scholarly journals The breeding status and colony dynamics of Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres in Botswana

2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy D. Borello ◽  
Remigio M. Borello

Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres is endemic to southern Africa and is globally threatened. Colonies in Botswana comprise part of one of the two core breeding areas in the species's range, and very little has previously been published about them. Ground censusing of 11 Cape Vulture sites in Botswana was undertaken from 1992 to 1999, continuing a monitoring programme initiated by the authors in 1984. Survey methods and census procedures are documented. The potential Cape Vulture breeding population in Botswana is estimated to be about 600 pairs, comprising at least 100 pairs at Mannyelanong in the south-east and about 500 pairs in eastern Botswana. This represents an increase from previous estimates, and reflects improved census techniques rather than an increase in population size. The mean turnover rate of nest site usage from one year to the next averaged 21% at Mannyelanong, and was about 26% at Manong Yeng in eastern Botswana. Annual productivity of nest sites increased with the number of years the site had been occupied. Over the eight years of study eggs were laid in at least 436 of 477 nests (91.4%) at Mannyelanong; chicks survived to mid season (60–80 days old) in 327 nests (75% of eggs laid), and fledged (best estimate) in 248 nests (56.9% of eggs laid and 52% of pairs attempting to breed). In eastern Botswana eggs were laid in at least 1,825 of 2,101 nests (86.9%); chicks survived to mid season in 1,272 nests (69.7% of eggs laid). Two seasons have been excluded for eastern Botswana (1994 and 1995) due to incomplete data, and breeding success can be estimated only from 1997 to 1999: of 990 eggs laid out of 1,108 nests, chicks fledged in 384 nests (38.8% of eggs laid and 34.6% of pairs attempting to breed). The eastern Botswana breeding population remains in a state of flux following the collapse of a primary colony that was the country's Cape Vulture stronghold. Conservation concerns and the vulnerability of Cape Vulture sites are discussed.

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
RYAN D. CLARK ◽  
RENAUD MATHIEU ◽  
PHILIP J. SEDDON

SummaryThe concealed and widely dispersed nests of the rare and endangered Yellow-eyed Penguin Megadyptes antipodes, or “hoiho”, have been considered to reflect an essential requirement for the visual isolation of nest sites from conspecifics. However, this may be a consequence of selection for habitat features that provide protection from insolation, thereby minimising the risk of heat stress. To help improve the understanding of hoiho nesting requirements and the effectiveness of habitat restoration, we aimed to determine whether visual isolation from conspecifics or protection from insolation is the primary driver of hoiho nest site selection. We compared the mean maximum distance of visibility and the mean percentage insolation cover of active nests with randomly sampled unused sites in flax Phormium tenax and Hebe elliptica coastal scrub at Boulder Beach, and in coastal forest at Hinahina Cove, New Zealand, 2006–2007. Results of univariate tests and the evaluation of logistic regression models suggested that the amount of insolation cover was more important than visibility for hoiho nest site selection, particularly in flax and scrub. In addition, Spearman's correlations indicated that decreasing insolation cover significantly increased the visibility of nests in the forest habitat, and had a similar effect on inter-nest distance in flax. We infer that hoiho nest site selection and distribution are influenced primarily by the location and density of micro-habitat features (particularly within 1 m of the ground) that provide optimal protection from insolation, possibly along with other important features such as a firm backing structure. Strong selection for these features results in the typical but non-essential visual isolation of nest sites from conspecifics. Restoration of nesting habitats with a relatively high density and diversity of vegetation and solid structures within 1 m of the ground may eventually provide an optimal availability and quality of suitable nest sites.


2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 30-35
Author(s):  
S Datta ◽  
S Maiti ◽  
G Das ◽  
A Chatterjee ◽  
P Ghosh

