URINARY SCHISTOSOMIASIS AND CONCOMITANT BACTERIURIA IN THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY ABUJA NIGERIA

ABSTRACT: Urinary schistosomiasis and concomitant bacteriuria was investigated in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. Single urine samples collected from subjects aged 5 years and above between 1000 hours and 1400hours were examined for the presence of S.haematobium eggs using centrifugation technique and for bacteriuria by standard bacteriological methods. A total of 1,150 subjects comprised of 667 males and 483 females were studied from the 6 Area Councils of the FCT. Overall, 360 (31.3%) had the eggs of S. haematobium in their urine while 289 (80.3%) of the 360 who had eggs of S. haematobium in their urine, had bacterial growth. Prevalence of bacteriuria in urinary schistosomiasis ranged from 74-86% with no significant difference in the distribution of the prevalence of the co-infection in the 6 area councils surveyed (P=0.125). The distribution of bacteria colony count in relation to different ova intensity was significantly different (P<0.001) and assumed a weak positive linear relationship (r=0.2). There was no significant difference in the results of the methods used to investigate for bacteriuria (P=0.05). The bacteria isolated included: klebsiella species, Escherichia coli, Enterococci species, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Salmonella species, Proteus species, and Pseudomonas species. Eshericha coli occurred more frequently (70%) than the rest of the bacteria species isolated. The antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of isolates revealed varying percentage susceptibilities by all isolates. This study clearly suggests that bacteriuria is a potent complication in the management of urinary schistosomiasis. Therefore the complimentary incorporation o

Evolutionary history and species delimitations: a case study of the hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius

Robust identification of species and significant evolutionary units (ESUs) is essential to implement appropriate conservation strategies for endangered species. However, definitions of species or ESUs are numerous and sometimes controversial, which might lead to biased conclusions, with serious consequences for the management of endangered species. The hazel dormouse, an arboreal rodent of conservation concern throughout Europe is an ideal model species to investigate the relevance of species identification for conservation purposes. This species is a member of the Gliridae family, which is protected in Europe and seriously threatened in the northern part of its range. We assessed the extent of genetic subdivision in the hazel dormouse by sequencing one mitochondrial gene (cytb) and two nuclear genes (BFIBR, APOB) and genotyping 10 autosomal microsatellites. These data were analysed using a combination of phylogenetic analyses and species delimitation methods. Multilocus analyses revealed the presence of two genetically distinct lineages (approximately 11 % cytb genetic divergence, no nuclear alleles shared) for the hazel dormouse in Europe, which presumably diverged during the Late Miocene. The phylogenetic patterns suggests that Muscardinus avellanarius populations could be split into two cryptic species respectively distributed in western and central-eastern Europe and Anatolia. However, the comparison of several species definitions and methods estimated the number of species between 1 and 10. Our results revealed the difficulty in choosing and applying an appropriate criterion and markers to identify species and highlight the fact that consensus guidelines are essential for species delimitation in the future. In addition, this study contributes to a better knowledge about the evolutionary history of the species

GAINS-Asia Deliverable D15: Final Report on Policy Analysis with the GAINS-Asia model

This report describes initial policy analyses with the Greenhouse gas – Air pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model. It summarizes the exogenous projections on energy and agricultural activities up to 2030 and discusses the resulting implications on air quality and greenhouse gas emissions. An illustrative scenario explores the health benefits from a substitution of solid fuels in households by LPG and explores the side-effects on greenhouse gas emissions. The paper summarizes the optimization methodology that has been developed for the GAINS-Asia model and presents a range of alternative strategies to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It shows that with a targeted approach, emission control costs can be reduced by up to 80 percent compared to an across-the-board application of technologies. Furthermore, the paper presents systematic analyses of the costs (i.e., cost curves) for reducing health impacts from fine particulate matter as well as for reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Morphometrics and genetics highlight the complex history of Eastern Mediterranean spiny mice

