Relative High Frequency Research Articles

Descriptive study of plant resources in context of the ethnomedicinal relevance of indigenous flora; a case study from Rajouri-Poonch region of Himalaya

Background: The study is an attempt to document the medicinal plants used in traditional health care systems in Rajouri-Poonch region of Himalaya. The study also highlights some direct relationships of botanical diversity with various social and cultural aspects, along with quantitative indices to validate the data investigated. This study presents the pioneering attempt to analyze the effect of various variables (age, gender, and education) for ethnobotanical data in Jammu and Kashmir.Methods: Convenience sampling has been used by selecting a total of 128 informants. Questions regarding the utilization of different plants, their parts used, diseases treated, and mode of administration were asked through using questionnaires prepared for the purpose. Data waweres analyzed through different quantitative ethnobotanical indices.Results: A total of 92 plant species belonging to 86 genera and 48 families investigated to be used in the traditional health care system of the region. Rosaceae is the most dominant family followed by Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, and Asteraceae. Most of the documented species were herbs (37.5%) followed by shrubs (17.96%), trees (11.71%), and climbers (4.68%). Leaves were the most common part used in herbal preparations followed by roots, whole plants, seeds, fruits, aerial parts, rhizomes, flowers, cloves and bark. The main method of preparation was decoction followed by extract, paste, powder, chewed, cooked, infusion, poultice and roasted. Species with the highest RFC were Taraxacum officinale (0.82), Raphanus sativus (0.68) and Allium sativa (0.67). Informant Consensus Factor for each disease category ranges from 0.94 to 0.97. The results reveals that there is a strong positive correlation between age and citations (r=0.64) and a negative correlation between the level of education and citations (r = -0.34).Conclusion: Traditional knowledge is draining of rapidly because of modernization and urbanization. There is an immediate need to draft policies for documentation and preservation of such knowledge. Further, plants with high Relative Frequency of Citations and Fidelity Level should be prioritized for bioprospection studies like phytochemical investigation, pharmacological studies, microbiological and toxicological enquires to draw general conclusions on ethnopharmacological relationships.Keywords: Rajouri-Poonch, Variables, Quantitative, Traditional, Correlation

The burden of norovirus disease in children: a multi-country study in Chile, Brazil, Thailand and the Philippines

Noroviruses (NoVs) cause acute gastroenteritis (AGE) worldwide, affecting children in particular. We aimed to estimate the burden of disease due to NoV among children aged <6 years in Brazil, Chile, Philippines and Thailand. This was a prospective, hospital-based, observational study. Children were recruited over one year between 2014 and 2017. Four cohorts were analysed: community-acquired AGE outpatients and inpatients, nosocomial AGE inpatients, and asymptomatic outpatients. We collected demographic and clinical data, and a stool sample that was tested for NoV. Positive samples were tested for Rotavirus (RV) and NoV-genotyped. Disease severity was assessed by the Vesikari and modified Vesikari scores. Prevalence and incidence of NoV-AGE were estimated by cohort and country. 1637 participants yielded valid laboratory results. The proportion of NoV-positive cases was 23.8% (95% CI 20.8-27.2) in the outpatient cohort, 17.9% (15.0-21.3) in the hospital cohort, 21.4% (12.7-33.8) in the nosocomial cohort and 9.6% (6.9-13.2) in the asymptomatic cohort. Genotype GII.4 was predominant (58%). Less than 4% samples had RV coinfection. In general, NoV-positive subjects had more severe presentations than NoV-negative subjects. NoV caused AGE with substantial burden throughout the studied settings, with higher relative frequency in Brazil where RV vaccination coverage is high.

Assessing the Contribution of Relative Macrophage Frequencies to Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue.

