IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AMONGST RESIDENTS OF CALABAR METROPOLIS IN CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA. WEST AFRICA; A CASE STUDY OF CALABAR GARMENT FACTORY

This research paper was geared toward unraveling the impact of environmental health on sustainable development amongst residents of Calabar metropolis in Cross River State, Nigeria, West Africa. In pursuant of this objective, three research questions were raised to guide the study- To what extent does environmental induction course influence sustainable development among residents of Calabar metropolis? does environmental wastes recycling affect sustainable development among residence of Calabar metropolis? and to what extend does environmental conservation influence sustainable development among residents of Calabar metropolis. A sample size of 200 respondents was considered for the study. The instrument used for data collection was a 20 - items questionnaire which was validated by research experts on health discipline. Split half reliability estimate was implored to ascertain the reliability of the instrument while simple percentage was used to analyze the data collected. From the results of our findings, possible recommendations were made to ensure sustainability of our environmental resources to enhance sustainable development.

Familial hemiplegic migraine due to L263V SCN1A mutation: Discordance for epilepsy between two kindreds from Douro Valley

Background SCN1A is the most relevant gene in epilepsy. Only seven SCN1A mutations have been identified in 10 familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) kindreds worldwide. Cases and kindreds In 2009, we presented a kindred with FHM due to the L263V SCN1A mutation. In the current study, we report a novel FHM3 kindred from the same village. The first family exhibited the co-occurrence of FHM and epilepsy. No case of epilepsy was observed in the new kindred. An L263V mutation was found in all patients, and the haplotype analysis supports a unique mutational event. Comments Despite its bioelectric activity, the SCN1A L263V mutation most likely requires a combination of several endogenous or environmental induction stimuli to attain an epileptogenic threshold.

How might epigenetics contribute to ecological speciation?

Speciation research has seen a renewed interest in ecological speciation, which emphasises divergent ecological selection leading to the evolution of reproductive isolation. Selection from divergent ecologies means that phenotypic plasticity can play an important role in ecological speciation. Phenotypic plasticity involves the induction of phenotypes over the lifetime of an organism and emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic marks such as cytosine and protein (histone) modifications might regulate such environmental induction. Epigenetic marks play a wide role in a variety of processes including development, sex differentiation and allocation, sexual conflict, regulation of transposable elements and phenotypic plasticity. Here we describe recent studies that investigate epigenetic mechanisms in a variety of contexts. There is mounting evidence for environmentally induced epigenetic variation and for the stable inheritance of epigenetic marks between generations. Thus, epigenetically-based phenotypic plasticity may play a role in adaptation and ecological speciation. However, there is less evidence for the inheritance of induced epigenetic variation across multiple generations in animals. Currently few studies of ecological speciation incorporate the potential for the involvement of epigenetically-based induction of phenotypes, and we argue that this is an important omission.