Seasonal variation in Sarcocystis species infections in goats in northern Iraq

Parasitology ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 130 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. BARHAM ◽  
H. STÜTZER ◽  
P. KARANIS ◽  
B. M. LATIF ◽  
W. F. NEISS
Keyword(s):  
Small Intestine ◽  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Infection Rate ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Sarcocystis Species ◽  
Patent Period ◽  
Northern Iraq

We investigated the prevalence of sarcocystosis in 826 goats slaughtered in the winter season from November to April in northern Iraq. The prevalence of macrocysts was on average 34%, with only 20% infected animals in November, but 46% in February. The infection rate in 1-, 3- and 6-year-old goats was 4%, 48%, and 83%, respectively. The highest specificity of infection was in the oesophagus (99%) and the lowest in the diaphragm (3%). Grossly, we identified 2 forms of macroscopic sarcocysts, fat and thin, with different morphological characteristics. The prevalence of microcysts was 97% and no effects of age, sex and seasonal variations were observed. Development of microcysts in the small intestine of dogs and cats has also been investigated. The pre-patent period in experimentally infected dogs was 12–14 days and the patent period lasted 64–66 days. A dog shed about 155 million sporocysts, but no sporocysts were shed by cats that had been fed the same infected tissues, thus identifying the microcysts as Sarcocystis capracanis.

scholarly journals Seasonal Variations in Cataract Surgery Numbers in Mid Western and Far Western Terrain Belts of Nepal

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 24-29
Author(s):  
Pradeep Bastola ◽  
C. Bascaran ◽  
A. Foster
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Resource Allocation ◽  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Cataract Surgery ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Summer Season ◽  
Number Of Patients

Introduction: In western regions of Nepal many more cataract operations are performed during the winter season than the summer season. This causes problems with resource allocation. The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of seasonal variation in cataract surgery, explore the causes, and make recommendations to optimize resource utilization.Methods: Hospital data of the number of patients undergoing cataract surgery in the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 in 3 hospitals was analyzed by month of surgery. 100 consecutive patients having cataract surgery in the winter season and 100 in the summer season were compared for differences and questioned as to the reasons for choosing cataract surgery at that time.Results: Of the 127,718 cataract operations performed over 3 years in the 3 hospitals, 45% were performed in the 3 months February-April and 9% in the 3 months June-August. The mean number performed in March (highest volume month) was more than 7 times higher than that performed in July (lowest month) – 8016 versus 1041 per month. At univariate level nationality, marital status, socioeconomic status, cost per surgery, occupation, age and ethnicity were associated with seasonal variations. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of seasonal uptake showed Nationality/Ethnicity, Socioeconomic status and cost per surgery statistically significant in predicting attendance in high season.Conclusions: There is a large seasonal variation in cataract surgery numbers in West Nepal. Factors including patients' nationality cost of surgery and cultural beliefs contribute to the seasonal variation. If these can be addressed then resource allocation and utilization can be improved.JNGMC Vol. 12 No. 2 December 2014, Page: 24-29

scholarly journals Assessment of seasonal variation on neonatal sepsis

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed A. Abdel Mawla ◽  
Eman A. Mostafa ◽  
Rasha M. Hasanin ◽  
Mohab M. Salah
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Respiratory Distress ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Neonatal Sepsis ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Klebsiella Pneumonia ◽  
Bacterial Isolates ◽  
Suspected Sepsis

Abstract Background Neonatal sepsis is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates. Frequency of bacterial sepsis is affected by seasonal variations. This study was done to rule out the effects of seasonal variation on neonatal sepsis and to determine isolated bacterial agents and their antibiotic sensitivity profile. Results This cross-sectional study included100 neonates with suspected sepsis, and conducted during summer and winter seasons. High frequencies of neonatal morbidities were observed like poor feeding (98%), Jaundice (82%), pallor (76%), respiratory distress (66%) and convulsions (64%) in winter, whereas fever (40%) and edema (12%) in summer. Statically significant correlation was found between the seasonal variations and different symptomatic expression of bacteremia like jaundice, respiratory distress, convulsions and poor feeding (p value < 0.001) in winter, while pallor, fever and edema (p value < 0.05) in summer. Our study showed high proportion of neonatal infection with Gram negative bacteria, as (40%) Pseudomonas aeruginosa and (16%) Escherichia coli in winter season, while (22%) Enterobacter in summer. Carbapenems was very effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, Klebsiella pneumonia, Enterobacter, Acinetobacter, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria, while theses bacterial isolates showed (80–100%) resistance to Unasyn and Cephalosporins (3rd generation). Conclusion This study showed that Seasonal variations had effects on neonatal sepsis regarding their both different symptomatic expressions and bacterial isolates. Most of isolates were sensitive to Carbapenems and resistant to both Unasyn and Cephalosporins (3rd generation).

