Marketing of bambara nut (okpa): Unlocking its potential for food and income security in Udenu Local Government Area, of Enugu State, Nigeria

The work was carried out to analyze marketing of Bambara nut : unlocking its potential for food and income security in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. Considering its perceived high consumption in the study area and following some challenges in the supply of the produce. The specific objectives of the study described the various marketing functions performed by the marketers; estimated the cost and returns associated in bambara nut marketing in the study area; ascertained the factors that influence the net return from bambara nut marketers and identified the constraints faced by bambara nut marketers in the study area. Two (2) major markets in the study area were purposively selected; random sampling technique was used in selecting the respondents for the study. Data were collected from 80 respondents using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical tools such as; percentage, mean and frequencies, budgetary techniques and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression. The most common marketing functions performed by the marketers were identified to include exchange and physical functions. Result showed that mean net return from bambara marketing was ₦205251.12; cost benefit ratio was 1.26 and profitability index of the marketers was 0.21. The significant variables that affect net returns include household size (1%), marketing experience (1%), sex (1%), access to credit (10%), cooperative membership (1%), purchase cost (1%). However, high cost of transportation was the major constraint to marketing in the area. Marketers were recommended to undertake facilitating function which is used to describe those activities which make the exchange and physical distribution processes possible such as product standardization and grading, market promotion, financing, risk bearing and market intelligence

Effects of Guided Discovery Instructional Method on Secondary School Studnets’ Achievement in Social Studies

The study sought to find out the effect of guided discovery instructional method on secondary school students’ achievement in Social Studies. Two research questions and one null hypothesis were posed to guide the study and were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study employed the pre-test, post-test control group design. Specially, the design of the study is non equivalent control group design. The area of the study was four selected public secondary schools in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. Simple random sampling technique was used to select four (4) public secondary schools that have existing intact classes with the sample size of one hundred and fifty-one (151) junior secondary school II (JSS II) students who made up the population of the study in Ikwo Local Government Area. The instrument used for data collection was Social Studies Achievement Test (SOSAT) constructed by the researchers with initially thirty-five (35) multiple-choice items with option A-D. The items of the instrument were validated by two experts from Social Studies Education and one other specialist in Measurement and Evaluation in Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki for relevance, clarity, proper wording and adequacy of items in addressing the objectives of the study and were further treated to item analysis of difficulty index and discrimination power. After item analysis, six (6) out of the thirty-five (35) items were dropped, leaving behind twenty-nine (29) question items. The instrument with twenty-nine (29) question items were treated to determination of reliability using thirty-five (35) junior secondary school II (JSS II) students selected from Abakaliki High School in Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State who were not part of respondents and were considered equivalent to the targeted population and Kinder Richardson 20 (KR-20) statistics. By this analysis, a reliability coefficient of 0.98 was obtained which showed a high internal consistency; thereby making the instrument suitable for use for the study. The data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation for all research questions while analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses at an alpha 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that students in experimental group performed better than those in the control group, (ii) female students used for experimental group obtained higher mean score (73.053) than their male counterparts who had mean score (71.218), and (iii) there was significant interaction effects between methods and location on the mean achievement of students in Social studied since the value of F-sig (0.134) is less than the value of F-cal (2.261). Based on the findings, some recommendations were made to improve the achievement level of students in Social Studies in schools. Keywords: Social Studies, Guided discovery and Achievemen

Cell-type phylogenetics and the origin of endometrial stromal cells

SummaryA challenge of genome annotation is the identification of genes performing specific biological functions. Here, we propose a phylogenetic approach that utilizes RNA-seq data to infer the historical relationships among cell types and to trace the pattern of gene-expression changes on the tree. The hypothesis is that gene-expression changes coincidental with the origin of a cell type will be important for the function of the derived cell type. We apply this approach to the endometrial stromal cells (ESCs), which are critical for the initiation and maintenance of pregnancy. Our approach identified well-known regulators of ESCs, PGR and FOXO1, as well as genes not yet implicated in female fertility, including GATA2 and TFAP2C. Knockdown analysis confirmed that they are essential for ESC differentiation. We conclude that phylogenetic analysis of cell transcriptomes is a powerful tool for discovery of genes performing cell-type-specific functions

Microbial Contamination of White and Brown Cosmetic Powders Sold in Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Nigeria

