Heritability and Genes Governing Number of Seeds per Pod in West African Okra Abelmoschus caillei (A. Chev.) Stevels.

Heritability and genetic action moderating the inheritance of number of seeds per pod was investigated in four crosses of West African Okra accessions. Parents with variation for number of seeds per pod were used in hybridization process. Generations developed (Parents, F1, F2, BC1 and BC2) were planted for evaluation in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The results showed the adequacy of the additive – dominance model for one out of the four crosses (Acc6 x Acc1) and the inadequacy of the model for the remaining crosses. This was ascribed to significant estimates of A, B and C scaling test. The results of the generation mean analysis indicated that the additive genetic effect (d) significantly accounted for a large proportion of variability observed for number of seeds per pod in the crosses evaluated. The narrow sense heritability estimates were moderately high in all the crosses. An additive genetic effect suggests that selection among the segregating population could provide an average improvement in the performance of seed yield in subsequent generations. Keywords: West African Okra, Additive gene action, Generation means, Seed yield, Heritability, Genetic components

Seed metrics for genetic and shape determinations in African yam bean [Fabaceae] (Sphenostylis stenocarpa Hochst. Ex. A. Rich.) harms

Open Access JournalThe metric measures on seeds, their correlation and relationship are important for systematic breeding for seed yield and shape determination. Variations among eighty genotypes of African yam bean (AYB) for six metric seed characters (seed length, width and thickness and their ratios) were evaluated in this study. Paired comparison among the six characters revealed very high significance (P < 0.001), approving the six traits as unique parameters for evaluating AYB. They equally exhibited high and substantial genetic variance: the genotypic proportion of the total variation ranged between 90 and 97%, broad sense heritability (81 - 94%) and genetic advances (14 - 31%). Seed length and width had the highest joint inheritance of 99.04%, the least, 4.32% was between width and WT as depicted by coheritability. Positive and significant (P < 0.05) phenotypic and/or genotypic correlation existed between seed width and thickness, the three ratios and seed length with the ratios except WT. Non-significant negative correlation existed between seed thickness with LT and WT. There were very reliable and highly significant linear relationships between the seed traits except for length and width whose relationship was non-linear. Breeding concentration on any of these traits may simultaneously influence the others. The seed shape indices were the metric ratios and the flatness index; they described the common shapes of AYB seeds as: round/spherical, oval/ellipsoidal, oblong and rhomboi

Pattern of multidrug resistant bacteria associated with intensive care unit infections in Ibadan, Nigeria

Background: Patients admitted into the intensive care unit (ICU) usually have impaired immunity and are therefore at high risk of acquiring hospital associated infections. Infections caused by multidrug resistant organisms now constitute a major problem, limiting the choice of antimicrobial therapy.Objectives: This study was aimed at determining the antimicrobial resistance pattern of pathogens causing ICU infections in University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria. The aetiological agents, prevalence and types ICU infections were also determined.Methods: One year hospital associated infections surveillance was conducted in the ICU of UCH, Ibadan. Blood, urine, tracheal aspirate and wound biopsies specimens were collected under strict asepsis and sent to the Medical Microbiology laboratory of the same institution for immediate processing. All pathogens were isolated and identified by standard microbiological methods. Disk diffusion antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed and interpreted according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines.Results: The overall prevalence of ICU infections was 30.9% out of which 12.9% were bloodstream infections, 31.5% urinary tract infections, 38.9% pneumonia, and 16.7% skin and soft tissue infections. Klebsiella species and Escherichia coli were the predominant pathogens. Multidrug resistant organisms constituted 59.3% of the pathogens, MDR Klebsiella spp and MDR E. coli were 70.8% and 71.4% respectively. Resistance to Cefuroxime was the highest (92.9%) while Meropenem had the least resistance (21.4%).Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of multidrug resistant bacteria causing ICU infections. Application of more stringent infection control procedures and institution of functional antimicrobial stewardship are recommended to combat this problem.Keywords: Healthcare associated infections, Infection control, Antibiotic resistance, Intensive care uni

Effect of captive rearing on meat and haemolymph nutritional characteristics of snail (Archachatina marginata swainson)

