Investigating the influence of vehicular traffic on a major trunk road on rural air quality

A thesis submittedTraffic population in the UK has grown by 27% in 2002 and predicted to continue to an estimated 38% in 2016 and up to 60% by 2031. This means vehicular emissions from road transport may account for higher proportion of total emissions of pollutants resulting in air pollution with its attendant consequences. Although poor air quality concerns has often been linked to urban areas, many rural areas apparently have locations where air quality objectives may be threatened especially in the wake of increasing vehicular population. Thus, this elicits the necessity to investigate the relationship between vehicular emissions and air quality. This study investigated the influence of vehicular traffic on a major trunk road on rural air quality through continuous measurements of nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and hydrocarbon between June 2008 and April 2010 along a major trunk road in a catalogued rural environment in the UK. Collection and analysis of pollutants was by Dräger short-term tubes and Dräger passive diffusion tube techniques. Throughout the sampling period, concentrations of sulphur dioxide were not detected using the short-term tube technique but were detected by the passive diffusion tubes. The study found that variations in mean concentrations of the pollutants were synonymous with traffic frequency and were influenced by meteorological conditions especially wind speed, temperature and relative humidity. Results observed concentration decline trend with increasing distance and showed maximum concentrations during winter, mainly in areas of close proximity to anthropogenic source, and minimum in summer. Values between winter year 1 and winter year 2 monitoring campaigns showed significant difference (P Ti (0.346 ppm) > Cr (0.111 ppm) > Cu (0.106 ppm) > Pb (0.026 ppm) > Ni (0.025 ppm). They were found in different magnitudes higher than their respective levels at 50 and 100 m from the trunk road and therefore tend to support traffic origin. Findings from this study show that heavy metals exhibited different degree of correlation between individual elements, ranging from very strong positive to weak, as well as negative correlations. Statistical analyses show that the elements predominantly exhibited statistically significant differences between elements and between distances from the road. Overall, findings from this study demonstrate that both vegetation species prove to be successfully useful in determining the pollution status and trends of traffic-related heavy metals

Seasonal movements and habitat use of African buffalo in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND:Assessing wildlife movements and habitat use is important for species conservation and management and can be informative for understanding population dynamics. The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) population of Ruaha National Park, Tanzania has been declining, and little was known about the movement, habitat selection, and space use of the population, which is important for understanding possible reasons behind the decline. A total of 12 African buffalo cows from four different herds were collared with satellite transmitters. Movements were assessed over 2 years from 11 animals. RESULTS:The space use of the individual collared buffaloes as an approximation of the 95% home range size estimated using Brownian bridge models, ranged from 73 to 601 km2. The estimated home ranges were larger in the wet season than in the dry season. With the exception of one buffalo all collared animals completed a wet season migration of varying distances. A consistent pattern of seasonal movement was observed with one herd, whereas the other herds did not behave the same way in the two wet seasons that they were tracked. Herd splitting and herd switching occurred on multiple occasions. Buffaloes strongly associated with habitats near the Great Ruaha River in the dry season and had little association to permanent water sources in the wet season. Daily movements averaged 4.6 km (standard deviation, SD = 2.6 km), with the longest distances traveled during November (mean 6.9 km, SD = 3.6 km) at the end of the dry season and beginning of the wet season. The shortest daily distances traveled occurred in the wet season in April-June (mean 3.6 km, SD = 1.6-1.8 km). CONCLUSION:The Great Ruaha River has experienced significant drying in the last decades due to water diversions upstream, which likely has reduced the suitable range for buffaloes. The loss of dry season habitat due to water scarcity has likely contributed to the population decline of the Ruaha buffaloes

Educating pastoralists and extension officers on diverse livestock diseases in a changing environment in Tanzania

