Subtitling as a tool for communication in Yoruba video-films

One of the purposes of subtitling is to provide effective communication in a desired language. As subtitles are made to convey storyline and dialogue of a film to the (native and non-native) audience, it is crucial to understand that a filmmaker who truly desires to globalize the local and localize the global would engage the use of subtitles to achieve his vision. This paper seeks to pinpoint the essence of subtitling as a communication medium in Yoruba video-films. While developing a conceptual understanding of 'language', cultural elements that aid effective communication is also analyzed as well as identifying the distinguishing feature between the dual concepts of translation and transliteration

Determinants of prostate specific antigen screening test uptake in an urban community in North-Central Nigeria

Background: Despite the increasing incidence of Prostate cancer, there has not been any focused screening policy or strategy in sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria.Objectives: To assess the level of awareness and uptake of PSA screening test and their determinants in a Nigerian community.Methods: A cross-sectional population survey of men with no prior history of prostate cancer was carried out. Logistic re- gression analysis was used to determine the effect of identified variables in predicting awareness and uptake of prostate cancer screening.Results: Mean age was 51.5±9.8 years; a few men (31, 16.9%) had ever heard of the screening test and most got the information from health centers. A low proportion (8, 4.4%) had taken the screening test. Men with incomes above poverty line (OR = 11.7 2.8–50.1, p = .001) or those with health insurance (OR = 2.7 1.2–6.5, p = .023) were significantly more likely to be aware of the test. Only the men with higher incomes (OR = 25.6 5.8–114.2, p = .0001) were significantly more likely to have taken the test.Conclusion: Higher incomes and health insurance status impact screening awareness but only income status determines if men subsequently proceed to take the PSA screening test.Keywords: Prostate cancer; PSA screening; sub-Saharan Africa; Nigeria

Evaluation of In Vitro Activity of Essential Oils against Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Trypanosoma evansi

Essential oils (EOs) from Cymbopogon citratus (CC), Eucalyptus citriodora (EC), Eucalyptus camaldulensis (ED), and Citrus sinensis (CS) were obtained by hydrodistillation process. The EOs were evaluated in vitro for activity against Trypanosoma brucei brucei (Tbb) and Trypanosoma evansi (T. evansi). The EOs were found to possess antitrypanosomal activity in vitro in a dose-dependent pattern in a short period of time. The drop in number of parasite over time was achieved doses of 0.4 g/ml, 0.2 g/mL, and 0.1 g/mL for all the EOs. The concentration of 0.4 g/mL CC was more potent at 3 minutes and 2 minutes for Tbb and T. evansi, respectively. The GC-MS analysis of the EOs revealed presence of Cyclobutane (96.09%) in CS, 6-octenal (77.11%) in EC, Eucalyptol (75%) in ED, and Citral (38.32%) in CC among several other organic compounds. The results are discussed in relation to trypanosome chemotherapy

The contribution of phenolic acids to the anti-inflammatory activity of mushrooms: Screening in phenolic extracts, individual parent molecules and synthesized glucuronated and methylated derivatives

In the present study, the ethanolic extracts of fourteen edible mushrooms were investigated for their anti-inflammatory potential in LPS (lipopolysaccharide) activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Furthermore the extracts were chemically characterized in terms of phenolic acids and related compounds. The identified molecules (p-hydroxybenzoic, p-coumaric and cinnamic acids) and their glucuronated and methylated derivatives obtained by chemical synthesis were also evaluated for the same bioactivity, in order to establish structure-activity relationships and to comprehend the effects of in vivo metabolism reactions in the activity of the compounds. The extracts of Pleurotus ostreatus, Macrolepiota procera, Boletus impolitus and Agaricus bisporus revealed the strongest anti-inflammatory potential (EC50 values 96 ± 1 to 190 ± 6 µg/mL, and also the highest concentration of cinnamic acid (656 to 156 µg/g), which was also the individual compound with the highest anti-inflammatory activity. The derivatives of p-coumaric acid revealed the strongest properties, specially the derivative methylated in the carboxylic group (CoA-M1) that exhibited similar activity to the one showed by dexamethaxone used as anti-inflammatory standard; by contrast, the derivatives of p-hydroxybenzoic revealed the lowest inhibition of NO production. All in all, whereas the conjugation reactions change the chemical structure of phenolic acids and may increase or decrease their activity, the glucuronated and methylated derivatives of the studied compounds are still displaying anti-inflammatory activity.The authors are grateful to Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER-COMPETE/QREN/EU for the financial support through the research projects PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011 and PEst-C/QUI/UI0686/2011. S.A. Heleno (BD/70304/2010) and R.C. Calhelha (BPD/68344/2010) also thank FCT, POPH-QREN and FSE. C. Santos-Buelga is also thankful to the Spanish MINECO for financial support through the project BFU2012-35228

Determinants of prostate specific antigen screening test uptake in an urban community in North-Central Nigeria

