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Phylogenetic relationships and population dynamics of Calonectria by Schoch, Conrad Lamoraal
Published 2012Get full text
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- African Union 1 results 1
- Although politeness has been well researched in political, medical, media and commercial transactions, it has not been well considered in the area of service delivery in the post offices in Nigeria where it is perceived that the staff exhibit unfriendly attitude to customers. This study, therefore, explores politeness in service encounters in the post offices in Ibadan metropolis with the view to establishing the existence of politeness in the transactions in the establishment, identifying politeness strategies used and highlighting the contributions of job satisfaction, domestic problem, gender, educational status of staff, appearance of customers to the exhibition of politeness during transactions. The study was carried out within a combined theoretical framework of genre classification propounded by Eija Ventola, Suzzane Eggins and Diana Slade, which focuses on the optional and obligatory stages during transaction, Lim's and Bowers' facework theory that locates nuance polite expression orientations and Spencer-Oatey’s rapport managements which categorises rapport strategies. Five post offices from the five local government areas within Ibadan metropolis were randomly selected. Forty seven willing clients and 35 counter attendants were orally interviewed while questionnaires were administered to 35 willing clients and 35 counter attendants respectively. Post office service questionnaire, interviews and participant observation were used for data collection. Transactions in Yoruba were translated into English. Data were analysed using content analysis T-test, ANOVA and Pearson r correlation. Contrary to the belief among many Nigerians that post office staff were generally impolite, a high degree of politeness was established in the staff’s interactions with customers. Although some impoliteness existed, the degree did not affect the transactions. Both the staff and the customers made use of ‘solidarity’, ‘approbation’ and ‘tact’ politeness strategies. The staff frequently used covert ‘solidarity’ expressed by silent acceptance and readiness to offer service. ‘Tact’ came in the form of ‘advice’ and ‘order’ in answer to requests. ‘Approbation’ took the form of ‘suggestion’. Both tact and approbation strategies are power implicated. Customers on the other hand, engaged overt solidarity strategies such as ‘agreement’, ‘cooperation’ and ‘greeting’. ‘Thanking’ was the main approbation strategy; and ‘please’ and implied ‘need’ were used as ‘tact’ strategies when making requests and clarifications. There were relationship between appearance and politeness (r=0.39), job satisfaction and politeness (r=0.29). However, domestic problem, educational status and sex of did not influence the expression of politeness There was a considerable degree of politeness in Ibadan post office service encounters, which facilitated interactions between the staff and the customers. 1 results 1
- Antibiotics 1 results 1
- Background: -Antibiotic resistance and extended spectrum beta–lactamase (ESBL) producing enterobacteriaceae are global health concerns and major problems for the treatment of different infections caused by enterobacteriaceae. Objective: -This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of phenotypically identified ESBL producers in enterobacteriaceae strains isolated from poultry farms in Ibadan. Material and Methods: Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from faecal samples of 45 chickens from 3 farms in Ibadan, Nigeria. The E. coli strains in the isolates were identified by biochemical methods. The susceptibility of all enterobacteriaceae strains to selected β lactam antibiotics were tested by disc diffusion method. ESBL production was tested by double disk synergy test and MIC determination (8–512 μg/ml) Results: - A total of 40 Enterobacteriaceae strains were isolated and 20 of the strains were identified as E. coli while 20 were tagged other Enterobacteriaceae strains. The E. coli strains were generally susceptible to tested antibiotics while other Enterobacteriaceae were relatively resistant. All the tested Enterobacteriacea were susceptible to cefepine. 15% of E.coli isolates were resistant to amoxicillin/clavulaniz and 38.9% of other Enterobacteriaceace isolates were resistant to cefoxitin. 5% of E. coli strains and 25% of other Enterobacteriaceae produced ESBL with concentration range of ˂8 μg/ml and >512μg/ml for antibiotics used singly and in combination with clavulanic acid respectively. Conclusions: - This study showed low occurrence of ESBL in E. coli strains but relatively high occurrence in other Enterobacteriaceae in poultries in Ibadan, Nigeria.. Therefore, there is need to control the use of antibiotics in poultry feeds and livestock production. 1 results 1
- Counter attendants 1 results 1
- Customers 1 results 1
- Enterobacteriaceae 1 results 1
- Extended spectrum beta lactamases 1 results 1
- Income inequality 1 results 1
- Kwara State 1 results 1
- Macroeconomic shocks 1 results 1
- Many studies in Nigeria have been carried out to examine the trend and outcome of fostering practices and child labour independently but such have generally overlooked the issue of child labour in fostering practices. The study therefore, attempts to examine the existence of child labour in fostering practices: through a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, the study exposes how children are being used as economic support by foster parents and the exploitation of the socialization process which sees research as part of the upbringing of a child. This is explicated through the increasing level of poverty in cities and rural areas which have necessitated the act of child labour in fostering practices. Major findings from the study revealed that child labour is on the increase and the effects were negative on the children. Findings were linked to the downturn of the economy which prompted child labour as a coping strategy. Among the sampled respondents, the effect of the economic activities on their education was negative. The need for househelp, economic crises and schooling were major reasons sustaining fostering practices vis-a-vis child labour. Biological parents influence had minimal effect on foster parents control over the economic activities they engaged the foster children which was also observed to be gender based. On the whole, child labour was viewed as important irrespective of the menance of child labour. Based on these findings, the study suggested that there is need for government as well as civil society groups' intervention to alleviate the problem of child labour in fostering practices. 1 results 1
