10 research outputs found
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Computerized management report system for monitoring manpower and cost
Although most cost systems offer complete detail and traceability, not all provide timely detail in a concise form useful to senior management. This system was developed for a multifunction research organization funded from many sources. It extracts cost and manpower data from the general cost systems, summarizes it, compares it by program with previous cost periods, and presents it with minimum detail yet with maximum overview. The system monitors the basic manpower distribution of effort at the source, that is, the division time-card input. Cost data are taken from the central computer ahead of the print-out and report-distribution steps; thus, the summary information is available several days ahead of the detailed reports. This procedure has been regularly used for several months, and has proven to be a valuable tool in management action and planning. 9 figures
Resistance to aflatoxin accumulation in kernels of maize inbreds selected for ear rot resistance in West and Central Africa
Thirty-six inbred lines selected in West and Central Africa for moderate to high resistance to maize ear rot under conditions of severe natural infection were screened for resistance to aflatoxin contamination using the previously established kernel screening assay. Results showed that more than half the inbreds accumulated aflatoxins at levels as low as or lower than the resistant U.S. lines GT-MAS:gk or MI82. In 10 selected aflatoxin-resistant or aflatoxin-susceptible inbreds, Aspergillus flavus growth, which was quantified using an A. flavus transformant containing a GUS-β-tubulin reporter gene construct, was, in general, positively related to aflatoxin accumulation. However, one aflatoxin-resistant inbred supported a relatively high level of fungal infection, whereas two susceptibles supported relatively low fungal infection. When kernels of the 10 tested lines were profiled for proteins using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, significant variations from protein profiles of U.S. lines were observed. Confirmation of resistance in promising African lines in field trials may significantly broaden the resistant germplasm base available for managing aflatoxin contamination through breeding approaches. Biochemical resistance markers different from those being identified and characterized in U.S. genotypes, such as ones inhibitory to aflatoxin biosynthesis rather than to fungal infection, may also be identified in African lines. These discoveries could significantly enhance the host resistance strategy of pyramiding different traits into agronomically useful maize germplasm to control aflatoxin contamination