Powder is a cosmetic product used by men, women and children to improve their looks and prevent prickly heat.  They can either directly add or alter colour and can be applied alone or over a foundation that serves to make the colour even and smooth. The aim of this study was to assess the microbial contamination of white and brown powders sold in Abakaliki, Ebonyi. Ten (10) samples of cosmetic powders (5 white and 5 brown powders) were bought from Abakpa market Abakaliki and analysed. Two methods were used for extraction of the organisms; sprinkling and centrifugation methods. The result revealed the following microorganisms; Bispora spp., Puciniopsis spp., Aspergillus spp., Rhizopus spp and Fusarium spp. in white and brown powders. Aspergillus spp.. constituted 81.82 % and 75 %  in white and brown powders,  Puciniopsis spp. were 9.09 % in white powder,   Bispora spp. were 8.33 %, Rhizopus spp and Fusarium spp. achieved 8.33 %  in brown powders but absent in white powders, Streptococcus sp. was identified only in brown powder. Aspergillus spp. had higher prevalence in both white and brown powders with  90 % and 71.43 %  respectively. The study shows that both  white and brown cosmetic powders harbor  microbes could be responsible for  facial rashes, eczema and other dermatitis. Keywords: Bacteria, fungi, health risks, microbes, cosmetic powder

Palynotaxa and Parasitic Loads of Nigerian Currency: Potential Sources of Microbial Transmittance

Currency notes are handled by a large number of people under a variety of personal and environmental conditions. A total of ninety six samples of one hundred naira denomination of Nigerian notes were procured from seven Local Government Areas (LGA) of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The aim of the study was to determine the palynotaxa and parasitic load prevalent on currency notes. The leachates of currency notes were obtained and subjected to acetolysis and examined microscopically. Twenty six fungal spores type were recorded and were highly dominated by spores of Libertelli spp., Botrytis spp. and Spadicoides spp. Pollen achieved 54 % of the total bio-particles, whereas fungal spores and parasitic worms achieved 35.2 % and 10.60 %, respectively. The presence and relative abundance of these palynotaxa and parasites in currency notes affirms their propensity to spread vectors of diseases

Formulation and characterization of artemether-loaded sodium alginate microcapsules

Purpose: To increase the solubility of artemether (ART) in Transcutol® HP through microencapsulation in sodium alginate polymer to achieve  sustained in vivo release.Method: Graded concentrations of ART (0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00 g) microcapsules were produced using Tween® 80 by the cold  homogenization method at 24 x 1000 rpm for 15 min. Characterization based on yield, encapsulation efficiency (EE), particle size, pH stability,  differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and in vivo release using Peter’s four-day suppressive protocol in Wistar mice infected with Plasmodium berghei, were determined.Results: The results obtained indicate that 0.5 g ART-loaded microcapsules (AMC) showed the highest yield of 96.85 %. The EE of 88.3 %  corresponded to 0.75 g ART-loaded microcapsules. DSC results revealed that there was a significant reduction in enthalpy in all the formulations compared to the crystalline drug, but no strong bond interaction occurred except for the blank microcapsules. The AMC1.0 showed high dose-dependent plasmodial growth inhibition of 88.75 % while AMC0.25 had the least (68.13 %).Conclusion: The artemether microcapsules showed sustained release characteristics for oral delivery of artemether and therefore may reduce some of the adverse effects associated with high dose artemether therapy in conventional oral tablets. Keywords: Malaria, Artemether, Transcutol® HP, Sustained-release, RBC count, Antiplasmodial activit

Histone H3K4me3 breadth in hypoxia reveals endometrial core functions and stress adaptation linked to endometriosis

Trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me3) is a marker of active promoters. Broad H3K4me3 promoter domains have been associated with cell type identity, but H3K4me3 dynamics upon cellular stress have not been well characterized. We assessed this by exposing endometrial stromal cells to hypoxia, which is a major cellular stress condition. We observed that hypoxia modifies the existing H3K4me3 marks and that promoter H3K4me3 breadth rather than height correlates with transcription. Broad H3K4me3 domains mark genes for endometrial core functions and are maintained or selectively extended upon hypoxia. Hypoxic extension of H3K4me3 breadth associates with stress adaptation genes relevant for the survival of endometrial cells including transcription factor KLF4, for which we found increased protein expression in the stroma of endometriosis lesions. These results substantiate the view on broad H3K4me3 as a marker of cell identity genes and reveal participation of H3K4me3 extension in cellular stress adaptation

Effectiveness of mobile text reminder in improving adherence to medication, physical exercise, and quality of life in patients living with HIV: a systematic review

