MECHANISM FOR POLLINATION IN AFRICAN YAM BEAN

African yam bean (AYB) ( Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hochst Ex. A. Rich) Harms is a neglected and underutilised legume in tropical Africa. Its utilisation has been hampered by the presence of anti-nutritional factors and lack of improved varieties. The objective of this study was to investigate pollination and determine the rates of selfing and outcrossing in the species. Accession TSs5 had the highest fruit set (63.16%) in the open-pollinated breeding method; while AYB50 had the lowest value (46.61%). Seed set in the selfed accessions ranged from 91.45% (AYB50) to 94.97% (TSs66). Fruit set was highest in the open-pollinated breeding method, with a mean average fruit set of 51.32%. Significant differences (P < 0.01) were obtained in fruit set from accessions isolated with net bags which had the lowest seed set (88.91%) Seed set was highest (92.92%) in the selfed accessions. The self incompatibility index ranged from 1.33 to 2.26 and the rate of fruit set from artificial self-pollination was greater than 30% in the field, and the screen house showing that the species is highly self compatible. Selfing and outcrossing rates of 91.38 and 8.62% showed that S. stenocarpa is not an obligate selfer. AYB sets fruits and seeds when open pollinated, isolated, selfed or crossed with other accessions.La l\ue9gumineuse igname de l\u2019Afrique (AYB) ( Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hochst Ex. A. Rich) Harms est une l\ue9gumineuse n\ue9glig\ue9e et sous utilis\ue9e en Afrique tropicale. Sa teneur en substances toxique et le manque de vari\ue9t\ue9s am\ue9lior\ue9es constituent un frein pour son utilisation massive. Il a \ue9t\ue9 ici question d\u2019\ue9tudier sa pollinisation et de d\ue9terminer les taux de pollinisation crois\ue9e et auto-pollinisation dans l\u2019esp\ue9ce. L\u2019accession TSs5 avait le nombre de gousses le plus \ue9lev\ue9 (63,16%) sous pollinisation ouverte, tandis que l\u2019accession AYB50 a exhib\ue9 la valeur la plus faible (46,61%). Les nombres de gousses sous auto pollinisation variaient de 91,45% (AYB50) \ue0 94,97% (TSs66). Ce nombre \ue9tait plus \ue9lev\ue9 sous pollinisation ouverte, avec une moyenne de 51,32%. Des differences significatives (P < 0.01) ont \ue9t\ue9 observ\ue9es dans les nombres de gousses chez les accessions prot\ue9g\ue9es par des filets et qui avaient les plus faibles nombres de grains (88,91%). Le nombre de grains le plus \ue9lev\ue9 (92,92%) \ue9tait observ\ue9 par auto pollinisation. L\u2019indice de d\u2019auto incompatibilit\ue9 \ue9tait de 1,33 \ue0 2,26 et le taux de fructification chez les plantes artificiellement auto pollinis\ue9es \ue9tait sup\ue9rieur \ue0 30% dans le champs, et en serre, indiquant ainsi que l\u2019esp\ue8ce est hautement auto compatible. Les taux d\u2019auto pollinisation 91,38 et de pollinisation crois\ue9e 8,62% montrent que l\u2019auto pollinisation chez S. stenocarpa n\u2019est pas obligatoire. AYB produit des gousses et graines sous toutes forms de pollinisation

Performance characteristics, nutrient digestibility and blood profile of rabbits fed diets containing graded levels of Moringa oleifera seed powder

A ten-week feeding trial was conducted to determine the performance, nutrient digestibility and blood profile of rabbits fed diets containing graded levels of Moringa oleifera seed powder (MSP). Twenty-four male growing rabbits of mixed breeds were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments. Each treatment group was further sub-divided into three (3) replicates of two (2) rabbits each in a completely randomized design (CRD). Four diets were formulated to include MSP at varying inclusion levels of 0, 0.5, 1 and 2% for treatments T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively, which were pelletized. Feed and water were provided ad-libitum. Data were collected on growth performance and nutrient digestibility of rabbits fed the experimental diet while at the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected to determine the effect of different inclusion levels of MSP on haematological and serum biochemical indices of rabbits. Result revealed that the average daily feed intake (68.76-78.93g) decreased significantly (p<0.05) across the dietary treatments as the MSP inclusion levels increased but a rise was noticed at the highest inclusion level of MSP (T4). The weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were not significantly influenced (p >0.05) by the dietary treatments. No significant differences (P>0.05) among treatments were observed on all the blood profile except the lymphocyte, monocytes, total protein and globulin. Rabbits on T4 recorded the highest values in total protein (6.91 g/dl) and globulin (3.03 g/dl). Digestibility studies however showed that all the parameters were significantly affected (p<0.05) by dietary treatments in which rabbits on T2 had the highest dry matter (82.03%), crude protein (62.23%) and ash (89.48%) digestibility values. It can be concluded that Moringa oleifera seed powder (MSP) can be supplemented in growing rabbit’s diet without any deleterious effects on performance, blood profile and nutrient digestibility.Keywords: Moringa oleifera, Performance, Blood profile, Nutrient digestibility, Rabbit

