The Design and Synthesis of Biotinylated Tylophorine Analogues for use as Affinity Probes in the Elucidation of the Cellular Targets of DCB-3503

The tylophorine analogue, DCB-3503 (1-62b, NSC-716802), has been found to exhibit broad spectrum activity in vitro in the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) panel of 60 human-derived cell lines. Recent studies involving HepG2, a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, and two pancreatic ductal carcinoma cell lines (PANC-1 and HPAC), have suggested that DCB-3503 (1-62b) exerts its unique growth inhibition properties by modulating nuclear factor kappa B activity as well as through the inhibition of nuclear protein synthesis. However, the physiologically relevant protein binding partner(s) of DCB-3503 (1-62b) have not been identified. Herein, the design and synthesis of two biotin conjugates of DCB-3503 are described. In both cases, attachment of the biotin moiety to the active core was achieved through a Cu(I)- catalyzed 1,3-dipolar Huisgen cycloaddition (“click”) coupling reaction. Additionally, 3D QSAR studies were performed using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) on a set of phenanthrolizidine alkaloids with inhibitory activities against the HepG2 cell line. A satisfactory CoMFA model was obtained with LOO cross-validation q2 and noncross- validated r2 values of 0.567 and 0.935, respectively. The developed model demonstrated promising predictive abilities as discerned by the results of the external test set

Use of Social Media and its Perceived Implications on the Social Life of Students: A Case Study of the Students of Joseph Ayo Babalola University Ikeji – Arakeji, Nigeria

The uses of social media have developed into a universal and virtually inevitable phenomenon that has transformed the method by which students communicate, interrelate, mingle and socialize, and have become an integral portion of students’ social and cultural lifestyle. Subsequently, students use a considerable measure of their time on social media. University students and adolescence are viewed as the prevalent users of this contemporary technology. Notwithstanding the mounting quantity of literature on the uses of social media around the globe, there is a drought of investigation on how the uses of social media affect students’ social life. This evocative, investigative study scrutinized the kinds of social media platforms that students generally use, the aggregate time students spend on social media, the reasons why students use the social media and the effects of the use of social media on students’ social life. The sample population of the study consisted of students in Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji, Nigeria. A well-structured questionnaire was administered to the students to gather their responses. This was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. The findings of the study showed that the most frequently used social media platform was WhatsApp. The study also revealed that the majority of the sampled students testified to be actively engaging in the use of social media platforms between thirty minutes to one hour daily. The study additionally found that majority of the students were always excited and wound up saying only a couple of more minutes whenever they were using the social media platforms and checked their social media sites to make updates before embarking on any other task daily. The study also identified that the students knew that their academic performance endured on account of their` social media life and also that it stressed them. Despite the students understanding of these facts, the study found that students flunked to reduce the time used on social media. The study also found that 22.4% of the students were dependent on social media and that they used social media more for socialization than for academic purposes. Consequently, fruitful uses of social media for academic purposes were prescribed so as to reduce the adverse effect of the uses of social media

An Evaluation of English-to-Yoruba Translations of Some Concepts by Selected Radio News Bulletins in South-Western Nigeria

This study examines translations of selected official names/titles contained in news broadcasts in the Yoruba-speaking part of Nigeria, interrogating their adequacy and appropriateness. Sixty-five concepts/titles extracted from one hundred news bulletins presented by five radio stations across the Yoruba-speaking states of Nigeria are examined. The study is prompted by an intuitive feeling of inaccuracy and inappropriateness of important words in news broadcasts in Yoruba and predicated upon the fact that misinformation can be as pernicious as lack of information. The renderings of the concepts in Yoruba are compared with their original versions in English, revealing translation weaknesses such as semantic narrowing, expansion, wordiness, sometimes even unwitting distortions. It concludes by emphasising the adoption of appropriate translation strategies and a more rigorous engagement with the texts as a way of guarding against unintended distortions and misinformation. Keywords: Yoruba, English, translation, news broadcasts, accuracy, distortion, DOI: 10.7176/NMMC/88-05 Publication date: March 31st 202

Power-sharing consociationalism in resolving South Sudan’s ethnopolitical conflict in the post- Comprehensive Peace Agreement era

This article uses Arend Lijphart’s notion of ‘power-sharing consociationalism’ to understand the mutually reinforcing conflict system and the barriers to resolving such conflicts in South Sudan. ‘Consociationalism’ has been affirmed as an ideal approach for resolving conflicts in ethnically divided societies, but in South Sudan, the formal institutions of power sharing have not delivered sustainable peace. Analysis in this article reveals that the implementation of the various ‘peace agreements’ and ‘deals’ deviated from classical ‘consociationalism’. Consequently limited attention  was paid to inter-ethnic tensions and too much emphasis was placed on the mechanics of power sharing among the executive and military institutions, leading to the proliferation of ‘organised political movements’. Rather than focusing on the mechanics of power sharing, a viable consociational model for South Sudan should concentrate on how such multifaceted layers of issues can be accommodated within a single settlement. Therefore, the South Sudan conflict system requires a stronger reconceptualisation of issues. Hence we have coined the term ‘tragedy of ethnic diversity’, not as a replacement of the well-known concept of ‘resource curse’, but as new thinking that might shape future research and scholarship in the increasingly complex South Sudan conflict system.Keywords: Consociationalism, power sharing, conflict resolution, ethnicity, tragedy of ethnic diversity, South Suda

Effect of The Macro-Environment Factors On the Relationship Between Firm Resources and Export Performance of Small and Medium Scale Manufacturing Enterprises in Nairobi City County, Kenya

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of macro-environmental factors on the relationship between firm resources and the export performance of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study was based on cross sectional research design. A total of 265 out of 853 firms formed the study sample. Data was collected via a structured questionnaire. The response rate was 89.1 percent. Descriptive statistics and inferential analysis (step wise bivariate and multiple regression) was used to achieve the study objective. A five percent level was preferred in testing significance of the coefficients. The findings revealed that macro-environmental factors significantly moderated the relationship between firm resources and the export performance of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in Nairobi City County, Kenya. For the firm to improve its export performance, the study recommends that firms have to take stock of firm specific resource endowments and respond to changes in the macro environment within which they operate. Also, exporting organizations must match firm innovativeness levels to external environmental conditions and internal capabilities and structures

Effects of Enterprise Skills Training for Women Processing Cassava (Gari) in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State

This study was designed to estimate the effect of training among the rural women processing Gari in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara state, Nigeria.  Primary data was used and purposive sampling procedure was adopted for the population of women involved at any stage of Gari processing activities.  A total of 232 respondents were interviewed the data collected were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential analytical techniques.  Findings revealed that these women specialized in various activities of Gari making process that is about 49.1% specialized in frying while 10.8% were engaged in peeling grinding and Jacking of peeled cassava and about 22.8% of them were involved in marketing of the finished products.  It was also discovered that statistical significance difference exist between those women who had opportunity to be trained compare with those that has not been exposed to any form of  training, in terms of increased income generation and employment creation. In conclusion, We recommend that policy Makers need to ensure that agriculture and Enterprise Training be made prominent in Government interventions. Keywords: Enterprise Training, Gari, Cassava DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/13-14-04 Publication date:July 31st 202

Effect of HIV infection on the acute antibody response to malaria antigens in children: an observational study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In sub-Saharan Africa, the distributions of malaria and HIV widely overlap. Among pregnant and non-pregnant adults, HIV affects susceptibility to malaria, its clinical course and impairs antibody responses to malaria antigens. However, the relationship between the two diseases in childhood, when most deaths from malaria occur, is less clear. It was previously reported that HIV is associated with admission to hospital in rural Kenya with severe malaria among children, except in infancy. HIV-infected children with severe malaria were older, had higher parasite density and increased mortality, raising a hypothesis that HIV interferes with naturally acquired immunity to malaria, hence with little effect at younger ages (a shorter history of exposure). To test this hypothesis, levels of anti-merozoite and schizont extract antibodies were compared between HIV-infected and uninfected children who participated in the original study.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>IgG responses to malaria antigens that are potential targets for immunity to malaria (AMA1, MSP2, MSP3 and schizont extract) were compared between 115 HIV-infected and 115 age-matched, HIV-uninfected children who presented with severe malaria. The children were classified as high and low responders for each antigen and assigned antibody-response breadth scores according to the number of antigens to which they were responsive. A predictive logistic regression model was used to test if HIV was an effect modifier on the age-related acquisition of antibody responses, with age as a continuous variable.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Point estimates of the responses to all antigens were lower amongst HIV-infected children, but this was only statistically significant for AMA1 (P = 0.028). HIV-infected children were less likely to be high responders to AMA1 [OR 0.44 (95%CI, 0.2-0.90) P = 0.024]. HIV was associated with a reduced breadth of responses to individual merozoite antigens (P = 0.02). HIV strongly modified the acquisition of antibodies against schizont extract with increasing age (P < 0.0001), but did not modify the rate of age-related acquisition of responses to individual merozoite antigens.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In children with severe malaria, HIV infection is associated with a lower magnitude and narrower breadth of IgG responses to merozoite antigens and stunting of age-related acquisition of the IgG antibody response to schizont extract.</p