© 2020 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. Spiny mice of the Acomys cahirinus group display a complex geographical structure in the Eastern Mediterranean area, as shown by previous genetic and chromosomal studies. To better elucidate the evolutionary relationships between insular populations from Crete and Cyprus and continental populations from North Africa and Cilicia in Turkey, genetic and morphometric variations were investigated, based on mitochondrial D-loop sequences, and the size and shape of the first upper molar. The Cypriot and the Cilician populations show idiosyncratic divergence in molar size and shape, while Cretan populations present a geographical structure with at least three differentiated subpopulations, as shown by congruent distributions of haplogroups, Robertsonian fusions and morphometric variation. A complex history of multiple introductions is probably responsible for this structure, and insular isolation coupled with habitat shift should have further promoted a pronounced and rapid morphological evolution in molar size and shape on Crete and Cyprus

Optoelectronic characterization of CuInGa(S)2 thin films grown by spray pyrolysis for photovoltaic application

[EN] Copper-indium gallium disulfide (CIGS) is a good absorber for photovoltaic application. Thin films of CIGS were prepared by spray pyrolysis on glass substrates in the ambient atmosphere. The films were characterized by different techniques, such as structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of CIGS films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), spectrophotometer and Hall effect, respectively. After optimization, the deposited films structure, grain size, and crystallinity became more important with an increase of annealing time at 370 degrees C for 20 min. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis shows that the interface sheets are well crystallized and the inter planer distance are 0.25 nm, 0.28 nm, and 0.36 nm. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) observation shows that the grain size and roughness can be tolerated by optimizing the annealing time. The strong absorbance and low transmittance were observed for the prepared films with a suitable energy bandgap about 1.46 eV. The Hall effect measurement system examined that CIGS films exhibited optimal electrical properties, resistivity, carrier mobility, and carrier concentration which were determined to be 4.22 x 10(6) omega cm, 6.18 x 10(2) cm(2) V-1 S-1 and 4.22 x 10(6) cm(-3), respectively. The optoelectronic properties of CIGS material recommended being used for the photovoltaic application.Prof. Bouchaib HARTITI, The Senior Associate at ICTP, is very grateful to ICTP for permanent support. Prof. Mohamed Ebn Touhami, Director of the University Center for Analysis, Expertise, Transfer of Technology and Incubation, Kenitra, Morocco, is very grateful to CUA2TI for financial support. Thanks to Doctor Diogo M.F. Santos for the supervision of Amal Bouich's work during her research in CeFEMA research center. The authors also thank researchers from CeFEMA (IST-ULisboa, Portugal) and CUA2TI (FS-Kenitra Morocco) for their help.Bouich, A.; Hartiti, B.; Ullah, S.; Ullah, H.; Ebn Touhami, M.; Santos, DMF.; Marí, B. (2019). Optoelectronic characterization of CuInGa(S)2 thin films grown by spray pyrolysis for photovoltaic application. Applied Physics A. 125(8):1-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-019-2874-4S191258T. Feurer, P. Reinhard, E. Avancini, B. Bissig, J. Löckinger, P. Fuchs, S. Buecheler, Progress in thin film CIGS photovoltaics–Research and development, manufacturing, and applications. Prog. Photovolt. Res. Appl. 25(7), 645–667 (2017)A. Zegadi, M.A. Slifkin, M. Djamin, A.E. Hill, R.D. Tomlinson, A photoacoustic study of CuInxGa1− xSe2 alloys. Phys. Status Solidi (A) 133(2), 533–540 (1992)T.H. Sajeesh, A.R. Warrier, C.S. Kartha, K.P. Vijayakumar, Optimization of parameters of chemical spray pyrolysis technique to get n and p-type layers of SnS. Thin