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“P>Leishmania (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) are protozoan parasites of

significant medical and veterinary importance. Over the last decade, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has emerged as a major opportunistic infection associated with HIV/AIDS in North Western Ethiopia. This paper reports on serological evidence of possible Leishmania donovani (L. donovani) infection in dogs using two serological tests: direct agglutination test (DAT) and Kalazar detect rapid test (KDRT). Two hundred and seventeen asymptomatic 3-MA local breed dogs were examined for L. donovani antibodies. Performance of the DAT and KDRT was assessed in 162 matching samples of blood collected on filter paper and LY2606368 clinical trial serum, respectively. Using DAT and KDRT testing in parallel, the overall seroprevalence of L. donovani infection was 27.7% and 14.8%, respectively. The degree of agreement was found to be fair (68.8%, k = 0.234). Univariable logistic regression analysis of some risk factors for L. donovani infection in dogs using DAT indicates that place

of residence, sex, age, dog keeping purpose and dog housing condition were not significantly associated with seropositivity. The high proportion of positive dogs suggests the exposure of these animals to L. donovani infection and needs further investigation. Isolation and typing of the parasite aiming at confirming the role of these animals in maintenance and transmission of kala-azar is advocated.”
“Ideal free distribution theory predicts that individuals distribute themselves so fitness is equal among patches. In this paper we evaluate all components of adult fitness to

assess the hypothesis that individuals distribute themselves among seven brood-rearing areas so that trade-offs among different life history traits result in equal mean fitness among individuals using different areas. We used estimates of vital rates (clutch size, nest survival, pre-fledging survival, post-fledging survival, juvenile survival, and breeding probability) to estimate check details brood-rearing-area-specific per capita recruitment rates and survival for adult females. We summed brood-rearing-area-specific per capita recruitment and adult survival to calculate brood-rearing-area-specific estimates of . We found little variation in among brood-rearing areas and lifetime fitness implications of changing brood-rearing area were negligible ( smaller than 1% brood-rearing area mean fitness). We conclude that adult female Black Brant distribute themselves in an ideal free manner, resulting in equal fitness among females using these areas.”
“Endo-dormant flower buds of tree peony must have sufficient chilling duration to reinitiate growth, which is a major obstacle to the forcing culture of tree peony in winter.