Curtailing Academic Dishonesty Using Student Affairs Personnel:The Case of a Private Faith-Based Higher Institution, South-West Nigeria

This study explored the usefulness of Student Affairs Personnel in ensuring academic honesty in a private Faith-Based higher institution, South-West Nigeria, between 2011 and 2014. Using data from descriptive source, the study investigated categories of academic dishonesty and the number of students involved. Moreover, it examined gender composition of these students and disciplinary action given to them. Furthermore, it tried to find out measures which Student Affairs Personnel used to ensure academic integrity and their effectiveness. Relying on raw data retrieved from records, the study came up with nine categories of academic dishonesty that involved ninety-nine students, out of which male students represent the majority (61.6%) while their female counterparts represent the minority (38.4%). The result indicated ten measures which Student Affairs Personnel engage in curtailing academic dishonesty. Nevertheless students in the sample, based on questionnaires distributed, submitted that these Personnel were effective in nine out of ten measures. Finally, the study revealed expulsion as disciplinary action placed on culprits

Hypertension in blacks

The excess of hypertension among blacks has been recognized since early in this century and explains a substantial portion of the black health disadvantage. In a cohort study begun in the 1970s, hypertension accounted for 20% of all-cause mortality among blacks, compared to 10% among whites. National data on trends in hypertension (140/90 mm Hg or treatment) prevalence from 1960 to 1990 suggest a decline from 44% to 32%, although differences in survey technique likely account for this pattern. During this period the prevalence ratio of black:white remained constant at 1.5, suggesting that secular trends in causal factors, if any, effected both groups equally. Recent data demonstrate a gradient in risk across the African diaspora, with standardized prevalences of 14% in West Africa and 26% in the Caribbean, compared to 33% in the US. This pattern parallels the gradient in known risk factors, with obesity alone accounting for a third of the excess in the US compared to Africa. Why the black excess of hypertension in the US? Despite widespread speculation, unique characteristics of hypertension among blacks have yet to be established. Consistent evidence demonstrates a similar impact of the known risk factors in all population groups. Epidemiologic evidence likewise suggests that a similar risk of complications exists with blood pressure elevation among blacks and whites, level for level. Although the genetic epidemiology of hypertension is still in its infancy, no clear cross-population differences are yet apparent. Pathophysiologic traits that are known to be part of the causal etiologic pathway have not been shown to vary across groups. Unique features of this condition among blacks are likely to be restricted to the different mixes and intensities of risk factors. In the absence of evidence to support the hypothesis, it is perhaps surprising that credence continues to be given to the notion of black exceptionalism

The need for an integrated approach for chronic disease research and care in Africa

With the changing distribution of infectious diseases, and an increase in the burden of non-communicable diseases, low- and middle-income countries, including those in Africa, will need to expand their health care capacities to effectively respond to these epidemiological transitions. The interrelated risk factors for chronic infectious and non-communicable diseases and the need for long-term disease management, argue for combined strategies to understand their underlying causes and to design strategies for effective prevention and long-term care. Through multidisciplinary research and implementation partnerships, we advocate an integrated approach for research and healthcare for chronic diseases in Africa

An in vivo genetic screen for genes involved in spliced leader trans-splicing indicates a crucial role for continuous de novo spliced leader RNP assembly

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Some strains were provided by the CGC, which is funded by NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (P40 OD010440). We would also like to thank Prof. Shohei Mitani,at the National Bioresource Project for the Experimental Animal ‘Nematode C. elegans’, Japan, for FX3079. We are grateful to Prof. Tom Blumenthal (University of Colorado, Boulder) for suggestions and support of this work; and to Kathrine Wood for her contribution to the initial stages of part of this work. Author contributions. L.P., G.P., R.F., N.H., J.P. and B.M. performed experiments; B.M., J.P. and B.C. designed and lead the study; B.M. and J.P. drafted the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript. FUNDING Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) [Project grant BB/J007137/1]; Medical Research Council (MRC) Confidence in Concept 2014 - University of Aberdeen Award(MC PC 14114v.2); University of Aberdeen Elphinstone Scholarship (to R.F.) and TET Fund support through Adekunle Ajasin University, Nigeria (to R.F.). Funding for open access charge: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and Medical Research Council.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

