Climate variability and gender differentials in decision making processes among farming households in Baringo county, Kenya and Jigawa state, Nigeria: A comparative assessment

This paper describes the impact of household activities by gender in areas vulnerable to climatic variability. A multistage sampling technique was applied, using both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire while secondary data was obtained from the Meteorological Department Nairobi, Kenya and Lagos, Nigeria. Data obtained were analysed using frequency distribution, trend analysis, percentage and means. A total of 338 respondents were sampled in Baringo County and 158 respondents in Jigawa State. Trend in rainfall pattern has been unstable and fluctuates by 0.44mm and 19.96mm in Baringo County, Kenya and Jigawa State, Nigeria respectively. Majority of the respondents 94.1 % (Baringo county) and 60.68% (Jigawa State) affirmed that the climate is no longer stable following observed variations in the elements of climate over time. Perception of respondents were in line with the climatic data records. A differential assessment on socially contructed roles of male and female respondents in farming households of Baringo County, Kenya revealed that males are key decision makers in choice of crop/seed to plant (50.6%), livestock keeping/feeding (57.4%), land preparation (52.4%) and coping strategies to adopt for climate variability (57.1%). Similarly, males in Jigawa State, Nigeria took charge, leading decisions on crop/seed to plant (60.7%), livestock keeping/feeding (51.6%), and coping strategies to adopt for climate variability (58.8%) while their females are key decion makers in land preparation activities (57.5%). This implies that female decisions (on agricultural activities and climate variability) in the study areas are secondary.Keywords: Climate variability, Livelihood, Gender, Adaptation/coping strategies

Bilateral blindness due to pterygium: a case report

Although known to cause refractive visual disturbances at some stages, pterygium rarely leads to blindness especially where eye care services are available. This case report presents a 56 year old farmer with advanced pterygia. She reported to the eye clinic after several years of unsuccessful self-medication and refusal to accept an earlier offer of surgical treatment due to fear of surgery. The patient subsequently had surgical excision of both pterygia with visual restoration. The importance of meticulous counseling and health education on the incidence of needless blindness is emphasized

OPTICAL PROPERTIES AND BAND OFFSETS OF CdS/ZnS SUPERLATTICE DEPOSITED BY CHEMICAL BATH

CdS/ZnS superlattice (SL) were deposited on glass microscope slides at 300K using chemical bath deposition. X-ray diffractometry method was used to obtain structural characterization. Micrographs of the deposited films were taken using an Olumpus optical microscope. A Janway 6405 UV/VIS spectrophotometer was used to obtain the spectra absorbance data. Other optical properties of the films which include reflectance, transmittance, refractive index, dielectric constant, optical conductivity and extinction coefficient where obtained by calculations based on the data. A valence band offset of 0.02eV and conduction band offset of 1.29eV at CdS/ZnS interface was determined by optical method. The band alignment was found to be type 1

Effects of used engine oil polluted-soil on seeds’ germination and seedlings’ growth characteristics of some tropical crops

The ability of Phaselous vulgaris, Zea mays L., Solanum lycopersium and Sorghum saccharatum to germinate and grow in unpolluted soils, 1% w/w and 2% w/w used engine oil polluted soils were investigated. Twenty (20) seeds of each plant species were sown in the various polluted and unpolluted soils and germination were monitored for 7 days, and subsequent growth for 7 weeks. The numbers of germinated seeds were counted daily from the 2nd to the 7th day, and percentage germination recorded. Plants' growth parameters (shoot heights and leaf area) of the seedlings were assayed and recorded on the 3rd, 5th and 7th week. Percentage germination varied for the various plant seeds. S. saccharatum had the best germination in polluted and unpolluted soil with 100%, 95% and 90% germination as against the least germination 100%, 65% and 25% observed in S. lycopersium in unpolluted, 1% w/w polluted and 2% w/w polluted soils, respectively. In terms of growth, P. vulgaris had the best performance in unpolluted and polluted soils with mean shoot heights of 47.8 cm, 41.3 cm and 28.4 cm as against S. lycopersium with mean shoot heights of 10.8 cm, 5.8 cm and 3.6 cm in unpolluted, 1% w/w and 2% w/w polluted soils, respectively at the end of the study. The results of this study showed that used engine oil inhibited the germination of these seeds in a dose depended manner, and that inhibition of seeds' germination does not connote inhibition of subsequent growth. This highlights the need to prevent agricultural soil pollution with used engine oil

