Percentage Frequency Of Occurrence Research Articles

Sources of fungal infection of winter wheat grain in the forest-steppe of Samara region

Relevance. Among the pathogenic microflora of cereals, seed infection occupies the most important place, in this regard, the search for any ways to reduce it is very relevant.Methods. The research was conducted at the VSRISSG — Branch of SamSC RAS on seeds of 3 varieties of winter soft wheat of 2020 harvest, selected at different stages of harvesting and post-harvest grain processing: from ears before harvesting, from the harvested crop from under the combine and after grain processing on the seed cleaning machine Petkus К-531. Seed infestation was determined according to GOST 12044-93. After identification of phytopathogenic fungi, their percentage frequency of occurrence and relative abundance were calculated.Results. Seed infestation after combine harvesting increased for all varieties on average by 9.2%, and after grain treatment on Petkus — by 6.2% compared to seeds sampled from ears. The saturation of crop rotations with cereals from 30 to 50% lead to an 8.7% decrease in the number of healthy seeds in the samples (from 37.0 to 28.3%). Seeds were most often infected by fungi causing moulds with the frequency of occurrence from 32.9 to 39.1% and relative prevalence from 40.8 to 55.2% depending on the stage of harvesting. Moreover, the content of this group of mushrooms decreased during harvesting (compared with grain from ears) by 6.2% after harvesting by a combine harvester and by 3.4% after grain processing. During combine harvesting, the frequency of occurrence of fungi Fusarium sp. and Alternaria sp. it increased by 4.7–4.8% on seeds, and after cleaning it decreased again, but it was still 1.5–2.4% higher than on seeds from ears.

The varied diet of the golden jackal (Canis aureus): Experiences from stomach analyses

The golden jackal population shows a rapid expansion in Europe during the recent decades, raising several management and conservation issues. Among others, the opportunistic feeding strategies might be a reason which is responsible for the invasive spreading and survival success of the species in various parts of Hungary. Our aim was to analyze the diet composition of the jackal through stomach content analysis to provide an insight about the evolution and behavioural adaptations of this mesopredator. The stomach samples were collected between 2003 and 2014 from different parts of Hungary. The percentage frequency of occurrence (%FO) as well as the biomass (%B) of the stomach content data were analyzed. Statistical analysis tests based on the presence and absence data of the remains of wild ungulates (cervids and wild boar) from seasonal data (winter-spring and summer-autumn) and between gender groups were conducted. Also, comparisons of the presence and absence data for the three main food categories (rodents, big game and vegetative/plant parts) were statistically tested.The results of the comparisons did not show any significant differences between the classes. This can be explained due to the high spatio-temporal variation of the data. The findings of our study shows the presence of a varied composition of food items such as rodents, insects, fruits, plant parts, ungulates (wild boar, cervids), reptiles (such as lizards and pond turtles), bird species (such as pheasants) as well as jaw remains of the red fox. It is noteworthy to mention in this context that majority of the ungulate remains from the stomach contents were associated with maggots, which indicated the presence of carrion consumption. Our study, based on varied diet composition, supports and confirms the opportunistic, scavenging and highly adaptive foraging of the golden jackal.

Influencing factors of predation on five keystone prey species in Haizhou Bay based on Delta-GAMMs.

Trophic dynamics is one of the major regulators of fishery production in marine ecosystems, which is important for the implementation of ecosystem-based fisheries management. Based on data collected form bottom trawl surveys in Haizhou Bay and adjacent waters during autumn of 2011 and 2018, Delta-GAMMs (Delta-generalized additive mixed models) were constructed to evaluate the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on the predation of five key prey species (including Leptochela gracilis, Alpheus japonicus, Loligo spp., Larimichthys polyactis, and Oratosquilla oratoria) in the Haizhou Bay. Percent frequency of occurrence and predation pressure index were used to identify their major predators. Variance inflation factor and full subsets regression were analyzed to quantify the degree of multicollinearity between these factors. The results showed that the occurrence frequency of keystone prey species in the stomach of predators ranged from 8.5% to 42.2%, and the weight percentage ranged from 4.2% to 40.9%. The average deviance explanation rate of the "binomial" model was 16.1%, and the average deviance explanation rate of the "positive" model was 23.8%. Body length of predator, predator population density, and sea bottom temperature were important factors influencing prey-predator trophic interactions. Predator length was the most important factor, with feeding probability and weight percentage of keystone prey species all increasing with body length of predator. Feeding probability and weight percentage of key prey species decreased with predator population density. The effects of environmental factors such as sea bottom temperature, depth of water, latitude, and sea bottom salinity showed different trends, depending on the prey-predator assemblage. This study showed that the Delta-GAMMs was an effective method to explore the trophic interactions between prey and predators in marine ecosystems, and could provide a theoretical basis for the conservation and sustainable use of fisheries resources.

