Black Women Nonprofit Executives’ Use of Sustainable Funding Strategies in Marginalized Communities

Lack of funding resources, inadequate staffing, poor capacity building, and difficulties in attracting individual donors are problems for small Black-led nonprofit organizations. Black women lead a majority of nonprofits in low socioeconomic and under resourced neighborhoods and have deep connections with and cultural awareness of community needs. However, little is known about how Black women leaders of nonprofits employ effective strategies to overcome funding and staff capacity challenges. The purpose of this study, which had resource dependency theory as its foundation, was to examine Black women nonprofit executives’ perceptions of obstacles in securing organizational funding and strategies for overcoming them. The research question focused on the perceptions of Black women nonprofit executives to securing funding to adequately lead organizations in under resourced communities. Data were collected from a purposive sample of 9 Black women nonprofit executive directors and senior executive staff who participated in semistructured, open-ended interviews. Thematic analysis involving inductive coding and categorization of interview data produced 3 key themes: Black women leaders emphasize adaptability and resiliency, fundraising practices are driven by resource dependency, and funding barriers are multilayered and structural. The key findings revealed Black women nonprofit executives employ multipronged approaches responsive to internal and external challenges. The implications for social change include informing public policy and grant makers of factors that impact nonprofits sustainability and the importance of expanding funding and capacity building resources to strengthen nonprofits in historically marginalized communities. Improved sustainability may redress historical inequities and promote social gains for the community members

The politics of oil and the challenge for the development of Nigeria

The paper shows how the discovery of oil in Oloibiri in 1956 foisted clientelism on Nigeria and in the process, corruption and cronyism became normative. The exploration of oil in the Niger Delta region degraded the environment destroying ecosystem resulting in polluted fish ponds, drinking water sources and other means of livelihood. Additionally, the continuous flaring of gases has resulted in acid rain and other forms of diseases within the region. Using information from journals, library sources and online resources the paper argued using Immanuel Wallerstein’s systems theory that multinational corporations (MNCs) operating in the oil industry exploit the resources in the Niger Delta without investing commensurate resources in the region. This has not improved the poverty level as less than 5% of Niger Deltans work in the oil industry. The gender dynamic is even worse as less than 1% of Niger delta women work in the sector and most are holding pink jobs. The resultant effect is that the Nigerian economy continues to strink while development has become stunted. The paper posits that oil represents the ‘Dutch disease’ for Nigeria and Nigerians and has impelled underdevelopment. It avers that the misplaced priority of the ruling elites who are often drawn into the struggle for oil wealth that leaves them engrossed with what they can grab from the national cake which the oil wealth represents and not how to develop the nation frustrates all development agenda. It concludes that the intractable neglect of infrastructural facilities in Nigeria represents the flip-side of oil politics in Nigeria.Keywords: Politics, Oil, Challenge, Nigeria and Developmen

IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL ANTIOXIDANT AND HEPATOPROTECTIVE CONSTITUENTS OF VITEX DONIANA BY UHPLC/+ESI-QQTOF-MS/MS ANALYSIS

Objective: This study evaluated the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of the dichloromethane (DCM-F) and n-butanol (BUT) fractions of Vitex doniana and identified the bioactive constituents using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. Methods: The methanol extract of the leaves was subjected to liquid-liquid fractionation and the BUT soluble separated by vacuum LC (VLC) using binary mixtures of DCM in methanol (1 L) sequentially in the ratios of 9:1 BF1–1:9 BF5. The antioxidant activity was investigated in vitro using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging, phosphomolybdenum total antioxidant capacity, and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power assay methods. The in vivo antioxidant potential was performed by measuring the concentrations of both enzymatic and non-enzymatic parameters in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic injury. Results: The extract, DCM-F, and the VLC sub-fractions showed good antioxidant activity which is comparable with ascorbic acid (53.6%). DCM-F showed the highest antioxidant activity (71.6%), while the least activity was shown by BF5 (15.0%). Peak dereplication of LC-MS chromatograms identified several putative compounds in the BUT soluble. DCM-F caused a significant increase (p<0.05) in superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and Vitamins C and E in CCl4-induced rats compared to standard. The levels of serum alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, and malondialdehyde that were elevated in CCl4-induced rats were also significantly reduced (p<0.05) by the DCM-F compared to standard. Conclusion: The ability of V. doniana leaves to mop up free radicals and reverse the CCl4-induced hepatic injury in rats suggests antioxidant potentials. The bioactive compounds identified in BUT fraction could support its ethnomedicinal uses in the treatment of illnesses associated with radical scavenging activity

