Autecological and Grazing Control Studies of Dyers Woad (Isatis tinctoria L.) on Northern Utah Rangelands

Dyers woad (Isatis tinctoria L.) is a noxious weed on northern Utah rangelands. Chemical and mechanical means of control are unsuitable for rangelands. A potential alternative, biological control, is difficult due to a lack of basic ecological information. To remedy this, some aspects of the population biology and autecolgy of dyers woad were studied. The feasibility of controlling dyers woad by early spring grazing was also investigated via clipping experiments. A population study followed the survivorship of experimentally established populations over two years. Fall germinating individuals (1984) overwintered as rosettes twice and all survivors reproduced successfully. Spring germinating individuals (1985) overwintered as rosettes only once and 87% seeded the subsequent spring. Thus, on a good condition {high seral) foothill rangeland, dyers woad behaved predominantly as a biennial. Peak mortality in both fall and spring populations coincided with summer drought. The population size of dyers woad was constricted at two stages: (i) germination and establishment, and (ii) young rosette. The risk of mortality mortality in young rosettes was 77%. Dyers woad should be targeted for biological control at this vulnerable stage of growth. The seed dispersal pattern of dyers woad was best described by a negative exponential model of the type logy= a+ bx; (r = .78, a= 1.92, and b = -0.02). Ninety-five percent of a11 fruits were deposited within 54cm of mother plants. The root system of dyers woad was predominantly a taproot with some lateral sin the upper 30cm of the soil. There was little difference between mapped taproot and total mapped root lengths of rosette and mature plants. Significant mortality and reduction in reproductive performance occurred only by clipping, on or after 23 May 1984, at 60% or 90% intensity. Clipping twice, at either intensity, before 23 May had no effect on dyers woad. Sheep utilization of dyers woad ceased after mid-May, and had no significant effect on its mortality, percent flowering, and fruit production. Sheep grazing on dyers woad did not occur when much impact on mortality or seed production could be expected. The stocking re qui red to restrict dyers woad will result in range deterioration. More host-specific biological control agents should be tried

Food safety and health: a survey of rural and urban household consumer practices, knowledge to food safety and food related illnesses in Ogun State

Background: Consumers’ knowledge on food safety and related practices play central role in reducing foodborne diseases, which represents significant concerns to public health. Objectives: To evaluate rural and urban household consumers knowledge of food safety and related practices in Ogun state, Nigeria. Also, awareness of foodborne illnesses, and  association between respondents’ demographic characteristics and food safety knowledge were investigated. Methods: A crossectional study, which involved a questionnaire based interview of a group of 120 volunteers from four different local government areas (LGA) in Ogun State was conducted. Pearson chi-square analysis was used to test the association between consumers’ demographic parameters and knowledge of food safety. Results: Overall,  eighteen (15.8%, 95% Cl, 10.0 – 23.7) male, and ninety-six (82.2%, 95% Cl, 76.3 – 89.9) female within the age range 16 – 60 years took part in the study. Our data showed that there was poor knowledge regarding food safety practices and food borne illnesses among rural and urban consumers surveyed. However, there was a significant difference in the awareness of rural and urban household consumers to foodborne illnesses and associated complications, (p <0.05). Also, Respondents’ marital status were significantly associated with knowledge of food safety (p <0.000). Conclusion: Poor consumer knowledge of food safety, and food related illnesses  were reported, informing the urgent need to improve on  food safety education such as food handling, preparation, storage and general hygiene practices in homes in Nigeria

Relative Effects of Parents’ Occupation, Qualification and Academic Motivation of Wards on Students’ Achievement in Senior Secondary School Mathematics in Ogun State

The importance of mathematics to an individual and the society is clearly beyond debate thus, every individual needs some knowledge of mathematics in order to live a useful life and be an effective member of the society. Despite this impo9rtance role accorded mathematics in the school curriculum, many academically capable students prematurely restrict their educational and career options by discontinuing their mathematical learning early in the high school. The poor results in this subject have continued to be stumbling-blocks in the realization of the educational and employment desire of many candidates because it is a gatekeeper for many careers. This study investigated the relative effects of parents’ occupation, education and academic motivation of wards on students’ achievements in senior secondary school Mathematics in Ogun State, Nigeria. The study employed ex-post facto type of research and the sample was selected using the multistage sampling technique. Two thousand four hundred students from 60 selected schools in nine local government areas within Ogun State, Nigeria were involved and two research instruments namely; Students’ Questionnaire; (r = 0.81) and Mathematics Achievement Test; (r = 0.84) were used. Data were analyzed using multiple regression at .05 level of significance. The result reveals that parents’ education has the highest significant influence on the academic achievement of students in Mathematics while the effect of academic motivation had the least effect among the variables which exerted significant effects on students’ academic achievement in Mathematics. Keywords: Parents’ education; Occupation; Academic Motivation; Achievement

