Gari agar as culture media for mycological studies

Gari agar was prepared by weighing 28 g of Gari, 14 g of agar powder and 8 g of Hibiscus rabdariffa powder to 1 L of sterile water. A conventional media, Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) was prepared as control according to manufacturer’s procedure. Aliquot of appropriate dilutions of 1 g of agricultural soil was inoculated onto SDA and Gari agar by pour plate technique and spread plate technique. After 2 days and 4 days of inoculation, the growth of moulds was examined. Fungal colonies on Gari agar were very healthy and compared favourably with fungal growth on Sabouraud dextrose agar which is a conventional medium. Gari agar produced healthy moulds as determined by diameter of growth. Furthermore, conventional media (SDA) supported the growth of bacteria while Gari agar inhibited the growth of bacteria and promoted that of fungi. Cassava can be successfully grown in poor soils with low labour requirement, low capital and ease of cultivation. Gari extract agar can now be used successfully for quantitative count of moulds. The result of this study will go a long way in solving the problem of high cost of conventional media used as culture media for mycological studies.Keywords: Gari agar, Hibiscus rabdariffa, Sabouraud Dextrose agar, quantitative count, moulds, cassava

Antimicrobial activity of the leaf extracts of Moringa oleifera and Jatropha curcas on pathogenic bacteria

This study evaluates the antimicrobial activity of the leaf extracts of Moringa oleifera and Jatropha curcas against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Different concentrations of the extracts were subjected to these organisms in which Moringa oleifera showed a higher zone of inhibition on Staphylococcus aureus (2.8 cm) while on E. coli (2.4 cm) while Jatropha curcas showed a higher zone of inhibition on E. coli (2.6 cm) while on S. aureus (1.80 cm). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Moringa oleifera extract on E. coli and S. aureus were 0.250 mg/ml and 0.125 mg/ml respectively while MIC of Jatropha curcas extract on test organisms was 0.125 mg/ml. The quantitative phytochemical screening in g/kg revealed the presence of flavonoid 36 and 21, alkaloids 92 and 39, tannins 7.4 and 5.6, saponins 115.0 and 53.5, cyanogenic glycosides 8.4 and 14.5 for M. oleifera and J. curcas respectively. The observed  antimicrobial properties could be due to the presence of these bioactive compounds and further substantiates the use of Moringa oleifera and Jatropha curcas leaf extracts in medicine. The extracts in correct doses can successfully be used in vivo to inhibit and eventually kill the test bacteria used in this study. © 2013 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Moringa oleifera, Jatropha curcas, phytochemicals, bacteria, antimicrobial

Surgical Treatment of Mammary Gland Tumor in A 6 Year Old Pekingese Bitch in Gwagwalada, Abuja – A Case Report

Nigerian Veterinary Journal, Vol. 32(3): 2011; 243 - 24

Quantum Yield Calculations for Strongly Absorbing Chromophores

This article demonstrates that a commonly-made assumption in quantum yield calculations may produce errors of up to 25% in extreme cases and can be corrected by a simple modification to the analysis.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures. Accepted by Journal of Fluorescenc

The impact of diabetes on multiple avoidable admissions: a cross-sectional study

Background Multiple admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) are responsible for an important proportion of health care expenditures. Diabetes is one of the conditions consensually classified as an ACSC being considered a major public health concern. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of diabetes on the occurrence of multiple admissions for ACSC. Methods We analysed inpatient data of all public Portuguese NHS hospitals from 2013 to 2015 on multiple admissions for ACSC among adults aged 18 or older. Multiple ACSC users were identified if they had two or more admissions for any ACSC during the period of analysis. Two logistic regression models were computed. A baseline model where a logistic regression was performed to assess the association between multiple admissions and the presence of diabetes, adjusting for age and sex. A full model to test if diabetes had no constant association with multiple admissions by any ACSC across age groups. Results Among 301,334 ACSC admissions, 144,209 (47.9%) were classified as multiple admissions and from those, 59,436 had diabetes diagnosis, which corresponded to 23,692 patients. Patients with diabetes were 1.49 times (p < 0,001) more likely to be admitted multiple times for any ACSC than patients without diabetes. Younger adults with diabetes (18–39 years old) were more likely to become multiple users. Conclusion Diabetes increases the risk of multiple admissions for ACSC, especially in younger adults. Diabetes presence is associated with a higher resource utilization, which highlights the need for the implementation of adequate management of chronic diseases policies.NOVASaudeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Within-group behavioral variation promotes biased task performance and the emergence of a defensive caste in a social spider

The social spider Anelosimus studiosus exhibits a behavioral polymorphism where colony members express either a passive, tolerant behavioral tendency (social) or an aggressive, intolerant behavioral tendency (asocial). Here we test whether asocial individuals act as colony defenders by deflecting the suite of foreign (i.e., heterospecific) spider species that commonly exploit multi-female colonies. We (1) determined whether the phenotypic composition of colonies is associated with foreign spider abundance, (2) tested whether heterospecific spider abundance and diversity affect colony survival in the field, and (3) performed staged encounters between groups of A. studiosus and their colony-level predator Agelenopsis emertoni (A. emertoni)to determine whether asocial females exhibit more defensive behavior. We found that larger colonies harbor more foreign spiders, and the number of asocial colony members was negatively associated with foreign spider abundance. Additionally, colony persistence was negatively associated with the abundance and diversity of foreign spiders within colonies. In encounters with a colony-level predator, asocial females were more likely to exhibit escalatory behavior, and this might explain the negative association between the frequency of asocial females and the presence of foreign spider associates. Together, our results indicate that foreign spiders are detrimental to colony survival, and that asocial females play a defensive role in multi-female colonies