Biological Resolution of Virulence Genes of Salmonella Species from different Microbiomes

The pathogenic promiscuity of virulence associated macromolecules in Salmonella infection is a key driver to their wide epidemiology and curtailing  such distribution is contingent upon proper clarification of these virulence genes. This study was therefore aimed at determining the virulence  genes of Salmonella species from different microbiomes. To achieve this, a total of three hundred (300) biological specimens were aseptically  collected and processed for Salmonella presence using the BAM USFDA technique prior to their genotypic characterization while virulence gene  detection was carried out in a primer specific polymerase chain reaction. Results obtained depict the distribution of the following Salmonella species  viz; Salmonella gallinarum 19(26.39%), Salmonella heidelberg 19(26.39%), Salmonella enteritidis 18(25%) and Salmonella typhimurium  16(22.22%) while the occurrence of the virulence genes (InvA, SopE, AgfA and SpvC) were Salmonella enteritidis ( 7(38.8), 6(33.3), 9(50), 3(16.7),  Salmonella typhimurium ( 5(26.3), 3(15.8), 2(10.5), 7(36.8)), Salmonella heidelberg (0(0), 8(50), 4(25), 4(25), and Salmonella gallinarum (12(63.2),  6(31.6), 2(10.5), 7(36.8)) respectively. It was however found that the different microbiomes analyzed were ubiquitously rich in virulence genes  associated Salmonella species.   La promiscuité pathogène des macromolécules associées à la virulence dans l’infection à Salmonella est un facteur clé de leur large épidémiologie  et la réduction de cette distribution dépend de la clarification appropriée de ces gènes de virulence. Cette étude visait donc à déterminer les gènes  de virulence des espèces de Salmonella de différents microbiomes. Pour ce faire, un total de trois cents (300) échantillons biologiques ont été  collectés et traités de manière aseptique pour la présence de Salmonella à l’aide de la technique BAM USFDA avant leur caractérisation génotypique  tandis que la détection du gène de virulence a été effectuée dans une réaction en chaîne par polymérase spécifique à l’amorce. Les résultats  obtenus décrivent la distribution des espèces de Salmonella suivantes, à savoir ; Salmonella gallinarum 19(26,39%), Salmonella heidelberg  19(26,39%), Salmonella enteritidis 18(25%) et Salmonella typhimurium 16(22,22%) alors que la présence des gènes de virulence (InvA, SopE, AgfA et  SpvC) était Salmonella enteritidis ( 7(38,8), 6(33,3), 9(50), 3(16,7), Salmonella typhimurium ( 5(26,3), 3(15,8), 2(10,5), 7(36,8)), Salmonella heidelberg (0(  0), 8(50), 4(25), 4(25) et Salmonella gallinarum (12(63.2), 6(31.6), 2(10.5), 7(36.8)) respectivement. différents microbiomes analysés étaient  ubiquitairement riches en gènes de virulence associés aux espèces de Salmonella  &nbsp

Parental Knowledge and Attitude of Adolescent Sexuality Education in Rural and Urban Communities of Ekiti State, Nigeria

Background: Parents play a key role in shaping the attitudes and behaviour of adolescents, thereby reducing risky sexual behaviour and promoting healthy sexual development. This study assessed and compared parental knowledge and attitude towards adolescent sexuality education (ASE) in rural and urban communities of Ekiti State, Nigeria.Materials and Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study of 800 parents (or guardians) of adolescents in selected rural and urban communities, recruited through a multi-stage sampling technique. An interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analysed using SPSS version 20.Result: A significantly higher proportion of parents from the urban communities had a good knowledge of ASE (72.5% versus 66.0%, p-value 0.046). However, knowledge of safe sex and dating was low in both communities. About three-quarters of the respondents had a positive attitude towards ASE with no statistically significant difference in both rural and urban communities (p-value: 0.363).Conclusion: Parental knowledge of ASE is high in Ekiti State, and it is higher in the urban compared to the rural communities. Attitude towards ASE is high in both communities but not significantly different. However, the knowledge of the various components of ASE varies significantly amongst the communities. While it is recommended that government should create a supportive environment to assist parents in their roles as sexuality educators, parents should see sexuality education as their responsibility and also start the discussion early

Comparación de la termometría digital infrarroja y electrónica en pollos de engorde

