International Journal of Scientific Research in Biological Sciences
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Spore-Based Palynological Study of Common Pteridophyte Species in Cagraray Island, Philippines: Grounds for Classification in Lower Taxa
Get PDFThis mixed-design study aims to document the spore characteristics of common pteridophyte species in Cagraray Island, Philippines through palynology. This bridges the gap between spore-based palynological study and scheme for classifications in lower taxa of pteridophyte species. A total of 18 pteridophytes collected from three barangays in Cagraray Island were identified under eight distinct types of families. The spores from the fronds of pteridophytes were gathered and observed using compound microscope while its measurement was supervised by a micrometer. The study revealed three major spore shapes as to tetrahedral, tetrahedral-globose and ellipsoidal, whereas spore appendages were primarily spiny, longitudinally striate, globose, reticulate, angular, warted, and rugose/wrinkled. Sizes of spore vary from 32.67µm to 34.32µm showing parallelism from the majority of previously documented works with significant and minimal changes in the spore size of other species. Classification in lower taxa following the spore shape and appendage was proposed as an augmentation for future classification of pteridophytes particularly under sub-genera and sub-families. This study concluded the variation in the morphological characteristics of pteridophyte spores and the abundance of genetic variety resulting into multiple arrays of pteridophyte spores’ characteristics. This study recommends the need to update the records on palynology research specifically in the characterization of spores of pteridophyte species. Future parallel investigations and studies are also recommended to other pteridophyte species not considered in the present research.
 
Benthic Macroinvertebrates as Indicators of Water Quality in Asejire Reservoir, Southwest Nigeria
Get PDFThe water quality assessment of Asejire reservoir was carried out using benthic macroinvertebrates. Ten sampling stations were selected based on the reaches, vegetation pattern and impact of human activities on the reservoir using a Van Veen grab sampler. Collection and identifications was done using standard identification keys. Physicochemical parameters were determined using standard methods. The mean range of physicochemical parameters studied were; electrical conductivity 108±4.01µS/cm, pH 7.78±0.26, water temperature 26.19±0.38 0C, water transparency 1.46±0.13mg/L, TDS 85.0±4.32mg/L), turbidity 11.2±0.45 NTU, dissolved oxygen 4.57±0.27mg/L, biological oxygen demand 0.77±0.29 mg/L, with low values for phosphate, nitrate, sulpgate and chloride. There was no significant difference between the sampling sites in physicochemical parameters (p<0.05). Thirty-six (36) species belonging to Class Insecta, Arachnida, Malacostraca, Gastropoda, Bivalvia, Hirudinea and Gordiodea were identified and accounted for 8545 individuals. Increasing dominance of benthic macroinvertebrates followed: Insecta (50%), Gastropoda (27.8%), Bivalvia (8.3%), Malacostraca (5.6%), Arachnida (2.8%), Hirudinea (2.8%) and Gordiodea (2.8%). Correlation analysis between physicochemical parameters and macroinvertebrates showed a strong positive relationship (P<0.05). Presence of pollution intolerant species in most of the stations and accounting for more than 20% of the recorded individuals indicates a near-pristine ecosystem. However, the presence of pollution tolerant macroinvertebrates notably Chironomus sp. and Hirudo sp. in the Reservoir is a cause of concern and this indicate that the reservoir may not be totally free from pollution and therefore there is the need to have a robust monitoring plan in place to control anthropogenic pollutants and put measures in place to halt the introduction of more pollutant tolerant species into the Reservoir.
 
Impact of Oocytes with Morphological Abnormalities on Blastocyst Formation Rate
Get PDFObjective: Aim of the study is to evaluate the intracytoplasmic and extracytoplasmic abnormalities of the human oocytes and their influence on potential embryo development and blastocyst formation rate outcome. Exclusive criteria: Cycles from cryopreserved oocytes and the patient underwent agonist stimulation protocol were excluded, Severe male factor infertility (oligozoospermia<10 million/ml)Oocyte morphology was evaluated at the time of ICSI and scored according to the scoring system described by Martin-Wilding et al. The inseminated oocytes were cultured according to standard protocol. Fertilization was assessed at 17-18 hours and cleavage was assessed at 26 hours after insemination respectively. Embryo grading was done on day 5 using Gardner’s embryo grading system. Material and Methods: A Single center, prospective observational study with patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment between September 2020 to January 2021 was included. Oocytes are graded according to their maturity for all oocytes and subsequently assessed for fertilization, cleavage, and blastocyst grading. Correlation between oocyte morphology and fertilization rate, cleavage rate, and blastocyst rate assessed using appropriate statistical method using (SPSS) version 16.0. Result: A total of 50 patients and oocytes were studied, in that 371 oocytes underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with fertilization rate 78.4 %(291/371), cleavage rate 81%(236/291), and blastocyst rate 66.5%(157/236). Embryo grades were A-37.5%, B-50.9 %, and C-11.% oocyte morphology was not predictive of fertilization, cleavage, and blastocyst rates. Conclusion: There is no statically difference between blastocyst formation rate between morphologically normal oocytes and oocytes with morphological abnormalities like CLGC, SER, and Refractile body.
 
