Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia intestinalis in Calf Diarrhoea in Sweden
Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia intestinalis, rotavirus, coronavirus, Escherichia coli, calf diarrhoea
The objective of this study conducted in 75 herds was to investigate the presence and significance of Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia intestinalis in Swedish dairy calves in comparison with rotavirus, coronavirus and Escherichia coli K99+. The farmers were asked to collect faecal samples from each heifer calf that had diarrhoea between birth and 90 days of age, and also from a healthy calf of the same age. In total, 270 samples were collected and analysed. C. parvum, either alone or together with G. intestinalis and/or rotavirus, was detected in 16 (11%) and 6 (5%) of the samples from diarrhoeic and healthy calves, respectively. Even though a higher proportion of diarrhoeic calves shed C. parvum, the difference between the groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.067), possibly due to the low number of positive samples. G. intestinalis was found in 42 (29%) of the diarrhoea samples and in 29 (23%) of the samples from healthy calves. Rotavirus and coronavirus were demonstrated in 24% and 3% of the diarrhoea samples, respectively, whereas E. coli K99+ was only found in samples from 2 healthy calves. C. parvum and G. intestinalis were found in samples from calves 7 to 84 days of age and during all seasons. The results confirm that C. parvum is present in Swedish dairy herds and might have clinical significance. G. intestinalis was the most common agent found but the importance of this parasite remains unclear. Both parasites have suggested zoonotic potential and thus warrant further attention. In addition, rotavirus is a major pathogen in neonatal enteritis in Sweden, whereas coronavirus and E. coli K99+ seem to be of less importance.
de Verdier K, Christensson B, Svensson C, Björkman C
WordCluster: detecting clusters of DNA words and genomic elements
Abstract Background Many k-mers (or DNA words) and genomic elements are known to be spatially clustered in the genome. Well established examples are the genes, TFBSs, CpG dinucleotides, microRNA genes and ultra-conserved non-coding regions. Currently, no algorithm exists to find these clusters in a statistically comprehensible way. The detection of clustering often relies on densities and sliding-window approaches or arbitrarily chosen distance thresholds. Results We introduce here an algorithm to detect clusters of DNA words (k-mers), or any other genomic element, based on the distance between consecutive copies and an assigned statistical significance. We implemented the method into a web server connected to a MySQL backend, which also determines the co-localization with gene annotations. We demonstrate the usefulness of this approach by detecting the clusters of CAG/CTG (cytosine contexts that can be methylated in undifferentiated cells), showing that the degree of methylation vary drastically between inside and outside of the clusters. As another example, we used WordCluster to search for statistically significant clusters of olfactory receptor (OR) genes in the human genome. Conclusions WordCluster seems to predict biological meaningful clusters of DNA words (k-mers) and genomic entities. The implementation of the method into a web server is available at http://bioinfo2.ugr.es/wordCluster/wordCluster.php including additional features like the detection of co-localization with gene regions or the annotation enrichment tool for functional analysis of overlapped genes.
Oliver José L, Alganza Ángel M, Bernaola-Galván Pedro, Barturen Guillermo, Carpena Pedro, Hackenberg Michael
Efeitos de floculantes na concentração de micro e macronutrientes em biofertilizante suíno - DOI: 10.4025/actascitechnol.v30i2.5463
Nutrientes, dejeto suíno, floculação química
O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar quimicamente as fases sólida e líquida de biofertilizante suíno, separadas com diferentes floculantes. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tipos de floculantes, sendo cinco doses de cada floculante, com cinco repetições. A separação foi efetuada por meio de floculação/decantação por 1h após a adição do floculante. Realizou-se a caracterização química das fases sólida e líquida do biofertilizante, a partir da determinação de N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Fe e Mn. Na fase líquida, o objetivo de diminuir os macronutrientes foi atingido quando se utilizaram as doses 10 e 20 mL da combinação entre calcário dolomítico + hidróxido de cálcio, e os micronutrientes foram reduzidos quando foram utilizados os floculantes sulfato de alumínio e hidróxido de cálcio + sulfato de alumínio.
