TODAY, mobile phones are used by large cross sections of the populations of most countries. They have become an essential tool for both practical and social purposes, In Africa, mobile phones are now playing a huge ro...TODAY, mobile phones are used by large cross sections of the populations of most countries. They have become an essential tool for both practical and social purposes, In Africa, mobile phones are now playing a huge role in a very significant area the banking sector.展开更多
Irrigation is an essential component for Africa＇s overall development aS has been suggested time and time again, africa holds the key to the global population＇s growing demand for food. The continent has many hectar...Irrigation is an essential component for Africa＇s overall development aS has been suggested time and time again, africa holds the key to the global population＇s growing demand for food. The continent has many hectares of untouched land, waiting to grow the crops to feed the ever increas- ing extravagancies of a growing global middle class. The land is there, the demand is there and yet the展开更多
ALTHOUGH the private and public sectors can be considered polar opposites of each other, it has become clear in the last few years, es- pecially in the case of Africa, that both sectors are not only essential but must...ALTHOUGH the private and public sectors can be considered polar opposites of each other, it has become clear in the last few years, es- pecially in the case of Africa, that both sectors are not only essential but must cooperate in order to achieve long-lasting and result ori- ented objectives.展开更多
Youth,innovation and investment will all play a big role in the development of Africa’s agricultural sector in 2012 AS 2011 comes to a close,with its Arab spring revolutions,the Horn of Africa famine and the world ec...Youth,innovation and investment will all play a big role in the development of Africa’s agricultural sector in 2012 AS 2011 comes to a close,with its Arab spring revolutions,the Horn of Africa famine and the world economic meltdown,2012 must and will be a significant year for the African continent and a great opportunity for its agricultural sector. "Everything you know about African agriculture is wrong,"展开更多
CHINA＇s role, presence ano sometimes complicated positiontng rica has been well documented over the years, with the rest e world watching carefully what the global giant does in a inent often forgotten by the West un...CHINA＇s role, presence ano sometimes complicated positiontng rica has been well documented over the years, with the rest e world watching carefully what the global giant does in a inent often forgotten by the West unless it involves sendid. For the last 15 years Chinese nationals have established 1selves throughout the continent with a clear business展开更多
THERE are two growing schools of thought when it comes to developing the agricultural sector of Africa, a continent which holds about 60 percent of global uncultivated land. Both have the same goal, to ensure that the...THERE are two growing schools of thought when it comes to developing the agricultural sector of Africa, a continent which holds about 60 percent of global uncultivated land. Both have the same goal, to ensure that the small farmer is part of the sector＇s growth. The first, headed by the Africa Progress Panel （APP）, believes that the sector will succeed and grow if it is developed from the ground up - in other words by raising the productivity of small- holder farmers. This is particularly supported by Kofi Annan and requires government action.展开更多
DURING thisyear＇sWorld Economic Forum, Nigeria＇s President Goodluck Jonathan said, ＇＊It is easier to move goods from African countries to Europe and the rest of the world than to trade between one African country ...DURING thisyear＇sWorld Economic Forum, Nigeria＇s President Goodluck Jonathan said, ＇＊It is easier to move goods from African countries to Europe and the rest of the world than to trade between one African country and another.＂ With the global economic crisis and the African conti- nent on the rise, trade at the regional level must be taken seriously as it has the potential to provide economic growth and jobs.展开更多
Regional trade is now a necessity if Africa is to reach its full economic potential TO put Africa’s business potential into perspective, the Washington-based Brookings Institute described it as ＂the second-largest c...Regional trade is now a necessity if Africa is to reach its full economic potential TO put Africa’s business potential into perspective, the Washington-based Brookings Institute described it as ＂the second-largest continent in the world and approximately three times the size of the United States.展开更多
