Studies on serological variation among bovine rotaviruses

All 12 field strains of rotavirus used initially to provide virus stock and convalescent antisera were capable of multiplying in gnotobiotic Lambs but without inducing diarrhoea. None grew on primary bovine and ivine embryonic kidney cell cultures nor on MDBK, LLC-MK2 and Vero cell Lines but all adapted well to growth in roller cultures of MA104 cells ireated with lOpg/ml of trypsin. Pre-treatment of virus inocula was essential for further propagation of the virus strains on MA104 cells.Because 4 of 12 original strains were found to contain more than one rotavirus electrophoretype, the remaining 8 strains were selected for more letailed serological investigations. Neutralisation tests using convalescent lamb antisera and hyperimmune rabbit antisera against faecal ind tissue culture viruses confirmed the presence of two distinct serotypes; in that they showed more than a 20-fold reciprocal difference Ln titre and an antigenic relatedness value of less than 5%. When samples cf infected calf faeces were titrated in hyperimmune antisera to these two serotypes, four untypable rotaviruses were isolated of which three belonged to a hitherto unknown third serotype, while the fourth strain showed a partial relationship to this new serotype.In summary of the 108 calf rotavirus strains examined, no fewer than JO (74%) including the UK(Compton), Northern Ireland, and Lincoln strains belonged to serotype 1, one was identified as serotype 2 and three as serotype 3. Of the remainder, one had a partial relationship to serotype J while 23 produced insufficient fluorescing foci to enable them to be characterised fully. Attempts to develop ELISA and HAI tests for the letection of rotaviruses of serotypes 1 and 2 in diagnostic faecal samples croved unsuccessful.Examination of the electrophoretypes of rotavirus involved in 30 outbreaks of diarrhoea in calves revealed that one strain usually predominated in each individual herd, although infection with multiple strains occurred on 5 of the farms examined. There was no evidence that jenomic and polypeptide variations exhibited by the calf rotaviruses were related to their serotypic differences.In experimental calf, infection of ligated gut loops showed that variations in virulence were obtained with different strains of rotavirus, ilthough no correlation occurred between virulence and the serotypes used, fhere was no appreciable difference between faecal and tissue culture virus in the: ability to infect intestinal epithelial cells and most rended to favour the ileal (middle and distal) rather than the jejunal [proximal) parts of the small intestine for replication.The practical importance of indentifying rotavirus serotypes was :onfirmed by passive cross-protection immunisation experiments in jnotobiotic lambs. Thus lambs fed with antiserum for three successive lays and challenged with rotavirus between the first and second feeds showed good protection against the homologous virus; but there was no pross-protection; affected lambs excreted the challenge virus at similar :itres and over the same period as did unprotected control lambs

Advanced Manufacturing Technology: A Strategic Solution To Production Problem

Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT) is revolutionizing the way products are manufactured especially in what are termed world-class manufactured especially in what are termed world-class manufacturers (WCM). AMT is a general expression encompassing Automated production technology, Computer Assisted Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM), Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS), robotics, Total Quality Control (TQC), advances in production management including materials requirement and manufacturing resources planning systems(MRP), Just-in-Time (JIT) Systems and so on. It has been argued by a number of academics, consultants and industrialists that traditional management accounting systems and performance measures are inappropriate and misleading for firm using AMT. This view is supported by Kaplan (1996) when he said that “traditional management accounting produces?… simple the wrong measures. They move the company in the wrong direction, reward managers for damaging the business and provide no incentive for improvement. The best we can do is to switch them off, just stop doing them!” Keywords: Advanced manufacturing, Total quality control, and Management accounting

Effects of Environmental Degradation on Human Health in Selected Oil Communities in Delta State

The study investigated the effects of environmental degradation on human health in nine selected oil communities in Delta State using well-structured 450 copies of questionnaires. Specific oil spillage and gas flaring data within the selected communities were also used. Result showed that 95.2% of the people had experienced environmental degradation from the oil producing communities and some agreed that most of the effects are still ongoing. The overall major cause of environmental degradation in all the oil producing communities is the negligence of duty by government agencies charged with oversight duties of monitoring and compliance (30.8%), Neglect of Environmental regulations/compliance (26.8%), corruption (23.6%), Lack of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports from Companies either at the beginning of the project or periodic assessment (14.7%) respectively. This has however given rise to high degree of sabotage that causes oil spillage in the area. Each community agreed that they were vulnerable to environmental degradation. In Afiesere (33.3%) were vulnerable, 82.2% were vulnerable in Okpai, 77.8% in Kwale, 72.5% at Benekuku, 82.6% at Erhoike, 73.3% at Ekakprame, 97.7% at Ubeji, 95.2% at Uzere and 86.7% at Bomadi. In all, 77.5% of the residents in oil producing communities were vulnerable to environmental degradation while 22.5% were not during the period of study. The implication of this high vulnerability to environmental degradation by the people of these oil producing communities in Delta State shows that something must be done urgently to make living conditions better in these areas for them to be resilient to oil activities which will continue to increase in the area.  The study also revealed that a total of 235 Diarrhoea cases were recorded, 187 Asthma cases, 511 cases of eye infection, 90 cases of Bronchitis and 157 cases of skin infection were reported at the hospitals in the area. This high figure could be linked to environmental degradation of air, water and land which is rampant in the area. The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA), Niger Delta Affairs Ministry, NOSDR and all Policy stakeholders in environment and oil and gas sector should revisit and review existing environmental and oil drilling laws in Nigeria with a view of updating them to international and environmental friendly standards. Keywords: Environment, Degradation, Oil Communities, Human Healt

