Dynamics of Local Conflict in Post 1990 Africa: A Case of Border Dispute

Across African countries, various strands of local conflicts are discernible. In the post 1990 Africa much of the inter and intra country disputes reappears and provides important insights to explore patterns of such local conflicts  as themes  such as border dispute provide influential prognosis to re-evaluate democracy resurgence and local conflict  transformation challenges. The paper contends that borders which are  volatile  and strategic constitute dominant strands of  local conflict dynamics and  deploys  the incompatibility framework and secondary data sources to  explore some theoretical issues raised on African border dispute. It examines the nexus between colonial demarcation of Africa and novel trends such as globalization , from revisionist and anti- revisionist view points to understand the  struggles and agitations for border control and ownership which are important in enriching the understanding of Africa’s democracy since the end of authoritarian one party system. Findings suggest that despite democracy resurgence, reforms seem minimal. Policy discourse on more collaborative efforts and cooperation aimed at lasting peace is crucial

Alleviating Irinotecan-Induced Diarrhea Using Locally Bioavailable Naturally Occurring Flavonoids

Chemotherapy-induced diarrhea is a frequent side effect that occurs with several chemotherapeutic agents. However, it is an understudied area in the management of cancer. This concern is significant with irinotecan, a camptothecin derivative. Irinotecan hydrochloride (CPT-11) is a prodrug that is hydrolyzed to SN-38, a potent topoisomerase 1 inhibitor used as the first-line agent for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. However, there is a concern regarding gastrointestinal toxicity, especially diarrhea. Many patients have reported experiencing diarrhea, and severe diarrhea episodes (grades 3 and 4) have been recorded in about 40 % of patients (J. J. Lee & Sun, 2016). Several medications have been used to attenuate the diarrhea episodes, ranging from nonpharmacological such as using probiotics, glutamine, and activated charcoal, to pharmacological approaches, such as loperamide and octreotide, and diphenoxylate-atropine (Koselke, Elizabeth; Kraft, 2012). Yet, the challenge persists as patients are administered this chemotherapeutic agent; irinotecan does not seem to respond to these anti-diarrheal medications. Researchers have well studied the mechanism and disposition of the prodrug irinotecan; after parenteral administration of irinotecan, it is hydrolyzed by carboxylesterase enzyme to the active moiety SN-38 which is further conjugated to the inactive metabolite SN-38G in the presence of UGT. However, this conjugated form of the drug SN-38G can be deconjugated back to the active drug SN-38 in the presence of β-GUS, produced in the intestine. Thus, constant accumulation of the active drug in the intestinal lumen results in intestinal epithelial injury leading to severe diarrhea. Therefore, this study aims to utilize locally bioavailable naturally occurring flavonoids (wogonin and chrysin) to alleviate irinotecan-induced diarrhea. Before starting the experimental plan, we had to establish a diarrhea model. Firstly, we fed the mouse with regular diets for two weeks; after that, we administered CPT-11 at doses of 50 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg, and 75 mg/kg. However, the animals experienced only grade 1 and 2 diarrhea at those doses. We then decided to change their animal feed to a special diet, which has been reported to contain fewer phytoestrogens and fibers. We repeated similar doses, and at 75 mg/kg, the animals had severe diarrhea (grade 4); thus, we established the diarrhea model at 75 mg/kg dose. Prior to the administration of CPT-11, the animals were divided into three groups, naïve (blank), control (irinotecan-only), and treatment group (irinotecan and oral flavonoids). The treated group was pretreated with oral gavage of wogonin/chrysin at 100 mg/kg per day for three days before co-administering with CPT-11. CPT-11 was administered intraperitoneally (I.P) to mice at a dose of 75 mg/kg per day for six consecutive days as a bolus injection, and then the disease activity indexes (i.e., body weight, diarrhea score, and survival analysis) were monitored. GI tissues were also collected on day 4 (before diarrhea) to quantitate tissue drug concentrations of SN-38 and SN-38G using LC-MS/MS, alongside histological evaluation and using enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) to document inflammatory markers. In addition, a xenograft mouse model study was done using immunocompromised nude mice to evaluate the possible drug-drug interaction of the oral flavonoids in the anti-tumor activity of CPT-11. Oral flavonoids (wogonin/chrysin) alleviated irinotecan-induced diarrhea damage by reducing weight loss (steady body weight) and diarrhea score (grade 1) and attenuating mucositis in the small intestine and colon. The chemotherapy-only administered group experienced severe diarrhea (grade 4) and weight loss of about a 20 % decrease. Similarly, with the survival analysis, the oral flavonoids treated group all survived (100 %) both male and female, but in the irinotecan group, only 40 % of female and 60 % of male mice survived. Histological analysis confirmed that the oral flavonoids prevented short, scanty, and denuded villi in the ileum and colon. Moreover, oral flavonoid treatment mitigated irinotecan-induced oxidative stress by downregulating IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, TNFα, and IFNα. Compared with the control group (irinotecan only), the oral flavonoid groups (irinotecan co-administered) decreased the expression of IL-1β by 2-folds in the small intestine and 1.5 folds in the colon. With IL-6, we also observed a similar trend in both small intestine and colon. Interestingly, the expression of IL-18 was significantly downregulated in the small intestine, with almost a 4-fold decrease and a 2-fold decrease in the colon. The expressions of TNFα and IFNα were downregulated considerably, with about a 2-fold decrease in the oral flavonoid-treated group showing promising potential in reducing the expression of inflammatory cytokines in irinotecan-exposed mice. To evaluate the epithelial tight junction barrier, we use an ELISA kit to detect the expression of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin. We observed that the oral flavonoids prevented the disruption of the tight junction ZO-1 and occludin, especially in the small intestine, in about a 2-folds increase. Having determined that the oral flavonoids significantly impacted the disease activity index, inflammatory cytokines, and tight junction proteins in irinotecan-exposed mice, we decided to see if the coadministration of oral flavonoids and irinotecan could impact the efficacy of the chemotherapy agent. We established a xenograft mouse model using immunocompromised nude mice. We inoculated the nude mice with 2 million cells/mL of HT-29 colon cell subcutaneously into their upper right limb, and when the tumor-bearing mice tumor growth was 150 mm^3, we started the coadministration of the irinotecan and oral flavonoids for seven days. After the study, we excised the liver, small intestine, and colon tissues. The results showed that with the oral flavonoids treatment both at low (50 mg/kg) and high (75 mg/kg) doses of irinotecan, there was no significant impact of wogonin/chrysin on the PK of irinotecan on day eight, as the AUC was within ±1 fold for the control and the treated group. We randomly excised the tumor after 6 hours of dose administration of irinotecan, and we observed no significant difference between the irinotecan-only group and the treated group. The drug concentration of CPT-11 and SN-38 was within ±1 fold for the control and the treated group. Also, the oral flavonoids did not interfere with the anti-tumor activity of CPT-11 as the tumor volumes on the last day of study for irinotecan only, low treated dose, and the high treated dose was 1133 mm^3, 550 mm^3, and 578 mm^3, respectively for the female group, while for the male group was 436 mm^3, 621 mm^3 and 368 mm^3 respectively. This result shows that the female group responded to both irinotecan and oral flavonoids, inferring some gender differences. Interestingly, the oral flavonoids-treated group showed no significant difference to the control group (irinotecan only) in SN38-G tissue drug concentration in the duodenum and jejunum as the oral flavonoid-treated group showed promising potential to alleviate irinotecan-induced diarrhea. In conclusion, we can clearly show that the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines and tight junctions proteins upregulation are significant factors in the development of irinotecan-induced diarrhea, and its manipulation can result in alleviating irinotecan-induced diarrhea by using locally bioavailable naturally occurring flavonoids. This knowledge can be helpful in the management of chemotherapy-induced diarrhea by mitigating this dose-limiting gastrointestinal toxicity

