A prelimnary study of diet in the juvenile gorean snapper, Lutjanus goreensis (Valenciennes, 1830) from Five Cowrie Creek, Lagos, Nigeria

Diet of the juvenile Gorean snapper, Lutjanus goreensis from Five Cowrie Creek was investigated between April 2008 and January 2009. Analyses of 184 specimens by numerical (NO), frequency of occurrence (FO) and geometric index of importance (GII) methods, respectively revealed a moderately high proportion (47.83%) of stomachs with food or prey. Shrimps and crabs constituted more than 80 % of total prey items. Other dietary components included lobsters, stomatopods, whole fish and fish parts. Similarly, analysis of diet composition by size - groups also indicated a predominance of the shrimps and crabs over all other prey items. In conclusion, L. goreensis can be described as a top-level carnivore feeding almost exclusively on epibenthic crustaceans in the juvenile stage

Anticonvulsant, antiamnesic and anxiolytic activities of methanol leaf extract of Bambusa vulgaris (Poaceae) in mice

Background: Previous findings have shown that epilepsy can precipitate amnesia and anxiety, among other neuropsychiatric disorders. Bambusa vulgaris is used in African traditional medicine against convulsion, amnesia and anxiety but there is scanty scientific basis for these ethnomedicinal claims. Hence, this study investigated the anticonvulsant, antiamnesic and anti-anxiety effects of Bambusa vulgaris in mice. Methods: The acute oral ingestion of Bambusa vulgaris (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) was investigated using pentylenetetrazole-, and strychnine-induced convulsion; antiamnesic using scopolamine-, and diazepam-induced amnesic models while the anxiolytic effect was assessed using elevated plus maze models. The phytochemical analysis was carried out using standard methods. Results: The extract at all the doses used significantly (p<0.05) elongated the death latency while at 400 mg/kg the onset of clonic and tonic convulsions were significantly (p<0.05) prolonged in pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsion model. The extract at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg offered 60, 80 and 100% protection respectively in pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsion test. The extract showed no significant (p>0.05) effect on strychnine-induced convulsion model ruling out the involvement of strychnine-sensitive glycine receptor in the anticonvulsant effect of the extract. The extract at all the tested doses significantly (p<0.05) in a dose dependent fashion ameliorated the amnesia induced by scopolamine and diazepam suggesting antiamnesic effect. Bambusa vulgaris at all the tested doses significantly (p<0.05) in a dose dependent pattern increased the percentage open arm entries and percentage open arm duration on the open arm of the elevated plus maze as well as reduced the anxiety indices of the experimental mice consistent with anxiolytic effect. The phytochemical quantification of the extract showed abundance of tannins and corroborated by the findings from the Fourier transform infrared spectra of the extract. Conclusion: This study therefore concluded that Bambusa vulgaris may possess anticonvulsant, antiamnesic and anxiolytic effects and provided scientific proof for its traditional use. Keywords: Bambusa vulgaris, anticonvulsant, antiamnesic, anxiolytic, tannin, Fourier Transform-Infra Red spectr

The genome of the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans, reveals potential mechanisms underlying reproduction, host interactions, and novel targets for pest control.

The stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans, is a major blood-feeding pest of livestock that has near worldwide distribution, causing an annual cost of over $2 billion for control and product loss in the USA alone. Control of these flies has been limited to increased sanitary management practices and insecticide application for suppressing larval stages. Few genetic and molecular resources are available to help in developing novel methods for controlling stable flies. This study examines stable fly biology by utilizing a combination of high-quality genome sequencing and RNA-Seq analyses targeting multiple developmental stages and tissues. In conjunction, 1600 genes were manually curated to characterize genetic features related to stable fly reproduction, vector host interactions, host-microbe dynamics, and putative targets for control. Most notable was characterization of genes associated with reproduction and identification of expanded gene families with functional associations to vision, chemosensation, immunity, and metabolic detoxification pathways. The combined sequencing, assembly, and curation of the male stable fly genome followed by RNA-Seq and downstream analyses provide insights necessary to understand the biology of this important pest. These resources and new data will provide the groundwork for expanding the tools available to control stable fly infestations. The close relationship of Stomoxys to other blood-feeding (horn flies and Glossina) and non-blood-feeding flies (house flies, medflies, Drosophila) will facilitate understanding of the evolutionary processes associated with development of blood feeding among the Cyclorrhapha

Realism, regularity and social explanation

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