Influential Article Review - Nigeria's Academic Success and Entrepreneurial Involvements

This paper examines entrepreneurship and education. We present insights from a highly influential paper. Here are the highlights from this paper Entrepreneurial interest among the youth population is a panacea for unemployment especially due to high turnout of educated individuals in the labour force. This paper provides findings on the factors that determine entrepreneurship interest among the youth population in Nigeria using the University of Ibadan as a case study. Empirical results on whether engagement in entrepreneurial activities interferes with academic performance; extent of involvement and gender differences are also presented. The logit and multinomial logit models were used to examine the factors that influence entrepreneurship interest and interference with academic performance, respectively. Descriptive statistics and the T test were employed in examining the extent of involvement and whether there is a statistically significant difference across gender. The results showed that subjective norm, perceived behavioural control and family business background significantly predicts students’ interest in entrepreneurship. Engagement in entrepreneurial activity has no significant effect on students’ academic performance. Findings suggest relatively low entrepreneurial engagement among students with significant differences across gender. For our overseas readers, we then present the insights from this paper in Spanish, French, Portuguese, and German

Impacts of Unsustainable Harvesting of Frankincense Producing Boswellia Trees

The use of Boswellia tree’s fragrant resin, known as frankincense has been used in religious rituals and medicines for thousands of years. Those same uses have only increased in popularity throughout the world, and have made their way into western culture, where frankincense is a main ingredient in many skin care, cosmetic and medicinal products. The resin that only Boswellia trees produce make frankincense an important non-timber forest product. Additionally, frankincense producing trees have a limited growing range in high altitudes, with specific growing conditions in the arid regions of the Middle East. These factors make the survival of the frankincense tree, all that more vital. Worldwide increases in demand for frankincense has put strain on the few known Boswellia species that produce the highly sought-after resin. The harvesting practices of tapping the tree to let the wound response resin seep out, is proving to also be hindering the tree’s ability to reproduce, and maintain population numbers. Harvesters are pressured to tap the tree beyond its capable limits in order to get the most resin they can to sell. Boswellia trees are on the decline, and possibly face extinction if sustainable management practices are not explored and enforced. Conservation and restoration management practices, along with sustainable harvesting techniques are suggested as a means of protecting frankincense producing Boswellia for the livelihoods of the people who depend on the tree as well as for future generations

Nutrition Professionals’ Knowledge, Consumption and Recommendations of Whole Grains

Project of Merit Winner Research outcome: To determine the relationship between nutrition professionals’ knowledge, consumption, and recommendations of whole grains. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with nutrition professionals (n=480). Participants were recruited via email and social media from October 2020-February 2021. The participants completed a validated 21-question survey about whole grain knowledge, consumption, and recommendations. Analysis: The analyses included descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation tests. Results: Survey respondents included 72.5% Registered Dietitians Nutritionists (RD/RDN) and 27.5% RD in training (e.g. dietetic intern, student). Nutrition professionals felt whole grains were important in their own diet (93%) and their patient/clients’ diet (75%). A slight majority of nutrition professionals (58%) strongly or somewhat agreed that “personal grain preference influences the grains that you recommend to patients/clients”, despite 67% agreeing to the statement, “client income/background influences the types of grains you recommend to patients/clients.” Nutrition professionals correctly classified 14.9±3.2 of the 23 food classification questions and 9.6±1.8 for the 11 whole grain knowledge statements. Nutrition professionals with direct patient care (n=373) have personally consumed 15.9±3.74 different grains and recommended 9±4.15, the correlation being r=0.29, indicating a significant positive correlation. Conclusions: Nutrition professionals were able to identify whole grain foods and demonstrated knowledge of whole grain benefits; however, there was a disconnect between knowledge and recommendations. Future research should further investigate nutrition professionals’ knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards whole grains. To align nutrition professionals’ whole grain knowledge and recommendation practices, there is a need for enhanced training and education on whole grain varieties

Acute ketamine dysregulates task-related gamma-band oscillations in thalamo-cortical circuits in schizophrenia

Hypofunction of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) has been implicated as a possible mechanism underlying cognitive deficits and aberrant neuronal dynamics in schizophrenia. To test this hypothesis, we first administered a sub-anaesthetic dose of S-ketamine (0.006 mg/kg/min) or saline in a single-blind crossover design in 14 participants while magnetoencephalographic data were recorded during a visual task. In addition, magnetoencephalographic data were obtained in a sample of unmedicated first-episode psychosis patients (n = 10) and in patients with chronic schizophrenia (n = 16) to allow for comparisons of neuronal dynamics in clinical populations versus NMDAR hypofunctioning. Magnetoencephalographic data were analysed at source-level in the 1–90 Hz frequency range in occipital and thalamic regions of interest. In addition, directed functional connectivity analysis was performed using Granger causality and feedback and feedforward activity was investigated using a directed asymmetry index. Psychopathology was assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Acute ketamine administration in healthy volunteers led to similar effects on cognition and psychopathology as observed in first-episode and chronic schizophrenia patients. However, the effects of ketamine on high-frequency oscillations and their connectivity profile were not consistent with these observations. Ketamine increased amplitude and frequency of gamma-power (63–80 Hz) in occipital regions and upregulated low frequency (5–28 Hz) activity. Moreover, ketamine disrupted feedforward and feedback signalling at high and low frequencies leading to hypo- and hyper-connectivity in thalamo-cortical networks. In contrast, first-episode and chronic schizophrenia patients showed a different pattern of magnetoencephalographic activity, characterized by decreased task-induced high-gamma band oscillations and predominantly increased feedforward/feedback-mediated Granger causality connectivity. Accordingly, the current data have implications for theories of cognitive dysfunctions and circuit impairments in the disorder, suggesting that acute NMDAR hypofunction does not recreate alterations in neural oscillations during visual processing observed in schizophrenia