What’s new? A first appraisal of the Juncker Commission

Although still in its early phases, the Juncker Commission has already broken new ground. Not only is Jean-Claude Juncker the first Commission President to be selected by the Spitzenkandidaten process, an extra-constitutional system that has reconfigured the European Union’s institutional balance, but he has transformed the structure and operation of the College in order to create a more political, and therefore more effective, Commission, and made good – so far – on his promise ‘to do better on the bigger things and be small on the small things’. This article examines this three-fold transformation. It looks at the innovations and change associated with the Juncker Commission. It considers what motivated them and how they were achieved, sets them in historical perspective, and discusses their implications for the institutions and for the EU more broadly

Quantification of radicals generated in a sonicator

The hydroxyl radical (OH•) is a powerful oxidant produced as a consequence of cavitation in water. It can react nonspecifically in breaking down persistent organic pollutants in water into their mineral form. It can also recombine to form hydrogen peroxide which is very useful in water treatment. In this study, terephthalic acid (TA) and potassium iodide dosimetry were used to quantify and investigate the behaviour of the generated OH radical in a laboratory scale sonicator. The 2-hydroxyl terephthalic acid (HTA) formed during terephthalic acid dosimetry was determined by optical fibre spectrometer. The production rate of HTA served as a means of evaluating and characterizing the OH• generated over given time in a sonicator. The influence of sonicator power intensity, solution pH and irradiation time upon OH• generation were investigated. Approximately 2.2 x 10-9 M s-1 of OH radical was generated during the sonication process. The rate of generation of the OH radicals was established to be independent of the concentration of the initial reactant. Thus, the rate of generation of OH• can be predicted by zero order kinetics in a sonicator

Antibiotic resistance profile of staphylococci from clinical sources recovered from infants

Infants, children and the aged are among the groups most vulnerable to microbial infections more so when these microbial agents become resistant to antimicrobials. The antibiotic resistant profile of Staphylococcus aureus and selected coagulase negative staphylococci were determined by standard methods. Of the 178 staphylococcal isolates evaluated, 122 were S. aureus and the rest coagulase negative staphylococci. 68% of S. aureus isolates were resistant to amoxicillin, 69.8% to cloxacillin, 51% to augmentin and 71% to tetracycline. However, only 2.6% of the 116 S aureus isolates tested were resistant to gentamycin making the drug a reliable therapeutic agent in the event of failure of other antimicrobials in treating staphylococcal infections at least in this community. Resistance to the penicillin drugs was mediated by the elaboration of &#946-lactamase by both pathogenic and non-pathogenic staphylococci. The study shows a high rate of cloxacillin resistance and possibly the existence of methicillin resistance among these strains. 80% of the S aureus strains were multi-resistant with 25% of these resistant to three different antibiotics, 21% to 4 and 6.8% to 6 different drugs. Only 1.2% of these S aureus strains were resistant to 7 different antimicrobials underscoring the need to reduce the high incidence of multi-resistance in this community in the event of an epidemic caused by these strains. The study reveals prevalence of multi-resistance among both pathogenic and non-pathogenic staphylococci in the community.Key words: Staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus, antibiotics, multi-resistance.African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4 (8), pp. 810-82

Time course effects of 5,5-dihydroxyl pyrimidine-2,4,6-trione (alloxan) as a diabetogenic agent in animal model