Background: Macrophages play an important role in regulating adipose tissue function, while their frequencies in adipose tissue vary between individuals. Adipose tissue infiltration by high frequencies of macrophages has been linked to changes in adipokine levels and low-grade inflammation, frequently associated with the progression of obesity. The objective of this project was to assess the contribution of relative macrophage frequencies to the overall subcutaneous adipose tissue gene expression using publicly available datasets.Methods: Seven publicly available microarray gene expression datasets from human subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies (n = 519) were used together with TissueDecoder to determine the adipose tissue cell-type composition of each sample. We divided the subjects in four groups based on their relative macrophage frequencies. Differential gene expression analysis between the high and low relative macrophage frequencies groups was performed, adjusting for sex and study. Finally, biological processes were identified using pathway enrichment and network analysis.Results: We observed lower frequencies of adipocytes and higher frequencies of adipose stem cells in individuals characterized by high macrophage frequencies. We additionally studied whether, within subcutaneous adipose tissue, interindividual differences in the relative frequencies of macrophages were reflected in transcriptional differences in metabolic and inflammatory pathways. Adipose tissue of individuals with high macrophage frequencies had a higher expression of genes involved in complement activation, chemotaxis, focal adhesion, and oxidative stress. Similarly, we observed a lower expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism, fatty acid synthesis, and oxidation and mitochondrial respiration.Conclusion: We present an approach that combines publicly available subcutaneous adipose tissue gene expression datasets with a deconvolution algorithm to calculate subcutaneous adipose tissue cell-type composition. The results showed the expected increased inflammation gene expression profile accompanied by decreased gene expression in pathways related to lipid metabolism and mitochondrial respiration in subcutaneous adipose tissue in individuals characterized by high macrophage frequencies. This approach demonstrates the hidden strength of reusing publicly available data to gain cell-type-specific insights into adipose tissue function.

Obstructive uropathy secondary to nasal type NK/T-cell lymphoma relapse: report of two cases

Introduction: Extranodal natural killer (NK)/T- cell represents only 0.3% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas in North America and has a higher relative frequency in Southeast Asia and South America. NK/T- cell, nasal type lymphoma usually appears in the nasal cavity, but can also affect soft tissues, skin, gastrointestinal tract, and testes. Besides, most relapses are locoregional. Acute kidney injury (AKI) due to obstructive uropathy, as the initial presentation of relapsing NK/T- cell, nasal type lymphoma, has not been previously described. Case description: We present two cases of Mexican women with AKI due to obstructive uropathy caused by a relapsing NK/T-cell, nasal type lymphoma. Conclusions: In a patient with a history of NK/T- cell, nasal type lymphoma, presenting with AKI, we should rule out obstructive uropathy caused by a relapsing lymphoma. Relapse should be suspected even in the absence of oliguria and transvaginal bleeding.

Heart Rate Variability in Young Adults with Persisting Post‐Concussion Symptoms

Objective Recovery following a concussion generally occurs within 7 to 10 days. However, between 10 to 50% of adults experience persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS). Alterations in cardiac autonomic function, which may lead to heart rate (HR) dysregulation, could explain some of those persisting symptoms. Our aim was to examine short-term resting heart rate variability (HRV), commonly used as an indicator of cardiac autonomic balance, in a group of subjects with PPCS. Hypothesis HRV parameters associated with cardiac vagal tone will be lower, while parameters associated with cardiac sympathetic activity (SYMP) will be higher in subjects with PPCS when compared to controls. Methods HRV was quantified in individuals experiencing PPCS for more than 4 wks [n=9 (5M/4F); 25 ± 6 y; body mass index (BMI): 25 ± 4 kg/m2] compared to matched healthy controls [n=18 (10M/8F); 27 ± 5 y; BMI: 23 ± 3 kg/m2]. Electrical activity of the heart was recorded continuously for 5 min in resting supine position (3-lead ECG). Signals were reviewed for artifacts and processed using Ensemble-R software (Elucimed, Wellington, NZ). Time-domain analysis of HRV provided the square root of the mean squared differences of successive NN intervals (RMSSD), and the number of interval differences, between successive intervals, greater than 50ms (pNN50). Using spectral power analysis, relative low frequency (LF) power, relative high frequency (HF) power and LF/HF ratio were obtained. RMSSD, pNN50 and relative HF power are generally associated with cardiac vagal tone, whilst relative LF power and LF/HF ratio reflect a mix of cardiac SYMP and vagal activity. Results Mean LF/HF ratio was elevated in PPCS compared to controls (2.4 ± 1.9 vs. 0.9 ± 0.5; p=0.020), owing mainly to a lower relative HF power (28.1 ± 15.8 % vs. 48.5 ± 15.8 %; p=0.004), whilst relative LF power did not differ between groups (p=0.053). There were no significant differences in RMSSD and PNN50 between groups. Conclusion As hypothesized, LF/HF ratio was increased. This shift in cardiac autonomic balance appears to result from a reduction in cardiac vagal tone in young adults with PPCS when assessed in the frequency domain.