OPTICAL AND STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF FECUS TERNARY THIN FILMS

Ternary thin films of Iron Copper Sulphide (FeCuS) have been grown and characterized. Optical, compositional, surface microstructure and structural characterization of the deposited films were carried out. Absorbance spectra data of the films were obtained using a Janway 6405 UV-VIS spectrophotometer, absorbance of the films were found to be high in UV and low in VIS – NIR region, while the transmittances were low in UV region and high in VIS – NIR regions. Elemental composition of the films were done using Skyray XRF Machine, EDX Pocket III, model P530. The machine was used to determine the percentage of each transition element present in the films. The surface microstructures of the films were characterized using Olympus Microscope at 100X magnification.  XRD analysis of the films was carried out using Enhance Mini Material Analyzer (EMMA) X – Ray Diffractometer Machine, the as - deposited FeCuS thin film was found to have tetragonal structure. The lattice constants obtained are , and . The crystallite size of the film was calculated at wavelength of and the calculated grain size was found to be . The optical absorption study reveals that FeCuS thin film has a bandgap of 2.40eV and a refractive index range of to at 400nm. The reflectance of the deposited films was found to be generally low

SYNTHESIS AND OPTICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AGO THIN FILMS FABRICATED BY CHEMICAL BATH DEPOSITION METHOD

Binary thin films of silver oxide using chemical Bath method (CBD) have been grown and characterized. Absorbance spectral data of the films were obtained using a Shimadzu 1800 UV- VIS spectrophotometer. An Olympus optical microscope at 100X magnification was used to examine and produce micrograph of the grown thin. The effect of complexing agent on film thickness was also investigated. A bandgap of 1.62eV and a refractive index range of 1.1- 2.31were obtained

Reflections on IDEAL: What we have learnt from a unique calf cohort study

The year 2020 marks a decade since the final visit was made in the ‘Infectious Diseases of East African Livestock’ (IDEAL) project. However, data generation from samples obtained during this ambitious longitudinal study still continues. As the project launches its extensive open-access database and biobank to the scientific community, we reflect on the challenges overcome, the knowledge gained, and the advantages of such a project. We discuss the legacy of the IDEAL project and how it continues to generate evidence since being adopted by the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH). We also examine the impact of the IDEAL project, from the authors perspective, for each of the stakeholders (the animal, the farmer, the consumer, the policy maker, the funding body, and the researcher and their institution) involved in the project and provide recommendations for future researchers who are interested in running longitudinal field studies.The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the UK Government’s Department for International Development and the International Livestock Research Institute.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/prevetmedam2021Veterinary Tropical Disease

The Role of Host Traits, Season and Group Size on Parasite Burdens in a Cooperative Mammal

The distribution of parasites among hosts is often characterised by a high degree of heterogeneity with a small number of hosts harbouring the majority of parasites. Such patterns of aggregation have been linked to variation in host exposure and susceptibility as well as parasite traits and environmental factors. Host exposure and susceptibility may differ with sexes, reproductive effort and group size. Furthermore, environmental factors may affect both the host and parasite directly and contribute to temporal heterogeneities in parasite loads. We investigated the contributions of host and parasite traits as well as season on parasite loads in highveld mole-rats (Cryptomys hottentotus pretoriae). This cooperative breeder exhibits a reproductive division of labour and animals live in colonies of varying sizes that procreate seasonally. Mole-rats were parasitised by lice, mites, cestodes and nematodes with mites (Androlaelaps sp.) and cestodes (Mathevotaenia sp.) being the dominant ecto- and endoparasites, respectively. Sex and reproductive status contributed little to the observed parasite prevalence and abundances possibly as a result of the shared burrow system. Clear seasonal patterns of parasite prevalence and abundance emerged with peaks in summer for mites and in winter for cestodes. Group size correlated negatively with mite abundance while it had no effect on cestode burdens and group membership affected infestation with both parasites. We propose that the mode of transmission as well as social factors constrain parasite propagation generating parasite patterns deviating from those commonly predicted