Food web ecology of Gulf Stream flounder (Citharichthys arctifrons): a continental shelf perspective.

Gulf Stream flounder, Citharichthys arctifrons, are regularly observed in fish diets of the northeast U.S. continental shelf, yet lack commercial value and are often ignored. Similarly, Gulf Stream flounder diets of the Northwest Atlantic have remained largely unexamined, except for a brief period from 1976 to 1980. To better understand their role in the ecosystem, juvenile through adult Gulf Stream flounder were examined both as a predator and prey, and the magnitude of their feeding footprint (removal of prey biomass) was quantified for the northeast U.S. continental shelf. Their stomachs were sampled from 2005 to 2010, with the majority examined in the field macroscopically. Due to large proportions of unidentifiable prey, the effort was expanded in 2011-2012, and all stomachs were processed in the laboratory microscopically. Gulf Stream flounder were consumed by 15 fish, and what they eat (percentage mass and percentage frequency of occurrence) was documented by season, spatial region and year. Highly benthivorous, Gammaridea and Polychaeta dominated the diet in all years, seasons and regions, but Ophiuroidea (brittle stars) were also prominent in Southern New England during the spring. Gulf Stream flounder diets remained consistent across regions and time, with only a few feeding differences between seasons and one region. Relative to the productivity of benthos for this shelf ecosystem, the feeding footprint of Gulf Stream flounder was minor for their predominant benthic prey with a maximum percentage of benthos production eaten of 0.01% m-2 in Southern New England. With an ecosystem perspective, this feeding information offers a foundation for improving fisheries management among shared living marine resources considering benthic habitat and prey availability.

Bacteria Associated with Students’ Mobile Phones-Caritas University, Enugu State

Microorganisms are ubiquitous, they are found everywhere. Mobile phones are not an exception. Mobile phones, also referred to as palmtops act as fomites, a source of infection because the palms used to handle mobile phones are often times in contact with surfaces which may have been pre-infected; nevertheless, their potential role in transmission of infections is of great concern. A cross-sectional study (male and female) was done from June to August 2018 at Caritas University, Amorji-Nike, Enugu State, in order to investigate the prevalence of bacterial contamination of mobile phones of students. Swab samples were collected from 50 mobile phones of Caritas University students. These were tested for bacterial contamination in the Microbiology laboratory. Quantification of bacteria was performed using standard streak plate technique. Isolated bacteria were identified using standard microbiological methods which include: cultural and morphological characterization and biochemical test. Antimicrobial susceptibility was also done. The microorganism isolated from students’ mobile phones and their percentage frequency of occurrence were: E. coli (31.9%), S. aureus (40.4%), P. aeruginosa (8.5%), K. pneumonia (4.3%) and Streptococcus sp. (14.9%). The result showed that Staphylococcus sp. has the highest percentage of occurrence. The antibiotic sensitivity test indicated the varied resistance of isolated bacteria to antibiotics used in this study, although most isolated bacteria were sensitive to erythromycin and chloramphenicol except the isolates of E. coli which were the most resistant to the antibiotics used. The high prevalence of bacterial agents isolated from students’ mobile phones was attributed to poor hygiene and sanitary practices. It is recommended that students should wash their hands after using mobile phones, before eating or undertaking any venture requiring sepsis.

Winter diet of Burrowing Owls in the Llano La Soledad, Galeana, Nuevo León, México.

