Human Capital, Higher Education Enrolment and Economic Growth in the SSA Countries (Panel Model Approach)

This study offers exploratory analysis on the relationship among human capital, higher education enrolment and economic growth in SSA countries. With data from twenty-two African countries across the four economic blocs, five variables which include human capital formation, capital stock, employment rate, total factor productivity and higher education enrolment were regressed against gross domestic product per capital. Panel analysis which includes fixed and random effects analyses were carried out. We report results from fixed effect (within) regression as Hausman test suggests. It was discovered that SADC countries perform better among the four economic blocs. To further study individual country specific effects, we employ least square dummy variables (LSDV). Sixteen countries out of twenty-two exhibit specific effects. Our findings revealed that enrolment rate of higher education in SSA have a very weak relationship with economic growth in the SSA countries. This reflects why there is a weak relationship between economic growth and the total factor productivity and consequently negative consequential effects on our total factor productivity. The main policy implication is that for SSA countries to maintain sustainable economic growth, home based human capital must be given a priority in the form of increased higher education budget and financing.&nbsp

Ex‐ante evaluation of promising soybean innovations for sub‐Saharan Africa

Open Access JournalThis study undertakes an ex‐ante evaluation of the effects of alternative technology and policy options on soybean supply and demand in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) to 2050. Current soybean consumption in SSA is dominated by cooking oil followed by soybean cake used as animal feed. Due to weak processing sectors and low soybean yields, the region is currently importing about 70% of its consumption requirements. Based on the results from a geospatial bio‐economic modeling framework, soybean consumption in SSA is projected to more than double by 2050 compared to 2010 due in part to a rising population and rising incomes. On the other hand, supply from domestic production is projected to increase by 80% over the same period. Hence, by 2050, net imports into SSA would be nearly 4 times higher than supply from domestic production. Under a future drier climate, some of the production gains achieved through soybean research and extension would be lost and this would further worsen the soybean demand gap in SSA relative to the baseline. This study shows that relying on conventional breeding alone to increase soybean yields in SSA would not be enough to substantially reduce the future demand gap. A combination of promising innovations affecting the soybean value chain across SSA would be needed to close the soybean demand gap in SSA by 2050 under a drier future climate

Implication of Spiritual Network Support System in Epigenomic Modulation and Health Trajectory

With challenges in understanding the multifactorial etiologies of disease and individual treatment effect heterogeneities over the past four decades, much has been acquired on how physical, chemical and social environments a ffect human health, predisposing certain subpopulations to adverse health outcomes, especially the socio-environmentally disadvantaged (SED). Current translational data on gene and adverse environment interaction have revealed how adverse gene-environment interaction, termed aberrant epigenomic modulation, translates into impaired gene expression via messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) dysregulation, reflecting abnormal protein synthesis and hence dysfunctional cellular differentiation and maturation. The environmental influence on gene expression observed in most literature includes physical, chemical, physicochemical and recently social environment. However, data are limited on spiritual or religious environment network support systems, which reflect human psychosocial conditions and gene interaction. With this limited information, we aimed to examine the available data on spiritual activities characterized by prayers and meditation for a possible explanation of the nexus between the spiritual network support system (SNSS) as a component of psychosocial conditions, implicated in social signal transduction, and the gene expression correlate. With the intent to incorporate SNSS in human psychosocial conditions, we assessed the available data on bereavement, loss of spouse, loneliness, social isolation, low socio-economic status (SES), chronic stress, low social status, social adversity (SA) and early life stress (ELS), as surrogates for spiritual support network connectome. Adverse human psychosocial conditions have the tendency for impaired gene expression through an up-regulated conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA) gene expression via social signal transduction, involving the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), beta-adrenergic receptors, the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the glucocorticoid response. This review specifically explored CTRA gene expression and the nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 1 (NR3C1) gene, a glucocorticoid receptor gene, in response to stress and the impaired negative feedback, given allostatic overload as a result of prolonged and sustained stress and social isolation as well as the implied social interaction associated with religiosity. While more remains to be investigated on psychosocial and immune cell response and gene expression, current data on human models do implicate appropriate gene expression via the CTRA and NR3C1 gene in the SNSS as observed in meditation, yoga and thai-chi, implicated in malignant neoplasm remission. However, prospective epigenomic studies in this context are required in the disease causal pathway, prognosis and survival, as well as cautious optimism in the application of these findings in clinical and public health settings, due to unmeasured and potential confoundings implicated in these correlations