South Sudan has a lot more going for it than just oil BECOMING the newest nation in today＇s world fraught with change and instability is in itself no mean feat：South Sudan achieved just that on July 9 in 2011.The wo...South Sudan has a lot more going for it than just oil BECOMING the newest nation in today＇s world fraught with change and instability is in itself no mean feat：South Sudan achieved just that on July 9 in 2011.The world watched as a region,once gripped by civil war,stepped into a new era of po-展开更多
The uptake of Radium-226,Radium-228 and potassium-40 by tomato plants as the effect of irrigation with thermal water was studied as pot experiments.Tomato seedlings were grown in 7 L pots filled with four different so...The uptake of Radium-226,Radium-228 and potassium-40 by tomato plants as the effect of irrigation with thermal water was studied as pot experiments.Tomato seedlings were grown in 7 L pots filled with four different soil textural classes collected from different locations;silt clay soil(SZ1)and sandy clay loam(SZ2)collected from Zara area at Jordan Valley with 226Ra activity 392(SZ2)and 5350(SZ1)Bq∙kg^(-1).Two control soils also were used;clay loamy soil(SW)and sandy soil(SSa)were collected from Amman with 226Ra activity about 20 Bq∙kg^(-1) for SW 8.3 Bq∙kg^(-1).Half of the treatments were irrigated with ther-mal water while the other half were irrigated with non-thermal water.The av-erage Transfer Factor(TF)for 226Ra values ranged from 0.002 to 0.91 in tomato fruits while in vegetative parts ranging from 0.003 to 2.54(stems)and from 0.014,to 4.96(leaves)as a response to irrigation with thermal water.Radium-228 was just detected in tomato leaves that were grown in sandy soil(SSa).High TF was observed for ^(40)K in tomato fruits(8.2 to 133.7)as compared to leaves(1.2 to 16.0)and in stems(1.9 to 11.3).The highest TF values for both 226Ra and ^(40)K were observed in sandy soil.Analysis indicated that source of irrigation water and soil factors affects 226Ra activity in plant tissues while ^(40)K is only af-fected by its concentration in soil.Although the pot experiment offers con-trolled conditions for testing,it does not fully replicate field conditions where root depth,soil heterogeneity,and environmental interactions may influence radionuclide uptake.Therefore,the findings should be interpreted with this limitation in mind.展开更多
Background:High concentrations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)have been a known risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.Also,the role of oxidized LDL(ox-LDL)in forming atherosclerosis plaque has been pro...Background:High concentrations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)have been a known risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.Also,the role of oxidized LDL(ox-LDL)in forming atherosclerosis plaque has been proven.However,it has not yet been proven that atherogenic LDL-C byproducts like ox-LDL will decrease by keeping the LDL levels at the desired level.This study aimed to examine the relationship between LDL-C and ox-LDL in different LDL-C values in patients with type 2 diabetes(T2D).Methods:In this cross-sectional study,347 patients with T2D who received statins were enrolled.LDL-C values were defined into four groups as LDLC<55 mg/dL,55 mg/dL≤to<70 mg/dL,70 mg/dL≤to<100 mg/dL and LDLC≥100 mg/dL.Total cholesterol,triglyceride(TG),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),and ox-LDL were studied in the four defined groups.Results:Ox-LDL levels were not different among the four groups(p=0.30).In addition,LDL-C and ox-LDL levels had no significant correlation(r=0.480,p=0.376).Additionally,based on this study analysis,ox-LDL levels were significantly correlated with TG levels(r=0.119,p<0.05)and TG/HDL ratio(r=0.390,p<0.01).Conclusions:It is concluded that ox-LDL levels were not associated with different LDL-C level categories from<55 mg/dL to>100 mg/dL in patients with T2D.However,the revealed association of ox-LDL with TG level and TG/HDL ratio may be considered in the clinic.展开更多
