Search results for: invasive species

Authors: Nadeen Eltoukhy, Sahar S. Sheta, Walaa Elnaggar, Karim Bakr

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Purpose: The aim of this study is to compare the clinical efficacy and side effects of oral versus intralesional propranolol treatment of infantile capillary hemangiomas in infants. Methods: The study enrolled 40 infants diagnosed with infantile capillary hemangiomas. Patients were divided into 2 groups: Group A (Non-invasive group) included 20 infants who received oral propranolol hydrochloride starting at a dose of 1 mg/kg/day BID, then increased to a max of 2 mg/kg/day BID gradually over 2 weeks for 3 months. Group B (Invasive group) included 20 infants who received intralesional propranolol injection at a dose of 1 mg/mL; the volume of the injected drug depended on the size of the lesion (0.2 mL injected per cm of lesion diameter), with a maximum volume of 1 mL for a lesion of 5 cm diameter under complete aseptic conditions in the operating theater. Results: At three months after initiating treatment, the circumferential size of the hemangioma showed a statistically significant decrease in both groups; in Group A from 3.66±2.89 cm to 1.56±1.26 cm with p-value <0.05 and in Group B from 2.99±2.73 cm to 1.32±1.18 cm with p-value <0.05. There is no statistically significant comparative difference between the two groups (p-value = 0.538 = insignificant). Regarding the complications of oral propranolol, one patient (5%) had bradycardia, and one patient (5%) had diarrhea. In the injection group, 20 patients (100%) had local edema, and one patient (5%) had a local infection. Conclusions: Both oral non-invasive and intralesional invasive propranolol are safely used to successfully treat and decrease the size of infantile hemangioma while showing no statistically comparative difference between both treatment techniques.

Keywords: hemangioma, oral beta blocker, intralesional beta blocker, infants

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Authors: Yanto Santosa, Rozza Tri Kwatrina

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High Conservation Value (HCV) is an area with conservation function within oil palm plantation. Despite the important role of HCV area in biodiversity conservation and various studies on HCV, there was a lack of research studying the factors determining its success. A preliminary study was conducted to identify the determinant factor of HCV that affected the diversity. Line transect method was used to calculate the species diversity of butterfly, birds, mammals, and herpetofauna species as well as their richness. Specifically for mammals, camera traps were also used. The research sites comprised of 12 HCV areas in 3 provinces of Indonesia (Central Kalimantan, Riau, and Palembang). The relationship between the HCV biophysical factor with the species number and species diversity for each wildlife class was identified using Chi-Square analysis with Cross tab (contingency table). Results of the study revealed that species diversity varied by research locations. Four factors determining the success of HCV area in relations to the number and diversity of wildlife species are land cover types for mammals, the width of area and distance to rivers for birds, and distance to settlements for butterflies.

Keywords: wildlife diversity, oil palm plantation, high conservation value area, ecological factors

Procedia PDF Downloads 118

Authors: Ayesha Imtiaz, Darlina Md. Naim

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Family Nemipteridae is among the most abundantly distributed family in Malaysian fish markets due to its high contribution to landing sites of Malaysia. Using an advanced molecular approach that used two mitochondrial (Cytochrome oxidase c I and Cytochrome oxidase b) and one nuclear gene (Recombination activating gene, RAGI) to expose cryptic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among commercially important species of family Nemipteridae. Our research covered all genera (including 31 species out total 45 species) of family Nemipteridae, distributed in Malaysia. We also found certain type of geographical barriers in the South China sea that reduces dispersal and stops a few species to intermix. Northside of the South China Sea (near Vietnam) does not allow genetic diversity to mix with the Southern side of the South China sea (Sarawak) and reduces dispersal. Straits of Malacca reduce the intermixing genetic diversity of South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Keywords: Nemipteridae, RAG I, south east Asia, Malaysia

Procedia PDF Downloads 117

Authors: Ana Lucia Molina

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Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique for the investigation and modulation of cortical excitability in humans. The modulation of the processing of different cortical areas can result in several areas for rehabilitation, showing great potential in the treatment of motor disorders. In the human brain, the supplementary motor area (SMA) is involved in the control of the pelvic floor muscles (MAP), where dysfunctions of these muscles can lead to urinary incontinence. Peripheral magnetic stimulation, specifically sacral magnetic stimulation, has been used as a safe and effective treatment option for patients with lower urinary tract dysfunction. A systematic literature review was carried out (Pubmed, Medline and Google academic database) without a time limit using the keywords: "transcranial magnetic stimulation", "sacral neuromodulation", and "urinary incontinence", where 11 articles attended to the inclusion criteria. Results: Thirteen articles were selected. Magnetic stimulation is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique widely used in the evaluation of cortical areas and their respective peripheral areas, as well as in the treatment of lesions of brain origin. With regard to pelvic-perineal disorders, repetitive transcranial stimulation showed significant effects in controlling urinary incontinence, as well as sacral peripheral magnetic stimulation, in addition to exerting the potential to restore bladder sphincter function. Conclusion: Data from the literature suggest that both transcranial stimulation and peripheral stimulation are non-invasive references that can be promising and effective means of treatment in pelvic and perineal disorders. More prospective and randomized studies on a larger scale are needed, adapting the most appropriate and resolving parameters.

