Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in DNA Repair and Oxidative Stress Genes, and Their Interaction with Antioxidants on Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness

Prostate cancer is the leading invasive malignancy and the second most common cause of cancer death among American men. Despite compelling evidence that oxidative stress, ineffective DNA damage repair, and habitually low antioxidants intake may act in tandem to influence prostate carcinogenesis, few studies have examined gene-diet interactions involving these risk factors. Even fewer studies have examined such interactions in relation to prostate cancer aggressiveness. This study investigated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DNA repair- and oxidative stress-related genes modulated associations between antioxidant intake and prostate cancer aggressiveness. We utilized data from the North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (PCaP) among African-American (n = 948) and European-American (n = 1,016) men. Antioxidant intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and genotypes of 30 germline SNPs were examined. Effect modification by certain polymorphic variants were observed with some variations by race, including variants in XRCC1 (rs2854508, T \u3e A), XPA (rs3176644, G \u3e T), NOS3 (rs1799983, G \u3e T), OGG1 (rs1805373, G \u3e A) and NQO1 (rs689453, C \u3e T). For example, significant interaction was observed between XRCC1 (rs2854508) genotype and α-tocopherol intake among African Americans and European Americans, such that among those with the TT genotype, higher α-tocopherol intake was inversely related to prostate cancer aggressiveness, while higher α-tocopherol intake was positively related to high aggressive prostate cancer among those who harbor the AA or AT genotype. A similar pattern of effect modification by XRCC1 (rs2854508) was observed for the association between γ-tocopherol and prostate cancer aggressiveness, but only among African Americans. Lower odds of high aggressive prostate cancer was observed among European Americans who possess the CT or TT genotype of NQO1 (rs689453) and had higher lycopene intake, but not European Americans with the CC genotype, and there was no evidence of effect modification among African Americans. Reduced odds and increased odds of high aggressive prostate cancer were observed with higher intakes of certain antioxidants (i.e., α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol and lycopene) dependent on genotype, indicating potentially differential dietary recommendations based on genetic susceptibility. Because germline genotype is unalterable, these findings underscore the importance of considering genetic risk variability as part of dietary intervention strategies to identify the subgroup of men who are likely to benefit from such interventions

Repurchase Intention Among Ghanaian Online Consumers: Perceived Shopping Value Approach

With the rise in technology and the influx of diverse goods and services readily available on the internet today, online shopping has become an everyday thing in the global space through the use of technology-based channels like smartphones, tablets, laptops and others alike. Despite the incidence and daily growth this global phenomena, not all counties or parts of the world have been able to fully grasp the idea and use it to their benefit. A good example being Ghana, although close to 50% of the population has access to the internet as of January 2020 (DataReportal 2020) with about 15.1 million smartphone devices (Omondi 2020) many Ghanaians prefer traditional marketing to electronic commerce (e-commerce). With the above being noted, it is of no doubts that the online shopping community in Ghana is one that requires attention and retention by online goods and service providers. Making it a daunting task on online goods and service providers to focus on ways maintain this market and equally figure out ways to get on board new customers. This is in line with Shin et al. (2013), who asserted that online shopping behavior involves encouraging an online consumer to purchase and repurchase a product from the same online retailer. Many researchers, authors and marketers have researched factors that influence an online consumer’s repurchases intention. This study has therefore been done after a look into past and existing literature which to a degree suggests that there hasn’t been research conducted in the area of online consumers’ repurchase intention from the same online retailer. Keywords: Online Shopping, E-commerce, Repurchase Intention, Consumer Behavior, Ghana DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/13-8-01 Publication date: April 30th 2021

Investigating the Moderating Role of Social Support in Online Shopping Intentions

Relationship building plays a crucial role in business success because of the saturated nature of the market. Thus, there has been stronger competition because many businesses offer similar products for sale on an online shopping platform. This has given online consumers a wide range of alternatives when shopping online. This present study aimed to investigate the influence of relationship quality on purchase intention among Ghanaian consumers in an online shopping platform while moderated by social support. A convenience sampling method was employed to collect 304 responses from the respondents via web-survey. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to assess the structural model. The findings reveal that customer trust and customer satisfaction did not significantly influence purchase intention. Furthermore, Customer commitment and social support had a significant and positive influence on purchase intention. Also, social support moderated the relationship between customer trust and purchase intention but had no moderation effect on the relationship between customer satisfaction and purchase intention and customer commitment and purchase intention. This article ends with theoretical and practical implications. Keywords: Relationship Quality, Consumer Behavior, Purchase Intention, Social Support, Ghana DOI: 10.7176/JMCR/78-04 Publication date: April 30th 202

