Diversity and abundance of butterfly species (Lepidoptera) fauna in Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi forestry nursery, Benue State, Nigeria

Butterflies belong to one of the most important taxa of insects. Understanding their significance in an ecosystem as an environmental health indicator and pollination of flowering plants is crucial to achieving sustainability and conservation of floral diversity. Owing to habitat destruction due to some anthropogenic activities, butterflies are fast disappearing and at present, their survival is under threat. The study assessed the diversity and abundance of butterfly species in the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi forestry nursery, Nigeria. Line transects were used to survey three habitats within and around the forestry nursery using handheld sweep nets in March and April, 2016. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and One-way analysis of variance. A total of 337 individuals representing 17 butterfly species belonging to 5 families were recorded across the three habitat types. Out of these, members belonging to the family Nymphalidae were the most common with 7 species being recorded accounting for 41.2% of the total species and 26.7% of total number of individuals collected. Species richness, evenness and diversity varied from habitat to habitat and decreased from dry land area to swampy area (D= 2.336 – 1.966), (J= 0.336 – 0.236), (H1= 1.394 – 0.955). There was no significant different in species composition/richness across habitat types at 0.05%. It was recommended that management effort towards conservation be put in place so as to ensure sustenance of butterflies and ecosystem services derived from them, and further exploration of butterfly species be done to update this checklist.Keywords: Butterfly, Species, Forestry Nursery, Diversity, Abundanc

Market Sanitation: A Case Study of Oregbeni Market Benin - City Edo State, Nigeria

Poor market sanitation is an intractable problem in Nigeria and has contributed to the spread of infectious diseases and environmental degradation. This study was undertaken to determine the awareness and practice of solid waste management in market places among market users. It involved 180 store owners and customers recruited from Oregbeni market in Benin City, Nigeria. They were administered questionnaires while an in depth interview was conducted with the waste managers in the market. Checklist was used to carry out observation of the market place sanitation status. The data obtained was then analyzed and compared using SPSS. The results showed that a high proportion of respondents were aware of improper waste management (133; 62.8%) and agreed (174; 96.7%) that it is associated with many risks. Despite this high level of awareness, the practice of open dumping of waste was prevalent (108; 60.0%). Interestingly, 96.1% expressed willingness to pay for an improved waste disposal system while 55.6% rated the existing system as poor. Our findings suggest therefore that there is an urgent needs to improve waste collection, and disposal at market places.Keywords: Market sanitation, Solid Waste Management, Health hazards, Environmental degradation

X-linked agammaglobulinemia diagnosed late in life: case report and review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Common variable immune deficiency (CVID), one of the most common primary immunodeficiency diseases presents in adults, whereas X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA), an inherited humoral immunodeficiency, is usually diagnosed early in life after maternal Igs have waned. However, there have been several reports in the world literature in which individuals have either had a delay in onset of symptoms or have been misdiagnosed with CVID and then later found to have mutations in Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) yielding a reclassification as adult-onset variants of XLA. The typical finding of absent B cells should suggest XLA rather than CVID and may be a sensitive test to detect this condition, leading to the more specific test (Btk mutational analysis). Further confirmation may be by mutational analyses.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The records of 2 patients were reviewed and appropriate clinical data collected. BTK mutational analysis was carried out to investigate the suspicion of adult-presentation of XLA. A review of the world literature on delayed diagnosis of XLA and mild or "leaky" phenotype was performed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>2 patients previously diagnosed with CVID associated with virtual absence of CD19⁺B cells were reclassified as having a delayed diagnosis and adult-presentation of XLA. <b>Patient 1</b>, a 64 yr old male with recurrent sinobronchial infections had a low level of serum IgG of 360 mg/dl (normal 736–1900), IgA <27 mg/dl (normal 90–474), and IgM <25 mg/dl (normal 50–415). <b>Patient 2</b>, a 46 yr old male with recurrent sinopulmonary infections had low IgG of 260 mg/dl, low IgA <16 mg/dl, and normal IgM. Mutational analysis of BTK was carried out in both patients and confirmed the diagnosis of XLA</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These two cases represent an unusual adult-presentation of XLA, a humoral immunodeficiency usually diagnosed in childhood and the need to further investigate a suspicion of XLA in adult males with CVID particularly those associated with low to absent CD19⁺B cells. A diagnosis of XLA can have significant implications including family counseling, detecting female carriers, and early intervention and treatment of affected male descendents.</p

Setting priorities for ageing research in Africa: a systematic mapping review of 512 studies from sub-Saharan Africa

BACKGROUND: In 2040, the older population's growth rate in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will be faster than those experienced by developed nations since 1950. In preparation for this growth, the National Institute on Aging commissioned the National Academies' Committee on Population to organize a workshop on advancing aging research in Africa. This meeting provided a platform for discussing some areas requiring improvement in aging research in SSA regions. We believed that conducting a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles to set priorities for aging research in SSA is warranted. Therefore, this article is the first in a Four-Part series that summaries the types and trends of peer-reviewed studies in SSA. METHODS: This systematic mapping review followed the Search-Appraisal-Synthesis-Analysis Framework. We systematically searched multiple databases from inception till February 2021 and included peer-reviewed articles conducted with/for older adults residing in SSA. Conventional content analysis was employed to categorize studies into subject-related areas. RESULTS: We included 512 studies (quantitative = 426, qualitative = 71 and mixed-method = 15). Studies were conducted in 32 countries. Quantitative studies included were observational studies: cross-sectional (n = 250, 59%), longitudinal (n = 126, 30%), and case-control (n = 12, 3%); and experimental studies: pre-post design (n = 4, 1%), randomized control trial (RCT, n = 12, 3%); and not reported (n = 21, 5%). Fifteen qualitative studies did not state their study design; where stated, study design ranged from descriptive (n = 14, 20%), ethnography (n = 12, 17%), grounded theory (n = 7, 10%), narrative (n = 5, 7%), phenomenology (n = 10, 14%), interpretative exploratory (n = 4, 6%), case studies (n = 4, 6%). Of the 15 mixed-method studies, seven did not state their mixed-method design. Where stated, design includes concurrent (n = 1), convergent (n = 1), cross-sectional (n = 3), informative (n = 1), sequential exploratory (n = 1) and retrospective (n = 2). Studies were classified into 30 (for quantitative studies) and seven (for qualitative and mixed-method) subject-related areas. HIV/AIDs-related and non-communicable diseases-related studies were the most predominant subject-related areas. No studies explored the transdisciplinary co-production of interventions. CONCLUSIONS: There are glaring gaps in ageing research in SSA, especially mixed-methods and RCTs. A large number of studies focused on HIV/AIDs and non-communicable disease-related studies. National and international funding agencies should set up priority funding competitions for transdisciplinary collaborations in ageing research

