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Translanguaging remains a timely and important topic in bi/multilingual education. The most recent turn in translanguaging scholarship involves attention to translanguaging "in context" in response to critiques of translanguaging as a universally empowering educational practice. In this paper, seven early career translanguaging scholars propose a framework for researching translanguaging "in context," drawing on the Douglas Fir Group's (2016) transdisciplinary framework for language acquisition. Examining translanguaging in context entails paying attention to who in a classroom wields power, as a result of their greater proficiency in societally valued languages, their more "standard" ways of speaking these languages, their greater familiarity with academic literacies valued at school, and/or their more "legitimate" forms of translanguaging. In our framework for researching translanguaging in context, we propose three principles. The first principle is obvious: (1) not to do so apolitically. The other two principles describe a synergy between ethnographic research and teacher-researcher collaborative research: (2) ethnographic research can assess macro-level language ideologies and enacted language hegemonies at the micro- and meso levels, and (3) teacher-researcher collaborations must create and sustain inclusive, equitable classroom social orders and alternative academic norms "different" from the ones documented to occur in context if left by chance.

Teacher shortages increase yearly while interest in the teaching profession seems to be at an all-time low. Policymakers are again seeing value in high school "grow your own" (GYO) teacher programs as a source of future teacher talent. Against the backdrop of career development models for teaching, we developed an instrument based on specific practices in the GYO literature and applied the instrument to review school district applications selected for statewide grant funding to evaluate the extent which proposed programs intended to enact such strategies. Applications reflected many of the recruitment, preparation and retention strategies found in the literature, but we also found three trends across the pool of applications that suggested GYO programs may miss their intended mark of increasing the number and diversity of teachers. First, application plans made limited use of current career models to guide recruiting efforts. Second, the application plans seemed unlikely to create diversity in the teacher talent pool. Third, plans for offering dual credit courses in high school gave little attention to aligning post-secondary academic pathways to undergraduate teacher certification. These results suggest that traditionally conceived pre-collegiate GYO programs need to be reimagined if they are going to be successful at mitigating teacher shortages.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced unprecedented disruptions in higher education operations. While the adverse mental health effects experienced by college students due to these changes are well documented, less is known about the impact on their sexual and reproductive health (SRH), and the reciprocal relationships between SRH and mental health among adolescents and emerging adults. This position paper reviews existing literature on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on SRH, sexual violence, unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted illness and human immunodeficiency virus rates and highlights issues specific to college-aged males, females, racial/ethnic and sexual minorities, and individuals with disabilities. The need to conceptualize SRH as an integral component of normal development, overall health, and well-being in the context of COVID-19 is discussed. The need to prioritize the design and implementation of developmentally appropriate, evidence-based SRH interventions specifically targeting college students is identified. Furthermore, an intergenerational approach to SRH that includes parents/caregivers and/or college faculty and staff (e.g., coaches, trainers) could facilitate comprehensive SRH prevention programming that enhances sexual violence prevention training programs currently mandated by many colleges. Policies and programs designed to mitigate adverse pandemic-related exacerbations in negative SRH outcomes are urgently needed and should be included in mainstream clinical psychology, not only focused on preventing unwanted outcomes but also in promoting rewarding interpersonal relationships and overall well-being. Recommendations for clinical psychologists and mental health researchers are made.

Parent involvement is often cited as an essential component of effective dual language bilingual education (DLBE), yet we have limited understanding of the ways parents participate in DLBE or how parent experiences differ between Latinx and non-Latinx families, who often have different reasons for enrolling their children in bilingual programs. Addressing these gaps, this article presents findings from a national survey of parent engagement and satisfaction for Latinx and non-Latinx parents whose children attend DLBE programs in Catholic schools. Findings revealed that parents viewed their involvement as important, although they reported being more involved in participation-oriented activities (e.g. volunteering in the classroom) than engagement-oriented activities (e.g. co-developing academic initiatives). Latinx parents reported similar or higher levels of involvement than non-Latinx parents in all areas except for school leadership. Parent satisfaction was extremely high, with Latinx parents expressing slightly higher satisfaction than non-Latinx parents. While parents were largely satisfied with school communication, many reported that certain communication was only available in English. These findings led researchers to conclude that high levels of reported satisfaction, particularly from Latinx parents, might obscure equity issues and that DLBE schools must look beyond satisfaction to understand parent experiences and to cultivate more equitable parent engagement.