The Role of Solar Power in Enhancing Sustainable Energy in Electricity Generation Mix Across Ghana

Sustainable energy is a key driver in the preservation of the environment and the development of Economies, and Society. Sustainable energy, solar power is one of them, is more concerned with how energy needs can be met today, and tomorrow for generations yet unborn. Energy supply from sustainable sources is significant for United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) because of its clean and climate action. Therefore, the study examined a qualitative assessment of solar energy’s role in enhancing energy security, and environmental sustainability in the electricity generation mix in Ghana. The research uncovers some findings through a qualitative analysis of downloaded papers from the Energy Commission of Ghana and the Ministry of Energy to supplement peer-reviewed scholarly literature. The study revealed that solar energy installed and connected to the grid is 143.9 MW representing 3% of the electricity generation mix despite Ghana’s substantial solar energy potential. The 143.9 MW is insufficient to guarantee the country's energy security. Again, it was discovered that in response to the global call for a cohesive approach to tackle the challenges of climate change, developing more solar energy would offset the country from millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. This would save the environment and contribute favourably to Ghana's Nationally Determined Contribution in response to the Paris agreement in 2015. An effective solar energy master plan is needed for the massive development of solar energy because of the abundance of solar potential in Ghana

Direct oxygen air capture using pressure-driven ion transport membranes: membrane support evaluation.

As membrane technology has progressed in separation processes, it earns the attentiveness from industrial and academic to investigate the practicality of membrane in gas separation. This presentation centres on building ceramic membranes to yield oxygen as prospective relief for the existing air separation techniques. Different materials can accomplish this, and membrane structures will be characterised and tested. Optimisation of membrane permeation and selectivity /yield of chemical reactions will take place through catalytic activation. Air transport and separation through flaw-free ease transport membranes constructed on mixed oxide ceramic membranes is analysed in methodical diverse composition for air (oxygen and nitrogen) separation. Oxygen transit in the membrane eased through selective and reversive interaction of oxygen and ion transport ceramic layer through bond interaction. A continuous and thin discriminatory layer formed on the substrate as mixed oxide ceramic has a perfect affinity for oxygen ions. The addition of a calculated number of other constituents facilitates the separation fulfilment of the membrane and limit feed pressure. This research generates a prospective membrane material in a modest state for oxygen and nitrogen separation. Categorisation of the membranes will be carried out based on thermal, mechanical, porosity, pore size dispensation, sorption, morphology, and permeation properties - the built membrane ordered for coating absorption, nanoparticles loading and a specific number of coatings. The proposed technique is uncomplicated and productive concerning cost

Plasma membrane-derived vesicles: their role in the terminal differentiation of monocytes and in inhibiting the phagocytosis of apoptotic cells

Plasma Membrane-derived Vesicles (PMVs) are membrane-coated vesicles of diameter 0.1 to 1 μm, carrying various proteins inherent in their parental cells. PMVs are released when cells undergo activation/apoptosis via blebbing and shedding and have a function in intercellular communication. Exposition of phosphotidylserine (PS) on the outer membrane leaflet that mark them as a biologically distinct entity could explain a role for PMVs in phagocytosis and thrombosis. There is currently a large amount of variation between researchers with regards to characterisation of PMVs as a result of less or no standardization in the pre and post analytical steps employed in PMV work. Efforts are being made to combat these issues, but still, proper standardization of analytical procedures is yet to be achieved. The purpose of this work is to be able to properly analyse, categorise and characterise PMVs to help lay the groundwork for PMV testing in clinical settings. We have examined the role of PMVs, in the differentiation of HL-60 promonocytes. The myeloid differentiating agents ATRA, PMA and histamine, which inhibit promonocyte proliferation, induced an intracellular Ca2 +-mediated PMV (as opposed to exosome) release from HL-60 promonocytes. These PMVs caused HL-60 cells to enter GO/G 1 cell cycle arrest and induce terminal monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation through TGF-J31 mediation. Patients with inflammatory diseases such as SLE show increased PMV levels in the plasma, accompanied by persistent apoptosis and defective clearance, which correlates with the disease activity. Although still unclear, impaired clearance of apoptotic cells (ACs) may represent a mechanism for the development or enhancement of SLE. We found that PMVs dose dependently inhibit the phagocytosis of ACs by competing for the PS receptor on macrophages via which ACs are phagocytosed. PMVs can therefore modulate phagocytosis of ACs and may playa role in the aetiology of autoimmune diseases, in particular SLE

Determinants of Climate Change Awareness among Rural Farming Households in South Africa

Climate change and rural livelihood capitals remain the major inextricable dimensions of sustainability in this twenty-first century globally. It is known to be an important challenge facing food security status among African countries. Additionally, it is an indisputable fact that climate change and agriculture are intertwined. In view of this, climate change awareness needs to be strengthened in the rural farming households. The study was carried out in Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, in the North West Province of South Africa to determine awareness of climate change. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select three hundred and forty-six (346) farmers who were interviewed from the study area. Data were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). The binary logistic regression model was employed to analyse the factors driving climate change awareness. The study established that majority of the rural farmers in the study area aware of climate change, in which farm size, education, who owns the farm, information received on climate change, source of climate change information, climate change information through extension services, channel of information received on climate change and support received on climate change are statistically significant (p<0.05) determinants of climate change awareness in the study area

An empirical analysis of the impacts of external capital inflows and world oil price on africa's 'largest' market

There is a continued debate that external financial resources complement the limited domestic funds for growth, especially in developing countries, while others are of the view that external finances mostly impede economic growth and development. This article is an attempt to analyze the inflows of some external financial capital such as FDI, external debt, migrants’ remittances and ODA, along with world oil price on economic growth (captured by real GDP) in Nigeria. In order to capture both the short run and the long run effects of the variables on the economy, an econometric technique, Nerlove’s Partial Adjustment Model (PAM) was employed using yearly data from 1981 to 2012. Our results suggest that in both the short run and long run, FDI and world oil price will boost economic growth in Nigeria. Not too surprisingly, our findings equally suggest that the relationship between world oil price and economic growth may not be linear after all and we have evidence to show that this relationship is likely concave in nature. In the same vein, further findings show that migrant remittance is likely to have an adverse effect on the nation’s real GDP, while external debt and ODA do not make any significant contribution to the nation’s real GDP. We argue that for Nigeria to fully benefit from the flows of global finances, policy makers should on an ongoing basis weigh the costs and benefits associated with foreign capital inflows to the country. As is often the case, no country can compete favorably on the world market without prudent resource management and sound investment climate. Undoubtedly, with effective and efficient utilization of external financial resources, sound monetary and fiscal policies, institutional reforms in all sectors of the economy, Nigeria can witness not only accelerated but also more inclusive growth in the present era of financial globalization. © 2015, World Scientific and Engineering Academy and Society. All rights reserved

The Relationship between Net Interest Margin and Return on Assets of Listed Banks in Ghana

The purpose of the study was to find out the trends of Net Interest Margin (NIM) and Return on Assets (ROA).  It also sought to find out the relationship between the NIM and the ROA of the listed banks in Ghana, considering the period 2005-2011. Seven out of the nine listed banks were considered for the study. The main sources of data were from the annual reports of the selected listed banks, as well as other relevant scholarly journals. Trend analysis was used to find the trend of NIM and ROA of the listed banks. Regression and correlation analyses were used to find the relationship and the strength thereof between NIM and the ROA. The dependent variable was Profitability (ROA); while the independent variable was Net Interest Margin (NIM). The study revealed that there is a strong positive correlation between the NIM and the ROA (Profitability) of the listed banks. The regression equation between NIM (X - Axis) and ROA (Y - Axis) is Y = 0.577X – 1.427. The correlation co-efficient, R2 is 0.826. This means that 82.6% of ROA is explained by the NIM. When Net Interest Margin decreases, Return on Assets (Profitability) decreases; and vice versa. Keywords: Net interest margin, return on assets, profitability, relationship, regression, correlatio