Writing Journal to Improve Past Tense Usage in English (As a Second Language)

This action research came to light with the primary focus to improve, particularly, the usage of past tense among grade X students of Gelephu Middle Secondary School, Bhutan. The focus was on finding out the usefulness of JW (journal writing) on understanding and learning of PT (past tense) in English Language. PT usage in both modes of communication (verbal and written) in English is crucial, and its incompetency has always been a hindrance. In total, samples of 19 students were studied from the same grade in a pre-test, followed by intervention measures, and juxtaposition with post-test samples after intervention. Intervention measures period lasted for six weeks; JW and weekly classes of 20 minutes on usage of PT (simple past, past progressive, past perfect, and past perfect progressive). The difference between the writings conducted before the intervention measures and after it, was standing; learners’ performance was better than expected  (the usage of all types of PT improved). Along with improvement errors in usage of other constituents of PT surfaced; spelling and subject - verb agreement. Keywords: Journal writing, past tense, simple past, past progressive, past perfect, past perfect progressive, expression. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-24-08 Publication date:August 31st 202

Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are effective sentinels of water quality irrespective of their size

Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are recognised biomonitors in determining the presence and viability of the human\ud waterborne pathogens Cryptosporidium parvum, C. hominis, Giardia intestinalis and microsporidia in surface waters. This study\ud investigated whether the size of zebra mussels is a significant factor in the concentration of protozoan Cryptosporidium oocysts,\ud Giardia cysts and microsporidian spores. Zebra mussels were collected in Lough Arrow, a small Irish lake, which is utilized for\ud drinking water abstraction and is subject to agricultural and human wastewater pollution drivers, both recognised risk factors for\ud human waterborne pathogens. Zebra mussels were cleaned, divided into size (5 mm) interval classes based on their shell length\ud and made up to 150 g samples (wet weight with shell). Combined fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and\ud immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) techniques were utilized as biomolecular techniques to assess the presence and concentration\ud of the pathogens. PCR analysis provided source-tracking information on human and animal pollution sources. There was no\ud significant relationship between the size of D. polymorpha and pathogen loads in similar sized samples, indicating that different\ud sites in the same or different waterbody can be compared in terms of relative concentrations of human waterborne parasites\ud irrespective of the zebra mussels’ size. Cryptosporidium was the most abundant species, with lower counts of Giardia and the\ud microsporidian Encephalitozoon hellem, respectively. Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts were detected in zebra mussel\ud samples at all three lake water abstraction points. A lake transect showed a decline in Cryptosporidium with increasing distance\ud from a stream discharging sewage. Samples from agricultural sites indicated faecal inputs contaminated with these pathogens.\ud Species identification implicated both human and animal faecal inputs to the lake from treated effluent, septic tanks, and\ud agriculture. The research demonstrates the efficacy of zebra mussels as sentinels of water quality irrespective of their size

Human Enteropathogen Load in Activated Sewage Sludge and Corresponding Sewage Sludge End Products

This study demonstrated a significant reduction in the concentrations of Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis oocysts, Giardia lamblia cysts, and spores of human-virulent microsporidia in dewatered and biologically stabilized sewage sludge cake end products compared to those of the respective pathogens in the corresponding samples collected during the sludge activation process

Risk of Handling as a Route of Exposure to Infectious Waterborne Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts via Atlantic Blue Crabs (Callinectes sapidus)▿

Commercial Atlantic blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) were exposed to 2.0 × 104 infectious waterborne oocysts of Cryptosporidium parvum. The study demonstrated that blue crabs can transfer C. parvum oocysts to persons involved in handling or preparing crabs and that they may contaminate other surfaces or products during storage

Recovery, Bioaccumulation, and Inactivation of Human Waterborne Pathogens by the Chesapeake Bay Nonnative Oyster, Crassostrea ariakensis

The introduction of nonnative oysters (i.e., Crassostrea ariakensis) into the Chesapeake Bay has been proposed as necessary for the restoration of the oyster industry; however, nothing is known about the public health risks related to contamination of these oysters with human pathogens. Commercial market-size C. ariakensis triploids were maintained in large marine tanks with water of low (8-ppt), medium (12-ppt), and high (20-ppt) salinities spiked with 1.0 × 10(5) transmissive stages of the following human pathogens: Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, Giardia lamblia cysts, and microsporidian spores (i.e., Encephalitozoon intestinalis, Encephalitozoon hellem, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi). Viable oocysts and spores were still detected in oysters on day 33 post-water inoculation (pwi), and cysts were detected on day 14 pwi. The recovery, bioaccumulation, depuration, and inactivation rates of human waterborne pathogens by C. ariakensis triploids were driven by salinity and were optimal in medium- and high-salinity water. The concentration of human pathogens from ambient water by C. ariakensis and the retention of these pathogens without (or with minimal) inactivation and a very low depuration rate provide evidence that these oysters may present a public health threat upon entering the human food chain, if harvested from polluted water. This conclusion is reinforced by the concentration of waterborne pathogens used in the present study, which was representative of levels of infectious agents in surface waters, including the Chesapeake Bay. Aquacultures of nonnative oysters in the Chesapeake Bay will provide excellent ecological services in regard to efficient cleaning of human-infectious agents from the estuarine waters

Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia Recovered from Flies on a Cattle Farm and in a Landfill

Filth flies associated with a cattle barn and a municipal landfill were tested positive by combined immunofluorescent antibody and fluorescent in situ hybridization for Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia on their exoskeletons and in their guts. More pathogens were carried by flies from the cattle barn than from the landfill; 81% of C. parvum and 84% of G. lamblia pathogens were presumptively viable

Retrospective Species Identification of Microsporidian Spores in Diarrheic Fecal Samples from Human Immunodeficiency Virus/AIDS Patients by Multiplexed Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization

In order to assess the applicability of multiplexed fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay for the clinical setting, we conducted retrospective analysis of 110 formalin-stored diarrheic stool samples from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS patients with intestinal microsporidiosis collected between 1992 and 2003. The multiplexed FISH assay identified microsporidian spores in 94 of 110 (85.5%) samples: 49 (52.1%) were positive for Enterocytozoon bieneusi, 43 (45.8%) were positive for Encephalitozoon intestinalis, 2 (2.1%) were positive for Encephalitozoon hellem, and 9 samples (9.6%) contained both E. bieneusi and E. intestinalis spores. Quantitative spore counts per ml of stool yielded concentration values from 3.5 × 10(3) to 4.4 × 10(5) for E. bieneusi (mean, 8.8 × 10(4)/ml), 2.3 × 10(2) to 7.8 × 10(4) (mean, 1.5 × 10(4)/ml) for E. intestinalis, and 1.8 × 10(2) to 3.6 × 10(2) for E. hellem (mean, 2.7 × 10(2)/ml). Identification of microsporidian spores by multiplex FISH assay was more sensitive than both Chromotrope-2R and CalcoFluor White M2R stains; 85.5% versus 72.7 and 70.9%, respectively. The study demonstrated that microsporidian coinfection in HIV/AIDS patients with intestinal microsporidiosis is not uncommon and that formalin-stored fecal samples older than 10 years may not be suitable for retrospective analysis by techniques targeting rRNA. Multiplexed FISH assay is a reliable, quantitative fluorescence microscopy method for the simultaneous identification of E. bieneusi, E. intestinalis, and E. hellem, as well as Encephalitozoon cuniculi, spores in fecal samples and is a useful tool for assessing spore shedding intensity in intestinal microsporidiosis. The method can be used for epidemiological investigations and applied in clinical settings

Microsporidian Species Known To Infect Humans Are Present in Aquatic Birds: Implications for Transmission via Water?

Human microsporidiosis, a serious disease of immunocompetent and immunosuppressed people, can be due to zoonotic and environmental transmission of microsporidian spores. A survey utilizing conventional and molecular techniques for examining feces from 570 free-ranging, captive, and livestock birds demonstrated that 21 animals shed microsporidian spores of species known to infect humans, including Encephalitozoon hellem (20 birds; 3.5%) and Encephalitozoon intestinalis (1 bird; 0.2%). Of 11 avian species that shed E. hellem and E. intestinalis, 8 were aquatic birds (i.e., common waterfowl). The prevalence of microsporidian infections in waterfowl (8.6%) was significantly higher than the prevalence of microsporidian infections in other birds (1.1%) (P < 0.03); waterfowl fecal droppings contained significantly more spores (mean, 3.6 × 10(5) spores/g) than nonaquatic bird droppings contained (mean, 4.4 × 10(4) spores/g) (P < 0.003); and the presence of microsporidian spores of species known to infect humans in fecal samples was statistically associated with the aquatic status of the avian host (P < 0.001). We demonstrated that a single visit of a waterfowl flock can introduce into the surface water approximately 9.1 × 10(8) microsporidian spores of species known to infect humans. Our findings demonstrate that waterborne microsporidian spores of species that infect people can originate from common waterfowl, which usually occur in large numbers and have unlimited access to surface waters, including waters used for production of drinking water