Evaluation of some genotypes of maize (Zea mays L.) for tolerance to drought in Northern Ghana

Pot and field studies were conducted to screen twenty five genotypes of maize for tolerance to drought in Northern Ghana during the 2012 and 2013 cropping seasons.  For the pot studies, seeds were planted in June 2012 in 0.20 m × 0.30 m surface pots arranged in rows on a platform with a distance of 1 m between the rows. After emergence, 2 l of water was applied to the plants in each pot, once every week for the non-stressed treatments (control). To mimic drought conditions, the same amount of water was applied, but once every two weeks to the stress treatments. Treatments were replicated three times in a completely randomized design. For the field study, genotypes were evaluated on single-row plots of three replicates, in a randomized complete block design. Plants designated as control were planted at the normal and usual time of planting of maize in the study area (July 2013), whilst those subjected to water-stressed treatments were planted late (six weeks later) to ensure that their growth period coincides with the drought period.  Results on yield and agronomic parameters showed that three of the genotypes (GUMA03-OB, KOBN03-OB and SISF03-OB) were highly tolerant to drought, whilst eleven genotypes (NYAZ04-W, TAAN04, TAIS03, TZE-Y-DT-STR-C4, NYSW03-Y, NYIA03, DORKE SR, TZE-W-DT-STR-C4, NYFA04, KOBN04-R, and CHMA04) were moderately tolerant. The rest of the genotypes showed moderate to high levels of drought susceptibility. Drought plant rating and anthesis-silking interval (ASI) were significantly reduced when plants were watered throughout the experimental period (control) as compared to those stressed. However, grain yield, plant height, ear height, days to 50% anthesis, days to 50% silking, leaf area, chlorophyll content, fresh and dry shoot weight and root length were significantly higher (P < 0.05) for the non-stressed plants as compared to those subjected to water stress. In drought-prone geographical areas like Northern Ghana, genotypes such as GUMA03-OB, KOBN03-OB and SISF03-OB or their crosses can be used for increased grain yield

Do pain images used in pain consultations affect clinicians’ and patients’ nonverbal communication, and patient emotional disclosure?

Background: Patients with chronic pain find it hard to convey their experience of pain in medical consultations. Visual images may communicate experience in a way which language cannot. Aim: To examine the impact of using images of pain on patients’ and clinicians’ nonverbal communication and how personal patients’ emotional disclosures were during pain consultations. Method: Thirty-five video-taped chronic pain consultations were used (17 patients had consultations with images and 18 did not). Ten clinicians conducted consultations in both groups. Using fixed-interval sampling, coders rated perceptions of patients’ and clinicians’ affiliation and dominance behaviours using the Interpersonal Grid (Moskowitz & Zuroff, 2005); how personal patients’ emotional disclosures were; and whether or not the images were actively used in consultations. Results: In consultations with images, behavioural correspondence (mirroring behaviour) between patients’ and clinicians’ positive affiliation behaviours was observed, and patients made more personal emotional disclosures when the images were used compared to when they were not used in the consultation. Behavioural reciprocity (mismatching behaviour indicative of status differences) between patients’ and clinicians’ dominance behaviours was not observed in either consultation. No differences were found between consultations with and without images for rates of patients’ or clinicians’ affiliation and dominance behaviours, and patients’ emotional disclosures over the course of the consultations. Conclusions: Using images in pain consultations largely failed to demonstrate a beneficial impact on the nonverbal communication of patients and clinicians. However, some benefit was found: pain images facilitated patient-clinician behavioural correspondence and patient emotional disclosure. The findings will be used to inform further research on verbal and nonverbal communication in pain consultations and the use of visual images

Understanding Lateritic Ore Agglomeration Behaviour as a Precursor to Enhanced Heap Leaching

