THE CONSTRUCT, INTRODUCTION AND SITUATE OF RUDIMENTARY NUMBER SKILLS FOR CHILDREN IN NUMERACY LEARNING OUTCOMES

The competence and positive disposition development toward mathematic subject has been observed an uphill task to learners across educational endeavors despite its need in life at home, paid work, participation in community and civic life. The Nigerian Education Policy (2013) made numeracy an important aspect of the specific objectives of primary education in Nigeria. However, the teaching-learning processes lithely attend to specification(s) of utilities. In Nigeria, most schools lack instructional materials; the available were mainly ready-made - majorly imported. Information and communication technology has greatly improved teaching and learning yet, observations revealed domination of foreign tongued instructional materials – uneconomical, alien, distractive and inadequate. This study constructs and investigates the effect of a locally produced, customized numeracy package, the Rudimentary Number Skills for Children (RuNS-K) on academic achievement of pupils in computer mediated environment with a view to improve pupils’ performance in numeracy. Pre-test, post-test, quasi experimental research design was adopted. The population consist lower primary school pupils in southwest Nigeria. Multi stage sampling technique was employed to select study sample. One senatorial district, one of the five major cities in the district, three of the eighty-four public primary schools having functional computer laboratories were purposively sampled. An intact class in each school was randomly assigned into two experimental (ICT-integrated Learning Cycle and ICT-integrated Learners-self-controlled) and a comparison groups. Study instruments include the Rudimentary Number Skill for Children (RuNS-K) and the Test of Numeracy Achievement (TNA). The study found localized, customized packages needful for numeracy improvement. It also found significant improvement in numeracy performance in learners in ICT-integrated Learners-self-controlled (ICT- LSC) situation. The study further revealed customized ICT- LSC learning strategy as best influence for retention in pupils. It concludes that, interventions with customized, ICT-integrated learners-self-controlled situation improve learners’ cognition both in performance and retention. Study recommends localized, improvised educational materials development and usage as aid to improving teaching-learning process and the entire education system in Nigeria

Haematological and Histological Assessment of Clarias gariepinus Juveniles Exposed to Crude Extract of Albizia Chevalier Sawdust

The toxicity of Albizia chevalier sawdust extract was investigated with emphasis on histopathological and haematological effects on African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) juveniles. A static bioassay was conducted to determine the LC50 of Albizia chevalier sawdust extract to Clarias gariepinus juveniles. The fish were exposed to 55, 63.1, 67.6, and 73.9mI/L of Albizia chevalier sawdust extract. The result of the acute toxicity showed that the extract was toxic to the fish with an LC50 value of 54.42mI/L. The pH, DO and temperature values of the water in the different concentrations differed significantly from the control (p ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, the haematological assessment revealed that values of the blood parameters (WBC, RBC, HGB, HCT, PCV, LYM, MxM, NEUT and PLT) of fish in the different concentrations were significantly different from the control (p<0.05). Histopathological examinations of the gills and liver of Clarias gariepinus juvenile exposed to Albizia chevalier sawdust extract in the control showed normal gill and liver architecture. However, there were varying degrees of degenerative changes in the gills and liver of fish in different concentrations of the Albizia chevalier sawdust extract. The results of the study revealed that crude extract Albizia chevalier is toxic to fish organs and causes histopathological changes in the gills and liver and cause stress to the fish. Therefore indiscriminate discharge of sawdust by sawmills into the environment should be discouraged particularly into water bodies

The DACCIWA project: dynamics-aerosol-chemistry-cloud interactions in West Africa

Massive economic and population growth, and urbanization are expected to lead to a tripling of anthropogenic emissions in southern West Africa (SWA) between 2000 and 2030. However, the impacts of this on human health, ecosystems, food security, and the regional climate are largely unknown. An integrated assessment is challenging due to (a) a superposition of regional effects with global climate change, (b) a strong dependence on the variable West African monsoon, (c) incomplete scientific understanding of interactions between emissions, clouds, radiation, precipitation, and regional circulations, and (d) a lack of observations. This article provides an overview of the DACCIWA (Dynamics-Aerosol-Chemistry-Cloud Interactions in West Africa) project. DACCIWA will conduct extensive fieldwork in SWA to collect high-quality observations, spanning the entire process chain from surface-based natural and anthropogenic emissions to impacts on health, ecosystems, and climate. Combining the resulting benchmark dataset with a wide range of modeling activities will allow (a) assessment of relevant physical, chemical, and biological processes, (b) improvement of the monitoring of climate and atmospheric composition from space, and (c) development of the next generation of weather and climate models capable of representing coupled cloud-aerosol interactions. The latter will ultimately contribute to reduce uncertainties in climate predictions. DACCIWA collaborates closely with operational centers, international programs, policy-makers, and users to actively guide sustainable future planning for West Africa. It is hoped that some of DACCIWA’s scientific findings and technical developments will be applicable to other monsoon regions

