Clues from Darwin

How shall we view our existence when we accept the realization that mankind is not the most important part of the universe? Will the wars that plague us, or the political hierarchies that control us, hold as much significance as they do now? For more than a thousand years, man has had the inkling that perhaps a greater force exists in the universe beside us. By about 520 BC, humans began observing that living organisms changed through the generations to become more suitably adapted to their environment; thus was spawned the idea of evolution. Early theories arose to describe this observed evolution of organisms, with notable contributions from the likes of Aristotle in 350 B.C. He studied marine animals and developed an epigenetic model of evolution. Further contributions, by others, would include systems for the classification of living things and developments in the fields of evolutionary biology and genetics. It wasn’t until Charles Darwin, however, that a viable mechanism for the evolution of living things was described. His theories marked the beginning of an era of scientific discovery, which has brought us to where we are today

Quantity and Composition of Stream Dissolved Organic Matter in the Watershed of Conesus Lake, New York

The watershed of Conesus Lake, New York is drained by more than 18 unique streams and several smaller tributaries and has multiple land uses, varying from highly agricultural to primarily wooded, making the lake an ideal study site for analysis of the effects of land use on various water quality parameters. Previous water quality and watershed-health studies at Conesus Lake have focused on the delivery of inorganic nutrients to the lake. We know much less, however, about the effects of watershed land use on the quantity and composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) exported to the lake. We sought to determine how stream DOM quantity and composition varied with space and time within the watershed during 2011. The concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and inorganic and organic nitrogen and phosphorus were measured seasonally in 7 streams, with a more detailed analysis of water chemistry in 12 streams during the growing season. The composition of DOM entering Conesus Lake was assessed with a suite of optical indices and with fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), a chemometric technique for the decomposition of characteristic fluorescence peaks. A 4-component PARAFAC model showed one allochthonous, humic-like component (C1), one semi-labile component with allochthonous and/or autochthonous origin (C2), and two autochthonous, protein-like components (C3 & C4). We showed seasonality in the composition and quantity of DOM that is consistent with abiotic seasonal controls and principle components analyses (PCA) suggest that agriculturally-dominated streams are associated with increased nitrate and phosphate, a greater proportion of protein-like PARAFAC components (C3 & C4), and that the DOM tends to be less humified. These results imply that a) seasonal controls on DOM govern the abundance of protein-like DOM and can alter the quantity of bulk DOM, b) agricultural land use may augment autochthonous production in a stream, particularly in the spring and summer, thus creating a more labile pool of DOM that is exported to the lake, and c) stream order can alter DOM quantity and composition, possibly through instream processing and variations in light availability

Seroprevalence of Influenza A Virus in Dromedaries in North-Western Nigeria

Although influenza A virus is endemic in wild waterfowl, domestic poultry, swine, humans, bats, cetaceans, dogs, and horses, there is a paucity of data on the potential role of camels in zoonotic transmission of the virus. To estimate the seroprevalence of the influenza A virus in camel populations, four local government areas of Nigeria that share an international border with the Niger Republic were selected. Blood samples from 184 one-hump camels (dromedaries) were collected and tested for influenza IgG antigen by ELISA. Each camel’s demographic variable, such as age, gender, location, production system, and usage, was recorded. The overall seroprevalence rate of influenza virus IgG in this study was 10.33% (95%CI: 6.33–15.66%). In the bivariate model, there was no significant difference in gender, age, site location and production system, except for usage. There was a significantly lower seroprevalence rate among camels used for labour (odds ratio (OR) = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.10–0.97) than those used for meat consumption; however, not after adjusting for other variables in the model. Increase surveillance through early detection, prediction, and risk assessment of pathogens in animal reservoirs and environmental contamination as One Health strategies to reduce potential human spillover is recommended. Molecular epidemiology studies could better elucidate the role of camels in the dynamics of disease transmission pathways

Trends in Levels of Allochthonous Dissolved Organic Carbon in Natural Water: A Review of Potential Mechanisms under a Changing Climate

Over the past several decades, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in inland natural water systems has been a popular research topic to a variety of scientific disciplines. Part of the attention has been due to observed changes in DOC concentrations in many of the water systems of the Northern Hemisphere. Shifts in DOC levels, and changes in its composition, are of concern due to its significance in aquatic ecosystem functioning and its potential and realized negative effects on waters that might be treated for drinking purposes. While it may not be possible to establish sound cause and effect relationships using a limited number of drivers, through long-term DOC monitoring studies and a variety of laboratory/field experiments, several explanations for increasing DOC trends have been proposed, including two key mechanisms: decreased atmospheric acid deposition and the increasing impact of climate change agents. The purpose of this review is three-fold: to outline frequently discussed conceptual mechanisms used to explain DOC increases (especially under a changing climate), to discuss the structure of DOC and the impact of higher levels of DOC on drinking water resources, and to provide renewed/sustained interest in DOC research that can encourage interdisciplinary collaboration. Understanding the cycling of carbon from terrestrial ecosystems into natural waters is necessary in the face of a variable and changing climate, as climate change-related mechanisms may become increasingly responsible for variations in the inputs of allochthonous DOC concentrations in water

Seroprevalence of Influenza A Virus in Dromedaries in North-Western Nigeria

Although influenza A virus is endemic in wild waterfowl, domestic poultry, swine, humans, bats, cetaceans, dogs, and horses, there is a paucity of data on the potential role of camels in zoonotic transmission of the virus. To estimate the seroprevalence of the influenza A virus in camel populations, four local government areas of Nigeria that share an international border with the Niger Republic were selected. Blood samples from 184 one-hump camels (dromedaries) were collected and tested for influenza IgG antigen by ELISA. Each camel’s demographic variable, such as age, gender, location, production system, and usage, was recorded. The overall seroprevalence rate of influenza virus IgG in this study was 10.33% (95%CI: 6.33–15.66%). In the bivariate model, there was no significant difference in gender, age, site location and production system, except for usage. There was a significantly lower seroprevalence rate among camels used for labour (odds ratio (OR) = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.10–0.97) than those used for meat consumption; however, not after adjusting for other variables in the model. Increase surveillance through early detection, prediction, and risk assessment of pathogens in animal reservoirs and environmental contamination as One Health strategies to reduce potential human spillover is recommended. Molecular epidemiology studies could better elucidate the role of camels in the dynamics of disease transmission pathways

Seroprevalence of Influenza A Virus in Dromedaries in North-Western Nigeria

Although influenza A virus is endemic in wild waterfowl, domestic poultry, swine, humans, bats, cetaceans, dogs, and horses, there is a paucity of data on the potential role of camels in zoonotic transmission of the virus. To estimate the seroprevalence of the influenza A virus in camel populations, four local government areas of Nigeria that share an international border with the Niger Republic were selected. Blood samples from 184 one-hump camels (dromedaries) were collected and tested for influenza IgG antigen by ELISA. Each camel’s demographic variable, such as age, gender, location, production system, and usage, was recorded. The overall seroprevalence rate of influenza virus IgG in this study was 10.33% (95%CI: 6.33–15.66%). In the bivariate model, there was no significant difference in gender, age, site location and production system, except for usage. There was a significantly lower seroprevalence rate among camels used for labour (odds ratio (OR) = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.10–0.97) than those used for meat consumption; however, not after adjusting for other variables in the model. Increase surveillance through early detection, prediction, and risk assessment of pathogens in animal reservoirs and environmental contamination as One Health strategies to reduce potential human spillover is recommended. Molecular epidemiology studies could better elucidate the role of camels in the dynamics of disease transmission pathways