Response of Benthic Diatom Assemblages to Contamination by Metals in a Marine Environment

Studies on marine benthic diatoms in environments contaminated by metals are scarce. The typical structure of benthic diatom assemblages (species richness, diversity, dominance, dominant taxa) from undisturbed environments may be used as reference for contrasting with contaminated environments in order to observe how said assemblages respond to such disturbance. Thus, the Ho that the structure of benthic diatom associations and morphology of their frustules under contamination by metals would be normal, as in unpolluted environments was tested. To do this, concentrations of 24 metals were surveyed in a coastal zone impacted by mining residues, and the structure of benthic local diatom assemblages was described. Metal concentrations measurements for 15 metals surpassed the normal values of the upper earth cortex, seven were under the low range effect, and three (Cd, Cu, Zn) surpassed the medium range effect values. At a control site no element concentration was above the reference values for low range effect (LRE) or medium range effect (MRE) standards. There, diatom species richness (S) was high, particularly on seaweeds; where, 397 diatom taxa were recorded. In contrast, at the contaminated area 217 diatom taxa were recorded, but diversity (H’) ranged from 2.4 to 4.3. Relative high frequencies of deformed diatom valves mainly of Achnanthes spp. were recorded in contaminated sediments. In general, diatom taxocenoses presented a typical structure for non-contaminated environments. However, scarceness of specimens, lower S, and frequency of deformed valves suggest responses to metal contamination. For marine environments, the latter values corresponding to A. longipes may be considered a reliable reference to the response of benthic diatoms to metal contamination.

Plasma pre-treatment T790M relative allelic frequency in patients with advanced EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer predicts treatment response to subsequent-line osimertinib.

BackgroundApproximately half of all patients with advanced EGFR-mutant NSCLC will develop acquired resistance to first or second-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) with a T790M mutation. In the AURA3 trial, patients with a T790M mutation had a response rate of 71% to osimertinib, a third-generation EGFR-TKI. The response to osimertinib may vary according to plasma T790M mutation frequency. Our aim was to determine the effect of plasma T790M mutation load on treatment response to osimertinib in an Australian multi-institutional cohort.MethodsWe performed a retrospective study on patients treated with osimertinib in the second-line setting and beyond between 2016–2018 from ten centres in Australia, who had T790M mutations detected in tumour or plasma. The primary objective was to investigate if there was a difference in disease control rate (DCR) between patients with high vs. low T790M relative allelic frequency (RAF) as detected in plasma, using a 0.3 RAF cut-off, as determined by ddPCR or BEAMing PCR. Secondary objective was to determine the survival outcomes according to high versus low plasma T790M RAF. Additional analyses were performed to investigate the survival outcome for patients with plasma versus tissue T790M positivity.ResultsA total of 139 patients were included in this study. Patients with higher RAF demonstrated higher DCR (74% vs. 36%, P=0.02), however there was no statistically significant difference in survival outcomes in the two groups. Exploratory analysis showed that patients with tissue T790M+ had improved DCR compared with those with plasma T790M+ (89% vs. 68%, P=0.01) and longer progression free survival (median 15.4 vs. 9.7 months; HR 0.51, 95% CI: 0.34 to 0.77, P=0.003) and overall survival (median not reached, HR 0.51, 95% CI: 0.30 to 0.86, P=0.02). Patients who were tissue T790M+ demonstrated superior survival compared to plasma T790M+ after correcting for confounding variables in a multivariate model.ConclusionsDCR was superior in patients with higher plasma T790M mutation load versus lower plasma T790M mutational load, without significant survival benefit. Plasma T790M RAF is a potential predictive biomarker which should be investigated and validated in larger prospective studies.

