Factors which inhibit and stimulate inclusive living among different ethnic groups in Lilongwe west city suburb and what the anglican diocese of lake Malawi has done to promote inclusive living in Lilongwe district.

This thesis is aimed at investigating factors which inhibit and stimulate inclusive living among different ethnic groups with emphasis on Lilongwe west suburb and what the Anglican Diocese of Lake Malawi has done to promote inclusive living. The study is qualitative and the design is a case study. Personal interviews which were semi-structured were used, with ten people and one focus group interview with eight participants. Conviviality concepts; relationship, reciprocity and respect, Transcommunality, Trust and social capital, and Umunthu have been used as framework in understanding the aspect of inter ethical relations in context of diversity. The inclusiveness is understood in this thesis as a technique of social institute that brings together diverse ethnic groups and enable them to fully interrelate and participate in a common goal

Genetics and thermal biology of littorinid snails of the genera Afrolittorina, Echinolittorina and Littoraria (Gastropoda: Littorinidae) from temperate, subtropical and tropical regions

With the anticipated effects of climate change due to global warming, there is concern over how animals, especially ectotherms, will respond to or tolerate extreme and fluctuating environmental temperature stress. Littorinid snails are intertidal ectotherms that live high on the shore where they experience both extreme and variable conditions of temperature and desiccation stress, and are believed to live close to their tolerance limits. This study investigated the thermal biology of littorinid snails of the genera Afrolittorina, Echinolittorina and Littoraria from temperate, subtropical and tropical regions in South Africa and Brunei Darussalam using thermal tolerance, heart function, and proteome approaches. The effects of conditions, such as rate of change in temperature, acclimation, heat shock, season and starvation were also tested. In addition, the evolutionary relationships and genetic diversity between and within the South African Afrolittorina spp. were investigated using mitochondrial and nuclear markers. Genetic results confirmed that these are two distinct species, with the brown to black A. knysnaensis predominant in the cool-temperate region of South Africa and the pale blue-grey A. africana in the subtropical region. There was low genetic variation and differentiation within each species, suggesting high gene flow among populations as a result of the effects of ocean currents on the dispersal of their planktotrophic larvae. Tests using exposure to high temperatures revealed differences in the thermal tolerances, heart performance and protein profiles of species from different latitudes, regions and zones on the shore. Thermal tolerance conformed to expectations, with clear, statistically significant trends from high tolerance in subtropical species to lower tolerance in temperate species. However, for Afrolittorina spp., there were no significant differences in the thermal tolerances of conspecifics from different regions, though there was a significant difference in thermal tolerance between juveniles and adults. Overall, adults of all species showed higher thermal tolerances than juveniles. Although lethal temperatures for these species were higher in summer than winter, laboratory acclimation had no effect on heat coma temperatures. All species showed some regulation of heart rate, with a degree of independence of heart rate from temperature across mid-range temperatures. The tropical species showed quick induction and good regulation of heart rate followed by the subtropical and temperate species, which displayed mixed responses including regulation, partial regulation and lack of regulation. Overall, tropical Echinolittorina spp. showed good regulation, while the subtropical E. natalensis and Littoraria glabrata exhibited a mixture of partial regulation and regulation. The subtropical/temperate Afrolittorina spp. showed high individual variability, some animals exhibiting regulation, while others did not. These effects seem to be largely phylogenetically determined as there were no differences in the heart rate responses of Afrolittorina spp. from different regions. The temperatures at which heart rate became independent of temperature (thermoneutral zone) were within the range experienced under natural conditions. In addition, there were differences in Arrhenius breakpoint and endpoint temperatures, showing a trend from higher in tropical animals to lower for temperate animals. Conditions such as acclimation, heat shock and starvation had little or no effect on heart performance. However, a slow increase in temperature induced good regulation of heart rate with noticeable shifts of breakpoints and endpoints for Afrolittorina spp. Lastly, there were differences in the proteome responses between and within Afrolittorina spp. as a function of species, size and treatment. Although both large and small A. knysnaensis had a greater number of protein spots in their proteome than A. africana (though the difference was not significant), the later showed significantly higher differential expression of certain proteins following heat stress. In addition, juveniles of both species displayed greater numbers of protein spots in their proteome than adults. The results indicate a difference in the physiological and biochemical responses (i.e. adaptations) of these snails to temperature, and this seems to relate to differences in biogeography, phylogeny, species identity and ecology. The ability to regulate heart rate is phylogenetically determined, while thresholds and lethal limits correspond to biogeography and species ecology. The proteome seems to correspond to species ecology. The results also indicate that these littorinids can tolerate high temperature stress and in this respect they are well suited to life in the intertidal zones or habitats where temperature and other stresses or conditions are extreme and can change abruptly. However, the limited ability of these snails to acclimate to different temperatures suggests that they are already living close to their tolerance limits with small safety margins or narrow thermal windows and so may be vulnerable to small rises in substratum temperature and/or solar radiation

