Occult Power and Africa’s Socio-Economic Problems

It is known to Africans and the international community that Africa is a poor continent, though she is very rich in mineral and human resources. Her basic problems as a continent include: bad leadership, corrupt and selfish politicians, mismanagement of resources, high degree of illiteracy etc. These have led the continent into various socio-economic problems including poverty and war. My research has proved that in Africa, especially in the sub-Saharan part, many people believe in the existence of occult powers and this belief affects their behaviours: the way they do business, their attitude to one another, their political and social life. Such occult powers include: witchcraft, sorcery, possession of extra ordinary power, divination and ability to foretell the future, conjuring the dead, mermaid spirits, jujus (gods and goddesses), ability to control various spirits, etc. Academics in various fields, successful business men and women, renowned politicians, legal practitioners accept that occult phenomena influence the way they lead their lives and carry on with their businesses and professions. This paper investigates in a critical and coherent manner whether Africans can make use of occult powers to solve their problems. For example, could corrupt politicians and dictators be removed from office by the use of occult powers? What use could be made of the so-called occult powers of witchcraft, necromancy, jujus etc. in solving Africa’s problems

Protective function of butylated hydroxytoluene in lead-induced oxidative alterations in tissues of Wistar rats

This study was designed to evaluate the protective function of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) in Pbinduced oxidative damage to blood, hepatic and renal tissues of exposed rats. Four groups (I-IV) with six male Wistar rats each, were considered in this study, where group I rats (control) received 1 ml of corn oil, group II received intraperitoneally 30 mg PbCl2/kg b. wt of rats only, group III rats were administered with NOAEL of BHT at 25 mg/kg and group IV rats were administered intraperitoneal injection of 30 mg PbCl2 plus oral administration of 25 mg BHT dispersed in corn oil per kg b. wt of the rats for 28 days with the evaluation of oxidative stress biomarkers in the tissues. Pb significantly increased tissue MDA levels in group II rats, but BHT reduced MDA levels in tissues for groups III and IV rats at p<0.05 relative to control. In serum, biomarkers (GSH: 1.46 ± 0.08 μg/mg protein; CAT: 63.74 ± 0.20 units/mg protein; SOD: 16.49 ± 0.39 units/mg protein and GPx: 12.84 ± 0.17 units/mg protein) exhibited significant reduction (p<0.05) in group II rats, but were significantly stimulated in groups III and IV rats relative to group I rats. Similar trends were observed in hepatic and renal tissues. Therefore, the present study successfully established the functional role of BHT in the amelioration of Pb-induced oxidative stress in exposed rats.Keywords: Antioxidant, Biomarkers, Butylated hydroxytoluene, Oxidative stress, Lead toxicit

Problems Facing Women in an Inculturated (Igbo) Nigerian Church

No Abstract

ExoPRIME technology for exosomal miRNA analysis and identification of oxidative DNA damage-induced miRNA regulatory network in human astrocytes