Keywords: urinary incontinence, non-invasive neuromodulation, sacral neuromodulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Procedia PDF Downloads 58

Authors: Lucky Dartsa Wakawa, Friday Nwabueze Ogana, Temitope Elizabeth Adeniyi

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Timely and reliable information on the status of a forest is essential for assessing the extent of regeneration and degradation. However, when such information is lacking effective forest management practices becomes impossible. Therefore, this study assessed the tree species composition, richness, diversity, structure of Oluwa forest reserve with the view of ascertaining it conservation status. A systematic line transect was used in the laying of eight (8) temporary sample plots (TSPs) of size 50m x 50m. Trees with Dbh ≥ 10cm in the selected plots were enumerated, identified and measured. The results indicate that 535 individual trees were enumerated cutting across 26 families and 58 species. The family Sterculiaceae recorded the highest number of species (10) and occurrence (112) representing 17.2% and 20.93% respectively. Celtis zenkeri is the species with the highest number of occurrence of tree per hectare and importance value index (IVI) of 59 and 53.81 respectively. The reserve has the Margalef's index of species richness, Shannon-Weiner diversity Index (H') and Pielou's Species Evenness Index (EH) of 9.07, 3.43 and 0.84 respectively. The forest has a mean Dbh (cm), mean height (m), total basal area/ha (m2) and total volume/ha (m3) of 24.7, 16.9, 36.63 and 602.09 respectively. The important tropical tree species identified includes Diospyros crassiflora Milicia excels, Mansonia altisima, Triplochiton scleroxylon. Despite the level of exploitation in the forest, the forest seems to be resilience. Given the right attention, it could regenerate and replenish to save some of the original species composition of the reserve.

Keywords: forest conservation, forest structure, Lowland tropical forest, South-west Nigeria

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Authors: F. O. Arimoro, F. N. Okonkwo, R. B. Ikomi

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The environmental determinants structuring species richness has been generating interest recently but we still lack an understanding of these patterns in various regions (e.g. Afrotropical), and how seasons help to structure these patterns. Our aim was to assessed the environmental drivers importance in regulating species richness and community structure of fish species. The lchthyofauna assemblage of Warri River, Niger Delta area of Nigeria was studied between August 2013 and July 2014. A total of 1152 individuals representing 43 species in 23 families and 30 genera were caught. Of the 43 species recorded, 67.4%, 53.5% and 67.4% of the species occurred in Stations 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Eight taxa representing 18.6% of the total abundance were ubiquitous. The claroteid, Chrysichthys walkeri and the cichlid, Chromidotilapia guentheri were the most dominant species accounting for 19.2% and 6.0% respectively of the total catch. The species richness and general diversity were relatively higher in station 1 although Jaccard similarity index revealed that stations 1 and 3 were significantly similar while station 2 showed complete dissimilarity with stations 1 and 3. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, total nitrogen, Biochemical Oxygen demand and temperature were important variables structuring the overall fish assemblages. The presence of appreciable number of juveniles in this water body suggests that the Warri River is a breeding and nursery ground for fish species particularly those of brackish origin. These findings indicate that the water body is still useful as a good fishing ground for the rural communities and every effort should be put in place to ensure its protection and conservation for the production of healthy fish.

Keywords: Chrysichthys walkeri, fish communities, mangrove ecosystem, physicochemical parameters, Warri River

Procedia PDF Downloads 456

Authors: Ankush Verma, Rohit Bishist

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The present investigation was carried out at different locations of Shimla and Kinnaur district and nutrient analysis was done in the laboratory of Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Distt. Solan, Himachal Pradesh during 2019-2020 with the objectives to study the seasonal variation in the nutritive value of different Quercus species and to study the farmers’ preference rating of fodder tress species. From each location leaf samples were collected at 3 months interval from each Quercus spp. The findings of the present study revealed that the nutritional traits of leaves of different Quercus species varied among different seasons throughout the year. The dry matter (61.12 to 64.99%), ether extract (4.07 to 4.42%), crude fibre (34.38 to 37.85%), neutral detergent fibre (57.70 to 61.54%), acid detergent fibre (44.64 to 48.51%), total ash (3.57 to 3.91%), acid insoluble ash (44.64 to 48.51%) and calcium (1.31 to 1.53%) increased with the maturity in the leaves of different Quercus species. While, crude protein (9.10 to 10.61%), nitrogen free extract (44.73 to 47.41%), organic matter (96.09 to 96.43%), and phosphorus (0.16 to 0.31%) decreased with the advancing maturity in the leaves of different Quercus species. Maximum mean values for dry matter (65.05%), ether extract (4.45%), crude fibre (40.82%), neutral detergent fibre (61.48%), acid detergent fibre (48.44%), and organic matter (96.67%) among different Quercus species were recorded in Quercus ilex, while, Maximum mean values for crude protein (10.54%), nitrogen free extract (50.53%), total ash (4.05%), acid insoluble ash (0.59%), calcium (1.61%) and phosphorus (0.40%) were recorded in Quercus leucotrichophora.

