THE EFFECT OF FEEDING HEAT TREATED MORINGA OLEIFERA (LAM) LEAF MEAL ON THE GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS (LAM) FRY.

In aquaculture the increasing price of feed is one of the most important factors that limit profitability. The high costs have led to the need to identify alternative protein sources for use in fish feed formulations. The utilization of non-conventional and lesser–utilized plant protein sources to replace fishmeal in fry diets has been an area of focus in aquaculture nutrition. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of feeding heat-treated moringa (Moringa oleifera) supplemented diets on the growth performance of the Oreochromis niloticus fry. Four iso-nitrogenous diets were used; 5 % boiled moringa and 95 % fry meal (Diet A); 10 % boiled moringa and 90 % fry meal (Diet B); 5 % steamed moringa and 95 % fry meal (Diet C) and 10 % steamed moringa and 90 % fry meal (Diet D),and Diet E was the control diet containing fishmeal as protein source. A standard 24-day fry feeding trial was carried out in fry tanks with each tank stocked with 15 000 fry. The growth rate, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio of fry fed for the five diets were similar. The body weight gain were not different) and ranged from 0.012 to 0.014 g/d for fry fed boiled moringa and the control diets. Fry fed steamed moringa and control diets had higher FCR values compared to those on boiled moringa diets but the differences were not significant. Fry fed steamed diets had better growth performance than those on boiled diets although the differences were not significant. It was concluded that steam-heated moringa leaf meal could be used to substitute 10 % of dietary protein in Nile tilapia fry diets without significant reduction in growth performance

Presentations of patients of poisoning and predictors of poisoning-related fatality: Findings from a hospital-based prospective study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Poisoning is a significant public health problem worldwide and is one of the most common reasons for visiting emergency departments (EDs), but factors that help to predict overall poisoning-related fatality have rarely been elucidated. Using 1512 subjects from a hospital-based study, we sought to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of poisoning patients and to identify predictors for poisoning-related fatality.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Between January 2001 and December 2002 we prospectively recruited poisoning patients through the EDs of two medical centers in southwest Taiwan. Interviews were conducted with patients within 24 hours after admission to collect relevant information. We made comparisons between survival and fatality cases, and used logistic regressions to identify predictors of fatality.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 1512 poisoning cases were recorded at the EDs during the study period, corresponding to an average of 4.2 poisonings per 1000 ED visits. These cases involved 828 women and 684 men with a mean age of 38.8 years, although most patients were between 19 and 50 years old (66.8%), and 29.4% were 19 to 30 years. Drugs were the dominant poisoning agents involved (49.9%), followed by pesticides (14.5%). Of the 1512 patients, 63 fatalities (4.2%) occurred. Paraquat exposure was associated with an extremely high fatality rate (72.1%). The significant predictors for fatality included age over 61 years, insufficient respiration, shock status, abnormal heart rate, abnormal body temperature, suicidal intent and paraquat exposure.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In addition to well-recognized risk factors for fatality in clinical settings, such as old age and abnormal vital signs, we found that suicidal intent and ingestion of paraquat were significant predictors of poisoning-related fatality. Identification of these predictors may help risk stratification and the development of preventive interventions.</p

The global distribution of fatal pesticide self-poisoning: Systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Evidence is accumulating that pesticide self-poisoning is one of the most commonly used methods of suicide worldwide, but the magnitude of the problem and the global distribution of these deaths is unknown.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We have systematically reviewed the worldwide literature to estimate the number of pesticide suicides in each of the World Health Organisation's six regions and the global burden of fatal self-poisoning with pesticides. We used the following data sources: Medline, EMBASE and psycINFO (1990–2007), papers cited in publications retrieved, the worldwide web (using Google) and our personal collections of papers and books. Our aim was to identify papers enabling us to estimate the proportion of a country's suicides due to pesticide self-poisoning.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We conservatively estimate that there are 258,234 (plausible range 233,997 to 325,907) deaths from pesticide self-poisoning worldwide each year, accounting for 30% (range 27% to 37%) of suicides globally. Official data from India probably underestimate the incidence of suicides; applying evidence-based corrections to India's official data, our estimate for world suicides using pesticides increases to 371,594 (range 347,357 to 439,267). The proportion of all suicides using pesticides varies from 4% in the European Region to over 50% in the Western Pacific Region but this proportion is not concordant with the volume of pesticides sold in each region; it is the pattern of pesticide use and the toxicity of the products, not the quantity used, that influences the likelihood they will be used in acts of fatal self-harm.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Pesticide self-poisoning accounts for about one-third of the world's suicides. Epidemiological and toxicological data suggest that many of these deaths might be prevented if (a) the use of pesticides most toxic to humans was restricted, (b) pesticides could be safely stored in rural communities, and (c) the accessibility and quality of care for poisoning could be improved.</p

Summary statistics of patch metrics for all twelve study riverine landscapes as well as summary statistics for patches broken out by the three land-use classes.