The high lipid content of the brain, coupled with its heavy oxygen dependence and relatively weak antioxidant system, makes it highly susceptible to oxidative DNA damage that contributes to neurodegeneration. This study assesses and compares the neurotoxic effects of proton and photon radiation on mitochondrial function and DNA repair capabilities of human astrocytes. Human astrocytes received either proton (0.5 Gy and 3 Gy), photon (0.5 Gy and 3 Gy), or sham-radiation treatment. The mRNA expression level of the human base-excision repair protein, 8-deoxyguanosine DNA glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) was determined via RT-qPCR. Radiation-induced changes in mitochondrial mass and oxidative activity were assessed using fluorescent imaging with MitoTracker™ Green FM and MitoTracker™ Orange CM-H2TMRos dyes, respectively. A significant increase in mitochondrial mass and levels of reactive oxygen species was observed after radiation treatment. This was accompanied by a decreased OGG1 mRNA expression. These results are indicative of a radiation-induced dose-dependent decrease in mitochondrial function, an increase in senescence and astrogliosis, and impairment of the DNA repair capabilities in healthy glial cells. Photon irradiation was associated with a more significant disruption in mitochondrial function and base-excision repair mechanisms in vitro in comparison to the same dose of proton treatment. This study further identifies specific ROS-responsive miRNAs that modulate the expression and activity of the DNA repair proteins in human astrocytes, which could lead to the development of targeted therapeutic strategies for neurological diseases. Oxidative DNA damage was established after treatment of human astrocytes with 10 μM sodium dichromate for 16 hours. Comet assay analysis indicated a significant increase in oxidized guanine lesions. PCR analysis confirmed that sodium dichromate reduced the mRNA expression levels of hOGG1. Small RNAseq was performed on an Ion Torrent™ system and the differentially expressed miRNAs were identified using Partek Flow® software. The biologically significant miRNAs were selected using miRNet 2.0. Oxidative-stressinduced DNA damage was associated with a significant decrease in miRNA expression: 231 downregulated miRNAs and 2 upregulated miRNAs (p \u3c 0.05; \u3e 2-fold). In addition to identifying multiple miRNA-mRNA pairs involved in DNA repair processes, this study uncovered two novel miRNA-mRNA pairs interactions: miR-1248:OGG1 and miR-103a- OGG1. Inhibition of miR-1248 and miR-103a via the transfection of their inhibitors restored the increased expression levels of hOGG1. Therefore, targeting the identified microRNAs could ameliorate the nuclear DNA damage caused by exposure to mutagens. The miRNA candidates identified in this study could serve as potential biomarkers and therapeutics for oxidative stress in the brain to reduce the incidence and improve the treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. In a parallel but closely related study, we report a direct, one-step exosome sampling technology, for selective capture of CD63+ exosome subpopulations using an immune-affinity protocol. The ExoPRIME microprobe provides a Precise Rapid Inexpensive Mild (non-invasive) and Efficient (i.e. PRIME) alternative to the conventional polymer precipitation-based methods by enriching a comparatively more homogenous exosome population. The tool consists of an inert Serin™ stainless steelz microneedle (300 μm in diameter × 30 mm in height), pre-coated with a thin-film polyelectrolyte layer that serves as a substrate for covalent bonding of biotin. An anti-CD63 steptavidin-conjugated antibody that selectively binds to the corresponding tetraspanin embedded in the lipid bilayer of exosomes was immobilized to the outer surface of the probe. The feasibility of the ExoPRIME technology was validated using two types of biological samples: conditioned astrocyte medium (CAM) and astrocyte-derived exosome suspension (EXO). The study investigated the impact of the temperature (4°C and 22°C) and incubation duration (2h and 16h) on the capture efficiency of the ExoPRIME tool. A fluorescence-based enzymatic assay for exosome quantification was used to assess the probe’s exosomes capture efficiency and the reproducibility of the technology. The low level of non-specific binding initially observed in non-functionalized microneedles was drastically minimized by blocking the ExoPRIME probe with 0.1% BSA. The ExoPRIME microprobe captured exponentially more exosomes than the non-functionalized microneedle that indicates enrichment of CD63-expressing exosomes. A major advantage provided by the ExoPRIME technology over existing platforms is its applicability over a broad dynamic range of temperature and incubation parameters without compromising the purity and viability of exosomal cargoes. The loading capacity of the probe increased after incubation for 16 h at 40C in exosome suspension (24Å~106 exosomes per probe) while the efficiency decreased 10 folds after 2 h at 40C (24Å~105 exosomes per probe). The increase in temperature had an impact on the stability of the reagents that contributed to a 2-fold efficiency reduction after incubation in exosome suspension for 16 h at 220C (12Å~106 exosomes per probe). However, the 2-hour roomtemperature incubation (2 h at 220C) of the ExoPRIME probe yielded an increased capture efficiency (12Å~106 exosomes per probe) when compared to the 2 h at 4°C incubation (24Å~105 exosomes per probe). These results suggest that lower temperatures with extended incubation times constitute the most optimal parameters that ensure high probe loading capacity. Another advantage of the ExoPRIME microprobe is that it captures antigen-specific subpopulation of exosomes directly from conditioned astrocyte medium (CAM), eliminating the requirements for additional filtration and pre-concentration, and thereby cutting down costs and handling time. Besides the relatively reduced number of enriched exosomes, the CAM results are consistent with the trend obtained for EXO incubations, a phenomenon that could be attributed to the presence of various extracellular proteins and cellular debris, which could mask antibodies and compete physically with exosomes for binding. The capabilities to integrate different incubation times, temperatures, and biofluid type thus present exosome researchers with the flexibility to choose the combined parameters that best suit their purpose, the desired factor in clinical and laboratory applications. The developed tool requires very low amounts of antibody, permits the use and reuse of minimal sample volumes (≤ 200 μL), can be multiplexed in arrays to diagnostically profile multiple exosome classes and is amenable to integration into a lab-on-a-chip platform to achieve parallel, high-throughput isolation in a [semi]-automated workstation. Moreover, this platform could provide direct exosomal analysis of biological fluids since it can elegantly interface with existing picomolar-range nucleic acid assays to provide a clinical diagnostic tool at the point of care and facilitate fundamental studies in exosomes functions