Keywords: nutritional evaluation, fodder species, crude protein, carbohydrates

Procedia PDF Downloads 46

Authors: Madison Hall

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The Assisted Colonization of Polar Bears to Antarctica requires a careful analysis of treaties to understand existing legal barriers to Ursus maritimus transport and movement. An absence of land-based migration routes prevent polar bears from accessing southern polar regions on their own. This lack of access is compounded by current treaties which limit human intervention and assistance to ford these physical and legal barriers. In a time of massive planetary extinctions, Assisted Colonization posits that certain endangered species may be prime candidates for relocation to hospitable environments to which they have never previously had access. By analyzing existing treaties, this paper will examine how polar bears are limited in movement by humankind’s legal barriers. International treaties may be considered codified reflections of anthropocentric values of the best knowledge and understanding of an identified problem at a set point in time, as understood through the human lens. Even as human social values and scientific insights evolve, so too must treaties evolve which specify legal frameworks and structures impacting keystone species and related biomes. Due to costs and other myriad difficulties, only a very select number of species will be given this opportunity. While some species move into new regions and are then deemed invasive, Assisted Colonization considers that some assistance may be mandated due to the nature of humankind’s role in climate change. This moral question and ethical imperative against the backdrop of escalating climate impacts, drives the question forward; what is the potential for successfully relocating a select handful of charismatic and ecologically important life forms? Is it possible to reimagine a different, but balanced Antarctic ecosystem? Listed as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, a result of the ongoing loss of critical habitat by melting sea ice, polar bears have limited options for long term survival in the wild. Our current regime for safeguarding animals facing extinction frequently utilizes zoos and their breeding programs, to keep alive the genetic diversity of the species until some future time when reintroduction, somewhere, may be attempted. By exploring the potential for polar bears to be relocated to Antarctica, we must analyze the complex ethical, legal, political, financial, and biological realms, which are the backdrop to framing all questions in this arena. Can we do it? Should we do it? By utilizing an environmental ethics perspective, we propose that the Ecological Commons of the Arctic and Antarctic should not be viewed solely through the lens of human resource management needs. From this perspective, polar bears do not need our permission, they need our assistance. Antarctica therefore represents a second, if imperfect chance, to buy time for polar bears, in a world where polar regimes, not yet fully understood, are themselves quickly changing as a result of climate change.

Keywords: polar bear, climate change, environmental ethics, Arctic, Antarctica, assisted colonization, treaty

Procedia PDF Downloads 378

Authors: Camille Van Eupen, Dirk Maes, Marc Herremans, Kristijn R. R. Swinnen, Ben Somers, Stijn Luca

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In ecology, species distribution models are commonly implemented to study species-environment relationships. These models increasingly rely on opportunistic citizen science data when high-quality species records collected through standardized recording protocols are unavailable. While these opportunistic data are abundant, uncertainty is usually high, e.g., due to observer effects or a lack of metadata. Data quality filtering is often used to reduce these types of uncertainty in an attempt to increase the value of studies relying on opportunistic data. However, filtering should not be performed blindly. In this study, recommendations are built for data quality filtering of opportunistic species occurrence data that are used as input for species distribution models. Using an extensive database of 5.7 million citizen science records from 255 species in Flanders, the impact on model performance was quantified by applying three data quality filters, and these results were linked to species traits. More specifically, presence records were filtered based on record attributes that provide information on the observation process or post-entry data validation, and changes in the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were analyzed using the Maxent algorithm with and without filtering. Controlling for sample size enabled us to study the combined impact of data quality filtering, i.e., the simultaneous impact of an increase in data quality and a decrease in sample size. Further, the variation among species in their response to data quality filtering was explored by clustering species based on four traits often related to data quality: commonness, popularity, difficulty, and body size. Findings show that model performance is affected by i) the quality of the filtered data, ii) the proportional reduction in sample size caused by filtering and the remaining absolute sample size, and iii) a species ‘quality profile’, resulting from a species classification based on the four traits related to data quality. The findings resulted in recommendations on when and how to filter volunteer generated and opportunistically collected data. This study confirms that correctly processed citizen science data can make a valuable contribution to ecological research and species conservation.

Keywords: citizen science, data quality filtering, species distribution models, trait profiles

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Authors: C. D. Chen, H. Takaoka, Z. Ya’cob, V. L. Low, K. W. Lau, M. Sofian-Azirun

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Adult black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) are small (1.5-6.0 mm long), two-winged insects, and are well known as one of the biting flies of medical and veterinary importance. Female of certain species, when they bite and take blood, not only cause severe skin diseases to human and cattle but also play a role as vectors of viral, protozoan and filarial diseases in humans and animals. Black flies also attract environmental biologist and ecologist because their immature states breed only in clean running fresh waters, and larvae are one of the principal processors of plant debris in streams. All these researches on medical and ecological aspects of black flies could not be reliably proceeded without sufficient basic knowledge of the fauna of black flies established by traditional but still important morphotaxonomy. Previously, only 39 species of black flies were recorded from Peninsular Malaysia, all of which are classified into four subgenus (Daviesellum, Gomphostilbia, Nevermannia and Simulium) of the genus Simulium. We carried out faunal surveys and taxonomic works of black flies in Peninsular Malaysia since November 2010. A total of 17 new species and 4 newly recorded species were collected. This increased the number of the described species of black flies in Peninsular Malaysia from 39 to 60. Our results suggest that a much higher diverse nature of black flies in Peninsular Malaysia will be clarified by further extensive surveys.