<p>Note that values for MPE and TE were scaled down by a factor of 1,000.</p><p>Summary statistics of patch metrics for all twelve study riverine landscapes as well as summary statistics for patches broken out by the three land-use classes.</p

Eigenvalues (>1.0) and the percent variance captured by the principal components (PCs) along with the loadings.

<p>Bold print represents the most influential loadings for each eigenvector. Names assigned to each PC axis represent these influential loadings.</p><p>Eigenvalues (>1.0) and the percent variance captured by the principal components (PCs) along with the loadings.</p

Riverine Landscape Patch Heterogeneity Drives Riparian Ant Assemblages in the Scioto River Basin, USA

<div><p>Although the principles of landscape ecology are increasingly extended to include riverine landscapes, explicit applications are few. We investigated associations between patch heterogeneity and riparian ant assemblages at 12 riverine landscapes of the Scioto River, Ohio, USA, that represent urban/developed, agricultural, and mixed (primarily forested, but also wetland, grassland/fallow, and exurban) land-use settings. Using remotely-sensed and ground-collected data, we delineated riverine landscape patch types (crop, grass/herbaceous, gravel, lawn, mudflat, open water, shrub, swamp, and woody vegetation), computed patch metrics (area, density, edge, richness, and shape), and conducted coordinated sampling of surface-active Formicidae assemblages. Ant density and species richness was lower in agricultural riverine landscapes than at mixed or developed reaches (measured using <i>S</i> [total number of species], but not using Menhinick’s Index [<i>D</i>_M]), whereas ant diversity (using the Berger-Park Index [<i>D_BP</i>]) was highest in agricultural reaches. We found no differences in ant density, richness, or diversity among internal riverine landscape patches. However, certain characteristics of patches influenced ant communities. Patch shape and density were significant predictors of richness (<i>S</i>: <i>R</i>² = 0.72; <i>D</i>_M: <i>R</i>²=0.57). Patch area, edge, and shape emerged as important predictors of <i>D_BP</i> (<i>R</i>² = 0.62) whereas patch area, edge, and density were strongly related to ant density (<i>R</i>² = 0.65). Non-metric multidimensional scaling and analysis of similarities distinguished ant assemblage composition in grass and swamp patches from crop, gravel, lawn, and shrub as well as ant assemblages in woody vegetation patches from crop, lawn, and gravel (stress = 0.18, <i>R</i>² = 0.64). These findings lend insight into the utility of landscape ecology to river science by providing evidence that spatial habitat patterns within riverine landscapes can influence assemblage characteristics of riparian arthropods.</p></div

Estimating above-ground biomass of individual trees with terrestrial laser scanner and 3D quantitative structure modelling

This study explored the feasibility of using the terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) and quantitative structure modelling (QSM) to estimate the above-ground biomass (AGB) of individual trees in the tropical rainforest using data from the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve, Malaysia. We also tested the influence of varying the runs, the cover set’s diameter and nmin values on the ABG derived. To achieve our objectives, we estimated diameter at breast height (DBH) and height of 100 trees from 26 plots using both TLS and QSM, and field measurements then AGB based on both methods. We observed a powerful positive linear correlation between TLS and field-measured DBH (R 2 = 0.97) and between TLS and field-measured height (R 2 = 0.77), and a moderately strong relationship between TLS and field-based AGB (R 2 = 0.56). TLS and QSM overestimated AGB by 30% of field-based estimates. Varying the number of runs had no significant influence on the AGB derived from the TLS and QSM (one-way ANOVA, p > 0.05) while increasing the cover set diameter led to an increase in the derived AGB (one-way ANOVA, p < 0.05). The QSM was very sensitive to variations in the nmin (one-way ANOVA, p < 0.05). Our study has demonstrated that the TLS and QSM can be used for estimation of AGB for individual trees but with varying reliability. Regardless, our study provides yet another non-destructive approach to the suite of methods for estimating carbon of individual trees for various applications, including Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. © 2021 NISC (Pty) Ltd

Summary statistics of ants surveyed by riverine landscape land-use class (agriculture, mixed, developed) including total ant abundance and mean and standard deviation of density and diversity measures by patch type.

<p>Note that not all patch types were observed in all three riverine land-use classes.</p><p>Summary statistics of ants surveyed by riverine landscape land-use class (agriculture, mixed, developed) including total ant abundance and mean and standard deviation of density and diversity measures by patch type.</p