SELECTED MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF BAMBARA GROUNDNUT SEEDS UNDER COMPRESSIVE LOADING

Knowledge of mechanical properties of agricultural materials is useful in the development of equipment for processing and handling them.Selected mechanical propertiesnamely rupture force, maximum deformation at rupture point, hardness and toughness of cream and light brown varieties of Bambara groundnut (BGN) seeds were determined at four moisture levels (5, 15, 25 and 35% dry basis) under compressive loading alongaxial and longitudinal orientations.Rupture force, deformation, hardness and toughness of BGN seedswere within the ranges 45.58-438.55 N, 0.31-5.71 mm,14.61-448.55 Nmm-1 and0.01-1.02J, respectively. Rupture force, deformation and toughnessof the seeds had interplay of increasing and deceasing trends while hardness decreased consistently as moisture content increased from 5% to 35%.The cream variety withstood higher rupture force and deformed more without failure than the light brown variety within moisture content range of 5-25% along both loading orientations.Bothvarieties demonstrated greater hardness when loaded along the longitudinal orientations than the axially loaded samples. All the investigatedproperties were dependent on moisture content andorientationof loading. Predictive mathematical models forestimating the investigated properties at different moisture contents with reasonable accuracy were also established in this study

Genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance studies in top- cross and three-way cross maize (Zea mays L) hybrids

Understanding the genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance of traits in any plant population is an im- portant pre-requisite for selection program. This study was designed to assess the magnitude of genetic variabili- ty, heritability and genetic advance of traits in top-cross and three-way cross maize (Zea mays L) hybrids evaluated at three locations in South-Western Nigeria. The trial consisted of ten genotypes each of top-cross and three-way cross hybrids arranged in randomized complete block design with three replications. Data on grain yield and other desirable traits across the three locations were used to estimate the genetic variability parameters, heritability and genetic advance (GA). Highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) differences were detected within each hybrid class for all the traits. Traits evaluated in this study exhibited different levels of variability, heritability and genetic advance between the two hybrid classes. Low to moderate phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) were recorded. Also, low to very high heritability and low to high GA values were recorded for all the traits measured in the top-cross hybrids, whereas the three-way cross hybrids exhibited low to moderately high heritability estimates and low to moderate GA values. Grain yield and field weight showed moderate GCV, moderately high heritability and high GA values in top-cross hybrids. These characters exhibited moderate GCV but low heritability and GA values in three-way hybrids. More characters in top-cross hybrids revealed sufficient amount of variability than in three-way cross hybrids, thus offer scope for genetic improvement through selection

Quality of life in elderly ICU survivors before the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies

Objectives The influence of age on intensive care unit (ICU) decision-making is complex, and it is unclear if it is based on expected subjective or objective patient outcomes. To address recent concerns over age-based ICU decision-making, we explored patient-assessed quality of life (QoL) in ICU survivors before the COVID-19 pandemic. Design A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies published between January 2000 and April 2020, of elderly patients admitted to ICUs. Primary and secondary outcome measures We extracted data on self-reported QoL (EQ-5D composite score), demographic and clinical variables. Using a random-effect meta-analysis, we then compared QoL scores at follow-up to scores either before admission, age-matched population controls or younger ICU survivors. We conducted sensitivity analyses to study heterogeneity and bias and a qualitative synthesis of subscores. Results We identified 2536 studies and included 22 for qualitative synthesis and 18 for meta-analysis (n=2326 elderly survivors). Elderly survivors’ QoL was significantly worse than younger ICU survivors, with a small-to- medium effect size (d=0.35 (−0.53 and −0.16)). Elderly survivors’ QoL was also significantly greater when measured slightly before ICU, compared with follow-up, with a small effect size (d=0.26 (−0.44 and −0.08)). Finally, their QoL was also marginally significantly worse than age-matched community controls, also with a small effect size (d=0.21 (−0.43 and 0.00)). Mortality rates and length of follow-up partly explained heterogeneity. Reductions in QoL seemed primarily due to physical health, rather than mental health items. Conclusions The results suggest that the proportionality of age as a determinant of ICU resource allocation should be kept under close review and that subjective QoL outcomes should inform person-centred decision -aking in elderly ICU patients. PROSPERO registration number CRD42020181181

The Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework: a model to reduce mental health inequity in England and Wales

The Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) is an Organisational Competence Framework (OCF), recommended by the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act as a means to improve mental health access, experience and outcomes for people from ethnic minority backgrounds, particularly Black people. This is a practical framework that should be co-produced with and tailored to the needs of service users, based on quality improvement and place-based approaches. We aim to use the PCREF to address the longstanding epistemic justices experienced by people with mental health problems, particularly those from minoritised ethnic groups. We will outline the work that led to the proposal, the research on racial inequalities in mental health in the UK, and how the PCREF will build on previous interventions to address these. By taking these into account, the PCREF should support a high minimum standard of mental health care for all

Exploring computational approaches to design mRNA Vaccine against vaccinia and Mpox viruses