Objective: The use of alloxan as a diabetogenic agent at 150 mg/kg BW has been characterized by low percentage induction and instability of the hyperglycemia induced. The present study examined its time course effects with a view to suggesting the probable effective dose of the compound for animal studies.Methods: Forty adult Wistar rats were equally randomized into two groups (I and II) and were injected with single intraperitoneal dose of alloxan, 170 and 200 mg/kg BW respectively. Blood glucose concentration (BGC) was monitored in consecutive phases of hourly for 3 h, 3 h interval for 15 h, 6 h interval for 12 h and 9 h after. Changes with time in biomarkers of oxidative stress (SOD, CAT, GST and MDA) and pancreas histopathology were studied.Results: Alloxan at the evaluated doses produced a multiphasic blood glucose response. One hour post alloxan injection, 90% of group I and 85% of group II animals exhibited diabetic hyperglycemia (glucose level ≥ 200 mg/dL). Groups I and II respectively produced peak levels of hyperglycemia (586.8 and 575.9 mg/dL) at 9 and 12 h post alloxan administration. Hypoglycemia which is characteristic of experimental diabetes was noted between the 15th and 21st hour in both groups (I and II) and resulted in 5 and 10% mortality respectively. At 36th hour, hyperglycemia was restored and apparently sustained. Changes in biomarkers of oxidative stress showed patterns similar to that of blood glucose, and the histopathological examination of the pancreas mainly indicated focal area of a necrotic islet and multifocal area of mild infiltration in both groups.Conclusion: The data obtained shows that alloxan at the investigated doses produced sustained hyperglycemia at 21st and 24th hour post administration, and 170 mg dosage of the compound is apparently a better diabetogenic dose, particularly in terms of reduced animal mortality.Keywords: Alloxan, Diabetogenicity, Diabetes, Effective dos

Characterisation of Bacterial Isolates from Patients Wounds and Environmental Factors Predictive of Post-Surgical Infections at the Orthopaedic Ward in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Objective: To determine the pattern of orthopaedic wound infection and the influence of environmental factors on the distribution of the etiologic bacterial agents. Design: A prospective observational study. Setting: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Subjects: Sixty patients with orthopaedic wound infections and orthopaedic ward environment. Results: Thirty- nine males (mean age 33.31+2SD) and 21 females ( mean age 27.47+2SD) with orthopaedic wounds. Three hundred and ten bacteria (190 from patients and 120 from ward environment) were isolated. The pattern of bacterial isolates from patients’ wounds was different from that of the airborne bacterial isolates irrespective of the length of stay on the ward. There was a significant difference in the distribution and resistance pattern of bacterial isolates from the patient’s wounds and ward environment. Conclusion: There is a high incidence of antibiotic resistance of bacterial isolates from samples cultured from patients compared with isolates from ward environment at this centre. The extensive use of pre-operative prophylactic and post-surgical antibiotics in various combinations at this centre needs to be re-examined to reduce the preponderance of antibiotic resistance

Factors that influence the quality of final impressions for fixed dental prostheses in Nairobi, Kenya

Background: Good quality dental impressions free of air bubbles, voids, steps, drags, streaks and tears are a pre-requisite for the fabrication of well-fitting fixed dental prostheses (FDP). The quality of impressions is dependent on clinician and material factors. Aim: To evaluate factors that influence the quality of final impressions for FDP in Nairobi, Kenya.  Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 234 impressions received by five dental laboratories were analyzed. The study collected information on the type of tray, impression material, technique, type of prostheses, and clinically detectable errors, including voids, inadequate material at margins, tears, steps, drags, and streaks. Impression quality was the outcome assessed as good, fair, or poor by two investigators. The independent variables influencing impression quality included clinician specialty, experience, impression material, technique, and tray type. Results: Inter-rater agreement was 96.8% (p<0.001). Clinician experience ranged between 1-45yrs, median 13.5yrs and mean 8.39±11.96yrs. The majority were GPs, 80.8% while restorative dentists were 11.5% and other specialists, 7.7%. Most impressions were non-aqueous elastomers, 97.9% employing dual-viscosity technique, 75.6%. Impression trays included stock metal, 60.3%, stock plastic, 34.2%, and custom, 5.5%. Impression quality was good, 24.8%, fair, 37.2% or poor, 38.0%. Cumulatively, 74.5% impressions had bubbles/voids, 53.0% tears and 43.2% poor margins. Clarity of margins was associated with clinician specialty, (Fisher’s exact=9.372, p=0.047), and impression technique with impression quality, (Pearson’s ?2 = 6.385, p=0.041). Compared to restorative specialists, estimated odds of other specialists producing poor margins was 5.71, 95%CI 1.55,21.06, Wald ?2=5.24, p=0.009 while for GPs, the estimated odds was 2.19, 95%CI 0.88, 5.43, Wald ?2 = 2.86, p=0.09. Compared to dual viscosity, estimated odds of monophase giving a poor-quality impression was 1.52, 95%CI 0.83,2.78, Wald ?2 = 1.52, p=0.18. Conclusion: Most impressions were good or fair hence acceptable. Quality of impressions was influenced by clinician specialty and impression technique