- Mathematics 1 results 1
- Nigerian households 1 results 1
- Oncology 1 results 1
- Peacekeeping operations 1 results 1
- Peacekeeping partnership 1 results 1
- Politeness 1 results 1
- Post office 1 results 1
- Poverty and income inequality are huge development challenges in Nigeria. Over half of the population are living below the poverty line, which is further accentuated by highly skewed incomes. While it is widely held that the poor are more vulnerable to economic shocks, empirical information regarding the degree to which these shocks affect them is desired to ameliorate the problem. Hence, the impact of some macroeconomic shocks on poverty and income inequality in Nigeria was investigated. The National Living Standards Survey (NLSS) data of 2004 by the National Bureau of Statistics and Nigeria�s 2006 Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) were used. The NLSS employed a two-stage cluster sampling technique. The 19,158 housing units reported at the end of the survey were used in the analysis. The NLSS provided data on households� income and expenditure whereas the SAM provided data on production, income, consumption and capital accumulation. The modified IFPRI SAM used comprised 21 matrix accounts; made up of four activity sectors (food, other agriculture, crude oil and manufacturing/services) and four different household groupings (rural-south, rural-north, urban-south and urban-north). Data were analysed using Foster-Greer-Thorbecke poverty measures and Gini-index, computable general equilibrium technique, and sensitivity of poverty and inequality to macroeconomic shocks (fluctuations in food and crude oil prices, exchange rate, and a combination of these). Average incomes in rural-south and rural-north households were N234.0 (�206.8) and N211.5 (�198.2) per person per day respectively. Food and other agricultural imports constituted 30.0% of total imports consumed by households. Poverty incidence was 55.0%, 47.3%, 75.1%, 40.4% and 47.2% respectively for Nigeria, rural-south, rural-north, urban-south and urban-north, while national inequality was 0.42. A 50.0% rise in food price increased poverty by 4.9%, 2.0%, 3.9% and 4.2% respectively for rural-south, rural-north, urban-south and urban-north. Conversely, a fall in oil price by 50.0% increased poverty by 3.0% in rural-north but reduced same by 8.7%, 0.8% and 1.8% in urban-north, rural-south and urban-south respectively. A 25.0% depreciation in the exchange rate increased poverty by 2.5%, 0.3%, 2.2% and 3.3% respectively in rural-south, rural-north, urban-south and urban-north. The combined impact of the shocks increased poverty by 8.6%, 7.1%, and 7.0% respectively in rural-south, rural-north and urban-south, although shocks did not impact on poverty among urban-north households. National inequality level dropped by 0.05% and 0.26%, respectively, following the increase in food price and exchange rate, while it rose by 1.41% due to the fall in oil price. Overall, shocks impacted all household groups mostly negatively but rural-north households were most affected, as they now accounted for about 47% of the poor in Nigeria after the shocks. This indicates that the challenge of poverty reduction is greatest in the rural-north, and hence interventions need be targeted at this region before others. 1 results 1
- Poverty incidence 1 results 1
- Rice 1 results 1
- Service encounter 1 results 1
- Simulations 1 results 1
- The objective of the study is, broadly, to examine the structure and performance of rice production and processing enterprise in Kwara state with a view to identifying possible ways of transforming the industry. The study also aims at identifying and evaluating some of the factors determining the level of marketed surplus and consumption of rice. The analytical tools employed are mostly a combination of farm record analysis and Statistical regression/production function techniques. Most of the survey data were collected during the 1977/78 crop season from 230 farming units, 20 rice mills, 50 rice parboilers and 183 rice consumers in Kwara state. Chapter I deals with the general introduction, problem Situation, objectives and methodology, followed by literature review in Chapter II. Chapter III is devoted to an analysis of resource Situation in rice production while Chapter IV deals with resource productivity and resource-use efficiency in rice farming. The structure and economic performance of rice processing industry is analysed in Chapter V; the Chapter also examines the least-cost milling facilities in Kwara state. Chapter VI is devoted to the analysis of the marketed surplus and home consumption of rice while in Chapter VII, the functional relationship between the quantity of rice consumed and selected variables are examined and some consumption elasticities are computed. The findings are summarised in Chapter VIII. The analysis of resource Situation showed, among other things, that Capital is the most limiting factor in Kwara state peasant rice production. It was shown further that while non-institutional sources of credit play a dominant role in peasant rice production, the role of institutional sources is almost nil. The costs and returns analysis showed that, within the limits imposed by the quality of data, an average rice farmer was making a quite satisfactory performance. With an average paddy rice yield of 1,506.9 kg. per hectare, and an estimated cost of £1205.8 per hectare, the