Background The diagnosis of classical Kawasaki Disease was based on clinical criteria. The conventional criteria is particularly useful in preventing over diagnosis, but at the same time it may result in failure to recognize the incomplete form of Kawasaki Disease. Objective To suspect incomplete Kawasaki Disease, because early diagnosis and proper treatment may reduce substantial risk of developing coronary artery abnormality which is one of the leading causes of acquired heart disease in children. Method Nine cases of incomplete Kawasaki Disease were diagnosed over a period of one year. The diagnosis of incomplete Kawasaki Disease was based on fever for five days with less than four classical clinical features and cardiac abnormality detected by 2D- echocardiography. A repeat echocardiography was done after 6 weeks of onset of illness. The patients were treated with Intravenous Immunoglobulin and/or aspirin. Result The mean age of the patients was 3.83 years and the mean duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 12.1 days. Apart from other criteria all of our patients had edema and extreme irritability. All the patients had abnormal echocardiographic finding. Five patients received only aspirin due to nonaffordability of Intravenous Immunoglobulin and four patients received both aspirin and Intravenous Immunoglobulin, but the outcome was excellent in all the cases. Conclusion Incomplete Kawasaki Disease can be diagnosed with more awareness and aspirin alone may be used as a second line therapy in case of non affordability of Intravenous Immunoglobulin. Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal, 2013, Vol-9, No-4, 30-35 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmsn.v9i4.10234


Symmetry ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 457
Author(s):  
Isabel María Introzzi ◽  
María Marta Richard’s ◽  
Yesica Aydmune ◽  
Eliana Vanesa Zamora ◽  
Florencia Stelzer ◽  
...  

Recent studies suggest that the developmental curves in adolescence, related to the development of executive functions, could be fitted to a non-linear trajectory of development with progressions and retrogressions. Therefore, the present study proposes to analyze the pattern of development in Perceptual Inhibition (PI), considering all stages of adolescence (early, middle, and late) in intervals of one year. To this aim, we worked with a sample of 275 participants between 10 and 25 years, who performed a joint visual and search task (to measure PI). We have fitted ex-Gaussian functions to the probability distributions of the mean response time across the sample and performed a covariance analysis (ANCOVA). The results showed that the 10- to 13-year-old groups performed similarly in the task and differ from the 14- to 19-year-old participants. We found significant differences between the older group and all the rest of the groups. We discuss the important changes that can be observed in relation to the nonlinear trajectory of development that would show the PI during adolescence.


2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marnie L. Swinburn ◽  
Patricia A. Fleming ◽  
Michael D. Craig ◽  
Andrew H. Grigg ◽  
Mark J. Garkaklis ◽  
...  

Grasstrees (Xanthorrhoea) are an important structural component of many Australian ecosystems and also an important resource for many fauna species. Grasstrees have distinctive morphologies, with a crown of long thin leaves and skirts, the latter of which are accumulated dead leaves; both are incinerated by fire. This study determined the morphological features of Xanthorrhoea preissii, which change in response to fire from 6 months to 21 years post-burn. In addition, using radio-telemetry and spool-tracking, we determined that grasstrees are utilised as foraging and nesting resources for mardos (Antechinus flavipes leucogaster (Gray, 1841), Marsupialia: Dasyuridae). Recently burnt grasstrees (6 months post-burn) appeared not to be used by mardos at all. We found few mardos in these recently burnt sites, and the one individual we managed to track for 126 m utilised only a single grasstree: a 2-m-tall multiple-crowned grasstree that had escaped the fire was used as a nest site. For sites 5 years post-burn, mardos selectively utilised grasstrees with larger crown areas and those with a greater number of crowns compared with a random sample of available trees. At the 14-year post-burn sites, mardos still demonstrated some selection for grasstrees, although no specific single feature could be determined as most significant. We recorded humidity and temperature buffering effects in association with post-burn accumulation of grasstree skirt material and found that even dead grasstree ‘logs’ were an important resource for nests. We conclude that mardos utilise both live and dead grasstrees for foraging and nest sites, possibly owing to the availability of dense cover, a buffered microclimate, and potentially also food resources. Fire-management policies that promote habitat heterogeneity and retain several intact-skirted grasstrees within the landscape are likely to benefit mardos.


Author(s):  
Vagner de Alencar Arnaut de Toledo ◽  
Regina Helena Nogueira-Couto

This experiment was carried out to study the internal temperature regulation of a colony of Africanized honey bees (AFR), compared with hybrid Caucasian (CAU), Italian (ITA), and Carniolan (CAR) bees, during the period of one year and different size hives located in a sub-tropical region. The instant internal temperature, 33.7 ± 1.5° C for the AFR, 33.5 ± 1.4° C for the CAU, 33.7 ± 1.5° C for the ITA and 33.8 ± 1.4° C for the CAR, did not show any significant difference (P>0.05). The maximum temperature (36.1 ± 2.3° C) was statistically different (P<0.05) from the minimum (27.6 ± 5.3° C). There was no difference (P>0.05) in the mean internal temperature, between the nucleus (31.7 ± 6.3° C) and the brood nest (32.1 ± 5.3° C) measured between two and four o'clock in the afternoon.


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1080-1080
Author(s):  
N. Ziade ◽  
S. Al Emadi ◽  
M. Abu Jbara ◽  
S. Saad ◽  
L. Kibbi ◽  
...  

Background:Involving the patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the assessment of their disease may increase their adherence to treatment, improve the disease outcomes and facilitate the application of telehealth. We previously reported an excellent concordance between the Disease Activity Score (DAS-28) performed by physicians and patients at the baseline visit of this prospective study (1).Objectives:To evaluate the persistence of the concordance between the physician’ and the patient’s assessment of disease activity in RA using DAS-28 after one year.Methods:At the baseline visit, patients with RA from 7 Middle Eastern Arab Countries (MEAC) were briefed about DAS-28 by their rheumatologist during a routine consultation and given smartphone access to a video in Arabic language explaining the performance of DAS-28. At 3, 6 and 12 months (± 3 months), the patients were asked to self-report DAS-28, blinded to the physician’s assessment. Concordance between the continuous DAS-28 at each visit was calculated using paired t-test numerically and the Bland-Altman method graphically. Agreement between physician- and patient-DAS categories (remission, low-, moderate- and high disease activity) was calculated at each visit using weighted kappa for category comparison. Weighted kappa of the different agreements were compared over time using their respective confidence intervals (CIs). Predictive factors of positive concordance between physician and patient-DAS were identified using binary logistic regression.Results:The study included 428 patients over a period of three years (2018 to 2020). The mean age of participants was 49.8 years, 82.5% were females, 44.3% had a university degree and the mean disease duration was 11.4 years.At baseline, the average patient-DAS was higher (4.06 (±1.52)) than the physician-DAS (3.97 (±1.52)). The mean difference was -0.09 [95%CI -0.14; -0.04] and most of the pairs were within the limit of agreement in the Bland-Altman graph, indicating a good concordance, particularly in cases of remission.During the study follow-up, 299 patients consulted for visit 2 (69.9% of the total population), 232 for visit 3 (54.2%) and 199 for visit 4 (46.5%). The weighted kappa was 0.80 [95%CI 0.76;0.85] at visit 1 and 0.79 [95%CI 0.72;0.88] at visit 4 (Figure 1 showing kappa for DAS-28, CDAI and SDAI as well). A minor numerical decrease in kappa was observed over time; however, the CIs were overlapping over the four visits and the agreement was considered stable, remaining in the excellent range. At visit 4, a positive concordance between the physician- and the patient-DAS was associated with the profession (lower in blue collar, p=0.001), the educational level (higher in high school and university, p=0.034) and the baseline physician’s DAS (higher in high disease activity, p=0.46).Conclusion:The agreement between the DAS-28 performed by the physician and by the patient was excellent at baseline and remained stable over one year. A positive concordance was associated with the profession, the educational level and the level of disease activity. The present study can help the rheumatologist make informed decisions about the patients who may be suitable for a remote evaluation of their disease activity, that can be of particular interest in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.References:[1]Ziade N, Saad S, al Mashaleh M, et al. Perceptions of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis about Self-Assessment of Disease Activity after Watching an Educational Video: Qualitative Pilot Results from the Auto-DAS in Middle Eastern Arab Countries Study [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2018; 70 (suppl 10).Acknowledgements:The authors would like to acknowledge the patients for participating in the study and the assistants/ students/ nurses who assisted in the data collection: Dr. Fatima Abdul Majeed Al Hawaj, M. Atef Ahmed, M. Mohammad Alhusamiah, Ms Raquel De Guzman, Ms Lina Razzouk.Disclosure of Interests:None declared


QJM ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 114 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia abdelaty Abdelkader ◽  
Moustafa Hamed Abdelaleem ◽  
Mohammed El-Gharib Abo El- maaty ◽  
Heba Ismail Aly ◽  
Sayed Ahmed Sayed