Affonso Celso Gonçalves Júnior, Herbert Nacke, Cleber Antonio Lindino, Ossival Lolato Ribeiro, Nilton Garcia Marengoni
http://periodicos.uem.br/ojs/index.php/ActaSciTechnol/article/view/5463
Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General), Science (General)
Floristic composition and similarity of 15 hectares in Central Amazon, Brazil
Amazonía Central, Central Amazonian, Diversidad, Diversity, Ecología forestal, Forest Composition, Forest ecology, bosque denso de tierras altas, composición boscosa, floristic similarity, similitud florística, terra firme, upland dense forest
La región amazónica es una de las más diversas áreas del mundo. Los estudios sobre la gran diversidad de bosques tropicales generan contribuciones relevantes en la comprensión de los mecanismos que originan y apoyan tal diversidad. En el presente estudio se describe la composición de las especies y la diversidad de 15 parcelas de una hectárea en el bosque denso amazónico terra firme en Brasil, y compara la similitud florística de estas parcelas con otras nueve parcelas de una hectárea. Las 15 parcelas estudiadas fueron seleccionadas al azar, en el 2005, de parcelas permanentes en el sitio experimental de Embrapa, Estado de Amazonas. La diversidad fue analizada utilizando la riqueza de especies y el índice de Shannon, así como el índice de Similitud de Sorensen; y como método de agrupación se utilizó el promedio no ponderado por grupo (UPGMA). La prueba de Mantel se llevó a cabo para estudiar si las diferencias en la composición de especies entre los sitios podrían ser explicadas por la distancia geográfica entre ellos. En general, se identificaron 8 771 individuos, 264 especies y 51 familias de plantas. La mayoría de las especies se concentraron en pocas familias y pocas tenían un gran número de individuos. Las familias que presentaron la mayor riqueza de especies fueron: Fabaceae (Faboideae: 22spp, Mimosoideae: 22spp), Sapotaceae: 22spp, Lecythidaceae: 15 y Lauraceae: 13. Burseraceae tuvo el mayor número de individuos con un 11.8% del total. Las diez especies más abundantes fueron: Protium hebetatum (1 037 individuos), Eschweilera coriacea (471), Licania oblongifolia (310), Pouteria minima (293), Ocotea cernua (258), Scleronema micranthum (197), Eschweilera collina (176), Licania apelata (172), Naucleopsis caloneura (170) y Psidium araca (152), que representó un 36.5% de todos los individuos. Aproximadamente en el 49% de las especies se encontraron hasta diez individuos, mientras que el 13% de las especies apareció sólo una vez en todas las parcelas de muestreo, lo que demuestra una alta presencia de especies raras. La zona de estudio se encuentra en un bosque con alta diversidad de especies de árboles, con un índice de diversidad de Shannon de 4.49. El dendrograma mostró dos grupos de parcelas con baja similitud entre ellas (menos de 0.25), y entre más cercanas las parcelas, más similares en composición de especies fueron (Mantel R=0.3627, p
Kátia Emidio da Silva, Sebastião Venancio Martins, Carlos Antonio Alvares Soares Ribeiro, Nerilson Terra Santos, Celso Paulo de Azevedo, Francisca Dionizia de Almeida Matos, Ieda Leão do Amaral
Ontogenic changes in the feeding habits of the fishes Agonostomus monticola (Mugilidae) and Brycon behreae (Characidae), Térraba River, Costa Rica
Agonostomus, Brycon, Costa Rica, Ontogenic changes, Peces de agua dulce, cambios ontogénicos, ecología de la alimentación, feeding ecology, freshwater fish
Las dietas de los peces varían con respecto a la calidad, la cantidad y el tamaño del alimento. Esta variación puede deberse a factores como la estacionalidad y la fase del desarrollo del individuo. Estudiamos los cambios ontogénicos en los hábitos alimentarios de dos peces dulceacuícolas, Agonostomus monticola y Brycon behreae, de la Cuenca del Río Térraba, Pacífico sur de Costa Rica. Ambas poblaciones son omnívoras, pero con cambios ontogénicos en la cantidad y calidad de los ítemes consumidos. Conforme crecía, A. monticola modificó su dieta de insectívora hacia un mayor consumo de materia vegetal, asociado con un aumento en la longitud relativa del intestino. Aunque mantuvo su dependencia de alimentos vegetales, B. behreae diversificó su dieta de dos formas. Primero, pasó de partes suaves de plantas a semillas, hojas y frutos. Luego, los ítemes cambiaron de insectos hacia una dieta más carnívora (peces y camarones). Estos hallazgos para ambas