An experiment was conducted to investigate and compare the impact of treatment, which is the source of snail (wild and captive reared) on the proximate and mineral composition (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, Fe and Mn) of the meat and haemolymph of African land snails (Archachatina marginata). Ninety (90) adult snails (250.00 + 0.5g) were randomly distributed into two (2) treatments, each of three replicates, (15 snails per replicate), in a Complete Randomized Design. Samples of meat and haemolymph collected using standard procedures were subsequently analyzed for their nutritional qualities, using standard chemical analytical procedures. All data collected were statistically analyzed using ANOVA, while significant variation were separated with Duncan Multiple Range Test of the same package. The proximate composition of the meat revealed higher (P&gt;0.05) DM (26.00%), Ether extract (2.17%) and NFE (3.57%) in SC, while there was a non-significant variation (P&lt;0.05) in most proximate factors for haemolymph, except NFE (4.27%), which was higher (P&gt;0.05) in SW. The mineral profiling of the meat revealed&nbsp; elevated (PP&gt;0.05) levels of Fee (22.30mg/kg) and Mn (4.79mg/kg) of SC, the haemolymph recorded improved levels (P&gt;0.05) for all mineral elements in SC. In conclusion, the captive rearing of snail had improved impact on thenutritional qualities of SC

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Inheritance of leaf mark, pod dehiscence and dry pod colour in crosses between wild and cultivated cowpeas

The inheritance of three traits, inverted V-shaped mark on leaves, pod dehiscence and dry pod colour, was studied in crosses between wild, weedy and cultivated varieties of cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp. By cross-pollinating only open flowers that failed to produce pollen, successful crosses were obtained on wild cowpea as female parents in contrast to previous attempts. Inheritance data collected on the parents, Fl, F2 and backcross progenies, indicate that each of the three traits is controlled by a single dominant gene in the crosses that were examined. The wild and the weedy lines carry dominant genes while the recessive alleles reside in the cultivated varieties but the genes controlling the traits, in both wild and weedy cowpea lines are allelic. The symbols Vsm, Dhp and Bk-2 are assigned to the dominant genes that govern the presence of the inverted V-shaped mark on leaves, pod dehiscence and black dry pod colour, respectively. The significance of these results in cowpea improvement is discussed.L'heredite des trois caracteres, la forme V inversee sur les feuilles, dehiscence des gousses, la couleur des gousses sechees a ete etudiee la suite des croisements entre les varietes sauvages herbacees et cultivees du niebe Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp. En croisant seulement des fleurs ouvertes pendant la pollinisation qui n'ont pas produit des pollens, des parents femelles ont ete obtenus avec le niebe sauvage suite aux croisements reussis contrairement aux precedentes tentatives. Les donnees hereditaires collectees sur les parents, F1 F2 et les descendants du "Back cross" montrent que chacun des trois caracteres est controlle par un seul gene dominant sur les croisements examines. Les lignees sauvages et herbacees portent des genes dominants alors que les alleles recessifs resident dans les varietes cultivees mais les genes controllant les caracteres dans les deux lignees du niebe (Sauvage et herbacee) sont sur les alleles. Les symboles Vsm, Dhp et Bk-2 sont assignes sur les genes dominants qui gouvernent respectivement la presence de la form V inversee sur les feuilles, la dehiscence des gousses, la couleur des gousses sechees. L'importance de ces resultats sur l'amelioration du niebe est evoquee

Controle genético do comprimento do pedúnculo em feijão-caupi Genetic control of peduncle length in cowpea

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar o controle genético do caráter comprimento do pedúnculo em feijão-caupi (Vigna unguiculata). Para isso, foi realizado um cruzamento entre os parentais TVx-5058-09C, de pedúnculo curto, e TE96-282-22G, de pedúnculo longo. Os parentais e as gerações F1, F2, RC1 (P1xF1) e RC2 (P2xF1) foram avaliados em delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições. Foram estimados: variâncias fenotípica, genotípica, ambiental, aditiva e de dominância; herdabilidades no sentido amplo e restrito; grau médio de dominância e número mínimo de genes que determinam o caráter. O modelo aditivo-dominante foi adequado para explicar a variação observada. O efeito gênico aditivo foi o mais importante no controle do comprimento do pedúnculo, que é, aparentemente, controlado por cinco genes.<br>The objective of this work was to investigate the genetic control of peduncle length in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.). A short peduncle cowpea line (TVx-5058-09C) was crossed with a long peduncle line (TE 96-282-22G). The parents and the F1, F2, RC1 (P1xF1), and RC2 (P2xF1) generations were evaluated in randomized block design with four replications. Genotypic, phenotypic, environmental, additive, and dominance variances for peduncle length were determined. Narrow and broad sense heritability, the degree of dominance, and the minimum number of genes determining peduncle length were estimated. The additive-dominant model was adequate to explain the observed variation. The additive gene effect was the most important in controlling peduncle length, which appeared to be controlled by five genes