Secondary school students’ epistemic insight into the relationships between science and religion – a preliminary enquiry

A number of previous studies have shown that there is a widespread view among young people that science and religion are opposed. In this paper, we suggest that it requires a significant level of what can be termed ‘epistemic insight’ to access the idea that some people see science and religion as compatible while others do not. To explore this further, we draw on previous work to devise a methodology to discover students’ thinking about apparent contradictions between scientific and religious explanations of the origins of the universe. In our discussion of the findings, we highlight that students’ epistemic insight in this context does seem in many cases to be limited and we outline some of the issues emerging from the study that seem to boost or limit students’ progress in this area

Policy findings from the DACCIWA Project

Report on the policy-relevant. findings of the DACCIWA projec

Repeated Assessments of Informed Consent Comprehension among HIV-Infected Participants of a Three-Year Clinical Trial in Botswana

Informed consent (IC) has been an international standard for decades for the ethical conduct of clinical trials. Yet frequently study participants have incomplete understanding of key issues, a problem exacerbated by language barriers or lack of familiarity with research concepts. Few investigators measure participant comprehension of IC, while even fewer conduct interim assessments once a trial is underway.We assessed comprehension of IC using a 20-question true/false quiz administered in 6-month intervals in the context of a placebo-controlled, randomized trial for the prevention of tuberculosis among HIV-infected adults in Botswana (2004-2009). Quizzes were offered in both Setswana and English. To enroll in the TB trial, participants were required to have ≥ 16/20 correct responses. We examined concepts understood and the degree to which understanding changed over three-years. We analyzed 5,555 quizzes from 1,835 participants. The participants' highest education levels were: 28% primary, 59% secondary, 9% tertiary and 7% no formal education. Eighty percent of participants passed the enrollment quiz (Quiz1) on their first attempt and the remainder passed on their second attempt. Those having higher than primary education and those who took the quiz in English were more likely to receive a passing score on their first attempt (adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals, 3.1 (2.4-4.0) and 1.5 (1.2, 1.9), respectively). The trial's purpose or procedures were understood by 90-100% of participants, while 44-77% understood randomization, placebos, or risks. Participants who failed Quiz1 on their initial attempt were more likely to fail quizzes later in the trial. Pass rates improved with quiz re-administration in subsequent years.Administration of a comprehension quiz at enrollment and during follow-up was feasible in a large, international collaboration and efficiently determined IC comprehension by trial participants. Strategies to improve understanding of concepts like placebos and randomization are needed. Comprehension assessments throughout a study may reinforce key concepts

A collaboratively derived international research agenda on legislative science advice

© 2019, The Author(s). The quantity and complexity of scientific and technological information provided to policymakers have been on the rise for decades. Yet little is known about how to provide science advice to legislatures, even though scientific information is widely acknowledged as valuable for decision-making in many policy domains. We asked academics, science advisers, and policymakers from both developed and developing nations to identify, review and refine, and then rank the most pressing research questions on legislative science advice (LSA). Experts generally agree that the state of evidence is poor, especially regarding developing and lower-middle income countries. Many fundamental questions about science advice processes remain unanswered and are of great interest: whether legislative use of scientific evidence improves the implementation and outcome of social programs and policies; under what conditions legislators and staff seek out scientific information or use what is presented to them; and how different communication channels affect informational trust and use. Environment and health are the highest priority policy domains for the field. The context-specific nature of many of the submitted questions—whether to policy issues, institutions, or locations—suggests one of the significant challenges is aggregating generalizable evidence on LSA practices. Understanding these research needs represents a first step in advancing a global agenda for LSA research

The Role of Research in Viral Disease Eradication and Elimination Programs: Lessons for Malaria Eradication

Using their experiences from, and analysis of, global campaigns to eradicate smallpox, poliomyelitis, and measles, Myron Levine and colleagues derive lessons for malaria eradication