Keywords: black flies, Simulium, Nevermannia, feuerborni species-group

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Authors: Kamal Khan Abro, Attaullah Ansari, Mahpara Pirzada

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Hoverflies are commonly known as flower flies, sun flies or garden flies. Hoverflies are very important group of insects because their ecosystem services are diverse. They are an attractive group of insects with their striped abdomens. They are day-flying insects from small to large size, have worldwide distribution, but mostly prefer to live in relatively cold weather areas. In the world, about 6,000 species of 200 genera of two sub-families have been described. Their larvae exhibit a variety of feeding modes i.e. aphidophagous, saprophagous, zoophagous and Phytophagus, where adults are floral visitors of hundreds of different plants species. These floral resources enhance the longevity and fecundity of adult dipterous flies. Many syrphid species also have been documented as efficient crop pollinators. Aphids are commonly called plant louse, greenflies and blackflies. They are major pest of crops; about 4000 species of aphids have been described, feeding on 250 species of plants.

Keywords: host plant range, aphidophagous hoverflies, their prey aphids, Thatta Pakistan

Procedia PDF Downloads 183

Authors: Rahul Agarwal, Ashutosh Singh

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Cervical cancer is one of the women related cancers which starts from the pre-cancerous cells and a fraction of women with pre-cancers of the cervix will develop cervical cancer. Cervical pre-cancers if treated in pre-invasive stage can prevent almost all true cervical squamous cell carcinoma. The present study investigates the genes and pathways that are involved in the progression of cervical cancer and are responsible in transition from pre-invasive stage to other advanced invasive stages. The study used GDS3292 microarray data to identify the stage specific genes in cervical cancer and further to generate the network of the significant genes. The microarray data GDS3292 consists of the expression profiling of 10 normal cervices, 7 HSILs and 21 SCCs samples. The study identifies 70 upregulated and 37 downregulated genes in HSIL stage while 95 upregulated and 60 downregulated genes in SCC stages. Biological process including cell communication, signal transduction are highly enriched in both HSIL and SCC stages of cervical cancer. Further, the ppi interaction of genes involved in HSIL and SCC stages helps in identifying the interacting partners. This work may lead to the identification of potential diagnostic biomarker which can be utilized for early stage detection.

Keywords: cervical cancer, HSIL, microarray, SCC

Procedia PDF Downloads 194

Authors: Bodhayan Nandi, Shubhajit Roy Chowdhury

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This paper presents the development of a portable blood glucose monitoring device based on Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. The system supports Internet connectivity through WiFi and uploads the time series data of glucose concentration of patients to a server. In addition, the server is given sufficient intelligence to predict the future pathophysiological state of a patient given the current and past pathophysiological data. This will enable to prognosticate the approaching critical condition of the patient much before the critical condition actually occurs.The server hosts web applications to allow authorized users to monitor the data remotely.

Keywords: non invasive, blood glucose concentration, microcontroller, IoT, application server, database server

Procedia PDF Downloads 186

Authors: Magda Gorczyca, Zofia Nocoń

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Past and current studies from different countries showed that river engineering leads to environmental degradation and extinction of many species - often those protected by local and international wildlife conservation laws. Through the years, the main focus of rivers utilization has shifted from industrial applications to recreation and wildlife preservation with a focus on keeping the biodiversity which plays a significant role in preventing climate changes. Thus an opportunity appeared to recreate flooding areas and natural habitats, which are very rare in the scale of Europe. Additionally, river restoration helps to avoid floodings and periodic droughts, which are usually very damaging to the economy. In this research, the biodiversity of dragonflies and ground beetles was analyzed in the context of plant communities and forest stands structure. Results were enriched with data from past and current literature. A comparison was made between two parts of the Odra river. A part where oxbow lake and riparian forest were separated from the river bed by embankment and a part of the river with floodplains left intact. Validity assessment of embankments relocation was made based on the research results. In the period between May and September, insects were collected, phytosociological analysis were taken, and forest stand structure properties were specified. In the part of the river not separated by the embankments, rare and protected species of plants were spotted (e.g., Trapanatans, Salvinianatans) as well as greater species and quantitive diversity of dragonfly. Ground beetles fauna, though, was richer in the area separated by the embankment. Even though the research was done during only one season and in a limited area, the results can be a starting point for further extended research and may contribute to acquiring legal wildlife protection and restoration of the researched area. During the research, the presence of invasive species Impatiens parviflora, Echinocystislobata, and Procyonlotor were observed, which may lead to loss of the natural values of the researched areas.