Two Severe Cases of Tungiasis in Goat Kids in Uganda

Tungiasis ensues from the penetration and burrowing of female sand fleas (Tunga spp.; Siphonaptera: Tungidae) in the skin of mammals. There are few case reports of severe tungiasis in goats and in these cases the Tunga species were not in most cases clearly identified. Two cases of severe tungiasis caused by Tunga penetrans in goat kids from tungiasis-endemic rural Uganda are reported. These are the first severe cases of tungiasis in goats reported from outside South America

Prevalence, clinical presentation and factors associated with Uterine fibroids among women attending the Gynecology Outpatient Department at a large Referral Hospital in Southwestern Uganda

Background: Uterine fibroids are the most common benign female gynecologic tumors. There are multiple risk factors, including age and reduced fertility. There is however a paucity of data on disease burden and risk factors among African populations.Objective: We determined the prevalence, clinical presentation and factors associated with uterine fibroids among women at Mbarara hospital gynecology clinic, Uganda.Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study from November 2018 to February 2019 on 319 women attending gynecology clinic. An abdomino-pelvic ultrasound scan was performed on each participant and data analyzed using Stata Version 13. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine association between selected characteristics and uterine fibroid appearance. P value of less than 0.05 was interpreted as significant.Results: The number of women with fibroids was 90 out of 319, representing a prevalence of uterine fibroids of 28.2%. About 67 (74.4%) of the participants with fibroids were symptomatic having pelvic pain 65 (72.2%), menorrhagia 57 (63.3%), pelvic mass 20 (22.2%) and failure to conceive 9 (10%). Women in age group of 31 – 50 years (adjusted OR 4.2; 95% CI,2.0 to 8.5), those separated from their spouses (adjusted OR 4.4; 95% CI,1.8 to 10.5), overweight (adjusted OR 4.9; 95% CI, 2.6 to 9.6), obesity (adjusted OR 4.1; 95% CI,1.6 to 10.5) were more likely to be diagnosed with uterine fibroids while delayed menarche (adjusted OR 0.4; 95% CI, 0.1 to 0.8) was protective.Conclusion: The study found the prevalence of uterine fibroids to be high. Majority of patients were symptomatic at presentation with pelvic pain, menorrhagia, irregular menses and pelvic mass. Uterine fibroids cause significant morbidity among reproductive age women. The identified risk factors included overweight and age group of 31 to 50 years. We recommend Ultrasound scan in women of reproductive age attending gynecology clinic to detect uterine fibroids early in order to manage them promptly so as to prevent the associated complications

Animal Reservoirs of Zoonotic Tungiasis in Endemic Rural Villages of Uganda

Animal tungiasis is believed to increase the prevalence and parasite burden in humans. Animal reservoirs of Tunga penetrans differ among endemic areas and their role in the epidemiology of tungiasis had never been investigated in Uganda. To identify the major animal reservoirs of Tunga penetrans and their relative importance in the transmission of tungiasis in Uganda, a cross sectional study was conducted in animal rearing households in 10 endemic villages in Bugiri District. T. penetrans infections were detected in pigs, dogs, goats and a cat. The prevalences of households with tungiasis ranged from 0% to 71.4% (median 22.2) for animals and from 5 to 71.4% (median 27.8%) for humans. The prevalence of human tungiasis also varied among the population of the villages (median 7%, range 1.3-37.3%). Pig infections had the widest distribution (nine out of 10 villages) and highest prevalence (median 16.2%, range 0-64.1%). Pigs also had a higher number of embedded sand fleas than all other species combined (p<0.0001). Dog tungiasis occurred in five out of 10 villages with low prevalences (median of 2%, range 0-26.9%). Only two goats and a single cat had tungiasis. Prevalences of animal and human tungiasis correlated at both village (rho = 0.89, p = 0.0005) and household (rho = 0.4, p<0.0001) levels. The median number of lesions in household animals correlated with the median intensity of infection in children three to eight years of age (rho = 0.47, p<0.0001). Animal tungiasis increased the odds of occurrence of human cases in households six fold (OR = 6.1, 95% CI 3.3-11.4, p<0.0001). Animal and human tungiasis were closely associated and pigs were identified as the most important animal hosts of T. penetrans. Effective tungiasis control should follow One Health principles and integrate ectoparasites control in animals