Mineralogy, Physicochemical Characteristics and Industrial Potential of Some Residual Clay Deposits within Ekiti State, Southwestern Nigeria

Residual clay deposits overlying Precambrian Basement Complex situated at Orin, Igbara Odo, Ikere and Ado Ekiti were investigated using several analytical techniques. Field evidence supported by mineralogical and physicochemical analyses suggests that the kaolinitic clay deposits is a product of hydrothermal and in-situ weathering of aplite, and granite. Kaolinite is the predominant clay mineral of the studied clay deposits with subordinate quartz, potassium iron oxide and aluminium phosphatic minerals. There is localised occurrence of halloysite. The absence of vanadium in the EDS data of rolled into tubes kaolinite sheets of Ado Ekiti clay match up with XRF data. This result trend combined with field observation suggests that clay bodies formed from weathering of feldspar is deficient in vanadium. The study suggests that morphology of kaolinitic minerals is influenced by the kind of parent material (i.e. feldspars or micas) and degree of chemical weathering. The pH values of pore water from clay samples range from 7.14 - 9.08. The electrical conductivities (EC) of the clay/water slurries (S/L ratio) range from 0.004mS/cm – 3.02mS/cm.  The oxidation reduction potential (ORP) values range between -62.4 and – 6.8 for the solids or slurries prepared with water. The dissolved oxygen (DO) values range from 6.73ppm – 7.26ppm for solids or slurries prepared with water. The loss on ignition ranges from 2.24-13.39. The SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratio of 1.40 and 1.50 for Orin and Ikere clay bodies indicated that a 1:1 clay mineral was the dominant component. The high chemical index of alteration (CIA = 77.97~98.64) and chemical index of weathering (CIW = 97.21~99.93) values probably indicated the complete weathering of feldspars to kaolinite. The weathering index of Parker (WIP) values grouped the analysed clay samples into moderate to intense degree of weathering. This observation is confirmed by the absence of detrital feldspar in the XRD spectra peak. Factor analysis showed enrichment and depletion of major and trace elements which could be attributed to moderate to intense leaching conditions of the presumed parent material. The data shows explicit relationship between the clayeyness value (Al2O3/SiO2 ratio), the relative base loss (RBL) and the cation exchange capacity (CEC). Cluster analysis of major and trace elements showed two groups of chemical differences amongst the elements in the clays; moderate and intense degree of weathered clays. Nevertheless, the variations in the degree of weathering or leaching process have greater contribution to clay deposits differentiation. Assessment of the industrial potential of the studied clay bodies based on their physical and chemical characteristics revealed that they are suitable for the production of refractory bricks and ceramics. Suitable processing would be compulsory if they are to meet the requirements for other industrial applications, such as rubber, paper, paint, cosmetics, and fertilizer industries. Keywords: Clay; Mineralogy; Physicochemical characteristics; Weathering indices; Pore water; Multivariable analysis; Igbara Odo Ekiti; Ikere Ekiti; Ado Ekiti

The Relationship between Adolescents' Family Background, Perceived Self-Concept and Health Seeking Behaviour in an Urban City of South-Western Nigeria

