There is need for a home-grown entrepreneurial business model that will enhance business success; thus, this study investigates the effect of kobana entrepreneurial business model practice on economic development of Igbo communities in South – East, Nigeria. The study employs survey design method. The scope of the study covers all the entrepreneurs in Onitsha, Nnewi, Awka, Enugu, Owerri, Aba, Umuahia and Abakaliki. Primary source of data was gathered through the instrument of questionnaire and focus group discussion. The study adopts purposive sampling technique. The independent variables are cultural values and norms, social networks and community bonds and associative entrepreneurship practice and the dependent variable is economic development. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis technique was used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that associative entrepreneurship has positively impacted on the sustainability, growth and performance of entrepreneurs from the study area. It was also found that the use of Kobana model by entrepreneurs from the study area enable them to overcome numerous challenges. Hence, we recommend that government and all the stake holders should encourage the practice of associative entrepreneurship by embarking on mass sensitization exercise and also through the enactment of various laws that will strengthen the practice in Nigeria.

This research work focused on language endagerment and revitalissation. The aim of this research is study the linguistic influence of Hausa on Kamuku, a Kainji language spoken in parts of Niger and Kaduna States, Nigeria. Due to centuries of trade, intermarriage, and cultural contact, Hausa has functioned as a regional lingua franca, leading to significant lexical borrowing, phonological adaptation, and syntactic convergence in Kamuku. The study highlights how domains such as commerce, religion, education, and administration have accelerated Hausa loanwords into Kamuku, while also noting patterns of code-switching and language shift among younger speakers. Findings suggest that while Kamuku retains its core grammatical structure, Hausa contact has reshaped its vocabulary and communicative practices, raising implications for language maintenance and documentation efforts.

Background: Streptococcus pneumoniae remains an important bacterial cause of lower respiratory tract infection. Although molecular methods are becoming more available, many hospital microbiology laboratories in Iraq still depend on conventional phenotypic identification. So, this workflow is still not old practice only; it is part of the daily diagnostic work. Objective: To assess the practical diagnostic value of conventional phenotypic methods for identifying S. pneumoniae from respiratory specimens in a routine clinical microbiology laboratory in Baghdad, Iraq. Methods: This prospective, single-center, laboratory-based observational study was performed at the Microbiology Laboratories of Baghdad Medical City from February to May 2026. Seventy-four adult patients with suspected lower respiratory tract infection were enrolled. Respiratory specimens were assessed by direct Gram stain, cultured on 5% sheep blood agar under CO₂-enriched incubation, and screened for alpha-hemolytic colonies. Presumptive isolates were further examined by Gram stain from culture, optochin susceptibility, bile solubility, capsule staining, biochemical identification, and slide agglutination serotyping. Results: Of 74 respiratory specimens, 52 (70.3%) showed neutrophil-predominant inflammatory smears, and 34 (45.9%) showed Gram-positive diplococci on direct microscopy. Bacterial growth was obtained from 58 specimens (78.4%). Thirty-six isolates showed presumptive alpha-hemolytic streptococcal morphology, and 30 were finally identified as S. pneumoniae. The pneumococcal identification rate was 40.5% among all specimens and 83.3% among presumptive alpha-hemolytic isolates. Optochin susceptibility and bile solubility provided the clearest separation between confirmed pneumococci and non-confirmed alpha-hemolytic isolates (p < 0.001 for both), with perfect internal agreement (kappa = 1.00). Serotype 6 was the most frequent serotype, detected in 11 isolates (36.7%), followed by serotype 3 in 4 isolates (13.3%). Conclusion: Conventional phenotypic methods can still provide useful identification of S. pneumoniae in routine Iraqi microbiology laboratories when applied as a combined systematic workflow, not as isolated single tests. Still, because no molecular reference method was used, the findings should be interpreted as pragmatic diagnostic utility rather than full analytical diagnostic accuracy.

Progress in coarse rice improvement for Pakistan's northern belt has been slowed by the narrow genetic base of adapted materials and by a habit of evaluating candidate lines one trait at a time. The present study takes a multivariate view: eight advanced coarse rice lines (Line-11, Line-20, Line-23, Line-24, Line-25, Line-26, Line-27 and Line-28) were grown in a randomized complete block design with three replications at the Agricultural Research Station, Baffa, during the 2024 kharif season, and eleven agronomic and yield attributes were recorded. Analysis of variance detected highly significant differences among genotypes for every trait (p < 0.01). Broad-sense heritability was high (≥ 0.80) for ten of the eleven traits, and genetic advance as a percentage of the mean exceeded 25% for plant height, flag leaf area, panicle length, tillers per plant, primary branches, secondary branches and 1000-grain weight indicating that additive gene action predominates and that direct phenotypic selection would be effective. Pearson correlation revealed that grain yield was most strongly associated with stem diameter (r = 0.72) and 1000-grain weight (r = 0.55), while tiller number carried a negative correlation (r = –0.61), consistent with the sink-limited nature of coarse rice under the site's cool nights. The first two principal components together explained 62.3% of the total variation; PC1 separated architecture from earliness, while PC2 separated grain-weight-driven yield from vegetative bulk. Ward's hierarchical clustering grouped the eight lines into three well-defined clusters. A weighted selection index that combined yield, grain weight, tiller number, branching and (as a penalty) stem-borer incidence ranked Line-23, Line-20 and Line-26 as the three best-adapted candidates for Hazara Division. Line-11 is retained as a donor for earliness and Line-25 as a donor for secondary-branch density. The results support a shift toward index-based, multi-trait selection in the on-going coarse rice programme for the region.

Food products sold on public streets may be contaminated and cause foodborne illnesses, posing a serious challenge to food safety and public health. To assess the microbiological quality of artisanal sausages sold on the streets of Kisangani, twenty sausage samples ten samples per vendor type were collected from two types of vendors: street vendors and food stalls. Total aerobic mesophilic flora (TAMF), fecal coliforms (FC), Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella spp. were the primary microorganisms tested for. The microbiological quality of the samples was assessed based on quality standards. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of potentially pathogenic strains to commonly used antibiotics in Kisangani was conducted to study antibiotic resistance. Microbiological analyses revealed that the sausages were contaminated with spoilage flora (FMAT), indicators of fecal contamination (fecal coliforms), as well as bacteria responsible for foodborne illnesses that are potentially pathogenic (S. aureus and Salmonella sp.). This contamination depends on processing hygiene and is likely the result of the meat-to-sausage processing stage, prior to sale during the packaging of the sausages into bags, during sale while the product is on display, and due to improper storage conditions. Staff handling and selling the sausages, the equipment used, and the environment could likely be sources of contamination due to poor hygiene. It was found that sausages collected from street vendors were more contaminated than those collected from grocery stores (p=0.02). In accordance with quality standards, 100% of the samples collected from street vendors were classified as unfit for consumption, compared to 33.3% of the samples from grocery stores that were classified as unfit. With the exception of their susceptibility to ceftriaxone, the S. aureus and Salmonella sp. strains isolated from sausages were all found to be resistant to the other antibiotics tested. Finally, strict hygiene measures must be reinforced in the sector to improve food safety and public health for the population that consumes these sausages.

The aim of the study was to assess morbidity and mortality among low birth weight newborns in the Markala Health District. Patients and Methods : This was a cross-sectional, descriptive and quantitative study conducted in the Markala Health District. Inclusion Criteria: Newborns with a birth weight of less than 2,500 g who were born and/or received care at a healthcare facility in the Markala Health District during the data collection period were included. Exclusion Criteria: Newborns with a birth weight of less than 2,500 g who came from another health district were excluded. Results: The average weight of low birth weight newborns was 1,964.58 grammes, with a mode of 2,000. The standard deviation was 402.972. The sex ratio favoured females, at 1.07. Factors associated with morbidity and mortality included, amongst others: Infection (60 per cent), respiratory distress (30 per cent) and hypothermia (10 per cent). It should also be noted that 90 per cent of deaths among low birth weight (LBW) infants occurred in pregnancies with a CPN rate of less than three (03). One third (70 per cent) of these LBW infants were delivered vaginally. The mortality rate was 8.8 per cent. Conclusion: This study identified the factors associated with morbidity and mortality in low birth weight newborns, with the main determinants identified including infections, respiratory distress, low birth weight, low rates of antenatal care, and obstetric history (e.g. hypertension).

Public infrastructure projects frequently experience schedule delays, cost escalation, rework, coordination failures, and performance uncertainty caused by fragmented construction planning, changing environmental conditions, and incomplete geotechnical information. This study proposes a risk-informed construction delivery model that integrates construction risk prediction, lifecycle performance governance, environmental exposure assessment, and subsurface uncertainty evaluation to improve the resilience of public infrastructure projects. The framework organizes project risk into four connected dimensions: construction execution risk, lifecycle infrastructure performance risk, environmental and drainage-related exposure risk, and geotechnical reliability risk. A weighted decision matrix evaluates project vulnerability using measurable indicators, including delay probability, coordination complexity, design revision frequency, soil variability, and environmental exposure. The study also introduces a Project Resilience Index to evaluate infrastructure delivery performance under changing environmental and geotechnical conditions during planning, design, and construction. The framework is suitable for conceptual, analytical, and simulation-based evaluation without requiring proprietary project datasets. Scenario-based evaluation indicates that increasing environmental exposure and subsurface uncertainty increase project vulnerability while reducing resilience throughout construction delivery. The proposed framework provides a unified project delivery approach connecting BIM-oriented coordination, engineering management, urban environmental systems, and foundation reliability for resilient public infrastructure management.

The cataracts which is the major cause of blindness in the world has been largely attributed to genetic mutations especially in high consanguinity regions. Particularly, mutation in the FOXE3 genes is found in the congenital cataracts particularly in those families that have had consanguinity marriages. The topic that will be discussed in this paper will be a consanguinity family of Pakistanis and how the FOXE3 gene mutations are used in the pathogenesis of congenital cataracts. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) and DNA analysis identified that two individuals with the disease in the family contained a mutation in the FOXE3 gene (c.720C>A), which produced a premature stop codon at codon 240. The mutation leads to production of a truncated FOXE3 protein that disrupts the lens formation and cataracts are developed. The research will contribute to the knowledge of genetic causes of cataracts and consequent implications early diagnosis, genetic counseling and treatment of the affected patients in consanguineous groups. The findings demonstrate the importance of genetic testing and early intervention in the treatment of congenital cataracts particularly in high-consanguinity areas.

English is becoming an increasingly important communication language. In terms of language learning, children in Indian government schools acquire English as a second language in addition to their mother tongue. The issues teachers encounter when teaching English as a second language are the subject of the research conducted in West Bengal. In this instance, the survey was conducted among West Bengal government school students who speak Bengali. This study’s main goal is to pinpoint the issues English language instructors encounter when instructing Bengali-speaking pupils. A questionnaire was used to collect data for this investigation. According to research, the most common barriers to English learning include students’ fear of speaking English, overwhelming impact of their mother tongue, a lack of confidence, and curricular constraints. In most situations, students are unable to practise English because their social and cultural backgrounds, as well as their home environment, are unsuitable for utilising the English language, causing them to lose interest in learning English. This study recommends modifying the curriculum to allow kids to read with pleasure and utilising technology to teach English through peer groups and narrative. According to the study, when teachers treat students like friends and help them use the language, students find it more acceptable and their anxiety levels decrease. It also shows that language labs and audio-visual instruction greatly improve students’ comprehension in rural schools.

Objective: To evaluate the association and discriminatory performance of diffusion MRI-derived apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for ¹⁸F-FDOPA PET-defined metabolic activity in newly diagnosed glioma. Methods: This was a retrospective study of 87 treatment-naïve adults, who were initially evaluated for newly diagnosed or radiologically suspected glioma at Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Medical City, Baghdad from January 2026 to July 2026. Pretreatment diffusion MRI and ¹⁸F-FDOPA PET/CT results were evaluated. PET activity was determined a priori as TBRmax ≥1.60 as an approximated operational application of PET RANO 1.0. The mean ADC was compared across PET groups, associated with SUVmax and TBRmax and assessed by ROC analysis. WHO grade analyses were done in 80 individuals with histological confirmation. Results: Forty-six tumors were PET-active and 41 were PET-inactive. Mean ADC was lower in PET-active tumors (1.04 ± 0.24 vs 1.16 ± 0.23 ×10⁻³ mm²/s; p=0.029), whereas SUVmax was higher (3.73 ± 0.98 vs 2.06 ± 0.45; p<0.001). ADC correlated inversely with TBRmax (Spearman rho=−0.32; p=0.003) and SUVmax (rho=−0.29; p=0.006). The AUC was 0.62 (95% CI, 0.50–0.74). At ADC ≤1.20 ×10⁻³ mm²/s, sensitivity was 84.8%, specificity 41.5%, and accuracy 64.4%. Conclusion: ADC was moderately inversely correlated with 18F-FDOPA uptake but was poor in discriminative ability alone. The lower bound of the AUC confidence interval was near chance performance. The cutoff from this cohort is experimental and should not be used for guiding clinical choices without external confirmation.

School verbal bullying is highly insidious yet rarely examined from linguistic perspectives. Adopting Bousfield’s impoliteness framework, this paper conducts quantitative and qualitative analysis on bullying dialogues extracted from the film Better Days. Positive impoliteness ranks first at 39 percent, followed by bald on-record impoliteness at 36.6 percent and negative impoliteness at 19.5 percent. Sarcastic mock politeness accounts for the smallest proportion of 4.9 percent despite its strong concealment. In this film, bullies choose different strategies due to distorted class perceptions and group power dynamics, and victims mostly cope with harm via silence. This study verifies the applicability of impoliteness theory in interpreting school verbal bullying and provides linguistic references for bullying prevention.

Present investigation aims to study the seasonal fluctuations of micro algae in Kondakarla Lake (Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh) for a period of one year from March 2024 to February 2025. A total of 115 species were reported which belongs to different categories of algae such as Chlorophyceae (46), Bacillariophyceae (34) Cyanophyceae (27) and Euglenophyceae (8). It was observed that species diversity and abundance of micro algae varied seasonally. Pre monsoon and post monsoon seasons recorded a greater number of species than monsoon season.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine price volatility in India's cereal markets through the theoretical lens of the Cobweb Model. It aims to determine whether cereal prices exhibit convergence toward equilibrium or persistent instability, with implications for market coordination and agricultural policy. Design/Methodology/Approach: The analysis covers thirteen major cereal-producing states in India, using panel data for the years 2005, 2006, 2011, 2022, and 2023. Cereal consumption and production are used as proxies for demand and supply, respectively. A fixed effects regression model is employed to assess how current demand and supply respond to price signals, including a lag structure to capture delayed supply responses. The convergence coefficient (β) derived from the model is used to evaluate price behavior over time. Findings: The results show that demand declines when current prices rise, while supply increases in response to prices from the previous year. The estimated convergence coefficient (β = −0.39) indicates that cereal prices tend to stabilize over time rather than diverge or cycle unpredictably. The analysis also reveals that consumer responses to price changes occur more rapidly than producer responses, reflecting asymmetries due to structural and seasonal production constraints. These findings validate the applicability of the Cobweb Model in the Indian agricultural context. Originality: This study contributes to the limited empirical literature on the Cobweb Model in Indian agriculture by applying it within a panel data framework. It offers new evidence on cereal price behavior and supply-demand interactions across time and regions. The research also highlights the policy relevance of improving price forecasting systems, enhancing market infrastructure, and implementing coordinated interventions to support price stability and agricultural resilience in India.

This work is about finding probable new anti-Ebola drugs. A formula [1] is used for that purpose- (Log A/Log B) =64.5/C-H-N-O. Where, C-H-N-O is molecular weight of the Ebola virus antigens. This formula was used to identify probable new anti-HIV drugs [2] and the cause of dementia [3]. Use of the formula [1] -(Log A/Log B) =64.5/C-H-N-O, to identify the constitution of probable anti Ebola drugs. “Log A is Logarithm of molecular weight (elemental atomic weight multiplied by number of molecules of that element) of individual element(s) of drug. Log B is Logarithm of molecular weight of similar element(s) of Deoxy Ribose Nucleic Acid (DNA). C-H-N-O is basic effector. 64.5 Kda is the molecular weight of a complex effector molecule-Haemoglobin. Atomic weight of the element x number of molecules of the same molecule = Molecular weight of that element in either DNA or Drug” [1].

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of dementia worldwide, characterized by progressive cognitive decline, memory impairment, and behavioral dysfunction. Despite extensive research, effective disease-modifying therapies remain limited, largely due to incomplete understanding of its complex and multifactorial pathogenesis. Increasing evidence now highlights chronic neuroinflammation as a central contributor to AD progression, shifting focus from a purely proteinopathy-based model toward an integrated neuroimmune perspective. Among key inflammatory pathways, the NLRP3 inflammasome has emerged as a critical innate immune signaling platform that links pathological protein aggregation to sustained neuroinflammatory responses in the central nervous system. Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is triggered by multiple Alzheimer’s disease–associated pathological stimuli, including amyloid-β accumulation, tau pathology, autophagy dysfunction, mitochondrial impairment, oxidative stress, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. These cellular disturbances converge to promote assembly of the inflammasome complex and activation of caspase-1. Activated caspase-1 mediates the proteolytic maturation and release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18), both of which play central roles in amplifying neuroinflammatory signaling, promoting synaptic dysfunction, and contributing to neuronal injury. Consequently, IL-1β and IL-18 have gained increasing attention as potential biomarkers for disease severity, progression, and inflammatory burden in Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, inflammasome-specific markers such as apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD (ASC) specks provide further mechanistic and diagnostic evidence of active inflammasome signaling in neurodegeneration. Preclinical studies using cellular and animal models have demonstrated that pharmacological inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome can reduce neuroinflammation, attenuate neuropathological changes, and improve cognitive performance. However, despite these promising findings, clinical translation remains limited due to challenges including inadequate blood–brain barrier penetration, systemic immune modulation risks, and the absence of reliable biomarker-guided patient stratification strategies. This review critically examines the molecular mechanisms underlying NLRP3 inflammasome activation in Alzheimer’s disease, its interaction with pro-inflammatory cytokine networks, and the emerging role of inflammasome-related biomarkers in disease characterization. Furthermore, current therapeutic strategies targeting the NLRP3 pathway are discussed, along with key translational barriers and future directions for developing biomarker-driven immunomodulatory therapies in Alzheimer’s disease.