Modern means of assessing the impact of emergencies on the environmental condition of the ground layer of atmosphere

The problem of emergencies will not leave humanity as long as it exists, and therefore it is necessary to at least create conditions under which it is possible to reduce the risks of injuries, diseases and deaths of people who are in the emergency zone. This can be achieved by raising awareness of the nature of the emergency, the hazardous substances that are released in connection with it. Theoretical analysis of various remote means of assessing the impact of emergencies of man-made areas on the ecological state of the atmospheric air of the surrounding areas. It has been found that the use of remote sensing equipment greatly simplifies the procedure of operational monitoring of the environment during emergencies, as well as contributes to the health of professionals. A comparison of different remote means of environmental monitoring of air quality was performed: In particular, stationary automatic stations, mobile automatic stations, probes, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were compared. It is proposed to use UAVs as remote means of operational monitoring of air quality. The functional scheme of UAV system implementation for the needs of operative ecological monitoring is offered. The legal features of the use of unmanned aerial vehicles as remote means of monitoring air quality during emergencies are analyzed

Modern means of assessing the impact of emergencies on the environmental condition of the ground layer of atmosphere

The problem of emergencies will not leave humanity as long as it exists, and therefore it is necessary to at least create conditions under which it is possible to reduce the risks of injuries, diseases and deaths of people who are in the emergency zone. This can be achieved by raising awareness of the nature of the emergency, the hazardous substances that are released in connection with it. Theoretical analysis of various remote means of assessing the impact of emergencies of man-made areas on the ecological state of the atmospheric air of the surrounding areas. It has been found that the use of remote sensing equipment greatly simplifies the procedure of operational monitoring of the environment during emergencies, as well as contributes to the health of professionals. A comparison of different remote means of environmental monitoring of air quality was performed: In particular, stationary automatic stations, mobile automatic stations, probes, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were compared. It is proposed to use UAVs as remote means of operational monitoring of air quality. The functional scheme of UAV system implementation for the needs of operative ecological monitoring is offered. The legal features of the use of unmanned aerial vehicles as remote means of monitoring air quality during emergencies are analyzed

Studi Ketoksikan Dinoflagelata Spesies Prorocentrum Minimum (Dinophyceae) Schiller (Pavillard)

This study was carried out to determine the toxicity of the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum species that formed massive blooms in Lido Beach, Johor Bahru in July 2002. Clone cultures were established in ES-DK medium at 26o C under a 14:10 hour light dark cycle. Species toxicity was determined by intra peritoneal (i.p) injection of culture extract into mice. Cultured cell extracts were toxic to mice. The major symptoms were muscular paralysis and diarrhea. However no mouse mortality was observed even after 13 hours. Extracts of cultured cells were also hemolytic on rabbit red blood cells. Keywords: Dinoflagellate, HAB, Prorocentrum minimum, Red Tide dan Toxicity Kajian dilakukan untuk menentukan ketoksikan dinoflagelata spesies Prorocentrum minimum yang menyebabkan kejadian pasang merah besar-besaran di perairan Pantai Lido, Johor Bahru pada Juli tahun 2002. Kultur klon telah dibuat dalam medium ES-DK pada suhu 26o C dan siklus pencahayaan 14:10 jam terang gelap. Ketoksikan spesies diuji dengan penyuntikan ekstrak kultur secara intra peritoneal (i

Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes: Two Sides of the Same Coin!

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are rapidly rising around the globe. Empirical researches demonstrated rapid increase in mortality and morbidity related to CVD and T2DM. Much of the diabetes-associated morbidity and mortality predominantly reflects its deleterious effect on macrovascular and microvascular diseases. The microvascular complications of T2DM include retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy and the macrovascular complications include ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and peripheral vascular diseases. Research indicates that coronary heart disease (CHD) is the major cause of mortality in people with T2DM. Herein, this chapter reviews relationship between CVD and T2DM, associated complications and effectiveness of relevant treatment modalities to treat/prevent diabetic macrovasculopthy. Macrovascular disease occur due to underlying obstructive atherosclerotic changes of major arteries which cause functional and structural abnormalities of blood vessels. The long-term complications can be controlled and prevented by controlling glycemia, maintaining normal lipid profiles, adopting a healthy lifestyle and using pharmacological interventions. Clinical trials have shown that lifestyle interventions help in prevention and reduction of CVD risk, but evidence for long-term CVD outcomes is lacking. A multidisciplinary approach involving patients, health professionals and researchers and governments should be undertaken to reduce the incidence and prevalence of diabetes-related cardiovascular complications

Anthropometric cut-offs to identify hyperglycemia in an Afro-Caribbean population: a cross-sectional population-based study from Barbados.

