Impact of cropping systems on soil properties, nutrient availability and their carbon sequestration potential in Shiwalik hills of Himachal Pradesh

The impact of cropping systems on soil properties, nutrient availability and their carbon sequestration potential was studied during the years 2014 and 2015 in Shiwalik hills of Himachal Pradesh. The four commonly occurring cropping systems namely vegetable, fruit, cereal crop and agroforestry were selected. Uncultivated land in the region was considered as control. In total, there were five treatments which were replicated six times under randomized block design. The study indicated that the cropping systems in the Shiwalik hills varied significantly (P=0.05) with respect to their impact on soil properties, nutrient availability and carbon sequestration potential. The pH and EC was in the range of 6.04 to 6.90 and 0.094 to 0.138 dSm-1, respectively and were normal in range. Organic carbon and bulk density in surface soils ranged from 8.06 to 9.70 g kg-1 and 1.19 to 1.34 Mg m-3, respectively. The available NPK was highest (267.21, 19.99, 172.42 kg ha-1) under vegetable based cropping system as compared to other systems. Carbon density in surface soil ranged from 11.33 to 15.39 Mg C ha-1 and total carbon sequestered upto 30cm soil depth ranged from 601.96 to 12646.29 Gg. The study indicated that in Shiwalik hills of Himachal Pradesh, the commonly occurring cropping systems did not influence the soil properties and nutrient availability adversely. Agroforestry based cropping system is having highest potential of sequestering soil carbon in Shiwalik hills. Therefore to adapt to changing climatic situation and to mitigate its effect in the region, agroforestry based cropping system need to be encouraged

Early Experience of Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair in Kenya

Background: Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) is gaining  popularity amongst minimal access surgeons with numerous advantages over conventional open repair. We present the first local series of LVHR and analyse morbidity profile of the patients. Methods: Records of all patients who had LVHR were analysed in relation to hernia characteristics, operative, early and intermediate outcomes. Results: Twenty-seven patients (23 females, 4 males) had LVHR. Of these, four were primary hernias while rest were incisional. The age range was 16 to 76years. The mean size of the defect was 75 cm2. A composite mesh was used in all the patients except one patient who had a pure  prolene mesh. The mean operative time and hospital stay were 130 minutes and 3 days respectively. There were two conversions and no other major complication. With a follow-up period of 3-36 months, there was one recurrence at the fourth months. Conclusion: Our initial experience with this modality shows that LVHR is a feasible option with great potential in both treatment success and reduction  of surgical morbidity.Key Words: Laparoscopy, Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair, Ventral herni

Breast tuberculosis in outpatient practice: Case reports

There has been a general increase in both pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) attributable to global spread of AIDS. The breast is rarely a focus whether primarily or contiguously. It is confused with cancer of the breast and confirmation by histology and/or demonstration of acid and alcohol fast bacilli (AAFB) is crucial. We present three cases of breast TB seen in a private surgical clinic within a two-year period. The diagnostic and treatment pathways are described and a review of literature on the disease presented

Analysis of Brand Loyalty in Cosmetic Products: A Case of Selected Salons in Nyeri Town

Cosmetic industry is a lucrative business that progressively attracts more attention from marketing research. The highly competitive environment in the cosmetic industry makes it a valuable area to study brand loyalty in cosmetic products. Brand loyalty is one of the important aspects which is significant for the management to sustain competitive advantages in the market. In this research, the relationship between brand loyalty and determinants of brand loyalty was unveiled, with special focus on brand trust, brand price and perceived value. The general objective was to examine the determinants of brand loyalty in cosmetic industry in Nyeri Town. The specific objectives were to determine the effects of brand price on brand loyalty, to assess the effects of brand trust on brand loyalty, to establish the effect of perceived quality on brand loyalty. The researcher adopted a descriptive survey research design where questionnaires were used for data collection. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and has been presented using tables. The researcher used Karl Pearson correlation coefficient and logistic regression analysis to statistically analyze the data. The target population was 60 salon operators who are consumers of Cosmetic Products in Nyeri Town. A census study was conducted in the salons within Nyeri Town. This study supports the view that brand trust, brand perceived value and price should remain prime focus for the organization to maintain market share in today’s competitive business environment. Key words: Brand loyalty, Brand trust, brand price and perceived qualit

Global summary of baseline household survey results

This report summarises the results of a baseline household-level survey, designed by the CCAFS team and implemented in late 2010/early 2011 in 3 regions: East Africa, West Africa and South Asia. This survey was designed with the intent of developing simple, comparable cross-site household level indicators, for which changes can be evaluated over time, of food security, households assets, agricultural production diversity, agricultural sales diversity, changes being made in farming practices for adaptation, innovation, and/or to help reduce emissions or store greenhouse gases (mitigation), and gender indicators (e.g. men’s versus women’s reception of weather-related information). A standardised survey, guidelines and training materials were implemented across 12 countries in West Africa (Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Ghana), East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania), and South Asia (India, Nepal and Bangladesh). Thus we have a total of 15 core sites covering 108 villages and 2095 households. This summary report gives an overview of the farming practices, and asset, livelihoods and food security status of rural households in these sites. It describes what changes farmers have been making in recent years with respect to crop management, livestock practices, use of inputs and other agricultural practices. We explore what kinds of weather/climate and associated information these households are receiving, how and by whom. This information provides important baseline information, as these households will be revisited in 5-10 years’ time in order to evaluate the changes in these indicators. This will give us important information as to if, how, and which households are adapting to a changing climate while improving their food security status

Rainfall and Temperature Trends and Variability in Arid and Semi-arid Lands of Kitui County, Kenya

