Climate change adaptation options in farming communities of selected Nigerian ecological zones

This chapter examines the impacts of climate change on three tropical crops and assesses the climate change adaptation options adopted by rural farmers in the region. The study was conducted among farming communities settled in three major ecological zones in Nigeria. Over 37 years of data on rainfall and temperature were analyzed to examine climate change impacts on three major crops: rice, maize, and cassava. Farmers' adaptive capacity was assessed with a survey. Climatic data, crop yields, and survey data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The relation between rainfall/temperature and crop yields was examined using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Results show a high variation in the annual rainfall and temperature during the study period. The major findings from this research is that crops in different ecological zones respond differently to climate variation. The result revealed that there is a very strong relationship between precipitation and the yield of rice and cassava at p <0.05 level of significance. The results further showed low level of adaption among the rural farmers. The study concludes that rainfall and temperature variability has a significant impact on crop yield in the study area, but that the adaptive capacity of most farmers to these impacts is low. There is a need for enhancing the adaptation options available to farmers in the region, which should be the focus of government policies

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

A case of eperythrozoonosis in Royal python (Python requis) in zoological garden in Ibadan, Nigeria

No Abstract

Sedimentation processes and beach morphodynamics active at the Doce River mouth, Espírito Santo State, Brazil

The coastal sedimentation model in the Doce River mouth and surroundings extends beyond the hydraulic jetty effect created by its stream-flow. During flooding, marine sediments transported by longshore currents are retained on the updrift side, causing strandline progradation. As the longshore current direction varies, local depositional and erosional effects can be produced and identified laterally within beach profiles from north and south of the Doce River mouth area. Sedimentological studies carried out in this river, beach and adjacent inner continental shelf sands showed that, at present, the influence of Doce River sediments is restricted to the area surrounding its mouth. Meanwhile, beach morphodynamic stages and present-day coastal-plain processes of sedimentation are directly affected by the Doce River discharge as a natural continuation of the Quaternary geological evolution of the area.<br>A sedimentação costeira adjacente à desembocadura do Rio Doce, Espírito Santo, Brasil destaca o efeito de jato hidráulico desempenhado pela descarga fluvial. Por ocasião da enchente, os sedimentos marinhos transportados pela corrente longitudinal são represados a barlamar da desembocadura, causando progradação nas praias adjacentes e erosão nas praias situadas a sotamar da desembocadura fluvial. Com a inversão do rumo da deriva litorânea, os processos erosivos e construtivos se invertem. Estudos sedimentológicos realizados nos sedimentos do rio, das praias e da plataforma continental interna adjacente à desembocadura, indicam que a contribuição da carga do rio Doce é atualmente restrita às áreas imediatamente vizinhas. Contudo, a tipologia das praias e os processos de sedimentação da planície costeira são diretamente afetados pela descarga do rio Doce, sendo a continuação dos processos de sedimentação identificada na evolução geológica da área

Automobilismo: no calor da competição Automovilismo: en el calor de la competición Car racing: in the heat of competition