An area of ongoing debate among bilingual scholars and practitioners is the extent to which instructional languages should be separated in dual language bilingual education (DLBE). This article contributes to and extends this effort by proposing critical translanguaging space as a conceptual lens to guide the design of translanguaging pedagogies in DLBE programs. This concept is grounded in spatial understandings of languaging and learning and comprised of three interrelated dimensions: (1) dynamic languaging, (2) heteroglossic ideologies, and (3) critical consciousness. After outlining these central tenets, I concretize this approach through a case study of a researcher-practitioner collaboration aimed at fostering a dynamic languaging space in a DLBE classroom that had previously enforced strict language separation. Findings reveal the ways in which this project reflected the aims of a critical translanguaging space, including by affirming students' dynamic bilingual repertoires and identities, reframing linguistic expertise, fostering practice-based understandings of bilingualism, and creating opportunities for interrogating issues of equity. At the same time, the project fell short of cultivating students' critical consciousness, as critical inquiry was largely relegated to students' small group conversations. I conclude with a discussion of findings and implications for future efforts at fostering critical and flexible bilingual learning spaces.

Abstract Background Curcumin is a compound that occurs in the rhizomes of the turmeric plant (Curcuma longa) and has shown potential for the treatment of illnesses including certain neurodegenerative diseases. The bioavailability of curcumin is hindered by its extremely poor aqueous solubility. Results This study aimed to apply formulation strategies such as inclusion complex formation with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD), as well as amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) formation with poly(vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) (PVP VA64) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) to increase curcumin’s solubility and thereby its nasal epithelial membrane permeation. The curcumin formulations were evaluated by means of DSC, TGA, FT-IR, XRPD, microscopic imaging, aqueous solubility and membrane permeation across nasal respiratory and olfactory epithelial membranes. The solubility of curcumin was substantially increased by the formulations from 8.4 µg/ml for the curcumin raw material to 79.0 µg/ml for the HPβCD inclusion complex, 256.4 µg/ml for the HPMC ASD and 314.9 µg/ml for the PVP VA64 ASD. The HPMC ASD only slightly changed the membrane permeation of curcumin, while the PVP VA64 ASD decreased the membrane permeation of curcumin. The HPβCD inclusion complex enhanced the nasal epithelial membrane permeation of curcumin statistically significantly across the olfactory epithelial tissue and extensively across the respiratory epithelial tissue. Conclusion Complexation of curcumin with HPβCD enhanced the solubility of curcumin and thereby also increased its permeation across excised nasal respiratory and olfactory epithelial tissue. This indicated high potential of the curcumin-HPβCD complex for nose-to-brain delivery of curcumin for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases by means of intranasal administration. Graphical abstract

This study explores the antibacterial effects of Nigella sativa seeds on bacteria obtained from clinical samples. The aim was to assess the antibacterial properties of both aqueous and methanolic extracts of Nigella sativa seeds against E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa. The three samples were collected from the Microbiology Laboratory of Modibbo Adamawa Medical Centre and were reconfirmed using culture, microscopy, and some biochemical tests. The seed samples of N. sativa were procured from herbal point Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria. The phytochemical assay of the extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, phenols, cardiac glycosides, steroids, saponins, and terpenoids in both extracts. The highest antibacterial activity against S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa was demonstrated by the aqueous extract of N. sativa seeds, with inhibition zone diameters of 19.30 ±0.61 mm, 8.10 ±2.17 mm, and 12.00 ±0.29 mm, respectively. However, the methanol extract exhibited slightly greater activity against E. coli and P. aeruginosa, with inhibition zone diameters of 12.10 ±0.38 mm and 13.80 ±0.40 mm, respectively. Both methanol and aqueous extracts showed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 25 mg/mL against S. aureus and E. coli. Similarly, for P. aeruginosa, the MIC was 25 mg/mL for methanol extract and 50 mg/mL for aqueous extract. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) for both extracts against S. aureus and E. coli was determined to be 25 mg/mL. However, for P. aeruginosa, the MBC was 25 mg/mL for the aqueous extract and 50 mg/mL for the methanol extract. The study indicates that N. sativa seed extract possesses antibacterial properties against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, underscoring its potential as an effective medicinal antibacterial agent.