especies enfatizan la importancia de proteger la vegetación riparia de estos ecosistemas tropicales.Fish diets can vary in food quality, quantity and size. The variation can be caused by several factors, including season and the ontogenic phase of the individual (McCormick 1998). We studied the ontogenic changes in feeding habits of two freshwater fishes, Agonostomus monticola and Brycon behreae, from the Térraba River basin, South Pacific of Costa Rica. Both populations were omnivorous, but displayed ontogenic shifts in terms of quantity and quality of the food items consumed. As it grew, A. monticola modified its diet from insectivorous towards a higher consumption of vegetables, which was accompanied by an increase in relative length of the intestine. While remaining dependent on vegetation as staple food, B. behreae diversified its diet in two ways. Initially, from soft plant parts to seeds, leaves, and fruits. Secondly, prey items changed from insects into a more carnivore diet (fish and shrimp). These findings for both species stress the importance of protecting riparian vegetation in these tropical ecosystems. Rev. Biol. Trop. 57 (Suppl. 1): 285-290. Epub 2009 November 30.
Thiago Cotta-Ribeiro, Helena Molina-Ureña
1. La dimensión ambiental en el comportamiento cotidiano del estudiante de la Tercera Etapa de Educación Básica
Conservación ambiental, Educación Ambiental, Método fenomenológico, comportamiento ambiental, comportamiento cotidiano
El artículo reporta una investigación que tuvo como propósito construir una aproximación interpretativa, desde la percepción de los actores de la comunidad educativa, sobre la dimensión ambiental en el comportamiento cotidiano del estudiante de la tercera etapa de educación básica, para lo cual se diseñó una investigación cualitativa, apoyada en el método fenomenológico. Se seleccionaron como informantes clave, de manera intencional, a diecinueve miembros de la comunidad educativa de la Escuela Granja Hato Arriba, ubicada en la comunidad del mismo nombre en el Municipio Morán del estado Lara. Entre los hallazgos se encuentran: el comportamiento incrongruente del estudiantado al depositar los residuos sólidos en sitios inadecuados con la correspondiente generación de conflictos entre el personal docente y de mantenimiento; la debilidad de compromiso por parte de los docentes para que la dimensión ambiental se practique como herramienta pedagógica que ayude a conservar el ambiente; y el bajo nivel de conciencia ambiental en la comunidad educativa. Se concluye en la necesidad de acitvar y fortalecer lazos de participación colectiva que ayuden a mejorar las relaciones interpersonales en pro de conservar su hábitat y elevar la conciencia ambientalista deseada.
Universidad Pedagógica Experimental Libertador
https://revistas.investigacion-upelipb.com/index.php/educare/article/view/237
Special aspects of education, Education (General), History of education, Theory and practice of education
10 preguntas de los edificios energía cero: revisión del estado del arte
Edificios, Zeb, eficiência energética, sustentabilidad
Los Edificios Energía Cero o ZEB (Zero Energy Buildings) promueven una mirada integral de la arquitectura sustentable y un cambio profundo en la manera de construir. La investigación y el desarrollo en transición energética deben necesariamente enfrentarse a problemas tecnológicos y socioeconómicos. En esa línea, la meta aquí es ofrecer una respuesta para minimizar el impacto energético y ambiental del sector edilicio. Se realizó, para ello, una revisión del estado del arte de la temática, donde se seleccionaron 97 artículos científicos considerados de mayor relevancia, en el período de 2006 a 2020. La metodología consistió en un análisis de esos textos a partir de diez preguntas formuladas para abordar la temática: sus orígenes, estado actual y proyecciones futuras en relación a la eficiencia energética y la sustentabilidad. Las preguntas hacen referencia a definiciones (P1), sustentabilidad (P2), tecnologías involucradas (P3), emisiones (P5), energía (P4) (P6) (P7), normativas (P8), cambio climático (P9) y proyecciones futuras (P10). El trabajo permite concluir que los ZEB se integran de manera holística en la transformación hacia un futuro renovable y sustentable en materia de soluciones energéticas y, a su vez, tienen potencialidad para ser implementados en diferentes posiciones geográficas y climáticas.