East African pastoralists and their livestock are vulnerable to alterations in resource availability and disease transmission and frequently face poor access to livestock health services. Government veterinarians tasked with guiding health services must prioritize livestock health risks and allocate limited resources across disparate ecosystems with different disease threats. To identify livestock diseases of concern and strategies for improving herd health and resilience, we conducted community focus groups with pastoralists and interviewed pastoralist household leaders, village extension officers, and government veterinary officials in south-central Tanzania, an area experiencing rapid population growth and environmental change. All participants discussed pastoralist access to livestock health services, livestock disease priorities, and means to improve livestock health. Perceptions of diseases of importance differed among pastoralists, extension officers, and government veterinarians. Spatial differences in diseases of concern among study area pastoralists emphasized the need for locally adaptable livestock health service delivery. Although pastoralist strategies to improve livestock health differed by ethnic group, many pastoralists as well as extension officers and government veterinarians identified livestock health education and training for pastoralists and extension officers as a critical need. Policies designed at the regional, rather than the local, level may not reflect the disease concerns of the entire area. To effectively address veterinary health problems and make livestock herds more resilient to environmental change, conditions at the local level must be considered. Education targeted to pastoralist households and extension officers could achieve greater flexibility in the livestock health system and provide more reliable information about local conditions for governmental policymakers

Curcuma longa extract improves serum electrolytes and hormone profile of dihydrotestosterone - Estradiol valerate induced benign prostatic hyperplasia male rats

The usefulness of methanol extract of Curcuma longa in management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in rats was studied. Twenty  male Wistar rats were divided into five groups of 4 rats each. BPH was induced by subcutaneous injection of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol valerate (10:1) daily for 28 days. The normal control (NC) received subcutaneous olive oil (as vehicle) for the same duration. The disease control (HC) and drug control groups (DC) were given subcutaneous olive oil and oral finasteride (standard drug: 5 mg/kg bw) respectively after induction of BPH. Rats in the test groups (T1 and T2) were given 100 and 200 mg/kg.bw of C. longa methanol extracts orally for 28 days respectively, following disease induction. Phytochemical constituents of plant extracts, selected biomarkers of BPH,  serum electrolyte and hormonal profile were determined using standard methods. Results revealed that C. longa have higher content of flavonoid (4.03 ± 0.01 mg/100 g) with lower concentration of terpene (0.40 ± 0.07 mg/100 g). There was significant decrease (p<0.05) in relative prostate weight and prostate specific antigen (PSA) in T1 and T2 compared to the HC group. Calcium and sodium showed  significant (p<0.05) decreased following administration of plant extract while chlorine and bicarbonate recorded no (p>0.05) difference. There was a (p<0.05) decrease in serum total testosterone and increase in FSH level, but no difference (p>0.05) was seen in serum estradiol levels within all experimental groups. This study reveals that C. longa may be useful in the treatment and/or management of BPH and itscomplications

Educating pastoralists and extension officers on diverse livestock diseases in a changing environment in Tanzania

East African pastoralists and their livestock are vulnerable to alterations in resource availability and disease transmission and frequently face poor access to livestock health services. Government veterinarians tasked with guiding health services must prioritize livestock health risks and allocate limited resources across disparate ecosystems with different disease threats. To identify livestock diseases of concern and strategies for improving herd health and resilience, we conducted community focus groups with pastoralists and interviewed pastoralist household leaders, village extension officers, and government veterinary officials in south-central Tanzania, an area experiencing rapid population growth and environmental change. All participants discussed pastoralist access to livestock health services, livestock disease priorities, and means to improve livestock health. Perceptions of diseases of importance differed among pastoralists, extension officers, and government veterinarians. Spatial differences in diseases of concern among study area pastoralists emphasized the need for locally adaptable livestock health service delivery. Although pastoralist strategies to improve livestock health differed by ethnic group, many pastoralists as well as extension officers and government veterinarians identified livestock health education and training for pastoralists and extension officers as a critical need. Policies designed at the regional, rather than the local, level may not reflect the disease concerns of the entire area. To effectively address veterinary health problems and make livestock herds more resilient to environmental change, conditions at the local level must be considered. Education targeted to pastoralist households and extension officers could achieve greater flexibility in the livestock health system and provide more reliable information about local conditions for governmental policymakers