Pseudonocardia hispaniensis sp. nov., a novel actinomycete isolated from industrial wastewater activated sludge

A novel actinomycete, designated PA3T, was isolated from an oil refinery wastewater treatment plant, located in Palos de la frontera, Huelva, Spain, and characterized taxonomically by using a polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolate formed a distinct subclade in the Pseudonocardia tree together with Pseudonocardia asaccharolytica DSM 44247T. The chemotaxonomic properties of the isolate, for example, the presence of MK-8 (H4) as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C16:0 as the major fatty acid are consistent with its classification in the genus Pseudonocardia. DNA:DNA pairing experiments between the isolate and the type strain of P. asaccharolytica DSM 44247T showed that they belonged to separate genomic species. The two strains were readily distinguished using a combination of phenotypic properties. 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EAPP: Gatekeeper at the crossroad of apoptosis and p21-mediated cell-cycle arrest

We previously identified and characterized E2F-associated phospho-protein (EAPP), a nuclear phosphoprotein that interacts with the activating members of the E2F transcription factor family. EAPP levels are frequently elevated in transformed human cells. To examine the biological relevance of EAPP, we studied its properties in stressed and unstressed cells. Overexpression of EAPP in U2OS cells increased the fraction of G1 cells and lead to heightened resistance against DNA damage- or E2F1-induced apoptosis in a p21-dependent manner. EAPP itself becomes upregulated in confluent cells and after DNA damage and stimulates the expression of p21 independently of p53. It binds to the p21 promoter and seems to be required for the assembly of the transcription initiation complex. RNAi-mediated knockdown of EAPP expression brought about increased sensitivity towards DNA damage and resulted in apoptosis even in the absence of stress. Our results indicate that the level of EAPP is critical for cellular homeostasis. Too much of it results in G1 arrest and resistance to apoptosis, which, paradoxically, might favor cellular transformation. Too little EAPP seems to retard the expression not only of the p21 gene, but also of a number of other genes and ultimately results in apoptosis

Carbapenem resistance expressed by Gram-negative bacilli isolated from a cohort of Libyan patients

Background and objectives: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and other Gram-negative bacteria are among the most common pathogens responsible for both community and hospital acquired infection. The global spread of cephalosporinases in Enterobacteriaceae has led to the increased use of carbapenems resulting in the emergence and rapid spread of CRE. This has become an alarming public health concern, yet the condition in Libya remains unclear. The aim of this study was to obtain a better understanding of CRE strains prevalent in Libyan patients by investigating their phenotypic characteristics and antibiograms. Methods: Gram-negative bacterial species were collected from Misrata Central Hospital, Misrata Cancer Centre and Privet Pathology Laboratories. Clinical samples and swabs were obtained from hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients and from mechanical ventilation and suction machines. Patients who had received antibiotic therapy for at least three days prior to the study were excluded. The identification and characterization of the isolated species were achieved using the growth characteristics on MacConkey and blood agar, spot tests and API 20E or API 20NE biochemical testing systems. Screening for carbapenem resistance was performed using the disk diffusion method with carbapenem 10 μg and cephalosporin 30 μg disks and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) determined using the Sensititre Gram-negative Xtra plate format (GNX2F). All strains demonstrating resistance or reduced susceptibility to one of the four carbapenems were subjected to carbapenememase activity detection using the RAPIDEC CARBA NP test, Modified Hodge test and carbapenem inactivation methods. Results: A total of one hundred and forty isolates representing fourteen bacterial species were isolated from 140 non-duplicated specimens. Clinical specimens included urine samples (96/140, 68.57%), sputum (15/140, 10.71%), surgical wound swabs (18/140, 12.85%), foot swabs from diabetes mellitus (DM) patients (6/140, 4.29%), ear swabs (3/140, 2.14%) and wound swabs (2/140, 1.43%). Thirty-four (24.29%) isolates demonstrated resistance to at least one of the four carbapenems with Klebsiella pneumoniae representing 73.53% (25 isolates) of all carbapenem resistant species, followed by 8.82% for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3 isolates), 5.88% for both Proteus mirabilis (2 isolates) and Escherichia coli (2 isolates) and 2.94% for both Citrobacter koseri (1 isolate) and Rahnella aquatilis (1 isolate). The other isolates were either susceptible or cephalosporinase producers. Conclusion: This study has revealed the high rate of carbapenem resistance amongst Libyan patients and emphasizes the crucial need for accurate screening, identification and susceptibility testing to prevent further spread of nosocomial and community acquired resistance. This may be achieved through the establishment of antibiotic stewardship programmes along with firm infection control practices.National Research Foundation of South Africa; Libyan GovernmentWeb of Scienc