The purpose of this article is two-fold. First, we seek to make a case for the promise of dual language programs to enhance Catholic schooling and enrich educational opportunities for Latinx students. Second, we offer insights into the current landscape of Catholic schools with dual language programs, drawing upon data from a national survey conducted by University of Notre Dame researchers in 2020. Through our presentation of the findings, we consider characteristics of current program models and identify areas of success, challenges, and opportunities for future growth. We conclude with a discussion of the possibilities for strengthening and sustaining dual language education in Catholic schools.

This article reports on findings from the first year of a professional learning partnership aimed at supporting elementary teachers in improving their writing instruction for emergent bilingual students. Specifically, we present a case study of one fourth grade teacher's writing instruction, exploring how an introduction to a functional approach to teaching argument writing contributed to shifts in practice and in her understanding of effective writing instruction for emergent bilingual students. The research team engaged in two cycles of data collection across 5 months, conducted before and after an introductory seven-hour professional development workshop on systemic functional linguistics (SFL) genre pedagogy, in order to document changes in how the focal teacher was enacting and conceptualizing writing instruction for emergent bilinguals. Findings revealed three central shifts in the teacher's writing instruction: (1) from surface-level genre engagement to exploring functional relationships between genre stages, (2) from assessment-oriented writing instruction to learning activities grounded in authentic purpose and audience, and (3) from general language supports to targeted, contextualized writing scaffolds. This study builds upon existing scholarship by illustrating the potential of (even limited exposure to) SFL genre pedagogy to shift teachers' writing instruction toward social semiotic perspectives of language and literacy. We also extend existing research by interrogating the institutional and ideological challenges teachers encounter when taking up SFL genre pedagogy and by offering some initial insights into the potential for engaging in SFL genre pedagogy in bilingual learning spaces.

Abstract Background Mercury chloride (HgCl2) damages tissues it comes in contact with in sufficient concentration. This study evaluated the protective effects of n-butanol fraction of Phoenix dactylifera (BFPD) on mercury-triggered liver toxicity in Wistar rats. 25 male rats were divided into 5 groups of 5 rats each. Group I was administered 2 ml/kg of distilled water; group II was administered 5 mg/kg of HgCl2; group III was administered 500 mg/kg of BFPD + 5 mg/kg of HgCl2; group IV was administered 1000 mg/kg of BFPD + 5 mg/kg of HgCl2, while group V was administered 100 mg/kg of silymarin + 5 mg/kg of HgCl2. orally for 2 weeks. The rats were euthanized and liver tissue blood samples were collected for histological, histochemical, stereological, immunohistochemical, molecular, and biochemical studies. Results The results revealed that HgCl2 induced oxidative stress in the rats evident by histoarchitectural distortions and altered levels of liver enzymes, proteins, and oxidative stress biomarkers when compared to the control. However, BFPD treatment restored these changes. Glutathione peroxidase levels decreased (p

Background: For centuries, there has been a growing fascination with the application of herbs for fungicidal purposes worldwide. This surge in interest could be attributed to the cost-effectiveness and lower toxicities of these herbal remedies compared to the counterpart antifungal drugs. There is substantial scope to explore the curative effects of various plant components, including roots, stems, leaves and fruits of Calotropis procera, renowned for its pharmacological activities, encompassing anticancer, antimicrobial, and antioxidant. Objectives: In the present study, the antimycotic potential of the leaf and root extracts of C. procera on the growth of Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus stolonifer was investigated. Methods: The antimycotic potential of C. procera was established via the agar well diffusion method after initial preliminary phytochemical screening of the extracts. Results: Alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, tannins and terpenoids were present, while glycosides and phenolics were tested negative. The leaf extract inhibited the tested organisms in a concentration-dependent manner where at 100% concentration, both A. niger and R. stolonifer showed high mycelia inhibition of 81.1% and 79.4%, respectively. Also, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values of 31.0% and 48.0% were recorded for A. niger, as well as 28.3% and 45.7% were recorded for R. stolonifer. The aqueous root extract exhibited mycelia inhibition of 74.4% and 77.8% against A. niger and R. stolonifer at 100% concentration with respectively MIC and MFC values of 32.7% and 50.3% for A. niger and 30.3% and 52.0% for R. stolonifer. Conclusion: The study provides promising evidence of potential medicinal properties associated with C. procera, supporting its potential therapeutic applications in traditional medicine.

