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The study examined economics of smoked farmed Catfish in Kainji Lake Basin, Nigeria. Random sampling technique was used to select 80 farmed-catfish processors from 20 communities. Primary data were collected through interview schedule and presented using percentages, mean, and 2-stage least square regression analysis. Results showed that the use of local oven (banda kilns) constitute the majority (at least 67%) of the method used in fish smoking. Roles such as gutting, folding, salting/brining, setting of fire and fish monitoring were mostly performed by the women, while the men and youths supply fire woods as well as fish arrangement on racks. The average gender ratio between the men, women and youths was 0.80, indicating a near gender equality in terms of value of fixed assets, revenue, employees and wage. Profitability indicators showed that smoke fish processing is a viable business with return on investment of 11.71 % for the men, 9.99 % for the women and 8.48 % for the youths respectively. The major determinants of net-income were age, experience and initial capital investment. Hence, it is recommended that the processing industry should be strengthened through subsidy on improved smoking kilns to enable processors produce high quality processed farmed catfish.

Issues arising with social media and its influence on women entrepreneurs trigged this investigation. The research will examine the impact of social media on online small businesses owned and run by women entrepreneurs with reference to London-based female e-entrepreneurs. The work is a proposal for a PhD research and while waiting for the University for confirmation to conduct this area of investigation, I have decided to present this paper as part of my initial investigation on the issues around social media online on small businesses run by women entrepreneurs. Work used mixed research methods to investigate the impact of social media online on female entrepreneurs, their experiences and perceptions on their business activities and performance. The growth of social media as part of innovative technological development has enabled entrepreneurs to effectively carry out their business activities online, and an increasing number of female business owners are taking their businesses online and abandoning traditional, brink and mortar business model. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snap chat, YouTube and LinkedIn along with other websites are incorporated into the businesses of modern-day women entrepreneurs. This research will examine, analyse and evaluate relevant theoretical framework on female entrepreneurship and social media engagement and impact on business performance. The research will develop a framework for best practice that can be used by women e-entrepreneurs across Greater London.

Abstract Background Tuberculosis is the world’s deadliest infectious disease and a leading cause of death in Nigeria. The availability of a functional healthcare system is critical for effective TB service delivery and attainment of national and global targets. This study was designed to assess readiness for TB service delivery in Oyo and Anambra states of Nigeria. Methods This was a facility-based study with a mixed-methods convergent parallel design. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 42 primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare facilities in two TB high burden states. Data were collected using key informant interviews, a semi-structured instrument adapted from the WHO Service Availability and Readiness Assessment tool and facility observation using a checklist. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data were transcribed and analysed thematically. Data from both sources were integrated to generate conclusions. Results The domain score for basic amenities in both states was 48.8%; 47.0% in Anambra and 50.8% in Oyo state with 95% confidence interval [− 15.29, 7.56]. In Oyo, only half of the facilities (50%) had access to constant power supply compared to 72.7% in Anambra state. The overall general service readiness index for both states was 69.2% with Oyo state having a higher value (73.3%) compared to Anambra with 65.4% (p = 0.56). The domain score for availability of staff and TB guidelines was 57.1% for both states with 95% confidence interval [− 13.8, 14.4]. Indicators of this domain with very low values were staff training for the management of HIV and TB co-infection and training on MDR -TB. Almost half (47.6%) of the facilities experienced a stock out of TB drugs in the 3 months preceding the study. The overall tuberculosis-specific service readiness index for both states was 75%; this was higher in Oyo (76.5%) than Anambra state (73.6%) (p = 0.14). Qualitative data revealed areas of deficiencies for TB service delivery such as inadequate infrastructure, poor staffing, and gaps with continuing education on TB management. Conclusions The weak health system remains a challenge and there must be concerted actions and funding by the government and donors to improve the TB healthcare systems.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the experience and challenges faced by female in multi-tasking, combing full-time academic work with being an entrepreneur; the impact on professional practice and personal development. Becoming an entrepreneur can be a challenging and daunting task, but it can also come with good experience in managing own small businesses and putting theory into practice in teaching students. The work draws on experiences of how entrepreneurs were able to combine academic work with managing their own small businesses and challenges confronted in realities. Drawing from experience, moving back and forth between the academic and business spheres, this paper considers the impact of being an entrepreneur and lecturer, and what it meant for the students, institutions and own professional development. The work uses qualitative and quantitative research paradigms to seek the perceptions of some professionals who were able to combine academic work and being an entrepreneur, challenges faced in the combined roles on their students, institution and professional development. The analysis of findings from few concludes that there are many benefits, as well as challenges, confronting professionals in multi-tasking of being a business owner and academic Lecturer, of which, most of them became very successful through hard work and determination and some failed to cope due to combination of two ultimately complementary roles. This presents further areas for research to investigate why some professionals who try to combine job roles of academic and being a business owner fail and if this may be the case for the male teachers.

