Early assessment of genotypic variation in growth and nitrogen fixation in Faidherbia albida/rhizobium symbiosis

To enhance the benefits from N2-fixing symbiosis in low nitrogen fixers such as Faidherbia albida, knowledge is needed on how genotypes of both the host and its bacterial partner interact to influence N fixation-related traits of the host legume. A greenhouse experiment was carried out to investigate the variability of several traits with respect to provenance, rhizobial strain and their interactions. Four West African provenances of F. albida were inoculated with five proven effective strains and grown for two months. Provenance x strain interactions were significant only for shoot N concentration (%N) and total shoot N uptake but their contributions to total phenotypic variances were rather low (6-10%). Because of large differencesamong provenances in growth performance the host genotype showed the greatest contribution (70.7%) to the variability in total shoot N uptake. Variability in %N in turn was mostly related to strain effectiveness (71.2%).These results suggest that under conditions of N deficiency, growth performance and shoot N concentration provide reliable selection criteria when screening for improved N2-fixation in F. albida.Keywords: rhizobia, Faidherbia, provenance, variability, interaction, N2-fixatio

Work Conditions and Health and Well-Being of Latina Hotel Housekeepers

Hotel housekeepers are exposed to a plethora of disproportionately high work-induced hazards that can lead to adverse health consequences. Latina hotel housekeepers are rendered particularly vulnerable to elevated occupational hazards and resultant health strains due to their socioeconomic status, immigration status, language barriers, and lack of access to healthcare services. The findings from the 27 interviews with Latina hotel housekeepers indicated that the interviewees were exposed to physical, chemical, and social hazards in the workplace and suffered musculoskeletal injuries. In terms of psychological wellness, the time pressure of cleaning rooms quickly and work-related stress stemming from workplace mistreatment emerged as major work-related stressors. Recommendations are made for the introduction of multilevel interventions designed to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses and to promote healthier workplaces