Mass Media Management of the Inter-Ethnic Conflict In Warri Delta State, Nigeria: An Evaluative Study

This paper critically evaluates the activities of Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS) Warri in trying to prevent, resolve and transform the inter-ethnic conflicts in Warri in 2003. Using content analysis and structured individual interviews with two (2) policy and decision makers, four (4) producers and programme staff purposively sampled from the Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS) Warri, data was collected (with the aid of a checklist) on variables such as; (i) the role of the state government in the resolution and transformation of the conflict (ii) the level of conflict prevention preparedness in DBS (iii) the role of DBS in the resolution of the conflict (iv) how the media covered the conflict (v) the plans in place to build peace and prevent future conflict and (vi) the factors acting as constraints to the effectiveness of the media in the prevention, resolution and transformation of the conflict. Findings show that the role of the media (DBS) in the prevention, resolution and transformation of the conflict has been minimal and underplayed. There was no organizational capacity for conflict prevention and resolution. DBS was not able to objectively manage the conflict due to the gate keeping function of its owners and inadequate fiscal, human and technical capacity of the media organization, to design, produce and transmit programmes. In order to strengthen the conflict management capacity of the media establishment, there is need for (i) greater involvement and commitment of media executives to conflict management (ii) policy support to a proactive and transformational approach to mass media programming and (iii) institutionalization and organizational transformation, that includes the formation of strategic alliances between the media and NGOs, the private sector and relevant government agencies, to facilitate funding, research, capacity building, infrastructural development and information exchange.