Aflatoxins contamination in processed cassava in Malawi and Zambia

Strains of the Aspergillus fungi, especially A. flavus and A. parasiticus, primarily produce aflatoxins which are a major health concern to man and livestock because of their acute and chronic health effects. Aflatoxins pose the greatest risk to health in tropical Africa because of their widespread prevalence and high toxicity; carcinogenic (cause liver and esophageal cancer) effect, immune system suppressing and anti-nutritional  contaminants in many food commodities and even cause death. Aflatoxins have also been reported to compromise vaccine efficacy in experimental animals. Due to the seriousness of aflatoxins, international agencies have restricted levels of aflatoxins to 20 ppb in food materials as the maximum permissible level in the United States and 4 ppb total aflatoxins and under 2 ppb aflatoxin B1 in Europe. These regulations directed at minimizing human exposure to aflatoxins results in severe economic loss to producers, processors and marketers of the contaminated crop. A study was conducted in Malawi and Zambia to assess the level of fungal and mycotoxins’ contamination in commonly processed cassava products. A total of 92 and 88 samples of processed cassava products comprising makaka, flour, kanyakaska, kadonoska, scrapes and grates were collected in the rainy season of 2008 and 2009 in Malawi, respectively. Further, 22 samples of processed cassava products comprising dried cassava chips and flour were collected in the rainy season of 2009 in Zambia. The samples were analyzed for fungal and aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 contamination using the Romer mini-column method and the VICAM AflaTest  immunoaffinity fluorometric method. None of the samples in 2008 were contaminated with aflatoxins. Similar results were obtained in 2009 with almost all the samples in Malawi and Zambia having aflatoxin levels much lower (<2.0 ìg/kg in Malawi and <4.2 ìg/kg in Zambia) than the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) maximum permissible level of aflatoxins of 10.0 ìg/kg, implying that the cassava products analyzed were safe for human consumption. However, further studies are needed to cover a larger sample size over a period of a year to represent all seasons in the cassava producing and consuming areas and conclusively make certain the safety of these products for human consumption.Key words: Cassava, consumption, aflatoxin, food, safet

Evaluation of the bright greenish yellow fluorescence test as a screening technique for aflatoxin-contaminated maize in Malawi

The bright greenish yellow fluorescence (BGYF) test has been used with varying success in screening for aflatoxins in maize. This test was applied to 180 maize samples collected from different markets within 12 districts of Malawi in order to evaluate its performance against high performance liquid chromatographic analysis. The number of BGYF grains in 2.5 kg unground samples ranged from 0 to 35 and about 49% of all tested samples had aflatoxin concentrations ranging from 1 to 382 mu g/kg. A total of 65 (36%) of the examined unground samples showed no BGYF. The European Commission recommends a false negative rate of less than 5% for a screening technique to be acceptable. In this study, four BGYF grains per 2.5 kg unground maize sample successfully indicated an aflatoxin contamination of >10 mu g/kg (10 mu g/kg being the maxium tolerable level proposed by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa), with a 4.4% false negative rate. In this case, the amount of confirmatory analyses would be reduced by 63%, if the BGYF test was employed as a screening method. The screening technique therefore offers a practical tool for Malawi and possibly for the Sub-Saharan region

Long-Term Impact of Neonatal Intake of Oleanolic Acid on the Expression of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase, Adiponectin and Inflammatory Cytokines in Rats Fed with a High Fructose Diet

Abstract: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is known to regulate both glucose and lipid metabolism, which play vital roles in the development of metabolic syndrome. One way of regulating AMPK is through hormonal activation using adiponectin. Patients diagnosed with type-2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity exhibit low adiponectin concentration levels in their blood. Moreover, studies have also shown that inflammatory processes play a significant role in the etiology of these metabolic diseases. In this study, the long-term effects of neonatal intake of oleanolic acid (OA) on the AMPK gene, genes associated with glucose transport and lipid metabolism, adiponectin levels, and inflammatory biomarkers in rats fed with a high fructose diet were investigated. Seven day old pups were randomly divided into five groups and treated as follows; 0.5% dimethylsulphoxide v/v in distilled water vehicle control (CON), oleanolic acid (OA, 60 mg/kg), high fructose diet (HF, 20% w/v), high fructose diet combined with oleanolic acid (HF+OA), and high fructose diet combined with metformin (HF+MET, 500 mg/kg)..

