Research Note: Reducing the competition for feed to facilitate the mating of Heifers as yearlings

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High performance liquid chromatographic determination of proguanil after derivatisation with sodium benzoxazole-2-sulphonate

A simple, fast and reproducible method for the determination of proguanil using high performance liquid chromatographic with UV/Fluorescence detection is described. Proguanil was derivatised to its corresponding derivative [(N1-(4-chlorophenyl)-N5-(1 -methyl ethyl) imidocarbonimideamide-Nbenzoxazole]. The derivatisation reaction was conducted in methanol at 60°C using sodium benzoxazole-2-sulphonate under alkaline conditions. The resulting derivative was extracted with chloroform after which the extract was observed under UV lamp at 254 nm before TLC and HPLC analysis. Similarly, the derivatisation process was adapted for derivatisation of proguanil in urine sample. The reaction proceeded smoothly and rapidly. The extraction process was not cumbersome and eliminated the need for costly extraction and evaporation equipments. The resulting derivative fluorensced intensely under UV lamp. Direct HPLC analysis of the reaction mixture was found possible without interferences from excess reagent and endogeneous compounds like ammonium salts. The derivative eluted in less than seven minutes thus making the method suitable for routine use. The calibration plot was linear over the concentration range. A correlation regression of the order of 0.94 was obtained from the calibration curve which indicated a strong relationship between the instrument response and the concentration of proguanil. The discussion also summarizes the derivatisation chemistry that have not being fully explored to date but may find utility in future development of highly sensitive analytical methods for biquanide drugs

Microbiological Quality And Safety Of Rastrineobola Argentea Retailed In Kisumu Town Markets, Kenya

Objective: To investigate faecal contamination and safety of Rastrineobola argentea sold in retail markets in Kisumu town. Design: This was a repeated cross sectional study and based on random sampling. Setting: Kisumu city, targeting six markets; Oile, Jubilee, Kibuye, Kondele, Nyalenda and Manyatta. Results: A total of 60 fish samples were analysed. All the fish were found to be contaminated with E. coli, and in addition 6.67% of the fish products tested positive for Salmonella. Shigella was absent in all samples analysed. 26.53% of E. coli isolates tested were resistant to two or more antimicrobial agents tested, with the highest level of resistance detected against cotrimoxazole at 38.76%. The E. coli multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index was 0.084 indicating that the contamination was not originating from a high – risk source. A plasmid of approximately 5.6 kb was commonly isolated from E. coli isolates that showed resistance to ampicillin. Plasmids isolated were not transferable by conjugation. Conclusion: The presence of Salmonella spp and occurrence of MDR E. coli were identified as some of the possible health risks that may be associated with R. argentea displayed for sale in Kisumu city markets. This possess a real health risk through consumption or directly through contact with the fish products. East African Medical Journal Vol. 85 (10) 2008: pp. 509-51

Nitrogen transfer from forage legumes to nine neighbouring plants in a multi-species grassland

Legumes play a crucial role in nitrogen supply to grass-legume mixtures for ruminant fodder. To quantify N transfer from legumes to neighbouring plants in multi-species grasslands we established a grass-legume-herb mixture on a loamy-sandy site in Denmark. White clover (Trifolium repens L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) were leaf-labelled with 15N enriched urea during one growing season. N transfer to grasses (Lolium perenne L. and xfestulolium), white clover, red clover, lucerne, birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.), salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor L.)and caraway (Carum carvi L.) was assessed. Neighbouring plants contained greater amounts of N derived from white clover (4.8 gm-2) compared with red clover (2.2 gm-2) and lucerne (1.1 gm-2). Grasses having fibrous roots received greater amounts of N from legumes than dicotyledonous plants which generally have taproots. Slurry application mainly increased N transfer from legumes to grasses. During the growing season the three legumes transferred approximately 40 kg N ha-1 to neighbouring plants. Below-ground N transfer from legumes to neighbouring plants differed among nitrogen donors and nitrogen receivers and may depend on root characteristics and regrowth strategies of plant species in the multi-species grassland

An Estimate of the Incidence of Prostate Cancer in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Prostate cancer (PCa) is rated the second most common cancer and sixth leading cause of cancer deaths among men globally. Reports show that African men suffer disproportionately from PCa compared to men from other parts of the world. It is still quite difficult to accurately describe the burden of PCa in Africa due to poor cancer registration systems.We systematically reviewed the literature on prostate cancer in Africa and provided a continentwide incidence rate of PCa based on available data in the regio