Keywords: carabidae, floodplains, middle Odra river, Odonata, oxbow lakes, riparian forests

Procedia PDF Downloads 118

Authors: Mohammed M. Ibrahim, A. A. Yusuf, Manuel Du, Fiona Mumoki

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The traditional honey bee species of Sudan is Apis mellifera, but in 1985, the dwarf bee Apis florea was introduced to the country, so now there are two species present. However, there are conflicting assessments regarding the subspecies of Apis mellifera colonies in Sudan. Likewise, it is unclear if, in the 40 years since its introduction, Apis florea has already developed regional differences or ecotypes. To shed light on these questions, we performed a morphology study on Sudanese honeybees. Samples of 10 to 20 honeybee workers per colony of the two species were collected from 16 locations, spanning different climatic zones in Sudan during 2021. Measurements were taken from 16 morphometric characteristics using a stereo-microscope equipped with an Image Analysis System (Moticam Image Plus 5.0 Digital Microscope Camera) to study their variability. The results indicate that in both species, the general means of various characters showed significant differences (p < 0.05) within a species between different locations, indicating that there might indeed be regional differences. However, more taxonomic investigation and, ideally also, molecular studies are needed in order to confirm the proper identification of subspecies and their ecotypes.

Keywords: Apis, subspecies, morphology, Sudan

Procedia PDF Downloads 66

Authors: J. Sagouis, A. Chamel, E. Carre, C. Casasreales, G. Rudnik, M. Cerdan

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Robotics provides answers to amputees. The most expensive solutions surgically connect the prosthesis to nerve endings. There are also several types of non-invasive technologies that recover nerve messages passing through the muscles. After analyzing these messages, myoelectric prostheses perform the desired movement. The main goal is to avoid all surgeries, which can be heavy and offer cheaper alternatives. For an amputee, we use valid muscles to recover the electrical signal involved in a muscle movement. EMG sensors placed on the muscle allows us to measure a potential difference, which our program transforms into control for a robotic arm with two degrees of freedom. We have shown the feasibility of non-invasive prostheses with two degrees of freedom. Signal analysis and an increase in degrees of freedom is still being improved.

Keywords: prosthesis, electromyography (EMG), robotic arm, nerve message

Procedia PDF Downloads 222

Authors: Alice Petzold, Alexandre Hassanin

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The number of giraffe species has been in focus of interest since the exploration of sub-Saharan Africa by European naturalists during the 18th and 19th centuries, as previous taxonomists, like Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, Richard Owen or William Edward de Winton, recognized two or three species of Giraffa. For the last decades, giraffes were commonly considered as a single species subdivided into nine subspecies. In this study, we have re-examined available nuclear and mitochondrial data. Our genetic admixture analyses of seven introns support three species: G. camelopardalis (i.e., northern giraffes including reticulated giraffes), G. giraffa (southern giraffe) and G. tippelskirchi (Masai giraffe). However, the nuclear alignments show small variation and our phylogenetic analyses provide high support only for the monophyly of G. camelopardalis. Comparisons with the mitochondrial tree revealed a robust conflict for the position and monophyly of G. giraffa and G. tippelskirchi, which is explained firstly by a mitochondrial introgression from Masai giraffe to southeastern giraffe, and secondly, by gene flow mediated by male dispersal between southern populations (subspecies angolensis and giraffa). We conclude that current data gives only moderate support for three giraffe species and point out that additional nuclear data need to be studied to revise giraffe taxonomy.

Keywords: autosomal markers, Giraffidae, mitochondrial introgression, taxonomy

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Authors: N. Tumenbayeva

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At the present time in Kazakhstan, the area for saxaul growing is strongly depopulateddue to anthropogenic and other factors. To prevent further reduction of natural haloxylon forest area their artificial crops are offered. Seed germination and survival of young plants in such haloxylon crops are very low. Insects, as one of the most important nutrient factors have appreciable effect on seed germination and saxaul productivity at the all stages of its formation. Insects, feeding on leaves, flowers, seeds and developing inside the trunk, branches, twigs, roots have a change in its formation and influence on the lifespan of saxaul. Representatives of Lepidoptera troop (Lepidopteraare the most harmful pests forsaxaul. As a result of our research we have identified 15 species of Lepidoptera living on haloxylon which display very different cycles and different types of food relations. It allows them to inhabit a variety of habitats, and feeding on various parts of saxaul. Some of them cause significant and sometimes very heavy damage for saxaul. There are 17identified species of Lepidoptera from the Coleophoridaefamily - 1, Gelechidae - 5, Pyralidae - 4, Noctuidae - 4, Lymantridae- 1, Cossidae - 2 species. At the same time we found 8 species for the first time, which have not been mentioned in the literature before. According to food specialization they are divided into monophages (2 types), oligophages (6 species) and polyphages (3 species). By affinity to plant parts, leaves and seeds are fed by 8 species, shoots by 1 specie, scions by 5 species, flowers, scions, seeds by 1, and 2species damage the roots and trunks. In whole installed seasonal groups of Lepidoptera - saxaul pests in the desert area, confined to the certain parts of the year, as well as certain parts of the plant for feeding. Harmfulness, depending on their activity appear during the growing season is also different.

