Performance of the SunScan canopy analysis system in estimating leaf area index of maize

Rapid and reliable estimates of leaf area index (LAI) are important for studies of exchanges of energy and gases in the biosphere-atmosphere continuum.  This paper evaluates the field performance of SunScan canopy analysis system for rapid estimation of LAI.  Direct and indirect measurements of LAI were made in a maize (Zea mays L.) field at four phenological stages (emergence, vegetative, flowering and physiological maturity) at a tropical site in Ghana during the Glowa Vota Project field campaign (www.glowa-volta.de).  Similar measurements were repeated in early and late planting seasons with similar crop management practices.  The result showed a generally good performance of this sensor at all the phenological stages.  Average LAI from the sensor (LAIS), ranged from 0.40–4.45, and was consistently higher than the actual LAI, which varied from 0.31–4.22, respectively for both seasons.  Regression between LAI and LAIS showed a range of significant correlations with R2 > 0.74 for all the stages and seasons.  With combined datasets for all stages and the two plantings, a simple regression model was fitted to estimate LAI from LAIS with R2 = 0.97 and standard error of 0.23 (P < 0.0001).  The evaluated sensor yielded a good and reliable LAI estimates under maize canopy. Keywords: SunScan probe, field evaluation, leaf area index, maize, Ghana 

Dual functionality of <i>O</i>-GlcNAc transferase is required for <i>Drosophila </i>development

Post-translational modification of intracellular proteins with O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) catalysed by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) has been linked to regulation of diverse cellular functions. OGT possesses a C-terminal glycosyltransferase catalytic domain and N-terminal tetratricopeptide repeats that are implicated in protein–protein interactions. Drosophila OGT (DmOGT) is encoded by super sex combs (sxc), mutants of which are pupal lethal. However, it is not clear if this phenotype is caused by reduction of O-GlcNAcylation. Here we use a genetic approach to demonstrate that post-pupal Drosophila development can proceed with negligible OGT catalysis, while early embryonic development is OGT activity-dependent. Structural and enzymatic comparison between human OGT (hOGT) and DmOGT informed the rational design of DmOGT point mutants with a range of reduced catalytic activities. Strikingly, a severely hypomorphic OGT mutant complements sxc pupal lethality. However, the hypomorphic OGT mutant-rescued progeny do not produce F2 adults, because a set of Hox genes is de-repressed in F2 embryos, resulting in homeotic phenotypes. Thus, OGT catalytic activity is required up to late pupal stages, while further development proceeds with severely reduced OGT activity

APPLICATION OF RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY (RSM) AND ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK (ANN) FOR ACHIEVING DESIRE BA IN THE BIOTRANSFORMATION OF BENZALDEHYDE USING FREE CELLS OF SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISAE AND THE EFFECT OF Β-CYCLODEXTRIN

This work dwells on the production of benzene alcohol (BA) from the biotransformation of benzaldehyde using free cells of Saccharomyces cerevisae and effects of β-Cyclodextrin. Meanwhile, the properties of BA produced was evaluated. The effects of five variables considered in this research work were evaluated using RSM and ANN. The root mean square error, the coefficient of determination, the adjusted coefficient of determination and the predicted values were used to compare the performance of the RSM and ANN models. The RMSE and R2 of RSM and ANN were 2.00 and 0.0739; 0.9898 and 0.99206, respectively. The R2 adj. and the predicted values of RSM and ANN were found to be 0.98416 and 0.9889 and 327.259 mg/100 ml and 351.50 mg/100 ml. The quality of BA showed that at room temperature, BA was colourless liquid with density 1.030 kg/dm3, the boiling point and refractive index was found to be 204 ± 2 0C and 1.5453, respectively. The results indicated the ANN model to have higher predictive capability than RSM model. Thus, the ANN methodology presents a better alternative than the RSM model. The quality of produced BA was found to be in line with Analytic grade values

Treatment seeking and antibiotic use for urinary tract infection symptoms in the time of COVID-19 in Tanzania and Uganda

