Matters Arising Research Articles

Pipeline Projects: Matters Arising in the New Zealand Construction Industry

Pipeline Projects: Matters Arising in the New Zealand Construction Industry

Implementation of the New Senior High School Standards-Based Curriculum in Ghana and Matters Arising: From 21st Century Skills to a Bipolar Global Problem?

Education is an essential vehicle that could be used to promote the development drive of developing countries including Ghana. This is because education imbibe in the citizens useful cultural traits including knowledge, values, attitudes and skills. A combination of internal and external factors however, combine to limit the levels of educational attainment for people in developing countries, but also act to alter the sociocultural standards of these countries. Using a combination of mixed methods and desktop review of published and unpublished data sources the author attempts a chronicle of Ghana's past curriculum designs and its local cultural impacts viz-a-viz its correlation with issues bothering the global community.

Polyphosphate attachment to lysine repeats is a non-covalent protein modification

Polyphosphate (polyP) is a chain of inorganic phosphate that is present in all domains of life and affects diverse cellular phenomena, ranging from blood clotting to cancer. A study by Azevedo etal. described a protein modification whereby polyP is attached to lysine residues within polyacidic serine and lysine (PASK) motifs via what the authors claimed to be covalent phosphoramidate bonding. This was based largely on the remarkable ability of the modification to survive extreme denaturing conditions. Our study demonstrates that lysine polyphosphorylation is non-covalent, based on its sensitivity to ionic strength and lysine protonation and absence of phosphoramidate bond formation, as analyzed via 31P NMR. Ionic interaction with lysine residues alone is sufficient for polyP modification, and we present a new list of non-PASK lysine repeat proteins that undergo polyP modification. This work clarifies the biochemistry of polyP-lysine modification, with important implications for both studying and modulating this phenomenon. This Matters Arising paper is in response to Azevedo etal. (2015), published in Molecular Cell. See also the Matters Arising Response by Azevedo etal. (2024), published in this issue.

On the covalent nature of lysine polyphosphorylation

Post-translational modifications of proteins (PTMs) introduce an extra layer of complexity to cellular regulation. Although phosphorylation of serine, threonine, and tyrosine residues is well-known as PTMs, lysine is, in fact, the most heavily modified amino acid, with over 30 types of PTMs on lysine having been characterized. One of the most recently discovered PTMs on lysine residues is polyphosphorylation, which sees linear chains of inorganic polyphosphates (polyP) attached to lysine residues. The labile nature of phosphoramidate bonds raises the question of whether this modification is covalent in nature. Here, we used buffers with very high ionic strength, which would disrupt any non-covalent interactions, and confirmed that lysine polyphosphorylation occurs covalently on proteins containing PASK domains (polyacidic, serine-, and lysine-rich), such as the budding yeast protein nuclear signal recognition 1 (Nsr1) and the mammalian protein nucleolin. This Matters Arising Response paper addresses the Neville etal. (2024) Matters Arising paper, published concurrently in Molecular Cell.

10 Years of Pacemaker Implantation in Port Harcourt, Rivers State: Our Experience and Matters Arising

Abstract Background: There has been an increasing growth in the number of pacemaker implantations in Nigeria. This study is aimed at reviewing the pattern and occurrence of pacemaker implantation and also mode of pacemaker over a 10-year period. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent pacemaker implantation over a 10 year period between September 2012 and December 2023. Results: During the study period, 41 patients underwent pacemaker implantation. There were more males (51.2%) than females with a general mean age 66.8 ±10.6. The most common indication was Complete heart block (CHB) (60.98%) followed by second degree atrioventrivcular block (27.27%). There was an increasing trend in the rate of pacemaker implantation over the 10 years in review. There was no significance difference in the rate of complication between the genders. Conclusion: Pacemaker implantation in Port Harcourt south-south, Nigeria started in September 2012. The major reason for pacemaker implantation were complete heart block (CHB) and second degree Atrioventicular block (2nd degree AVB) being the second reason. Sick sinus syndrome (SSS) was rare in our population as opposed to the western world. Pacemaker implantation is being widely accepted in our society and it is lifesaving procedure associated with very low risk. Keywords: Pacemaker, Pacemaker implantation, heart block, Port Harcourt

"Matters Arising" on a Recent Biologic (Ab-IPL-IL-17™) for IL-17-Mediated Diseases.

