International Journal of Histology and Cytology

International Journal of Histology and Cytology ISSN 2756-3707 Vol. 13 (3), pp. 001-009, March, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Participatory Action Research on Vulnerability and Poverty in Moyamba District: A Study of Three Chiefdoms

Koroma, B. M.1*, Alpha, R.2, Kaimbay, R.3, Koroma, I. H.4 and Minah, A. B.5

1Institute of Environmental Management and Quality Control, School of Environmental Sciences, Njala University,
Sierra Leone.
2Department of Environmental Health, School of Community Health Sciences, Njala University, Sierra Leone.
3Directorate of Planning and Information, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Sierra Leone.
4Department of Environmental Health, School of Community Health Sciences, Njala University, Sierra Leone.
5Njala University Hospital, Njala Campus, Sierra Leone.

Accepted 7 October, 2024

Participatory action research (PAR) techniques were used to research application of vulnerability poverty analysis (VPA), specifically to identify farmers’ exposure to health risks in the farming season and their levels of coping ability in three chiefdoms in Sierra Leone. This research also provides an understanding of the long-term factors affecting farmers’ ability to respond to coping mechanisms and their susceptibility to crisis as well as their resilience for survival or recovery from the crisis. In Sierra Leone, famers’ health is a crosscutting issue affecting development as measured by increasing or decreasing agricultural productivity, yet improvement of health is often overlooked in policy strategies. In agricultural communities, poor health reduces income and productivity, further decreasing people’s ability to address poor health, thus inhibiting rural household livelihood improvement. The objective of this research was to apply PAR techniques involving famers’ responses from self-organized group discussions and questionnaire administration. Many variables were analyzed including: village profiles, types of vulnerability, underlying causes and consequences, and the coping strategies, as well as opportunities for action. Key issues identified include lack of mutual assistance to ensure productive pursuits; access to agricultural inputs; health risks due to unfavourable climatic conditions (extremely hot in the dry season and flooding in the wet season); unsafe drinking water; and the prevalence of diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, typhoid fever, etc. Involvement of village members found that the months of June to September, and February to May were indicated as hungry seasons and were periods of the highest vulnerability risk. During periods of inadequate food supplies and lack of clean water, active household farmers faced increased infections such as bronchitis, conjunctivitis and malaria. Costly visits to peripheral health units (PHU) and traditional healers perpetuate the vicious cycle of poverty. Communities recommend that goals of future programs include enhanced higher agricultural productivity, increased family earnings and nutrition, improved labor productivity and better health and well-being. Policy strategies by local governments must be all inclusive planning for health care interventions in critical period of farming calendar at rural level.

Key words: Participatory poverty analysis, health, agricultural productivity, farmer efficiency.
 

International Journal of Histology and Cytology ISSN 2756-3707 Vol. 13 (2), pp. 001-008, February, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Microbiological Assessment and Identification of Coliforms in Raw Milk from Khartoum State, Sudan

Adil M. A. Salman1 and Iman M. Hamad2*

1Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Vertinary Sciences, University of Bahr
Elghazal - Khartoum, Sudan.

2Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bahr, Elghazal – Khartoum, Sudan.

Accepted 7 November, 2024

To determine the most probable number (MPN) of Coliform and to identify the Coliform bacteria present in the raw milk in the three geographical areas of Khartoum state. Six hundred and forty four raw milk samples were collected during the period between April 2008 to February 2009. The Coliform limits in the raw milk accepted internationally are less than 100 cell/ml. About 51.3% of the samples from the milk available for direct consumption in Khartoum state [vendor + (shops) market milk] satisfy this limit. In winter and summer the percentages of milk samples which satisfy this limit were 70.4 and 51.3%, respectively. Vendor milk is more contaminated with Coliform bacteria compared to milk from the shops; only 47.8% were in the acceptable limits during winter and 43.7% summer. The difference between winter and summer counts, and the differences between individual, bulk, vendor and shops were statistically significant, at p(0.05). In this study 60.1% of all the raw milk samples in the state were of counts between 0 to <100 cell/ml, but in winter the percentage (76.9%) was higher than summer (53.6%). Statistically there was a significant difference between the two seasons in the state, but the differences between these three areas were statistically insignificant. The majority of the Coliform isolates from the raw milk consumed in Khartoum state were Escherichia coli 32%, Enterobacter species 29.2%, Klebsiella species 19.4%, Serratia species 11.1% and Citrobacter 1.0%, in addition to some Enterobacteriaceae.

Key words: Coliform, Sudan, count, isolation, most probable number (MPN).
 

International Journal of Histology and Cytology ISSN 2756-3707 Vol. 13 (2), pp. 001-006, February, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Genomic Characteristics and Diversity of Iranian Indigenous Goats

B. Mahmoudi1*, M. Sh. Babayev2, F. Hayeri Khiavi1, A. Pourhosein1 and M. Daliri3

1Islamic Azad University, Meshkinshahr Branch, Meshkinshahr, Ardabil, Iran.
2Department of genetic, Faculty of Biology, Baku State University, Baku, Azerbijan.
3Department of Animal Science, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Institute, Tehran, Iran.