Keywords: saxaul, Lepidoptera, insecta, haloxylon

Procedia PDF Downloads 299

Authors: Dr., Suchita Daokar

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Background: Successful orthodontic treatment has always relied on anchorage. The stability of the implants depends on bone quantity, mini-implant design, and placement conditions. Out of the various methods of gaining stability, Platelet concentrations are gaining popularity for various reasons. PRF is a minimally invasive method, and there are various studies that has shown its role in enhancing the stability of general implants. However, there is no literature found regarding the effect of PRF in enhancing the stability of the orthodontic implant. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate and assess the efficacy of PRF on the stability of the orthodontic implant. Methods: The study comprised of 9 subjects aged above 18 years of age. The split mouth technique was used; Group A (where implants were coated before insertion) and group B (implant were normally inserted). The stability of the implant was measured using resonance frequency analysis at insertion (T0), 24 hours (T1), 2 weeks (T2), at 4 weeks (T3), at 6 weeks (T4), and 8 weeks (T5) after insertion. Result: Statistically significant findings were found when group A was compared to group B using ANOVA test (p<0.05). The stability of the implant of group A at each time interval was greater than group B. The implant stability was high at T0 and reduces at T2, and increasing through T3 to T5. The stability was highest at T5. Conclusion: A chairside, minimally invasive procedure ofPRF coating on implants have shown promising results in improving the stability of orthodontic implants and providing scope for future studies.

Keywords: Orthodontic implants, stablity, resonance Frequency Analysis, pre

Procedia PDF Downloads 172

Authors: Vahid Zeighami, Mohsen Ghsemi, Reza Akbari

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In this work, a Multi-Level Artificial Bee Colony (called MLABC) is presented. In MLABC two species are used. The first species employs n colonies in which each of the them optimizes the complete solution vector. The cooperation between these colonies is carried out by exchanging information through a leader colony, which contains a set of elite bees. The second species uses a cooperative approach in which the complete solution vector is divided to k sub-vectors, and each of these sub-vectors is optimized by a a colony. The cooperation between these colonies is carried out by compiling sub-vectors into the complete solution vector. Finally, the cooperation between two species is obtained by exchanging information between them. The proposed algorithm is tested on a set of well known test functions. The results show that MLABC algorithms provide efficiency and robustness to solve numerical functions.

Keywords: artificial bee colony, cooperative, multilevel cooperation, vector

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Authors: Maurice Mbah

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Entomological survey of mosquitoes responsible for the transmission of lymphatic filariasis in Biase Local Government area of Cross River State, Nigeria within March and June 2017. Lymphatic filariasis is a mosquito-borne parasitic disease that is caused by three species of tissue dwelling filaroids (Wuchereria bancrofti; Brugia malayi; Brugia timori): Wuchereria bancrofti is responsible for 90% of cases and is found throughout the tropics and in some sub-tropical areas worldwide. The mosquitoes were caught using human landing catches, and pyrethrum spray catches method. The entomological analysis of mosquitoes which include speciating into genus and dissecting them to unveil any microfilaria in the thoracic region, abdomen, and mouth parts of the mosquitoes. Entomological analysis shows that, from the 1296 mosquitoes caught 795 (61.3%) were Culex species, 342 (26.4%) Anopheles species, 102 (7.9%) Aedes species, and 57 (4.4%) of other Genera. There was a statistically significant difference in the number of mosquitoes caught in the dry and rainy season (X²=0.62, P < 0.05). Out of 1213 mosquitoes dissected, 24(0.02%) contained developed stages (L₁ – L₃) of W. bancrofti larvae. 13 (0.01%) of the infected mosquitoes were of Culex species, and Anopheles species accounted for the other 11 (0.009%). There was a statistically significant difference in the infection rate between the two seasons (X²=0.87, P < 0.05). The correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between the infection rate among mosquitoes in the dry and rainy season (r=0.85, P < 0.05). The entomological studies showed that Anopheles species and the Culex species are the vectors of lymphatic filariasis in the study area.

Keywords: entomological survey, mosquitoes, lymphatic filariasis, biase

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Authors: Yanto Santosa, Windi Sugiharti

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Fires occur annually in oil palm plantations. The objective of the study was to identify the impact of fire on bird diversity in oil palm plantations. Data of bird diversity were collected using the line transect method. Data were collected from February to March 2017. To estimate species richness, we used the Margalef index, to determine the evenness of species richness between site, we used an Evenness index, and to estimate the similarity of bird communities between different habitat, we used the Sørensen index. The result showed that the number of bird species and species richness in the post burned area was higher than those in unburned area. Different results were found for the Evenness Index, where the value was higher in unburned area that was in post burned area. These results indicate that fires did not decrease bird diversity as alleged by many parties whom stated that fires caused species extinction. Fire trigger the emerging of belowground plant and population of insects as a sources of food for the bird community. This result is consistent with several research findings in the United States and Australia that used controlled fires as one of regional management tools.