Association networks are widely applied for the prediction of bacterial interactions in studies of human gut microbiomes.However,the experimental validation of the predicted interactions is challenging due to the comp...Association networks are widely applied for the prediction of bacterial interactions in studies of human gut microbiomes.However,the experimental validation of the predicted interactions is challenging due to the complexity of gut microbiomes and the limited number of cultivated bacteria.In this study,we addressed this challenge by integrating in vitro time series network(TSN)associations and cocultivation of TSN taxon pairs.Fecal samples were collected and used for cultivation and enrichment of gut microbiome on YCFA agar plates for 13 days.Enriched cells were harvested for DNA extraction and metagenomic sequencing.A total of 198 metagenome-assembled genomes(MAGs)were recovered.Temporal dynamics of bacteria growing on the YCFA agar were used to infer microbial association networks.To experimentally validate the interactions of taxon pairs in networks,we selected 24 and 19 bacterial strains from this study and from the previously established human gut microbial biobank,respectively,for pairwise co-cultures.The co-culture experiments revealed that most of the interactions between taxa in networks were identified as neutralism(51.67%),followed by commensalism(21.67%),amensalism(18.33%),competition(5%)and exploitation(3.33%).Genome-centric analysis further revealed that the commensal gut bacteria(helpers and beneficiaries)might interact with each other via the exchanges of amino acids with high biosynthetic costs,short-chain fatty acids,and/or vitamins.We also validated 12 beneficiaries by adding 16 additives into the basic YCFA medium and found that the growth of 66.7%of these strains was significantly promoted.This approach provides new insights into the gut microbiome complexity and microbial interactions in association networks.Our work highlights that the positive relationships in gut microbial communities tend to be overestimated,and that amino acids,short-chain fatty acids,and vitamins are contributed to the positive relationships.展开更多
The European Union(EU)Ambient Air Quality Directive(AAQD)and Drinking Water Directive(DWD)are aimed at maintaining and improving air quality and ensuring high standards for potable water across the EU.Besides several ...The European Union(EU)Ambient Air Quality Directive(AAQD)and Drinking Water Directive(DWD)are aimed at maintaining and improving air quality and ensuring high standards for potable water across the EU.Besides several other indicators,the AAQD and DWD consist of chemical parameters(substances or substance groups)that are regulated within this framework.All the substances are associated with various health outcomes,and many of them are classified as carcinogenic or probably/possibly carcinogenic with causal links.To quantify the health burden of the chemical substances included in the AAQD and DWD,we need information regarding population exposure,current baseline mortality/morbidity rates in the populations,and exposure-response functions(ERFs)or unit risks(URs)from previous epidemiological studies.During this study,we analyzed the availability of ERFs or URs and discussed their applicability in health impact assessments(HIAs).From the HIA perspective,ERFs-in terms of relative risk(RR),standardized mortality ratio(SMR),odds ratio(OR),or UR data-were available for many of the analyzed substances.However,for some substances such as acrylamide,antimony,boron,chlorate and chlorite,copper,microcystin-LR,and selenium,no risk measures could be identified.The aim of this study is to derive ERFs,which will allow HIAs for a larger number of chemicals when exposure data and baseline mortality/morbidity data are available.Currently,HIAs have largely focused only on main ambient pollutants such as particulate matter(PM_(10)),fine particulate matter(PM_(2.5)),nitrogen oxides(NO_(x)),and ozone(O_(3)).In contrast,health risks related to exposure to chemicals are much more diverse,and the health burdens should be quantified to a much greater extent.展开更多
文摘TODAY, mobile phones are used by large cross sections of the populations of most countries. They have become an essential tool for both practical and social purposes, In Africa, mobile phones are now playing a huge role in a very significant area the banking sector.
文摘Irrigation is an essential component for Africa＇s overall development aS has been suggested time and time again, africa holds the key to the global population＇s growing demand for food. The continent has many hectares of untouched land, waiting to grow the crops to feed the ever increas- ing extravagancies of a growing global middle class. The land is there, the demand is there and yet the
文摘ALTHOUGH the private and public sectors can be considered polar opposites of each other, it has become clear in the last few years, es- pecially in the case of Africa, that both sectors are not only essential but must cooperate in order to achieve long-lasting and result ori- ented objectives.