Net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets are driving interest in opportunities for biomass-based negative emissions and bioenergy, including from marine sources such as seaweed. Yet the biophysical and economic limits to farming seaweed at scales relevant to the global carbon budget have not been assessed in detail. We use coupled seaweed growth and technoeconomic models to estimate the costs of global seaweed production and related climate benefits, systematically testing the relative importance of model parameters. Under our most optimistic assumptions, sinking farmed seaweed to the deep sea to sequester a gigaton of CO2 per year costs as little as US$480 per tCO2 on average, while using farmed seaweed for products that avoid a gigaton of CO2-equivalent GHG emissions annually could return a profit of $50 per tCO2-eq. However, these costs depend on low farming costs, high seaweed yields, and assumptions that almost all carbon in seaweed is removed from the atmosphere (that is, competition between phytoplankton and seaweed is negligible) and that seaweed products can displace products with substantial embodied non-CO2 GHG emissions. Moreover, the gigaton-scale climate benefits we model would require farming very large areas (>90,000 km2)-a >30-fold increase in the area currently farmed. Our results therefore suggest that seaweed-based climate benefits may be feasible, but targeted research and demonstrations are needed to further reduce economic and biophysical uncertainties.

The illicit cigarette trade has begun to receive scholarly attention globally. Empirical studies on the illicit cigarette trade are available in the context of Indonesia. However, the Indonesian judicial system lacks a focus on treating illegal practices. To fill the gap, we examine Indonesian court decisions involving the illicit cigarette trade between 2010 and 2019. We provide an overview of the enforcement of Indonesia’s Excise Law 2007 relating to offences related to the illicit cigarette trade. By using a systematic quantitative literature review, we collected data on Indonesian court decisions and found the following: (1) convictions for the practice of illicit trade in cigarettes were relatively steady, with a total number from one to six court decisions annually; (2) certain offences from Indonesia Excise Law 2007 have not been found in the convictions, suggesting their underutilisation in terms of monitoring and enforcement effort; (3) the primary motivation of illicit cigarette traders as reported through the judicial system is the economic benefit or “profit” available to the enterprise; and (4) the sentencing decisions are dominated by the application of the “cumulative principle” with fines and imprisonment applied at the same time. The finding on the average length of imprisonment for illicit cigarettes, which was around 18 months, shows that this crime has low risk compared with the punishment for illicit trade in drugs and narcotics in Indonesia.

Objectives: Epilepsy is a neurological condition characterized by repeated seizures attributable to synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. The study evaluated the effect of acetone extract of Adansonia digitata stem bark (ASBE) on seizure score, cognition, depression, and neurodegeneration as well as the level of Gamma-Aminobutyrate acid (GABA) and glutamate in Pentylenetetrazol-kindled rats. Methods: Thirty-five rats were assigned into five groups (n = 7). Groups 1-2 received normal saline and 35 mg/kg PTZ every other day. Groups 3-4 received 125 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg ASBE orally while group 5 received 5 mg/kg diazepam daily for twenty-six days. Group 3-5 received PTZ every other day, 30 mins after ASBE and diazepam. Results: The results showed that Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) induces seizure, reduces mobility time in force swim test and decreases the normal cell number in the brain. It also significantly decreases (p < 0.05) catalase, superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione activities compared to the ASBE pre-treated rats. Pre-treatment with ASBE reportedly decreases seizure activities significantly (p < 0.05) and increases mobility time in the force swim test. ASBE also significantly elevate (p < 0.05) the normal cell number in the hippocampus, temporal lobe, and dentate gyrus. Conclusion: ASBE reduced seizure activity and prevented depression in PTZ-treated rats. It also prevented neurodegeneration by regulating glutamate and GABA levels in the brain as well as preventing lipid peroxidation.

Forests are currently a substantial carbon sink globally. Many climate change mitigation strategies leverage forest preservation and expansion, but rely on forests storing carbon for decades to centuries. Yet climate-driven disturbances pose critical risks to the long-term stability of forest carbon. We quantify the climate drivers that influence wildfire and climate stress-driven tree mortality, including a separate insect-driven tree mortality, for the contiguous United States for current (1984-2018) and project these future disturbance risks over the 21st century. We find that current risks are widespread and projected to increase across different emissions scenarios by a factor of >4 for fire and >1.3 for climate-stress mortality. These forest disturbance risks highlight pervasive climate-sensitive disturbance impacts on US forests and raise questions about the risk management approach taken by forest carbon offset policies. Our results provide US-wide risk maps of key climate-sensitive disturbances for improving carbon cycle modeling, conservation and climate policy.