Keywords: bird, fire, index of similarity, oil palm, species diversity

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Authors: Marref C., Bezzalla A., Marref S., Houhamdi M.

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Wetlands represent ecosystems of great importance through their ecological and socio-economic functions and biological diversity, even if they are most threatened by anthropization. This study aimed to contribute to the creation of an inventory of bird species in Batna, on Algeria from 2020 to 2022. Counts were carried out from 8:00 to 19:00 using a telescope (20 × 60) and a pair of binoculars (10 × 50) and by employing absolute and relative methods. Birds were categorized by phenology, habitat, biogeography, and diet. A total of 80 species in 58 genera and 19 families were observed. Migratory birds were dominant (38%) phenologically, and the birds of Palearctic origin dominated (26.25%) biogeographically. Invertivorous and carnivorous species were most common (35%). Ecologically, the majority of species were waterbirds (73.75%), which are protected in Algeria. This study highlights the need for the preservation of ecosystem components and enhancement of biological resources of protected, rare, and key species. it observed 43797 individuals of Marmaronetta angustirostris during our study and reported the nesting of Podiceps nigricollis, Porphyrio porphyrio, and Tadorna ferruginea. For this reason, it is recommended to propose the area as a Ramsar site.

Keywords: biodiversity, avifauna, ecologicat status, zone humide, algerie

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Authors: Atsebaha Gebrekidan Kahsay, Tsehaye Asmelash, Enquebaher Kassaye

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Background: Salmonella remains a global public health problem with a significant burden in sub-Saharan African countries. Human restricted cause of typhoid and paratyphoid fever are S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi, whereas S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium is the causative agent of invasive nontyphoidal diseases among humans and animals are their reservoir. The antibiotic resistance of Salmonella is another public health threat around the globe. To come up with full information about human and animal salmonellosis, we made a systematic review of the prevalence, serotypes, and antibiotic resistance of Salmonella in Ethiopia. Methods: This systematic review used Google Scholar and PubMed search engines to search articles from Ethiopia that were published in English in peer-reviewed international journals from 2010 to 2022. We used keywords to identify the intended research articles and used a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist to ensure the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Frequencies and percentages were analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Results: Two hundred seven published articles were searched, and 43 were selected for a systematic review, human (28) and animals (15). The prevalence of Salmonella in humans and animals was 434 (5.2%) and 641(10.1%), respectively. Fourteen serotypes were identified from animals, and S. Typhimurium was among the top five. Among the ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates in human studies, 16.7% was the highest, whereas, for ceftriaxone, 100% resistance was reported. Conclusions: The prevalence of Salmonella among diarrheic patients and food handlers (5.2%) was lower than the prevalence in food animals (10.1%). We did not find serotypes of Salmonella in human studies, although fourteen serotypes were included in food-animal studies, and S. Typhimurium was among the top five. Salmonella species from some human studies revealed a non-susceptibility to ceftriaxone. We recommend further study about invasive nontyphoidal Salmonella and predisposing factors among humans and animals in Ethiopia.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance, prevalence, systematic review, serotypes, Salmonella, Ethiopia

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Authors: Soumaya Gahrsalah Falhi, Houda Kohli Kallel

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The first groups of hominids appeared ten million years ago in Africa and they congregated several species that had coexisted. Hence, the Homo genus appeared about two million years ago. By time, several species coexisted, succeded one after another, evolved then disappeared. Yet, the sole surviving species are those of the Homo Sapiens, the species to which we all belong.They brought along the pastoral and agricultural life. They were also the first to use weapons and metal tools as well. The flint which they have notably continued to use, is no longer only chipped but polished. They have also used fire to harden clay and make pottery. However, they were the first to introduce the metals of copper, bronze and iron later. Their arts are above all those where fire intervenes and their era is that known for the most arduous efforts of the inventive activity. These same men, who introduced metals, have in fact established themselves as the creators of a such powerful mechanisms allowing the maneuver of the monstrous blocks making the first monuments of the architecture. Thus, they gave birth to Cave Art.

Keywords: homo sapiens, prehistoric art, cave art, The old stone age (paleolithic Era)

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Authors: Owolabi Kolade Matthew

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In this work, we investigate both the analytical and numerical studies of the dynamical model comprising of three species system. We analyze the linear stability of stationary solutions in the one-dimensional multi-system modeling the interactions of two predators and one prey species. The stability analysis has a lot of implications for understanding the various spatiotemporal and chaotic behaviors of the species in the spatial domain. The analysis results presented have established the possibility of the three interacting species to coexist harmoniously, this feat is achieved by combining the local and global analyzes to determine the global dynamics of the system. In the presence of diffusion, a viable exponential time differencing method is applied to multi-species nonlinear time-dependent partial differential equation to address the points and queries that may naturally arise. The scheme is described in detail, and justified by a number of computational experiments.