A study was carried out to analyse rainfall and temperature trends and variability in selected agro-ecological zones in Kitui County. Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) rainfall dataset was used while temperature data was obtained from the Climatic Research Unit gridded Time Series (CRU TS) dataset. The results indicated that there was a non-significant decreasing trend (p<0.05) in average annual rainfall in all the four agro-ecological zones (p<0.05) for a 30-years period (1988-2018) in the study area. A decreasing trend in March-April-May (MAM) seasonal rainfall trend was reported in the arid and semi-arid agro-ecological zones while an increasing trend was recorded in the transitional and semi-humid zones. For the October-November-December (OND) seasonal rainfall, a non-significant decreasing trend was reported in all the four agro-ecological zones. Additionally, a higher annual rainfall variability was recorded in the drier (arid) and wetter (semi-humid) zones compared to that in semi-arid and transitional zones. Moreover, the study established that there was a spatial variation in both MAM and OND seasonal rainfall variability and that rainfall variability was higher in the OND seasonal rainfall than that of the MAM seasonal rainfall in all the agro-ecological zones. With reference to temperature trends, a statistically significant increasing trend in annual and OND seasonal average maximum and minimum temperatures was reported in all the four agro-ecological zones. Further, the study noted a non-significant increasing trend in maximum and minimum temperatures for the MAM season in all the agro-ecological zones. In regard to temperature variability, the study deduced that there was low temperature variability compared to rainfall variability in all the four agro-ecological zones. The study recommends that location-specific rainfall and temperature analysis should guide planning and implementation of adaptation strategies for effective response to climate variability. Keywords: Agro-ecological Zones, Mann-Kendall Test, Coefficient of Variation, CHIRPS, CRU TS DOI: 10.7176/JEES/12-12-05 Publication date: December 31st 202

Identification of stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Kenya using Morphometrics and DNA barcoding

Stingless bees are important pollinators of wild plants and crops. The identity of stingless bee species in Africa has not been fully documented. The present study explored the utility of morphometrics and DNA barcoding for identification of African stingless bee populations, and to further employ these tools to identify potential cryptic variation within species. Stingless bee samples were collected from three ecological zones, namely Kakamega Forest, Mwingi and Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, which are geographically distant and cover high, medium and low altitudes, respectively. Forewing and hind leg morphometric characters were measured to determine the extent of morphological variation between the populations. DNA barcodes were generated from the mitochondrial cytochrome c-oxidase I (COI) gene. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) on the morphometric measurements separated the bee samples into three clusters: (1) Meliponula bocandei; (2) Meliponula lendliana + Plebeina hildebrandti; (3) Dactylurina schmidti + Meliponula ferruginea black + Meliponula ferruginea reddish brown, but Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA) separated all the species except the two morphospecies (M. ferruginea reddish brown and black). The analysis of the COI sequences showed that DNA barcoding can be used to identify all the species studied and revealed remarkable genetic distance (7.3%) between the two M. ferruginea morphs. This is the first genetic evidence that M. ferruginea black and M. ferruginea reddish brown are separate species

The Amundsen Sea Polynya International Research Expedition (ASPIRE)

In search of an explanation for some of the greenest waters ever seen in coastal Antarctica and their possible link to some of the fastest melting glaciers and declining summer sea ice, the Amundsen Sea Polynya International Research Expedition (ASPIRE) challenged the capabilities of the US Antarctic Program and RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer during Austral summer 2010–2011. We were well rewarded by both an extraordinary research platform and a truly remarkable oceanic setting. Here we provide further insights into the key questions that motivated our sampling approach during ASPIRE and present some preliminary findings, while highlighting the value of the Palmer for accomplishing complex, multifaceted oceanographic research in such a challenging environment

Complete genome sequence of microcystis aeruginosa FD4, isolated from a subtropical river in Southwest Florida

We report the first complete genome of Microcystis aeruginosa from North America. A harmful bloom that occurred in the Caloosahatchee River in 2018 led to a state of emergency declaration in Florida. Although strain FD4 was isolated from this toxic bloom, the genome did not have a microcystin biosynthetic gene cluster

Potent Host-Directed Small-Molecule Inhibitors of Myxovirus RNA-Dependent RNA-Polymerases

Therapeutic targeting of host cell factors required for virus replication rather than of pathogen components opens new perspectives to counteract virus infections. Anticipated advantages of this approach include a heightened barrier against the development of viral resistance and a broadened pathogen target spectrum. Myxoviruses are predominantly associated with acute disease and thus are particularly attractive for this approach since treatment time can be kept limited. To identify inhibitor candidates, we have analyzed hit compounds that emerged from a large-scale high-throughput screen for their ability to block replication of members of both the orthomyxovirus and paramyxovirus families. This has returned a compound class with broad anti-viral activity including potent inhibition of different influenza virus and paramyxovirus strains. After hit-to-lead chemistry, inhibitory concentrations are in the nanomolar range in the context of immortalized cell lines and human PBMCs. The compound shows high metabolic stability when exposed to human S-9 hepatocyte subcellular fractions. Antiviral activity is host-cell species specific and most pronounced in cells of higher mammalian origin, supporting a host-cell target. While the compound induces a temporary cell cycle arrest, host mRNA and protein biosynthesis are largely unaffected and treated cells maintain full metabolic activity. Viral replication is blocked at a post-entry step and resembles the inhibition profile of a known inhibitor of viral RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (RdRp) activity. Direct assessment of RdRp activity in the presence of the reagent reveals strong inhibition both in the context of viral infection and in reporter-based minireplicon assays. In toto, we have identified a compound class with broad viral target range that blocks host factors required for viral RdRp activity. Viral adaptation attempts did not induce resistance after prolonged exposure, in contrast to rapid adaptation to a pathogen-directed inhibitor of RdRp activity