This article explores how second-grade students in a Spanish/English two-way immersion (TWI) program make sense of becoming bilingual. Drawing upon the expanded model of investment theory, I examine how and why students in this classroom "invest" in their emerging bilingualism, attending to the similarities and differences in the sense-making of Latinx students and their non-Latinx peers. Findings reveal that students across linguistic backgrounds held similar understandings of the perceived benefits of bilingualism, including bilingualism for global citizenship, to help others, and to increase their employment opportunities. Students sense-making differed, however, when it came to the uniqueness of the bilingual experience. That is, among White English home language students, there was a shared discourse of bilingual exceptionalism--their bilingualism making them 'feel special,' as if they had 'a secret language'--while Latinx students framed bilingualism as a 'normal' phenomenon. I consider these findings in relation to systemic patterns of control and spaces of resistance and discuss implications for fostering and sustaining equitable models of bilingual education.

In this conceptual article, the authors introduce the Translanguaging Framework for Deaf Education (TFDE), drawing upon two perspectives on language and learning: crip linguistics and critical translanguaging space. The TFDE is a retheorization of the Language Zone, a pedagogical framework for supporting language learning in deaf education, and is designed to support educators to approach language use and users from an asset-oriented perspective. In line with this stance, the TFDE validates the linguistic resources deaf students bring to the classroom and encourages students' full use of their communicative repertoires for meaning making, while also working to expand their linguistic resources and increase communicative flexibility. Examples of translanguaging pedagogical practices with deaf students, such as coming to a shared understanding, building metalinguistic knowledge, and honing communication for external audiences, are explained and illustrated through classroom scenarios with deaf students. Readers are also provided with tools for critically analyzing the social context to ensure accessible and equitable language environments for deaf students and to protect spaces for the use of minoritized languages such as ASL.

This article reports on how the traditional way of teaching and learning in a third-year undergraduate education, training, and development (ETD) module was transformed at a traditional university in South Africa. Many ETD scholars argue that curricula taught to students in the ETD profession are not relevant to the South African context and do not prepare students for the workplace. Thus, transforming the learning and teaching in the ETD module was deemed critical because of the theory vs practice gap, and, more importantly, for the students' development of South African workplace skills and competencies to strengthen their employable opportunities. The study was located within a Critical Social Science perspective because the lecturer did not only want to understand the issues, but she wanted to effect positive change. Two experienced ETD industry practitioners were involved in the learning and teaching of the ETD module, and a decoloniality strategy, using six situated learning theory characteristics was employed to effect the transformation. The practitioners introduced students to authentic experiences, the students observed the practitioners at their workplaces, and the tasks and assessments were adjusted to the South African workplace context to enhance the students' learning experiences and strengthen their development of indigenous South African ETD skills and competencies.

Students taking developmental mathematics often struggle with dedicating adequate time to engage with material outside of class. The institution in this study requires participation in out-of-class support and has utilized a variety of models of support. The goal of these support programs is to increase the pass rates for students and aid in the development of study skills that can be transferred to other coursework. The purpose of this study was to compare the academic attainment and study skill development for developmental mathematics students participating in a structured peer study group compared to students who did not participate.

Introduction: One of the primary target organs of mercury toxicity is the kidney. Inorganic mercury such as mercuric chloride (HgCl2) significantly damages the kidney. Phoenix dactylifera has been documented to possess several pharmacological activities. In traditional Chinese medicine, Phoenix dactylifera has been used to replenish energy during weakness, temper the harshness of other herbs, and treat a lot of ailments. This study evaluated the protective effects of the n-butanol fraction of Phoenix dactylifera L. (BFPD) on mercury-triggered kidney toxicity in Wistar rats. Method: 25 male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups containing 5 rats each. Group I was the control and was administered 2 ml/kg of distilled water; group II was administered 5 mg/kg of HgCl2; group III was pretreated with 500 mg/kg of BFPD + 5 mg/kg of HgCl2; group IV was pretreated with 1000 mg/kg of BFPD + 5 mg/kg of HgCl2, while group V was pretreated with 100 mg/kg of silymarin + 5 mg/kg of HgCl2. orally for 2 weeks. The rats were euthanized and blood samples were collected for biochemical studies (kidney serum proteins (urea and creatinine), and oxidative stress biomarker, Glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Kidney samples were collected for immunohistochemical, stereological and molecular studies. Results: The results revealed that oxidative stress was induced in the rats exposed to HgCl2 evident by the altered levels of Urea, Creatinine, and GPx in comparison to the control. However, BFPD treatment restored these changes. GPx activity decreased (p