Relations of Time-Varying Circuit Parameters and Idlerless Parametric Harmonic Generation for Reconfigurable Frequency Multipliers

The idlerless relations between parametric harmonic generation and time-varying circuit parameters, such as elastance ( S), capacitance ( C), conductance ( G), and resistance ( R), are described in this work. It is shown that the time-varying response of the S, C, G, or R parameter is periodic with N-1 periods over one sinusoidal pumping cycle for N- times multiplication in idlerless reactive and resistive parametric multipliers. Under sinusoidal pumping and with the N-1 periods of the time-varying response described by Chebyshev polynomials of the first kind, the generation of odd- and even-order harmonics is realized. An approach of representing a transient train of impulses under sinusoidal pumping is also described to model the resistive multipliers. The minimum conversion loss (CL) and the maximum conversion efficiency of parametric multipliers are derived. It is shown that, at high relative frequencies, the proposed time-varying response is theoretically capable of achieving higher maximum efficiency than what is calculated with conventional idler-based multipliers. A millimeter-wave (mm-wave) switched-capacitor varactor (SCV) with tunable capacitance-voltage curves is utilized to build third-, fourth-, and fifth-order D-band reconfigurable frequency multipliers (RFMs). The simulations and measurements demonstrate the validity of the proposed theory of the tunable parametric harmonic generation. The relative bandwidths of the D-band RFM are 38.8%, 35.4%, and 25.5% with the output power at -26.6, -37.2, and -40.5 dBm for three-, four-, and five-times multiplications, respectively. An example of a D-band resistive multiplier with a tunable nonlinearity is also given.

Colonization of Pneumatopteris afra (Christ) Holttum and its impact on some resident wetland communities in Nigeria

The widespread of invasive plants across the world has increased the risk of extinction of native plants. It is then necessary for understanding the ecological impacts of invasive plants on neighbouring plant communities where they are found. This study aimed to assess the impacts of the abundance of Pneumatopteris afra on plant diversity of some invaded wetlands in Lafia, Nigeria. Three wetlands with size 500 × 500 m2 each were chosen. Forty 1.5 m × 1.5 m quadrats were laid at 10 m intervals across four 200 m transects at each wetland. The abundance of each plant species within the quadrats was counted and was used to estimate the diversity indices. The impact of the abundance of P. afra on the wetland communities was determined using Pearson correlation coefficients and linear regression models. A total of nine neighbouring plant species including P. afra were identified in all the sites. P. afra has the highest relative frequency and abundance in all the sites. Shannon and Simpson's diversity indices of all the sites are less than 2 showing that they are less diverse. The abundance of P. afra exhibited negative relationships with the diversity indices. Regression models also showed inverse relationships between P. afra and the diversity indices. The colonization of these wetlands by P. afra might be due to its ability to maximize disturbances and limit the growth and expansion of surrounding plants.

KEANEKARAGAMAN CAPUNG DI TAMAN WISATA ALAM DANAU SICIKEH–CIKEH DESA LAE HOLE KECAMATAN PARBULUAN KABUPATEN DAIRI SUMATERA UTARA

