Widowhood practices and the church in South-East Nigeria

Widowhood practice is an unjust cultural practice directed against women who lose their husbands. The effects of this long-time culture on society, especially women, are continuing even in the 21st century as a result of rules, laws and regulations, and cultural values that have been laid down by the ancestors and nurtured by subsequent generations. The findings of the research indicated that discriminatory widowhood practices were humiliating to women and were made by men to relegate women to the background. This article, therefore, studied this cultural practice in Igboland in order to create a niche for the church in its alleviation. Nevertheless, it is on record that Christian churches have made remarkable efforts to alleviate the plight of widows. However, a lot is still expected for the total eradication of this age-old tradition. CONTRIBUTION : The church has an enormous role to play in the fight against unjust cultural practices against women in Igboland. The church was chosen because of the respect that people of Igboland give to priests and other members of a religious community.This research article is part of the research project ‘Africa Platform for NT Scholars’, directed by Prof. Dr Ernest van Eck, Department of New Testament Studies and Related Literature, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria.Special Collection: Africa Platform for NT Scholars, sub-edited by Ernest van Eck (University of Pretoria).http://www.hts.org.zaam2022New Testament Studie

American Society of Clinical Oncology Summit on Addressing Obesity Through Multidisciplinary Provider Collaboration: Key Findings and Recommendations for Action

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/139117/1/oby21987.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/139117/2/oby21987_am.pd

Emergence of 3D Printed Dosage Forms: Opportunities and Challenges

The recent introduction of the first FDA approved 3D-printed drug has fuelled interest in 3D printing technology, which is set to revolutionize healthcare. Since its initial use, this rapid prototyping (RP) technology has evolved to such as extent that it is currently being used in a wide range of applications including in tissue engineering, dentistry, construction, automotive and aerospace. However, in the pharmaceutical industry this technology is still in its infancy and its potential yet to be fully explored. This paper presents various 3D printing technologies such as stereolithographic, powder based, selective laser sintering, fused deposition modelling and semi-solid extrusion 3D printing. It also provides a comprehensive review of previous attempts at using 3D printing technologies on the manufacturing dosage forms with a particular focus on oral tablets. Their advantages particularly with adaptability in the pharmaceutical field have been highlighted, including design flexibility and control and manufacture which enables the preparation of dosage forms with complex designs and geometries, multiple actives and tailored release profiles. An insight into the technical challenges facing the different 3D printing technologies such as the formulation and processing parameters is provided. Light is also shed on the different regulatory challenges that need to be overcome for 3D printing to fulfil its real potential in the pharmaceutical industry

Issues of security and insecurity in boko haram era: a contextualization of Moyo Okediji’s explosive images

The process of “deafricanizing” the Africans by the West and the Arab and their agents through their missionary activities and the institutionalization of their educational and political systems have caused “things to fall apart.” In other words, the cantankerous and insecure state of the postcolonial African nation-states is traceable to the Westernization and Arabization of Africans. The accounts of how various indigenous cultures resisted the incursion of the Western culture abound and the current resistance to Western education by the Islamic fundamentalist sect, Boko Haram which loosely translates to “Western education is forbidden or evil” is a modern version on a long resistance. Unlike the traditional Africans whose custom it is not to fight for their gods, these proselytizing foreign religions - Christianity and Islam - have a long history of religious wars and intolerance which their adherents have continued in modern times subtly and grossly. These alien faith traditions implanted religious intolerance and violence in Africa and the terrorist activities of Boko Haram like the 1998 bombing of the American Embassy in Kenya by an Islamic terrorist group are all markers of acculturation and bigotry. The “explosive” artworks of Moyo Okediji explore the ambiguity of security and insecurity in Nigeria in an era I term, “The Boko Haram era”: 2009 to date. Unlike Boko Haram that has explored the soda aluminum cans for making explosives and bombs, Okediji has engaged the same aluminum cans in creating “explosive” and interrogative contemporary artworks that celebrate the principle of “trash to treasure” as against Boko Haram‟s “trash to terror.” A very brief narrative on recent contemporary art practice in Nigeria shows how artists have been proactive and reactive in material use and thematic interrogation

The disappearing Mammy Water myth and the crisis of values in Oguta, South Eastern Nigeria

Igbo value system is in crisis with an increase in crime rate, kidnapping, stealing, sexual immorality and divorce. Though several reasons have been given for this malaise, the influence of myths on value system has not been explored. To do this, we chose Oguta town in South-Eastern Nigeria, known for its belief and worship of Mammy Water. The intent is to verify if the disappearing myth has any adverse socio-cultural implications on the town. As the disappearing myth deals principally with the people’s life, the research methodology used historical as well as the descriptive phenomenological methods. These methods explain the phenomenon as it appeared in Oguta objectively from the historical point of view. One-on-one interviews and focus group discussion with the natives were carried out, thus making oral literature an important element of this research. It comprises three groups: the first group has the age bracket of 70 years and above; the second group has 40–69 years as age bracket and the last group has 20–39 years as age bracket. Efforts were made to distinguish meaningful facts from fictitious or emotional ideas expressed by the participants. Information was also gathered from published works. The research was able to identify the myth’s disappearance as a major contributing factor to the town’s crisis of values

Changes in procoagulants track longitudinally with insulin resistance: findings from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study

AimsTo examine the association between changes in procoagulants (fibrinogen factors VII and VIII and von Willebrand factor) and the risk of insulin resistance.MethodsUsing data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study, we followed 2398 black and white adults without diabetes, aged 25-37 years at year 7, to year 20. Levels of fibrinogen factors VII and VIII and von Willebrand factor were divided in tertiles (low/middle/high) at years 7 and 20 and four groups reflecting changes were defined: 'low' (low at years 7 and 20), 'stable' (low/middle at years 7 and 20, but not both low at years 7 and 20), 'high' (high at year 7 and low/middle at year 20; or low/middle at year 7 and high at year 20) and 'highest' (high at years 7 and 20). Linear regression models were used to evaluate 13-year changes (year 20-year 7) in fibrinogen level and factors VII, VIII and von Willebrand change groups in relation to insulin resistance measures.ResultsHomeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (year 20) and changes in log homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (year 20-year 7) were significantly associated with the 13-year increase in fibrinogen (P < 0.001). Compared with participants in the low group, those in the high group had significantly higher levels of homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (year 20) and changes in homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (year 20-year 7) for fibrinogen factor VII and von Willebrand factor (P < 0.017). No significant associations were observed between fibrinogen VIII and insulin resistance measures.ConclusionsAn increase in fibrinogen level and persistently high levels of factor VII and von Willebrand factor are significantly associated with increased risk of insulin resistance. These findings provide new insight into the mechanisms to explain the heightened risk for thrombosis in adults with insulin resistance/diabetes