Search

The main objective of this study is to examine the role of meteorological variables as an important aspect of climate change and their role in determining environmental changes such as drought for nine Chinese weather stations over the period 1980-2010. We use Statistix 8.1 software and Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) together with a large dataset of five major meteorological variables: temperature, humidity, wind velocity, solar radiation and precipitation to determine positive or negative trends in our dataset. Our main findings are as follows. First, we find that Anyang and Changzhi stations of China have remained under high wind velocity. Second, Xingtai station has high solar radiation, wind velocity and also there is evidence of drought. Third, we find highest coefficient of variation for humidity (23.3%) for Yushe station. Overall, there is an increasing trend in temperature, solar radiation, humidity and wind velocity and decreasing trend in precipitation from 1980 to 2010. We conclude that all these factors contributed to shortage of rainfall and resulted in drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eupeodes corollae Fabricius and Eupeodes latifasciatus Macquart are the members of aphidophagus genus Eupeodes Osten Sacken belongs to order Diptera. These species of hoverflies economically very important, adults are very good pollinators and their larvae are predators, which feed on the aphids, which cause serious damage to our cash crops and vegetables. In present study, two species of hoverflies are recorded from Quetta Balochistan, Pakistan. These species are redescribed on the basis of the morphological characters, male and female external and internal genitalia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two species of genus Danaus Kluk (1802), Danaus chiysippus Linnaeus (1758) and Demons genutia Cramer (1779), commonly called monarchs, queens and milkweed butterflies are re-described. This re-description is based on coloration of wings, structure of mouthparts, maxillary palpi and internal male and female genitalia. The occurrence of these species of butterflies is new record from Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to know the toxic effects of organophosphate (Profenofos) pesticide an endocrine disruptor on leydig's cells in rabbits. In this context, a total of 40 male rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus, were used as two test groups and one group labeled as control group. One tenth of LD50 Profenofos 500 EC, was orally administrated in animals for 11 and 15 days. Decline in the body weight was highly significant (P < 0.001) in treated animals. At the termination of experimental studies animals dissected and testes were removed in order to evaluate the testicular weight and histological parameters. Weight of the testes in the experimental animals exposed to profenofos for eleven and fifteen days was decreased highly significant (3.05 ± 0.12 and 2.93±0.12 gms (P < 0.001) respectively as compared to 4.10 ± 0.12 gms. in the control group. Histopathological observations revealed that the leydig's cells of the rabbits exposed to profenofos were totally vanished or regressed. Even the interstitial space became compressed and completely hypertrophied and tumor like mass was also seen in few seminiferous tubules. This indicates the intensity of the toxic effect of Profenofos. It is concluded that exposure of profenofos cause endocrine disruption and shown drastic effects on the testicular tissues in rabbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several studies, including an earlier analysis from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Oral Contraception Study, have suggested that ever users of oral contraceptives have an increased risk of fracture when compared with never users. In this paper, we examined a subset of women in the RCGP study living in Scotland to determine whether this risk has persisted.Study Design: A nested case-control study was carried out using data collected prospectively for the RCGP Oral Contraception Study. Cases were women with a first ever diagnosis of fracture (n=651), age-matched to two controls (n=1302). Adjustments were made for smoking, social class and parity.Results: There was not a significant association between ever use of oral contraception and fracture (adjusted odds ratio 1.05, 95% confidence interval 0.86-1.29), compared with never users. Neither were significant associations found between fracture and smoking, social class and parity. The findings did not vary materially with age or type of fracture.Conclusion: Ever use of oral contraception was not associated with fracture in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]