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This paper seeks to investigate Cordia myxa L. (CM) extracts as hepatoprotective agents, through their antioxidant activities.

Oxydative liver damage in rats was induced in Wister rats by two agents: carbon Tetrachloride (CCl₄) and thioacetamide (TA). Oxydative damage was evaluated by a measurement of aspartate transaminase (AST), glutamate transaminase (ALT) and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), in sera of the rats. Several extracts of Cordia myxa were prepared and were fed to experimental animals over a period of two weeks. Liver recovery was assessed by measuring the above hepatic enzymes and their comparison with the control group of animals. Phenolic content of the extracts was measured by Folin‐Ciocalteu reagent and was calculated as gallic acid equivalents. α,α‐diphenyl‐β‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay was used to measure antiradical activity of the extracts and it was compared with ascorbic acid.

Maximum fruit extract can be obtained by hand‐macerating the peeled fruit rich in phenolic content 11.1±1.47 mg/g gallic acid equivalent. Its antiradical activity was measured as 16.34±0.81 that was calculated as 10.0±1.24 ascorbic acid equivalent. CCl4 and TA induced comparable oxidative liver damage as measured through hepatic enzymes. A significant (p=0.05) liver recovery was noticed when animals treated with CCl4/TA were fed with CM extracts.

The study reports the protective role of C. myxa in chemically induced fibrosis by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) and thioacetamide (TA).

This paper focuses on the effect of different pretreatments on some properties of tigernut, an underutilized crop in Nigeria with the aim of widening its utilization in the country.

Tigernuts were subjected to various pretreatments such as fermentation, germination, pregelatinization and roasting before drying at 50 ± 2 ^○C for 48 h in locally fabricated cabinet drier and milling in commercial plate mill to produce meal which passed through 30 mm pore‐sized sieve. Pretreated and untreated tigernut meals were analyzed using methods reported in the literature for chemical composition, physicochemical and functional properties.

Protein content of the meals ranged from 2.79 ± 0.01 to 3.65 ± 0.02 per cent with sample from fermented tigernut having the highest value and those from roasted ones having the least value. There were slight variations in the crude fat, fiber and ash contents of the resultant meals after pretreatment. There were 10 and 14 per cent enhancement in the ascorbic acid contents of fermented and germinated meals respectively. Titratable acidity, pH and water absorption capacity were affected by pretreatment in this study. Bulk density varied slightly after pretreatment. Germination, roasting and pregelatinization resulted in marked decrease in peak viscosity of the samples. The emulsion capacity ranged from 48.4 to 56 per cent with the untreated sample having the highest value and meals from roasted sample had the least value. Foaming capacity was improved by the pretreatments with the exception of roasting which reduced it from 2.15 to 1.18 per cent.

The paper has demonstrated the effect of pretreatments on tigernut meals and its potential applications in various food formulation and development, e.g. weaning foods, baked goods, beverage products, etc.

The purpose of this study is to examine the politics, political economy, and fallout of hawkish regulatory policy on prescription drugs in Nigeria. Hawkish regulatory policy on prescription drug in Nigeria, such as opioid analgesics, is a very complex and multifaceted one, which usually involves the interplay of many factors and parties.

Policy manuals, official government gazettes (legislations, regulations, Acts and decrees), academic literature and a direct ethnographic observation of events surrounding the regulation of prescription drugs were reviewed and engaged.

The results revealed that Nigerian and global political economy and politics interface to define the direction of the new restrictive opioid policy, with resultant friction between prohibition and consumption. The reviews showed that the overarching “get-tough” and “repressive” policy are not necessarily founded on empirical evidence of an increase in prescription drug sales or use, but more as a product of the interplay of both internal and external politics and the prevailing socioeconomic order.

Instead of borrowing extensively from or being influenced by repressive Western drug laws and perspectives, Nigerian policymakers on prescription opioids should take control of the process by drawing up a home-grown policy that is less intrusive and punitive in nature for better outcomes. A mental sea change is required to understand the intrigues of Western power in Nigeria’s politics and political economy to avoid the continuous symptomatic failure of drug policy.

The politics and economic influence of the United Nations, USA and Western powers, as well as the axiom of moral panic of prescription drugs scares within the Nigerian environment, are particularly significant in the making of the emerging hawkish policy on prescription drugs in Nigeria.

The aim of this paper is to investigate the factors influencing citizens' willingness to participate in the development of smart cities.

Citizens drawn from 30 second-tier cities in China were chosen as the research object for this empirical research. Based on citizenship behavior theory, research hypotheses were tested and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).

The results indicated that information publicity has a direct and positive effect on residents' participation behavior. Perceived benefits, personal responsibility and subjective norms are positively associated with residents' citizenship. Additionally, citizenship was found to affect residents' participation intention positively. Finally, the moderating effect of information credibility in this context was also verified.

As one of the first empirical studies on this topic, this paper offers important guidance for future research regarding residents' participation in the development of smart cities. On this basis, the implications of this research with respect to policies that aim to encourage residents to participate in the construction of smart cities are discussed.

This scoping review article aimed to systematically search the literature on the use, purpose and barriers of information and communication technology (ICT) for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) older adults in the host country. The review also conducted a search for literature on programs that aim to develop digital literacy skills for CALD older adults.

A scoping review approach was utilized to identify and search the available literature, and to map the key concepts. A total of 23 relevant articles were included following a systematic search across seven databases.

The review suggests that CALD older adults use ICT for various purposes, including social interaction, health management, information gathering, immigration, everyday routines and leisure. The barriers faced by these older adults in using ICT encompass fear and limited knowledge, language issues, lack of interest, limited access to technology and health concerns. The existing training programs focus on enhancing self-efficacy and confidence and promoting attitudinal changes toward ICT.

Despite the presence of empirical studies, few scoping or systematic reviews have focused on CALD older adults and technology. Research developments related to the technology use of CALD older adults and associated training programs have been fragmented and sporadic, resulting in gaps in the evidence base. This review fills such a gap to better understand the research status connected to CALD older people’s technology adoption and use.

This paper aims to provide an in-depth awareness into the research on customised training programme for the indigenous population in India. The central aim is to conduct a systematic review on the available studies to explore its crucial themes interweaving with skill development.

This study uses systematic review method, for which the author uses Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, SPIDER tool and Mendeley to identify relevant articles from 2011 to 2022.

Results show that the customised training programme is useful for the first-generation population to upgrade their skills. It aids in improving scalability, supports job creation and facilitates in mitigating low level of training exposure by meeting the local needs. However, poor approachability on customised training, its oversimplification and lack of research dents the critical insights and prospects.

The novelty of this paper lies on retrieving the essential indicators of customised training from previous studies by systematic review tools. It can aid academicians, educators, local administration and policymakers to understand its benefits for indigenous population to fill the policy gaps.