The dietary niche breadth of the Burrowing Owl was determined (Athene cunicularia Molina, 1782) in Llano La Soledad, Galeana, Nuevo Leon in northern Mexico, by considering prey type, numerical percentage, weight, weight percentage, frequency of occurrence percentage, and IRI percentage. The study compared data from three winters (2002–2003, 2003–2004, 2004–2005) by analyzing 358 pellets, identifying 850 prey items. Invertebrates constituted 90% of prey items, which mostly included insects (85%); beetles were the most common insects found in pellets (70%). Vertebrates made up 84% of consumed weight, of which 83% were mammals. Most of the mammals were cricetid rodents (41%). Niche breadth based on the numerical and weight percentage confirmed the Burrowing Owl as a generalist species with mean values per year ranging between 0.65 and 0.82. Additionally, there was a strong association between the weight of rodent species in winter. This association was mainly driven by changes in composition and frequency of these prey species during the second winter, probably caused by high annual rainfall. The second season also showed a statistically significant narrower niche (Ro = 0.96) and the smallest overlap (0.45 vs. 0.76) among the three winters.

Spatio-temporal diet variability of the California sea lion Zalophus californianus in the southern California Current Ecosystem

Characterizing predator diets is essential to understanding food web dynamics. We investigated the dietary breadth and variation of the California sea lion (CSL) Zalophus californianus at 3 of the California Channel Islands from 1981-2015. Prey species were identified from hard parts and soft-tissue remains of pyrosomes recovered from fecal samples, revealing a diverse diet of fish and cephalopods. Percent frequency of occurrence and percent split-sample frequency of occurrence were used to describe long-term trends, correlations between prey taxa, diet diversity, and diet similarity. The most common of 142 prey taxa identified to species were market squid Doryteuthis opalescens, northern anchovy Engraulis mordax, shortbelly rockfish Sebastes jordani, jack mackerel Trachurus symmetricus, Pacific sardine Sardinops sagax, Pacific hake Merluccius productus, and Pacific mackerel Scomber japonicus. Dietary differences were observed between male and female sea lions, and between animals from different islands and seasons. Intra-island diets at 2 locations were more similar than inter-island diets. Important inter-annual and decadal changes in diet were identified. CSL diet shifted from an anchovy-based diet in the 1980s to a market squid based-diet in the 1990s and 2000s, with other prey taxa being consumed more frequently when consumption of those 2 main prey declined. Prey-switching likely provides flexibility needed in the dynamic California Current Ecosystem, and may allow CSLs to adapt to changes in food supply and availability driven by climate change.

Dietary overlap of carcharhinid sharks in the Gulf of Papua

Assessing the feeding patterns of sharks provides insight into ecological interactions. Three coastal sharks are common by-catch in the Gulf of Papua prawn fishery in Papua New Guinea. The diets of Carcharhinus coatesi (n = 122), Rhizoprionodon acutus (n = 83) and Rhizoprionodon taylori (n = 177) were assessed using stomach content analysis. Teleosts, crustaceans and molluscs were the main prey. Percentage frequency of occurrence (%FO) and percentage frequency by number (%N) were computed to describe dietary compositions. Non-metric multidimensional scaling and Morisita Index determined the level of feeding overlap. Rhizoprionodon taylori was a generalist feeder having the broadest diet, R. acutus was the most selective feeder, preying predominantly on teleosts and C. coatesi consumed the greatest proportion of crustaceans that increased with size. The pairwise ANOSIM tests showed significant difference in dietary compositions of R. acutus and R. taylori (P = 0.1%, R = 0.318) and R. acutus and C. coatesi (P = 0.1%, R = 0.589), which indicate potential resource partitioning. Further work should aim to adequately characterise diets, improve prey identification and investigate spatial and temporal resource use patterns. Understanding ecological processes informs ecosystem approaches fisheries management.