Funding: CARE: COVID-19 and Antimicrobial Resistance in East Africa – impact and response is a Global Effort on COVID-19 (GECO) Health Research Award (MR/V036157/1) funded by UK Research and Innovation (Medical Research Council) and the Department of Health and Social Care (National Institute for Health Research).Background There is still little empirical evidence on how the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and associated regulations may have disrupted care-seeking for non-COVID-19 conditions or affected antibiotic behaviours in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to investigate the differences in treatment-seeking behaviours and antibiotic use for urinary tract infection (UTI)-like symptoms before and during the pandemic at recruitment sites in two East African countries with different COVID-19 control policies: Mbarara, Uganda and Mwanza, Tanzania. Methods In this repeated cross-sectional study, we used data from outpatients (pregnant adolescents aged >14 and adults aged >18) with UTI-like symptoms who visited health facilities in Mwanza, Tanzania and Mbarara, Uganda. We assessed the prevalence of self-reported behaviours (delays in care-seeking, providers visited, antibiotics taken) at three different time points, labelled as ‘pre-COVID-19 phase’ (February 2019 to February 2020), ‘COVID-19 phase 1’ (March 2020 to April 2020), and ‘COVID-19 phase 2’ (July 2021 to February 2022). Results In both study sites, delays in care-seeking were less common during the pandemic than they were in the pre-COVID phase. Patients in Mwanza, Tanzania had shorter care-seeking pathways during the pandemic compared to before it, but this difference was not observed in Mbarara, Uganda. Health centres were the dominant sources of antibiotics in both settings. Over time, reported antibiotic use for UTI-like symptoms became more common in both settings. During the COVID-19 phases, there was a significant increase in self-reported use of antibiotics like metronidazole (<30% in the pre-COVID-19 phase to 40% in COVID phase 2) and doxycycline (30% in the pre-COVID-19 phase to 55% in COVID phase 2) that were not recommended for treating UTI-like symptoms in the National Treatment Guidelines in Mbarara, Uganda. Conclusions There was no clear evidence that patients with UTI-like symptoms attending health care facilities had longer or more complex treatment pathways despite strict government-led interventions related to COVID-19. However, antibiotic use increased over time, including some antibiotics not recommended for treating UTI, which has implications for future antimicrobial resistance.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Targeting IL-1β and IL-17A driven inflammation during influenza-induced exacerbations of chronic lung inflammation.

For patients with chronic lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), exacerbations are life-threatening events causing acute respiratory distress that can even lead to hospitalization and death. Although a great deal of effort has been put into research of exacerbations and potential treatment options, the exact underlying mechanisms are yet to be deciphered and no therapy that effectively targets the excessive inflammation is available. In this study, we report that interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) are key mediators of neutrophilic inflammation in influenza-induced exacerbations of chronic lung inflammation. Using a mouse model of disease, our data shows a role for IL-1β in mediating lung dysfunction, and in driving neutrophilic inflammation during the whole phase of viral infection. We further report a role for IL-17A as a mediator of IL-1β induced neutrophilia at early time points during influenza-induced exacerbations. Blocking of IL-17A or IL-1 resulted in a significant abrogation of neutrophil recruitment to the airways in the initial phase of infection or at the peak of viral replication, respectively. Therefore, IL-17A and IL-1β are potential targets for therapeutic treatment of viral exacerbations of chronic lung inflammation

Educação escolar e estratégias de famílias dos subúrbios de Maputo

Nos estudos sobre desenvolvimento e pobreza a educação escolar é considerada, na maior parte dos casos, condição essencial para uma melhoria de condições de vida. Questionando esse pressuposto, este artigo analisa as representações e práticas sociais de famílias do subúrbio de Maputo relativamente à educação escolar dos seus descendentes

Occurrence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in waste site of Ede south west Nigeria

Abstract: Analysis of antibiotic resistant bacteria from composted waste site soil samples for two seasons were done, using prepared diagnostic test agar and direct sensitivity tests. All major isolated bacteria were subjected to various antibiotics. Concurrent positive and negative tests were simultaneously studied. Results show relatively high resistant and sensitive bacteria in both seasons. In wet seasons, the Bacillus cereus concentrations are considerably reduced than in the dry. In the dry seasons, Bacillus cereus was sensitive to Erythromycin (ERY) and Tetracycline (TET) and slightly resistant to Ampicillin (AMP), Chloramphenicol (CHL), Cloxacillin (CXC) and water (CNT). In the wet season, identified Pseudomonas aeruginosa was moderately resistant to Streptomycin (STR) and Tetracycline and remained resistant to Ampicillin, Cotrimoxazole (COT), Nitrofurantion (NIT) and water (CNT). The implications for human health are discussed

Effects of Microcredit on Small Scale Enterprises in Osun State, Nigeria

Abstrac

APPLICATION OF RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY (RSM) AND ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK (ANN) FOR ACHIEVING DESIRE BA IN THE BIOTRANSFORMATION OF BENZALDEHYDE USING FREE CELLS OF SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISAE AND THE EFFECT OF Β-CYCLODEXTRIN

This work dwells on the production of benzene alcohol (BA) from the biotransformation of benzaldehyde using free cells of Saccharomyces cerevisae and effects of β-Cyclodextrin. Meanwhile, the properties of BA produced was evaluated. The effects of five variables considered in this research work were evaluated using RSM and ANN. The root mean square error, the coefficient of determination, the adjusted coefficient of determination and the predicted values were used to compare the performance of the RSM and ANN models. The RMSE and R2 of RSM and ANN were 2.00 and 0.0739; 0.9898 and 0.99206, respectively. The R2 adj. and the predicted values of RSM and ANN were found to be 0.98416 and 0.9889 and 327.259 mg/100 ml and 351.50 mg/100 ml. The quality of BA showed that at room temperature, BA was colourless liquid with density 1.030 kg/dm3, the boiling point and refractive index was found to be 204 ± 2 0C and 1.5453, respectively. The results indicated the ANN model to have higher predictive capability than RSM model. Thus, the ANN methodology presents a better alternative than the RSM model. The quality of produced BA was found to be in line with Analytic grade values