Language, Beliefs and the HIV-AIDS Campaign In Africa

African governments accepted the reality of HIV-AIDS as a matter of convenience and not out of conviction. As a result, many of them failed to achieve the targets they set for HIV-AIDS prevention. This paper attributes this failure to the language and concepts used in introducing HIV-AIDS as a disease and in promoting safer sex practices such as abstinence, being faithful and condom use (ABC) as the core measures for the prevention of sexual transmission of HIV infection.  The paper observes that the concepts of HIV-AIDS, abstinence, mutual fidelity (monogamy) and condom use originated from the west and did not fit into the cosmology, the consensus of meaning and normative behaviour within the African sociocultural and economic environment and therefore could not engender the desired sexual behavioural changes at the group and individual levels. The paper notes however, that there are linguistic elements in some African countries studied that negatively or positively reinforce the spread of HIV-AIDS and promote large family size.  By identifying the linguistic elements in the culture that positively reinforce HIV-AIDS prevention messages and behaviours, we may succeed in assimilating the people’s traditional values in line with the demands of modernity. There is therefore need for semantic restructuring of HIV-AIDS campaign messages so that words, slogans and messages originate from the community and reflect the linguistic and sociocultural realities of the people. By using local language, local idioms, local media and local social networks, we may succeed in reducing the semantic noise in HIV-AIDS messages. Keywords: Language and Beliefs, Language use and HIV/AIDS Transmission in  Africa

U.S. Opioid Epidemic: Challenges and Opportunities for Evidence-based Policies

Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicated that on average, 130 Americans die every day from opioid-related overdose. For the first time, more Americans are dying from opioids than from guns, car accidents or breast cancer. “Every 8 minutes, someone in America dies from a drug overdose; usually from opioids such as, heroin, illicit fentanyl, or oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine and hydromorphine prescribed by doctors.” Specifically, prescription opioids account for approximately 40%-70% of fatal and non-fatal overdoses, and are frequently the first opioids encountered by individuals before transitioning to illicit drugs. In response to this public health epidemic, a number of policies have been enacted to mitigate the problem. However, some policies may “prevent patients who need opioids from getting them, turn providers into policemen when patients seek opioids, and police providers themselves when they prescribe opioids.” Difficulty of accessing prescription opioids may contribute to increased demand for illegal narcotics, such as heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF). Herein lies the challenge of reversing the opioid epidemic while ensuring access to safe opioid treatment. This document reviews policy approaches to addressing the epidemic, and considers opportunities for evidence-based strategies

Mass Media and Democratic Consolidation in Africa: Problems, Challenges and Prospects

One of the elements of democracy and the rule of law is the freedom of expression. To democratize is to ensure free unhindered two-way communication between the government and the governed. The essence is to ensure the responsiveness of the government to the yearnings of the people and for the people to put their views across to government without fear or hindrance and in an atmosphere devoid of interference. Against this background, this paper examines the role of the mass media in the process of democratic consolidation in Africa, including Nigeria. The objective is to identify the factors acting as constraints to the effectiveness of the mass media in ensuring democratic consolidation. It observes that the sustainability of democracy in Africa depends on several factors, some of which are located within the media itself while others are based on the prevailing political, socio-economic, legal, infrastructural, cultural and religious environment Jin the different countries. The most crucial factor for the sustenance of democracy in Africa would consist of the enthronement of a popular- sovereignty that touches the daily lives of the populace, gives meaning to the notion of citizenship and goes beyond the constitutionally defined form of rule. The role of the media is facilitative, supportive and integrative. To achieve greater media effectiveness in promoting democratic ideals and governance in Africa, there is need for private sector partnership and involvement of civil society organizations in media ownership in order to achieve a balance .Keywords: Democracy in Africa, Mass Media and Democracy

Securing Land Title/Ownership Rights: A Survey of the level of Compliance with Land Registration in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

