Teachers’ Academic Qualification, Gender and Teaching Experience as Correlate of Students’ Academic Performance in Biology in Oyo State, Nigeria

Many studies have pointed out different variables as factors determining the student achievement in biology. Such factors include parental, students, teachers and school factors. Previous studies show that these factors prevent students to actively involve in the teaching and learning process. Teachers’ qualification, teaching experience and teachers’ gender have been established to facilitate the teaching and learning process. This study therefore examined the influence of teacher’s academic qualifications, gender and teaching experience on students’ academic performance of Senior Secondary school Students in Biology. The area of the study was Ido LGA. A case study of ten secondary schools formed the research design. Sample consisted of 20 teachers and 200 SSS II Biology students. Random sampling technique was used to select ten schools from the study area. Teacher’s academic qualifications, gender, teaching experience and the SSS II student’s first term result formed the data which was analysed using simple percentage, ANOVA tested at 0.05 level of significance and multiple regression. Four null hypotheses were tested in this study. The findings of the research shows that there was a great significant influence of the teacher’s academic qualifications [F = 0.216, p=.049], gender [F = 0.298, p=.027] and teaching experience [F = 0.012, p=.042] on student’s academic performance. The result also revealed a great significant joint influence of qualification, teachers’ gender and teaching experience on students’ academic performance. These results were further subjected to Scheffe`s post hoc Tests and the results were highly significant. Since teachers professional qualification, gender and teaching experience influence students’ academic performance in Biology, the government and all stakeholders in education sector should endeavour to implement its policy on basic education for all, retain experience teachers through better conditions of service, fund education through provision of teaching aids  and thus, create an enlightened society in which every Biology teacher would be educated, experienced and competent enough to have a positive influence on their Biology students for better performance in the subject Keywords: Teachers’ Qualification, Gender, Teaching Experience, Biology, Students’ Academic Performance DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/11-9-03 Publication date:May 31st 202

Current Trends in Steroidal 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) Removal from the Environment: A Review

Emerging contaminants have posed major environmental and health challenges to human and aquatic lives. They include pharmaceuticals, endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), persistent environmental pollutants and many more. EE2 is an example of an endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) increasingly gaining acceptance and used to augment the deficiencies of other reproductive hormones. EE2 constitutes environmental nuisance via discharge into aquatic bodies, thus, threatening aquatic lives and resulting in health defects in human. It is worthy of note that previous researchers have channeled their studies to identifying ways of expelling EE2 from the environment. However, they remain persistent in the environment. The current review examined biological, chemical, physical and nanotechnological approaches in expelling EE2 from the environment. All methods discussed have been efficient in EE2 removal. From the review, both independent and combinatorial approaches in EE2 removal has yielded efficient results

An Updated Review on Prebiotics: Insights on Potentials of Food Seeds Waste as Source of Potential Prebiotics

Prebiotics are a group of biological nutrients that are capable of being degraded by microflora in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), primarily Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria. When prebiotics are ingested, either as a food additive or as a supplement, the colonic microflora degrade them, producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which are simultaneously released in the colon and absorbed into the blood circulatory system. The two major groups of prebiotics that have been extensively studied in relation to human health are fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and galactooligosaccharides (GOS). The candidature of a compound to be regarded as a prebiotic is a function of how much of dietary fiber it contains. The seeds of fruits such as date palms have been reported to contain dietary fiber. An increasing awareness of the consumption of fruits and seeds as part of the daily diet, as well as poor storage systems for seeds, have generated an enormous amount of seed waste, which is traditionally discarded in landfills or incinerated. This cultural practice is hazardous to the environment because seed waste is rich in organic compounds that can produce hazardous gases. Therefore, this review discusses the potential use of seed wastes in prebiotic production, consequently reducing the environmental hazards posed by these wastes

Identification and Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Effluents Generated During Cassava Fermentation as Potential Candidates for Probiotics

Food Biotechnology3704413-43

The paradoxical role of cytokines and chemokines at the tumor microenvironment: a comprehensive review

Abstract Tumor progression and eradication have long piqued the scientific community's interest. Recent discoveries about the role of chemokines and cytokines in these processes have fueled renewed interest in related research. These roles are frequently viewed as contentious due to their ability to both suppress and promote cancer progression. As a result, this review critically appraised existing literature to discuss the unique roles of cytokines and chemokines in the tumor microenvironment, as well as the existing challenges and future opportunities for exploiting these roles to develop novel and targeted treatments. While these modulatory molecules play an important role in tumor suppression via enhanced cancer-cell identification by cytotoxic effector cells and directly recruiting immunological effector cells and stromal cells in the TME, we observed that they also promote tumor proliferation. Many cytokines, including GM-CSF, IL-7, IL-12, IL-15, IL-18, and IL-21, have entered clinical trials for people with advanced cancer, while the FDA has approved interferon-alpha and IL-2. Nonetheless, low efficacy and dose-limiting toxicity limit these agents' full potential. Conversely, Chemokines have tremendous potential for increasing cancer immune-cell penetration of the tumor microenvironment and promoting beneficial immunological interactions. When chemokines are combined with cytokines, they activate lymphocytes, producing IL-2, CD80, and IL-12, all of which have a strong anticancer effect. This phenomenon opens the door to the development of effective anticancer combination therapies, such as therapies that can reverse cancer escape, and chemotaxis of immunosuppressive cells like Tregs, MDSCs, and TAMs