The Flow, the Bias: An Analysis of International News Coverage on Nigerian and Foreign Television News Networks

A content analysis of international news in two Nigerian TV Networks – African Independent Television (AIT) and Channels and their two foreign counterparts - Cable News Network (CNN) and Al Jazeera strikes a chord of similarity in terms contents, areas of focus, and time allotment. While developing countries continue their agitation for a more equitable international communication order with regard to news flow, this study reveals that there is no clearly discernible difference in the way these four dominant news media outlets broadcast their international news stories, implying a rethinking of that agitation

Aspects of Garcina kola Toxicity to a Wild Strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae from a Brewery Environment

Bitter cola (Garcinia kola) powder and its ethanolic extract were assessed for their ability to inhibit the growth of a wild strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolated from a brewery environment. The iso-alpha acid contents of the G. kola powder, G. kola extract and hop extract were determined as 5.85 mg/l, 6.34 mg/l and 7.65 mg/l, respectively, showing that the iso-alpha acid contents of G. kola extract and G. kola powder compared relatively well with that of hop extract. The antimicrobial activity of both agents, using Humulus lupulus ethanolic extract as control, showed a high dependence on the temperature of assay. At most of the temperatures evaluated (30 – 45 oC), the rates of antimicrobial activity differed. Garcinia kola ethanolic extract and hops extract displayed total inhibition of the wild yeast growth at temperature of 40 oC at concentrations of about 0.039 mg/ml and 0.078 mg/ml respectively. Humulus lupulus extract (hops) had the highest generation time at 450C at a concentration of 0.078 mg/ml. The complete inhibition of the yeast growth by G. kola extract at 40 oC indicated that it had higher antimicrobial activity against this yeast than hops extract. In all the temperatures evaluated both G. kola ethanolic extract and powder compared favourably with hops extract with respect to antimicrobial activity against a wild strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae at various concentrations. These results revealed that the antimicrobial activity of these hopping agents were temperature and concentration dependent

INTEGRATING BLENDED TEACHING INTO EDUCATION CURRICULUM

The onset of the 21st century has brought about tremendous changes in all areas of the world, whether it's education, technology, economy, or society. Recently, there has been a shift in the educational landscape from teacher-centered to learner-centered education approaches to enhance the active participation of students for effective learning. The COVID 19 pandemic is also throwing up a lot of challenges for individuals to cope with its impacts, especially in education. Blended learning has been adopted widely as it seems to be a promising approach to address most of the 21st-century challenges; however, no meaningful learning takes place without meaningful teaching. Research and literature on blended learning seem to be expanding with less increase in research on blended teaching. This has, however, left educators and instructors wondering how they can effectively carry out blended teaching for effective blended learning. As blended learning becomes more prevalent, opportunities for research into blended teaching should also increase. Educators need to know how they apply blended teaching effectively in this era. To remedy this situation, this review synthesizes how teachers can integrate blended teaching into an education curriculum to guide learning experiences and activities of students properly for effective learning. Concepts such as curriculum, integration, blended teaching, and ways of integrating blended teaching into an education curriculum were discussed. The models and approaches of blended teaching, principles for integrating blended teaching into the curriculum, and factors determining the integration of blended teaching into the curriculum of an education programme were identified. The paper concludes by discussing the various challenges to integrating blended teaching into an education curriculum

A Galvanic Coupling Method for Assessing Hydration Rates

Recent advances in biomedical sensors, data acquisition techniques, microelectronics and wireless communication systems opened up the use of wearable technology for ehealth monitoring. We introduce a galvanic coupled intrabody communication for monitoring human body hydration. Studies in hydration provide the information necessary for understanding the desired fluid levels for optimal performance of the body’s physiological and metabolic processes during exercise and activities of daily living. Current measurement techniques are mostly suitable for laboratory purposes due to their complexity and technical requirements. Less technical methods such as urine color observation and skin turgor testing are subjective and cannot be integrated into a wearable device. Bioelectrical impedance methods are popular but mostly used for estimating total body water with limited accuracy and sensitive to 800 mL–1000 mL change in body fluid levels. We introduce a non-intrusive and simple method of tracking hydration rates that can detect up to 1.30 dB reduction in attenuation when as little as 100 mL of water is consumed. Our results show that galvanic coupled intrabody signal propagation can provide qualitative hydration and dehydration rates in line with changes in an individual’s urine specific gravity and body mass. The real-time changes in galvanic coupled intrabody signal attenuation can be integrated into wearable electronic devices to evaluate body fluid levels on a particular area of interest and can aid diagnosis and treatment of fluid disorders such as lymphoedema

Assessment of Nutritional Status of Primary School Pupils Using Anthropometrics in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State

The study assessed nutritional status of primary school pupils using anthropometrics in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State. The study adopted descriptive cross-sectional survey design. The sample size for the study was 860 pupils from the selected public and private primary schools. Three research questions guided the study. A self-designed proforma, and standardized anthropometric devices of calibrated standardized digital weighing scale (OMRON BF400) and wooden statiometer were used as instruments for data collection. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency and percentage. The findings of the study included that the participants (pupils) had moderate nutritional status, however, with substantial cases of underweight, stunting and overweight. The study also revealed that the female pupils had better nutritional status than their male counterparts, and the pupils in private primary schools had better nutritional status than pupils in public primary schools. The study recommended among others that parents and guardians and teachers should be properly educated in nutrition education either in formal and non-formal settings

A gaming simulation approach to understanding blue ocean strategy development as a transition from traditional competitive strategy

Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS) has attracted a resurgence of interest following various market discontinuities, including digital disruption, the growth of the sharing economy and the development of ecosystems. BOS is a combination of value innovation and new markets, driving sustained higher performance through specific marketing activities, but it is difficult to conceive and implement. We outline five cases that use various transition paths to BOS through white spaces - with product extensions in the existing market. An important part of this transition are ‘blue ocean droplets’ which drive profitable growth through the transition and then onto a successful deployment of a blue ocean strategy. Blue ocean droplets drive profitable growth - simultaneously increasing volume sales, maintaining/increasing prices and maintaining/decreasing costs. We then use an inductive qualitative approach in a multi-team gaming simulation to examine drivers of firm performance. Higher than average performance is driven by repositioning in white spaces and execution of the three blue ocean droplets. Finally, we discuss implications for firms: execute a number of real options to follow one of several transition paths to a full BOS. This approach involves less downside risk than a full BOS approach, but can still be sustainably profitable, while also breaking the traditional value/cost trade-off

A Survey of Psychostimulant Use among University Students in Northwestern Nigeria

Background: Substance use was prevalent among students. While previous studies suggested high prevalence of substance abuse, no study has been reported among university students in Sokoto north western Nigeria.Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of psychoactive substance use among university students in Sokoto. Methods: A total of 1884 students from the university were included. Questionnaire containing items on sociodemographic variables and substance use were administered. SPSS Version 16.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Prevalence of psychostimulant use among the students was 52.6%. Coffee was most frequently used with prevalence of 52% followed by kolanut, 24%. Prevalence of alcohol use was 2.8% while that of marijuana was 0.3%. Conclusion: Substance use in the form of mild psychostimulants is prevalent among these students. Active intervention to prevent progression into illicit substance use may be of benefits.Key words: Nigeria, Prevalence, Student, Substance use, University