Dinâmica populacional e sazonalidade de Euspilotus (Hesperosaprinus) azureus Sahlberg (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Saprininae)

ABSTRACT The effect of climatic conditions on the structure of populations has been perceived for different orders of insects and families of beetles. Here we described the population dynamics of Euspilotus azureus (Sahlberg, 1823) and determined its relationship with climatic variables. The specimens were collected monthly for one year in an area of Seasonal Semideciduous Forest, in Viçosa, Brazil. The seasonality of the population and of sexes was estimated through the absolute frequency of occurrence (AF) and the percentage frequency of occurrence (FO%) of the population and each sex, which were determined monthly. To test whether the changes in monthly AF of the population and of each sex are correlated with climatic variables, Spearman correlation tests were performed. To identify whether there are temporal fluctuations in the sex ratio, considering months and seasons, and within each season, we performed Chi-square tests. A total of 3,126 individuals (1,009 females and 2,117 males) were collected. The population had the highest abundance in spring and summer, and the lowest in autumn and winter. The highest AF and FO were found in December and January, and the lowest in June and July. The sex ratio of the population did not differ in the months of the year, but in the spring there was a marked predominance of males. For E. azureus, the temporal fluctuation in abundance of the population and in the sex ratio is related to the climatic variables of maximum temperature, humidity, and precipitation. Climatic variables, especially the temperature, provided a greater abundance of the population in the hottest and rainiest periods of the year for inducing reproductive activity and altering the population’s sex ratio.

Direct PCR-DGGE Technique Reveals Wrinkle-Lipped Free-Tailed Bat (Chaerephon plicatus Buchanan, 1800) Predominantly Consume Planthoppers and Mosquitoes in Central Thailand

Insectivorous bats may significantly contribute to human well-being by suppressing pest insects and possibly preventing the emergence of diseases. To understand the roles these bats play in their ecosystems, a diet analysis of their guano can be carried out. However, each diet analysis method has its drawbacks, e.g., some soft-bodied insects might be missed in microscopic analysis of guano. We aimed to examine the diet of the wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bats (Chaerephon plicatus) using direct PCR and DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) technique. Sequencing was done for 240 guano samples collected from two caves in Thailand over the course of a year. Direct PCR and DGGE was successfully applied for bat guano analysis. Seventy-six Operational Taxonomic Units were identified, in which 25 were determined to the species level. Diptera was the most abundant insect order found in bats' diet, with a percentage frequency of occurrence (%FOO) of 32.8%, followed by Hemiptera (27.2%), Lepidoptera (24.1%) and Coleoptera (10.3%). Hemipterans were preferred during active rice-growing months, while dipterans were consumed year-round. Eight known crop pests were found, and the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens) was the most dominant throughout the year. Mosquitoes also substantially contributed to the bat's diet. The bats probably encounter these insects during insect dispersal at high elevations. The prey species recorded strongly indicated that this bat plays a role in facilitating rice and crop productions, which increases food security. In addition, this bat may play a role in suppressing potential disease-carrying insects such as various species of mosquitoes. We urge local and international authorities to increase conservation efforts and that similar studies should be done with other bat species.

Assessment of enhanced biodegradation potentials of animal wastes on diesel-contaminated soil

Oil spillage is a menace, crippling most oil-producing regions around the globe. The aim of this study was to access the role of poultry litter and cow dung in enhancing biodegradation of diesel-contaminated soil. The treatment sets were split into three levels of diesel pollution (50 mL, 100 mL and 150 mL) amended with poultry litters, cow dung and a mixture of both amendments. The microbiological properties-and the total petroleum hydrocarbon content was analyzed for a period of six months using the pour plate techniques and Gas Chromatography (GC-FID), respectively. Agarose gel electrophoresis was used for plasmid detection. Mean total heterotrophic bacterial counts ranged between 40.5±0.5 x104 cfu-1 and 102.0 ±4.0 x104 cfu-1, for C1 (soil with poultry litter and cow dung with 50mL diesel) and Control 2. The mean total hydrocarbonoclastic bacterial counts ranged from 42.0±2.0 x104 cfu-1 to 66.5±2.5 x104 cfu-1 for B1 (soil with cow dung with 50mL diesel) and C3 (soil with poultry litter and cow dung with 150mL diesel). Bacillus subtilis (25.7%) and Staphylococcus aureus (4.73%) were reported as the isolates with the highest and least percentage frequency of occurrence. The percentage of diesel oil degradation was highest in C1 (98.5%) and lowest in Control 1 (31.6%). Plasmid extraction studies carried revealed that two out of the five hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria had both plasmids and chromosomal genes. The result has indicated the enhanced capacity of mixed amendments relative to individual waste treatment used in this study and should be recommended for bioremediation application.