Extent Educational Managers’ Leadership Styles Contribute to Job Performance of Office Managers in Colleges of Education

The study was necessitated by the declining job performance of office managers in colleges of education in South-East, Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the extent educational managers’ leadership styles contribute to job performance of office managers in colleges of education in South-East, Nigeria. Two research questions guided the study and two null hypotheses were tested. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population consisted of 210 office managers in all public colleges of education in the area. The entire population was used without sample size because the population was manageable. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire with five-point rating scale which contained 20-items in two clusters. The instrument was validated by four experts. A pilot test was used to establish the reliability of the instrument and data collected were analyzed using Cronbach alpha to obtained reliability coefficient values of 0.89 and 0.79 with an overall coefficient value of 0.84. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that democratic leadership styles of educational managers contribute to job performance of the office managers to a great extent while transactional leadership styles contribute to a small extent. Gender did not significantly influence the respondents’ mean ratings on the extent democratic leadership styles of educational managers contribute to their job performance but it significantly influence their mean ratings on the extent transactional leadership style of educational managers contribute to their job performance. Based on the findings, it was concluded that democratic leadership style were adopted by educational managers which contributes positively to the job performance in their colleges of education in South-East, Nigeria. It was therefore recommended among others that educational managers should encourage office managers to work hard and challenge themselves with roles which utilize their full potential, talent and creativity