Efficacy, Reliability and Potential Side Effects Reported from Selected Covid-19 Vaccination Trials
Get PDFThe COVID-19 disease arisen in Wuhan on December-2019 and was avowed as a contagion. Globally, at present, there have been 517,648,631 verified cases of COVID-19, including 6,261,708 deceased, reported to WHO. The scientific focus on vaccine development has become the ultimatum of the global community. Vaccination is the process of administering a vaccine to develop a defense mechanism against an infection with the help of hosts immune system. The types include protein subunit, RNA-based, non-replicating and replicating virus-like particle, viral vector, live-attenuated virus, replicating bacterial vector, inactivated virus. Though the vaccine has unparallel benefits it also has potential side effects such as thrombocytopenia, anaphylaxis, local side effects, neurological effects, orofacial effects, effects in cancer patients, effects on women due to estrogen, shingles and associated vasculitis and glomerulonephritis. Thus, it is of paramount importance to evaluate the vaccine safety, including the side effects. The objective of this article is to present an information of the adverse side effects of COVID-19 vaccination.
 
Effect of Substitution of Kaopi and Anchovy Flour Based on The Nutritional Values, Organoleptic, and Total Microbe of ‘Kasuami/kasoami’
Get PDFThese low contents demand necessary to conduct substitution using anchovy flour (Stolephorus comesonii) since it has a quite complete nutritional content, such as fat, protein, and carbohydrates. This research was carried out aiming to discover the effect of substitution between kaopi flour and anchovy flour on the nutritional content of kasuami/kasoami and the appropriate ratio of kaopi flour and anchovy flour proportions for a good kasuami/kasoami products in terms of color, aroma, and taste based on organoleptic tests and microbial growth. This study employed a completely randomized design with 6 treatment levels and 3 replications. The treatment levels were done on the proportion of kaopi flour and anchovy flour (S. comersonii), in which the ratio iwasT0 (100%:0%). T1 (98%:2%). T2 (96%:4%). T3 (94%:6%). T4 (92%:8%). and T5 (90%:10%). The best kasuami/kasoami was obtained from the substitution of kaopi flour using anchovy flour by 90% kaopi: 10% anchovy flour (T5). The results of kasuami/kasoami chemical test based on the best treatment provided indicated that the substitution of kaopi flour using anchovy flour significantly affected the variables of moisture content (47.57%). protein content (16.40%). fat content (3.48%). carbohydrate content (28.86), and total microbes (202.33 x 10-2 cfu). Meanwhile, based on the organoleptic test, the average preference values for color was 4.47 (preferred), the aroma was 5.40 (preferred), and the taste was 6.13 (preferred). This research data indicate that anchovy flour as a substitute for kaopi flour in producing kasuami/kasoami significantly affected the chemical composition variables.
 
IGH gene rearrangement in Acute Lymphoid Leukemia: A study from western region of India
Get PDFAcute lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is found to be a heterogeneous disorder that coexists with multiple clones. The treatment and outcome of ALL is dependent on risk stratifications of ALL patients that is decided on the basis of prognostic factors such as WBC count, age, immunophenotype and cytogenetic aberrations. There are about 75% of ALL patients that harbors recurring chromosomal aberrations out of which 5% had IGH gene rearrangement. This rearrangement can be detected by Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH). The present work was conducted for studying the prevalence of IGH gene rearrangement and to correlate it with prognostic factors and survival. In the present study, blood, and bone marrow of newly diagnosed 50 ALL patients were included. Molecular cytogenetic method i.e., FISH was used to identify rearrangement in IGH gene present on chromosome 14q32 using IGH break apart probe. The results were statistically analyzed using SPSS software and were considered statistically significant when p value ? 0.05. In the present study, 14 (28%) patients had signal pattern other than 2F. Among 14 patients with abnormal signal pattern, 9 (18%) had rearrangement of IGH gene (OGF), 4 (8%) had gain of IGH gene (FFF/FFFF) and 1 (2%) had loss of IGH gene (F). IGH gene rearrangement and IGH gene abnormality (IGH gene rearrangement, IGH gene gain and IGH gene loss) was found to be significantly associated with B-ALL subtype. Also, IGH gene abnormality was significantly correlated with patients belonging to younger age group and absence of splenomegaly. Additionally, out of total 9 patients with IGH gene rearrangement, 3 (33%) patients died and all of them were of B-ALL subtype. FISH is a powerful tool to analyze cytogenetic abnormalities in patients with ALL. IGH gene rearrangement defines a genetic feature that is frequent among patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Moreover, patients with IGH gene rearrangement and of B-ALL subtype showed poor prognosis.
 
