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This study introduces two new compounds: (1) [Zn(4MBA)2(2MIm)(H2O)3].H2O and (2) [Cu(4MBA)2(2MIm)(H2O)3], with 4MBA representing 4-methylbenzoic acid and 2MIm denoting 2-methylimidazole. Synthesis of the compounds involved a 3-hour stirring at room temperature, followed by characterization through elemental analysis, molar conductance, melting point, FTIR, GC/MS, and PXRD techniques. FTIR analysis confirmed monodentate coordination of the metal ions with both the carboxylate group of 4MBA and the nitrogen atom of 2MIm in both complexes. Both complexes demonstrated heightened antibacterial effectiveness against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli compared to the free ligands. Complex 2 showcased superior antifungal potential against all tested fungal organisms compared to complex 1 and the parent ligands. Molecular docking indicated complex 2 to have the highest binding energy of -8.6 kcal/mol, signifying superior antimicrobial attributes. In conclusion, copper-derived complex 2 could be considered a promising candidate for combatting pathogenic infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study assessed the indigenous climate change adaptation strategies employed by crop farmers in Osun State, Nigeria. Primary data were gathered from 170 crop farmers across the state. The pretested structured interview schedule was used to elicit quantitative information from the respondents. The data were analysed with percentages and means. The results showed that the chirping of crickets, the appearance of cattle egrets, an army of ants, and the abundance of flying termites were the major agroecological indicators used to predict seasonal climate change in the study area. Erratic rainfall patterns (94.1%) and unusual early rains followed by weeks of dryness (92.9%) were the noticeable features of climate variability. The major indigenous strategies used were Indigenous agroecological knowledge (x? =2.82) and diversifying cropping patterns (x? =2.82). Major constraints limiting the utilisation of indigenous adaptation strategies were insufficient documentation of Indigenous strategy (98.8%) and limited support from the younger generation (96.2%). Most crop farmers had in-depth knowledge of indigenous agroecological indicators in their environment and employed multiple indigenous strategies to cushion the effects of climate change. There is a need to integrate indigenous adaptation strategies with modern scientific knowledge by relevant stakeholders to boost crop production and ensure food security.

Agricultural cooperatives are frequently considered an essential framework that might help smallholder farmers overcome certain obstacles. This study investigated the determinants of agricultural cooperative membership and its impact on the poverty status of smallholder farming households in Nigeria. Primary data were gathered from 240 smallholder farming households using a multistage sampling procedure. The Foster, Greer, and Thorbecke (FGT) Index and the Endogenous Switching Probit Regression Model (ESPM) were used to analyze the data. The study concluded that most rural households were male (86 %), small scale, and at the prime of their productive age (57 years). The result further revealed that most (57.5 %) of the respondents are members of agricultural cooperatives. The results of the FGT poverty measure also indicate that the majority (67 %) of the smallholder farming households were poor. The result of the ESPM revealed that gender, years of education, land ownership, household size, years of farming experience, access to credit, and asset ownership significantly influence the membership of smallholder farmers in agricultural cooperatives. The second stage of the ESPM revealed that gender, education, land ownership, household size, years of farming experience, access to credit, asset ownership, and membership in other forms of cooperatives significantly affect poverty status among the agricultural cooperative members. Meanwhile, among non-members of agricultural cooperatives, variables such as gender, years of education, land ownership, farm size, access to credit, membership in other forms of cooperatives, and asset ownership significantly affect the poverty status of smallholder farmers. These findings reveal that there is a statistically significant relationship between the poverty status of smallholder farming households and their membership in agricultural cooperatives.