Background: Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines emerged as a powerful tool in the fight against infections. Unlike traditional vaccines, this unique type of vaccine elicits robust and persistent innate and humoral immune response with a unique host cell‐mediated pathogen gene expression and antigen presentation. Methods: This offers a novel approach to combat poxviridae infections. From the genome of vaccinia and Mpox viruses, three key genes (E8L, E7R, and H3L) responsible for virus attachment and virulence were selected and employed for designing the candidate mRNA vaccine against vaccinia and Mpox viral infection. Various bioinformatics tools were employed to generate (B cell, CTL, and HTL) epitopes, of which 28 antigenic and immunogenic epitopes were selected and are linked to form the mRNA vaccine construct. Additional components, including a 5′ cap, 5′ UTR, adjuvant, 3′ UTR, and poly(A) tail, were incorporated to enhance stability and effectiveness. Safety measures such as testing for human homology and in silico immune simulations were implemented to avoid autoimmunity and to mimics the immune response of human host to the designed mRNA vaccine, respectively. The mRNA vaccine's binding affinity was evaluated by docking it with TLR‐2, TLR‐3, TLR‐4, and TLR‐9 receptors which are subsequently followed by molecular dynamics simulations for the highest binding one to predict the stability of the binding complex. Results: With a 73% population coverage, the mRNA vaccine looks promising, boasting a molecular weight of 198 kDa and a molecular formula of C8901H13609N2431O2611S48 and it is said to be antigenic, nontoxic and nonallergic, making it safe and effective in preventing infections with Mpox and vaccinia viruses, in comparison with other insilico‐designed vaccine for vaccinia and Mpox viruses. Conclusions: However, further validation through in vivo and in vitro techniques is underway to fully assess its potential

Plantations, outgrowers and commercial farming in Africa: agricultural commercialisation and implications for agrarian change

Whether or not investments in African agriculture can generate quality employment at scale,avoid dispossessing local people of their land,promote diversified and sustainable livelihoods, and catalyse more vibrant local economies depends on what farming model is pursued. In this Forum, we build on recent scholarship by discussing the key findings of our recent studies in Ghana, Kenya and Zambia. We examined cases of three models of agricultural commercialisation, characterised by different sets of institutional arrangements that link land, labour and capital. The three models are: plantations or estates with on-farm processing; contract farming and outgrower schemes; and medium-scale commercial farming areas. Building on core debates in the critical agrarian studies literature, we identify commercial farming areas and contract farming as producing the most local economic linkages, and plantations/estates as producing more jobs, although these are of low quality and mostly casual. We point to the gender and generational dynamics emerging in the three models, which reflect the changing demand for family and wage labour. Models of agricultural commercialisation do not always deliver what is expected of them in part because local conditions play a critical role in the unfolding outcomes for land relations, labour regimes, livelihoods and local economies

Should Global Burden of Disease Estimates Include Depression as a Risk Factor for Coronary Heart Disease?

The 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study estimates the premature mortality and disability of all major diseases and injuries. In addition it aims to quantify the risk that diseases and other factors play in the aetiology of disease and injuries. Mental disorders and coronary heart disease are both significant public health issues due to their high prevalence and considerable contribution to global disease burden. For the first time the Global Burden of Disease Study will aim to assess mental disorders as risk factors for coronary heart disease. We show here that current evidence satisfies established criteria for considering depression as an independent risk factor in development of coronary heart disease. A dose response relationship appears to exist and plausible biological pathways have been proposed. However, a number of challenges exist when conducting a rigorous assessment of the literature including heterogeneity issues, definition and measurement of depression and coronary heart disease, publication bias and residual confounding. Therefore, despite some limitations in the available data, it is now appropriate to consider major depression as a risk factor for coronary heart disease in the new Global Burden of Disease Study

The new enclosures: critical perspectives on corporate land deals

The contributions to this collection use the tools of agrarian political economy to explore the rapid growth and complex dynamics of large-scale land deals in recent years, with a special focus on the implications of big land deals for property and labour regimes, labour processes and structures of accumulation. The first part of this introductory essay examines the implications of this agrarian political economy perspective. First we explore the continuities and contrasts between historical and contemporary land grabs, before examining the core underlying debate around large- versus small-scale farming futures. Next, we unpack the diverse contexts and causes of land grabbing today, highlighting six overlapping mechanisms. The following section turns to assessing the crisis narratives that frame the justifications for land deals, and the flaws in the argument around there being excess, empty or idle land available. Next the paper turns to an examination of the impacts of land deals, and the processes of inclusion and exclusion at play, before looking at patterns of resistance and constructions of alternatives. The final section introduces the papers in the collection.ESR

Low Lipoprotein(a) Concentration Is Associated with Cancer and All-Cause Deaths: A Population-Based Cohort Study (The JMS Cohort Study)

Background: Experimental studies support the anti-neoplastic effect of apo(a), but several clinical studies have reported contradictory results. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a low lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] concentration is related to mortality from major causes of death, especially cancer. Methods The subjects were 10,413 participants (4,005 men and 6,408 women) from a multi-center population-based cohort study in Japan (The Jichi Medical School cohort study). The average age at registration was 55.0 years, and the median observation period was 4,559 days. As the estimated hazard ratio was high for both the low and very high Lp(a) levels, we defined two Lp(a) groups: a low Lp(a) group [Lp(a)<80 mg/L] and an intermediate-to-high Lp(a) group [Lp(a)≥80]. Participants who died from malignant neoplasms (n = 316), cardiovascular disease (202), or other causes (312) during the observation period were examined. Results: Cumulative incidence plots showed higher cumulative death rates for the low Lp(a) group than for the intermediate-to-high Lp(a) group for all-cause, cancer, and miscellaneous-cause deaths (p<0.001, p = 0.03, and p = 0.03, respectively). Cox proportional hazards analyses with the sex and age of the participants, body mass index, and smoking and drinking histories as covariates showed that a low Lp(a) level was a significant risk for all-cause, cancer, and miscellaneous-cause deaths (p<0.001, p = 0.003, and p = 0.01, respectively). The hazard ratio (95% CI) [1.48, 1.15–1.92] of a low Lp(a) level for cancer deaths was almost the same as that for a male sex (1.46, 1.00–2.13). Conclusions: This is the first report to describe the association between a low Lp(a) level and all-cause or cancer death, supporting the anti-neoplastic effect of Lp(a). Further epidemiological studies are needed to confirm the present results