Language of education and development in Africa: prospects for decolonisation and empowerment

The bulk of the book is based on papers presented during two virtual conferences hosted by the University of Leiden (Netherlands) in 2021. At the Africa Knows! Conference, a panel was devoted to ‘The language issue and knowledge communication in Africa.’ It was initiated by the Universities of Ilorin (Nigeria) and Chemnitz (Germany). The papers by Eleshin, Oloruntoba-Oju, Sanon-Ouattara, Van Pinxteren, and Zatolokina were all first presented at this panel, before being peer-reviewed for this volume. The central theme of the conference was the decolonization of Africa’s knowledge production and related processes. The second conference was the 10th World Congress on African Languages and Linguistics (WOCAL) in June, where a workshop took place under the auspices of the Edinburgh Circle on the Promotion of African Languages, entitled ‘Let’s turn to policy.’ The papers by Alfredo, Dissake, and Nguere and Smith were also first presented during this workshop before being peer-reviewed for this volume. In general, the position taken by the editors is that using indigenous languages in education can make an important contribution to national development as well as to personal empowerment. Africa is characterised in part by its continued use of former colonial languages in education. However, sixty years after independence, it seems high time to question this colonial heritage. In the context of global and digital communication today, old African values of multilingualism and culture-specific communicative strategies should not be neglected, but revalued and revived in new ways. We do not deny the importance of a good command of international languages. However, this should not be at the expense of indigenous languages. The introduction to the book argues that a transition towards increased use of African languages in formal domains will not only be necessary and practically possible, it will become inevitable. bookDescriptive and Comparative Linguistic

Intradiscal treatment of the cartilage endplate for improving solute transport and disc nutrition

Poor nutrient transport through the cartilage endplate (CEP) is a key factor in the etiology of intervertebral disc degeneration and may hinder the efficacy of biologic strategies for disc regeneration. Yet, there are currently no treatments for improving nutrient transport through the CEP. In this study we tested whether intradiscal delivery of a matrix-modifying enzyme to the CEP improves solute transport into whole human and bovine discs. Ten human lumbar motion segments harvested from five fresh cadaveric spines (38–66 years old) and nine bovine coccygeal motion segments harvested from three adult steers were treated intradiscally either with collagenase enzyme or control buffer that was loaded in alginate carrier. Motion segments were then incubated for 18 h at 37 °C, the bony endplates removed, and the isolated discs were compressed under static (0.2 MPa) and cyclic (0.4–0.8 MPa, 0.2 Hz) loads while submerged in fluorescein tracer solution (376 Da; 0.1 mg/ml). Fluorescein concentrations from site-matched nucleus pulposus (NP) samples were compared between discs. CEP samples from each disc were digested and assayed for sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) and collagen contents. Results showed that enzymatic treatment of the CEP dramatically enhanced small solute transport into the disc. Discs with enzyme-treated CEPs had up to 10.8-fold (human) and 14.0-fold (bovine) higher fluorescein concentration in the NP compared to site-matched locations in discs with buffer-treated CEPs (p < 0.0001). Increases in solute transport were consistent with the effects of enzymatic treatment on CEP composition, which included reductions in sGAG content of 33.5% (human) and 40% (bovine). Whole disc biomechanical behavior—namely, creep strain and disc modulus—was similar between discs with enzyme- and buffer-treated CEPs. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the potential for matrix modification of the CEP to improve the transport of small solutes into whole intact discs

Wound dressings for a proteolytic-rich environment

Wound dressings have experienced continuous and significant changes over the years based on the knowledge of the biochemical events associated with chronic wounds. The development goes from natural materials used to just cover and conceal the wound to interactive materials that can facilitate the healing process, addressing specific issues in non-healing wounds. These new types of dressings often relate with the proteolytic wound environment and the bacteria load to enhance the healing. Recently, the wound dressing research is focusing on the replacement of synthetic polymers by natural protein materials to delivery bioactive agents to the wounds. This article provides an overview on the novel protein-based wound dressings such as silk fibroin keratin and elastin. The improved properties of these dressings, like the release of antibiotics and growth factors, are discussed. The different types of wounds and the effective parameters of healing process will be reviewed

Punch-Through Foundation Failure of Oil Drilling Platform in the Deltaic Plain of the Niger River

The deltaic plains of the Niger River are composed mostly of Pleistocene sediments. On the occurrence of low stands of the sea level due to eustatic changes, the sediments were exposed to temperature fluctuations during the Quaternary period, leading to strata sequence generated in these plains that allowed strong layers of soil to overlie weaker layers of the same age. Most of the onshore explorations for oil and gas in Nigeria take place within these plains of the Niger. A well was to be drilled in search of oil and gas in allocation within these plains. As often done, a reinforced concrete slab was constructed for the drilling platform to support the drilling rig and the ancillary tools. The drilling operation commenced with the installation of a conductor casing 750mm diameter and 105m long. The drilling proceeded without any adverse event until a depth of 1000m was attained. At this depth the drilling bit got stuck in the hole and all attempts to retrieve the bit and the drilling string failed. The frantic lifting attempts inadvertently made the cellar slab to provide the reaction system for the applied uplift loads. A severe damage was caused to the cellar slab. Further attempts eventually caused the collapse of the drilling platform. This paper presents the records and events that led to the collapse of the drilling platform, the findings of the post-failure investigation and the proffered solution for the reconstruction of the platform

Language of education and development in Africa: prospects for decolonisation and empowerment