net revenue accrueing to an average farmer was estimated at £1251.6 per hectare. In all the areas under study, the land variable alone accounted for over 70% of the variability in the aggregate production of rice, showing clearly that land is the most crucial determinant of rice production in Kwara state. On the whole, only few significant inefficiencies in resource' use were observed, implying that a mere re-allocation of resources may not have any appreciable effect on aggregate rice output. The study also revealed constant returns to scale on both large and small rice farms, and rejected the hypothesis of inverse relationship between output and farm size in paddy rice farming. The analysis of rice processing Operation revealed that rice processing units were making satisfactory performance in spite of the rather high processing costs, the estimated net returns being N7.96 and N51.5 per ton for parboiling and milling units respectively. It was further shown that small rice mills are the least-cost milling facilities in Kwara State. The emphasis on the marketed surplus study was both on the conceptual framework of the models and of the numerical results, The study showed that the allocation of rice output between market sales and home consumptions were both sensitive to price changes. Total price elasticity of marketed surplus ranged from 0.90 to 1.91 while that of home consumption elasticity fell in the range of -0.27 to -1.6. Output elasticity of marketed surplus ranged from 0.64 to 2.5. It was further shown that volume of production was more significant than family size and producer price in their influence on the marketed surplus of rice. With regards to rice consumption by non-rice producing households, the result showed that while family size and income are positively and significantly correlated with the consumption of rice, education appears to be an insignificant Variable. Household size elasticities ranged from 0.46 - 0.58 while income elasticities of rice consumption fell in the range of 0.02to 0.38. The result also points to the conclusion that, at present, consumers' preference for imported rice is rather strong, owing largely to the relatively high cooking quality of this commodity vis-a-vis that of the locally produced rice. Suggested policy measures include the development of irrigation facilities in the state, the expansion of farmers' credit base, selective mechanisation of rice farming operations, the use of modern rice mills in rice processing, a vigorous use of price instrument for the purpose of increasing the marketed surplus of rice in Kwara state and the removal of marketing bottlenecks, not only to facilitate efficient distribution of rice, but also to ensure that farmers are aware of the existing market conditions. 1 results 1
- The peacekeeping partnership between the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU), which started in 2002, occurred at three levels: strategic, institutional and operational. The strategic partnership involves the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC); the institutional partnership comprises the UN Secretariat and the AU Commission, while joint peacekeeping operations have been carried out in Sudan, Somalia and Mali. Existing studies on how to improve the partnership have focused on the operational level to the detriment of the other two. This study, therefore, moved from the minimalist view to a more comprehensive approach, by focusing on the normative frameworks, practice and challenges of the partnership. The study adopted a qualitative approach and utilised a combination of descriptive, explorative and case study research design. Purposive sampling technique was used to select respondents who had knowledge of the partnership. The respondents included officials of the UN, AU, and sub-regional organisations; military, police and civilian personnel; and academics. A total of 39 in-depth interviews were conducted in Ethiopia (12), Mali (13), Sudan (seven) and Ghana (seven). Four focus group discussions were held with police personnel of varied nationalities and peacekeeping backgrounds. Secondary data were sourced from UN and AU official documents especially the provisions of the Chapter VIII of the UN Charter, the AU Constitutive Act and the AU PSC Protocol. Others consisted of books, journal articles and conference reports. Data were subjected to descriptive content analyses. The frameworks forming the basis of the partnership embody the general principles, values, expectations and prescriptive guidelines of responsibilities of both organisations. However, both institutions lack a shared understanding of the interpretation and application of these frameworks, partly due to the unclear nature of roles. The partnership has, in practice, remained asymmetrical with the UN always taking the decisions and responsibilities. Apart from Somalia, all the joint operations are controlled by the UN, with the AU playing minimal roles. While the partnership has resulted in pragmatic and flexible responses to conflicts in Sudan and Mali, and provided a way of sharing resources, it suffers from a variety of challenges. Between the UNSC and PSC and their respective secretariat, power differential has generated mutual suspicion, disagreement, competition, coordination and bureaucratic problems. These have undermined consensus and cohesion during joint operations. In Mali and Sudan, the two organisations competed over the mission’s chain of command, disagreed on the appointment of senior officials, and took decisions without consulting each other. Although the situation was different in Somalia, both organisations continue to have contradictory approaches regarding the resolution of the conflict. A comprehensive approach to understanding the nature of the United Nations/African Union peacekeeping partnership revealed some fundamental challenges. Future partnerships should be based on mutual trust, comparative strengths, and a shared interpretation of the normative frameworks especially the Chapter VIII of the UN Charter. 1 results 1
- United Nations 1 results 1
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