In this study, the production and properties evaluation of compacted graphite iron (CGI) were experimented. Sand casting was employed in producing the CGI alloys using rotary furnace to melt the charges. Rod pattern was used to produce the CGI alloy samples with different alloying treatments. Alloy C is the unmodified CGI alloys while alloy A1, A2 and A3 are antimony Sb-modified CGI alloys at varying addition of 0.003, 0.006 and 0.05 wt% respectively. Mg and Ce FeSi treated alloy C; and Mg, Ce, Al, Cu, Sb - modified alloys were all subjected to mechanical tests according to ASTM standards. The chemical compositions were obtained using spectrometry analyzer. The microstructure of the samples was viewed using metallurgical optical microscope and analysed with image analyzer. The result of the chemical analysis of the CGI alloys produced solidified as hypoeutectic (for alloy samples C and A1) and hypereutectic (for A2 and A3) which showed a low silicon (1.66 - 1.76) % and high sulphur (0.110 - 0.147) contents of their respective Si/C and Mg/S ratios. The microstructure details revealed that increased antimony addition increases pearlite content and modified the compacted graphite particles from thick, short, and wormy - like with round - ended edges to less thick, short, wormy and crab - like graphite with needle and rough edges in pearlitic matrix interspersed with carbide. Mechanical properties (tensile, % elongation and elastic modulus) were improved as antimony addition increases particularly for alloy A1 while lowest values were within alloys C and A1. Alloy C has the highest average hardness of 87.4 HRA while Alloy A1 possessed the least value (83.2 HRA). Hence, alloy A2 has the best overall property which is between Grade 300 - 350 according to ASTM A842 - 85. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a continent where indices concerning literacy continue to plummet and technological advancement continues to be a mirage, it is urgent to examine the distinction between the qualities and state of being educated, on the one hand and the state of being learned on the other hand. This move is important owing to the level of literacy and education that has yielded almost no tangible result in 21st century Africa. On the first showing, the terms seem to be synonyms. Upon a critical reflection however, it soon becomes clear that this cannot be. This conviction is discernable once the method of analysis is applied to each of these terms with Africa in mind. The foremost purpose of this research, therefore, is to argue that these terms are not synonymous, much as they hold so similar implications for Africa and Africans concerning their epistemic leaning toward human and educational development. As a result, the principal motivation of the present disquisition is to employ an epistemic basis to foreground the parallels and departures between these two concepts that have usually been taken for granted as synonymous or interchangeable. The motivation to explore the epistemic alternative is motivated by the urgency to provide an impartial umpire in epistemology to mediate the places of similitude and radical departures between the ‘educated’ and the ‘learned.’ As a consequence, this study infers that much as the two concepts are intertwined there are places of deep divergence which allows the ‘educated’ to be much more sophisticated compared to the ‘learned.’ For its purpose, this study forays into various discourses that seems to underscore the distinction between the ‘learned’ and the ‘educated’ from an epistemic perspective. This is due to the pertinence for justifying the arguments marshaled and in line with the method of philosophical analysis, which is being deployed in this study.

The current high rate of crime in Nigeria, which is attributed largely to high population growth, rapid rate of urbanization and a correspondingly high rate of impoverishment among the population owing to the disproportionate growth of the national economy, is fast making urban centers in Nigeria unsafe. With a police force that is short in capacity, urban residents have adopted safety measures to prevent and adapt to the increase in crimes in their residential neighbourhoods. Using a combination of primary and secondary data from a medium-sized city that reflects the attributes of the typical Nigerian urban centers, this study appraised the effectiveness of these prevention and adaptation measures. Among several identified measures, the use of fences and gates around buildings proved to be the most effective measure against the eight commonly identified crimes in the study area. The study concludes that the usage of this measure should form part of the building approval process by the relevant physical planning authorities in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work was aimed at assessing the possible use of ripe plantain fruit peel as a green-base catalyst in synthesizing Azadirachta indica oil methyl esters (AIOME). The free fatty acid content of the oil (5.81 wt %) was initially reduced to 0.90 wt % using methanol: oil at 2.19 υ/υ Fe2(SO4)3 at 6 wt %, time of 15 min and temperature of 65 °C. The pretreated oil was converted to AIOME in a transesterification process with calcined ripe plantain peel ash (CRPPA) at 700 °C as catalyst. The process was modeled by artificial neural network and optimized using genetic algorithm. The effectiveness of the developed CRPPA is ascribable to its high K content and microstructural transformation. The reliability of the model obtained was confirmed with a high coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.996 and a low mean relative percentage deviation (MRPD) of 8.10%. The best operating variables combination for the process was methanol:oil of 0.73 υ/υ, CRPPA of 0.65 wt % and time of 57 min while the temperature was kept constant at 65 °C with a corresponding AIOME yield of 99.2 wt %. The results of this work demonstrated the potentials of ripe plantain peels and neem oil as cheap feedstocks for biodiesel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE The prevalence of themes linked to delay in presentation of breast cancer (BC) and their underlying factors vary considerably throughout Africa. Regional differences and trends are largely unreported. The purpose of this research was to provide summary estimates of the prevalence and distribution of the themes and underlying factors linked to delay in the presentation of BC, regional variation, and trends in an effort to identify targets for intervention. DESIGN We screened articles found through PubMed/Medline, African Journal OnLine, Science Direct, Google/Google Scholar, and ResearchGate. We included patient-reported surveys on the reasons linked to delayed presentation under 6 previously identified themes: symptom misinterpretation, fear, preference for alternative care, social influence, hospital-related factors, and access factors. The meta-analytical procedure in MetaXL used the quality-effect model. RESULTS Twelve of the 236 identified articles were eligible for this review. The overall summary estimate of late presentation (> 90 days) was 54% (95% CI, 23 to 85) and was worst in the eastern and central regions. Symptom misinterpretation was the most common theme (50%; 95% CI, 21 to 56), followed by fear (17%; 95% CI, 3 to 27), hospital-related theme (11%; 95% CI, 1 to 21), preference for alternative care (10%; 95% CI, 0 to 21), social influence (7%; 95% CI, 0 to 14), and access-related theme (6%; 95% CI, 0 to 13). The most common factor underlying symptom misinterpretation was mischaracterizing the breast lesion as benign (60%; 95% CI, 4 to 100) which surpassed lack of awareness in the last decade. Misdiagnosis and failure to refer were the dominant hospital-related factors. CONCLUSION Modifiable factors such as mischaracterizing malignant masses as benign, fear, misdiagnosis, and failure to refer were the prevalent factors contributing to delays throughout Africa. These factors are promising targets for intervention.