Using fish models to investigate the links between microbiome and social behaviour: the next step for translational microbiome research?

Recent research has revealed surprisingly important connections between animals’ microbiome and social behaviour. Social interactions can affect the composition and function of the microbiome; conversely, the microbiome affects social communication by influencing the hosts’ central nervous system and peripheral chemical communication. These discoveries set the stage for novel research focusing on the evolution and physiology of animal social behaviour in relation to microbial transmission strategies. Here, we discuss the emerging roles of teleost fish models and their potential for advancing research fields, linked to sociality and microbial regulation. We argue that fish models, such as the zebrafish (Danio rerio, Cyprinidae), sticklebacks (‎Gasterosteidae), guppies (Poeciliidae) and cleaner–client dyads (e.g., obligate cleaner fish from the Labridae and Gobiidae families and their visiting clientele), will provide valuable insights into the roles of microbiome in shaping social behaviour and vice versa, while also being of direct relevance to the food and ornamental fish trades. The diversity of fish behaviour warrants more interdisciplinary research, including microbiome studies, which should have a strong ecological (field‐derived) approach, together with laboratory‐based cognitive and neurobiological experimentation. The implications of such integrated approaches may be of translational relevance, opening new avenues for future investigation using fish models

Ectoparasite activity during incubation increases microbial growth on avian eggs

We thank Estefanía López for lab work, and Tomás Pérez-Contreras and Emilio Pagani-Núñez for facilitating collection of some of the flies used in manipulations. We also thank Ángela Martínez-García for help with management of ARISA data and Natalia Juárez and Deseada Parejo for the pictures of owls and roller clutches, respectively. We appreciate the comments provided by Dr. Adèle Mennerat and five anonymous referees on earlier versions of the manuscript.All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.While direct detrimental effects of parasites on hosts are relatively well documented, other more subtle but potentially important effects of parasitism are yet unexplored. Biological activity of ectoparasites, apart from skin injuries and blood-feeding, often results in blood remains, or parasite faeces that accumulate and modify the host environment. In this way, ectoparasite activities and remains may increase nutrient availability that may favour colonization and growth of microorganisms including potential pathogens. Here, by the experimental addition of hematophagous flies (Carnus hemapterus, a common ectoparasite of birds) to nests of spotless starlings Sturnus unicolor during incubation, we explore this possible side effect of parasitism which has rarely, if ever, been investigated. Results show that faeces and blood remains from parasitic flies on spotless starling eggshells at the end of incubation were more abundant in experimental than in control nests. Moreover, eggshell bacterial loads of different groups of cultivable bacteria including potential pathogens, as well as species richness of bacteria in terms of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs), were also higher in experimental nests. Finally, we also found evidence of a link between eggshell bacterial loads and increased embryo mortality, which provides indirect support for a bacterial-mediated negative effect of ectoparasitism on host offspring. Trans-shell bacterial infection might be one of the main causes of embryo death and, consequently, this hitherto unnoticed indirect effect of ectoparasitism might be widespread in nature and could affect our understanding of ecology and evolution of host-parasite interactionsFinancial support was provided by Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad and FEDER (CGL2013-48193-C3-1-P, CGL2013-48193-C3-2-P), by JAE programme to DMG and MRR, and by Juan de la Cierva and Ramón y Cajal programmes to GT. All procedures were conducted under licence from the Environmental Department of the Regional Government of Andalucía, Spain (reference SGYB/FOA/AFR)