文摘Youth,innovation and investment will all play a big role in the development of Africa’s agricultural sector in 2012 AS 2011 comes to a close,with its Arab spring revolutions,the Horn of Africa famine and the world economic meltdown,2012 must and will be a significant year for the African continent and a great opportunity for its agricultural sector. "Everything you know about African agriculture is wrong,"
文摘CHINA＇s role, presence ano sometimes complicated positiontng rica has been well documented over the years, with the rest e world watching carefully what the global giant does in a inent often forgotten by the West unless it involves sendid. For the last 15 years Chinese nationals have established 1selves throughout the continent with a clear business
文摘THERE are two growing schools of thought when it comes to developing the agricultural sector of Africa, a continent which holds about 60 percent of global uncultivated land. Both have the same goal, to ensure that the small farmer is part of the sector＇s growth. The first, headed by the Africa Progress Panel （APP）, believes that the sector will succeed and grow if it is developed from the ground up - in other words by raising the productivity of small- holder farmers. This is particularly supported by Kofi Annan and requires government action.
文摘DURING thisyear＇sWorld Economic Forum, Nigeria＇s President Goodluck Jonathan said, ＇＊It is easier to move goods from African countries to Europe and the rest of the world than to trade between one African country and another.＂ With the global economic crisis and the African conti- nent on the rise, trade at the regional level must be taken seriously as it has the potential to provide economic growth and jobs.
文摘Regional trade is now a necessity if Africa is to reach its full economic potential TO put Africa’s business potential into perspective, the Washington-based Brookings Institute described it as ＂the second-largest continent in the world and approximately three times the size of the United States.
文摘South Sudan has a lot more going for it than just oil BECOMING the newest nation in today＇s world fraught with change and instability is in itself no mean feat：South Sudan achieved just that on July 9 in 2011.The world watched as a region,once gripped by civil war,stepped into a new era of po-
文摘The uptake of Radium-226,Radium-228 and potassium-40 by tomato plants as the effect of irrigation with thermal water was studied as pot experiments.Tomato seedlings were grown in 7 L pots filled with four different soil textural classes collected from different locations;silt clay soil(SZ1)and sandy clay loam(SZ2)collected from Zara area at Jordan Valley with 226Ra activity 392(SZ2)and 5350(SZ1)Bq∙kg^(-1).Two control soils also were used;clay loamy soil(SW)and sandy soil(SSa)were collected from Amman with 226Ra activity about 20 Bq∙kg^(-1) for SW 8.3 Bq∙kg^(-1).Half of the treatments were irrigated with ther-mal water while the other half were irrigated with non-thermal water.The av-erage Transfer Factor(TF)for 226Ra values ranged from 0.002 to 0.91 in tomato fruits while in vegetative parts ranging from 0.003 to 2.54(stems)and from 0.014,to 4.96(leaves)as a response to irrigation with thermal water.Radium-228 was just detected in tomato leaves that were grown in sandy soil(SSa).High TF was observed for ^(40)K in tomato fruits(8.2 to 133.7)as compared to leaves(1.2 to 16.0)and in stems(1.9 to 11.3).The highest TF values for both 226Ra and ^(40)K were observed in sandy soil.Analysis indicated that source of irrigation water and soil factors affects 226Ra activity in plant tissues while ^(40)K is only af-fected by its concentration in soil.Although the pot experiment offers con-trolled conditions for testing,it does not fully replicate field conditions where root depth,soil heterogeneity,and environmental interactions may influence radionuclide uptake.Therefore,the findings should be interpreted with this limitation in mind.