&lt;p&gt;This study aims to determine the type, abundance, and frequency of dragonflies (Odonata) in the Lake Sicikeh-cikeh Nature Tourism Park, Lae Hole Village, Parbuluan District, North Sumatra Province. This research was conducted in November 2019. This research used the Exploration method. Observations were made at three stations. Data obtained from the field are processed manually, after the data is collected, processed, then presented in the form of a table and described descriptively. The results showed an abundance of dragonflies in Lake Sicikeh-Cikeh Nature Tourism Park categorized as moderate diversity. The highest abundance of dragonflies is found in the species of &lt;em&gt;Neurothemis fluctuans&lt;/em&gt; Fabricius with a relative abundance of 37.17%. The highest relative frequency is found in species of &lt;em&gt;Pseudagrion microcephalum &lt;/em&gt;Rambur, &lt;em&gt;Neurothemis fluctuans &lt;/em&gt;Fabricius, and &lt;em&gt;Rhodothemis rufa &lt;/em&gt;Rambur&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;with a relative abundance value of 15%.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Keywords: &lt;/strong&gt; diversity, dragonflies, lake sicikeh-cikeh nature tourism park

Preventive Metformin Monotherapy Medication Prescription, Redemption and Socioeconomic Status in Hungary in 2018-2019: A Cross-Sectional Study.

This study was designed to characterize the spatial distribution of metformin medication used as first-line monotherapy for prevention of T2DM in relationship with the socioeconomic status (level of deprivation) and T2DM mortality at district level in a nationwide cross-sectional ecological study for the first time in a European country, Hungary. Risk analysis was used to estimate the relationships between socioeconomic status, characterized by tertiles of deprivation index, and mortality caused by diabetes, and metformin medication (both prescription and redemption) for the years of 2018 and 2019 at the district level. The spatial distribution of districts with a higher relative frequency of metformin prescriptions and redemptions showed a positive correlation with socio-economic deprivation. Significant association between the relatively high T2DM mortality and the highest level of deprivation could also be detected, but less-deprived regions with high T2DM mortality and low metformin utilization could also be identified. Although the statistical associations detected in this ecological study do not indicate a causal relationship, it is reasonable to suppose that the underuse of metformin medication may contribute to the unfavourable T2DM mortality in certain regions. Our findings underline the need for more effective preventive services including metformin medication to decrease T2DM morbidity and mortality burden.

Comparative studies on the DC and RF performances of conventional HEMT and double quantum well heterostructure

In this work, we propose a novel double quantum well (QW) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) structure. The DC and RF performances of this proposed structure are compared with those of conventional single QW HEMT. According to this work, the peak drain current of 651 mA/mm is achieved in conventional single QW HEMT, and the peak drain current of 758 mA/mm is achieved in proposed double QW HEMT. Also, the peak transconductances related to the proposed HEMT and conventional HEMT are compared. The peak current gain cut-off frequencies of two structures are compared. Also, the peak power gain cut-off frequencies of two structures are compared. According to these comparisons by simulation studies, the proposed double QW HEMT is more electrically efficient than the conventional single QW HEMT. Therefore, this present work may be a suitable prediction for the experimental fabrication of proposed double QW HEMT in future. This work may be suitable in sensor related applications and high frequency applications.

A survey of medicinal plants used in traditional medicine by women and herbalists from the city of Agadir, southwest of Morocco

IntroductionIn southern Morocco, medicinal plants are mostly used by women but their knowledge about plants is poorly documented. This work aimed to study the use of medicinal plants in traditional medicine by local women and compare this with herbalists from the city of Agadir, southern Morocco. MethodsThe study was conducted with 73 housewives and 27 herbalists, using face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. ResultsNinety-six species belonging to 48 families and 92 species belonging to 43 families were cited by herbalists and housewives. The dominant plant families were Lamiaceae, Apiaceae, Fabaceae and Asteraceae. Herbalists recorded high Use Value (UV) for Ruta montana and Ocimum basilicum. Housewives had high UV for Ficus carica, Cichorium intybus, and O. basilicum. Seriphidium herba-alba, Origanum vulgare and Lavandula dentata showed high Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) for both groups of respondents. High RFC were also noted for Salvia rosmarinus and Tetraclinis articulata by herbalists. High Fidelity Level (FL) were recorded by herbalists and housewives for Rubia peregrina fort anaemia, Globularia alypum for burns, Ononis natrix forliver disorders, Punita granatum for stomach problems. Housewives noted high FL for D. ambrosioides for fever and Olea europaea for diabetes. Fever, diabetes, wounds and influenza showed high Informant Consensus Factor by herbalists and housewives, but housewives had higher agreement. New uses were reported by housewives: O. natrix for liver disorders, Ammodaucus leucotrichus for abdominal pain, and Origanum majorana for diabetes. ConclusionHousewives had a rich knowledge about the use of medicinal plants that was different to that of herbalists.