Carbon offsets are widely used by individuals, corporations, and governments to mitigate their greenhouse gas emissions on the assumption that offsets reflect equivalent climate benefits achieved elsewhere. These climate-equivalence claims depend on offsets providing real and additional climate benefits beyond what would have happened, counterfactually, without the offsets project. Here, we evaluate the design of California's prominent forest carbon offsets program and demonstrate that its climate-equivalence claims fall far short on the basis of directly observable evidence. By design, California's program awards large volumes of offset credits to forest projects with carbon stocks that exceed regional averages. This paradigm allows for adverse selection, which could occur if project developers preferentially select forests that are ecologically distinct from unrepresentative regional averages. By digitizing and analyzing comprehensive offset project records alongside detailed forest inventory data, we provide direct evidence that comparing projects against coarse regional carbon averages has led to systematic over-crediting of 30.0 million tCO2 e (90% CI: 20.5-38.6 million tCO2 e) or 29.4% of the credits we analyzed (90% CI: 20.1%-37.8%). These excess credits are worth an estimated $410 million (90% CI: $280-$528 million) at recent market prices. Rather than improve forest management to store additional carbon, California's forest offsets program creates incentives to generate offset credits that do not reflect real climate benefits.

ObjectiveTo determine whether metformin or lifestyle modification can lower rates of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in the Diabetes Prevention Program and Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study.Research design and methodsFrom 1996 to 1999, 3,234 adults at high risk for type 2 diabetes were randomized to an intensive lifestyle intervention, masked metformin, or placebo. Placebo and lifestyle interventions stopped in 2001, and a modified lifestyle program was offered to everyone, but unmasked study metformin continued in those originally randomized. Causes of deaths through 31 December 2018 were adjudicated by blinded reviews. All-cause and cause-specific mortality hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated from Cox proportional hazards regression models and Fine-Gray models, respectively.ResultsOver a median of 21 years (interquartile range 20-21), 453 participants died. Cancer was the leading cause of death (n = 170), followed by cardiovascular disease (n = 131). Compared with placebo, metformin did not influence mortality from all causes (HR 0.99 [95% CI 0.79, 1.25]), cancer (HR 1.04 [95% CI 0.72, 1.52]), or cardiovascular disease (HR 1.08 [95% CI 0.70, 1.66]). Similarly, lifestyle modification did not impact all-cause (HR 1.02 [95% CI 0.81, 1.28]), cancer (HR 1.07 [95% CI 0.74, 1.55]), or cardiovascular disease (HR 1.18 [95% CI 0.77, 1.81]) mortality. Analyses adjusted for diabetes status and duration, BMI, cumulative glycemic exposure, and cardiovascular risks yielded results similar to those for all-cause mortality.ConclusionsCancer was the leading cause of mortality among adults at high risk for type 2 diabetes. Although metformin and lifestyle modification prevented diabetes, neither strategy reduced all-cause, cancer, or cardiovascular mortality rates.

Background: The natural origin of medicinal plants does not guarantee their safety, as there are no sufficient studies on the safety, efficacy, and toxicity to support their benefit claims. Objectives: This study aimed at investigating the oral acute toxicity of Adansonia digitata L. (A. digitata) fruit shell extract in mice. Methods: The maceration method was employed for the extraction of the A. digitata fruit shell using methanol. The extract was then screened for its phytochemical constituents both qualitatively and quantitatively. Lorke’s method was followed for the toxicity study, and the mice were observed for clinical signs of toxicity and mortality. Further, serum was analyzed for liver and kidney function biomarkers besides the histology of the liver, kidney, and cerebellum. Results: No single death was recorded and no sign of toxicity persisted for more than 2 hours post-administration to the extracts up to 5000 mg/kg. Therefore, the - of A. digitata fruit shell is above 5000 mg/kg. Additionally, no changes were observed in the weights as well as the relative organ weight of the mice. Further, no statistically significant changes were seen in their liver and kidney function biomarkers, besides the relatively intact histological appearance of their liver, kidney, and cerebellum. Conclusion: The oral acute toxicity of methanol extract of A. digitata fruit shell is above 5000 mg/kg; hence, it is relatively safe to use it for medicinal purposes. However, a longer study duration is recommended to evaluate its toxic effects on fertility, teratogenicity, and carcinogenic potentials.

