Impact of Passive and Active Teaching Methods on Students’ Learning among Secondary School Students in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State

The purpose of this study is to find out the impact of passive and active teaching methods on students’ learning in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Pretest-posttest experimental design was adopted for this study. Two hundred secondary school students were randomly selected for this study (X = 14.42; SD = 0.91). The sample was made of 72 males and 128 females. Data was collected via administration of achievement test in Biology with specific focus on Osmosis and Diffusion. Frequency count, percentages, ANOVA and MANOVA were used to analyse data. The findings showed that the traditional lecture method (verbal teaching) was the most commonly used teaching method in public secondary schools in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Out of the four teaching methods assessed, students attain 61% level of learning with video watching method, 70% with traditional lecture method, 84% with practical teaching method and 85% with discussion method. On the overall, active teaching methods had significant impact on students’ learning than the passive teaching method at p<.05 level for the four conditions (F (3,192) = 162.03, p = .000).  However, gender factor appeared not to have significant effect on students’ learning. Based on these finding, it was recommended that the Ministry of Education should embark on enlightenment campaign on the need for teachers to employ effective teaching methods in classroom.

Nanoparticles for microbial control in water: mechanisms, applications, and ecological implications

Waterborne microbial contamination poses significant threats to public health and environmental sustainability. Traditional water treatment methods, while effective to a certain extent, are often limited in their ability to completely eradicate microbial pathogens and mitigate emerging challenges such as disinfection by-products and microbial resistance. In recent years, nanoparticles have emerged as promising candidates for microbial control in water treatment due to their unique physicochemical properties and antimicrobial efficacy. This review provides a comprehensive examination of the use of nanoparticles for microbial control in water treatment, focusing on their antimicrobial mechanisms, applications, and ecological implications. The review discusses the types of nanoparticles commonly used in water treatment, including silver nanoparticles, copper nanoparticles, titanium dioxide nanoparticles, and carbon-based nanoparticles, and examines their antimicrobial mechanisms, such as cell membrane damage, reactive oxygen species generation, and interference with microbial metabolic processes. Furthermore, the review explores the applications of nanoparticles in the disinfection of drinking water, wastewater treatment, water purification in remote areas, and biofilm control. Additionally, the ecological implications of nanoparticle-based water treatment, including nanoparticle release into the environment, environmental persistence, toxicity to non-target organisms, and regulatory challenges, are critically evaluated. Finally, future perspectives and challenges in nanoparticle-based water treatment, such as enhanced nanoparticle synthesis and stability, development of sustainable treatment technologies, integration with conventional methods, and addressing knowledge gaps, are discussed. Overall, this review provides valuable insights into the potential of nanoparticles as innovative tools for addressing microbial contamination in water treatment while highlighting the need for further research and sustainable practices to ensure their safe and effective implementation

Artificial intelligence potential for net zero sustainability: Current evidence and prospects

oai:repository.uel.ac.uk:8xqzxThis comprehensive review explores the nexus between AI and the pursuit of net-zero emissions, highlighting the potential of AI in driving sustainable development and combating climate change. The paper examines various threads within this field, including AI applications for net zero, AI-driven solutions and innovations, challenges and ethical considerations, opportunities for collaboration and partnerships, capacity building and education, policy and regulatory support, investment and funding, as well as scalability and replicability of AI solutions. Key findings emphasize the enabling role of AI in optimizing energy systems, enhancing climate modelling and prediction, improving sustainability in various sectors such as transportation, agriculture, and waste management, and enabling effective emissions monitoring and tracking. The review also highlights challenges related to data availability, quality, privacy, energy consumption, bias, fairness, human-AI collaboration, and governance. Opportunities for collaboration, capacity building, policy support, investment, and scalability are identified as key drivers for future research and implementation. Ultimately, this review underscores the transformative potential of AI in achieving a sustainable, net-zero future and provides insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners engaged in climate change mitigation and adaptation

In-silico and in-vivo comparative evaluation of the cardioprotective potential of Yellow turmeric and White turmeric in Mn-induced cardiac oxidative stress

Introduction The effect of the ethanol extracts of Curcuma longa Linn (yellow turmeric) and Curcuma zedoaria Rosc (white turmeric) on cardiac oxidative stress in rats exposed to manganese was evaluated in this study. Methods We divided 60 Wistar rats into 12 groups (n = 5) with some administered different concentrations of yellow or white turmeric extract. The animals except the control groups were exposed to manganese on days 1,3, and 7. All the animals were sacrificed on the 8th day and the hearts were harvested for biochemical assays. Ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and the levels of cardiac superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione, nitric oxide, and lipid peroxidation in rats were determined. Additionally, in silico studies were performed to further compare the cardioprotective potential of the two species of turmeric. Results The results showed that rats treated with manganese alone had decreased levels of FRAP, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione but increased levels of nitric oxide and lipid peroxidation were observed. The Mn-induced oxidative stress was ameliorated in animals co-treated with yellow or white turmeric. The yellow turmeric showed better activity than white turmeric. In the in-silico evaluation, phytocompounds from yellow turmeric had higher binding energy against Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) protein than the ones from white turmeric. Bioactive compounds from white turmeric did not violate any of Lipinski's rules of five or three, despite having lower binding energy. Conclusion These findings suggest that ethanol extract of yellow and white turmeric may have the potential to ameliorate manganese-induced cardiac oxidative stress