English

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are often predisposed to infectious diseases because of the temporary nature of their abode which usually does not have adequate water and hygiene facilities. A hundred (100) samples of hand-washed water taken under aseptic conditions from the hands of the IDPs prior to the emergence of COVID-19 were analyzed using standard bacteriological procedures to determine the total plate and coliform counts, identify the bacterial isolates, and to determine their sensitivity to an array of commonly used antibiotics. Structured questionnaires were also administered to IDPs in order to determine their knowledge, practice, and compliance to hand washing. The results of the study showed the mean total plate count and coliform count of the subjects to be 2.71 × 105 cfu/ml and 2.78 × 105 cfu/ml for House of Recabs and 2.90 × 105 cfu/ml and 2.54 ×105 for Stefanos Foundation respectively. The percentage frequency of Occurrence (in brackets) of the bacterial isolates were that Streptococcus faecalis (21%), Staphylococcus aureus (31%) Escherichia coli (32%), Salmonella spp (32%) Pseudomonas aeruginosa (40%), and Proteus sp (61.1%) was the most resistant organism to the antibiotics followed by P. aeruginosa (49.3%). The highly sensitive organisms were S. aureus (63.9%) and S. faecalis (56.7%) respectively. The results of the questionnaire survey showed that the hand washing compliance score of the IDPs was generally poor (34.00%) with House of Recabs having a slightly higher score (35.60%) than Stefanos Foundation (32.40%) respectively. Awareness drive and provision of hand washing facilities in the IDP camps should be provided to promote hand hygiene are hereby recommended. Key words: Hand washing, antibiotic susceptibility, internally displaced person, hygiene, infectious diseases.

Diets of Longnose Sucker in Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, USA

Invasive species introduction and expansion is the second greatest threat to global biodiversity decline after habitat degradation. Introduced in the 1930s, the benthivorous Longnose Sucker (Catostomus catostomus) became established in Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming, USA, and used tributary streams for spawning. With this introduction, concerns were raised regarding their possible competition for food resources with native adfluvial Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri). Additionally, insufficient literature exists on Longnose Sucker feeding habits throughout their range, and there has been no comprehensive study of Longnose Sucker diet in Yellowstone Lake. The need exists for understanding the community ecology and food web dynamics in Yellowstone Lake, especially as non-native Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) have caused declines in Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout through predation. The objectives of this study were to examine possible size-specific shifts in feeding habits, evaluate feeding strategy, and compare historical and contemporary diet data of Longnose Suckers in Yellowstone Lake. Diet data collected during summer of 2018 were analyzed by length-class to test for size-specific diet shifts. As Longnose Sucker length increased, copepods (Diacyclops bicuspidatus thomasi, Leptodiaptomus ashlandi or Hesperodiaptomus shoshone) decreased in proportion by weight. In contrast, dipterans (Chironomidae) and amphipods (Hyalella spp. or Gammarus spp.) varied in proportion by weight in the diet across length classes. We assessed the feeding strategy by evaluating the relationship between prey-specific abundance and percent frequency of occurrence. This assessment indicates that Longnose Suckers have a heterogeneous diet and generalized feeding strategy as all prey items had a prey-specific abundance value of <50%. Diet composition differed significantly between historical and contemporary samples, likely related to the differences in sampling locations and possibly due to a Lake Trout-induced trophic cascade. This study established the diet composition and feeding habits of Longnose Suckers residing in Yellowstone Lake, thus, expanding our knowledge of Longnose Sucker feeding patterns and ecology.