AbstractThis article reports on how the traditional way of teaching and learning in a third-year undergraduate education, training, and development (ETD) module was transformed at a traditional university in South Africa. Many ETD scholars argue that curricula taught to students in the ETD profession are not relevant to the South African context and do not prepare students for the workplace. Thus, transforming the learning and teaching in the ETD module was deemed critical because of the theory vs practice gap, and, more importantly, for the students’ development of South African workplace skills and competencies to strengthen their employable opportunities. The study was located within a Critical Social Science perspective because the lecturer did not only want to understand the issues, but she wanted to effect positive change. Two experienced ETD industry practitioners were involved in the learning and teaching of the ETD module, and a decoloniality strategy, using six situated learning theory characteristics was employed to effect the transformation. The practitioners introduced students to authentic experiences, the students observed the practitioners at their workplaces, and the tasks and assessments were adjusted to the South African workplace context to enhance the students’ learning experiences and strengthen their development of indigenous South African ETD skills and competencies.

Abstract Policy instruments—such as regulation, financial incentives, and agricultural extension—are commonly applied by governments to promote sustainable agricultural practices and tackle ecosystem degradation. Despite substantial investment, little data are available to gauge the impact of evolving policy mixes. We constructed a Bayesian network model to explore relationships between policy instruments, contextual factors, and adoption. Applying a series of scenarios, we present examples of how different instruments influence adoption and how their effectiveness is shaped by contextual factors. Scenarios highlight that the effect of policy instruments is often modest, and constrained by diverse practice and population characteristics. These findings allow us to reflect on the role of policy instruments, and the conditions necessary to support practice change. For example, our findings raise questions about the role of financial benefits versus financial capacity, and highlight the potential importance of concepts such as mental bandwidth in shaping both motivation and capacity to adopt.

Background: Recent global reports highlighted the significance of improving the quality of healthcare delivery in all settings, including rural and Hard-to-reach communities, as a central strategy for attaining sustainable development goals. Objectives: This study aimed at assessing and document relevant data associated with delivering qualitative Maternal and Child health (MCH) services in the hard-to-reach (HTR) communities using carefully selected indicators. Methods: The study used a mixed-design approach of quantitative and qualitative methods. Results: This study report high performance on the first antenatal visit (ANC 1), use of modern contraceptives (CPR), Penta 3, measles vaccination coverage, and, Low dropout rate also noticed in Penta 3, thus signifying a generally good performance in all the local government areas (LGAs). Furthermore, Yola South, Fufore, Toungo, Ganye and Michika LGA were found to be the best performing LGAs on the selected maternal and Child indicators, namely: (ANC1), ANC4, ANC8, Institutional delivery rate, and Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR), while Gombi, Guyuk and Madagali LGAs were the poorest performing LGAs. The poor performance of these LGAswere associated with human and environmental interferences: ongoing insecurity, high HTR communities due to mountains and riverine, high illiteracy, inadequate outreach services, poverty, lack of adequate emergency transport system, inadequate human resource for health (HRH), inadequate and poor infrastructure, many communities lacking primary healthcare center. Conclusion: The assessment highlights the coverage of LGAs with low utilization of MCH services in HTR communities of Adamawa State, the reasons for the low coverage, and the possible strategies for increased utilization of these services. These findings suggest an urgent need for designing efficient outreaches for the delivery of maternal newborn and child’s intervention in HTR communities.

Whilst monotherapy is traditionally the preferred treatment starting point for chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, other diseases require the use of multiple drugs (polytherapy) from the onset of treatment (e.g., human immunodeficiency virus acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, tuberculosis, and malaria). Successful treatment of these chronic conditions is sometimes hampered by patient non-adherence to polytherapy. The options available for polytherapy are either the sequential addition of individual drug products to deliver an effective multi-drug regimen or the use of a single fixed-dose combination (FDC) therapy product. This article intends to critically review the use of FDC drug therapy and provide an insight into FDC products which are already commercially available. Shortcomings of FDC formulations are discussed from multiple perspectives and research gaps are identified. Moreover, an overview of fundamental formulation considerations is provided to aid formulation scientists in the design and development of new FDC products.