Although nickel (Ni) laterite ores constitute the majority of Ni mineralization resource world-wide, in contrast to Ni sulphides, their processing via conventional beneficiation (e.g. multi-gravity and flotation) and hydrometallurgical routes is intractable as they are predominantly low grade and complex, both mineralogically and chemically. Due to their physico-chemical character-istics, low grade lateritic ores require more aggressive but costly chemical and hydrometallurgical techniques (e.g., leaching in high pressurized tanks) for value metal (Ni and Co) extraction. Processing such ores through cost-competitive heap (4-10 m high) leaching as an alternative, requires successful agglomeration of the feed into robust and porous granules. To date, produc-ing of granules with desirable attributes poses a major geotechnical challenge to industry. In the present work, we investigate agglomeration behaviour of siliceous goethite Ni laterite ore and selected oxides and clay minerals (hematite, quartz and kao-linite) which constitute the predominant host gangue phases of typical low grade Ni laterite ores. Fundamental knowledge and understanding of the agglomeration mechanisms and kinetics which are essential for producing robust real ore granules, and pivotal to the subsequent heap leaching process, are gleaned. Isothermal, batch agglomeration tests involving 30 and 44 % w/w sulphuric acid solution as a binder indicated that 5 – 40 mm granules of differing roughness and morphologies were produced in 8-14 min. The results showed feed characteristics (e.g., mineralogy and particle size distribution) and binder content (15-25 wt.%) dependent agglomeration behaviour. Slow agglomerate nucleation and growth were displayed by the kaolinite clay min-eral whilst the oxides exhibited faster agglomeration kinetics. Siliceous goethite feed ore fine/coarse ratio, H2SO4 binder dosage and acid content, product drying temperature and aging conditions, all showed significant impact on agglomeration mecha-nisms (e.g., particle wetting, nucleation and growth processes) and granule attributes (e.g., size and strength). Agglomerates strength increased with increasing fine/coarse particle ratio

Nonprofit Church Leaders’ Perceptions and Lived Experiences Involving Innovation Competency and Change Management: A Phenomenological Study

Innovation competency among religious leaders has been an area of study as nonprofit researchers continue to discover that conventional ways of managing change are no longer effective when tackling present issues. Discussions regarding using innovation competency to manage change among religious leaders are vague, despite benefits to the nonprofit sector. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of nonprofit church leaders to better understand how innovation competency has shaped organizational change results. Boyatzis’ effective job performance model was the conceptual framework that guided this study. Interview data were gathered from 14 participants who met the inclusion criteria of being a leader with innovation competency experience living in New York, New York. Data from the transcripts were inductively analyzed by using computer software and coded techniques for 10 emergent themes. Results revealed improved organizational performance for church leaders who used innovation competency in managing change, along with spirituality and faith. However, emerging themes showed diverse reasons for innovation competency use and its influences on leaders’ behavioral characteristics. Positive social change can be achieved by promoting innovation competency among religious leaders irrespective of spirituality, belief, and doctrine position regarding change management and organizational performance. Outcomes of this study may also provide useful information for religious leaders regarding implementing new ways and programs to help organizational growth

Understanding the Mechanism of Arsenic Mobilisation and Behaviour in Tailings Dams

This study was carried out on leaching of tailings at 30 ᵒC and 40 ᵒC. The mineralogical and chemical composition of the tailings material were determined by Quantitative X-Ray Diffractometry (QXRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy combined with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDAX). The study revealed that the tailings contain sulphides (arsenopyrite and pyrite) which can leach to produce arsenic (As) and other ions in solution. The acid released during leaching depends on the temperature of leaching. More acid was produced at higher temperature (40 ᵒC) than lower temperature (30 ᵒC). It was established that arsenic precipitation from solution was higher at higher temperature (40 ᵒC) than lower temperature (30 ᵒC). Mimicking the study in a typical tailings environment, it could be proposed that As mobilisation will be enhanced at lower temperature (30 ᵒC) than at higher temperature (40 ᵒC). Keywords: Tailings, Leaching, Arsenopyrite, Heavy metals and Temperatur

Tumor vessel normalization after aerobic exercise enhances chemotherapeutic efficacy.

