Ganoderma leucocontextum is reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as a new record from Pakistan. This species in the G. lucidum complex is characterized by reddish brown to yellowish brown zones ...on the pileus. The Pakistani specimens are morphologically described and
illustrated and their identification supported by a nrITS DNA based phylogeny.
The empowerment of citizens in relation to personal healthcare management includes consideration of a multi-faceted collection of elements. Simplistic forms of understanding which link empowerment to ...access provide limited acknowledgement of the requirement to facilitate a greater sense of health ownership in patients and collaborative working practices in practitioners. More complex attitudes to the delivery of empowered patients encompassing knowledge development, technological awareness and partnership approaches to healthcare delivery are steps in the right direction, but strain to fit currently emerging ideas around patient centered care. This paper posits that existing frameworks aimed at empowering patients for a patient centered ehealth system are insufficiently presented. The frameworks, which are mostly premised on an inequitable focus, fail to factor in the invaluableness of holism and technological innovation. Through a review of existing frameworks and an articulation of patient demands, weaknesses in current structures to support empowerment are explored, and key constituents of a framework for patient empowerment are determined. Consequently, the paper articulates a model focused around delivering an empowered patient in the 21(st) century healthcare system.
Salinity adversely affects okra Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench plants by inducing osmotic and oxidative stresses. This study was designed to enhance salinity-induced osmotic and oxidative stress ...tolerance in okra plants by applying organic amendments. The effects of different organic amendments (municipal solid waste compost, farmyard manure (FYM) and press mud) on osmotic potential, water use efficiency, activities of antioxidant enzymes, total soluble sugar, total soluble proline, total soluble protein and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents of okra plants grown under saline conditions (50 mM sodium chloride) were evaluated in a pot experiment. The organic amendments were applied each at the rate of 5% and 10% per pot or in various combinations (compost + FYM, FYM + press mud and compost + press mud each at the rate of 2.5% and 5% per pot). As compared to control, high total soluble sugar (60.41), total soluble proline (33.88%) and MDA (51%) contents and increased activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (83.54%), catalase (78.61%), peroxidase (53.57% in salinity-stressed okra plants, were indicative of oxidative stress. Salinity significantly reduced the osmotic potential (41.78%) and water use efficiency (4.75%) of okra plants compared to control. Under saline conditions, 5% (farmyard manure + press mud) was the most effective treatment, which significantly improved osmotic potential (27.05%), total soluble sugar (4.20%), total soluble protein (73.62%) and total soluble proline (23.20%) contents and superoxide dismutase activity (32.41%), compared to saline soil. Application of 2.5% (FYM + press mud), 5% press mud, and 10% compost significantly reduced MDA content (27%) and improved activities of catalase (38.64%) and peroxidase (48.29%), respectively, compared to saline soil, thus facilitated to alleviate oxidative stress in okra plants. Using organic amendments (municipal solid waste compost, farmyard manure and press mud) was a cost-effective approach to improve salinity-induced osmotic and oxidative stress tolerance in okra plants.
Of the 572 neuroscience‐related studies published in Nigerian from 1996 to 2017, <5% used state‐of‐the‐art techniques, none used transgenic models, and only one study was published in a top‐tier ...journal.
Teachers in northern Nigeria face large class sizes that lead to challenges in successfully teaching children to read. In this study, we documented primary grades classes with as many as 160 ...children. We used in-depth interviews with 20 teachers in Kano State to explore how teachers approached reading instruction, as these numbers preclude the instructional approaches supported by the literature, such as regular formative assessment, differentiated instruction, and frequent interactions with text. Most teachers reported using grouping to teach reading, while some relied on instructional materials or teacher-centered approaches to attract student attention. Assessment was largely at the group level rather than individual; teachers generally lacked a detailed understanding of students' reading development. Classroom management and discipline were ongoing concerns. We conclude with recommendations on ways to build on teachers' practices in ways that align their pedagogy with evidence-based approaches, such as more purposefully grouping to allow for differentiated instruction.
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