基金National Institute for Medical Research Development,Grant/Award Number:996168。
文摘Background:High concentrations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)have been a known risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.Also,the role of oxidized LDL(ox-LDL)in forming atherosclerosis plaque has been proven.However,it has not yet been proven that atherogenic LDL-C byproducts like ox-LDL will decrease by keeping the LDL levels at the desired level.This study aimed to examine the relationship between LDL-C and ox-LDL in different LDL-C values in patients with type 2 diabetes(T2D).Methods:In this cross-sectional study,347 patients with T2D who received statins were enrolled.LDL-C values were defined into four groups as LDLC<55 mg/dL,55 mg/dL≤to<70 mg/dL,70 mg/dL≤to<100 mg/dL and LDLC≥100 mg/dL.Total cholesterol,triglyceride(TG),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),and ox-LDL were studied in the four defined groups.Results:Ox-LDL levels were not different among the four groups(p=0.30).In addition,LDL-C and ox-LDL levels had no significant correlation(r=0.480,p=0.376).Additionally,based on this study analysis,ox-LDL levels were significantly correlated with TG levels(r=0.119,p<0.05)and TG/HDL ratio(r=0.390,p<0.01).Conclusions:It is concluded that ox-LDL levels were not associated with different LDL-C level categories from<55 mg/dL to>100 mg/dL in patients with T2D.However,the revealed association of ox-LDL with TG level and TG/HDL ratio may be considered in the clinic.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFA0717002)Taishan Young Scholars(tsqn202306029).
文摘Association networks are widely applied for the prediction of bacterial interactions in studies of human gut microbiomes.However,the experimental validation of the predicted interactions is challenging due to the complexity of gut microbiomes and the limited number of cultivated bacteria.In this study,we addressed this challenge by integrating in vitro time series network(TSN)associations and cocultivation of TSN taxon pairs.Fecal samples were collected and used for cultivation and enrichment of gut microbiome on YCFA agar plates for 13 days.Enriched cells were harvested for DNA extraction and metagenomic sequencing.A total of 198 metagenome-assembled genomes(MAGs)were recovered.Temporal dynamics of bacteria growing on the YCFA agar were used to infer microbial association networks.To experimentally validate the interactions of taxon pairs in networks,we selected 24 and 19 bacterial strains from this study and from the previously established human gut microbial biobank,respectively,for pairwise co-cultures.The co-culture experiments revealed that most of the interactions between taxa in networks were identified as neutralism(51.67%),followed by commensalism(21.67%),amensalism(18.33%),competition(5%)and exploitation(3.33%).Genome-centric analysis further revealed that the commensal gut bacteria(helpers and beneficiaries)might interact with each other via the exchanges of amino acids with high biosynthetic costs,short-chain fatty acids,and/or vitamins.We also validated 12 beneficiaries by adding 16 additives into the basic YCFA medium and found that the growth of 66.7%of these strains was significantly promoted.This approach provides new insights into the gut microbiome complexity and microbial interactions in association networks.Our work highlights that the positive relationships in gut microbial communities tend to be overestimated,and that amino acids,short-chain fatty acids,and vitamins are contributed to the positive relationships.
文摘The European Union(EU)Ambient Air Quality Directive(AAQD)and Drinking Water Directive(DWD)are aimed at maintaining and improving air quality and ensuring high standards for potable water across the EU.Besides several other indicators,the AAQD and DWD consist of chemical parameters(substances or substance groups)that are regulated within this framework.All the substances are associated with various health outcomes,and many of them are classified as carcinogenic or probably/possibly carcinogenic with causal links.To quantify the health burden of the chemical substances included in the AAQD and DWD,we need information regarding population exposure,current baseline mortality/morbidity rates in the populations,and exposure-response functions(ERFs)or unit risks(URs)from previous epidemiological studies.During this study,we analyzed the availability of ERFs or URs and discussed their applicability in health impact assessments(HIAs).From the HIA perspective,ERFs-in terms of relative risk(RR),standardized mortality ratio(SMR),odds ratio(OR),or UR data-were available for many of the analyzed substances.However,for some substances such as acrylamide,antimony,boron,chlorate and chlorite,copper,microcystin-LR,and selenium,no risk measures could be identified.The aim of this study is to derive ERFs,which will allow HIAs for a larger number of chemicals when exposure data and baseline mortality/morbidity data are available.Currently,HIAs have largely focused only on main ambient pollutants such as particulate matter(PM_(10)),fine particulate matter(PM_(2.5)),nitrogen oxides(NO_(x)),and ozone(O_(3)).In contrast,health risks related to exposure to chemicals are much more diverse,and the health burdens should be quantified to a much greater extent.
