliobolus sativus

Spot blotch (SB) caused by the hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Cochliobolus sativus is a destructive disease of barley worldwide. To better understand the mechanisms of resistance to this disease, the involvements of salicylic acid (SA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and ion fluxes during the interaction between resistant and susceptible barley seedlings and C. sativus were investigated. Early SA accumulation in leaf tissues was accompanied with an increase in H2O2 concentration in both compatible and incompatible interactions. The resistant cultivar constitutively contained higher levels of H2O2 and SA, as well as during the 72 h as compared with the un-infected control (0 h). However, levels increased rapidly upon infection in both cultivars. Moreover, a markedly greater increase in ion fluxes from the compatible material compared with the incompatible one was observed. Results suggest that SA and H2O2 accumulation are important during both compatible and incompatible barley- C. sativus interactions

Novel antagonistic bacteria as prospective agents for the biocontrol of some plant bacterial diseases

Biological control of plant pathogenic bacteria is the latest method and alternative tool to application of chemicals in order to exclude or reduce the effect of pathogens. During the last four decades efforts have been continued to improve biological control agents as commercial products for use in disease control (Baker and Cook (1974), Cook and Baker (1983), Cook (1993). The effectivity of biological control agents on numerous plant-pathogen combinations was demonstrated by several authors (Tzeng et al.(1994), Nishioka et al. (1997), Biró et al.(1998), and Vanneste (2000), Production of antimicrobial metabolites by selected antagonists was also confirmed by Amellal et al. (1998) and Vanneste, (2000). Kearn and Hale (1995) demonstrated persistance and establishment of antagonists in its orginal host apple plant. Reduction of fire blight disease severity by antagonistic bacteria was demonstrated by Vanneste,(1996, 2000). Bacillus subtilis is well known as biocontrol agent in soil conditions (Bochow, 1992). Pantoea agglomerans is an epiphytic as well as a soil inhabitants too Brenner (1983) and Vanneste (2000) The strategy of this study has been to find antagonists against different types of diseases in economically important crops such as fire blight caused by Erwinia amylovora in pomaceous species Hevesi (1996) and Németh, (1999), bacterial spots diseases caused by Xanthomonas vesicatoria strains in pepper and tomato and bacterial canker caused by Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis in tomato in order to reduce the losses caused by these diseases Klement 1959 (in. Ubrizsy,1965). (...

Assessment of six mortality prediction models in patients admitted with severe sepsis and septic shock to the intensive care unit: a prospective cohort study

INTRODUCTION: We conducted the present study to assess the validity of mortality prediction systems in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with severe sepsis and septic shock. We included Acute Physiology and Health Evaluation (APACHE) II, Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II, Mortality Probability Model (MPM) II(0 )and MPM II(24 )in our evaluation. In addition, SAPS II and MPM II(24 )were customized for septic patients in a previous study, and the customized versions were included in this evaluation. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This cohort, prospective, observational study was conducted in a tertiary care medical/surgical ICU. Consecutive patients meeting the diagnostic criteria for severe sepsis and septic shock during the first 24 hours of ICU admission between March 1999 and August 2001 were included. The data necessary for mortality prediction were collected prospectively as part of the ongoing ICU database. Predicted and actual mortality rates, and standardized mortality ratio were calculated. Calibration was assessed using Lemeshow–Hosmer goodness of fit C-statistic. Discrimination was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: The overall mortality prediction was adequate for all six systems because none of the standardized mortality ratios differed significantly from 1. Calibration was inadequate for APACHE II, SAPS II, MPM II(0 )and MPM II(24). However, the customized version of SAPS II exhibited significantly improved calibration (C-statistic for SAPS II 23.6 [P = 0.003] and for customized SAPS II 11.5 [P = 0.18]). Discrimination was best for customized MPM II(24 )(area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.826), followed by MPM II(24 )and customized SAPS II. CONCLUSION: Although general ICU mortality system models had accurate overall mortality prediction, they had poor calibration. Customization of SAPS II and, to a lesser extent, MPM II(24 )improved calibration. The customized model may be a useful tool when evaluating outcomes in patients with sepsis

Rhizobacteria-mediated Induced Resistance in Barley against Cochliobolus sativus under Field Conditions

The effect of four rhizobacterial strains on the severity of spot blotch disease caused by cochliobolus sativus was evaluated for two growing seasons under rainfed conditions. Three barley genotypes were used as host plant. All strains reduced C. sativus severity, with effect more pronounced when Pseudomonas putida BTP1 and Bacillus subtilis Bs2508 were used. The disease reduction was up to 56% in Arabi Abiad / P. putida BTP1. The grain yield was not obviously affected by the presence of the rhizobacteria, except some signifitive increase in season 2. Raising the resistance by soaking seed with rhizobacterial strains might be of ultimate value in agriculture