Assessing the importance of car meanings and attitudes in consumer evaluations of electric vehicles

This paper reports findings from a research study which assesses the importance of attitudinal constructs related to general car attitudes and the meanings attached to car ownership over evaluations of electric vehicles (EVs). The data are assessed using principal component analysis to evaluate the structure of the underlying attitudinal constructs. The identified constructs are then entered into a hierarchical regression analysis which uses either positive or negative evaluations of the instrumental capabilities of EVs as the dependent variable. Results show that attitudinal constructs offer additional predictive power over socioeconomic characteristics and that the symbolic and emotive meanings of car ownership are as, if not more, effective in explaining the assessment of EV instrumental capability as compared to issues of cost and environmental concern. Additionally, the more important an individual considers their car to be in their everyday life, the more negative their evaluations are of EVs whilst individuals who claim to be knowledgeable about cars in general and EVs in particular have a lower propensity for negative EV attitudes. However, positive and negative EV attitudes are related to different attitudinal constructs suggesting that it is possible for someone to hold both negative and positive assessments at the same time

Search for Dark Matter and Supersymmetry with a Compressed Mass Spectrum in the Vector Boson Fusion Topology in Proton-Proton Collisions at root s=8 TeV

Peer reviewe

Hoxb1 Controls Anteroposterior Identity of Vestibular Projection Neurons

The vestibular nuclear complex (VNC) consists of a collection of sensory relay nuclei that integrates and relays information essential for coordination of eye movements, balance, and posture. Spanning the majority of the hindbrain alar plate, the rhombomere (r) origin and projection pattern of the VNC have been characterized in descriptive works using neuroanatomical tracing. However, neither the molecular identity nor developmental regulation of individual nucleus of the VNC has been determined. To begin to address this issue, we found that Hoxb1 is required for the anterior-posterior (AP) identity of precursors that contribute to the lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN). Using a gene-targeted Hoxb1-GFP reporter in the mouse, we show that the LVN precursors originate exclusively from r4 and project to the spinal cord in the stereotypic pattern of the lateral vestibulospinal tract that provides input into spinal motoneurons driving extensor muscles of the limb. The r4-derived LVN precursors express the transcription factors Phox2a and Lbx1, and the glutamatergic marker Vglut2, which together defines them as dB2 neurons. Loss of Hoxb1 function does not alter the glutamatergic phenotype of dB2 neurons, but alters their stereotyped spinal cord projection. Moreover, at the expense of Phox2a, the glutamatergic determinants Lmx1b and Tlx3 were ectopically expressed by dB2 neurons. Our study suggests that the Hox genes determine the AP identity and diversity of vestibular precursors, including their output target, by coordinating the expression of neurotransmitter determinant and target selection properties along the AP axis

The Role of Phe82 and Phe351 in Auxin-Induced Substrate Perception by TIR1 Ubiquitin Ligase: A Novel Insight from Molecular Dynamics Simulations

It is well known that Auxin plays a key role in controlling many aspects of plant growth and development. Crystal structures of Transport inhibitor response 1 (TIR1), a true receptor of auxin, were very recently determined for TIR1 alone and in complexes with auxin and different synthetic analogues and an Auxin/Indole-3-Acetic Acid (Aux/IAA) substrate peptide. However, the dynamic conformational changes of the key residues of TIR1 that take place during the auxin and substrate perception by TIR1 and the detailed mechanism of these changes are still unclear. In the present study, various computational techniques were integrated to uncover the detailed molecular mechanism of the auxin and Aux/IAA perception process; these simulations included molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on complexes and the free enzyme, the molecular mechanics Poisson Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) calculations, normal mode analysis, and hydrogen bond energy (HBE) calculations. The computational simulation results provided a reasonable explanation for the structure-activity relationships of auxin and its synthetic analogues in view of energy. In addition, a more detailed model for auxin and Aux/IAA perception was also proposed, indicating that Phe82 and Phe351 played a pivotal role in Aux/IAA perception. Upon auxin binding, Phe82 underwent conformational changes to accommodate the subsequent binding of Aux/IAA. As a result, auxin enhances the TIR1-Aux/IAA interactions by acting as a “molecular glue”. Besides, Phe351 acts as a “fastener” to further improve the substrate binding. The structural and mechanistic insights obtained from the present study will provide valuable clues for the future design of promising auxin analogues