Racial Capitalism and the African American Experience Entering the Cannabis Industry

The cannabis industry in the United States is a competitive 16.9-billion-dollar industry built on private ownership, access to resources, operation for profit, and racism. However, under current cannabis policies, African American entrepreneurs are not benefiting from ownership and employment within the cannabis industry. Though some policies claim that the current medicinal and adult recreation laws will rectify racial disparities in arrest and ownership regarding cannabis sales, thus far, there are no sufficient increases to ownership, employment, or effective equity programs in place that accurately address racial disparities and the public policy barriers that keep African Americans excluded from the cannabis industry. This qualitative research study explored African American entrepreneurs’ perceptions about the public policy barriers they face attempting to enter the cannabis industry. Robinson’s theory of racial capitalism served as the theoretical foundation for this study. Data collection was through focused interviews, conducted with a snowball sample of participants. Data were coded and analyzed using a modified van Kaam method of analysis. The key findings in this study are the racialization, commodification, and the predatory inclusion African American cannabis entrepreneurs encounter in the application process, accessing capital, and garnering political and community support. Positive social change based on these findings, include recommendations for effective public policy that promote ownership and employment opportunities specifically for African Americans. This study is a guide to identifying racial capitalism in public policies by detailing how to identify patterns in public policy that promote White Supremacy and exclusion

Normal Limits of Electrocardiogram and Cut-Off Values for Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Young Adult Nigerians

This study assessed healthy young adults to determine the normal limits for electrocardiographic variables and cut-off values for left ventricular hypertrophy. It was a cross sectional descriptive study in which the participants were evaluated clinically by standard 12-lead resting electrocardiogram (ECG) at 25mm/s during quiet respiration. The heart rate, P wave duration, axis and amplitude, PR and QT intervals, QRS duration, axis and amplitude and T wave axis were assessed. Three hundred and twenty four (324) volunteers comprising of 175 males and 149 females aged 20 to 30 years (mean, 23.01±2.88years) participated in the study. The normal limits for heart rate, P wave duration, amplitude and axis in lead II, QRS duration and axis, T wave axis, PR interval, QT interval and QTc respectively were; 61-93beats per  minute,0.08-0.12s,1.00-2.00mm,22.00-79.000,78.00-106.00ms,15.50-81.000, 24.25-69.000,0.12-0.19s, 0.32-0.40s and 0.36-0.44s. The cut-off values for Sokolow-Lyon, Cornell and Araoye criteria for assessment of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) were higher than those previously in use in  medical practice. Gender difference exists in some cut-off values for LVH. This study defined the normal limits for electrocardiographic variables for young adult Nigerians. Racial factor should be taken into consideration in interpretation of ECG.Keywords: Normal limits, Electrocardiogram, Cut-off values, Left ventricular hypertrophy, Young Adult

Housing Intervention and Neighbourhood Development: Harnessing Change in West Broadway

During the period leading to the early 1990s the West Broadway area of inner city Winnipeg experienced many signs of neighbourhood decline, such as residential fires, housing abandonment and structural deterioration. From the mid 1990s considerable amounts of volunteer energy, public funding and philanthropic resources were devoted to turning the neighbourhood around, focusing efforts through community development, employment training, arts programs, housing upgrading and other themes. Many individuals and organizations combined their capabilities in the attempt to create an inclusive and diverse community. The study Housing Intervention and Neighbourhood Development was grounded in the need to take stock of changes in the neighbourhood and to relate these to knowledge of the nature of neighbourhood change. It was intended that this would enable an informed assessment of whether dynamics such as gentrification, disinvestment and stabilization appear to be in operation in parts of the neighbourhood. This assessment, in turn, would support discussion of strategies that could be implemented to help guide how the neighbourhood would unfold