"Matters Arising" on a Recent Biologic (Ab-IPL-IL-17™) for IL-17-Mediated Diseases.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Vagaries of Law and Practice in Nigeria: Matters Arising

The world is currently being faced with inevitable changes and disruptive innovations altering the status quo, redirecting activities and reassigning roles. These deviations which are accentuated by digitalization and driven by Information Communication Technology is radically changing the trajectory of human way of life with the aim of meeting some specific needs of the immediate society. Lately, and in the advent of fourth industrial revolution, AI has innovatively permeated almost every aspect of human endeavor with greater tendency of displacing mostly professionals in their various fields. Like many other endeavors and service providers, law and legal practice are not spared from the current inexplicable displacement which is an inevitable consequence of AI. This paper interrogates the readiness of legal practice and existing legal frameworks in Nigeria to match with the advancement championed by AI. Although AI is arguably not a very perfect innovation, the findings of this article reveal that there is dearth of relevant skills, expertise and inadequate legal framework to match the demands of the current waves. It therefore offers recommendations which suggest that AI and human would be seen to play complementary roles rather than AI being perceived as imminent threat to human roles.

Analysis of the Enforcement of the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act in Nigeria: Matters Arising

Analysis of the Enforcement of the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act in Nigeria: Matters Arising

Intercellular genetic tracing of cardiac endothelium in the developing heart

Cardiac resident macrophages play vital roles in heart development, homeostasis, repair, and regeneration. Recent studies documented the hematopoietic potential of cardiac endothelium that supports the generation of cardiac macrophages and peripheral blood cells in mice. However, the conclusion was not strongly supported by previous genetic tracing studies, given the non-specific nature of conventional Cre-loxP tracing tools. Here, we develop an intercellular genetic labeling system that can permanently trace heart-specific endothelial cells based on cell-cell interaction in mice. Results from cell-cell contact-mediated genetic fate mapping demonstrate that cardiac endothelial cells do not exhibit hemogenic potential and do not contribute to cardiac macrophages or other circulating blood cells. This Matters Arising paper is in response to Shigeta etal. (2019), published in Developmental Cell. See also the response by Liu and Nakano (2023), published in this issue.

Gender Frustration in the African Novel: Matters Arising

Gender Frustration in the African Novel: Matters Arising

Redefining sensorimotor mismatch selectivity in the visual cortex

This Matters Arising Response contains our commentary to the response written by Vasilevskaya etal., 2023, publishing concurrently in Cell Reports, for our recent article "Feature selectivity can explain mismatch signals in mouse visual cortex." We find that results in the response reinforced many of our findings and, further supported by their new results, we argue for the necessity to redefine sensorimotor mismatch selectivity in the mouse visual system.

Challenges of accurately estimating sex-biased admixture from X chromosomal and autosomal ancestry proportions

Sex-biased admixture can be inferred from ancestry-specific proportions of X chromosome and autosomes. In a paper published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, Micheletti etal.1 used this approach to quantify male and female contributions following the transatlantic slave trade. Using a large dataset from 23andMe, they concluded that African and European contributions to gene pools in the Americas were much more sex biased than previously thought. We show that the reported extreme sex-specific contributions can be attributed to unassigned genetic ancestry as well as the limitations of simple models of sex-biased admixture. Unassigned ancestry proportions in the study by Micheletti etal. ranged from ∼1% to 21%, depending on the type of chromosome and geographic region. A sensitivity analysis illustrates how this unassigned ancestry can create false patterns of sex bias and that mathematical models are highly sensitive to slight sampling errors when inferring mean ancestry proportions, making confidence intervals necessary. Thus, unassigned ancestry and the sensitivity of the models effectively prohibit the interpretation of estimated sex biases for many geographic regions in Micheletti etal. Furthermore, Micheletti etal. assumed models of a single admixture event. Using simulations, we find that violations of demographic assumptions, such as subsequent gene flow and/or sex-specific assortative mating, may have confounded the analyses of Micheletti etal., but unassigned ancestry was likely the more important confounding factor. Our findings underscore the importance of using complete ancestry information, sufficiently large sample sizes, and appropriate models when inferring sex-biased patterns of demography. This Matters Arising paper is in response to Micheletti etal.,1 published in American Journal of Human Genetics. See also the response by Micheletti etal.,2 published in this issue.