Purification and Immune Phenotyping of B-1 Cells from Body Cavities of Mice.

B-1 cells are fetal-origin B lymphocytes with unique developmental and functional characteristics that can generate natural, polyreactive antibodies with important functions in tissue homeostasis and immune defense. While B-1 cell frequencies in bone marrow and secondary lymphoid tissues are low, relative high frequencies exist within peritoneal and pleural cavities of mice, including both CD5+ and CD5- B-1 cells. These cells represent B-1 reservoirs that, when activated, migrate to lymphoid tissues to secrete antibodies and/or cytokines. Here, we outline efficient methods for the extraction and magnetic isolation of CD5+ B-1 cells from the peritoneal and pleural cavities as well as the separation and phenotypic characterization of CD5+ and CD5- B-1 cells by flow cytometry.

Microalgal blooms in the skeletons of bleached corals during the 2020 bleaching event on Heron Island, Australia

Climate change is increasing the frequency of marine heatwaves around the world, causing widespread degradation of coral reefs. Endolithic microalgae inhabiting the coral skeleton have been highlighted as potentially important mediators of the consequences of heatwaves on coral reefs. These microalgae often bloom during heat stress due to greater light availability, theoretically delaying coral starvation by providing photoassimilates. However, these microalgae also dissolve coral skeletons at an accelerated rate during marine heatwaves, affecting the structural complexity of the reef. Despite their ecological role, no studies have examined endolithic algal blooms during a natural bleaching event. We quantified blooms of endolithic microalgae in the skeletons of lagoon corals bleaching on Heron Island in the austral summer of 2020. At the peak of heat stress, 20–30% of bleached corals across 9 genera at 3 sites had blooms. They were predominantly seen in branching Acropora spp. (37.8, 65.7 and 66.7% at three sites), which are primary reef builders at Heron Island. At the end of the bleaching event, the overall prevalence varied between 5 and 42%, and nearly all blooms were observed in acroporids. The relative high frequency of these blooms highlights the ongoing need to understand the role of these microbes during coral bleaching events.

The PHYTOSOCIOLOGY OF WEEDS IN AGRICULTURE FARM, THE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE PESHAWAR- PAKISTAN

Weeds interference with crops and native useful plants, causing negative impacts on crop production and biodiversity. Weeds being more adaptable to changing climate establish easily into new areas becoming invasive over the native vegetation. To investigate further the adaptability of invasive weeds and their status among the native plant community a field survey was carried out from July – September, 2017 at New Developmental Farm (NDF), Malakandher, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar to record weeds species composition. Data was sampled from three different sites i.e. field crop area, non-field and orchards with a quadrate randomly thrown 50 times at different locations. A total of 39 weeds species from 16 families (14 dicot and two monocot) and 36 genera were identified. Dicots were dominant as compared to monocot. The major monocot family poaceae contributed 10 species while in dicots Asteraceae took the lead with 6 species, followed by Euphorbiaceae with 3 species. The rest of the plant families include Aizoaceae, Amaranthaceae, Convolvulaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Cyperaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Oxidillaceae and Plantaginaceae. Among the weed species 27 were annual and the rest (12) were perennials. Annuals were reported from all the three sites, while perennials were found in non-field area i.e. irrigation canals, field ridges, orchards and undisturbed waste areas. Data regarding absolute and relative density, frequency, relative frequency and importance valve of weeds of the area were recorded by quadrate method. Cynodon dactylon had the highest relative density (27.21%), followed by Digiteria sanguinalis (14.87), Cyperus rotundus (12.96) and Euphorbia prostrata (5.12) relative density, respectively. Parthenium hysterophorus L. an invasive alien weed was recorded in almost all the localities with a weed density of 2.6 m-2 in non-field area especially, followed by 0.85 m-2 in field crop and 0.8 m-2 in orchards and with a mean density of 1.42 m-2 and a relative density % of 1.52 across all locations. Similarly another invasive weed Broussonetia papyrifera was recorded in non-field area only with lowest mean relative density of 0.07%. Mean distribution data showed highest relative frequency for C. dactylon (13.66 %) followed by D. sangunalis (10.22), C. rotundus (7.86) and S. halepense (7.23), respectively. Alhaji maurorum, Eclipta alba, Cucumis callosus, B. papyrifera, Withania somnifera and Boerhavia diffusa took the smallest relative frequency of 0.38 % at most of the locations studied thereby indicating them as insignificant among the weed flora of the study area. Importance value data revealed that C. dactylon, D. sangunalis, C. rotundus and S. halepense having IV % of 34.03, 19.99, 16.89 and 10.17, respectively. Looking at the overall distribution of weeds flora in NDF Malakandher during the summer season C. dactylon is distributed on road sides, field ridges, irrigation channels, agricultural fields, orchards and waste lands, while P. hysterophorus being an invasive weed showed increasing trend compared to its earlier status evident from previous study.