Background and objectives: The understanding of adolescents about themselves affects their choices and actions when their health is concerned. This study assessed the relationship between family background, perceived self-concept and health seeking behaviour of adolescents. Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study involving three secondary schools in Ekiti State, South-western Nigeria. A total of 352 students were recruited through multistage random sampling technique. The Personal Self-Concept Questionnaire (PSC) was used to assess the adolescents' personal self-concept while the health seeking behaviour was adapted from the Botsha Bophelo Adolescent Health Study (BBAHS) adapted questionnaire. The family background was sought from the respondents. Demographic variables were described as means and standard deviations. Categorical variables were reported as frequency distribution and proportions with the Pearson correlation test used to assess the relationship of relevant variables with self-concept. Results: There was negative correlation between the adolescents' family social class and their autonomy self-concept (r = -0.117; p<0.029). Out of the 42% who had any form of ill-health, 29.6% had sought for medical attention, 8.5% were sexually exposed, 4% and 4.8% were screened for HIV and the use of contraception respectively. Having been hospitalized in the past six months related with their general self-concept (r = -0.124; p<0.02) and sense of fulfillment (r = -0.118; p<0.027). Use of cannabis negatively correlated with general self-concept (r = -0.132; p<0.013) and honesty self-concept (r = -0.127; p<0.017). Sexual exposure correlated negatively with emotional self-concept (r = -0.116; p<0.03). Conclusion: From this study, the socioeconomic class of the family of the adolescents affected their individuality. In addition, adolescents with high self-concept will not easily seek for appropriate medical attentio

Hormone-diversity fit: Collective testosterone moderates the effect of diversity on group performance

Prior research has found inconsistent effects of diversity on group performance. Past moderators of the diversity-performance connection have primarily focused on psychological factors and group dynamics, however hormonal moderators related to status attainment motivation have been overlooked. Integrating the diversity, status and hormone literatures, we predicted that groups collectively high in testosterone, which is associated with heightened status drive, would perform optimally when group diversity was low. In contrast, we predicted that groups collectively low in testosterone, which should be less oriented towards status competitions and more oriented toward cooperation, would take advantage of group diversity. Analysis of 74 groups engaged in a group decision-making exercise provided support for our hypotheses. The findings suggest that diversity is beneficial for performance only if group-level testosterone is low but has a negative performance effect if group-level testosterone is high. Too much collective testosterone maximizes the pains and minimizes the gains from diversity

Genetic conservation through effective utilization of the improved indigenous chicken breeds by rural households in Nigeria

SUMMARY. Our collection and genetic characterization of various indigenous chicken genotypes in Nigeria started in 1984 at the National Animal Production Research Institute, Shika, Zaria, (Shika Brown) in 1994 at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria (FUNAAB) and in 2014 in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (FULANI). Collections were screened and characterized for genetic improvement and effective utilization by rural households in Nigeria With the financial and technical support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the International Livestock Research Institute, Ethiopia, respectively, improved chicken genotypes were developed and evaluated alongside some other tropically adapted chicken breeds. A total of six improved tropically adapted chicken breeds (three Nigerian – Shika Brown, FUNAAB alpha and Fulani; three imported – Kuroiler, Sasso and Noiler) were tested for 52 weeks on-farm, across five agro-ecological zones of Nigeria and on-station in a public University farm and a private farm in Ogun and Oyo States, respectively. Results showed the Nigeria’s improved Indigenous chicken breed, the FUNAAB-Alpha, to be of comparable performance with the three imported breeds. It has met with high acceptance and demand after exhibition of the six breeds during the 2017 Science and Technology Expo in Abuja, Nigeria

Estimating global injuries morbidity and mortality : methods and data used in the Global Burden of Disease 2017 study

Background: While there is a long history of measuring death and disability from injuries, modern research methods must account for the wide spectrum of disability that can occur in an injury, and must provide estimates with sufficient demographic, geographical and temporal detail to be useful for policy makers. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 study used methods to provide highly detailed estimates of global injury burden that meet these criteria. Methods: In this study, we report and discuss the methods used in GBD 2017 for injury morbidity and mortality burden estimation. In summary, these methods included estimating cause-specific mortality for every cause of injury, and then estimating incidence for every cause of injury. Non-fatal disability for each cause is then calculated based on the probabilities of suffering from different types of bodily injury experienced. Results: GBD 2017 produced morbidity and mortality estimates for 38 causes of injury. Estimates were produced in terms of incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability, cause-specific mortality, years of life lost and disability-adjusted life-years for a 28-year period for 22 age groups, 195 countries and both sexes. Conclusions: GBD 2017 demonstrated a complex and sophisticated series of analytical steps using the largest known database of morbidity and mortality data on injuries. GBD 2017 results should be used to help inform injury prevention policy making and resource allocation. We also identify important avenues for improving injury burden estimation in the future