Are ethnic employment penalties mitigated in deprived neighbourhoods and in ethnically dense neighbourhoods?

Existing research has extensively documented that those living in the most deprived neighbourhoods and individuals from some ethnic minority groups have low rates of labour market participation in the United Kingdom. This paper brings together these two established areas of research to ask whether ethnic minority groups have better employment participation when living in more deprived neighbourhoods. We hypothesise that this could be due to different socialisation processes enabling ethnic minorities to secure employment more easily in deprived neighbourhoods as well as in neighbourhoods where there is greater ethnic density. Data from the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study in England are linked to the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2014 and the 2011 Census to model unemployment and economic inactivity between 2009 and 2019 separately for women and men. The results show that some ethnic minority groups face disadvantage in the labour market, especially Pakistani and Bangladeshi women. There is little support to suggest that these penalties are lessened in more deprived neighbourhoods or in more ethnically dense neighbourhoods. There is some suggestion that groups who do not face ethnic penalties compared with the White British group have lower rates of unemployment and economic inactivity in more deprived neighbourhoods. We suggest policies aimed at improving labour market outcomes for disadvantaged ethnic minorities should target them wherever they live

Crosstalk between the mTOR and DNA Damage Response Pathways in Fission Yeast

Cells have developed response systems to constantly monitor environmental changes and accordingly adjust growth, differentiation, and cellular stress programs. The evolutionarily conserved, nutrient-responsive, mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling (mTOR) pathway coordinates basic anabolic and catabolic cellular processes such as gene transcription, protein translation, autophagy, and metabolism, and is directly implicated in cellular and organismal aging as well as age-related diseases. mTOR mediates these processes in response to a broad range of inputs such as oxygen, amino acids, hormones, and energy levels, as well as stresses, including DNA damage. Here, we briefly summarize data relating to the interplays of the mTOR pathway with DNA damage response pathways in fission yeast, a favorite model in cell biology, and how these interactions shape cell decisions, growth, and cell-cycle progression. We, especially, comment on the roles of caffeine-mediated DNA-damage override. Understanding the biology of nutrient response, DNA damage and related pharmacological treatments can lead to the design of interventions towards improved cellular and organismal fitness, health, and survival

Macroeconomic Shocks and Employment in sub-Sharan Africa: Do Labour Market Institutions Matter?

The effects of macroeconomic shocks and labour market institutions on employment in sub-Saharan African countries are examined in this study. Using a sample of 27 SSA countries for the period 2007 to 2018, both linear and interactive relationships are investigated. The results show that labour market institutions (especially in terms of wage flexibility) dampen the effects of shocks on modern employment but amplify the effects of shocks on informal employment in the sampled SSA countries. There is also evidence that shocks themselves (especially those emanating from the external sector) do not matter for a huge proportion of employment changes in SSA countries. Rather, the direct effects of shocks on employment are more profound in the formal sector. The study therefore concludes that reforming the informal sector will help to ensure the effectiveness of labour market institutions in mitigating the negative impacts of external shocks on employment in SSA

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND PHYTATE CONTENT OF GMELINA ARBOREA SEEDS.

Studies were conducted on the proximate composition, mineral constituents and phytate contents present in the seeds of Gmelina arborea. The values obtained for protein, fat, fibre, ash and carbohydrate ranged as follows (%) 7.25 - 9.53, 5.35 - 8.32, 3.22 - 7.14, 2.03 - 3.28 and 82.15 - 71.73 in dehulled and hulled seeds respectively. Ca and Mg were the abundant minerals in both samples. All other minerals were relatively low. The levels of phytate were generally high and the seeds had over 50% of their total phosphorous linked to phytate. It is also hoped that if these seeds are adequately processed, they would be good for nutritional purposes especially as livestock feed

Cardiovascular risk factors in adult general out-patient clinics in Nigeria: a country analysis of the Africa and Middle East Cardiovascular Epidemiological (ACE) study.

Background: With globalization and rapid urbanization, demographic and epidemiologic transitions have become important determinants for the emergence of cardiovascular disease (CVD).Objective: To estimate the prevalence of CVD risk factors in adult out-patients attending general practice and non-specialist clinics in urban and rural Nigeria.Methods: As part of the Africa and Middle East Cardiovascular Epidemiological (ACE) study, a cross-sectional epidemiologic study was undertaken for the presence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, obesity, smoking and abdominal obesity in Nigeria.Results: In total, 303 subjects from 8 out-patient general practice clinics were studied, 184 (60.7%) were female and 119 (39.3%) were male. Mean age was 42.7±13.1 years; 51.8% were aged <45 years; 4% ≥65 years. Over 90% of subjects had ≥1 of 6 selected modifiable cardiovascular risk factors: 138 (45.6%) had 1-2; 65 (21.5%) had 3; 60 (19.8%) had 4; and 11 (3.6%) had 5 concurrent risk factors. Screening identified 206 subjects (68.0%) with dyslipidemia who did not have a prior diagnosis.Conclusion: Cardiovascular risk factors are highly prevalent in Nigerian subjects attending out-patient clinics. Moreover, many subjects were undiagnosed and therefore unaware of their cardiovascular risk status. Opportunistic screening alongside intensive national, multisectoral education or risk factor education is needed, should be scaled up nationwide and rolled out in both urban and rural communities in Nigeria.Keywords: Nigeria, cardiovascular risk factors, screening programs, risk factor management, The Africa and Middle East Cardiovascular Epidemiological (ACE) study

Assessment of Oxidative Stress Indices in Tissues of Cadmium-challenged Female Wistar Rats Treated with Combined Ethanolic Leaf Extract of Manihot esculenta and Citrus sinensis

This research assessed the oxidative stress indices in tissues of cadmium-challenged female Wistar rats treated with combined ethanolic leaf extract of Manihot esculenta and Citrus sinensis. Eighteen female rats (150±20g) were divided put into three (3) groups:  Group 1 (received feed and water only); Group 2 (received single dose of cadmium, 30mg/kg body weight at the start of the experiment) and Group 3 (received cadmium as in group 2 above and 200mg/kg body weight of combined extract of orange and cassava leaf, daily for two weeks). Cadmium load in the tissues of the rats were analyzed using AAS after acid digestion and oxidative stress indices were analyzed using standard procedures. Data obtained showed that the cadmium tissue load (̅±SD, μg/g tissue) were 0.005±0.0007 (liver), 0.007±0.0004 (kidney); 55.4±5.2 (liver), 28.3±4.6 (kidney); and 13.6±2.3 (liver), 20.7±2.5 (kidney) for Groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively. There was a higher concentration of Cd in the liver and kidney of rats exposed to Cd alone (Group 2) compared to the control (Group 1) and Cd-challenged rats treated with combined leaf extract of Manihot esculenta and Citrus sinensis (Group 3).  Exposure to Cd alone caused significant (p<0.05) increase in lipid peroxidation and glutathione peroxidase in the liver and kidney compared to the control. Conversely, the administration of Cd alone to rats caused significant (p<0.05) reduction in the level of glutathione and the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase compared to the control in both tissues. Significant amelioration was witnessed in all the parameters in Cd-challenged rats treated with the extract compared to rats challenged with Cd alone. The results show that Cd-induced oxidative stress can be countered effectively by combined leaf extract of Manihot esculenta and Citrus sinensis which is rich in antioxidant molecules

Effect of some nitrogen sources of growth medium on

Penicillium solitum and Aspergillus rubrum isolated from deteriorated yam (Dioscorea alata) using potato dextrose agar grew and sporulated at 25oC. They expresse