Investigating the nexus of energy consumption, economic growth and carbon emissions in selected african countries

The study is focused on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7, 8, and 13. At the nexus of energy consumption, economic growth, and carbon emissions, we investigated the interactive effect of energy consumption and economic growth on carbon emissions for seventeen selected African countries using static panel estimation techniques using annual data from 2000 to 2017. The result shows that an increase in energy consumption positively affects economic growth and negatively affects carbon emissions. However, the impact of energy consumption on economic growth is greater than its adverse environmental effect. We found that economic growth (due to the energy transition in Africa) reduces or dampens the negative effect of energy usage on the environment (indirectly, mitigating carbon emissions). A notable implication of our finding is that the transition to renewable energy is moderating the adverse effects of increasing energy consumption and economic growth on the environment. So, in applying the energy intensity theory to sub-Saharan Africa, a modification is proposed: carbon emissions are directly proportional to the amount of fossil fuel energy consumed per unit of output. We recommend the prioritization of economic growth and productive use of energy towards effectively reducing the negative impact of energy consumption on the environment. Future studies could consider increasing the number of countries, and, if data is available, an artificial intelligence experiment could be undertaken to check the reliability of previous results. We also suggest that future studies consider investigating the persistence of emissions using energy and growth as key independent and moderating variables

Investigating and combatting the key drivers of viral zoonoses in Africa: an analysis of eight epidemics

Investigating the interplay of factors that result in a viral zoonotic outbreak is difficult, though it is increasingly important. As anthropogenic influences shift the delicate balance of ecosystems, new zoonoses emerge in humans. Sub-Saharan Africa is a notable hotspot for zoonotic disease due to abundant competent mammalian reservoir hosts. Furthermore, poverty, corruption, and an overreliance on natural resources play considerable roles in depleting biological resources, exacerbating the population’s susceptibility. Unsurprisingly, viral zoonoses have emerged in Africa, including HIV/AIDS, Ebola, Avian influenza, Lassa fever, Zika, and Monkeypox. These diseases are among the principal causes of death in endemic areas. Though typically distinct in their manifestations, viral zoonoses are connected by underlying, definitive factors. This review summarises vital findings on viral zoonoses in Africa using nine notable case studies as a benchmark for future studies. We discuss the importance of ecological recuperation and protection as a central strategy to control zoonotic diseases. Emphasis was made on moderating key drivers of zoonotic diseases to forestall future pandemics. This is in conjunction with attempts to redirect efforts from reactive to pre-emptive through a multidisciplinary “one health” approach

Self-compacting concrete blended with fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag

This research study was performed on the self-compacting concrete (SCC) mixture blended with 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of fly ash (FA) and 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) individually and with a combination of FA and GGBFS, that is, 5% (2.5% FA and 2.5% GGBFS), 10% (5% FA and 5% GGBFS), 15% (7.5% FA and 7.5% GGBFS), and 20% (10% FA and 10% GGBFS) by the weight of Portland cement. The main theme of this research work is to determine the fresh properties in terms of filling ability (slump flow, V�Funnel and T50 flow), passing ability (J-Ring and L-box), and sieve segregation test of SCC mixture and hardened properties in terms of compressive, split tensile, and flexural strengths and permeability of SCC mixture. However, the concrete specimens were prepared at 0.40 water– cement ratio, and these specimens were tested at 28 and 90 days. The results showed that the fresh properties of SCC mixture blended with FA and GGBFS provide better results with addition of a superplasticizer and hardened properties of SCC mixture are enhanced while utilizing 5% of GGBFS and 5% of FA by the weight of PC at 28 and 90 days, respectively

The functionality of intermetallic phases in the reinforcement of AA6061 aluminium alloy