Effects of aqueous Anaphe venata extract on fecal pellet output in mice

The consumption of Silkworm, Anaphe venata has been reported to be associated with a high incidence of seasonal ataxia in some parts of Nigeria. Injection of some doses of Aqueous Anaphe venata extract (AAV) by intraperitoneal route into mice has been reported to cause some behavioral changes associated with ataxia. We administered some doses of the extract (50–300 mg/kg) to mice orally in view of finding its effects on their fecal pellet output and elucidating the mechanism of action of the extract in the intestine of the mice. The extract caused a significant increase in fecal pellet weight and intestinal transit which was not dose-dependent. Doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg of the extract caused more significant reversal of loperamide-induced constipation than castor oil. Chlorpheniramine nifedipine and promethazine (1 mg/kg) blocked the increased fecal pellet output induced by the extract, while atropine and hexamethonium (1 mg/kg) did not block this effect of the extract. We concluded that AAV increased fecal pellet output of mice by increasing the peristaltic waves in their intestine via stimulation of H1 receptors and opening of L-type calcium channels and not through the cholinergic receptors.Keywords: H1 receptors, L-type calcium channels, intestinal transit, peristalsi

Chemical constituents of Combretum dolichopetalum: Characterization, antitrypanosomal activities and molecular docking studies

Purpose: To evaluate the in vitro activities of a gallic acid ester and two apigenin flavone glucoside constituents of Combretum dolichopetalum against Trypanosoma brucei brucei s427 (Tbs427) and Trypanosoma congolense IL3000 (Tc-IL3000), and their interactions with a lysosomal papain-like cysteine protease (CP) enzyme in silico.Methods: Anti-trypanosomal activity-guided separation of ethyl acetate fraction using column chromatographic (CC) technique and purification of the CC sub-fractions with semi-preparative HPLC yielded three (1-3) compounds. The structures were characterized based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analyses and tested for activities against Tbs427 and Tc-IL3000. All the compounds were subjected to molecular docking studies for the inhibition of trypanosomal cathepsin B (TbCatB) CP.Results: An ester (1), a butyl gallate, and two positional isomeric apigenin flavone glucosides (2, 3) were identified. The compounds 2 (vitexin) and 3 (isovitexin) showed low in vitro IC50 against the tested parasites. However, 2 (IC50, 25 μM) was more potent than 3 (IC50, 68 μM) against Tbs427 while both were equipotent (IC50 = 2, 11.5 μM and 3, 10.8 μM) against Tc-IL3000. Compound 1 (butyl gallate) showed higher activity against Tc-IL3000 (IC50 = 0.80 μM) than to Tbs427 (IC50, 2.72 μM). The molecular docking study showed that all the compounds had minimum binding energies with a higher affinity towards the active pocket of TbCatB compared to the controls and native inhibitor (CA074).Conclusion: The relatively high in vitro activities and their strong affinity for TbCatB support the need for further optimization of the compounds towards lead identification against animal trypanosomiasis

Evaluation of the effect of ethanolic extract of Croton zambesicus on the testes of Swiss albino mice

The possible effect of Croton zambesicus administration on vital organs has been less investigated despite its extensive traditional use in tropical Africa. We therefore aim at elucidating the effect of ethanolic extract on the testes. The aqueous fraction of ethanolic leaf extract of C. zambesicus (5 and 10 mg/Kg body weight) was administered to verify its effect on sperm concentration, sperm motility, sperm progessivity, malondialdehyde and catalase activities for a period of five consecutive days. The result showed that there is a significant increase in sperm production, sperm motility and sperm progressivity in the treated group when compared with the control; while there was a reduction in malondialdehyde and catalase activity in all the treated groups. The slight increase in the weight of the measured parameters also indicated the positive effect of the extract in the normal metabolic activities in the treated groups. This investigation has shown that the leaf extract possesses promising profertility property which can be exploited in fertility therapy.Key words: Testes, Croton zambesicus, sperm production, sperm motility, sperm progressivity, malondialdehyd