Leveraging artificial intelligence in vaccine development: A narrative review

Vaccine development stands as a cornerstone of public health efforts, pivotal in curbing infectious diseases and reducing global morbidity and mortality. However, traditional vaccine development methods are often time-consuming, costly, and inefficient. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has ushered in a new era in vaccine design, offering unprecedented opportunities to expedite the process. This narrative review explores the role of AI in vaccine development, focusing on antigen selection, epitope prediction, adjuvant identification, and optimization strategies. AI algorithms, including machine learning and deep learning, leverage genomic data, protein structures, and immune system interactions to predict antigenic epitopes, assess immunogenicity, and prioritize antigens for experimentation. Furthermore, AI-driven approaches facilitate the rational design of immunogens and the identification of novel adjuvant candidates with optimal safety and efficacy profiles. Challenges such as data heterogeneity, model interpretability, and regulatory considerations must be addressed to realize the full potential of AI in vaccine development. Integrating emerging technologies, such as single-cell omics and synthetic biology, promises to enhance vaccine design precision and scalability. This review underscores the transformative impact of AI on vaccine development and highlights the need for interdisciplinary collaborations and regulatory harmonization to accelerate the delivery of safe and effective vaccines against infectious diseases

Effects of Crude Oil contaminated Water on the reproductive system of Female Wistar Rats

The rising level of infertility in the females have been associated with environmental pollutants and one such pollutants is crude oil. Crude oil pollution occurs in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria and interaction with this toxicant by both humans and animals may adversely the female reproductive system. This study was designed to investigate the effect of crude oil contaminated water on reproductive functions in female Wistar rats. Fifteen (15) female rats weighing between 140g-230g were used for this study and the rats were divided into three (3) groups (1, 2 and 3) and each group had five rats. Group 1 was the control group while group 2 and 3 were the test groups receiving 2.5mls and 5mls of crude oil contaminated water twice daily for four weeks. The stages of Oestrus cycle of the rats were checked daily. The rats were sacrificed after four weeks and the blood collected were used for hormonal assays (Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), Luteinizing hormone (LH), Testosterone). The uterus and ovaries were used for histology (Haematoxylin and Eosin staining), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration. The results were analyzed using GraphPad Prism software for windows and data were expressed as mean±standard error of mean. Statistical significance was accepted at p&lt;0.05. There was no significant changes (p&gt;0.05) in the weights and relative reproductive organ weights (uterus and ovary) of among the three groups. FSH and LH in the test group of rats fed with crude oil contaminated water when compared with the control were not statistically significant (p&lt;0.05). Oestradiol was significantly lower (p&lt;0.05) in the test group whereas progesterone and progesterone-oestradiol ratio was significantly elevated (p&lt;0.05) in the test groups when compared with the control. There were degenerative changes in the ovaries and uterus of rats fed with crude oil contaminated water when compared with the control. SOD was significantly reduced (p&lt;0.05) in the test group while MDA was elevated in the ovaries and uterus of the test group. The oestrus cycle was irregular in the test groups.   Crude oil contaminated water has endocrine disrupting effects on the female reproductive system as well as inducing oxidative stress and this may adversely affect female reproductive functions and fertility. KEY WORDS: Crude oil contaminated water, Endocrine disruptor, Female reproductive functions, Oxidative stress DOI: 10.7176/JMPB/72-05 Publication date: June 30th 202

Comparative Study of Superabsorbent Polymers and Pre‐soaked Pumice as Internal Curing Agents in Rice Husk Ash Based High‐Performance Concrete

Utilisation of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) and pre‐soaked lightweight aggregates (LWA) as internal curing (IC) agents for the mitigation of autogenous shrinkage and micro‐cracking of high strength/highperformance concrete (HSC/HPC) have been well researched and documented in literature. Rice husk ash (RHA) on the other hand has been adjudged to be of good pozzolanic activity and a possible alternative to silica fume (SF) in low water/binder (W/B) concrete production. An experimental comparative study was conducted in the current work to assess the effectiveness of the two known ICagents on rice husk ash (RHA) based HPC. HPC mixtures of fc,cube28=60 MPa minimum target strength produced and internally cured with 0.3% content of SAP by weight of binder (bwob) and varied content of pre‐soaked pumice (5 to 10% in steps of 2.5%) by weight of coarse aggregate (bwocg) were cast using 100 mm cubes samples. Thereafter, the samples were cured for 7, 14, 28 and 56 days by water immersion before subjecting them to compressive strength test. The results showed 0.2% bwob SAP HPC (SHPC1) to be the best performed internally cured HPC at the early ages with similar long‐term strength values as 5 and 7.5% bwocg saturated pumiced HPC (PHPC1&2). The study thereby recommends SAP content of 0.2% bwob and saturated pumice content up to 7.5% bwocg for use as ICagent in HPC

Composition of unfermented, unroasted, roasted cocoa beans and cocoa shells from Peninsular Malaysia

Composition of cocoa beans depends on origin and cocoa processing such as fermentation, drying and roasting. However, less research has been conducted to analyse the composition of Peninsular Malaysia cocoa bean at different processing stages. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the proximate, phytosterol level, antioxidant content and activity of Peninsular Malaysia unfermented, unroasted, roasted cocoa beans and cocoa shells. Analysis involved was proximate analysis, total phenolic compound (Folin–Ciocalteu reagent assay), antioxidant activity (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging assay) and phytosterol composition. Results show that the crude fiber of unroasted cocoa beans and cocoa shells increased from 17.19 to 28.45% and 13.86 to 16.06% respectively after roasting process. The roasting process is suspected to increase the dietary fiber content of cocoa products due to the interaction between polysaccharides, protein, polyphenolic and Maillard products at high temperature. The total phenolic content in cocoa bean and cocoa shells ranged from 2.42 to 10.82 µg GAE/ml. The unfermented cocoa beans contain significantly (p < 0.05) higher antioxidant activity (92.3%) compared to other samples. This study shows that cholesterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were present in roasted cocoa beans and cocoa shells. Hence, the information on the composition of Malaysia unfermented, unroasted, roasted cocoa beans and cocoa shells are needed to enrich the databases composition as a reference for the cocoa industry