Background: Despite the increasing incidence of Prostate cancer, there has not been any focused screening policy or strategy in sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria. Objectives: To assess the level of awareness and uptake of PSA screening test and their determinants in a Nigerian community. Methods: A cross-sectional population survey of men with no prior history of prostate cancer was carried out. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the effect of identified variables in predicting awareness and uptake of prostate cancer screening. Results: Mean age was 51.5\ub19.8 years; a few men (31, 16.9%) had ever heard of the screening test and most got the information from health centers. A low proportion (8, 4.4%) had taken the screening test. Men with incomes above poverty line (OR = 11.7 2.8\u201350.1, p = .001) or those with health insurance (OR = 2.7 1.2\u20136.5, p = .023) were significantly more likely to be aware of the test. Only the men with higher incomes (OR = 25.6 5.8\u2013114.2, p = .0001) were significantly more likely to have taken the test. Conclusion: Higher incomes and health insurance status impact screening awareness but only income status determines if men subsequently proceed to take the PSA screening test. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v19i1.42 Cite as: Bello JO, Buhari T, Mohammed TO, Olanipekun HB, Egbuniwe AM, Fasiku OK, et al. Determinants of prostate specific antigen screening test uptake in an urban community in North-Central Nigeria. Afri Health Sci. 2019;19(1). 1665-1670. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ ahs. v19i1.4

Bioactive properties of greenhouse-cultivated green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under biostimulants and water-stress effect

BACKGROUND: The scarcity of irrigation water is severely affecting global crop production. In this context, biostimulants are increasingly used as alternatives means against abiotic stress conditions. In this study, phenolic compounds composition and bioactive properties of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants grown under water stress conditions and biostimulants application were investigated. RESULTS: Sixteen individual phenolic compounds were detected in both pods and seeds with a notable difference in their compositional profile. A significant effect on phenolic compounds content and composition was also observed for the biostimulants tested. Regarding the antibacterial activity, pods of the second harvest and seed extracts showed significant efficacy against Bacillus cereus, especially in water-stressed plants, where all biostimulant treatments were more effective than positive controls. Moreover, all biostimulant treatments for seed extracts of water-stressed plants were more effective against Staphylococcus aureus compared with ampicillin, whereas streptomycin showed the best results. Extracts from pods of the second harvest from normally irrigated plants showed the best results against the fungi tested, except for Penicillium verrucosum var. cyclopium. Finally, no significant cytotoxic effects were detected. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the biostimulants tested increased total phenolic compounds content compared with control treatment, especially in pods of the first harvest and seeds of water-stressed plants. Moreover, bioactive properties showed a varied response in regard to irrigation and biostimulant treatment. Therefore, biostimulants can be considered as a useful means towards increasing phenolic compounds content, and they may also affect the antimicrobial properties of pods and seeds extracts. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industr

Fig “Ficus carica L.” and its by-products: A decade evidence of their health-promoting benefits towards the development of novel food formulations

Background: The food industry constantly searches for natural derived bioactive molecules with preventive and therapeutic effects using innovative and sustainable strategies. Fig production and processing generate a considerable amount of by-products (leaves, pulp, peels, seeds, and latex) with limited commercial exploitation and negative impact on the environment. These by-products are important sources of high value-added ingredients, including anthocyanins and pectins that can be of particular interest to the food industry as functional colourants, emulsifiers, and additives. Scope and approach: This review curates recent advances in the valorisation of fig by-products as valuable sources of bioactive molecules for functional food development. Special attention was given to widely used extraction processes, main bioactive compounds, relevant biological properties, and the application of recovered bioactives for functional food development. Key findings and conclusions: Fig by-products are essential sources of structurally diverse bioactive molecules with unique antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour, immunomodulatory and cardioprotective properties. Owing to these health-promoting potentials, an integral valorisation approach involving sustainable technologies to recover these high value-added ingredients and its utilisation in novel food formulation development should be further stimulated.Highlights: Fig by-products are sustainable sources of value-added bioactive molecules; These bioactive compounds have a wide variety of health-promoting properties; Furanocoumarins and pectin are the principal biomolecules in fig leaves and peels, respectively; Recovered bioactive molecules are promising ingredients to improve functional, physical, and sensorial properties of food; Challenges in their utilisation as functional food ingredient were highlighted.Funding for open access charge: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG. Authors are grateful to Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to the CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020). L. Barros, thank the national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program for her contract. This work is also supported by MICINN supporting the Ramón y Cajal grant for M.A. Prieto (RYC-2017-22891) and Juan de la Cierva Formaciónn contract for T. Oludemi (FJC2019-042549-I) and by Xunta de Galicia for supporting the program EXCELENCIA-ED431F 2020/12 and the pre-doctoral grant of M. Carpena (ED481A 2021/313). Manuel Ayuso thanks to PRIMA and FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through the projects LocalNutLeg (Section 1 2020 Agrofood Value Chain topic 1.3.1). This work is also supported by the project SYSTEMIC Knowledge hub on Nutrition and Food Security, which received funding from national research funding entities in Belgium (FWO), France (INRA), Germany (BLE), Italy (MIPAAF), Latvia (IZM), Norway (RCN), Portugal (FCT), and Spain (AEI) in a joint action of JPI HDHL, JPI-OCEANS and FACCE-JPI launched in 2019 under the ERA-NET ERA-HDHL (n° 696295). Authors are grateful to Ibero-American Program on Science and Technology (CYTED—AQUA-CIBUS, P317RT0003), to the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No 888003 UP4HEALTH Project (H2020-BBI-JTI-2019) The JU receives support from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and the Bio Based Industries Consortium. This work has also received financial support from Portuguese national funds (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia e Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior, FCT/MCTES) through project UIDB/50006/2020 and AgriFood XXI I&D&I project (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000041) cofinanced by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the NORTE 2020 (Programa Operacional Regional do Norte 2014/2020).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Optimization of oil extraction from Pitanga (Eugenia Uniflora L) leaves using Simplex Centroid Design (SCD)