Aluminium alloys reinforced with agro-based waste particles are utilized in the aerospace industry and transport sectors due to their functional properties. In this paper, AA6061 aluminium alloy strengthened with different percentages of clay and rice husk ash (RHA) in the range of 2 to 8 wt.% at 75 and 150 μm were produced. SEM/EDS analyzed the impact of clay and RHA particles in AA6061 used to characterized surface morphology and the Brinell hardness and INSTRON 3369 universal testing machine to determine mechanical behaviours. XRD analysis of the prepared samples showed aluminium silicate, silicon IV oxide and aluminium oxides intermetallic phases at different peaks in the matrix alloy. The samples' results contained the intermetallic phases showed improvement in hardness, tensile strength and percentage elongation of developed material to about 31.6%, 7.5%, and 4.8% respectively. The mechanical properties revealed higher results compared with undeveloped AA6061 aluminium alloy. It can be concluded that intermetallic phases play a major part in strengthening the reinforcement of AA6061 aluminium alloy

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION.(A Study of a Faith-Based Organisation)

Human resources are the most central influence of production in a corporate world. Employees are regarded as the life blood of any organisation (for profit and nonprofit alike). But despite its importance, some organisations still have various difficulties associated with the implementation of employee training and development programmes. Hence, this study investigated human resource development and employee performances in non-profit organisations using the Living Faith Church, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. The study's specific goals include analyzing the influence of career development on employee motivation, the impact of mentoring on employee engagement, the effect of corporate training spending on employee adequate training, and the influence of human resource development on employee effectiveness, engagement, and competencies. For this study, a structured questionnaire was given to 133 clergy members of the Living Faith Church (Headquarters), both ministerial and non-ministerial. A descriptive research approach was specifically chosen for the research work. Purposeful sampling methods and Simple random were used to choose a sample size of 340. Only 108 of the 133 administered questionnaire were located and used in the regression analysis by SPSS, the statistical package for social sciences. The study shows that when employees are on off/on- the job training they have a certain level of how much they think and carry out mental activity on behalf of the organization there by increasing their cognitive engagement to the organization. Workers are given an avenue for career development, they elude a degree of affection as well as emotional responsiveness towards the organization, causing a positive effect on the affective engagement of workers to the organization. According to the findings employers should view human capital as an asset rather than a variable cost. Businesses must view employee development as an asset rather than a mere expense, allocating sufficient funding and giving it the attention it deserves

Measure of Volatility and Its Forecasting: Evidence from Naira / Dollar Exchange Rat

Background: HIV/AIDS is endemic in Nigeria since the first case was reported in 1986. Several risk factors contribute to its prevalence, and the successive government has devised different programs to halt the spread. Awareness is one of those programs that helps to promote voluntary testing and prevention of HIV. The aim of this paper is to assess the level of awareness of HIV/AIDS among private and public primary school pupils in Ado-Odo, Ota, Southwest Nigeri

Development of a Web and Mobile Applications-Based Cassava Disease Classification Interface Using Convolutional Neural Network

Cassava is one of the six food items identified as a critical food product for Africa, owing to its importance to African farmers' lives and ability to alter African economies. However, Cassava plant diseases have affected the yield of farmers significantly which has led to a decline in the agricultural production of cassava. Therefore, the aim of this research work is to develop a web and mobile applications-based system that would be able to detect cassava diseases based on its leaf images. To achieve this aim, pre-trained Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models were selected using their previous performance and the application of transfer learning technique, new models were developed to classify cassava diseases based on the dataset curated and pre-processed. The best three models were selected: MobileNetV2, VGG16 and ResNet50. After training, the accuracy for each model was: 98%, 92% and 75% for MobileNetV2, VGG16 and ResNet50 respectively. Following evaluation of performance, the model with the best accuracy (MobileNetV2) was deployed using a web application interface. After deploying as a web and mobile apps interface, it was further tested to see how it would perform on the field. This research work was found capable of aiding farmers in being able to timely detect the type of disease affecting their cassava plants and the correct treatment to utilize; this also contribute towards Sustainable development goal