Keywords: asymptotically stable, coexistence, exponential time differencing method, global and local stability, predator-prey model, nonlinear, reaction-diffusion system

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Authors: Rana Akyazi, Cal Welbourn, Oscar E. Liburd

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The family Phytoseiidae are the most common plant inhabiting group of predatory mites. They are generally considered to be important biological control agents of pest mites on many crops world-wide. Several species of these mites are commercially available in many countries. This study was carried out to determine phytoseiid mite species on nine different blackberry varieties (Arapaho, Choctaw, Kiowa, Nachez, Navaho, Osage, Ouachita, Von, Watchita). The survey was conducted from June to October 2016. Leaf samples were collected monthly from selected organic and conventional commercial blackberry (Rubus spp.) farms in Florida and Georgia, USA. Nine phytoseiid mite (Acari: Mesostigmata) species were determined during the study. The results also showed that the incidence of Phytoseiidae was greater in organic than in conventional blackberries. Future survey studies can provide detection of new species, which may hold potential for biological control of economically important pests in key fruit crops.

Keywords: biological control, mite, Phytoseiidae, predator, Rubus spp.

Procedia PDF Downloads 374

Authors: Majid Afkhami, Maryam Ehsanpour, Zahra Khoshnood

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The concentrations of 10 heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Hg, Cu, Fe, Mn, Al, As, Ni, Zn) were measured in muscle, gill and liver of 6 species from Hormoz Strait in north coast of Persian Gulf in 12 months (April 2009 – March 2010). All samples were analyzed three times for Cd, Pb, Cu, Fe, Mn, Al, As, Ni, Zn by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and for Hg by LECO AMA254 Advanced Mercury Analyzer. Results of this study showed that iron had the highest concentration (total mean concentration) in all species, followed by Zn, Cu, Ni, Al, Pb, Mn, Cd, Hg and lowest concentration in three tissues was As. In addition, the accumulation of metals was species-dependent, and was higher in Scomberomorous commerson and Scomberomorous guttatus (p<0.05) and the lowest concentration was record in Pampus argenteus (p<0.05).

Keywords: Persian Gulf, heavy metals, Hormoz strait, Scomberomorous guttatus, Scomberomorous commerson, Pampus argenteus

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Authors: Devanshu Gupta, Kailash Chandra, Priyanka Das, Joyjit Ghosh

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Beetles, in the insect order Coleoptera are the most species-rich group on this planet today. They represent about 40% of the total insect diversity of the world. With a considerable range of landform types including significant mountain ranges, deserts, fertile irrigational plains, and hilly forested areas, India is one of the mega-diverse countries and includes more than 0.1 million faunal species. Despite having rich biodiversity, the efforts to catalogue the beetle diversity of the extant species/taxa reported from India have been less. Therefore, in this paper, the information on the beetle fauna of India is provided based on the data available with the museum collections of Zoological Survey of India and taxa extracted from zoological records and published literature. The species were listed with their valid names, synonyms, type localities, type depositories, and their distribution in states and biogeographic zones of India. The catalogue also incorporates the bibliography on Indian Coleoptera. The exhaustive species inventory, prepared by us include distributional records from Himalaya, Trans Himalaya, Desert, Semi-Arid, Western Ghats, Deccan Peninsula, Gangetic Plains, Northeast, Islands, and Coastal areas of the country. Our study concludes that many of the species are still known from their type localities only, so there is need to revisit and resurvey those collection localities for the taxonomic evaluation of those species. There are species which exhibit single locality records, and taxa-specific biodiversity assessments are required to be undertaken to understand the distributional range of such species. The primary challenge is taxonomic identifications of the species which were described before independence, and the type materials are present in overseas museums. For such species, taxonomic revisions of the different group of beetles are required to solve the problems of identification and classification.

Keywords: checklist, taxonomy, museum collections, biogeographic zones

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Authors: Armand Okende, Joëlle De Weerdt, Esther Fichtler, Maaike De Ridder, Hans Beeckman

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The rainforest plays a crucial role in regulating the climate balance. The biodiversity of tropical rainforests is undeniable, but many aspects remain poorly known, which directly influences its management. Despite the efforts of sustainable forest management, human pressure in terms of exploitation and smuggling of timber forms a problem compared to exploited species whose status is considered "vulnerable" on the IUCN red list compiled by. Commercial species in Class III of the Democratic Republic of Congo are the least known in the market operating, and their biology is unknown or non-existent. Identification of wood in terms of descriptions and anatomical measurements of the wood is in great demand for various stakeholders such as scientists, customs, IUCN, etc. The objective of this study is the qualitative and quantitative description of the anatomical characteristics of commercial species in Class III of DR Congo. The site of the Luki Biosphere Reserve was chosen because of its high tree species richness. This study focuses on the wood anatomy of 14 commercial species of Class III of DR Congo. Thirty-four wooden discs were collected for these species. The following parameters were measured in the field: Diameter at breast height (DBH), total height and geographic coordinates. Microtomy, identification of vessel parameters (diameter, density and grouping) and photograph of the microscopic sections and determining age were performed in this study. The results obtained are detailed anatomical descriptions of species in Class III of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Keywords: sustainable management of forest, rainforest, commercial species of class iii, vessel diameter, vessel density, grouping vessel

Procedia PDF Downloads 177