INTRODUCTION: Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) cut-offs associated with hyperglycemia may differ by ethnicity. We investigated the optimal BMI and WC cut-offs for identifying hyperglycemia in the predominantly Afro-Caribbean population of Barbados. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 865 individuals aged ≥25 years without known diabetes or cardiovascular disease was conducted. Hyperglycemia was defined as fasting plasma glucose ≥5.6 mmol/L or hemoglobin A1c ≥5.7% (39 mmol/mol). The Youden index was used to identify the optimal cut-offs from the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Further ROC analysis and multivariable log binomial regression were used to compare standard and data-derived cut-offs. RESULTS: The prevalence of hyperglycemia was 58.9% (95% CI 54.7% to 63.0%). In women, optimal BMI and WC cut-offs (27 kg/m2 and 87 cm, respectively) performed similarly to standard cut-offs. In men, sensitivities of the optimal cut-offs of BMI ≥24 kg/m2 (72.0%) and WC ≥86 cm (74.0%) were higher than those for standard BMI and WC obesity cut-offs (30.0% and 25%-46%, respectively), although with lower specificity. Hyperglycemia was 70% higher in men above the data-derived WC cut-off (prevalence ratio 95% CI 1.2 to 2.3). CONCLUSIONS: While BMI and WC cut-offs in Afro-Caribbean women approximate international standards, our findings, consistent with other studies, suggest lowering cut-offs in men may be warranted to improve detection of hyperglycemia. Our findings do, however, require replication in a new data set.The project was supported by the Ministry of Health of the Government of Barbados. ANW is supported by the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number K43TW010698. This paper describes the views of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health (USA)

The expression of syndecan-1 in psoriatic epidermis

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by exaggerated keratinocyte proliferation. Current opinion indicates that psoriasis is driven by T cell-mediated immune responses targeting keratinocytes. However, psoriasis cannot be explained solely on the basis of T-cell activation, and it is likely that an intrinsic alteration in epidermal keratinocytes plays a very important role in disease expression. Syndecans comprise a major family of cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Several studies indicate their role in adhesion, cell-extracellular matrix interactions, migration, keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation, inflammation, and wound healing. To determine the expression of syndecan-1 in psoriasis, skin samples from 29 patients with fully developed psoriasis and skin samples from 14 healthy volunteer persons with no personal or family history of psoriasis were immunohistochemically examined using monoclonal antibody against syndecan-1. The expression of syndecan-1 was analyzed in whole mount section of psoriatic and non-psoriatic skin biopsies under high magnification (400×). In addition, the intensity and topography of reaction in the cell, as well as localization of positive cells in the epidermis were evaluated. Strong syndecan-1 reactivity in epidermal cells in all non-psoriatic and psoriatic samples was observed. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences between two analyzed groups (P > 0.05). In normal skin syndecan-1 was expressed in full thickness of the epidermis. The strongest reaction was observed in membranes and intercellular junctions of spinous and granular layer while basal cells showed weaker expression that was confined to cytoplasm. In psoriatic skin syndecan-1 was expressed in the membrane and intercellular junction of cells located in thickened and elongated rete ridges of the epidermis. The strongest reaction was in basal and suprabasal layers and expression diminished through spinous layer. Cells in spinous layer lose syndecan-1 expression, which is opposite pattern to normal skin. Our results suggest that aberrant skin expression of syndecan-1 may be involved in the development of psoriasis

Photon Geodesics in FRW Cosmologies

The Hubble radius is a particular manifestation of the Universe's gravitational horizon, R_h(t_0)=c/H_0, the distance beyond which physical processes remain unobservable to us at the present epoch. Based on recent observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) with WMAP, and ground-based and HST searches for Type Ia supernovae, we now know that R_h(t_0)~13.5 Glyr. This coincides with the maximum distance (ct_0~13.7 Glyr) light could have traveled since the big bang. However, the physical meaning of R_h is still not universally understood or accepted, though the minimalist view holds that it is merely the proper distance at which the rate of cosmic recession reaches the speed of light c. Even so, it is sometimes argued that we can see light from sources beyond R_h, the claim being that R_h lies at a redshift of only ~2, whereas the CMB was produced at a much greater redshift (~1100). In this paper, we build on recent developments with the gravitational radius by actually calculating null geodesics for a broad range of FRW cosmologies, to show---at least in the specific cases we consider here, including LCDM---that no photon trajectories reaching us today could have ever crossed R_h(t_0). We therefore confirm that the current Hubble radius, contrary to a commonly held misconception, is indeed the limit to our observability. We find that the size of the visible universe in LCDM, measured as a proper distance, is approximately 0.45ct_0.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA