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Anglophone Cameroon in Search of Identity: Obstacles and Prospects
Get PDFThe former British Southern Cameroons opted in a UN organised plebiscite in 1961 to unify with La Republique du Cameroun to form a federation of two states that were said to be on a footing of equality. But contrary to declarations and expectations, the federation was not one of equal states. It was instead a veiled preparatory stage for the total assimilation of the Southern Cameroons into the highly centralised La Republique du Cameroun francophone unitary state. Through a number of assimilation stages, the Southern Cameroons has lost its autonomy to La Republique du Cameroun, its people marginalised, institutions destroyed, and the territory neglected in terms of socio-economic development. This has given rise to agitations by Southern Cameroonians (Anglophones) seeking for a redress of the situation by re-establishing the federal system or, failing which, the autonomy of the Southern Cameroons in a separate state.
The Anglophones have genuine grievances and solid legal arguments for their case, but they are faced with a number of obstacles in the struggle to liberate themselves and their territory from La Republique du Cameroun. The obstacles include, besides the resistance strategies of the regime, the lack of credible and committed leadership manifest in the existence of numerous uncoordinated groups with conflicting objectives, and an inappropriate strategy; lack of a uniting factor among Anglophones; intra-Anglophone rivalry, differences. These obstacles facilitate the use of various resistance strategies by the regime such as trivialisation, demonision, divide and rule and repression, together with which they stand firmly in the way of the Anglophone quest for identity. Consequently, unless a credible and committed leader emerges with an appropriate strategy that will convince Anglophones to sink their differences and unite for the struggle, the re-establishment of the autonomy of the Southern Cameroons remains a forlorn hope
Social Movements and Democratization in Nigeria since 1999: The Search for Good Governance and Justice
No full textWhat factors account for the surge in social movements in Nigeria and what are the implications for democratization? Who have been the actors and what internal and external dynamics are reconfiguring the materiality of social movements? How is the state responding to the dramatic fluidity and frequency in movements? And what strategies have civil societies used to harness the potentials in social movements for sustainable democratization? Through a political economy approach, oral interviews with NGO leaders, leaders of human rights and pro-democracy activists, interviews with some citizens, and use of journals, newspapers, magazines and reports, this study interrogates and documents the changing contours of social movements in Nigeria since the return to civil rule on 29 May, 1999. The authors observe that contemporary Nigeria has seen a spasmodic rise in social movements occasioned by international and local donor support, improved political and rights awareness, globalization and social media. It draws largely from recent national movements, such as the OccupyNigeria, Bring Back Our Girls and EndSars movements, to show how social movements have helped in Nigeria’s democratization. The role of radical government policy reforms, advocacy, transparency and accountability in the struggle for social change have also been discussed. We discuss also how pro-democracy activists and social media have helped to widen the scope, framing and intensity of movements, amidst government action to curb the activities of social movements. We have shown how infiltration of movements by state-hired agents has stemmed and weakened the actors and their movements. The article discusses how protesters, fake news and the deployment of paid influencers have helped to generate fake contents to discredit actors and protesters. The role of the police through denial of permits and the effect of arrests of protesters are also discussed. The paper ends with an observation of how government’s radical strategies have deeply and negatively undermined the credibility and sustainability of Nigeria’s social movements
The Political Economy of Pension Reforms: An Analysis of Policy Design and Practice in Ghana
Get PDFThere is a gradual move away in African pension policy from the hitherto predominantly pay-as-you-go social insurance schemes to new social security policies that prioritize private pension. But in African economies where capital market is underdeveloped and private sector is generally fragile, the shift to private pensions has implications for income security of the elderly. This study examines the design and practice of three-tier pension scheme with dual private pillars introduced a little over a decade ago. While discussing the various categories of private pension schemes that operate under the three-tier pension plan, it echoes the view that, the design of the scheme discriminates against informal sector employees who constitute majority of the labor force in Ghana while providing protection for persons who work in the formal sector. Yet, focusing primarily on informal sector workers, private pension fund operators have been able to accumulate a greater share of pension funds in the country within a short period although they receive lesser share of workers contributions. Although this ingenuity of private pension funds is commendable, concerns remain over the appropriateness or otherwise of entrusting income security of the elderly in the care of private sector operators in a country like Ghana that lacks robust capital market
Characterization of a Drosophila CRC 3-hit model using genetic approaches
Get PDFColorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, resulting in the deaths of over 50,000 people every year (American Cancer Society, 2023). The similarities shared between mammal and Drosophila melanogaster anatomy within the intestinal tract make Drosophila a great model for studying colorectal cancer. This study will investigate tumor characteristics of a Drosophila CRC model generated by modulating three genes within the key Hippo pathway to create a 3-hit model: p53, RasV12, and APC. The gene combination in the 3-hit model closely emulates how CRC presents in humans and is therefore important to study. This study will characterize the tumors in the guts of Drosophila for invasion, metastasis, and other phenotypes such as blockage of the intestinal tract. The results of this study will expand the discipline’s knowledge of CRC tumor characteristics
Understanding the Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition of Glioblastoma Multiforme on a Microfluidic Model
No full textGlioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive and fatal forms of brain cancer. Despite the multiple advances in treatment, median survival is only about 15 months upon diagnosis. Hence, multiple studies have been conducted to enhance understanding of GBM tumor biology and the mechanisms underlying its malignancy. This invasive behavior is strongly influenced by Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), a phenotypic shift that enhances motility and therapeutic resistance. Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) is a key regulator of EMT. In this study, we investigated the effect of TGF-β inhibition on GBM invasion using a microfluidic platform that mimics the confined geometry of the brain tumor microenvironment. GBM spheroids (U-87 MG, LN-229, U-118 MG) were embedded in Matrigel and exposed to SB-431542, a selective inhibitor of the TGF-β type I receptor. Invasion was assessed by tracking spheroid sprouting under treated and untreated conditions. The results indicate that TGF-β inhibition significantly reduces spheroid invasion across all three GBM cell lines when placed against the channels. These findings support the hypothesis that EMT contributes to the invasive phenotype of GBM under conditions of physical confinement. The findings of this study broadened our understanding of the complexity of EMT and its role in GBM cancer development and metastasis. Moreover, this work highlights the potential of combining microfluidic modeling with molecular intervention to dissect invasion mechanisms and evaluate candidate therapeutics
Radicle Restoration: Growing Native Plant Seedlings for Changing Landscapes
Get PDFIn the wake of great anthropogenic change in the landscape across eastern North America, there is a need for ecological restoration. Forests, in particular, are struggling due to the decline of previously dominant tree species and the need to protect the understory from persistent invasion. Forests cannot follow the typical path of natural development through secondary succession due to the interference of invasive species. Invasive species thrive in disturbed habitats, and they have a variety of adaptations that allow them to outcompete native species. Invasive species removal alone leads to their return to previously invaded sites. Instead, invasive removal should be coupled with native planting, and some of these natives can take niche spaces and provide resistance to reinvasion.
To give native species as much advantage over invasive species as possible, high amounts of care should be taken in the production of saplings for restoration. Collecting localized seeds ensures that the saplings will be adapted to soil and weather conditions similar to those of the restoration site. Potted saplings with straight, healthy root systems perform better than bare-root saplings under transplant stress. With these ideas in mind, the goal of this project is to start up a native sapling repository for key woody species for use in future restoration projects. This project is based in Ginny’s Garden Greenhouse at the University of Dayton and involves seed collection, germination, and sapling management for a variety of native woody species. Some species include oaks (Quercus), buckeyes (Aesculus), hickories (Carya), spicebush (Lindera benzoin), paw paw (Asimina triloba), and flowering dogwood (Cornus florida). Over one hundred seedlings have been germinated since the project\u27s inception, and over two thousand seeds have been collected for the advancement of this project. Outplanting for the project will begin in the spring of 2025
“Almond Moms” and Their Influence on College-Aged Emerging Adults: An Investigation on Eating Cognitions, Behaviors, and Psychological Wellness
Get PDFThe present study examines the potential psychological and behavioral impacts Almond Moms have on their college-aged children. Previous studies examining how parents influence disordered eating habits found that parental attitudes, specifically maternal attitudes, towards appearance, weight, and dieting are correlated with their children’s likelihood of engaging in disordered eating behaviors. It was hypothesized that college-aged students who report more experiences growing up with an Almond Mom will demonstrate more disordered eating habits and less positive body image. Impulsivity, socioeconomic status, and attachment were predicted to moderate the link between parental experiences and eating habits. Participants were recruited from introductory psychology courses at the University of Dayton during the fall 2024 semester and completed questionnaires measuring their parents’ behaviors and cognitions towards food, nutritional attitudes and choices, eating disorder symptomatology, exposure to the “Almond Mom” concept and nutrition-related content on social media. The study found that Almond Mom experiences have a significant effect on eating difficulties, and that relationship was mediated by nutrition-related social media consumption