Is the disease risk and penetrance in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy actually low?

Pedigree analysis showed that a large proportion of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) family members who carry a mitochondrial risk variant never lose vision. Mitochondrial haplotype appears to be a major factor influencing the risk of vision loss from LHON. Mitochondrial variants, including m.14484T>C and m.11778G>A, have been added to gene arrays, and thus many patients and research participants are tested for LHON mutations. Analysis of the UK Biobank and Australian cohort studies found more than 1 in 1,000 people in the general population carry either the m.14484T>C or the m.11778G>A LHON variant. None of the subset of carriers examined had visual acuity at 20/200 or worse, suggesting a very low penetrance of LHON. Haplogroup analysis of m.14484T>C carriers showed a high rate of haplogroup U subclades, previously shown to have low penetrance in pedigrees. Penetrance calculations of the general population are lower than pedigree calculations, most likely because of modifier genetic factors. This Matters Arising Response paper addresses the Watson etal. (2022) Matters Arising paper, published concurrently in The American Journal of Human Genetics.

Low disease risk and penetrance in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy

The risk of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) has largely been extrapolated from disease cohorts, which underestimate the population prevalence of pathogenic primary LHON variants as a result of incomplete disease penetrance. Understanding the true population prevalence of primary LHON variants, alongside the rate of clinical disease, provides a better understanding of disease risk and variant penetrance. We identified pathogenic primary LHON variants in whole-genome sequencing data of a well-characterized population-based control cohort and found that the prevalence is far greater than previously estimated, as it occurs in approximately 1 in 800 individuals. Accordingly, we were able to more accurately estimate population risk and disease penetrance in LHON variant carriers, validating our findings by using other large control datasets. These findings will inform accurate counseling in relation to the risk of vision loss in LHON variant carriers and disease manifestation in their family. This Matters Arising paper is in response to Lopez Sanchez etal. (2021), published in The American Journal of Human Genetics. See also the response by Mackey etal. (2022), published in this issue.

Mouse primordial germ-cell-like cells lack piRNAs.

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are small RNAs bound by PIWI-clade Argonaute proteins that function to silence transposable elements (TEs). Following mouse primordial germ cell (mPGC) specification around E6.25, fetal piRNAs emerge in male gonocytes from E13.5 onward. The invitro differentiation of mPGC-like cells (mPGCLCs) has raised the possibility of studying the fetal piRNA pathway in greater depth. However, using single-cell RNA-seq and RT-qPCR along mPGCLC differentiation, we find that piRNA pathway factors are not fully expressed in Day 6 mPGCLCs. Moreover, we do not detect piRNAs across a panel of Day 6 mPGCLC lines using small RNA-seq. Our combined efforts highlight that invitro differentiated Day 6 mPGCLCs do not yet resemble E13.5 or later mouse gonocytes where the piRNA pathway is active. This Matters Arising paper is in response to von Meyenn etal. (2016), published in Developmental Cell. See also the correction by von Meyenn etal. published in this issue.

Mouse placenta fetal macrophages arise from endothelial cells outside the placenta.

Placental fetal macrophages (fMacs) are the only immune cells on the fetal side of the placental barrier. Mouse models have not been used to test their function because they have previously been found to have distinct cellular origins and functions in mice and humans. Here, we test the ontogeny of mouse placental fMacs. Using a new Hoxa13Cre allele that labels all placental endothelial cells (ECs), we demonstrate that mouse placenta fMacs do not arise from placental endothelium. Instead, lineage tracing studies using Tie2-Cre and Cx3cr1CreERT2 alleles demonstrate that mouse placental fMacs arise from yolk sac endothelium. Administration of blocking antibodies against CSF1R at E6.5 and E7.5 results in depletion of placental fMacs throughout pregnancy, and this suggests a yolk sac origin, similar to that in human fMacs. This Matters Arising paper is in response to Liang etal., published in Developmental Cell. A response by Liang and Liu is published in this issue.