The effects of sample weight, time and solvent type on YOSO yield were evaluated using ANN and RSM. The predicted optimal condition for the extraction process was found to be the same for the ANN and RSM models developed: sample weight of 20 g, time of 3 h and petroleum ether. The models predictions of YOSO yield (ANN [77.42%] and RSM [78.64%]) at optimum levels were verified experimentally (ANN [77.63%] and RSM [76.64%]). Evaluation of the models by R² and AAD showed that the ANN model was better (R² = 1.00, AAD = 0.61%) than the RSM model (R² = 0.98, AAD = 3.19%) in predicting YOSO yield. Physicochemical properties of the YOSO indicated that it was nonedible and the fatty acids profile showed that the oil was highly unsaturated (76.13%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder with multiple microvascular and macrovascular complications. Some of the complications of diabetes such as erectile dysfunction are a result of an interplay of both microvascular and macrovascular complications. Erectile dysfunction is the inability to achieve or sustain an erection adequate for satisfactory sexual activity. Erectile dysfunction is relatively common in men with diabetes yet there is a paucity of information on erectile dysfunction among Nigerian men with diabetes. Materials and Methods: Twelve studies on erectile dysfunction in Nigerian men with diabetes with a total sample size of 1777 fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were recruited into the systematic review. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire was used to assess erectile dysfunction in all the studies. Results: The prevalence of erectile dysfunction among Nigerian men with diabetes is 48.4-98.0%. The factors significantly associated with the presence of erectile dysfunction among Nigerian men with diabetes are longer duration of diabetes, poor glycaemic control, older age, peripheral arterial disease, autonomic neuropathy and obesity. Conclusion: The prevalence of erectile dysfunction among Nigerian men with diabetes is high. Close attention needs to be paid to glycaemic control in these patients to reduce the complications.

Momordica charantia, commonly known as bitter gourd, is used as a vegetable by the Asian community in Africa. It is frequently used as an anti-diabetic herb for the management of disease in the Ayurvedic system of Medicine. This present study was aimed at evaluating possible cardio-protective properties of M. charantia by determining its effect on blood cholesterol levels in albino rats. The study involved 25 rats and they were divided into 5 groups each comprising of 5 rats. The aqueous extract of M. Charantia was administered orally with syringes and cannula to 4 groups at different doses (80mg/kg, 100mg/kg, 120mg/kg and 140mg/kg body weights per day, respectively) and the last group served as the control and were given drug vehicle (normal saline) only. After two weeks of administration, the 25 rats were sacrificed and blood samples were collected and assayed for total blood cholesterol, triglyceride, highdensity lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein levels. Results indicated that M. charantia plant extract increased significantly (P<0.05) the low density lipoprotein levels in the experimental group B (100mg/kg), and significantly reduced low density lipoprotein levels (P<0.05) in the experimental group A (80mg/kg), when compared to the control group. This study showed that M. charantia plant extract has cardio-protective properties by its dose-dependent effects on blood cholesterol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of materials that were formally regarded as agricultural wastes into polymeric matrix has drawn the attention of many researchers in recent years. This research focused on reinforcing high-density polyethylene (HDPE) matrix with treated jute fiber (JF)/oil palm pressed fruit fibers (OPPFF) at varying weight proportions. JF and OPPFF were cut to 2.5 mm length and were chemically treated thereafter with 1 M and 1.5 M sodium hydroxide solution respectively. The composites were produced using the compression molding technique. The morphological characterization of the fibers and composites for untreated and treated samples was studied with the aid of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Tensile and flexural properties of the produced composite samples were also determined. From the result, the surface morphology of the fiber after treatment showed that there was obvious exposure of the fiber surface and removal of impurities as this influenced the microstructure of the composites and in turn the tensile and flexural properties. Hence, it was observed that 20 wt.% treated jute fiber addition shows the most significant enhancements in terms of tensile and flexural properties. The study exposed the effect of surface modification of JF/OPPF hybridization on HDPE matrix composite.