Simplex centroid design (SCD) was employed to optimize the mixing of petroleum ether, n-hexane, methanol and ethanol for the extraction of oil (PLO) from Pitanga (Eugenia uniflora L.) leaves, via Soxhlet extraction. The highest yield (54%) of Pitanga leaf oil (PLO) was obtained with 100% ethanol and the lowest yield (16%) from the mixture of methanol (33.3%)/hexane (33.3%)/ethanol (33.3%). The coefficient of determination (R2) of the model equation obtained was 0.91, while the adjusted R2 and predicted R2 were 0.8729 and 0.951, respectively. The saponification value (S.V.), iodine value, acid value and free fatty acid (FFA) are 35.34 mgKOH/g, 72.97 mgI2/g oil, 32.41 and 16.30 mgKOH/g, respectively

Cotton and cardoon byproducts as potential growing media components for Cichorium spinosum L. commercial cultivation

The intensification of horticultural crops cultivation makes urgent the seeking for alternative growth substrates that could substitute non-renewable and/or synthetic growing media, such as peat and rock wool. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential use of byproducts from two industrial crops commonly cultivated in the Mediterranean basin, namely cardoon and cotton, as growth substrates for Cichorium spinosum, while zeolite addition was also tested as a soil amendment. A pot experiment was carried for two consecutive growing periods and plant growth was evaluated for six growing media compositions, while plant extracts were also evaluated in terms of their phenolic compounds profile, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The results of this study showed that cotton byproducts and zeolite may partially substitute peat in growth substrate of C. spinosum and high yields comparable to peat may be achieved. Phenolic compounds content and antioxidant activity of leaves' extracts was higher for plants grown in soil which showed severe stress symptoms comparing to the other tested substrate blends. Antimicrobial activity was also affected by growth substrate composition, only in the case of antibacterial properties of leaves' extracts, whereas none of the extracts presented significant antifungal activities. In conclusion, the use of cotton ginning byproducts and zeolite in growth substrate blends may partially substitute conventional substrates as peat in horticultural crops production, resulting in reduction of production cost and lessening of bulky byproducts’ management and related environmental burden without compromising yield. © 2019 Elsevier Lt

Ganoderma lucidum effects in an animal model of obesity

Obesity is a pandemic disease, and its evolution can be influenced by regular consumption of natural bioactive compounds. Mushrooms, such as Ganoderma lucidum (GL), include a wide variety of biomolecules with potential anti-obesity effects. This work aimed to study the influence of GL in an animal model of obesity. Forty-eight male mice (C57BL/6J) were divided into 5 groups: Group (G)-1-Western Control Diet; G-2-Western Diet 0.2% Cholesterol (WDC); G-3-WDC+0.7g/kg of GL; G-4-WDC+1.4g/ kg of GL; G-5 WDC+2.8g/kg of GL. Water and food consumption were recorded weekly. Animals were weighed individually, and their temperature was measured on the back and abdomen (thermographic camera FLIRE6390). Thirteen weeks later, animals were sacrificed, and organs collected. A liver portion was used for histopathology analysis (ethical approval no 8776). Chemical characterization of the GL extract was profiled by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS. Ganoderic acid H and p-hydroxybenzoic acid were the main triterpenic and phenolic acids in the extract, respectively. Food and water consumption were no different among groups. All animals showed weight gain (11-16%): animals without GL supplementation showed the highest weight gain (G2 and G1, respectively); the groups with GL showed the lowest weight gain, which decreased as the mushroom concentration increased. Basal and final body temperatures remained constant. Liver weight was different among groups (p<0.05). Microvesicular (39/47; 83%) and macrovesicular fatty changes (steatosis) were the most frequent morphological changes in the liver. Hyperlipidemic diets consumption promoted weight gain and obesity. The higher weight gain in the groups not supplemented with GL suggested its anti-obesity properties. In this study, animals developed steatosis, which was not modified by GL supplementation. However, it should be noticed that the changes in lipid metabolism are reversible, and the differences observed in the liver relative weights, lower in the groups supplemented with GL, suggested an ongoing process of restoring to normal hepatocyte’s phenotype