The Effect of Phytotoxic Substances in Permanent Grassland

The concentration of phytotoxic substances in permanent grassland was studied and related to botanical composition in a two year study. Species that were negatively correlated to growth retardation varied between the two years. This may have been caused by variation in growth conditions between the two years, but may also indicate that single plant species are not the main source for the phytotoxic substances. Dead decomposing tissue may instead be the main source of phytotoxic substances in permanent grassland

Non-malarial febrile illness: a systematic review of published aetiological studies and case reports from Africa, 1980-2015.

BACKGROUND: The availability of reliable point-of-care tests for malaria has heralded a paradigm shift in the management of febrile illnesses away from presumptive antimalarial therapy. In the absence of a definitive diagnosis, health care providers are more likely to prescribe empirical antimicrobials to those who test negative for malaria. To improve management and guide further test development, better understanding is needed of the true causative agents and their geographic variability. METHODS: A systematic review of published literature was undertaken to characterise the spectrum of pathogens causing non-malaria febrile illness in Africa (1980-2015). Literature searches were conducted in English and French languages in six databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health (CABI), WHO Global Health Library, PASCAL, and Bulletin de la Société Française de Parasitologie (BDSP). Selection criteria included reporting on an infection or infections with a confirmed diagnosis, defined as pathogens detected in or cultured from samples from normally sterile sites, or serological evidence of current or past infection. A number of published articles (rather than incidence or prevalence) reporting a given pathogen were presented. RESULTS: A total of 16,523 records from 48 African countries were screened, of which 1065 (6.4%) met selection criteria. Bacterial infections were reported in 564 (53.0%) records, viral infections in 374 (35.1%), parasitic infections in 47 (4.4%), fungal infections in nine (0.8%), and 71 (6.7%) publications reported more than one pathogen group. Age range of the study population was not specified in 233 (21.9%) publications. Staphylococcus aureus (18.2%), non-typhoidal Salmonella (17.3%), and Escherichia coli (15.4%) were the commonly reported bacterial infections whereas Rift Valley fever virus (7.4%), yellow fever virus (7.0%), and Ebola virus (6.7%) were the most commonly reported viral infections. Dengue virus infection, previously not thought to be widespread in Africa, was reported in 54 (5.1%) of articles. CONCLUSIONS: This review summarises the published reports of non-malaria pathogens that may cause febrile illness in Africa. As the threat of antimicrobial resistance looms, knowledge of the distribution of infectious agents causing fever should facilitate priority setting in the development of new diagnostic tools and improved antimicrobial stewardship. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO, CRD42016049281

Past Arctic aliens have passed away, current ones may stay

Published version. Source at http://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-015-0937-9.Increased human activity and climate change are expected to increase the numbers and impact of alien species in the Arctic, but knowledge of alien species is poor in most Arctic regions. Through field investigations over the last 10 years, and review of alien vascular plant records for the high Arctic Archipelago Svalbard over the past 130 years, we explored long term trends in persistence and phenology. In total, 448 observations of 105 taxa have been recorded from 28 sites. Recent surveys at 18 of these sites revealed that alien species had disappeared at half of them. Investigations at a further 49 sites characterised by former human activity and/or current tourist landing sites did not reveal any alien species. Patterns of alien species distribution suggest that greater alien species richness is more likely to be aligned with ongoing human inhabitation than sites of transient use. The probability of an alien species being in a more advanced phenological stage increased with higher mean July temperatures. As higher mean July temperatures are positively correlated with more recent year, the latter finding suggests a clear warming effect on the increased reproductive potential of alien plants, and thus an increased potential for spread in Svalbard. Given that both human activity and temperatures are expected to increase in the future, there is need to respond in policy and action to reduce the potential for further alien species introduction and spread in the Arctic

Influence of the shoot density of Halodule wrightii Ascherson from rocky and sandy habitats on associated macroalgal communities

This study evaluated the influence of the shoot density of the shoal grass Halodule wrightii on the composition of the associated algal community, in rocky and sandy habitats on the coast of Ceará in northeastern Brazil. The phycological community included 18 species in 10 families, members of Rodophyta (72.2%), Chlorophyta (22.2%) and Phaeophyceae (5.5%). The largest proportion were epilithic (50%), followed by epiphytes on H. wrightii (38.4%), epipsammics (8%), and epiphytes on other algae (4%). Epiphytes on H. wrightii occurred mainly associated with rhizomes, but also tendrils of H. musciformis occurred attached to the leaves. The phycological community varied according to the density of H. wrightii, independently of particular characters of the meadows, although both habitat and other environmental variables seemed to influence the macroalgae composition and diversity. The rocky habitat was more diverse than the sandy habitat, but in the sandy habitat the shoal grass was important for algal settlement in areas where hard substrates were scarce or absent

Travails of Out-of-Field Teachers: A Qualitative Inquiry

This study aimed to describe and understand the lived experiences of Out-of-Field teachers as they teach subjects outside their field of expertise. This qualitative study employed a phenomenological method where ten (10) General Education Tertiary teachers from Davao Oriental, Philippines, were taken as participants. The participants are teaching General Education subjects outside their field of expertise. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. It is found out in this study that teachers who are not experts in the subjects they are teaching experienced difficulties and challenges. As to the teachers’ experiences with Out-of-Field teaching, five (5) major themes emerged: challenging, difficulty in adjusting to the academic content of the subject, difficulty in addressing students’ queries, difficulty in establishing authority, and difficulty in employing appropriate teaching approaches. Along these problems are the ways of coping despite their occurrence, such as careful planning of the subject content, employment of varied teaching approaches and strategies, engaging with professional development, peer mentoring, and evaluation/monitoring of learners’ development. Moreover, the following are the suggestions of the participants to Out-of-Field teachers: continuing professional development, consultation to experts, hiring of qualified teachers, and assigning of relevant subjects to teachers. Furthermore, it is suggested that future researchers may also conduct a study about the underlying causes of Out-of-Field teaching and what could be the possible solutions to this problem