Background: Self-discharge by patients without completing their treatment is a problematic issue in healthcare and is strongly associated with readmission and poor treatment outcome. Patients and Methods: A descriptive study of the rate and reasons why patients with limb injuries took self-discharge against medical advice (DAMA) from our facility, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, a tertiary health institution between May 2011 and April 2014. Results: One hundred and thirty-one (16.2%) patients took DAMA out of 810 patients seen with limb injuries. Age ranges from 3 to 95 years with a mean of 36.31 ± 19.34 years. Road traffic crash accounted for 110 (84%) of the injuries. One hundred and sixteen (88.5%) had fractures and 9 (6.9%) had soft tissue injuries. Fifty-eight (44.3%) of the patients were referred cases, 128 (97.7%) signed DAMA form while 3 (2.3%) absconded from the hospital. Reasons for DAMA were mainly; belief more in traditional bone setters (TBSs) (36.6%); pressure from relations (22.9%) and high cost of hospital care (19.8%). One hundred and one (77.1%) of the patients volunteered that they were going to TBS for continued care. Conclusion: High percentage of patients DAMA from our facility and majority of them were in favour of unorthodox form of treatment.

Spores of fungi forming vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza were collected from Ibadan, Iwo and Egbeda series at the experimental plots of Federal Department of Agricultural Research, Moor Plantation, Ibadan. These were used to inoculate cowpea, maize and tomato. The presence of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza was detected in the roots of these plants after a few weeks of growth. Dry weights of roots and shoots, and total P and N were determined. There was a positive correlation between the presence of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza and the amounts of P and N in the tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethiopia has about 52 million indigenous goats with marked phenotypic variability, which is the outcome of natural and artificial selection. Here, we obtained whole-genome sequence data of three Ethiopian indigenous goat populations (Arab, Fellata, and Oromo) from northwestern Ethiopia and analyzed their genome-wide genetic diversity, population structure, and signatures of selection. We included genotype data from four other Ethiopian goat populations (Abergelle, Keffa, Gumuz, and Woyto-Guji) and goats from Asia; Europe; and eastern, southern, western, and northern Africa to investigate the genetic predisposition of the three Ethiopian populations and performed comparative genomic analysis. Genetic diversity analysis showed that Fellata goats exhibited the lowest heterozygosity values (Ho = 0.288 ± 0.005 and He = 0.334 ± 0.0001). The highest values were observed in Arab goats (Ho = 0.310 ± 0.010 and He = 0.347 ± 4.35e-05). A higher inbreeding coefficient (F ROH = 0.137 ± 0.016) was recorded for Fellata goats than the 0.105 ± 0.030 recorded for Arab and the 0.112 ± 0.034 recorded for Oromo goats. This indicates that the Fellata goat population should be prioritized in future conservation activities. The three goat populations showed the majority (∼63%) of runs of homozygosity in the shorter (100-150 Kb) length category, illustrating ancient inbreeding and/or small founder effects. Population relationship and structure analysis separated the Ethiopian indigenous goats into two distinct genetic clusters lacking phylogeographic structure. Arab, Fellata, Oromo, Abergelle, and Keffa represented one genetic cluster. Gumuz and Woyto-Guji formed a separate cluster and shared a common genetic background with the Kenyan Boran goat. Genome-wide selection signature analysis identified nine strongest regions spanning 163 genes influencing adaptation to arid and semi-arid environments ( HOXC12, HOXC13, HOXC4, HOXC6 , and HOXC9 , MAPK8IP2 ), immune response ( IL18, TYK2, ICAM3, ADGRG1, and ADGRG3 ), and production and reproduction ( RARG and DNMT1 ). Our results provide insights into a thorough understanding of genetic architecture underlying selection signatures in Ethiopian indigenous goats in a semi-arid tropical environment and deliver valuable information for goat genetic improvement, conservation strategy, genome-wide association study, and marker-assisted breeding., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Sheriff, Ahbara, Haile, Alemayehu, Han and Mwacharo.)