Background Mobile text reminder (SMS) system is considered a viable strategy for targeting/facilitating healthy behavioural change including adherence to prescribed physical exercises (PE) and medication (antiretroviral therapy-ART) which should improve the quality of life (Qol) in people living with HIV/AIDS(PLWHA). Thus, the literature was appraised for evidence of SMS effectiveness in improving ART and PE adherence behaviours and QoL in PLWHA. Methods Eight databases–AMED, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, EMCARE, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and PubMed-were searched up to December 2020, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol.This review included only randomised control trials (RCTs) investigating the effectiveness of SMS in improving QoL or PE or ART adherence behaviour or a combination of these variables in PLWHA >18 years. Two independent reviewers determined the eligibility of the studies. Data were extracted and the quality of the study was assessed with the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) tool. The primary outcomes were ART and PE adherence behaviours while the secondary outcome was QoL. Result A pooled estimate of effect was not calculated due to the heterogeneity of methods and outcome measures. Therefore, a narrative synthesis of ten studies that met the inclusion criteria (n = 1621 participants at study completion) comprising males/females, aged ≥ 18 years, was done. There was a significant improvement in ART adherence behaviour except in three underpowered studies. Only the SMS interventions that were developed using the Starks 3-steps Adherence model was associated with positive outcome. The only study that evaluated QoL was underpowered and reported no significant change while there were no RCTs on PE. Conclusion Effects of SMS intervention trends towards a significant improvement in ART adherence behaviour in PLWHA. It is plausible that SMS reminders developed using the broader framework of the interpersonal health behaviour theory(ies) may have positive outcome. Nevertheless, the observed heterogeneity in the methods/outcome measures warrants a cautious interpretation of the findings. There is a lack/paucity of RCTs and therefore no evidence in support of the effectiveness of SMS intervention in improving PE adherence and QoL. Registration number NPLASY202060016

Genetic Associations with Gestational Duration and Spontaneous Preterm Birth

BACKGROUND Despite evidence that genetic factors contribute to the duration of gestation and the risk of preterm birth, robust associations with genetic variants have not been identified. We used large data sets that included the gestational duration to determine possible genetic associations. METHODS We performed a genomewide association study in a discovery set of samples obtained from 43,568 women of European ancestry using gestational duration as a continuous trait and term or preterm (<37 weeks) birth as a dichotomous outcome. We used samples from three Nordic data sets (involving a total of 8643 women) to test for replication of genomic loci that had significant genomewide association (P<5.0x10(-8)) or an association with suggestive significance (P<1.0x10(-6)) in the discovery set. RESULTS In the discovery and replication data sets, four loci (EBF1, EEFSEC, AGTR2, and WNT4) were significantly associated with gestational duration. Functional analysis showed that an implicated variant in WNT4 alters the binding of the estrogen receptor. The association between variants in ADCY5 and RAP2C and gestational duration had suggestive significance in the discovery set and significant evidence of association in the replication sets; these variants also showed genomewide significance in a joint analysis. Common variants in EBF1, EEFSEC, and AGTR2 showed association with preterm birth with genomewide significance. An analysis of mother-infant dyads suggested that these variants act at the level of the maternal genome. CONCLUSIONS In this genomewide association study, we found that variants at the EBF1, EEFSEC, AGTR2, WNT4, ADCY5, and RAP2C loci were associated with gestational duration and variants at the EBF1, EEFSEC, and AGTR2 loci with preterm birth. Previously established roles of these genes in uterine development, maternal nutrition, and vascular control support their mechanistic involvement.Peer reviewe

Ancient transposable elements transformed the uterine regulatory landscape and transcriptome during the evolution of mammalian pregnancy

A major challenge in biology is determining how evolutionarily novel characters originate; however, mechanistic explanations for the origin of new characters are almost completely unknown. The evolution of pregnancy is an excellent system in which to study the origin of novelties because mammals preserve stages in the transition from egg laying to live birth. To determine the molecular bases of this transition, we characterized the pregnant/gravid uterine transcriptome from tetrapods to trace the evolutionary history of uterine gene expression. We show that thousands of genes evolved endometrial expression during the origins of mammalian pregnancy, including genes that mediate maternal-fetal communication and immunotolerance. Furthermore, thousands of cis-regulatory elements that mediate decidualization and cell-type identity in decidualized stromal cells are derived from ancient mammalian transposable elements (TEs). Our results indicate that one of the defining mammalian novelties evolved from DNA sequences derived from ancient mammalian TEs co-opted into hormone-responsive regulatory elements distributed throughout the genome.Vincent J. Lynch, Mauris C. Nnamani, Aurélie Kapusta, Kathryn Brayer, Silvia L. Plaza, Erik C. Mazur, Deena Emera, Shehzad Z. Sheikh, Frank Grützner, Stefan Bauersachs, Alexander Graf, Steven L. Young, Jason D. Lieb, Francesco J. DeMayo, Cédric Feschotte, Günter P. Wagne