Managing aflatoxin in smallholder groundnut production in Southern Africa: Paired comparison of the windrow and Mandela cock techniques

Timely drying of groundnuts is important after harvest. In most parts of sub-Saharan Africa, moisture content reduction is practically achieved by solar drying. In particular, the groundnuts are traditionally cured in the field using the inverted windrow drying technique. Recently, the Mandela cock technique, a ventilated stack of groundnut plants with a chimney at the center, has been introduced in the southern Africa region with the aim of reducing moisture content and the risk of aflatoxin contamination. An on-farm study was conducted in Malawi to compare the effectiveness of the Mandela cock and Windrow drying techniques with respect to aflatoxin control. For two consecutive years, farmers (2016, n = 29; 2017; n = 26) were recruited to test each of the two drying techniques. A mixed-design ANOVA showed that the Mandela cock groundnut drying technique led to sig- nificantly (p < 0.001) higher aflatoxin levels in groundnut seed compared to the traditional inverted windrow drying (5.7 μg/kg, geometric mean vs 2.5 μg/kg in 2016 and 37.6 μg/kg vs 8.4 μg/kg in 2017). The present findings clearly demonstrate the need for regulation and technology validation if farmers and consumers are to benefit

Probabilistic dietary based estimation of the burden of aflatoxin-induced hepatocellular carcinoma among adult Malawians

This research article published by Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2019The risk of aflatoxin-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among adults (average body weight of 60 kg) in Malawi was assessed based on aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) exposure through groundnut and maize consumption, by Monte Carlo simulation. The risk (cases per year per 100,000 people) of aflatoxin-induced HCC was estimated based on the AFB1 exposures estimated by this study and hepatitis B virus infection prevalence published for Malawi. AFB1 exposures were estimated by probabilistically combining data of AFB1 contamination in 338 groundnut and 604 maize samples with data of per capita groundnut and maize consumption in 274 households. Aflatoxins in the samples were analysed using validated LC-MS/MS, HPLC and VICAM based methods. The groundnut and maize consumption survey was based on household expenditure technique. The simulated mean AFB1 exposures through consumption of groundnuts, maize, and combination thereof were 28±65, 42±174, and 71±211 ng/kg. body weight (bw)/day, respectively. The estimated HCC risks were 1.26±2.72, 1.86±6.66 and 3.10±6.85 cases per 100,000 persons per year, respectively. Further, hypothetical eradication of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reduced the risk of HCC by 78%. This reaffirms the need for integrating HBV vaccination in the fight of aflatoxin induced HCC

Intraspecific mitochondrial gene variation can be as low as that of nuclear rRNA

BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has long been used to date historical demographic events. The idea that it is useful for molecular dating rests on the premise that its evolution is neutral. Even though this idea has long been challenged, the evidence against clock-like evolution of mtDNA is often ignored. Here, we present a particularly clear and simple example to illustrate the implications of violations of the assumption of selective neutrality. METHODS: DNA sequences were generated for the mtDNA COI gene and the nuclear 28S rRNA of two closely related rocky shore snails, and species-level variation was compared. Nuclear rRNA is not usually used to study intraspecific variation in species that are not spatially structured, presumably because this marker is assumed to evolve so slowly that it is more suitable for phylogenetics. RESULTS: Even though high inter-specific divergence reflected the faster evolutionary rate of COI, intraspecific genetic variation was similar for both markers. As a result, estimates of population expansion times based on mismatch distributions differed between the two markers by millions of years. CONCLUSIONS: Assuming that 28S evolution is more clock-like, these findings can be explained by variation-reducing purifying selection in mtDNA at the species level, and an elevated divergence rate caused by diversifying selection between the two species. Although these two selective forces together make mtDNA suitable as a marker for species identifications by means of DNA barcoding because they create a ‘barcoding gap’, estimates of demographic change based on this marker can be expected to be highly unreliable. Our study contributes to the growing evidence that the utility of mtDNA sequence data beyond DNA barcoding is limited.This work is based upon research supported by the National Research Foundation of South Africa (Grant number 64801 to N.P.B) and Rhodes University.The National Research Foundation of South Africa and Rhodes University.http://f1000research.compm2021Plant Production and Soil Scienc

Gender differences in climate-smart adaptation practices amongst bean-producing farmers in Malawi: The case of Linthipe Extension Planning Area

Agriculture is amongst the vulnerable sectors to climate change and its associated impacts. Most women are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change than men. Climate Smart Agriculture ensures increased productivity thereby enabling food security, income security and wealth creation amongst the farming households. A study was carried out to understand the gender differences in access and use of climate-smart agriculture, challenges and solutions that men and women farmers use to adapt to climate change. Data was collected from 246 randomly sampled households from 14 villages at Linthipe Extension Planning in Dedza district in Malawi. The multivariate probit model was employed to understand the influence of sociodemographic, farm-level, and institutional factors in the application of climate-smart agriculture in the study area. Findings from this study indicate that there are differences in the adoption and use of climate-smart agriculture technologies in bean production amongst different gender categories. More women compared to men and youths tend to use fertilizer, use improved seeds and plant early in order to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Most men adopt and use irrigation, whilst the youth mostly adopted and used pesticides and conservation agriculture practices. The study recommends policies that would ensure the promotion of gender-responsive climate-smart agriculture technologies, improved access to inputs, and capacity building through training