Understanding Coping Strategies Adults Adopted to Survive During COVID-19 and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND: Understanding the coping strategies adopted during the COVID-19 and post Covid-19 pandemic is one way to understand the critical impact that COVID-19 poses on adults. AIM: Therefore, the aim of this study is to understand the coping strategies adults adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic and post Covid era in the Alimosho Local Government area of Lagos State. METHODS: The study used a quantitative method. A total of 250 copies of the questionnaire were distributed, out of which 218 copies were retrieved. RESULTS: The result shows (53.3%) respondents tried to avoid thinking and problem solving during COVID-19. About 51% of respondents were able to connect with family and friends through social media during COVID-19. In the same manner, 47.3% of respondents were able to control their exposure to news during and after COVID-19. About 66.5% of respondents tried to adapt to the new normal during and after the COVID-19 pandemic; 59.7% of respondents tried to avoid over-crowded places during and after the pandemic; 62.4% of respondents also tried doing new things during COVID-19; and 62.4% of respondents followed still safety guidelines during and even after COVID-19. However, doing what I love and living a positive lifestyle during COVID-19 were all considered as predominant coping strategies used. The result shows the relationship between reality of COVID-19 and nothing to look forward to was examined using the Chi-square and cross-tabulation. There is a significant positive relationship between the variables. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that coping strategies are very important strategies to adopt in in some similar situation. There is a need to understand the relationship between social and psychological skills that people use to manage and endure trauma. The coping mechanisms were used by adults that kept them alive and safe from COVID-19 trauma. Emotionally oriented and seeking to solve a problem or modify the status quo, adults seek to alleviate emotional pain caused by stressful events by sharing feelings through activities. The study recommends that there is a need to keep the mind at rest and stress free from any anxiety and trouble. People should do more of their hobbies, learn a new skill or take an online professional course

Towards a sustainable bioeconomy in a post-oil era Nigeria

The bioeconomy comprises all primary arms of production, including industrial and economic sectors that employ biological resources and techniques to generate bio-based products and services, while creating new industries and employment. Advocates of the bioeconomy anticipate that biotechnology will play a key role in its development via scientific advances that will spur innovations in deriving products and energy from renewable biomass. About 50 countries have adopted bioeconomy policies, with a view to unlocking new vistas for economic development and innovation, while pushing towards the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Nigeria has an estimated annual biomass potential of about 200 billion kilogrammes, which could be harnessed to generate biofuels via integrated bio-refineries and microbial conversion. In addition, alternative food sources from microorganisms, aquaponics and other products from wood, especially as a plastic alternative and medicines provide endless opportunities for a sustainable bioeconomy in Nigeria

Pharmacophore-Aided Virtual Screening and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Identifies TrkB Agonists for Treatment of CDKL5-Deficiency Disorders

Therapeutic intervention in cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) deficiency disorders (CDDs) has remained a concern over the years. Recent advances into the mechanistic interplay of signalling pathways has revealed the role of deficient tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB)/phospholipase C γ1 signalling cascade in CDD. Novel findings showed that in vivo administration of a TrkB agonist, 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), resulted in a remarkable reversal in the molecular pathologic mechanisms underlying CDD. Owing to this discovery, this study aimed to identify more potent TrkB agonists than 7,8-DHF that could serve as alternatives or combinatorial drugs towards effective management of CDD. Using pharmacophore modelling and multiple database screening, we identified 691 compounds with identical pharmacophore features with 7,8-DHF. Virtual screening of these ligands resulted in identification of at least 6 compounds with better binding affinities than 7,8-DHF. The in silico pharmacokinetic and ADMET studies of the compounds also indicated better drug-like qualities than those of 7,8-DHF. Postdocking analyses and molecular dynamics simulations of the best hits, 6-hydroxy-10-(2-oxo-1-azatricyclo[7.3.1.05,13]trideca-3,5(13),6,8-tetraen-3-yl)-8-oxa-13,14,16 triazatetracyclo [7.7.0.02,7.011,15]hexadeca-1,3,6,9,11,15-hexaen-5-one (PubChem: 91637738) and 6-hydroxy-10-(8-methyl-2-oxo-1H-quinolin-3-yl)-8-oxa-13,14,16 triazatetracyclo[7.7.0.02,7.011,15]hexadeca-1,3,6,9,11,15-hexaen-5-one (PubChem ID: 91641310), revealed unique ligand interactions, validating the docking findings. We hereby recommend experimental validation of the best hits in CDKL5 knock out models before consideration as drugs in CDD management