An epigenome-wide association study in whole blood of measures of adiposity among Ghanaians: the RODAM study

Background: Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) have identified DNA methylation loci involved in adiposity. However, EWAS on adiposity in sub- Saharan Africans are lacking despite the high burden of adiposity among African populations. We undertook an EWAS for anthropometric indices of adiposity among Ghanaians aiming to identify DNA methylation loci that are significantly associated. Methods: The Illumina 450k DNA methylation array was used to profile DNA methylation in whole blood samples of 547 Ghanaians from the Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants (RODAM) study. Differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and differentially methylation regions (DMRs) were identified for BMI and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2), as well as for waist circumference (WC) and abdominal obesity (WC ≥ 102 cm in men, ≥88 cm in women). All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, blood cell distribution estimates, technical covariates, recruitment site and population stratification. We also did a replication study of previously reported EWAS loci for anthropometric indices in other populations. Results: We identified 18 DMPs for BMI and 23 for WC. For obesity and abdominal obesity, we identified three and one DMP, respectively. Fourteen DMPs overlapped between BMI and WC. DMP cg00574958 annotated to gene CPT1A was the only DMP associated with all outcomes analysed, attributing to 6.1 and 5.6% of variance in obesity and abdominal obesity, respectively. DMP cg07839457 (NLRC5) and cg20399616 (BCAT1) were significantly associated with BMI, obesity and with WC and had not been reported by previous EWAS on adiposity. Conclusions: This first EWAS for adiposity in Africans identified three epigenome-wide significant loci (CPT1A, NLRC5 and BCAT1) for both general adiposity and abdominal adiposity. The findings are a first step in understanding the role of DNA methylation in adiposity among sub-Saharan Africans. Studies on other sub-Saharan African populations as well as translational studies are needed to determine the role of these DNA methylation variants in the high burden of adiposity among sub- Saharan Africans

Strengthening human genetics research in Africa: report of the 9th meeting of the African Society of Human Genetics in Dakar in May 2016.

The 9th meeting of the African Society of Human Genetics, in partnership with the Senegalese Cancer Research and Study Group and the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) Consortium, was held in Dakar, Senegal. The theme was Strengthening Human Genetics Research in Africa. The 210 delegates came from 21 African countries and from France, Switzerland, UK, UAE, Canada and the USA. The goal was to highlight genetic and genomic science across the African continent with the ultimate goal of improving the health of Africans and those across the globe, and to promote the careers of young African scientists in the field. A session on the sustainability of genomic research in Africa brought to light innovative and practical approaches to supporting research in resource-limited settings and the importance of promoting genetics in academic, research funding, governmental and private sectors. This meeting led to the formation of the Senegalese Society for Human Genetics

The role of the supply chain in the elimination and reduction of construction rework and defects: an action research approach

Since 2007, Ireland has suffered a circa 80% reduction in construction output. This has resulted in bankruptcy, unemployment and bad debt. Contractors have attached greater emphasis to production efficiency and cost reduction as a means of survival. An Action Research (AR) strategy was used in this research to improve processes adopted by a SME contractor for the control of defects in its supply chain. It is conservatively estimated that rework, typically accounts for, circa 5% of total project costs. Rework is wasteful and presents an obvious target for improvement. The research reported here concerns the (first) diagnosing stage of the AR cycle only, involving: observation of fieldwork, analysis of contract documents, and semi-structured interviews with supply chain members. The results indicate potential for supply chain participants to identify root causes of defects and propose solutions, having regard to best practice to avoid re-occurrence. A lack of collaborative forums to contribute to production improvement was identified. Additionally the processes, used to collect, manage and disseminate data were unstructured and uncoordinated, indicating scope for developing more efficient methods. The research indicates good understanding of the potential benefits for supply chain collaboration but suggests that the tools and knowledge to collaborate are currently lacking in the SME sector