A Survey of Lessons Learnt from COVID-19 by School Administration Interns

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges that threatened the quality and rigor of school administration internships. A survey administered to school interns in a principal preparation program at a large comprehensive university in the southeastern part of the United States revealed a huge difference in experiences and support that students received, based upon differences in existing school infrastructure and their supervising principal. The pandemic necessitated the principal preparation program adapt some internship requirements. The number of hours required to complete the internship was reduced. The building of authentic relationships with students became a greater priority. Finally, more flexibility was allowed to ensure student success in completing the internship. There is a dearth of research that investigates experiences of interns in principal preparation programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study potentially enhances the current body of research

Transcriptional control of glyoxalase 1 by Nrf2 provides a stress-responsive defence against dicarbonyl glycation

Abnormal cellular accumulation of the dicarbonyl metabolite MG (methylglyoxal) occurs on exposure to high glucose concentrations, inflammation, cell aging and senescence. It is associated with increased MG-adduct content of protein and DNA linked to increased DNA strand breaks and mutagenesis, mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS (reactive oxygen species) formation and cell detachment from the extracellular matrix. MG-mediated damage is countered by glutathione-dependent metabolism by Glo1 (glyoxalase 1). It is not known, however, whether Glo1 has stress-responsive up-regulation to counter periods of high MG concentration or dicarbonyl stress. We identified a functional ARE (antioxidant-response element) in the 5'-untranslated region of exon 1 of the mammalian Glo1 gene. Transcription factor Nrf2 (nuclear factor-erythroid 2 p45 subunit-related factor 2) binds to this ARE, increasing basal and inducible expression of Glo1. Activators of Nrf2 induced increased Glo1 mRNA, protein and activity. Increased expression of Glo1 decreased cellular and extracellular concentrations of MG, MG-derived protein adducts, mutagenesis and cell detachment. Hepatic, brain, heart, kidney and lung Glo1 mRNA and protein were decreased in Nrf2-/- mice, and urinary excretion of MG protein and nucleotide adducts were increased approximately 2-fold. We conclude that dicarbonyl stress is countered by up-regulation of Glo1 in the Nrf2 stress-responsive system, protecting protein and DNA from increased damage and preserving cell function

Water Management of Organic-Based Pineapple in Upland Sloping Production Areas

Irrigation of crops in the upland is one major problem in crop production because of water availability during the dry season which includes the right irrigation water method, one of major factors in crop production. The main objectives of the study were to assess the growth and yield of organically grown pineapple at different water management; and to evaluate the cost and economic returns of organically grown pineapple at different water management. Study conducted at BPSU Bangkal, Abucay, Bataan (N 14°46’ East 120°30’). The total rainfall depth at BPSU-AWS Station for July 2020 to June 2022 was 5,002.4 mm during the study period. The micro-sprinkler irrigation system (90 lph, 5.5 m – 12.5 m WD) was used to supplement the irrigation water. Four treatments were subjected for verification (T1 – no supplemented water, T2 – Irrigate up to 30% soil MC, T3 - Irrigate up to 50% soil MC, and T4 – Irrigate up to 70% soil MC) with the aid of an Atmometer and Soil Moisture Meter. Pineapple (T4) has 72.7 cm high, 109.5 cm crown diameter with 25.7 leaves, and T4 has the most number of large size (126/179). Pineapple production has a good return in terms of income, and ROI, and has a short payback period compared with other commodities. With the application of supplemented irrigation water to upland and rolling production areas, the farmer’s income could increase with the right irrigation method for specific and selected crops to be raised

Co-administeration of Ethanolic Leaf Extract of Moringa oleifera and Metformin Improves Glucose, Lipid and Protein Profiles of Diabetic Wistar rats