A prospective study of prognostic factors for duration of sick leave after endoscopic carpal tunnel release

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Endoscopic carpal tunnel release with a single portal technique has been shown to reduce sick leave compared to open carpal tunnel release, claiming to be a less invasive procedure and reducing scar tenderness leading to a more rapid return to work, and the purpose of this study was to identify prognostic factors for prolonged sick leave after endoscopic carpal tunnel release in a group of employed Danish patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The design was a prospective study including 75 employed patients with carpal tunnel syndrome operated with ECTR at two hospitals. The mean age was 46 years (SD 10.1), the male/female ratio was 0.42, and the mean preoperative duration of symptoms 10 months (range 6-12). Only 21 (28%) were unable to work preoperatively and mean sick leave was 4 weeks (range 1-4). At base-line and at the 3-month follow-up, a self-administered questionnaire was collected concerning physical, psychological, and social circumstances in relation to the hand problem. Data from a nerve conduction examination were collected at baseline and at the 3-month follow-up. Significant prognostic factors were identified through multiple logistic regression analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After the operation, the mean functional score was reduced from 2.3 to 1.4 (SD 0.8) and the mean symptom score from 2.9 to 1.5 (SD 0.7). The mean sick leave from work after the operation was 19.8 days (SD 14.3). Eighteen patients (24%) had more than 21 days of sick leave. Two patients (3%) were still unable to work after 3 months. Significant prognostic factors in the multivariate analysis for more than 21 days of postoperative sick leave were preoperative sick leave, blaming oneself for the hand problem and a preoperative distal motor latency.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Preoperative sick leave, blaming oneself for the hand problem, and a preoperative distal nerve conduction motor latency were prognostic factors for postoperative work absence of more than 21 days. Other factors may be important (clinical, demographic, economic, and workplace) in explaining the great variance in the results of sick leave after carpal tunnel release between studies from different countries.</p

Optical detection of single non-absorbing molecules using the surface plasmon of a gold nanorod

Current optical detection schemes for single molecules require light absorption, either to produce fluorescence or direct absorption signals. This severely limits the range of molecules that can be detected, because most molecules are purely refractive. Metal nanoparticles or dielectric resonators detect non-absorbing molecules by a resonance shift in response to a local perturbation of the refractive index, but neither has reached single-protein sensitivity. The most sensitive plasmon sensors to date detect single molecules only when the plasmon shift is amplified by a highly polarizable label or by a localized precipitation reaction on the particle's surface. Without amplification, the sensitivity only allows for the statistical detection of single molecules. Here we demonstrate plasmonic detection of single molecules in realtime, without the need for labeling or amplification. We monitor the plasmon resonance of a single gold nanorod with a sensitive photothermal assay and achieve a ~ 700-fold increase in sensitivity compared to state-of-the-art plasmon sensors. We find that the sensitivity of the sensor is intrinsically limited due to spectral diffusion of the SPR. We believe this is the first optical technique that detects single molecules purely by their refractive index, without any need for photon absorption by the molecule. The small size, bio-compatibility and straightforward surface chemistry of gold nanorods may open the way to the selective and local detection of purely refractive proteins in live cells

Frequent burning promotes invasions of alien plants into a mesic African savanna

Fire is both inevitable and necessary for maintaining the structure and functioning of mesic savannas. Without disturbances such as fire and herbivory, tree cover can increase at the expense of grass cover and over time dominate mesic savannas. Consequently, repeated burning is widely used to suppress tree recruitment and control bush encroachment. However, the effect of regular burning on invasion by alien plant species is little understood. Here, vegetation data from a long-term fire experiment, which began in 1953 in a mesic Zimbabwean savanna, were used to test whether the frequency of burning promoted alien plant invasion. The fire treatments consisted of late season fires, lit at 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-year intervals, and these regularly burnt plots were compared with unburnt plots. Results show that over half a century of frequent burning promoted the invasion by alien plants relative to areas where fire was excluded. More alien plant species became established in plots that had a higher frequency of burning. The proportion of alien species in the species assemblage was highest in the annually burnt plots followed by plots burnt biennially. Alien plant invasion was lowest in plots protected from fire but did not differ significantly between plots burnt triennially and quadrennially. Further, the abundance of five alien forbs increased significantly as the interval (in years) between fires became shorter. On average, the density of these alien forbs in annually burnt plots was at least ten times as high as the density of unburnt plots. Plant diversity was also altered by long-term burning. Total plant species richness was significantly lower in the unburnt plots compared to regularly burnt plots. These findings suggest that frequent burning of mesic savannas enhances invasion by alien plants, with short intervals between fires favouring alien forbs. Therefore, reducing the frequency of burning may be a key to minimising the risk of alien plant spread into mesic savannas, which is important because invasive plants pose a threat to native biodiversity and may alter savanna functioning