Accepted 7 November, 2024

Investigation of genetic relationship among populations was traditionally based on the analysis of allele frequencies at different loci. The aim of this study was to analyze, the genetic diversity and variability of three native Iranian goat populations (Raeini, Korki Jonub Khorasan and Lori) through the use of 13 microsatellite markers. The 13 tested loci were all polymorphic in the three goat populations. Within the 13 polymorphic loci, allele frequencies, number of effective alleles (Ne), heterozygosity (He), polymorphism information content (PIC) and Nei's standard genetic distance (D) were calculated, and UPGMA phylogenetic tree was constructed based on allele frequencies. The average number of alleles was 7.57, ranging from 3 to 13 at the 13 assessed loci. The average values of Ne, He and PIC of all loci were 5.14, 0.797 and 0.757 respectively. Korki Jonub Khorasan showed the highest mean number of alleles (8.15), while the highest value for polymorphic information content was observed for Raeini population (0.78). Tests of genotype frequencies for deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE), had been tested in the level of probability (p<0.005). A UPGMA diagram based on Nei's standard genetic distances, yielded relationships between populations that agreed with what is known about their origin, history and geographical distribution.

Key words: Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE), goat, diversity, microsatellite.
 

International Journal of Histology and Cytology ISSN 2756-3707 Vol. 13 (2), pp. 001-008, February, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Review

Matrix Metalloproteinases and Their Impact on Collagen Dynamics: Emphasizing the Importance of Collagenases

Evrosimovska Biljana1*, Velickovski Boris1, Dimova Cena2 and Daniela Veleska-Stefkovska1

1Faculty of Dentistry, Clinic for Oral Surgery, PHO University Dental Clinical Centre "Sveti Pantelejmon", Skopje, "Ss.
Cyril and Methodius University", Macedonia.
2Faculty of Medical Sciences, Study of General Stomatology, University, “Goce Delcev” – Stip, FYR, Macedonia.

Accepted 21 November, 2024

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a major group of enzymes that regulate cell–matrix composition. The MMPs are zinc-dependent endopeptidases known for their ability to cleave one or several extracellular matrix (ECM) constituents, as well as nonmatrix proteins. This review focuses on structural and functional elements of MMPs, and their roles in physiological and pathological processes, in which it is believed the MMPs play an important, or even indispensable role. According to their structural and functional characteristics, MMP family members have been classified into six different but closely related subgroups with fairly characteristic but often overlapping substrate specificities. MMP synthesis and functions are regulated by transcriptional activation, post-transcriptional processing (release of pro-domain, cell surface shedding), and control of activity by a family of endogenous inhibitors collectively known as tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). The balance of MMPs to TIMPs therefore determines matrix turnover, where either an excess of MMPs or a deficit of TIMPs may result in excess ECM degradation. Moreover, the recent development of selective and non-selective inhibitors of MMPs would also provide new insights in the knowledge of the relationship between activation of inflammatory cells and tissue remodeling and propose new therapeutic possibilities to the treatment of inflammatory disease.

Key words: Extracellular matrix, matrix metalloproteinases, inflammation.
 

International Journal of Histology and Cytology ISSN 2756-3707 Vol. 13 (1), pp. 001-004, January, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

In-Vitro Evaluation of African Locust Bean (Parkia biglobosa) Extracts as Anthelmintic Agents Against Bovine Nematode Eggs

Soetan K. O.1*, Lasisi O. T.2 and Agboluaje A. K.1

1Department of Veterinary Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
2Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

Accepted 25 November, 2024

The effects of the aqueous extracts of seeds and leaves of the African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) on the viability of the eggs of cattle gastrointestinal helminthes was evaluated in cattle in vitro. The faecal egg counts (FEC) was determined using the modified McMaster technique. The seed extracts produced maximum inhibition of the hatchability of the helminth eggs at 0.3, 0.7 and 1.2 ml while the leave extracts produced maximum inhibition at 0.3 and 2.0 ml. The study concluded that the seed extracts has a better potential for use as an anthelmintic agent than the leaf extract.

Key words: Parkia biglobosa, anthelmintic, cattle, helminth eggs.
 

International Journal of Histology and Cytology ISSN 2756-3707 Vol. 13 (1), pp. 001-004, January, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Influence of biometric characteristics and gender on serum IgM in the Benni, Barbus sharpeyi Gunther, 1874 (Osteichthyes: Cyprinidae)

M. Ansari1*, M. Khodadadi2, R. Peyghan3 and M. Raissy4

1Young Researchers Club, Islamic Azad University- Shahrekord Branch, Shahrekord, Iran.
2Faculty of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University-Ahvaz Branch, Ahvaz, Iran.
3Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran.
4Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University- Shahrekord Branch, Shahrekord, Iran.

Accepted 24 November, 2024

IgM is the only known immunoglobulin in fishes with an important role in immune responses. This study was done to evaluate serum IgM level in Barbus sharpeyi and to study the influence of weight, length and sex on it. IgM value was determined in the serum of 42 male and female B. sharpeyi (Benni) fish using RIA method. Fish came from Dashte azadegan fish farm at the southwest of Iran. The mean value of IgM was 62.8 mg/dl (42 and 78.4 mg/dl in males and females, respectively). There was a significant difference between males and females IgM level (p<0.05). Serum IgM value was also compared in fishes with different weight and length and the results showed that serum IgM increases with increasing fish weight (p<0.05). The correlation coefficient between the serum IgM concentration and morphometric features of B. sharpeyi indicated that fish weight, length and sex have influence on serum IgM.

Key words: Benni, immunoglobulin M, Iran.