Targeted therapies aimed at tumor vasculature are utilized in combination with chemotherapy to improve drug delivery and efficacy after tumor vascular normalization. Tumor vessels are highly disorganized with disrupted blood flow impeding drug delivery to cancer cells. Although pharmacologic anti-angiogenic therapy can remodel and normalize tumor vessels, there is a limited window of efficacy and these drugs are associated with severe side effects necessitating alternatives for vascular normalization. Recently, moderate aerobic exercise has been shown to induce vascular normalization in mouse models. Here, we provide a mechanistic explanation for the tumor vascular normalization induced by exercise. Shear stress, the mechanical stimuli exerted on endothelial cells by blood flow, modulates vascular integrity. Increasing vascular shear stress through aerobic exercise can alter and remodel blood vessels in normal tissues. Our data in mouse models indicate that activation of calcineurin-NFAT-TSP1 signaling in endothelial cells plays a critical role in exercise-induced shear stress mediated tumor vessel remodeling. We show that moderate aerobic exercise with chemotherapy caused a significantly greater decrease in tumor growth than chemotherapy alone through improved chemotherapy delivery after tumor vascular normalization. Our work suggests that the vascular normalizing effects of aerobic exercise can be an effective chemotherapy adjuvant

Assessing the technical efficiency of maize production in northern ghana: the data envelopment analysis approach

Maize is a major source of food and cash for smallholder farmers. However, average yield in Ghana is less than a third of the achievable yield and thus the need to close this gap by improving the technical efficiency of farming households through employing the right combination of productive resources to achieve food sustainability. This study used the input-oriented data envelopment analysis to examine the technical efficiency of maize production in northern Ghana1 using cross-sectional data for the 2011/2012 cropping season. The mean technical efficiency was 77%, giving credence to the existence of production inefficiency. Technically, efficient farmers used an average of 395.80 kg of chemical fertilizer, 27.04 kg of seed, 4.04 l of weedicides and hired labour of three persons to produce a yield of 2.34 tons/ha of maize. Largely, maize production exhibited increasing returns to scale. Agricultural mechanization and level of formal education did not have positive effects on technical efficiency, whereas agricultural extension had a positive effect on technical efficiency. Technical efficiency in maize production could be improved through informal and non-formal educational platforms where farmers without formal education learn improved cultivation practices. The agricultural extension department should be strengthened to provide effective extension services to farmers to improve on their technical efficiency. Animal and other non-mechanized power sources are complementary technologies and as such should be allowed to co-exist in Ghanaian agriculture

Epidemiology of Coxiella burnetii infection in Africa: a OneHealth systematic review

Background: Q fever is a common cause of febrile illness and community-acquired pneumonia in resource-limited settings. Coxiella burnetii, the causative pathogen, is transmitted among varied host species, but the epidemiology of the organism in Africa is poorly understood. We conducted a systematic review of C. burnetii epidemiology in Africa from a “One Health” perspective to synthesize the published data and identify knowledge gaps.<p></p> Methods/Principal Findings: We searched nine databases to identify articles relevant to four key aspects of C. burnetii epidemiology in human and animal populations in Africa: infection prevalence; disease incidence; transmission risk factors; and infection control efforts. We identified 929 unique articles, 100 of which remained after full-text review. Of these, 41 articles describing 51 studies qualified for data extraction. Animal seroprevalence studies revealed infection by C. burnetii (≤13%) among cattle except for studies in Western and Middle Africa (18–55%). Small ruminant seroprevalence ranged from 11–33%. Human seroprevalence was <8% with the exception of studies among children and in Egypt (10–32%). Close contact with camels and rural residence were associated with increased seropositivity among humans. C. burnetii infection has been associated with livestock abortion. In human cohort studies, Q fever accounted for 2–9% of febrile illness hospitalizations and 1–3% of infective endocarditis cases. We found no studies of disease incidence estimates or disease control efforts.<p></p> Conclusions/Significance: C. burnetii infection is detected in humans and in a wide range of animal species across Africa, but seroprevalence varies widely by species and location. Risk factors underlying this variability are poorly understood as is the role of C. burnetii in livestock abortion. Q fever consistently accounts for a notable proportion of undifferentiated human febrile illness and infective endocarditis in cohort studies, but incidence estimates are lacking. C. burnetii presents a real yet underappreciated threat to human and animal health throughout Africa.<p></p&gt