Micaela D'Amanzo, María Victoria Mercado, Carolina Ganem-Karlen
http://revistas.ubiobio.cl/index.php/RHS/article/view/4374
Urban groups. The city. Urban sociology, Architecture
100 Days of COVID-19 in India: Current and Future Trends
forecasting, India, coronavirus, Sigmoid, COVID-19
COVID-19 classified under emerging infectious diseases has spread across the world resulting inmany casualties. India reported its first case on 30th January 2020 and has completed 100 days in thispandemic period. The government of India has issued stringent guidelines and imposed a lockdown forlong periods to ensure the practising of social distancing. This paper reviews and discusses the currenttrends in the confirmed cases of India in comparison with the other prominent countries around theglobe. A novel approach using a sigmoid function to predict and forecast the trends for cases in Indiaare also presented in this work. By placing the current time on the sigmoid curve, forecasting the totalnumber of confirmed cases by the end of the pandemic is made. If proper measures and stringentguidelines are not followed, India may have to endure a total confirmed case of up to 4.4 lakh. Theprediction also suggests that 99.9% of the pandemic may end in India by 27th July 2020. The best possibleapproach is to undertake preventive measures by strictly adhering to the guidelines and policies setby the government. Performing hand hygiene, practicing social distancing, surveillance and isolationis the only means to break the chain of transmission and control the pandemic.
Sheetal Gouda, G. Naveen, F. Sneha Kukanur
Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology
100 DAYS OF COVID-19: RISK FACTORS AND CONFIRMED CASES IN 19 AFRICAN COUNTRIES.
covid-19, Risk factors, Confirmed cases, African countries
The trail of the transmission of COVID-19 in Africa needs to be understood and conceptualized. With the limited response time to curb the transmission, the pandemic is already in 52 countries in Africa. There is much anxiety about the devastating potential of this scourge in Africa, justifiably so because of the weak health systems, high levels of poverty, and overcrowded cities. Therefore, this report examined the association between the confirmed cases at 100 days of COVID-19 and some significant risk factors in 19 African countries that had at least 100 confirmed cases as of 09 April 2020. We evaluated four major risk factors associated with COVID-19 confirmed cases in 19 African counties with over 100 cases in 100 days after the official declaration of COVID-19 by WHO. Three of the four risk factors (total population in urban areas, population age, and international exposure) correlated positively with the number of COVID-19 cases. In contrast, one (public health system) correlated negatively with the number of confirmed cases in the countries under study. International exposure was initially the main transmitter of the infection, but community transmission now becomes the driver of COVID-19 infections on the continent. Identification of confirmed cases, quick contact tracing with self-isolation, community engagement, and health systems measures are all-necessary to prevent the potentially harmful ramifications of an epidemic on the continent. There is, therefore, the need for a comprehensive and integrated approach between the government and society.
12 Tips for Pivoting to Teaching in a Virtual Environment
covid-19, virtual learning, Faculty development, Health Professions Education, online assessments, Cognitive Load Theory
COVID-19 has necessitated a rapid shift to teaching in virtual environments across the educational spectrum. In this respect, instructors previously unfamiliar, or under-familiar, with virtual teaching environments need to learn quickly and effectively how these environments work and how they can be used to successfully deliver courses, especially within health professions education contexts. These twelve tips provide insight on the practice of teaching in virtual environments, from course design, to student engagement, to assessment practices, to maximising the potential that technology can provide for both the instructor and the students. Moreover, these tips inform virtual pedagogical practices in the health professions for all levels of experience.
Benjamin Collins, Ryan Day, Joanne Hamilton, Kathleen Legris, Helen Mawdsley, Tanya Walsh