Genetic engineering and genome editing technologies as catalyst for Africa's food security: the case of plant biotechnology in Nigeria.

Many African countries are unable to meet the food demands of their growing population and the situation is worsened by climate change and disease outbreaks. This issue of food insecurity may lead to a crisis of epic proportion if effective measures are not in place to make more food available. Thus, deploying biotechnology towards the improvement of existing crop varieties for tolerance or resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses is crucial to increasing crop production.

Maladaptive cardiac and behavioral reactivity to repeated vicarious stress exposure in socially bonded male prairie vole siblings.

Behaviors, emotions, and cardiovascular functions are influenced by stress. But these detrimental effects are not exclusive to an individual that directly experiences stress. Stress is also experienced vicariously through observation of another individual undergoing stress.

The Influence of Environmental Enrichment on Affective and Neural Consequences of Social Isolation Across Development.

Social stress is associated with depression and anxiety, physiological disruptions, and altered brain morphology in central stress circuitry across development. Environmental enrichment strategies may improve responses to social stress. Socially monogamous prairie voles exhibit analogous social and emotion-related behaviors to humans, with potential translational insight into interactions of social stress, age, and environmental enrichment.

Differential paraventricular nucleus activation and behavioral responses to social isolation in prairie voles following environmental enrichment with and without physical exercise.

Social stressors produce neurobiological and emotional consequences in social species. Environmental interventions, such as environmental enrichment and exercise, may modulate physiological and behavioral stress responses. The present study investigated the benefits of environmental enrichment and exercise against social stress in the socially monogamous prairie vole.

Commercial Release of Genetically Modified Crops in Africa: Interface Between Biosafety Regulatory Systems and Varietal Release Systems.

African countries face key challenges in the deployment of GM crops due to incongruities in the processes for effective and efficient commercial release while simultaneously ensuring food and environmental safety. Against the backdrop of the preceding scenario, and for the effective and efficient commercial release of GM crops for cultivation by farmers, while simultaneously ensuring food and environmental safety, there is a need for the close collaboration of and the interplay between the biosafety competent authorities and the variety release authorities. The commercial release of genetically modified (GM) crops for cultivation requires the approval of biosafety regulatory packages.