Herbs are often co-administered with orthodox drugs, raising the potential for herb-drug interactions. This study investigated the pharmacological interaction between ethanol extract of Moringa oleifera (MOE) leaves and metformin co administered to diabetic Wistar rats. Diabetes was induced in rats by administration of 150 mg alloxan/kg body weight intraperitoneally. A dose response study for MOE at doses of 100-2000 mg/kg body wt. was carried out. A plot of percentage glycaemic reduction at 4h post-treatment versus log dose was used to estimate the median effective dose (ED50). Nine (9) groups of rats were used for the interaction study. Groups I and II served as normoglycaemic and diabetic controls respectively and received 1ml Normal saline. Diabetic Groups III-V received 375, 750 and 1500 mg/kg MOE respectively. Groups VI-VIII also diabetic received the same doses of MOE respectively but co-administered with a fixed dose of metformin (150 mg/kg). Group IX received metformin (150 mg/kg) alone. Fasting blood sugar (FBS) was monitored weekly and blood samples collected on day 28 for protein and lipid profile assay. The MOE/metformin co administered groups showed greater antihyperglycaemic activity (p<0.001) than the MOE and metformin alone groups. Significant increases in serum levels of cholesterol, TG and LDLC with the decrease in HDLC levels in the alloxan induced diabetic rats were reversed in MOE (p<0.01) and MOE/metformin (p<0.001) administered groups. These findings indicate that MOE/Metformin co-administration produced additive anti-hyperglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects compared to either MOE or Metformin alone and may be useful in the therapeutic management of diabetes mellitus that is associated with dyslipidaemia.Keywords: Diabetes, Hyperglycaemia, Pharmacological interaction, Moringa oleifera, Metformi

Socioeconomic Analysis and Technical Efficiency among Smallholder Sorghum Farmers in GaMasemola Township of Limpopo Province, South Africa

Sorghum farming group in South Africa is divided into the smallholder and business ranchers attributable to the distinctions in cultivar sizes, utility creation and production strategies. Sorghum is utilized primarily for sustenance and refreshments in Ga-Masemola (GM) town. Smallholder sorghum farmers in the town utilize some portion of their wage for recreation, goat and cows' compost are utilized as manures to enhance soil fruitfulness and increment sorghum yield, they rely upon precipitation water for the water system and they have no entrance to expansion administrations. The study distinguish and depict the socioeconomic characteristics of smallholder sorghum farmers in Ga-Masemola town; it looks at the causes of technical efficiency among smallholder sorghum ranchers in the town, and it recognizes and portrays difficulties confronted by smallholder sorghum farmers in the town. Essential information was gathered utilizing organized surveys and an example size of 48 smallholder sorghum farmers in the town was chosen. Cobb Douglas model was utilized to analyze the information or data gotten.The socioeconomic characteristics of smallholder sorghum farmers were:farming experience, age, sexual orientation, instructive level and family unit measure. The study indicates that the determinants of technical efficiency among smallholder sorghum farmers in Ga-Masemola town that were observed to be huge are the measure of land dedicated and the amount of seeds utilized. Farmers are confronting difficulties, for example, sicknesses, low capital, pests, separation to the homestead, absence of water and atmosphere (i.e. climate) changes.The study suggested and recommended that smallholder sorghum farmers in Ga-Masemola (GM) town require arable land to expand their production; they additionally require agriculture extension officers for training and spreading or disseminating information about inputs allocation. Besides, the smallholder farmers should be encouraged to utilize enhanced seeds varieties in order to expand their technical efficiency.&nbsp

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT DETERMINANTS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Foreign direct investment (FDI) significantly boosts one country's economy and development, including the Philippines. The Philippines has continuously pursued policies to attract FDI inflows to promote economic growth, generate employment, and improve technical skills. This study is to determine the Foreign Direct Investment determinant of the Philippines, present the real GDP growth, industry value added, and real exchange rate of foreign direct investment in the Philippines from 1970 to 2020, and provide empirical evidence of foreign direct investment and the following determinants. Data on real GDP growth, industry value added, real exchange rate, and FDI of the Philippines from 1970 to 2020 are sourced from the World Bank data. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis identify factors that significantly affect the FDI inflows in the Philippines. Results indicated that the real exchange rate affects the FDI inflows in the Philippines. These determinants have p-values that are lower than the 5% significance level. Thus, understanding these determinants can assist policymakers and investors in making sound choices to encourage and sustain FDI inflows, which can contribute to the Philippines' economic progress and prosperity. JEL: F20; F21; F30  Article visualizations

