The Cultural Authority of Science: Comparing Across Europe, Asia, Africa and The Americas

The book titled The Cultural Authority of Science Comparing across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, edited by Martin Bauer, Petra Pansegrau and Rajesh Shukla is a collection of essays, and aims to map the cultural authority of science across the world in the light of the challenges posed by European, Asian, African and American developments and debates and to construct a system of indicators to observe this ‘science culture’ based on artefacts (science news analysis) and espoused beliefs and evaluations (public attitude data)

The role of spirituality and religiosity in psychoactive substance use among adolescents in a Nigerian Hospital

Objective: Adolescence is a transition period where drug experimentation is common. Spirituality and religiosity have been recognized by literature as having a possible role in stabilizing good physical and mental health. To compare the religiosity and spirituality among adolescents abusing a psychoactive substance and those not abusing psychoactive substances in a Nigerian hospital Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted among adolescent patients admitted to the drug rehabilitation unit and adolescents attending the General Outpatient Department of the ABUAD Multisystem Hospital, Ado-Ekiti. The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale and Centrality of Religiosity Scale were used Results: The prevalence of high religiosity and spirituality among the respondents was 57.9% and 56.1%. The prevalence of high religiosity and spirituality among respondents not abusing psychoactive substances was 62.9% and 62.6% respectively, while the level of high spirituality and religiosity among respondents abusing psychoactive substances was 53.0% and 49.1% respectively. A significant proportion of the respondents who had a low level of religiosity (55.9%) abused psychoactive substances than respondents who do not abuse psychoactive substances (45.7%) (X2=7.694 p=0.006). Similarly, more proportion of respondents who had a low level of spirituality (57.4%) abused psychoactive substances than respondents who do not abuse psychoactive substances (44.2%). The observation is statistically significant (X2=11.1, p<0.001). In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the spirituality and religiosity scores among the respondents (r =0.50, p<0.001)  Conclusion: Psychoactive drug use among the respondent was associated with both low religiosity and spirituality. Therefore, religious activities should be encouraged among adolescents

Aflatoxin Management Strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa

Aflatoxins are natural poisons produced by some members of the Aspergillus section Flavi group. Their control is critical in sub-Saharan Africa as in other parts of the world because of the health and economic dangers that aflatoxins cause. Aflatoxin management requires a pipeline approach (from production to consumption) that addresses the pre-disposing factors to aflatoxin contamination. These strategies will involve strategies at the pre-harvest, peri-harvest and post-harvest stages to prevent contamination. Post-contamination practices are also relevant in situations where avoidance of contamination is not possible. Strategies that inform producers, handlers, consumers of what aflatoxins are, how they can be prevented from contaminating produce or managed are important for aflatoxin management. Additionally, the engagement public and private sectors, regional bodies and community associations are critical for effective aflatoxin management as they have the capacity to influence behavior changes and modulate practices that predispose food and feed to aflatoxin contamination. Furthermore, the role of research and academic institutions to provide factual information and effectively communicate technical information for aflatoxin management is crucial to avoid misinformation and application of improper practices

The Effect of Well-Bore Reverse Flow of Fluid on Pressure Interpretations in Oil Wells

Well-bore storage may dominate the bottom-hole pressure profile of a well particularly for the short time situation, The dominance may be strongly accentuated in cases where reverse flow into a passive sand or casing leakage down-hole cannot be isolated from the test zone. This analysis shows that reverse flow of fluid in a well- bore has a retarding effect on pure storage phenomenon. Thus in effect, type-curve analysis of bottom-hole pressures as a means of evaluating petro-physical properties of a reservoir sand may be rendered unreliable if reverse flow effect is not properly considered

Political Participation in Nigerian Democracy: A Study of Some Selected Local Government Areas in Ondo State, Nigeria.

This paper examined the extent to which the citizens are involved in political activities The study adopted both qualitative and quantitative means of data collection A questionnaire titled Political Participation Attitude Scale PPAS was the quantitative instrument used for the study A Focus Group Guide on Political Participation FGGPP was used to obtain qualitative data Three research questions were raised and answered in the study The findings of the study revealed that 57 of the participants were not actively involved in political activities Also there was effect of gender on political participation 30 and 13 of males and females respectively were highly involved in political activities Also 38 and 12 of males and females respectively were regularly involved in voting exercise In addition it was discovered in the study that majority 53 of the respondents had no confidence in their political leaders On the basis of the findings of this study it is recommended that there is urgent need for formal and informal approaches to political education in Nigeria Also the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC should put machinery in place to ensure mass participation of the Nigerian citizen in the coming 2015 general electio

Nigeria's urban open spaces : an inquiry into their evolution, planning and landscape qualities.

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:D65129/86 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Ebola epidemic: when science is not enough

LSE’s Dr Bankole Falade examines how research on the oral polio vaccine controversy in Nigeria helps us to understand prevailing attitudes to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa

Colonial effect: language, trust and attitudes to science as predictors of vaccine hesitancy across Africa

Vaccine safety, importance and effectiveness are at the core of vaccine hesitancy around the world and Africa has had its own share of vaccine revolts. This study uses the Wellcome Trust Global Monitor 2018 on public perceptions of vaccines in 40 African countries to examine the predictors of vaccine hesitancy. It compares levels of hesitancy along language lines, comparing French speakers with others, mostly English. Study shows that French speakers are significantly more hesitant on importance and safety while English speakers and others are more hesitant on effectiveness, an indication of the continuing influence of colonial ties. Respondents who have higher levels of trust in social actors are also more hesitant about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, indicating the importance of non-scientists in vaccine hesitancy. Those with higher levels of education are also more likely to be hesitant about vaccines in general indicating that having more education may indeed have an opposite effect. Perceptions of science as progress is significant for all three hesitancy types and indicates that Africans with more progressive attitudes are less likely to worry about the importance, safety and effectiveness of vaccines. At country level, no predictor cuts across indicating the strong role of local social and cultural issues. These findings improve our understanding of the drivers of vaccine hesitancy in Africa and provide valuable input for future vaccine policy and health awareness campaigns

African academics keep faith with both science and religion

Despite often being regarded as incompatible, African scientists maintain strong religious beliefs. This has not, however, held back the development of science on the continent, or elsewhere, writes Bankole Falade

Entropy Generation Analysis for Porous Channel Flow with Asymmetric Slip and Thermal Boundary Conditions

This study investigates the inherent irreversibility in the steady flow of viscous incompressible fluid through a channel with infinite parallel porous plates. The system is assumed to exchange heat with the ambient surrounding following the Newton’s law of cooling. Exact solution of the dimensionless governing equations are obtained and used to compute the entropy generation rate and the irreversibility ratio. The effects of slip and convective cooling parameters on the velocity, temperature and entropy generation profiles are presented and discussed extensively based on the physics of the fluid. Keywords: asymmetric slip flow, asymmetric convective heating, entropy generation, irreversibility ratio, suction/injection, Poiseuille flo