scholarly journals Carbohydrate content of human milk is affected by seasonal variations: a retrospective observational study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence Mangel ◽  
Sharon Vanetik ◽  
Dror Mandel ◽  
Ronella Marom ◽  
Ronit Lubetzky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Human Milk ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Carbohydrate Content ◽  
P Value ◽  
Term Infants ◽  
Macronutrient Content ◽  
Lactating Mothers

Abstract Background Previous studies have suggested seasonal variation in macronutrient content of milk produced from animals. The influence of seasonal variation upon human milk macronutrient content has not been elucidated. This study aimed to compare the macronutrient content of HM produced by lactating mothers during the winter and the summer seasons. Methods We compiled previously generated data on macronutrient content of colostrum milk samples collected from lactating mothers of healthy term infants. The mothers were recruited during their postpartum stay at the Lis Maternity Hospital of the Tel Aviv Medical Center. Macronutrient content was measured by mid-infrared spectroscopy. Results The carbohydrate content of the colostrum was significantly higher in the summer season than in the winter season (5.9 ± 1.3 vs 5.4 ± 1.4 g/100 ml, p value <0.001). Protein, fat, and energy contents were similar in both groups. Conclusion The carbohydrate content in colostrum obtained from mothers of term infants was affected by seasonal variations.

scholarly journals Comparative Tissue Responses of Marine Mollusks on Seasonal Changes in the Northern Adriatic Sea

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 2874
Author(s):  
Natalija Topić Popović ◽  
Martina Krbavčić ◽  
Josip Barišić ◽  
Blanka Beer Ljubić ◽  
Ivančica Strunjak-Perović ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Responses ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Antioxidant Defense ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Northern Adriatic ◽  
Gonadal Maturation ◽  
Marine Mollusks ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Tissue Responses ◽  
Antioxidant Defense Systems

In the shallow Northern Adriatic, marine mollusks are affected by bottom trawling and seafood disturbance. Seasonal oscillations of oceanographic factors additionally influence their physiology, stress responses and survival. Tissue responses to seasonal variations in green ormer (Haliotis tuberculata L.) and Mediterranean scallop (Pecten jacobaeus L.) in the Northern Adriatic have not been reported. Hence, their biochemical and antioxidant defense properties over seasons were studied and the microanatomical structure of their tissue was correlated with function. Histological analysis of gonads revealed two peaks of gonadal maturation and spawning during the spring/summer period and winter season for scallops, and one peak during the fall for ormers. The gonadal maturation of both species was correlated with their seasonal variations of metabolic demands and antioxidant capacity. The lipid vacuoles of tubuloacinar terminations in the digestive gland differed between the two species; in scallop they are several-fold larger in size and number. Low temperatures in winter contributed to a decline in enzymatic antioxidant defense in scallop tissues, having lower superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, and higher concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and total antioxidant status (TAS). In ormers, winter induced lower TAS, TBARS, SOD and GPx concentrations. The significant difference of winter TAS and TBARS levels between ormers and scallops was correlated with variations in their reproductive cycles, as well as in antioxidant defense systems. The most important factor for stress-related parameters for both species in this work was found to be the season-induced temperature change.

Global mapping of seasonal variations in tides from tide gauge and satellite altimeter data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inger Bij de Vaate ◽  
Henrique Guarneri ◽  
Cornelis Slobbe ◽  
Martin Verlaan
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Altimeter Data ◽  
Tide Gauges ◽  
Tidal Constituents ◽  
The Arctic Region

&lt;p&gt;The existence of seasonal variations in major tides has been recognized since decades. Where Corkan (1934) was the first to describe the seasonal perturbation of the M2 tide, many others have studied seasonal variations in the main tidal constituents since. However, most of these studies are based on sea level observations from tide gauges and are often restricted to coastal and shelf regions. Hence, observed seasonal variations are typically dominated by local processes and the large-scale patterns cannot be clearly distinguished. Moreover, most tide models still perceive tides as annually constant and seasonal variation in tides is ignored in the correction process of satellite altimetry. This results in reduced accuracy of obtained sea level anomalies. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To gain more insight in the large-scale seasonal variations in tides, we supplemented the clustered and sparsely distributed sea level observations from tide gauges by the wealth of data from satellite altimeters. Although altimeter-derived water levels are being widely used to obtain tidal constants, only few of these implementations consider seasonal variation in tides. For that reason, we have set out to explore the opportunities provided by altimeter data for deriving seasonal modulation of the main tidal constituents. Different methods were implemented and compared for the principal tidal constituents and a range of geographical domains, using data from a selection of satellite altimeters. Specific attention was paid to the Arctic region where seasonal variation in tides was expected to be significant as a result of the seasonal sea ice cycle, yet data availability is particularly limited. Our study demonstrates the potential of satellite altimetry for the quantification of seasonal modulation of tides and suggests the seasonal modulation to be considerable. Already for M2 we observed changes in tidal amplitude of the order of decimeters for the Arctic region, and centimeters for lower latitude regions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;Corkan, R. H. (1934). An annual perturbation in the range of tide. &lt;em&gt;Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Containing Papers of a Mathematical and Physical Character&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;144&lt;/em&gt;(853), 537-559.&lt;/div&gt;

scholarly journals Seasonal Variation in Essential Oils Composition and the Biological and Pharmaceutical Protective Effects of Mentha longifolia Leaves Grown in Tunisia

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karama Zouari-Bouassida ◽  
Mohamed Trigui ◽  
Samar Makni ◽  
Lobna Jlaiel ◽  
Slim Tounsi
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Essential Oils ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Inflammatory Cells ◽  
Ethyl Acetate Fraction ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Potential Candidate ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Bacterial Strains

This research assessed the seasonal variation of the chemical composition and antibacterial and anticholinesterase activities of essential oils extracted from M. longifolia leaves. The leaves organic fractions were also investigated for their biological activities and pharmacological functions. The essential oil highest yield was recorded in the spring season. Pulegone (26.92%), 1.8 cineole (21.3 %), and L-menthone (10.66 %) were determined as its major compounds in the winter season. In the spring oil, the main components were pulegone (38.2 %) and oleic and palmitic acids (23.79 % and 15. 26 %, respectively). Oxygenated monoterpenes were predominant in the two analyzed samples. The tested oils and organic extracts exhibited promising antibacterial effects against all of the tested bacterial strains. Thanks to its richness in phenolic and flavonoid compounds, the ethyl acetate fraction (Ml EtOAcF) displayed the most active DPPH scavenging ability (IC50 =12.64 μg/ml) and an interesting β-carotene bleaching inhibition (IC50 =34.75 μg/ml) making it a potential candidate for anti-inflammatory evaluation on rats. This evaluation evidenced that M. longifolia pretreated rats showed a marked decrease in paw oedema and inflammatory cells. Additionally, a remarkable acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of the Ml EtOAcF (IC50 = 12.3μg/ml) and essential oils were also observed suggesting their neuroprotective property against Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, it was found that its activity level was season dependent. Our investigation, therefore, clearly revealed the medicinal characteristics of M. longifolia leave indicating their potential uses for natural remedies.

scholarly journals Effect of Seasonal Variation on Clinical Outcome in Patients with Chronic Conditions: Analysis of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) National Telehealth Trial (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmadreza Argha ◽  
Andrey Savkin ◽  
Siaw-Teng Liaw ◽  
Branko George Celler
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Clinical Outcome ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Australian Capital Territory ◽  
Home Telemonitoring ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

BACKGROUND Seasonal variation has an impact on the hospitalization rate of patients with a range of cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction and angina. This paper presents findings on the influence of seasonal variation on the results of a recently completed national trial of home telemonitoring of patients with chronic conditions, carried out at five locations along the east coast of Australia. OBJECTIVE The aim is to evaluate the effect of the seasonal timing of hospital admission and length of stay on clinical outcome of a home telemonitoring trial involving patients (age: mean 72.2, SD 9.4 years) with chronic conditions (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease coronary artery disease, hypertensive diseases, congestive heart failure, diabetes, or asthma) and to explore methods of minimizing the influence of seasonal variations in the analysis of the effect of at-home telemonitoring on the number of hospital admissions and length of stay (LOS). METHODS Patients were selected from a hospital list of eligible patients living with a range of chronic conditions. Each test patient was case matched with at least one control patient. A total of 114 test patients and 173 control patients were available in this trial. However, of the 287 patients, we only considered patients who had one or more admissions in the years from 2010 to 2012. Three different groups were analyzed separately because of substantially different climates: (1) Queensland, (2) Australian Capital Territory and Victoria, and (3) Tasmania. Time series data were analyzed using linear regression for a period of 3 years before the intervention to obtain an average seasonal variation pattern. A novel method that can reduce the impact of seasonal variation on the rate of hospitalization and LOS was used in the analysis of the outcome variables of the at-home telemonitoring trial. RESULTS Test patients were monitored for a mean 481 (SD 77) days with 87% (53/61) of patients monitored for more than 12 months. Trends in seasonal variations were obtained from 3 years’ of hospitalization data before intervention for the Queensland, Tasmania, and Australian Capital Territory and Victoria subgroups, respectively. The maximum deviation from baseline trends for LOS was 101.7% (SD 42.2%), 60.6% (SD 36.4%), and 158.3% (SD 68.1%). However, by synchronizing outcomes to the start date of intervention, the impact of seasonal variations was minimized to a maximum of 9.5% (SD 7.7%), thus improving the accuracy of the clinical outcomes reported. CONCLUSIONS Seasonal variations have a significant effect on the rate of hospital admission and LOS in patients with chronic conditions. However, the impact of seasonal variation on clinical outcomes (rate of admissions, number of hospital admissions, and LOS) of at-home telemonitoring can be attenuated by synchronizing the analysis of outcomes to the commencement dates for the telemonitoring of vital signs. CLINICALTRIAL Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12613000635763; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=364030&isReview=true (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/ 6xLPv9QDb)

Difference of seasonal variation between glycated albumin and glycated haemoglobin

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 583-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Tanaka ◽  
Shu Meguro ◽  
Masami Tanaka ◽  
Junichiro Irie ◽  
Yoshifumi Saisho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Plasma Glucose ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Glycated Albumin ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Glycated Haemoglobin ◽  
Spearman Rank Correlation ◽  
Spearman Rank ◽  
Average Temperature

Background Glycated albumin reflects 2–3-week glycaemic controls, and in addition to glycated haemoglobin, it has been used as a glycaemic control indicator. We presumed that glycated albumin also has seasonal variations and is related to temperature, similar to glycated haemoglobin. Methods The subjects were diabetic outpatients from April 2007 to March 2013. This resulted in the enrolment of 2246 subjects and the collection of a total of 53,968 measurements. Mean glycated haemoglobin, glycated albumin, and plasma glucose were calculated for each month over six years. The associations of the measures with each other and the average temperature for each month in Tokyo were assessed using Spearman rank correlation coefficients. Results Plasma glucose was highest in January and lowest in May. Glycated haemoglobin was highest in March and lowest in September. Glycated albumin was highest in May and lowest in December. Glycated albumin tended to have a disjunction with plasma glucose in winter. Glycated haemoglobin had seasonal variation, but glycated albumin did not. Plasma glucose and glycated haemoglobin showed significant negative correlations with temperature (rs = −0.359, P < 0.001, rs = −0.449, P < 0.001, respectively), but glycated albumin did not. However, glycated albumin was inter-correlated with plasma glucose (rs = 0.396, P < 0.001) and glycated haemoglobin (rs = 0.685, P < 0.001), and glycated haemoglobin was inter-correlated with plasma glucose (rs = 0.465, P < 0.001). Conclusion Glycated albumin and glycated haemoglobin showed different seasonal variations from each other over the six-year study period. Thus, further studies to identify factors that contribute to glycated albumin are needed.

Seasonal variations of mode-1 M2 internal tides observed by satellite altimetry

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongxiang Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Internal Tide ◽  
Spatial Filtering ◽  
Internal Tides ◽  
Mapping Technique ◽  
Phase Variable ◽  
Model Errors ◽  
Tropical Zone ◽  
Variable Amplitude

&lt;p&gt;The seasonal variations of M&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; internal tides is investigated using 25 years of satellite altimetric sea surface height measurements from 1992--2017. The satellite data are divided into four seasonal subsets, from which four seasonal M&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; internal tide models are constructed. This study employs a new mapping technique that combines along-track spatial filtering, harmonic analysis, plane wave analysis, and two-dimensional spatial filtering. The vector mean of the four seasonal models yields the seasonal-mean model, which is equivalent to the 25-year-coherent model constructed directly using all the data. The seasonal models have larger errors than the seasonal-mean model, because the seasonally-subsetted data sets are short. Two seasonally-variable models are derived: The first model is a step function of the four seasonal models (phase-variable, amplitude-variable); The second model is same as the first one but that the amplitude is from the seasonal-mean model (phase-variable, amplitude-invariable). All these models are evaluated using independent CryoSat-2 data. Each seasonal model reduces most variance in its own season and least variance in its opposite season. Based on globally-integrated variance reductions, the two seasonally-variable models reduce 13% and 23% more variance than the seasonal models, respectively. The seasonal-mean model can reduce 27% more variance, thanks to its small model errors. However, the seasonally-variable models are better than the seasonal-mean model in the tropical zone, where the seasonal signals are larger than model errors. The satellite results reveal that M&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; internal tides are subject to seasonal variation in varying degrees and that the seasonal variation is a function of location. Large variations in amplitude and phase mainly occur in the tropical zone. The seasonal phase variations are mainly caused by the seasonal variations of ocean stratification and internal tide speed. Significant amplitude variations are usually associated with strong internal tides such as from the Luzon and Lombok Straits, and in the Amazon River plume, the western Pacific and the Arabian Sea. At higher latitudes such as the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, the seasonal variations are weak but detectable. The seasonally-variable models can partly account for the seasonal variations of internal tides, in particular, in the tropical zone. &amp;#160;A major challenge is the large model errors, which will be further reduced with the accumulation of new altimeter missions and data (e.g., SWOT).&lt;/p&gt;

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