Local waterflooding assessment using 4D seismic data and reservoir simulation

The substitution of oil with water that occurs during waterflooding triggers main 4D seismic effects of increased water saturation and increased pressure. In reservoir management and surveillance, increased waterflooding effects are typically interpreted for waterflood performance assessment using multiple data (geology, well logs, seismic data, production daya), reservoir simulation and seismic forward modelling technologies. This thesis focuses on the finer details of local or well-centric 4D seismic interpretation of waterflooding using integrated reservoir management. The main objective is to apply detailed interpretation of the local waterflooding 4D seismic signal to reservoir surveillance and management, through a reservoir engineering perspective. This facilitates evaluation of waterflooding performance, reservoir characterisation and reservoir model update. In this study, the influences of reservoir model scale on the synthetic seismic modelling, as well as significance of incorporating the individual waterflooding effects like salinity or temperature changes are estimated for a waterflooding scenario in a North Sea reservoir. The feasibility of resolving these influences given practical modelling conditions and approximations in reservoir engineering along with real seismic data are investigated to measure the resultant errors on the 4D seismic interpretation. Individual waterflooding effects are confirmed to impact the interpreted seismic signal. The magnitude of the added value of including this impact in 4D seismic signal interpretation is however seen to be data dependent. The relationship between 4D seismic signal and increased water saturation from waterflooding is established and used to calibrate net injected water volumes estimated from threedimensional geobodies of the 4D seismic water saturation signal to real production volumes. An extension of this relationship is the basis on which quantitative waterflooding seismic performance metrics are defined. The performance metrics are applicable to well-centric flood patterns for fast evaluation of oil displacement efficiencies and flood directionality. Combined resultant waterflood characterisation from the performance metrics gave good indications of field-scale sweep efficiencies, inter-well connectivity and possible waterflooding induced fractures. These interpretations of the 4D seismic flood patterns were then applied in reservoir model update via a local seismic automatic history matching using binary images and an evolutionary algorithm. Realisations from the geostatistical simulation of reservoir net-to-gross ratios constrained by seismic and well logs were used in a local automatic seismic history matching workflow. Binary image interpretations of the 4D seismic data were utilised in the optimisation of misfit reduction between observed 4D seismic and the simulated flood patterns. A new method of handling the mapped waterflood responses of saturation and pressure in spite of known uncertainties (of the contrasting seismic signal) led to improvements in the flood pattern match and the history matching result. Limitations of reduced heterogeneity in utilising binary images and obscuration of the water saturation signal by contrasting 4D seismic pressure response were evident in the history matching. The management of these highlighted the dependence of a successful seismic history matching exercise on a suitable dataset with clear depictions of waterflooding signals of saturation and pressure. The overall study emphasises the importance of early waterflood evaluation in waterflood surveillance for reservoir characterisation, prompt mitigation of waterflooding challenges and timely reservoir management decision making

Assessing the Impact of Soiling, Tilt Angle, and Solar Radiation on the Performance of Solar PV Systems

This research examined the observed datasets and a theoretically derived model for estimating yearly optimum tilt angle (β), maximum incident solar radiation (Hmax), clean gain indicator (CGI), and soiling loss indicator (SLI) at Mumbwa, Zambia, the Mediterranean Region, and low latitude locations across the globe. The cleaned tilted collector emerged as the best performing collector due to Hmax and much higher energy gains compared with the soiled collector. CGI showed an appreciable performance of 0.4737% over -0.4708% on the SLI, indicating that soiling on the surface of photovoltaic (PV) modules significantly depreciates the overall performance of PV modules. Two established empirical models obtained from the literature were compared with the established theoretical model (β=φ). The result revealed that the two models overestimated the observed annual optimum tilt angle in this paper, simply because the models were developed with high latitude location datasets from the Asia continent. However, the newly established monthly and yearly global radiation indicator (GRI) models by the authors in their previous paper performed excellently in the selected representative cities in the Mediterranean region.Citation:

Exploring Cutting-Edge Approaches to Reduce Africa's Carbon Footprint through Innovative Technology Dissemination