Assessment of mangrove species diversity in Banaybanay, Davao Oriental, Philippines

Abstract. Pototan BL, Capin NC, Delima AG, Novero AU. 2021. Assessment of mangrove species diversity in Banaybanay, Davao Oriental, Philippines. Biodiversitas 22: 144-153. This study determined mangrove species diversity and community structure in Banaybanay, Davao Oriental, Philippines. Ten 150m long transects plots were laid out perpendicular through the mangrove forests yielding 30 plots and total sampled area of 3, 000 m2. Individual trees within plots were counted, identified and measured for diameter at breast height (dbh) and tree height. For diversity analysis, Shannon-Weiner Index of Diversity (H’), Pielou’s Index of Evenness (J), Simpson’s Index of Dominance (C), and Effective Number of Species (ENS) were used. Results showed a total of 33 species belonging to 14 families, 31 of which are true mangroves and two associates. Two threatened species, the endangered Camptostemon philippinensis and vulnerable Avicennia rumphiana, and three near-threatened species were recorded. Diversity analysis showed a high diversity index (H’=3.145; ENS=23) and high species evenness (J=0.85) but low dominance (C=0.05). Sonneratia alba attained the greatest importance value (IV=59.79%) due to high relative density, relative frequency, and relative dominance. Also, Rhizophoraceae is the most represented among 14 families. Hence, Banaybanay being highly diverse with the presence of threatened and near-threatened mangrove species calls for immediate protection and conservation measures because of increasing anthropogenic activities and environmental problems observed in the area.

HGG-11. HIGH-GRADE GLIOMAS IN ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS HIGHLIGHT HISTOMOLECULAR DIFFERENCES WITH THEIR ADULT AND PAEDIATRIC COUNTERPARTS

BACKGROUNDConsidering that paediatric high-grade gliomas (HGGs) are biologically distinct from their adult counterparts, the objective of this study was to define the landscape of HGGs in adolescents and young adults (AYAs).METHODSWe performed a multicentric retrospective study of 112 AYAs from adult and paediatric Ile-de-France neurosurgical units, treated between 1998 and 2013 to analyse their clinicoradiological and histomolecular profiles. The inclusion criteria were age between 15 and 25-years, histopathological HGG diagnosis, available clinical data, pre-operative and follow-up MRI. MRI and tumoral samples were centrally reviewed. Immunohistochemistry and complementary molecular techniques such as targeted/next generation sequencing, whole exome sequencing and DNA-methylation analyses were performed to achieve an integrated diagnosis according to the 2016 WHO classification.RESULTSBased on 80 documented AYA patients, HGGs constitute heterogeneous clinicopathological and molecular groups, with a predominant representation of paediatric-subtypes (Histone H3-mutants, 40%) but also adult-subtypes (IDH-mutants, 28%) characterized by the rarity of oligodendrogliomas, IDH-mutant and 1p/19q co-deleted and the relative high frequency of “rare adult IDH mutations” (20%). H3G34-mutants (14%) represent the most specific subgroup in AYAs. In the H3K27-mutant subgroup, the non-brainstem diffuse midline gliomas are more frequent (66.7%) than diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (23.8%), contrary to children. We found that WHO grade has no prognostic value, but molecular subgrouping has major prognostic importance.CONCLUSIONSHGGs in AYAs could benefit from a more personalized neuro-oncological management, driven by molecular subtyping rather than age group. Collaborative efforts are needed from paediatric and adult neuro-oncology teams to improve the management of HGGs in AYAs.

