Literacy and multilingualism in Africa

Literacy and multilingualism in Africa is approached here as a field of practice rather than a unified field of research. This field presents a crucial paradox: African contexts present some of the world’s most diverse and vital multilingual situations but also feature in the world’s poorest literacy rates and are routinely said to lack a literate tradition altogether. By reviewing Africa’s script inventions this chapter offers counter-evidence for this deceptive view. Throughout Africa – from the Maghreb over West and Central Africa to the Horn of Africa – there have been significant indigenous script traditions and inventions, including Tifinagh, N’ko, Vai, Bamum and Ge’ez. In fact, some of the world’s oldest known scripts (e.g. Egyptian hieroglyphs) are African scripts. The chapter further outlines two relatively young fields of practice and research that have begun to make major contributions to literacy and multilingualism in Africa: digital literacy and linguistic landscape. These fields share a common interest in the materiality of real language as opposed to idealized images of language and in local agency and creativity in the site of struggle that is language. Like digital language practices, linguistic landscapes constitute a domain for African written multilingualism that is not generally supported or monitored by African states. Nor does either field present simple continuities from colonially inherited language policies and ideologies, in the way that classrooms do. As spaces for writing par excellence linguistic landscapes and mobile phones promise to contribute in no minor way to the development of African language literacies and multilingualism in Africa

Comparing microbiotas in the upper aerodigestive and lower respiratory tracts of lambs

Abstract Background Recently, the importance of the lung microbiota during health and disease has been examined in humans and in small animal models. Whilst sheep have been proposed as an appropriate large animal model for studying the pathophysiology of a number of important human respiratory diseases, it is clearly important to continually define the limits of agreement between these systems as new concepts emerge. In humans, it has recently been established that the lung microbiota is seeded by microbes from the oral cavity. We sought to determine whether the same was true in sheep. Results We took lung fluid and upper aerodigestive tract (oropharyngeal) swab samples from 40 lambs (7 weeks old). DNA extraction was performed, and the V2-V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified by PCR then sequenced via Illumina Miseq. Oropharyngeal swabs were either dominated by bacteria commonly associated with the rumen or by bacteria commonly associated with the upper aerodigestive tract. Lung microbiota samples did not resemble either the upper aerodigestive tract samples or reagent-only controls. Some rumen-associated bacteria were found in lung fluids, indicating that inhalation of ruminal bacteria does occur. We also identified several bacteria which were significantly more abundant in lung fluids than in the upper aerodigestive tract swabs, the most predominant of which was classified as Staphylococcus equorum. Conclusions In contrast to humans, we found that the lung microbiota of lambs is dissimilar to that of the upper aerodigestive tract, and we suggest that this may be related to physiological and anatomical differences between sheep and humans. Understanding the comparative physiology and anatomy underlying differences in lung microbiota between species will provide a foundation upon which to interpret changes associated with disease and/or environment

Nutrient and anti-nutritional constituents of Penisetum purpureum and four indigenous tree legume of South-Western Nigeria: A potential ruminant feed

A study was carried out to investigate the nutrient composition as well as anti-nutritional constituents of some tree plants (Ficus sur, Bridelia macarrantii, Gmelina arborea and Albizia saman) and forage grass (Penisetum purpureum) in south- western Nigeria. Results indicated significant (P<0.05) variability in values of percentage crude protein (9.71 - 23.67%) where Penisetum purpureum recorded the least value and highest value observed in Ficus sur. Dry matter (DM), Crude fiber (CF), Organic matter (OM) and Ash contents varied significantly (p<0.05) from (23.52-46.23%, 8.45 - 30.22%, 64.01 - 96.95% and 2.66 – 8.44%) respectively. Albizia saman recorded significantly (p<0.05) higher ADF value (35.39%) with intermediate value (4.14%) of NDF. Penisetum purpureum had most ADL value (17.19%) while the least value was recorded in Gmelina arborea. Hemicellulose value ranged between (4.45 - 22.23%) with least value recorded by Ficus sur and highest by Penisetum purpureum plants. The concentrations of anti-nutritional factor was generally low, tannin content significantly (p<0.05) ranged from (0.75 - 3.56%) in Ficus sur and Albizia saman respectively. Penisetum purpureum had the least phytate (0.94 %) while Bridelia macarrantii recorded the most phytate value (2.65%). Saponin, Alkaloid and Oxalate level ranged from (0.10 - 1.51%, 0.36 - 1.58% and 0.34- 1.41%) respectively. The results show that the investigated plants seem to have good nutrient composition as well as low level of anti-nutritional factors and therefore can best be incorporated into ruminant feeding systems.Key words: Nutrient composition; Anti-nutritional constituents; tree plants; forage gras

Pattern of death in a Nigerian teaching hospital; 3-decade analysis

Background: In developing countries such as Nigeria, limited resources require that health priorities be selected wisely and death-related research is clearly warranted. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive report on the various causes of death in our center from 1978 to 2006.Methods: This was a descriptive, retrospective study of all deaths recorded at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, Osun State in Southwest Nigeria from 1978 to 2006.Result: A total number of 9,947 deaths were recorded during the study period and there were 6,277 male deaths (63.1%) and 3,670 female deaths (36.9%) with a female to male ratio of 1:1.5. The age ranged from birth to 100 years with a median of 25years. Infection (2,594 patients; 26.1%) was the most common cause of death and this was followed closely by trauma death (2,028 patients; 20.4%) and neonatal death (1,074patients; 10.8%). Death from infectious disease and trauma reduced from 1,048 and 1,441 in the first decade (1977 - 1986) to 478 and 133 in the last decade respectively. While death from neoplasia increased from 112 in the first decade to 354 in the last decade of the study period.Conclusion: Our study shows that death from infectious disease in the present decade has reduced to almost half that was recorded in first decade. Similarly death from trauma has also reduced compared to the first decade of the study. Death from neoplasia is however higher in the last decade.Key words: Pattern of death, Nigeria, Mortality, Morbidit