The bulk of the book is based on papers presented during two virtual conferences hosted by the University of Leiden (Netherlands) in 2021. At the Africa Knows! Conference, a panel was devoted to ‘The language issue and knowledge communication in Africa.’ It was initiated by the Universities of Ilorin (Nigeria) and Chemnitz (Germany). The papers by Eleshin, Oloruntoba-Oju, Sanon-Ouattara, Van Pinxteren, and Zatolokina were all first presented at this panel, before being peer-reviewed for this volume. The central theme of the conference was the decolonization of Africa’s knowledge production and related processes. The second conference was the 10th World Congress on African Languages and Linguistics (WOCAL) in June, where a workshop took place under the auspices of the Edinburgh Circle on the Promotion of African Languages, entitled ‘Let’s turn to policy.’ The papers by Alfredo, Dissake, and Nguere and Smith were also first presented during this workshop before being peer-reviewed for this volume. In general, the position taken by the editors is that using indigenous languages in education can make an important contribution to national development as well as to personal empowerment. Africa is characterised in part by its continued use of former colonial languages in education. However, sixty years after independence, it seems high time to question this colonial heritage. In the context of global and digital communication today, old African values of multilingualism and culture-specific communicative strategies should not be neglected, but revalued and revived in new ways. We do not deny the importance of a good command of international languages. However, this should not be at the expense of indigenous languages. The introduction to the book argues that a transition towards increased use of African languages in formal domains will not only be necessary and practically possible, it will become inevitable. </p

Empowering African Languages: An Introduction

Descriptive and Comparative Linguistic

Hypoxia mimicking hydrogels to regulate the fate of transplanted stem cells

Controlling the phenotype of transplanted stem cells is integral to ensuring their therapeutic efficacy. Hypoxia is a known regulator of stem cell fate, the effects of which can be mimicked using hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors such as dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG). By releasing DMOG from mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) laden alginate hydrogels, it is possible to stabilize HIF-1α and enhance its nuclear localization. This correlated with enhanced chondrogenesis and a reduction in the expression of markers associated with chondrocyte hypertrophy, as well as increased SMAD 2/3 nuclear localization in the encapsulated MSCs. In vivo, DMOG delivery significantly reduced mineralisation of the proteoglycan-rich cartilaginous tissue generated by MSCs within alginate hydrogels loaded with TGF-β3 and BMP-2. Together these findings point to the potential of hypoxia mimicking hydrogels to control the fate of stem cells following their implantation into the body. Statement of Significance: There are relatively few examples where in vivo delivery of adult stem cells has demonstrated a true therapeutic benefit. This may be attributed, at least in part, to a failure to control the fate of transplanted stem cells in vivo. In this paper we describe the development of hydrogels that mimic the effects of hypoxia on encapsulated stem cells. In vitro, these hydrogels enhance chondrogenesis of MSCs and suppress markers associated with chondrocyte hypertrophy. In an in vivo environment that otherwise supports progression along an endochondral pathway, we show that these hydrogels will instead direct mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to produce a more stable, cartilage-like tissue. In addition, we explore potential molecular mechanisms responsible for these phenotypic changes in MSCs

RALA complexed α-TCP nanoparticle delivery to mesenchymal stem cells induces bone formation in tissue engineered constructs in vitro and in vivo

A range of bone regeneration strategies, from growth factor delivery and/or mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation to endochondral tissue engineering, have been developed in recent years. Despite their tremendous promise, the clinical translation and future use of many of these strategies is being hampered by concerns such as off target effects associated with growth factor delivery. Therefore the overall objective of this study was to investigate the influence of alpha-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) nanoparticle delivery into MSCs using an amphipathic cell penetrating peptide RALA, on osteogenesis in vitro and both intramembranous and endochondral bone formation in vivo. RALA complexed α-TCP nanoparticle delivery to MSCs resulted in an increased expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and an upregulation in a number of key osteogenic genes. When α-TCP stimulated MSCs were encapsulated into alginate hydrogels, enhanced mineralization of the engineered construct was observed over a 28 day culture period. Furthermore, the in vivo bone forming potential of RALA complexed α-TCP nanoparticle delivery to MSCs was found to be comparable to growth factor delivery. Recognizing the potential and limitations associated with endochondral bone tissue engineering strategies, we then sought to explore how α-TCP nanoparticle delivery to MSCs influences early mineralization of engineered cartilage templates in vitro and their subsequent ossification in vivo. Despite accelerating mineralization of engineered cartilage templates in vitro, RALA complexed α-TCP nanoparticle delivery did not enhance endochondral bone formation in vivo. Therefore the potential of RALA complexed α-TCP nanoparticle delivery appears to be as an alternative to growth factor delivery as a single stage strategy for promoting bone generation

Long-term functional regeneration of radiation-damaged salivary glands through delivery of a neurogenic hydrogel.

Salivary gland acinar cells are severely depleted after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, leading to loss of saliva and extensive oro-digestive complications. With no regenerative therapies available, organ dysfunction is irreversible. Here, using the adult murine system, we demonstrate that radiation-damaged salivary glands can be functionally regenerated via sustained delivery of the neurogenic muscarinic receptor agonist cevimeline. We show that endogenous gland repair coincides with increased nerve activity and acinar cell division that is limited to the first week after radiation, with extensive acinar cell degeneration, dysfunction, and cholinergic denervation occurring thereafter. However, we found that mimicking cholinergic muscarinic input via sustained local delivery of a cevimeline-alginate hydrogel was sufficient to regenerate innervated acini and retain physiological saliva secretion at nonirradiated levels over the long term (&gt;3 months). Thus, we reveal a previously unknown regenerative approach for restoring epithelial organ structure and function that has extensive implications for human patients