Bats are not only ecologically valuable mammals but also reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens. Their vast population, ability to fly, and inhabit diverse ecological niches could play some role in the ...spread of antibiotic resistance. This study investigated non-aureus staphylococci and Mammaliicoccus colonization in the Hipposideros bats at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Pharyngeal samples (n = 23) of the insectivorous bats were analyzed, and the presumptive non-aureus staphylococcal and Mammaliicoccus isolates were confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The isolates were characterized based on antibiotic susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Six bacterial genomes were assembled, and three species were identified, including Mammaliicoccus sciuri (n = 4), Staphylococcus gallinarum (n = 1), and Staphylococcus nepalensis (n = 1). All the isolates were resistant to clindamycin, while the M. sciuri and S. gallinarum isolates were also resistant to fusidic acid. WGS analysis revealed that the M. sciuri and S. gallinarum isolates were mecA-positive. In addition, the M. sciuri isolates possessed some virulence (icaA, icaB, icaC, and sspA) genes. Multi-locus sequence typing identified two new M. sciuri sequence types (STs) 233 and ST234. The identification of these new STs in a migratory mammal deserves close monitoring because previously known ST57, ST60, and ST65 sharing ack (8), ftsZ (13), glpK (14), gmk (6), and tpiA (10) alleles with ST233 and ST234 have been linked to mastitis in animals. Moreover, the broad host range of M. sciuri could facilitate the dispersal of antibiotic resistance genes. This study provides evidence of the importance of including migratory animals in monitoring the development and spread of antibiotic resistance.
Iron (Fe) toxicity is recognized as one of the most widely spread soil constraints for rice production especially in West Africa. Oryza glaberrima the cultivated rice species that originated from ...West Africa is well-adapted to its growing ecologies. The aim of this study was to identify the promising O. glaberrima accessions tolerant to Fe toxicity from the 2106 accessions held at the AfricaRice gene bank. The screenings were conducted over a four-year period and involved evaluating the entries under Fe-toxic field conditions in West Africa, selecting good yielding accessions and repeating the testing with newly selected lines. Three accessions (TOG 7206, TOG 6218-B and TOG 7250-A) were higher yielding than O. sativa checks under stress but with similar yields under control conditions. These accessions yielded over 300g/m2 under both Fe toxicity and control conditions. In conclusion, these materials could be used as donors in breeding programs for developing high yielding rice varieties suited to Fe toxicity affected areas in West Africa.
Poor ventricular assist device filling is often seen in patients supported with the Berlin Heart Excor. Caval stenosis is an uncommon complication following the bicaval approach to orthotopic heart ...transplantation. We report the case of a five-year-old female patient post heart transplantation whose poor right ventricular assist device filling immediately resolved following management of caval stenosis.
This study was designed to investigate the combined influence of organisational justice on employees' behavioural outcomes. The descriptive survey research design was used for this study. A sample ...size of 423 respondents was proportionately selected from employees of the six Seaports in Nigeria, administered by Nigeria Ports Authority. Multiple regression was used to analyse the data collected and to test for the effects among the variables. Based on the results, the study concluded that organisational justice (distributive, procedural, interpersonal and informational as well as spatial) has a combined positive influence on employees' behavioural outcomes. Additionally, this study found that the proactive implementation of the aforementioned dimensions of organisational justice (distributive, procedural, informational, interpersonal and spatial) will help organisations ward off some contemporary worrisome employees' behavioural tendencies such as presentism, absenteeism and cynicism with their negative consequences, which include huge financial and material loss as well as extinction. Consequently, the study recommends that organisations should have functional organisational justice policy framework that encompasses all the six dimensions of organisational justice as they have significant influence on employees' behavioural outcomes.
Integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) involving a nitrogen-fixing grain legume, limited chemical fertilizer, and a resilient rice variety may reduce the rate of soil fertility loss and enhance ...rice productivity in fragile upland rice ecosystems. A 2-year, on-farm study was carried out at Eglimé in the southern Guinea savanna (SGS) and Ouake in the northern Guinea savanna (NGS) of the Republic of Benin to evaluate the contribution of dual-purpose soybean cultivars (
Glycine max
) to grain yield of upland NERICA
®
rice receiving low fertilizer N. In 2005, four dual-purpose, promiscuous soybean varieties (cv. TGX 1440-IE, TGX 1448-2E, TGX 1019-2EB, and TGX 1844-18E), a popular soybean variety (cv.
Jupiter
), and a popular rice (control) were sown in ten farmers’ fields. In 2006, resilient upland interspecific rice (NERICA1) and popular rice (IRAT-136) were sown in all plots with only 15 kg N ha
−1
. Soybean cv. TGX 1440-1E (late-maturing) ranked highest in nodulation, dry matter, shoot- and grain-N accumulation, and N-balance (21 kg ha
−1
) in NGS, while TGX 1448-2E (medium-maturing) surpassed other varieties in the SGS. Nitrogen fertilizer replacement value for growing cv. TGX 1440-1E in NGS prior to rice ranged from 17 to 45 kg N ha
−1
depending on the reference rice. Grain yield of NERICA1 following 1-year rotation with soybean cv. TGX 1440-1E or TGX 1019-2EB was 1.5 Mg ha
−1
greater than the yield obtained from farmers’ control of 2-year continuous IRAT 136 rice cropping. Results indicate that integrating appropriate dual-purpose soybean in an ISFM package can enhance rice productivity in resource-limited smallholder production systems.
A regional Sorghum Head-Bug and Grain Mold Trial was conducted in 1996 and 1997 by WCASRN in, respectively, 15 and 13 research stations in ten west and central African countries. Empirical ...relationships between weather factors and head-bug damage on the one hand, and between weather factors and grain mold damage on the other hand, were examined using the “Window” computer program. No significant correlation was found between head-bug damage and those weather factors examined. In the case of grain mold, high relative humidity (RH) during early plant growth (5–40 days after sowing, DAS) on the one hand, and between end of flowering and harvest (65–125 DAS) on the other hand, were the most strongly correlated with mold incidence. The relationships between maximum RH and grain mold scores in the scatter diagrams were clearly non-linear, showing a marked increase in grain mold scores when the RH exceeded a threshold of about 95%. These results are discussed and future research directions are proposed.
This paper examines the effect of privatization of public enterprises on industrial relations practice in a mixed recessional economy. This is with a view to ascertaining the economic effect of ...privatization on labour–management relations in Nigeria. The qualitative approach was adopted for this study. The paper submits that privatized public enterprises in a recessional economy does not create enabling environment for harmonious labour–management relations. Also, it is established that though privatization policy implementation enhances efficiency and improved workers’ performance, however, retrenchment and job insecurity of the workers are always the resultant effects of any privatized public enterprises. Therefore, it is recommended that privatization policy implementation should be normally be designed to guarantee workers’ job security, while pragmatic efforts towards sustaining the level of efficiency and productivity attained by the privatized public enterprises should always be given a priority.
This study investigated the impact of emotional intelligence and work-family role conflict on managerial effectiveness of managers in work organizations in Nigeria. The descriptive survey research ...method was adopted for the study. Instruments used for data collection in this study are: Emotional Intelligence Scale, Work-Family Role Conflict Scale and Managerial Effectiveness Scale. Linear Regression Analysis was used to test hypotheses that were generated for the study at 0.05 alpha levels. Finding reveals that there was a significant combined contribution of emotional intelligence and work-family role conflict to managerial effectiveness. Also, it was found that emotional intelligence significantly predicts managerial effectiveness of the managers. Also, the finding shows that there is no significant contribution of work-family role conflict to managerial effectiveness.
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