Diet of the Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico

The stomach contents of 90 Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) specimens caught in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) were examined. Stomach contents were identified to the lowest possible taxon, and quantified using percent weight, percent number, percent frequency of occurrence, and percent index of relative importance (IRI). Teleosts were the dominant prey group (98.95% IRI), although most were unidentified (61.70% IRI). Of identified teleost species, Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) (28.43% IRI), and Gulf Menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) (2.31% IRI) were the most important. Crustaceans (0.65% IRI), mollusks (0.46% IRI), and elasmobranchs (0.03% IRI) formed a minor component of the diet. Suspected shrimp fishery discards were found in 11% of stomachs, highlighting the potential importance of this food source for the Blacktip Shark. Diet composition did not differ between male and female sharks, but did between juveniles and adults. Juvenile shark diets had greater proportions of unidentified teleost, Clupeidae and Penaeidae, while adult diets had greater proportions of Sciaenidae, Ariidae and cephalopods. Our results were similar, although not identical to, other studies of Blacktip Shark diets in the northwestern GOM. Of note is finding of the mantis shrimp Squilla empusa, a species previously unreported in Blacktip Shark stomach contents. This new finding, the high importance of unidentified teleosts, and the lack of asymptote in the prey accumulation curve emphasize the need for further study of the Blacktip Shark diet in the northwestern GOM.

Pathogen Identification and Evaluation of Chickpea Varieties for Resistance Against the Pathogens in West Shewa, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) is one of the economically important grain legume crops in Africa particularly in Ethiopia which widely grown in marginal soils and usually as rotational crops in highland and semi-highland regions of the country and also as a source of cash to the farmers and foreign currency in Ethiopia. However, its production is affected by many pest and diseases. Among them wilt or root rot diseases are considered as the major problems in chickpea production. Therefore, the present study was conducted to identify chickpea wilt or root rot causing pathogens and evaluate of chickpea varieties resistance against identified pathogens in West Shewa, Oromia regional state, Ethiopia. The pathogenicity test revealed that three fungal pathogens, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani and Rhizoctonia bataticola were identified as wilt/root rot causing pathogens. The percentage frequency of occurrence of Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani and Rhizoctonia bataticola regardless of the districts were 50.7%, 26.76% and 14.08%, respectively. Among seven chickpea varieties, host resistance were evaluated against the identified wilt /root rot causing fungal pathogens, the variety, Arerti was the only resistant to all identified wilt causing pathogenic isolates. The varieties, Arerti and Shasho were resistant and Habru was moderately resistant reaction to Fusarium oxysporum. But local and Dz-10-4 cultivars were found to be highly susceptible. The cultivars, Arerti, Acos dube and Dz-10-4 were found to be resistant and Shasho and Chefe were moderately resistant to Rhizoctonia bataticola. Except Arerti variety, all inoculated varieties were susceptible to Fusarium solani isolate. Only local variety was highly susceptible to all identified pathogenic isolates. The remaining varieties were susceptible to tested pathogenic isolates with varying degrees. Therefore, from the artificial inoculation test, resistance of chickpea varieties to specific isolates could be further deployed for sustainable wilt or root rots management. Further, the effective and feasible integrated management options need to be developed on chickpea wilt /root rot diseases in the country. Keywords : Chickpea Wilt or Root rots Pathogens, isolation, varieties, host resistance. DOI : 10.7176/ALST/73-04 Publication date : April 30 th 2019

The diet of free-ranging male Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in the eastern Bering Sea: a retrospective analysis based on stomach contents of an endangered pinniped

This study illuminates historical diet and foraging locations of endangered western U.S. stock Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus (Schreber, 1776)). Prey were identified from stomachs of 22 males collected in the eastern Bering Sea from the ice edge in March 1985 and nearshore St. Paul Island in September–October 1985 and 1986. Percent frequency of occurrence (PFO) and percent number (PN) were highest for walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus Pallas, 1814; PFO 69%, PN 15%, mean length 17 cm), Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1847; PFO 62%, PN 16%, mean length 26 cm), shorthorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius (Linnaeus, 1758); PFO 54%, PN 30%), and Pacific giant octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini (Wülker, 1910); PFO 39%, PN 8%, mean weight 31 kg) in spring, and northern rock sole (Lepidopsetta polyxystra Orr and Matarese, 2000; PFO 78%, PN 47%, mean length 35 cm), Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus Tilesius, 1810; PFO 56%, PN 12%, mean length 62 cm), walleye pollock (PFO 44%, PN 7%, mean length 49 cm), and red Irish lord (Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus (Tilesius, 1811); PFO 11%, PN 9%) in fall. Species of Cryptacanthidae, Liparidae, and Zoarcidae were highly represented and exclusive to spring collections. Predictable seasonal concentrations and movements of mature prey along frontal boundaries of the continental shelf and ice edge may be critical to male Steller sea lion fitness during the non-breeding season.