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common malignancy worldwide and it is also a common cause of death in patients with chronic liver disease. The curative treatment options for HCC that are currently available are surgical resection, liver transplantation and radiofrequency ablation .Despite progressive improvements in the efficacy of RFA, the survival of patients with HCC who undergo RFA remains disappointing, mainly due to frequent intrahepatic recurrence of HCC after RFA. Aim of the work To evaluate the role of transient elastography (as an indirect indicator to degree of liver fibrosis) in prediction of denovo recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after radiofrequency ablation in hepatitis C related hepatocellular carcinoma .And to compare between transient elastography and other non invasive fibrosis indices in prediction of denovo recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after radiofrequency ablation hepatitis C related hepatocellular carcinoma Patients and methods This prospective cohrt study was conducted on hepatocellular carcinoma patient, who underwent radiofrequency ablation in Tropical Medicine Department in Eldemerdash and Ain Shams Specialized Hospital, HCC clinic Ain Shams University Hospitals, Cairo, Egypt between march, 2017 and May, 2019. Data of the patient, who underwent radiofrequency ablation during the study period, were reviewed and the patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were enrolled into this study. The patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria and underwent radiofrequency ablation were followed up for 12 months. Results TE revealed 28 patients with F4 and only 2 patients with F3, the mean measurement of liver stiffness was (22.45 ± 10.36) KPa. There was a significant negative correlation between LS and denovo recurrence of HCC (mean of LS in patients with complete response was 17.19 ± 3.32 and the mean of LS in patient with denovo recurrence was 36,94 ± 5.93,with the The best cut off value ≥24.65 (p value &lt; 0.001)). There was no significant correlation between CDC, FIB4, API scores and denovo recurrence of HCC. Also it was found that the LS was significantly associated with prediction of manifestation of hepatic decompensation after RFA (means of LS in patient without manifestation decompensation after RFA (p value &lt;0.001) .Regarding prediction of mortality, LS at cut off value &gt; 42 .75 (p value = 0,031) was significantly associated with prediction of mortality after one year of RFA. As regard serum non invasive fibrosis indices our results showed correlation between FIB4 score and hepatic decompensation after one year of intervention (the mean of FIB4 score in patients ascites and jaundice was 6.05 ± 4.71 (p value = 0.05) ).Therewas no statistically significant correlation between CDS and API with hepatic decompensation after RFA .As regard role of serum non invasive fibrosis indices in prediction of mortality after RFA, FIB4 score, CDS and API were statistically non significant. Conclusion Our data suggest that LS measurement is a useful predictor of HCC de novorecurrence overall survival and possibility of hepatic decompensation after RFA


CJEM ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (S1) ◽  
pp. S79
Author(s):  
H. Ali Khan ◽  
K. Gushulak ◽  
M. Columbus ◽  
I.G. Stiell ◽  
J.W. Yan

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is an increasingly prevalent chronic condition that is usually managed in an outpatient setting. However, the emergency department (ED) plays a crucial role in the management of diabetic patients, particularly for those who are presenting with newly diagnosed diabetes. Little research has been done to characterize the population of patients presenting to the ED with hyperglycemia with no previous diagnosis of diabetes. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology, treatment, and outcomes of patients who were newly diagnosed with diabetes in the ED and to compare those with newly diagnosed type I versus type II diabetes. Methods: A one-year health records review of newly diagnosed diabetes patients ≥18 years presenting to one of four tertiary care EDs was conducted. All patients with a discharge diagnosis of hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome were screened, but only those who did not have a previous history of diabetes were included. Trained research personnel collected data on patient characteristics, management, disposition, and outcome. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data where appropriate. Results: Of 645 patients presenting with hyperglycemia in the study period, 112 (17.4%) were newly diagnosed diabetes patients. Of these patients, 30 (26.8%) were later diagnosed with type I diabetes and 82 (73.2%) were diagnosed with type II diabetes. For the newly diagnosed type I patients the mean (SD) age was 27.6 (9.9) and the mean (SD) age for type II patients was 52.4 (14.1). Of all the new onset patients, 26.8% were diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis. The percentage of patients diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis was higher in type I than type II (63.3% vs 13.4%; P&lt;0.01). A total of 49 (43.8%) patients were admitted to the hospital, and more patients with type I were admitted compared to those with type II (66.7% vs 35.4 %; P&lt;0.01). Conclusion: Limited research has been done to describe patients newly diagnosed with diabetes in the ED. Patients with type I were found to be more likely to present to the ED with serious symptoms requiring admission to hospital. Our findings demonstrate that the ED may have a strong potential role for improving diabetic care, by providing future opportunities for education and follow-up in the ED to reduce complications, particularly in type I.


