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The study analyzed the socio-economic determinants of net-income in aquaculture of Kainji, Lake Basin, Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the; fish farming systems; cost and returns, socio-economic determinants of net-farm income and challenges of fish farming in the area. The study adopted a two-stage sampling procedure to select 120 table-size fish farmers. Data were collected with questionnaires that were administered through face-to-face interview and analyzed using descriptive statistics, budgetary technique and multiple regression analysis. The results showed that 35.00 % of the fish farmers were within the age bracket of 31-40 years, 53.34 % were men, 91.67 % were married, 55.83 % had between 1-5 years of experience in fish farming and 75.83 % had tertiary educational qualification. Majority (92 %) of the fish farmers practiced the monoculture of catfish using earthen ponds system. The estimated total expenses were N 14,953,330.74 while the total revenue generated from 9 fish ponds, each stocked with an average of 3883.986 fingerlings in 2 cycles per year was N 20,188,142.00. The estimated net-farm income after tax was N 5,234,811.26 while the net profit margin and return on investment was 25.93 % and 35% respectively. Age, experience and household size were positive and significant (p

Both ethanol (EtoH) and atrazine (ATZ) have hepatic and nephro-toxic effects in rats. In the present study, the toxicity of EtoH (5 g kg−1) on the kidney and liver in the absence or in the presence of different doses of ATZ (50, 100, 300 mg kg−1) was evaluated after 21 days in rats. Results showed that the mixture effects on catalase and superoxide dismutase activities were more severe in both tissues compared to EtoH alone, especially as the dose of ATZ was increased. Hepatic malondialdehyde level (an index of lipid peroxidation) was increased from 20.32% in the EtoH +50 mg kg−1 ATZ-treated rats to 34% in the EtoH +300 mg kg−1 ATZ-treated rats compared to the EtoH values. Renal malondialdehyde values remain as high as 81% in the EtoH-treated rats and the different combine exposure groups. Furthermore, as the dose of ATZ in the mixture was increased, serum uric acid level increased compared to the EtoH values. When the EtoH +300 mg kg−1 ATZ-animals were pretreated with curcumin (an antioxidant), the histopathological changes and peroxidative damages in both tissues were blocked. The exposure of EtoH-treated rats to ATZ enhanced renal and hepatic peroxidative damages in rats.

Corynespora cassiicola has a unique but unexplored ability amongst fungi, in that it can hydroxylate 17α-hydroxyprogesterone at the highly hindered C-8 position of the steroid nucleus. In order to gain greater understanding of the mechanistic basis and capability of the 8β-hydroxylase we have transformed a range of structurally diverse androgens and progestogens with this organism. This has revealed that both steroid types can be hydroxylated at the 8β-position. The collective data has demonstrated the first time that 8β-hydroxylation occurs through inverted binding within a 9α-hydroxylase of the fungus. In the case of the progestogens, for this to occur, the presence of 17α-oxygen functionality (alcohol or epoxide) was essential. Remarkably monohydroxylation of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone at carbons 8β and 15β has strongly indicated that the responsible hydroxylase has 2 different binding sites for the ring-A ketone. Unusually, with one exception, all hydroxylation occurred at axial protons and in the case of the progestogens, all above the plane of the ring system. In general all maximally oxidised metabolites contained four oxygen atoms. The importance of these findings in relation to 8β-hydroxylation of these steroids is discussed.

Patent Medicine Vendors (PMVs) can play a critical role in increasing access to emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) in developing countries, but few studies have examined their knowledge and dispensing practices. Using cluster sampling, the authors selected and interviewed 97 PMVs (60.8 per cent female) in Oyo and Ogun States of Nigeria to assess their knowledge, dispensing practices, and referral for ECPs. About one-third (27.8 per cent) of respondents were not aware of ECPs, and only half knew that ECPs could prevent pregnancy. Forty per cent had ever dispensed ECPs. Reasons proffered by those who do not dispense ECPs included barriers from the State Ministry of Health, police, other regulatory agencies, and religious beliefs. Only 50.5 per cent have referral arrangements for clients. Strategies to increase access to ECPs through PMVs include training on counseling techniques and referral, effective government regulation, and community involvement. Where unsafe abortion is a major cause of maternal mortality, these strategies offer protection for many women in the future.

E- and P-selectin (CD62E and CD62P) are cell adhesion molecules that mediate leukocyte-endothelial cell and leukocyte-platelet interactions and are involved in leukocyte recruitment during inflammation. We previously developed a murine mAb, EP-5C7 (or mEP-5C7), that binds and blocks both E- and P-selectin. When used in humans, murine mAbs have short circulating half-lives and generally induce potent human anti-mouse Ab responses. We therefore engineered a humanized, complementarity determining region-grafted version of mEP-5C7 incorporating human γ4 heavy and κ light chain constant regions (HuEP5C7.g4). HuEP5C7.g4 retains the specificity and avidity of mEP-5C7, binding to human E- and P-selectin but not to human L-selectin, and blocking E- and P-selectin-mediated adhesion. Surprisingly, when administered to rhesus monkeys, HuEP5C7.g4 was eliminated from the circulation very rapidly, even faster than the original murine Ab. To isolate the cause of the short serum half-life of HuEP5C7.g4, several Ab variants were constructed. A chimeric IgG4 Ab was made by replacing the humanized V regions with murine V regions. A humanized IgG2 Ab, HuEP5C7.g2, was also made by replacing the human γ4 with a γ2 constant region. Results from pharmacokinetic studies in rhesus monkeys demonstrated that the chimeric IgG4 is also rapidly eliminated rapidly from serum, similar to the humanized IgG4 Ab, while the humanized IgG2 Ab displays a long circulation half-life, typical of human Abs.

We have developed a system to study transcriptional regulation of the lambda immunoglobulin gene in a natural setting -- lambda light chain producing lymphoid cells. This assay system has allowed the detection of an enhancer element located 3' of the lambda gene coding sequence. The enhancer can stimulate transcription from the lambda promoter as well as from other immunoglobulin and unrelated promoters. Like all enhancers, the lambda enhancer can function in either orientation with respect to a promoter, but it is significantly more active in one orientation than in the other. The lambda enhancer is unusual in spanning at least 4000 bp of DNA sequence and containing several distinct subelements that have independent enhancer activity. The enhancer is also remarkable because it functions in lambda light chain producing cells but not in kappa chain producing cells. This fact can be interpreted to support a model of immunoglobulin gene rearrangement in which rearrangement follows and depends on transcriptional activation.