Traditional practices of the ethnoveterinary plants in the Kaghan Valley, Western Himalayas-Pakistan

Introduction: Indigenous people in a far-flung mountainous area without basic facilities, mainly rely on medicinal plants to cope with various veterinary health problems. Objective: The present study was carried out to explore the traditional knowledge of ethnoveterinary practices in Kaghan Valley, district Mansehra, Western Himalayas-Pakistan. Method: Ethnoveterinary data were collected between February to October 2014 from nine villages of the Kaghan Valley by involving 80 local people include traditional healers using a semi-structured interview. Results: A sum of 41 plant taxa of ethnoveterinary medicinal plants was documented for treating livestock ailments. Out of which, herbaceous plants were recorded with high percentage (27 species, 65.8 %). Most of the species were used to treat gastrointestinal diseases (12 taxa), followed by health improvement (7 taxa). The widely used part of plants for livestock aliments was the whole plant (9 species) followed by leaves (7 species), and preparation were paste (18 species) followed by powder with 10 species. The highest used values were recorded for Arisaema costatum (0.82), Primula denticulata (0.76), and high relative frequency citations for Berberis lyceum and Dryopteris ramosa with 0.37 each. Among the plant species Skimmia laureola, Thymus linearis and Phytolacca latbenia were among the taxa with cent fidelity level. Conclusion: The flora used in traditional remedies of the valley was found mostly endemic due to excessive utilization. Thus, further chemical investigation, better utilization and conservation of indigenous use of the reported species should be considered for future work.

Trophic segregation of the Burrowing Owl and the American Kestrel in fragmented desert in Mexico

ABSTRACT We analysed the diet of the Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) and the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) in a fragmented habitat and natural surroundings in the arid ecosystem of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico. Both small-sized raptors are considered in the same trophic guild, and as keystone species, interactions between them could be of interest for wildlife management in fragmented landscapes for agricultural activities. The diet analysis of these top predators could be a good monitor of prey abundance, some of which may be considered detrimental for agricultural activities. Prey frequencies in owl pellets were higher for arthropods (53.1%) and rodents (32.4%), but rodents were the most abundant item in terms of biomass (34.5%). Arthropods also showed higher relative frequencies in kestrel pellets (36.4%), but reptiles were the second in order of importance (28.4%) and contributed the most (64.7%) to the total prey biomass. The biomass contribution (66.1%) of vertebrates in the diet of the Burrowing Owl was lower than for the American Kestrel (95.6%) in a fragmented habitat area. Most prey types were present in the diet of both raptors, but we found significant differences in the biomass contributions of each category. Reptiles and rodents were the prey items that contributed most to the differences in the raptors’ diets, in terms of biomass (33% and 20.3%, respectively). Close nesting surroundings (0.5 km and 1 km radius) evidenced a higher proportion of natural vegetation in the kestrel’s (50.6% and 38.9%, respectively) than in owl’s potential home range (25.8% and 16.4%). The differences in diet suggest some degree of niche partitioning of these species likely due to the more flexible owl’s nesting habitat requirements and to the extended nocturnal activity of the species. These results reflect the capability of being complementary species, both exploiting some pests that are harmful for agriculture, and evidencing the importance of both species as regulators of agro-ecosystems in the peninsula of Baja California.