Microbiological Analysis of Top Soil and Rhizosphere Treated with Organic Manure

Microbiological analysis of topsoil and rhizosphere treated with organic manure (Poultry droppings) was carried out. Soil samples were analyzed at three days interval (Day 1, Day 4, Day 7 and Day 10). The total bacterial count recorded for rhizosphere soil treated with poultry droppings (RS:P) had the highest bacterial count ranging between 2.1×106 and 5.7×106 CFU/g. Top soil treated with poultry droppings had total bacterial count ranging between 1.9×106 and 4.9×106 CFU/g. The controls (untreated rhizosphere soil) had a total bacterial count ranging between 2.6×106 and 4.0×106 CFU/g and untreated topsoil had bacterial count ranging between 1.4×106 and 2.4×106 CFU/g. Total fungal count for top soil treated with poultry droppings ranged between 0.2×106 and 0.9×106 CFU/g. Total fungal count for rhizosphere soil treated with poultry droppings ranged between 0.2×106 and 0.3×106 CFU/g. Untreated top soil had total fungal count ranging between 0.1×106 and 0.2×106 CFU/g while untreated rhizosphere soil had a total fungal count ranging between 0.1×106 and 0.2×106 CFU/g. Bacterial isolates identified with their percentage frequency of occurrence were Bacillus sp (16.8), Enterococus sp (8.4), Clostridium sp (4.0), Staphylococcus sp (8.0) Pseudomonas sp (15.6), Listeria sp (12.0), Micrococcus sp (14.0), Serratia sp (4.8) and Streptococcus sp (7.2). Fungal isolates identified with their percentage frequency of occurrence were Rhizosphere sp (26.7%), Penicillium sp (22.5%), Aspergillus sp (21.1%), Mucor sp (19.7%) and lastly Cladosporium sp (9.8%). Metabolites secreted by the root system act as chemical signal attracting high population of microorganisms. The application of organic manure to the soil enhanced the microbial population of the soil, hence the need to apply organic manure to soil to enhance agricultural sustainably.

Molecular Analysis of Predator Scats Reveals Role of Salps in Temperate Inshore Food Webs

High precision, high coverage DNA-based diet analysis tools allow greater insight into the food web interactions of cryptic taxa. We used DNA faecal-metabarcoding to look for unrecorded taxa within the diet of a generalist centrally-placed predator, the little penguin Eudyptula minor. We examined 208 scats from 106 breeding pairs throughout August-February in a large colony at Phillip Island, Australia. While we confirmed a largely piscivorous diet, we also recovered DNA sequences from gelatinous and crustaceous plankton groups that have not previously been detected in the little penguin diet using other diet analysis methods. Gelatinous plankton, including salps, appendicularians, scyphozoans and hydrozoans were present in 76 % of samples and represented 25 % of all sequences. DNA recovered from minute copepods and appendicularians may indicate links between trophic levels through secondary predation. Percentage Frequency of Occurrence (%FOO) demonstrated that little penguin diet composition changed over months and stages (incubation, guard and post guard) of the breeding season (month: χ2 = 201.91, df = NA, p < 0.01; stage: χ2 = 33.221, df = NA, p = 0.015). Relative Read Abundance (RRA) uncovered variations in the relative abundance of taxa in the diet over months and stages (month: F = 53.18, df = 59, p < 0.001; stage: F = 66.56, df = 29, p < 0.001). The diet became progressively fish-focussed over months of the season and stages, while salps were only present in four out of six months, with a peak in September. Based on their prevalence in this dataset, in this year of very high breeding success (2.15 chicks per pair), salps may constitute a food source for this largely piscivorous generalist. Our work highlights how DNA metabarcoding can improve our understanding of the trophic role of gelatinous plankton and other cryptic taxa.