Solid Films 518(15), 4370–4374 (2010)J. Liu, D. Zhuang, H. Luan, M. Cao, M. Xie, X. Li, Preparation of Cu (In, Ga) Se2 thin film by sputtering from Cu (In, Ga) Se2 quaternary target. Progr. Nat. Sci. Mater. Int. 23(2), 133–138 (2013)M.I. Hossain, Fabrication and characterization of CIGS solar cells with In2 S3 buffer layer deposited by PVD technique. Chalcogenide Lett. 9(5), 185–191 (2012)M.A. Mughal, R. Engelken, R. Sharma, Progress in indium (III) sulfide (In2S3) buffer layer deposition techniques for CIS, CIGS, and CdTe-based thin film solar cells. Sol. Energy 120, 131–146 (2015)M. Powalla, M. Cemernjak, J. Eberhardt, F. Kessler, R. Kniese, H.D. Mohring, B. Dimmler, Large-area CIGS modules: Pilot line production and new developments. Sol. Energy Mater Sol. Cells 90(18–19), 3158–3164 (2006)M.E. Calixto, P.J. Sebastian, R.N. Bhattacharya, R. Noufi, Compositional and optoelectronic properties of CIS and CIGS thin films formed by electrodeposition. Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 59(1–2), 75–84 (1999)S. Jung, S. Ahn, J.H. Yun, J. Gwak, D. Kim, K. Yoon, Effects of Ga contents on properties of CIGS thin films and solar cells fabricated by co-evaporation technique. Curr. Appl. Phys. 10(4), 990–996 (2010)S. R. Ovshinsky, X. Deng, R. Young, U.S. Patent No. 5,231,047. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (1993).M. Kaelin, D. Rudmann, A.N. Tiwari, Low cost processing of CIGS thin film solar cells. Sol. Energy 77(6), 749–756 (2004)Fangdan Jiang, Jiayou Feng, Effect of temperature on selenization process of metallic Cu–In alloy precursors. Thin Solid Films 515(4), 1950–1955 (2006)S. Shirakata, Y. Kannaka, H. Hasegawa, T. Kariya, S. Isomura, Properties of Cu (In, Ga) Se2 thin films prepared by chemical spray pyrolysis. Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 38(9R), 4997 (1999)Y.K. Kumar, G.S. Babu, P.U. Bhaskar, V.S. Raja, Effect of starting-solution pH on the growth of Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis. Phys. Status Solidi (A) 206(7), 1525–1530 (2009)M. Ajili, M. Castagné, N.K. Turki, Characteristics of CuIn1− xGaxS2 thin films synthesized by chemical spray pyrolysis. J. Lumin. 150, 1–7 (2014)B.J. Babu, S. Velumani, A. Kassiba, R. Asomoza, J.A. Chavez-Carvayar, J. Yi, Deposition and characterization of graded Cu (In1-xGax) Se2 thin films by spray pyrolysis. Mater. Chem. Phys. 162, 59–68 (2015)S.F. Varol, G. Babür, G. Çankaya, U. Kölemen, Synthesis of sol–gel derived nano-crystalline ZnO thin films as TCO window layer: effect of sol aging and boron. RSC Adv. 4(100), 56645–56653 (2014)J.A. Frantz, R.Y. Bekele, V.Q. Nguyen, J.S. Sanghera, A. Bruce, S.V. Frolov, I.D. Aggarwal, Cu (In, Ga) Se2 thin films and devices sputtered from a single target without additional selenization. Thin Solid Films 519(22), 7763–7765 (2011)C. Calderón, G. Gordillo, P. Bartolo-Pérez, F. Mesa, Effect of the deposition conditions on the optical, morphological and compositional properties of CuIn1− xGaxSe2 thin films prepared by a multistage process. Revista Mexicana de Física 53(7), 270–273 (2007)D. Schmid, M. Ruckh, F. Grunwald, H.W. Schock, Chalcopyrite/defect chalcopyrite heterojunctions on the basis of CuInSe2. J. Appl. Phys. 73(6), 2902–2909 (1993)U.C. Matur, S. Akyol, N. Baydoğan, H. Cimenoglu, The optical properties of CIGS thin films derived by sol-gel dip coating process at different withdrawal speed. Proc. Soc. Behav. Sci. 195, 1762–1767 (2015)A. Bouich, B. Hartiti, S. Ullah, M.E. Touhami, B. Mari, D.M.F. Santos, Investigation of the optical properties of CuIn (Se, S)2 thin films for photovoltaic application. Mater. Today Proc. 13, 663–669 (2019)K. Matsumura, T. Fujita, H. Itoh, D. Fujita, Characterization of carrier concentration in CIGS solar cells by scanning capacitance microscopy. Meas. Sci. Technol. 25(4), 044020 (2014)A. Bouich, B. Hartiti, S. Ullah, H. Ullah, M.E. Touhami, D.M.F. Santos, B. Mari, Experimental, theoretical, and numerical simulation of the performance of CuInxGa(1–x) S2 based solar cells. Optik 183, 137–147 (2019