O presente artigo questiona o papel do calor como um fator de risco adicional para o acidente que vitimou Ayrton Senna. O automobilismo de competição constitui um desafio biológico, uma situação estressante do ponto de vista mental e físico. A manutenção da performance depende da disponibilidade de carboidratos e oxigênio, hidratação adequada e temperatura interna constante entre 37 e 38 graus centígrados. A dissipação do calor produzido pelo metabolismo ocorre através do aumento do fluxo de sangue para pele e produção de suor e manter a temperatura cerebral constante se constitui num problema permanente. Verificou-se experimentalmente que a energia necessária para dirigir um automóvel de corrida é comparável a um esporte como o voleibol. Durante uma corrida, o indivíduo está exposto a um microambiente quente na cabina, que pode atingir 50ºC, gerado por fontes de calor mecânicas e ambientais. O bloqueio da evaporação do suor pelo macacão resulta em umidade e desconforto pessoal, o que implica maior esforço mental para dirigir o carro. As medidas contra o calor começam antes da corrida, cuidando-se do estado nutricional, da hidratação e principalmente do condicionamento físico através de exercícios aeróbios regulares e adequados, que permitem aumentar a capacidade de trabalho e a tolerância ao calor, o que resulta em menor fadiga durante a corrida. Outro procedimento importante deveria ser a aclimatação prévia dos pilotos aos ambientes quentes e úmidos. Deve-se fazer o possível para reduzir o aquecimento do veículo e respeitar o sistema de bandeiras de advertência para os riscos de hipertermia. Em conclusão, embora Ayrton Senna fosse um indivíduo com maior risco de desenvolver hipertermia, independentemente de outras causas, não parece ter havido tempo de corrida suficiente para haver produção de calor metabólico capaz de aumentar excessivamente a temperatura interna do piloto nas condições ambientais do autódromo no dia de sua morte.<br>El presente artículo cuestiona el papel del calor como un factor de riesgo adicional para el accidente que sufrió Ayrton Senna. El automovilismo de competición constituye un desafío biológico, una situación estresante desde el punto de vista mental y físico. El mantenimiento de la performance depende de la disponibilidad de los carbohidratos y del oxígeno, hidratación adecuada y temperatura interna constante entre 37 y 38 grados centígrados. La disipación de calor producido por el metabolismo que ocurre a través del aumento del flujo de sangre para mantener la temperatura cerebral constante constituye un problema permanente. Se ha verificado experimentalmente que la energía requerida para conducir un auto de carrera es similar a la requerida para practicar un deporte como el voleibol. Durante una carrera, el individuo está expuesto a un microambiente caliente dentro de la cabina que puede llegar hasta los 50 grados centígrados generado por fuentes de calor como las mecánicas y las ambientales. El bloque del sudor por el mameluco resulta en humedad y disconfor personal, lo que implica un mayor esfuerzo personal para conducir el auto. Las medidas contra el calor comienzan antes de la carrera, cuidando el estado nutricional, la hidratación y principalmente el acondicionamiento físico a través de ejercicios aeróbicos regulares y adecuados, que permitan aumentar la capacidad de trabajo y la tolerancia al calor, lo que resulta en una menor fatiga durante la carrera. Otro procedimiento importante debería ser la aclimatación de los pilotos en ambientes calientes y húmedos. Se debe realizar lo posible en el acondicionamiento del vehículo para respetar el sistema de banderas de advertencia para los riesgos de hipertermia. En conclusión, si ahora Ayrton Senna fuera un individuo con mayor riesgo de desarrollar hipertermia, independientemente de otras causas, no parece haber habido tiempo suficiente en la carrera para la producción del calor metabólico capaz de aumentar excesivamente la temperatura interna del piloto en las condiciones ambientales del autódromo el día de su muerte.<br>The present study discusses the role of heat as an additional risk factor for the accident that killed the pilot Ayrton Senna. The competition car racing is a biological challenge, a stressing situation from the physical and mental point of view. The maintenance of performance depends on the oxygen and carbohydrates availability, adequate hydration and constant internal temperature, between 37 and 38ºC. The dissipation of heat produced by the metabolism occurs through the increase on the cutaneous blood flow and sweat and maintaining brain temperature constant becomes a permanent problem. It was experimentally verified that the energy required to the racecar driving is comparable to a sport such as volleyball. During a car race, the individual is exposed to a hot microenvironment in the cockpit, sometimes reaching 50ºC, generated by mechanical and environmental sources of heat. The obstruction of the sweat evaporation by the racesuit results in humidity and personal discomfort, what leads to higher mental effort to drive the car. The anti-heat measures are adopted before the race, considering the nutritional state, hydration and specially the physical conditioning through adequate and regular aerobic exercises that enable increasing the work capacity and the heat tolerance, resulting in lower fatigue during the car racing. Another important procedure should be the previous acclimation of pilots to hot and humid environments. All efforts should be done to reduce the vehicle heating and to respect the warning flag system for the risks of hyperthermia. Finally, although Ayrton Senna was an individual with higher risk of developing hyperthermia, regardless other causes, it seems not to have elapsed sufficient time of race in order to produce metabolic heat capable to increase excessively the pilot's internal temperature in the environmental conditions of the autodrome in the day of his death