Histopathological Changes Caused by Monochromatic Wavelengths in the Retina of Two Species of frogs
Get PDFThe current research deals with the study of the effect of monochromatic visible radiation on the retina of the eye, which are a beam of blue light whose wavelength ranges from 450-500 nanometers and intensity of illumination of 200 lux and under a temperature of 10oC in winter and 20? in summer, and a beam of yellow light whose wavelength ranges from From 550-600 nanometers, with an intensity of 225 lux, and under the same temperatures, for three months for each of the two lights. I took two types of frogs, the first is the swamp frog Rana ridibunda ridibunda and the second tree frog Hyla arborea savignyi. The effects in type 1 retina were generally greater than in type 2. On the other hand, the effects of blue light were more than yellow light in general, with close damage to the two lights in some cases, and the damage was at a high temperature of 20? more than at the temperature of 10? for the two types of light. The damage caused by monochromatic colors of visible light appeared to follow the wavelength, temperature, and intensity of illumination, as the shorter the wavelength, the higher the temperature and the higher the intensity of the illumination, the greater the damage to the components of the eye, and the absence of clots in the tissue of the eye indicates that the light damage occurred by the mechanism photochemical.
 
Potential Legal-policy and Socio-ecological Compliance Requirements on Developing Slaughterhouse in Tanzania: A Stakeholders’ Perspective
Get PDFThis paper examines the compliance requirements of slaughterhouse development on legal-policy and socio-ecological dimensions at Zuzu in Dodoma City Tanzania. It uses a 30 sample size acquired by purposive sampling procedures to implement focus group discussion of the case with a qualitative approach. It also employed 22 Key Informants, and observation methods. Results indicate that stakeholders were supporting the proposed development with concerns on liquid wastes management and treatment. Found that there would be positive and negative impacts such as direct employment of 30 human resource, liquid waste generation, sound, and noise pollution. Others would involve spread and development of Kiswahili, English, and Chinese languages. The project was supposed to implement mitigation and enhancement measures to address the stated impacts. These would include employment of the state of the art technology for waste management, and the use of protective gears for workers. It was also supposed to abide by the Tanzanian laws guiding the establishment, operation, and management of slaughterhouses. The study concludes that stakeholders were supporting the proposed development, due to outstanding positive impacts. The developer was committed to implement the environmental and social management and monitoring plan (ESMP) that would attend to mitigation measures about likely negative impacts on the development while at the same time enhancing positive impacts. It was recommended that the developer should adhere to good practices in all phases of the development by adopting effective ESMP according to the Tanzanian and international standards guiding operation and management of slaughterhouses.
 
Evaluating Species Diversity and Aboveground Biomass Carbon at Bindura Nickel Tailings Dumps Rehabilitated with Acacia saligna (Labill) Trees
Get PDFDisposal of mine tailings on the ecosystem can cause alterations in plant productivity. A study was carried out to assess the effects of grass, herbaceous and woody diversity, and aboveground biomass C on nickel mine tailings dumps with 19, 22, 24 and 26-years old Acacia saligna trees at Trojan Nickel mine, Zimbabwe. The total counting method was used to determine the number of individual herbaceous and woody species. The Braun Blanquet abundance and cover scale was used for the diversity of grass species while the Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index (H’) was used to determine diversity of herbaceous and woody species among the mine tailings dumps. Aboveground biomass C data was estimated from allometry equations using tree height, diameter at breast height and wood density measurements. Analysis of variance was used to determine mean aboveground biomass C with difference in tree age. The aboveground biomass C including surface litter increased significantly (p<0.05) with the age of A. saligna trees on tailings’ dumps. The diversity of herbaceous, woody and grass species increased with the age of A. saligna trees. Herbaceous species diversity was highest (H’=2.21) in the tailings’ dump with 26-years old A. saligna trees while the tailings’ dump with 22-years old A. saligna trees recorded the least species diversity (H’=1.87). Re-vegetation of mine tailings should be considered in ecological restoration. However, aboveground biomass C content of different plant species thriving on mine tailings’ dumps has to be studied in order to determine the mine tailings’ dump ecosystem C stocks. The study also recommends an in-depth research on seasonal diversity of specific species on mine tailings’ dumps.
 
Physicochemical Properties and Diversity of Microalgae in Dukku River, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, Nigeria
Get PDFThe physiochemical parameters are factors that determine the biodiversity of microalgae and water quality. This study aimed to determine the diversity of microalgae and monthly variations of some physicochemical parameters in Dukku river using standard methods for the period of six months. A total of seven (7) species were identified viz; Cyclotella sp, Navicula sp, Skeletoma sp, Chlamadomonas sp, Spirogyra sp, Tribonema sp and Proprocentrum sp belongs to four phylum Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Chrysophyceae and Phyrrophyceae. Bacillariophyceae were relatively abundant as compared to all other groups with 3 species that accounted for 82.5% of phytoplankton followed by Chlorophyceae 2(14.43%) species, Chrysophyceae (2.43%) and Phyrrophyceae (0.61%) with 1 species each. Based on physical parameters analyzed, temperature in the month of April had reached 32.66±0.57 highest, depth 46.66±15.27 in May and turbidity 26.50±1.80 February. Among all these parameters May and June had the least values on turbidity 6.00±0.00 each. The change in the weather, anthropogenic and usage of fertilizer, insecticides and pesticides application within the water body by famers could have caused the slight variations in physicochemical parameters as well as distribution of microalgae. Therefore, government should enforce law on way forward to handle aquatic environment and mindful not to overuse chemicals near the water body for irrigation or farming by farmers as this may lead to eutrophication.