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies 8 novel loci involved in shape variation of human head hair

Shape variation of human head hair shows striking variation within and between human populations, while its genetic basis is far from being understood. We performed a series of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) and replication studies in a total of 28 964 subjects from 9 cohorts from multiple geographic origins. A meta-analysis of three European GWASs identified 8 novel loci (1p36.23

Toro Times: Raising Our Voices!

During the Spring 2019 semester, Dr. Noah Asher Golden\u27s Teaching of Writing K-12 students partnered with the Journalism class at Yorba Academy for the Arts. Through collaboration over a four-month period, Chapman\u27s future teachers and Yorba\u27s junior high journalists engaged a deep writing process to write a series of features, editorials, and news articles related to a number of global issues. Thank you to Principal Preciado-Martin, former principal Tracy Knibb, Mrs. Andrea Lopez, Mrs. Kori Shelton, and the Lloyd E. and Elisabeth H. Klein Family Foundation for supporting this project.https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/yorba-chapman/1004/thumbnail.jp

Modeling “psychosis” in vitro by inducing disordered neuronal network activity in cortical brain slices

# The Author(s) 2009. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Introduction Dysregulation of neuronal networks has been suggested to underlie the cognitive and perceptual abnor-malities observed schizophrenia. Discussions An in vitro model of psychosis is proposed based on the two different approaches to cause aberrant networ

NMDA Receptor Hypofunction Leads to Generalized and Persistent Aberrant γ Oscillations Independent of Hyperlocomotion and the State of Consciousness

International audienceNMDAr antagonists acutely produces, in the rodent CNS, generalized aberrant gamma oscillations, which are not dependent on hyperlocomotion-related brain state or conscious sensorimotor processing. These findings suggest that NMDAr hypofunction-related generalized gamma hypersynchronies represent an aberrant diffuse network noise, a potential electrophysiological correlate of a psychotic-like state. Such generalized noise might cause dysfunction of brain operations, including the impairments in cognition and sensorimotor integration seen in schizophrenia

Differential effects of prenatal and postnatal expressions of mutant human DISC1 on neurobehavioral phenotypes in transgenic mice: evidence for neurodevelopmental origin of major psychiatric disorders

Strong genetic evidence implicates mutations and polymorphisms in the gene Disrupted-In-Schizophrenia-1 (DISC1) as risk factors for both schizophrenia and mood disorders. Recent studies have shown that DISC1 has important functions in both brain development and adult brain function. We have described earlier a transgenic mouse model of inducible expression of mutant human DISC1 (hDISC1) that acts in a dominant-negative manner to induce the marked neurobehavioral abnormalities. To gain insight into the roles of DISC1 at various stages of neurodevelopment, we examined the effects of mutant hDISC1 expressed during (1) only prenatal period, (2) only postnatal period, or (3) both periods. All periods of expression similarly led to decreased levels of cortical dopamine (DA) and fewer parvalbumin-positive neurons in the cortex. Combined prenatal and postnatal expression produced increased aggression and enhanced response to psychostimulants in male mice along with increased linear density of dendritic spines on neurons of the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, and lower levels of endogenous DISC1 and LIS1. Prenatal expression only resulted in smaller brain volume, whereas selective postnatal expression gave rise to decreased social behavior in male mice and depression-like responses in female mice as well as enlarged lateral ventricles and decreased DA content in the hippocampus of female mice, and decreased level of endogenous DISC1. Our data show that mutant hDISC1 exerts differential effects on neurobehavioral phenotypes, depending on the stage of development at which the protein is expressed. The multiple and diverse abnormalities detected in mutant DISC1 mice are reminiscent of findings in major mental diseases

Computational Neuropsychiatry - Schizophrenia as a Cognitive Brain Network Disorder

Computational modeling of functional brain networks in fMRI data has advanced the understanding of higher cognitive function. It is hypothesized that functional networks mediating higher cognitive processes are disrupted in people with schizophrenia. In this article, we review studies that applied measures of functional and effective connectivity to fMRI data during cognitive tasks, in particular working memory fMRI studies. We provide a conceptual summary of the main findings in fMRI data and their relationship with neurotransmitter systems, which are known to be altered in individuals with schizophrenia. We consider possible developments in computational neuropsychiatry, which are likely to further our understanding of how key functional networks are altered in schizophrenia.Dr. Mortimer and Theresa Sackler FoundationRoyal Society (Great Britain) (Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship