Reading and Study Habits among Secondary School Students during COVID-19 Lock-down in Ondo City

The study is on the reading and study habits of secondary students during Covid-19 lockdown in Ondo City. The study employs survey research design and questionnaire instrument was used to elicit responses from200 respondents. Five research questions were formulated and the answers were provided through statistical mean. Findings reveal that that the reading habit of secondary school students during Covid-19 lockdown in Ondo city was good, but the study habit was poor, diverse materials were used for studying, home was used mostly for study and house chores and insufficient data were the major challenges. The study concludes that students of secondary schools had positive reading habit but the study habit was poor during Covid-19 lockdown in Ondo City. Students used diverse materials for studying and mostly study at home during Covid-19 lock-down. House chores and insufficient data were the major challenges confronting the students of secondary schools during Covid-19 lock-down in Ondo city. Recommendations: the positive reading habit of the secondary schools students at home during Covid-19 locdown in Ondo City should be sustained, library should make adequate provisions for students to access the diverse information resources without undermining the Covid-19 protocol via remote services and parents should reduce house chores to allow for quality time for students to read and study at home

Biological Activities of Plant Extracts from Tropical Africa

An investigation of plants in tropical Africa was conducted to search for new naturally bioactive substances. A total of 62 plant species were obtained from Cameroon, Zaire, and Tanzania. The extracts were tested for insecticidal, herbicidal, and fungicidal activities. Insecticidal activity was found in 23 extracts. Of the 51 extracts from Cameroon and Tanzania, herbicidal activity was detected in seven, and fungicidal activity in seven. Polyascias fulva, Crassocephalum manii, Vernonia amygdalina, Vernonia vogetti, Poga oleosa, Gnidia glauca, Trema guinensis and Combretum bracteatum were evaluated to be highly promising candidates for further investigation of their active constituents on the basis of their potency and/or broad spectrum of biological activities

Partnership for Research on Ebola VACcination (PREVAC): protocol of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 clinical trial evaluating three vaccine strategies against Ebola in healthy volunteers in four West African countries

International audienceAbstract Introduction The Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in 2014–2016 in West Africa was the largest on record and provided an opportunity for large clinical trials and accelerated efforts to develop an effective and safe preventative vaccine. Multiple questions regarding the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of EVD vaccines remain unanswered. To address these gaps in the evidence base, the Partnership for Research on Ebola Vaccines (PREVAC) trial was designed. This paper describes the design, methods, and baseline results of the PREVAC trial and discusses challenges that led to different protocol amendments. Methods This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 clinical trial of three vaccine strategies against the Ebola virus in healthy volunteers 1 year of age and above. The three vaccine strategies being studied are the rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP vaccine, with and without a booster dose at 56 days, and the Ad26.ZEBOV,MVA-FN-Filo vaccine regimen with Ad26.ZEBOV given as the first dose and the MVA-FN-Filo vaccination given 56 days later. There have been 4 versions of the protocol with those enrolled in Version 4.0 comprising the primary analysis cohort. The primary endpoint is based on the antibody titer against the Ebola virus surface glycoprotein measured 12 months following the final injection. Results From April 2017 to December 2018, a total of 5002 volunteers were screened and 4789 enrolled. Participants were enrolled at 6 sites in four countries (Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Mali). Of the 4789 participants, 2560 (53%) were adults and 2229 (47%) were children. Those < 18 years of age included 549 (12%) aged 1 to 4 years, 750 (16%) 5 to 11 years, and 930 (19%) aged 12–17 years. At baseline, the median (25th, 75th percentile) antibody titer to Ebola virus glycoprotein for 1090 participants was 72 (50, 116) EU/mL. Discussion The PREVAC trial is evaluating—placebo-controlled—two promising Ebola candidate vaccines in advanced stages of development. The results will address unanswered questions related to short- and long-term safety and immunogenicity for three vaccine strategies in adults and children. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02876328 . Registered on 23 August 2016