This paper investigates the possibility of revolutionizing Africa's carbon footprint through innovative technology dissemination strategies for GHG emission reduction.  It highlights the importance of harnessing renewable energy sources to mitigate climate change and promote sustainable development in Africa. This paper also examined several technology diffusion theories in order to unleash Africa's climate-smart potential by tying them to the recommended techniques for dealing with technological diffusion concerns. These theories varied from diffusion of innovation theory to planned behaviour theory. By analysing these theories, it was found that the most appropriate technology diffusion theory for the assessment of innovative technology dissemination strategies for GHG emission reduction in Africa would be the Diffusion of Innovations Theory. This is due to the theory's emphasis on the dissemination and adoption of new ideas, technologies, or innovations by people or groups within a social system. It would give useful insights into the variables influencing the adoption and dissemination of novel technology for reducing GHG emissions in Africa. The paper also discusses the challenges and barriers faced in the diffusion of renewable energy technologies across the continent while proposing innovative strategies to overcome these obstacles and unlock Africa's untapped climate-smart potential. These strategies include promoting policy and regulatory frameworks that incentivize investment in renewable energy, fostering partnerships between governments, private sector entities, and international organizations to support technology transfer and capacity building, and implementing financial mechanisms such as green bonds and carbon pricing to mobilize funding for renewable energy projects. These proposed strategies were also used to develop seven policies required for innovative technology dissemination strategies for GHG emission reduction in Africa. These policies aim to address the unique challenges faced by African countries in adopting and implementing innovative technologies for GHG emission reduction. By focusing on capacity building, financial incentives, and knowledge sharing, these strategies seek to promote the widespread adoption of sustainable technologies across the continent. They emphasize the importance of collaboration between governments, private sector entities, and international organizations to ensure the successful implementation and long-term sustainability of these policies.Citation: Nwokolo, S. C., Eyime, E. E., Obiwulu, A. U., & Ogbulezie, J. C. (2023). Exploring Cutting-Edge Approaches to Reduce Africa's Carbon Footprint through Innovative Technology Dissemination. Trends in Renewable Energy, 10, 1-29. doi:10.17737/tre.2024.10.1.0016

Recognition and justification : towards a rationalisation approach to inculturation

Several religious and theological approaches to culture in African studies have assessed the idea of inculturation as a helpless incorporation of cultural values from one culture into another. We showed in this article that this is a limited perspective to the process of inculturation, and that this limitation is the reason for the failure of several attempts at inculturation. We assessed inculturation from the angle of marketisation of cultures, and we argued that the adoption or adaptation of cultural elements from one culture into another should be an agentic rationalisation process. The article demonstrated that the rationalisation process is validated by pre-adoption pragmatic experiences or expectations such that the feature(s) being adopted has either initially proven – or at least is expected – to be more useful than what it is meant to replace or enhance. We concluded that a rationalisation approach to inculturation is based on an initial recognition of conceptual entities and practices, the need to adopt them, and a followup justification for this need. Without such perspective, an inculturation effort will not be successfully completed, sustainable or mutually respectful. CONTRIBUTION: Our primary contribution is that we tried to provide broad, agentic, rational approach to inculturation. This contribution is important in sub-fields of Christian Church History and Philosophy of Religion. It properly aligns with this journal’s focus on history of religions, as well as phenomenology, and philosophy of religion(s).http://www.hts.org.zapm2021New Testament Studie

Exploring the reasons for perennial attacks on churches in Nigeria through the victims’ perspective

Although there are several provisions within the Nigerian legal framework that, however, address the issue of church attack, the state capacity to implement effective constitutional sanctioning on perpetrators of this heinous crime has always been found wanting or completely absent, leading to countless religious attacks on churches with seeming state consent. This study employs semi-structured interviews to draw data from affected families from Benue and Enugu States, Nigeria. The article explored their experiences. The study participants were recruited through snowball sampling technique, and data were analysed thematically. The respondents stated that church killings or killing of Christians is rising because of the fact that perpetrators stand lower risk of detection and apprehension than other crimes. Also respondents interrogated that justification for the crime is land acquisition and religious intolerance. On the persistence of the challenge, all the 13 respondents stated that the crime seems to have state approval that has made it seemly impossible to tackle. The article calls for continuous inter-religious dialogue and intentional governmental responsibility in protecting lives of all persons living within the geographical enclave of Nigeria which is necessary for the common good. Closer understanding of other faiths and religions will help build bridges of peace and tolerance. The article also calls for the need to promote African traditional values, such as the value of sacredness of life, human respect and good neighbourliness. Contribution: This study initiated the discussions that will help the public understand the reason for continuous church attacks in Nigeria, what church crime connotes in the Nigerian context and its uniqueness from other crimes. These discussions sit quite well within the transdisciplinary religious perspective of this journal