Personal Income Tax in Nigerian Fiscal Federalism: Matters Arising

Fiscal federalism is a by-product of federalism. Federalism is a political concept in which power to govern is shared between national and sub-national Governments creating what is often called a federation. Federalism is a political concept in which the power to govern is shared between Federal, States and Local Governments, creating what is often called a federation. Fiscal federalism is characterized by fiscal relations between central and lower levels of Government. The progression in taxation in Nigeria is from personal income tax to taxation on other sources such as petroleum, companies etc. Personal Income Tax Act identifies taxable persons, chargeable incomes, determines assessable income and tax that income. The Act also determines the residence of the tax payer for the purpose of payment and or collection of personal income tax. This paper contains primary and secondary sourced materials, such as laws, statutes, and other resource materials. This paper revealed the aspect of personal income that raises concerns on the ownership of funds collected by State Governments through the State Boards of Internal Revenue under personal income tax regime. Though it is argued by some school of thought that the rules of agency suggest that an agent acting under a delegated authority cannot be heard contesting the subject matter of agency with the principal. However, due to the combined provisions of sections 80(1), 120(1) and 163 of the Constitution which direct that the personal income tax collected by the State Government be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State and used for the benefit of the State lay to rest the issue of ownership of the personal income tax collected by the State Government.

Offspring From Assisted Reproductive Techniques and Customary Law in Nigeria: Matters Arising

Offspring From Assisted Reproductive Techniques and Customary Law in Nigeria: Matters Arising

Response to Wyckelsma et al.: Loss of α-actinin-3 during human evolution provides superior cold resilience and muscle heat generation

The common loss-of-function mutation R577X in the structural muscle protein ACTN3 emerged as a potential target of positive selection from early studies and has been the focus of insightful physiological work suggesting a significant impact on muscle metabolism. Adaptation to cold climates has been proposed as a key adaptive mechanism explaining its global allele frequency patterns. Here, we re-examine this hypothesis analyzing modern (n= 3,626) and ancient (n= 1,651) genomic data by using allele-frequency as well as haplotype homozygosity-based methods. The presented results are more consistent with genetic drift rather than selection in cold climates as the main driver of the ACTN3 R577X frequency distribution in human populations across the world. This Matters Arising paper is in response to Wyckelsma etal. (2021),1 published in The American Journal of Human Genetics. See also the response by Wyckelsma etal. (2022),2 published in this issue.

Lifting the Corporate Veil for Directors and Shareholders’ Liability: Matters Arising

The doctrine of lifting the corporate veil constitutes the exception to the concept of corporate legal personality, but the ambit of the exception and the appropriate circumstances in which it should apply are contested both in case law and legal jurisprudence. It is far from settled when the corporate veil can be lifted, and no clear guiding principles have emerged in the United Kingdom and other common law jurisdictions such as Nigeria. In recent time, however, the authoritative decision of the UK Supreme Court in the case of Prest v Petrodel Resources Ltd introduced new principles of ‘‘evasion’’ and ‘‘concealment’’. Matters of legal significance do arise from the decision. For instance, in drawing distinctions between the principles of ‘‘evasion’’ and ‘‘concealment’’ the Court did not clarify beyond legal confusion the factual circumstances in which lifting the corporate veil would be appropriate and necessary. In this article, we examine the law on lifting the corporate veil as it has evolved in case law through the centuries. From a jurisprudential analysis of the judgment in Prest v Petrodel Resources Ltd , we examine the matters arising and proffer key suggestions towards striking the optimum balance between the concept of corporate legal personality and the doctrine of lifting the corporate veil. Keywords: Corporate legal personality, Lifting the veil, Prest v Petrodel, Limited Liability, Separate Legal Personality DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/120-06 Publication date: April 30 th 2022