300 The Effect of Reviewing Health Information Exchange Data on Emergency Department Care Times and Imaging

Establishing interoperability through health information exchange (HIE) is expected to reduce health care costs and improve quality of care. These benefits are presumed to be associated with reductions in repeat testing and reduced rates of admission. Our institution utilizes Epic’s Care Everywhere, an HIE which functions on a combination of push and pull data exchanges with multiple neighboring institutions including 3 of the 4 regional academic institutions. When HIE data is available, an activity tab becomes viewable to the end user, but there are no prompts to review this information. We determined how frequently providers in our ED reviewed HIE data by activating this activity tab, and if the review of HIE data affected discharge length of stay (LOS), time to decision to admit (DTA), affected odds of discharge or reduced advanced imaging (CT, MRI, US). We examined results from 2 hospitals, 1 academic (AH) and 1 community (CH). We queried our electronic health record (EHR) for any patient presentation in the main ED, where any health care provider reviewed HIE data during a 1-year period from 4/1/17 to 4/30/18. We compared these results to those patients who did not have HIE data accessed. We excluded patients under 18 years, and lower acuity (ESI 4 and 5) patients. Times, dispositions, and rates of imaging orders were calculated for those patients with and without HIE information review. Results are presented as percent frequency of occurrence and 95% confidence intervals, with statistical analysis via Mann-Whitney test. There were 24,036 arrivals to CH and 29,843 arrivals to AH that met inclusion criteria. Of these 2,962 (12.3%) and 5,662 (18.9%) had HIE data accessed respectively. At both sites median LOS to discharge was longer for those with HIE data accessed: CH: 207.9 min (95% CI, 205.7 - 210.1) versus 225.3 min (217.0-241.4), p<0.001, and AH: 272.6 min (269.9-275.3) versus 300.7 min (292.5-309.9), p<0.001. DTA was longer when HIE data was accessed at AH (245.4 min [238.2 - 254.6] versus 234.4 min [230.3-240.3], p<0.001) but not different at CH (184.6 min [95% CI 179.9-191.8] versus 187.6 min [95% CI 183.3-191.5], p=0.5). Odds of discharge versus admission or observation were lower in those patients with HIE data accessed at both sites (CH 0.17 [95% CI 0.16-0.19] versus AH 0.28 [95% CI 0.26-0.3]). There were increased odds of receiving an imaging study for those without HIE at CH (1.3 [95% CI 1.2-1.4]) but not at AH (0.96 [95% CI 0.9-1.02]). Review of HIE information did not result in reducing ED care times, but at CH HIE review resulted in a decrease in odds of receiving an advanced image. Many factors may influence an ED provider to review HIE data, including the acuity and clinical condition of a patient. These characteristics may have biased our results, resulting in our finding of longer or unchanged ED care times for those patients with HIE review. Further research could examine more granular potential benefits of HIE use, when and how HIE influences medical imaging and explore ways to increase rates of HIE data review to determine if it is possible to attain the proposed benefits of this technology.

Wind speed pattern in Nigeria (a case study of some coastal and inland areas)

In this study, wind speeds were analysed using the daily wind data obtained from Nigeria Meteorological Agency, Oshodi Lagos at the height of 10m at the different stations during the period of 2000-2010. Weibull , lognormal and normal probability density functions were employed. It was found that the daily mean wind speed groups and percentage frequency of occurrence in brackets in the inland locations (Jos, Kano, and Ilorin) and in the coastal locations (Lagos, and Port Harcourt) ranged from (13-18) ms -1 (70.6%), (8-12)ms -1 (84.4%), (45)ms -1 (67%) and (8-12)ms -1 75.8% to (4-7)ms -1 97% of the observations respectively. Weibull shape parameters K ranged from 3.07 to 3.82. While the scale parameter C ranged from 9.91 to 15.07ms -1 for Kano; K ranged from 2.75 to 4.04 while C ranged from 12.75 to 17.44ms -1 for Jos; K ranged from 2.61 to 2.76 while C ranged from 10.58 to 10.79ms -1 for Lagos; K ranged from 1.95 to 1.98 while C ranged from 6.10 to 6.35ms -1 for Port Harcourt; and K ranged from 3.10 -5.60 while C ranged from 3.80 to 6.00ms -1 for Ilorin. Keywords: Weibull, Ikeja, Jos, Kano and Port Harcourt