Plasmodium parasites contribute to one of the highest global infectious disease burdens. To achieve this success, the parasite has evolved a range of specialized subcellular compartments to extensively remodel the host cell for its survival. The information to fully understand these compartments is likely hidden in the so far poorly characterized Plasmodium species spatial proteome. To address this question, we determined the steady-state subcellular location of more than 12,000 parasite proteins across five different species by extensive subcellular fractionation of erythrocytes infected by Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium knowlesi, Plasmodium yoelii, Plasmodium berghei, and Plasmodium chabaudi. This comparison of the pan-species spatial proteomes and their expression patterns indicates increasing species-specific proteins associated with the more external compartments, supporting host adaptations and post-transcriptional regulation. The spatial proteome offers comprehensive insight into the different human, simian, and rodent Plasmodium species, establishing a powerful resource for understanding species-specific host adaptation processes in the parasite., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Infection with the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has been associated with a hypercoagulable state. Emerging data from China and Europe have consistently shown an increased incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE). We aimed to identify the VTE incidence and early predictors of VTE at our high-volume tertiary care center., Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 147 patients who had been admitted to Temple University Hospital with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from April 1, 2020 to April 27, 2020. We first identified the VTE (pulmonary embolism [PE] and deep vein thrombosis [DVT]) incidence in our cohort. The VTE and no-VTE groups were compared by univariable analysis for demographics, comorbidities, laboratory data, and treatment outcomes. Subsequently, multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the early predictors of VTE., Results: The 147 patients (20.9% of all admissions) admitted to a designated COVID-19 unit at Temple University Hospital with a high clinical suspicion of acute VTE had undergone testing for VTE using computed tomography pulmonary angiography and/or extremity venous duplex ultrasonography. The overall incidence of VTE was 17% (25 of 147). Of the 25 patients, 16 had had acute PE, 14 had had acute DVT, and 5 had had both PE and DVT. The need for invasive mechanical ventilation (adjusted odds ratio, 3.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-9.55) and the admission D-dimer level ≥1500 ng/mL (adjusted odds ratio, 3.55; 95% confidence interval, 1.29-9.78) were independent markers associated with VTE. The all-cause mortality in the VTE group was greater than that in the non-VTE group (48% vs 22%; P = .007)., Conclusions: Our study represents one of the earliest reported from the United States on the incidence rate of VTE in patients with COVID-19. Patients with a high clinical suspicion and the identified risk factors (invasive mechanical ventilation, admission D-dimer level ≥1500 ng/mL) should be considered for early VTE testing. We did not screen all patients admitted for VTE; therefore, the true incidence of VTE could have been underestimated. Our findings require confirmation in future prospective studies., (Copyright © 2020 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We executed two live animal ranking experiments, own-flock and group-animal ranking, to identify the breeding objectives of Arab and Oromo goat keepers in northwestern Ethiopia as a preliminary step towards designing sustainable breeding programs for two goat populations. In the own-flock ranking experiment, a total of 147 households, out of which 46 were Arab and 101 were Oromo goat keepers that live in semi-arid and sub-humid agroecologies respectively, were visited at their homesteads and were asked to choose their first best, second best, third best and the most inferior does from their own flock. The reasons of ranking and life history of the does (age, previous production and reproduction information) were inquired and recorded; live body weight and some linear body measurements were taken. In the group-animal ranking experiment, 12 breeding does and 12 breeding bucks from Arab goats and the same number of animals from Oromo goats were randomly selected. Life history of selected does and bucks (age, birth type, libido and temperament) were inquired from the owners. The selected animals were randomly grouped into four in Arab goats (three animals per group) and the same was applied in Oromo goats. Twelve farmers for Arab goats and the same number of farmers for Oromo goats who have not known the experimental animals were invited to do the ranking. Each person ranked the three animals in each group as 1st, 2nd and 3rd, giving reasons of ranking. After a first round of ranking, s/he was then provided with the history of each individual animal and asked whether s/he would consider re-ranking them. This procedure was continued eight times until a person covered all groups of does and bucks. It was found out that in own-flock ranking experiment, keepers focus on productive, reproductive and behavioral traits (such as body size, mothering ability, twinning rate, kidding interval and temperament) while in group-animal ranking experiment, there was a general tendency to focus on observable physical traits like coat color, body size and body conformation. Simultaneous use of both own-flock and group-animal ranking experiments is advisable to identify breeding objective traits in production systems where record keeping is absent., Competing Interests: The authors have no competing interests.

