Aneuploid proliferation defects in yeast are not driven by copy number changes of a few dosage-sensitive genes

Aneuploidy—the gain or loss of one or more whole chromosome—typically has an adverse impact on organismal fitness, manifest in conditions such as Down syndrome. A central question is whether aneuploid phenotypes are the consequence of copy number changes of a few especially harmful genes that may be present on the extra chromosome or are caused by copy number alterations of many genes that confer no observable phenotype when varied individually. We used the proliferation defect exhibited by budding yeast strains carrying single additional chromosomes (disomes) to distinguish between the “few critical genes” hypothesis and the “mass action of genes” hypothesis. Our results indicate that subtle changes in gene dosage across a chromosome can have significant phenotypic consequences. We conclude that phenotypic thresholds can be crossed by mass action of copy number changes that, on their own, are benign.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (GM056800

Barns for Work Animals.

28 p

Commercial Feeding Stuffs, 1914-15: Texas Feed Law.

279 p

Commercial Feeding Stuffs, 1915-16: Texas Feed Law.

353 p

The Possibilities of Brazil as a Competitor of the United States in Cotton Growing.

59 p

Storage and Diseases of the Sweet Potato in Texas.

41 p

COVID-19 pandemic: ten research questions Africa must answer for itself

The COVID-19 pandemic is spreading through Africa and governments are making frantic efforts to control spread, hospitalizations and deaths. While control measures are being taken, research into the biomedical and socio-cultural aspects of the pandemic, relevant to the African population, should not be ignored. It should not be assumed that research performed in Asian, American and European populations will always be applicable to Africa. Rather, research should be done in Africa to answer questions peculiar to the epidemic on the continent and help inform international guidelines. National guidelines for treatment and prevention, patient recoveries and discharge, and public health control measures should be based on research performed in the appropriate context for them to be effective and robust. Urgent research is needed in viral immunology and shedding, treatment and prevention trials, protection of healthcare personnel, and antimicrobial use among others. In this article, we propose ten research questions that when answered in a timely manner by scientists in Africa, will enhance Africa’s response to the pandemic

Enhancing Teacher Preparation Programme to Minimize Challenges of Mentors in the In-In-Out Programme of Holy Child College of Education

The purpose of this study was to find out how the teacher preparation programme was responding to the challenges of mentors and mentees in playing their roles so as to employ the appropriate strategies in addressing them to enhance the programme. Enhancing teacher preparation programme to minimize challenges faced by mentors in the out programme of Holy Child College of Education through selected intervention strategies was the aim of the study. The specific objectives were to assess the role of mentors in the out programme and put in place relevant interventional measures to improve its effectiveness.  The research questions include; to what extent were mentors providing support and guidance needed?  And to what extent would the selected interventional measures implemented minimize the challenges of mentors. The sample size of the study was 30.  This was made up of 18 females and 12 male mentors.  They were randomly and purposively selected respectively.  The instrument used for collecting the data for the study was questionnaire. The  intervention used were; series of lectures by out programme coordinator on the qualities of mentors, organisation of a three day training course for mentors on their attitudes towards mentees and inclusion of weekends on the study cycle meeting by link tutors. During the pre-intervention stage, the data collected revealed the following: absenteeism of mentors, lack of regular discussion and supervision by mentors, lead mentors and lack of appropriate teaching and learning materials. Mentors did provide support and guidance needed after the intervention in the areas of lesson planning, facilitating mentees’ learning and offered suggestions. Keywords: Mentor, Mentee, Challenge, interventio

Are Fc gamma receptor polymorphisms important in HIV-1 infection outcomes and latent reservoir size?

Fc gamma receptors (FcγR) are cell surface glycoproteins which trigger specific effector-cell responses when cross-linked with the Fc portions of immunoglobulin (IgG) antibodies. During HIV-1 infection, the course of disease progression, ART response, and viral reservoir size vary in different individuals. Several factors may account for these differences; however, Fc gamma receptor gene polymorphisms, which influence receptor binding to IgG antibodies, are likely to play a key role. FcγRIIa (CD32) was recently reported as a potential marker for latent HIV reservoir, however, this assertion is still inconclusive. Whether FcγR polymorphisms influence the size of the viral reservoir, remains an important question in HIV cure studies. In addition, potential cure or viral suppression methods such as broadly neutralizing antibody (bNAbs) may depend on FcγRs to control the virus. Here, we discuss the current evidence on the potential role played by FcγR polymorphisms in HIV-1 infection, treatment and vaccine trial outcomes. Importantly, we highlight contrasting findings that may be due to multiple factors and the relatively limited data from African populations. We recommend further studies especially in sub-Saharan Africa to confirm the role of FcγRIIa in the establishment of latent reservoir and to determine their influence in therapies involving bNAbs