A cytogenetic study on the taurus ground squirrel, spermophilus taurensis gündüz et al., 2007 (mammalia: rodentia), in turkey

[No abstract available

A karyological study on subterrranean mole rats of the spalax leucodon nordmann, 1840 (mammalia: Rodentia) superspecies in northwestern turkey

The karyotypes of 35 specimens of the subterranean mole rat of the superspecies Spalax leucodon Nordman, 1840, from 11 localities in the Bilecik area in north-western Turkey were analysed. Two different karyotypes were identified and both show a distinct geographic distribution: The karyotype 2n=52 and NF=70 is confined to the eastern side of the Sakarya River, whereas 2n=60 and NF=78 is found only on the western side of the river. The Sakarya River thus serves as a barrier and separates both forms in this area. © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Distribution and conservation of Acomys cilicicus (Mammalia: Rodentia) in Turkey

Acomys cilicicus is endemic to Turkey and known from a very restricted area. The exact distribution of the species was not known up to now and the IUCN status of the species was Data Deficient (DD). To determine the exact distribution area of the species, 39 localities within the historical distribution were surveyed by using 3243 Sherman traps between 2013 and 2016. Turkish spiny mouse samples were obtained from 14 of these 39 localities and the current distribution of the species was determined. We found that the Turkish spiny mouse has two isolated populations in the area between Silifke and Erdemli with a total distribution area of about 104.5 km2, extending from sea level up to 510 m a.s.l. Population trend estimates showed a steep decline in the last 20 years from 21.42 to 2.75 as trap night index value. These data, along with the decline in habitat quality and continuing threats to the species, merit an IUCN status of Critically Endangered (CR). The main threats for this species are habitat loss due to urbanization, new motorway construction, stone quarry development, conversion of Mediterranean shrublands into agricultural fields, and afforestation. For conservation purposes, a species protection action plan is necessary immediately. © TÜBİTAK.Bülent Ecevit Üniversitesi: 2012-10-06-10 113R029 National Council for Scientific ResearchThis study was financially supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK, Grant Number: 113R029) and Bülent Ecevit University (Grant Number: 2012-10-06-10). We would like to thank Dr Faruk Çolak, Dr Muhsin Çoğal, Kürşat Kenan Kalkan, and Sercan Irmak for their help during field surveys and laboratory studies

Cytotypes of Nannospalax xanthodon (Satunin, 1898) (Rodentia: Spalacidae) from western Anatolia

We performed this study on the subterranean mole rat Nannospalax xanthodon (Nehring, 1898) in western Turkey and we analyzed karyotypes of 121 specimens from 54 localities. We determined that N. xanthodon has 2n = 36, NF = 70; 2n = 38, NF = 74; 2n = 40, NF = 72; 2n = 50, NF = 70; 2n = 50, NF = 74; 2n = 52, NF = 70; 2n = 56, NF = 72; and 6 different cytotypes of 2n = 60, NF = 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84 in the specimens analyzed from western Turkey. We flled most of the karyological gaps in western Anatolia and documented distributional areas of cytotypes. © TÜBİTAK

Chromosome differentiation of four 2n = 50 chromosomal forms of Turkish mole rat, Nannospalax nehringi

Nannospalax is a genus of blind rodents adapted to living in underground. The species have numerous chromosomal forms in Turkey, and their taxonomic position is still unknown. In this study, 15 mole rats of four different 2n = 50 forms were used; C- and G- banding processes were applied; and a comparison was made accordingly. Karyological results showed that the 2n = 50S form is a new form for Turkish blind mole rats. 2n = 50S form is determined from Andirin (Kahramanmara) and has NF = 70. The 2n = 50W form, on the other hand, differs from the others with NF = 74 form. C-banding results showed that heterochromatin blocks of all 2n = 50 are different, while only the 2n = 50W form has telomeric heterochromatin blocks. G-banding results, however, displayed homologies and differences among the chromosomal forms. After comparison, we determined that Robertsonian fusion is an efficient force on chromosomal evolution in blind mole rats in Turkey, and that telomeric heterochromatin is a distinctive character for the 2n = 50W form. We suggest that the chromosomal changing mechanism should be independent from climatic peculiarities. These results support the theory that ancestral karyotype should have the largest distribution in a chromosomally variable species. © 2011 Zoological Society of Japan