About half the world's population is at risk of malaria, with Plasmodium falciparum malaria being responsible for the most malaria related deaths globally. Antimalarial drugs such as chloroquine and artemisinin are directed towards the proliferating intra-erythrocytic stages of the parasite, which is responsible for all the clinical symptoms of the disease. These antimalarial drugs have been reported to function via multiple pathways, one of which induces DNA damage via the generation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species. An urgent need to understand the mechanistic details of drug response and resistance is highlighted by the decreasing clinical efficacy of the front line drug, Artemisinin. The replication factor C subunit 1 is an important component of the DNA replication machinery and DNA damage response mechanism. Here we show the translocation of PfRFC1 from an intranuclear localisation to the nuclear periphery, indicating an orchestrated progression of distinct patterns of replication in the developing parasites. PfRFC1 responds to genotoxic stress via elevated protein levels in soluble and chromatin bound fractions. Reduction of PfRFC1 protein levels upon treatment with antimalarials suggests an interplay of replication, apoptosis and DNA repair pathways leading to cell death. Additionally, mislocalisation of the endogenously tagged protein confirmed its essential role in parasites' replication and DNA repair. This study provides key insights into DNA replication, DNA damage response and cell death in P. falciparum., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

We conducted a household survey in the semi-arid and sub-humid parts of Benishangul Gumuz region in northwestern Ethiopia to better understand and describe production systems and breeding practices of Arab and Oromo goat keepers. Multistage random sampling was employed to select peasant associations, while probability proportional to size sampling was used to select households. Data were collected from 249 households, out of which 86 were Arab and 163 were Oromo goat keepers that live in semi-arid and sub-humid agroecologies, respectively. Personal observations, focus group discussions, and structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS and results were presented using descriptive statistics and indices. Ninety-two percent of Arab and 86% of Oromo goat keepers indicated crop and livestock production as their main occupation. Goats were kept for a variety of purposes. Income generation, meat, and savings were the highest priorities. The average flock size owned by Arab goat keepers (12.5 ± 4.0) was significantly (p < 0.01) higher than that of Oromo goat keepers (9.9 ± 3.8). Breeding does constituted the largest average flock size followed by kids, young does, and young bucks. Body size, twining ability, coat color, and kid growth were considered important in selecting breeding does, while body size, growth rate, coat color, and libido were the most preferred traits for buck selection. Mating was predominantly uncontrolled mainly due to communal grazing lands. Castration of bucks was significantly (p < 0.01) more frequent in Arab goat keepers than in Oromo goat keepers. Arab goats have better reproductive performance than Oromo goats. On average, female goats in the study areas gave first births at the age of 1.2 years, kidded every 7.5 months, stayed on reproduction for about 7.6 years, and produced 10.7 kids per lifetime. Compared with Arab goats, Oromo goats had significantly (p < 0.01) higher average age at first mating, age at first kidding, kidding interval, and reproductive lifetime but produced lower average number of kids per lifetime. Nucleus breeding schemes are recommended to optimize the limited available resources in the study areas. A single nucleus could serve both Arab and Oromo goat keepers. In conclusion, breeding programs implemented in the study areas should consider the production systems and breeding practices of Arab and Oromo goat keepers appropriately.

The microtubule cytoskeleton forms the most prominent structural system in Trypanosoma brucei, undergoing extensive modifications during the cell cycle. Visualization of tyrosinated microtubules leads to a semiconservative mode of inheritance, whereas recent studies employing microtubule plus end tracking proteins have hinted at an asymmetric pattern of cytoskeletal inheritance. To further the knowledge of microtubule synthesis and inheritance during T. brucei cell cycle, the dynamics of the microtubule cytoskeleton was visualized by inducible YFP-α-tubulin expression. During new flagellum/flagellum attachment zone (FAZ) biogenesis and cell growth, YFP-α-tubulin was incorporated mainly between the old and new flagellum/FAZ complexes. Cytoskeletal modifications at the posterior end of the cells were observed with EB1, a microtubule plus end binding protein, particularly during mitosis. Additionally, the newly formed microtubules segregated asymmetrically, with the daughter cell inheriting the new flagellum/FAZ complex retaining most of the new microtubules. Together, our results suggest an intimate connection between new microtubule formation and new FAZ assembly, consequently leading to asymmetric microtubule inheritance and cell division.