Seasonal movements and habitat use of African buffalo in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Abstract Background Assessing wildlife movements and habitat use is important for species conservation and management and can be informative for understanding population dynamics. The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) population of Ruaha National Park, Tanzania has been declining, and little was known about the movement, habitat selection, and space use of the population, which is important for understanding possible reasons behind the decline. A total of 12 African buffalo cows from four different herds were collared with satellite transmitters. Movements were assessed over 2 years from 11 animals. Results The space use of the individual collared buffaloes as an approximation of the 95% home range size estimated using Brownian bridge models, ranged from 73 to 601 km2. The estimated home ranges were larger in the wet season than in the dry season. With the exception of one buffalo all collared animals completed a wet season migration of varying distances. A consistent pattern of seasonal movement was observed with one herd, whereas the other herds did not behave the same way in the two wet seasons that they were tracked. Herd splitting and herd switching occurred on multiple occasions. Buffaloes strongly associated with habitats near the Great Ruaha River in the dry season and had little association to permanent water sources in the wet season. Daily movements averaged 4.6 km (standard deviation, SD = 2.6 km), with the longest distances traveled during November (mean 6.9 km, SD = 3.6 km) at the end of the dry season and beginning of the wet season. The shortest daily distances traveled occurred in the wet season in April–June (mean 3.6 km, SD = 1.6–1.8 km). Conclusion The Great Ruaha River has experienced significant drying in the last decades due to water diversions upstream, which likely has reduced the suitable range for buffaloes. The loss of dry season habitat due to water scarcity has likely contributed to the population decline of the Ruaha buffaloes

Public health concerns about Tuberculosis caused by Russia/Ukraine conflict

Abstract According to WHO, Ukraine has the fourth‐highest Tuberculosis (TB) incidence in the WHO European region while globally has the fifth‐highest number of confirmed cases of extensively drug‐resistant TB. Before the Russian invasion in Ukraine several interventions have been employed to mitigate the TB epidemic in the country. However, the ongoing war has demolished meticulous efforts and subsequently worsen the situation. WHO in collaboration with the Ukraine government and other organizations such as EU and UK are required to take up arms against the situation. In this work, implications brought up from the war, efforts, and recommendations to battling TB epidemic due to the war are highlighted

Nutritional Deficiencies and Food Insecurity Among HIV-infected Children in Tanzania

Background: Poor nutrition has been associated with impaired immunity and accelerated disease progression in HIV- infected children. The aim of this study was to quantify the levels of nutrient intake in HIV-infected children and compare these to standard recommendations. Methods: We surveyed HIV-infected Tanzanian children enrolled in a pediatric care program that provided routine nutritional counseling and vitamin supplementation. We obtained anthropometric measurements and determined 24-hour macronutrient and micronutrient intakes and food insecurity. Values were compared to recommended nutrient intakes based on age and gender. Results: We interviewed 48 pairs of children and their caregiver(s). The age of the child ranged from 2-14 years; median age 6 and 60% female. The median weight-for-height z-score for children ≤ 5 years was 0.69 and BMI-for-age z-scores for children >5 was -0.84. Macronutrient evaluation showed that 29 (60%) children were deficient in dietary intake of energy; deficiency was more common in older children (p=0.004). Micronutrient evaluation shows that over half of study subjects were deficient in dietary intake of vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin B12, and calcium. Food insecurity was reported by 20 (58%) caregivers. Conclusions and Public Health Implications: The diets of many HIV-infected children at a specialized treatment center in Tanzania do not meet recommended levels of macro- and micro-nutrients. Food insecurity was a contributory factor. Enhanced dietary counseling and provision of macro- and micro-nutrient supplements will be necessary to achieve optimal nutrition for most HIV-infected children in resource-poor regions