Mapuera virus, a rubulavirus that inhibits interferon signalling in a wide variety of mammalian cells without degrading STATs

Mapuera virus (MPRV) is a paramyxovirus that was originally isolated from bats, but its host range remains unknown. It was classified as a member of the genus Rubulavirus on the basis of structural and genetic features. Like other rubulaviruses it encodes a V protein (MPRV/V) that functions as an interferon (IFN) antagonist. Here we show that MPRV/V differs from the IFN antagonists of other rubulaviruses in that it does not induce the proteasomal degradation of STAT proteins, key factors in the IFN signalling cascade. Rather, MPRV/V prevents the nuclear translocation of STATs in response to IFN stimulation and inhibits the formation of the transcription factor complex ISGF3. We also show that MPRV/V blocks IFN signalling in cells from diverse mammalian species and discuss the IFN response as a barrier to cross-species infections

Thermodynamic properties of Aharonov-Bohm (AB) and magnetic fields with screened Kratzer potential

In this study, the Schrodinger equation (SE) with screened Kratzer potential (SKP) in the presence of external magnetic and AB-flux fields is investigated using the factorization method. The eigenvalue and eigenfunction for the system are obtained in closed form. It is found that the present of the magnetic field partially removes the degeneracy when the screening parameter of the potential was small but the addition of the AB field removed the degeneracy faster and better. The magnetization and magnetic susceptibility of the system are evaluated at zero and finite temperatures and other thermodynamic properties of the system are discussed. More so, the presence of the AB-flux field makes the system to exhibit a both a paramagnetic and diamagnetic behavior. A straight forward extension of these results to three dimension shows that the present result is consistent with those obtained in literature.Comment: 30 pages, 9 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1911.0199

Prebiotic potential of Azolla pinnata (R.Br.) and dietary inclusion effect of pulverised azolla on the growth performance of milkfish fingerlings

The growth of the aquaculture sector leads to a demand for sustainable feed ingredients. Prebiotics are potential sustainable feed ingredients that can promote the improved performance of aquaculture species without the use of antimicrobials. This study investigated the potential of Azolla pinnata as a candidate prebiotic source. Prebiotic characteristics and dietary effect of commercial diet (CD) with varying pulverised azolla (PA) inclusion was evaluated. Results showed that PA (9.40% moisture) constitutes around 16.1% ash, 22.3% crude fibre, 20.9% crude protein, 1.7% crude fat and 29.6% nitrogen-free extract. Crude xylan and cellulose content of PA were 13.7% and 12.6% dry matter (DM) respectively. Growth of Lactobacillus rhamnosus in PA-supplemented MRS broth remarkably improved after 4 to 6 hours of incubation. Feeding trials results revealed that PA inclusion had no adverse effect on average survival of milkfish fingerlings, albeit significant improvement (p < 0.01) was noted in group fed with 2% PA-replaced CD in terms of the total weight gain (119.9%), specific growth rate (2.62% day–1) and feed efficiency (79.9%). The present study demonstrated the prebiotic activity of PA, as well as its potential use as dietary feed component for improved growth and feed efficiency of cultured milkfish

Combating the zoonotic trio of Ebola virus disease, Lassa fever, and COVID-19 in Nigeria: a retrospection of the challenges and lessons

Various infectious disease outbreaks linked to zoonotic sources have been recorded over the years, some of which have resulted in epidemics on a national, regional, or global scale. In Africa, a number of such outbreaks occur intermittently, especially in countries like Nigeria with a high-risk of epidemiological transmission. Three viral outbreaks with zoonotic links have hit the Nigerian healthcare system hardest, which are the Ebola virus disease, Lassa fever and Coronavirus disease 2019. Due to the fragile nature of the Nigerian health system, several challenges were encountered in the process of responding to these viral outbreaks, some of which included inadequate healthcare infrastructure, limited diagnostic capacity, unfledged nature of emergency response, unsatisfactory remuneration of health workers, misinformation trends, amongst others. By reminiscing on the challenges and lessons learnt from these viral disease outbreaks, the Nigerian government and policymakers will be able to adopt more effective approaches towards emergency preparedness for future outbreaks of infectious diseases