This study aimed at assessing the level of compliance with land registration with a view to determining the extent of securing landed properties in Akwa Ibom State. Information regarding the procedures of land registration and issuance of Certificates of Occupancy were obtained through structured interviews and discussions with the Director, Lands Directorate, Ministry of Lands and Town Planning, Uyo. The data on land parcels surveyed and Certificates of Occupancy issued to respective applicants were obtained after a critical assessment of the public register where all interests in landed properties were recorded at the office of Akwa Ibom State Surveyor-General and Lands Directorate, Ministry of Lands and Town planning respectively. A comparative analysis of the data amongst the three senatorial districts in the State was done with the Analysis of Variance - one way classification (ANOVA). However, records revealed that a total number of 33,100 parcels of land were surveyed between 2000 and 2009 in the State. Of this number, only 1,933 parcels representing six (6) percent were completely registered and Certificates of Occupancy issued. The ANOVA result revealed a landmark variation in the distribution of these title documents across the three Senatorial Districts in the State. In conclusion, and based on available records, the level of compliance with land registration in Akwa Ibom State was far below expectation. By implication, securing landed properties, enhancing effective land markets and accessing credits for business developments could be undermined in the State. However, with the possibilities offered in the information technology (IT) in recent times, the development of a dependable and more automated land information management system where data storage, processing, and retrieval could be facilitated is highly recommended in the State. Keywords: Land Policy and Administration, Land registration, and Certificates of Occupancy

ЗНАЧЕННЯ ФІНАНСОВИХ ПУЛІВ ДЛЯ ФІНАНСУВАННЯ ЦІЛЕЙ СТАЛОГО РОЗВИТКУ

This paper is devoted to the research of the effectiveness of pool funding as a scientific concept and practical approach to finance sustainable development goals at international and national levels. The essence of the concept is grouping together funds of different economic agents in order to increase the financial capacity and to minimize risks in financing sustainable development goals.According to authors' research, this approach is particularly relevant for countries with transition economies or developing countries, where most of the sustainable development goals are unsolved and require significant resources to finance them. The institutional and economic mechanism for implementing such approach is the creation of national Pool Funds for financing sustainable development programs. A prerequisite for the creation of such funds is the development of a national strategy for financing sustainable development programs in accordance with socio-economic realities and the possibilities of involving various economic agents and partners in the joint financing of programs to provide a secure future for the next generations. Other important prerequisites for the foundation of Pool Funds for sustainable development are: determination of sources of accumulation of financial resources; selection of effective and adequate financial instruments; conducting control of purposeful use of funds and determination of socio-economic effect from financing of projects and programs of sustainable development. According to this approach it will contribute to the concentration and unification of sources and mechanisms for financing sustainable development programs at the national level, as well as for monitoring the use of funds for their intended purposes.Посвящено исследованию механизма эффективности пул финансирования как научной концепции и практического подхода финансового обеспечения целей устойчивого развития на международном и национальном уровнях. Институциональный и экономический механизмы реализации такого подхода национальном уровне заключаются в создании национальных пул фондов для финансирования программ устойчивого развития. Важными предпосылками создания пул фондов для финансирования устойчивого развития являются: формирование национальной стратегии финансирования целей устойчивого развития; определение источников формирования и концентрация финансовых ресурсов; выбор эффективных и адекватных финансовых инструментов; проведение контроля за целевым использованием средств и определения социально-экономического эффекта от финансирования проэктов и программ устойчивого развития.Присвячена дослідженню ефективності механізму пул фінансування як наукової концепції та практичного підходу фінансового забезпечення цілей сталого розвитку на міжнародному і національному рівнях. Суть концепції полягає в об’єднанні фінансових ресурсів різних економічних агентів з метою збільшення фінансової спроможності та мінімізації ризиків при фінансуванні цілей сталого розвитку.Згідно з дослідженнями авторів, цей підхід особливо актуальний для країн із перехідною економікою або країн, що розвиваються, де більшість цілей сталого розвитку є невирішеними і потребують значних ресурсів для їх фінансування. Інституційний та економічний механізми реалізації такого підходу полягають у створенні національних пул фондів для фінансування програм сталого розвитку. Передумовою створення таких фондів є розроблення національної стратегії фінансування програм сталого розвитку відповідно до соціально-економічних реалій і можливостей залучення різних економічних суб’єктів для спільного фінансування програм, спрямованих на забезпечення безпечного майбутнього для наступних поколінь.Важливими передумовами для створення пул фондів для сталого розвитку є такі: визначення джерел формування та концентрації фінансових ресурсів; вибір ефективних і адекватних фінансових інструментів; проведення контролю за цільовим використанням коштів та визначення соціально-економічного ефекту від фінансування проектів і програм сталого розвитку. Такий підхід сприятиме концентрації та уніфікації джерел і механізмів фінансування програм сталого розвитку на національному рівні, а також моніторингу використання коштів за їхнім призначенням