2011 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. OJCS.S8032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taysir Garadah ◽  
Saleh Gabani ◽  
Mohamed Al Alawi ◽  
Ahmed Abu-Taleb

Background The prevalence and epidemiological data of atrial fibrillation (AF) among multi-ethnic populations is less well studied worldwide. Aim Evaluation of the prevalence and predisposing factors of AF in patients who were admitted to acute medical emergencies (ER) in Bahrain over the period of one year. Methods Two hundred and fifty three patients with onset of AF were studied. The mean difference of biochemical data and clinical characteristics between Middle Eastern (ME) and sub continental (SC) patients was evaluated. The odds ratio of different predisposing factors for the development of clinical events in AF patients was assessed using multiple logistic regression analysis. Results Out of 7,450 patients that were admitted to ER over one year, 253 had AF based on twelve leads Electrocardiogram (ECG), with prevalence of 3.4%. In the whole study, the mean age was 59.45 ± 18.27 years, with 164 (65%) male. There were 150 ME patients (59%), and 107 (41%) SC, 55 (22%) were Indian (IND) and 48 (19%) were South Asian (SA). In the whole study clinical presentation was of 48% for palpitation, pulmonary edema was of 14%, angina pectoris on rest of 12%, 10% had embolic phenomena, 6% had dizziness, and 7% were asymptomatic. The odds ratio of different variables for occurrence of clinical events in the study was positive of 2.2 for history of hypertension, 1.8 for sickle cell disease, 1.2 for high body mass index (BMI) >30, 1.1 for mitral valve disease. The ME patients, compared with SC, were older, had significantly higher body mass index, higher history of rheumatic valve disease, sickle cell disease with high level of uric acid and lower hemoglobin. The history of hypertension, DM and smoking was higher among the SC patients. The rate of thyroid disease was equal in both groups. Conclusion The prevalence of atrial fibrillation was 3.4% with male predominance of 65%. Patients of sub continental origin were younger with a significantly high history of hypertension and ischemic heart disease. The patients of Middle Eastern origin had significantly high rate of rheumatic heart disease, and sickle cell disease. The history of hypertension was the most important independent clinical predictor of adverse events in patients presented with AF.


2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-41
Author(s):  
Devendra Maheshwari ◽  
Rengappa Ramakrishanan ◽  
Mohideen Abdul Kader ◽  
Neelam Pawar ◽  
Ankit Gupta

Aim: To evaluate the effect of phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation in eyes with pre-existing trabeculectomy.Methods: This prospective single-center clinical study evaluated intraocular pressure in 60 eyes of 60 patients who underwent phacoemulsification and implantation of a foldable intraocular lens after a previous successful trabeculectomy. Patients who had a trabeculectomy more than one year prior to the study were included. Intraocular pressure, number of antiglaucoma medications, bleb appearance, and visual acuity were recorded preoperatively, and at each follow-up examination and 12 months after phacoemulsification.Results: The mean intraocular pressure before phacoemulsification was 12.42 mmHg (SD, 4.60 mmHg), which increased to 14.98 mmHg (SD, 4.18 mmHg), 14.47 mmHg (SD, 3.58 mmHg), 15.44 mmHg (SD, 3.60 mmHg), and 15.71 mmHg (SD, 3.47 mmHg) after one, three, six, and 12 months, respectively. At each follow-up visit, the mean IOP was significantly higher than the preoperative value (p < 0.001, p = 0.015, p ≤ 0.001, and p = 0.001 at month one, three, six, and 12, respectively). The mean preoperative best-corrected visual acuity was 0.98 logMAR (SD, 0.44 logMAR) and the mean postoperative best-corrected visual acuity at 12 months was 0.20 logMAR (SD, 0.21 logMAR) [p = 0.0001]. The mean preoperative number of antiglaucoma medications used was 0.57 (SD, 0.63), which increased to 0.65 (SD, 0.63 ), 0.70 (SD, 0.72 ) 0.68, (SD, 0.70), and 0.67 (SD, 0.77 ) at one, three, six, and 12 months, respectively, but there were no statistically significant differences. Bleb size decreased clinically after phacoemulsification. Nineteen of 60 eyes (32%) developed fibrosis of bleb with decreased bleb size.Conclusion: Phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation significantly increased intraocular pressure and increased the number of antiglaucoma medications in eyes with pre-existing functioning filtering blebs.


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