Se utilizaron datos de la temperatura corporal (BT) obtenidos de 150 pollos de engorde no envejecidos de 28 d de edad para comparar la exactitud de los diferentes termómetros. Se utilizaron simultáneamente termómetros digitales electrónicos (ED) e infrarrojos (IR) para medir BT. La termometría de ED se realizó a través del recto (TEMPd) mientras que el termómetro IR se usó en la apertura del recto (TEMPiR), la frente (TEMPiH) y bajo las alas (TEMPiW). Los datos se sometieron a análisis de correlación de ANOVA y Pearson. Diagramas de dispersión se representaron para generar R2 para las relaciones entre las lecturas del termómetro. El tipo de termómetro tuvo un efecto significativo (P 0,001) a TEMPiW, pero el dúo fue significativamente mayor que TEMPiR y TEMPiH. TEMPiH no fue significativamente diferente de la de la apertura del recto. Existe correlación positiva entre TEMPd y TEMPiW (r = 0.327) mientras que la correlación entre TEMPd y TEMPiH es negativa (r = -0.250). TEMPiR no tuvo correlación significativa (P> 0,05) con TEMPd (r = 0,061). Regresión lineal de TEMPd con TEMPiR, TEMPiH y TEMPiW rindió R2 valores de 0,003, 0,062 y 0,106, respectivamente. Las desviaciones de TEMPd obtenidas fueron de 3,63, 3,79 y -0,12oC para TEMPiR, TEMPiH y TEMPiW, respectivamente. TEMPiR y TEMPiH en pollos de engorde no produjeron lecturas similares en comparación con los termómetros ED. La termometría con IR debajo de las alas dio una lectura más cercana con el termómetro ED. La precisión del termómetro IR en los pollos de engorde depende del punto en la superficie del cuerpo del que se toma la lectura. Las lecturas con IR debajo de las alas imitan la temperatura corporal central

Comparative effects of explant source and genotype on in vitro tuberization in Dioscorea alata and D. rotundata

Single node cuttings of two genotypes each of Dioscorea alata and D. rotundata from both plants grown in screen houses and in vitro plantlets were cultured in a tuberization medium. The screen house explants had significantly higher plantlet tuberization and primary nodal complex formation, and more tubers and primary nodal complexes per plantlet than in vitro explants, whereas in vitro explants performed better only in nodes per plantlet. It appears that in vitro tuberization is explant‐, species‐ and genotype‐dependent, the greatest variation being due to explant source. This is a first report of microtuber production from nodal explants of D. rotundata produced in a screen house

Obesity prevalence in adult residents of ile-ife, nigeria

Background and Purpose: Few data on obesity exist on Sub-Sahara population in Africa. This study investigated the prevalence of obesity and Body Mass Index (BMI) percentile and quartiles in accordance with sex and age in adult residents of the historic ancient semi-urban communityof Ile-Ife, South-West, Nigeria.Materials and Methods: 2097 adults aged 21 years and above were recruited into the door-to-door survey through a multi-stage cluster sampling technique. The World Health Organization (WHO) criteria based on BMI was used in the definition of overweight and obesity. Height and weight were measured using standardized procedures.Results: The mean age and BMI of the participants were 44.2 years and 24.2 Kg/m2 respectively. Although agematched; the females had higher BMI values compared to males (23.8 vs. 24.5 Kg/m2). The overall crude prevalence of overweight (25.0-29.9 Kg/m2) and obesity (>30 Kg/m2) were 20.3% and 12.5% respectively. The rates of overweight (17.9 vs. 22.1 Kg/m2) and obesity (9.7 vs. 14.5 Kg/m2) were both higher in women than men. Obesity increased across age gradient from young to old adults; peaking in the 60-69- year age group. The first to fourth BMI quartiles were = 20.4 Kg/m2, 20.5-24.1 Kg/m2, 24.2-25.2 Kg/m2, = 25.3 Kg/m2respectively in the study population. At all ages; more females (32.4%) than males (24.7%) were placed within fourth BMI quartile. The 95th percentile BMI in the study population was 33.4Kg/m2.Conclusion: Overweight and obesity are common in Nigerians, particular among females and elderly. The prevalence estimates of overweight and obesity in Nigerians is comparable with prevalence among Blacks in otherpopulations. Keywords: Overweight, Obesity, Prevalence, Pattern, Sub Saharan Africa, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Runoff water harvesting for dry spell mitigation for cowpea in the savannah belt of Nigeria

Cowpea yields obtained by smallholder farmers in the savannah belt of Nigeria are often less than the maximum obtainable yields because water deficit during critical growth stages is a common occurrence. Runoff harvesting to supplement direct rainfall may prove beneficial in improving current smallholder farming systems in this region. We study the effects of macro- and micro-catchments runoff harvesting, with or without in situ soil conservation, on cowpea yield in the savannah belt of Nigeria. The macro-catchments runoff harvesting (RH) experiment consisted of four treatments: conventional tillage and RH (CRH), zero tillage with RH (ZRH), reduced tillage with RH (RRH) and the direct rain fed (DR) treatment which served as the control in a randomized block design with four replicates. The micro-catchment experiment consisted of four treatments: runoff harvesting (RH), semi-circular bunds (SC), semi-circular bunds with runoff harvesting (SRH) and also direct rainfed (DR) in a randomized block design with four replicates. Results suggest that runoff harvesting can be used with existing conservation techniques. Applying harvested runoff water through supplemental irrigation provides the twin benefits of alleviating the prevailing slack periods and improving the yields of smallholder farming systems.Supplemental irrigation Water deficit Macro- and Micro-catchments Semi-circular bunds Smallholder farming systems Conventional tillage