The epidemiology of food borne disease is changing. New pathogens have emerged, and some have spread worldwide. The broad spectrum of food borne infections has changed dramatically over time, as well-established pathogens have been controlled or eliminated, and new ones have emerged. Food pathogens have been a cause of a large number of diseases worldwide and more so in developing countries. This has a major economic impact. The burden of food borne disease remains substantial. Most of these illnesses are not accounted for by known pathogens, so must remain to be discovered. Among the known food borne pathogens, those more recently identified predominate, suggesting that as more and more is learned about pathogens, and they come under control. In addition to the emergence or recognition of new pathogens, other trends include global pandemics of some food borne pathogens, the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, the identification of pathogens that are highly opportunistic, affecting only the most high-risk sub populations, and the increasing identification of large and dispersed outbreaks. Outbreak investigations and case-control studies of sporadic cases can identify sources of infection and guide the development of specific prevention strategies. Better understanding of how pathogens persist in animal reservoirs is also critical to successful long-term prevention. In the past, the central challenge of foodborne disease lay in preventing the contamination of human food with sewage or animal manure. In the future, prevention of foodborne disease will increasingly depend on controlling contamination of feed and water consumed by the animals themselves.

Leaving home countries to study in another country can impose a big cultural challenge to students and teachers in the classroom. This study will aim to share the experience of teaching and interacting with international students, with main focus on Romanian students studying at QA higher education in partnership with Northumbria, Ulster, Roehampton and Middlesex Universities based in London. The main purpose for this study was to compare our previous studies that focused on Nigerian students’ experiences studying in the UK intuitions. The students concerned for this current study are both on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Business Studies. QAHE has over 3,000 foreign students on their Business programmes comprising Romanian, Bulgarian, Italian, and others from Mexico, Columbia, China, Vietnam and few from the UK. Majority of the undergraduate students are from Romania studying undergraduate Business programme and the rest studying postgraduate Business programme are mainly from other foreign countries.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and mental illness are interlinked health problems; mental illness may pose a risk for contracting HIV and HIV-positive individuals are at higher risk of mental illness. However, in countries with high HIV prevalence, the main focus of HIV-related health programmes is usually on prevention and treatment of somatic complications of HIV, and mental illness is not given high priority. We examined HIV prevalence, uptake of HIV services, and HIV-related risk behaviour among people attending a mental health clinic in rural Malawi. METHODOLOGY: Semi-structured interviews were performed with patients capable to consent (94%), and with those accompanied by a capable caregiver who consented. HIV counselling and testing was offered to participants. FINDINGS: Among 174 participants, we collected 162 HIV test results (91%). HIV prevalence was 14.8%. Women were three times as likely to be HIV-positive compared to men. Two-thirds of participants reported having been tested for HIV prior to this study. The uptake of HIV-services among HIV-positive patients was low: 35% did not use recommended prophylactic therapy and 44% of patients not receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) had never been assessed for ART eligibility. The reported rate of sexual activity was 61%, and 9% of sexually active participants had multiple partners. Inconsistent condom use with stable (89%) and occasional (79%) sexual partners, and absence of knowledge of the HIV status of those partners (53%, 63%) indicate high levels of sexual risk behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: HIV-prevalence among persons attending the clinic, particularly men, was lower than among the general population in a population survey. The rate of HIV testing was high, but there was low uptake of preventive measures and ART. This illustrates that HIV-positive individuals with mental illness or epilepsy constitute a vulnerable population. HIV programmes should include those with neuropsychiatric illness.

Abstract Background In dogs in the western world neoplasia constitutes the most frequently diagnosed cause of death. Although there appear to be similarities between canine and human cancers, rather little is known about the cytogenetic and molecular alterations in canine tumours. Different dog breeds are susceptible to different types of cancer, but the genetic basis of the great majority of these predispositions has yet to be discovered. In some retriever breeds there is a high incidence of soft tissue sarcomas and we have previously reported alterations of chromosomes 11 and 30 in two poorly differentiated fibrosarcomas. Here we extend our observations and present a case report on detail rearrangements on chromosome 11 as well as genetic variations in a tumour suppressor gene in normal dogs. Results BAC hybridisations on metaphases of two fibrosarcomas showed complex rearrangements on chromosome 11, and loss of parts of this chromosome. Microsatellite markers on a paired tumour and blood DNA pointed to loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 11 in the CDKN2B-CDKN2A tumour suppressor gene cluster region. PCR and sequencing revealed the homozygous loss of coding sequences for these genes, except for exon 1β of CDKN2A, which codes for the N-terminus of p14ARF. For CDKN2B exon 1, two alleles were observed in DNA from blood; one of them identical to the sequence in the dog reference genome and containing 4 copies of a 12 bp repeat found only in the canine gene amongst all species so far sequenced; the other allele was shorter due to a missing copy of the repeat. Sequencing of this exon in 141 dogs from 18 different breeds revealed a polymorphic region involving a GGC triplet repeat and a GGGGACGGCGGC repeat. Seven alleles were recorded and sixteen of the eighteen breeds showed heterozygosity. Conclusion Complex chromosome rearrangements were observed on chromosome 11 in two Labrador retriever fibrosarcomas. The chromosome alterations were reflected in the loss of sequences corresponding to two tumour suppressor genes involved in cell-cycle progression. Sequencing of CDKN2B across many different breeds revealed a widespread polymorphism within the first exon of the gene, immediately before the ankyrin coding sequences.