Evolution of Functional Basic and Senior Secondary Education Curriculum in Nigeria: Implications for Effective Implementation

The development of curriculum is a deliberate and direct effort within a given programme framework for strengthening synergy and relevant services for ensuring the acquisition of knowledge needed for the improvement of human’s surrounding. One major instrument  to drive the MDG vision statement and NEEDS is a functional curriculum which guarantees and brings about poverty eradication, wealth/job creation, knowledge and innovations in the formal and non-formal systems. A strategic curriculum renewal is one of the educational reforms that have been witnessed by the education sector in Nigeria. In this paper, the evolution, philosophies, goals, challenges and implications of the Basic and Senior Secondary Education Curriculum Implementation were highlighted, the “New” Basic Education, Senior Secondary Education and Trade/Entrepreneurship Education Curricula  were the focus of this paper in an attempt to familiarize ourselves with these documents and suggest ways the curriculum can be effectively implemented. Keywords: Curriculum, Evolution, Implementation, Functiona

Improvement of hydroelectric power generation using pumped storage system

Hydroelectric power is a renewable source of energy. By principle, hydroelectric power generation relies on the law of conservation of energy where kinetic energy that resulted from the movement of the mass of water from the river is translated into electr icity, the quantum of which depends on systemic variables viz: plant efficiency, volumetric water flow through the turbine and the head of the water from the water surface to the turbine. Understanding the dynamics of these variables, and the correlation b etween them are core to proper planning and management of a hydroelectric power station. In this Study, simple mathematical methods that include linear programming and statistical analysis based on simulation techniques were used to evaluate vital parameters based on the data obtained from the Hydrologic units of the Shiroro Power Stations in Nigeria. The overall aim of the study is to idealize power generation at Shiroro dam in and out of raining season so as to ensure optimum generation of electricity all year round in order to achieve energy sufficiency in Nigeria. The result of the study is encouraging as it supports the viability of the pumped storage system for generating hydroelectric power all year round. The coupling of the hydroelectric power with pumped storage system if properly harnessed could be the needed panacea for the erratic power supply in Nigeria. Keywords: hydroelectric power, pumped storage, reservoir inflows, turbine, hydrological variables, simulation technique

Homocysteine Levels in Nigerian Women with Pre-eclampsis/Eclampsia

Hyperhomocysteinaemia has been linked in various studies worldwide to the occurrence of cardiovascular disorders and endothelial cell injury. In Nigeria with one of the highest maternal/neonatal mortality and morbidity, it is significant to explore means of predicting pregnancy-induced hypertension. This study was carried out at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital which is a major referral center in the South-western part of Nigeria. It was set to determine the mean plasma homocysteine levels and corpuscular haemoglobin in pre-eclamptic/eclamptic Nigerian women. A total of 150 subjects consisting of 100 primigravidae and 25 diagnosed cases of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia and 25 non-pregnant females were enrolled in the study. 60 primigravidae were lost to follow up or had incomplete data. The mean value of homocysteine in the control group, and eclamptic group was 7.5±3.4 μmol/L and 16.1±6.5 μmol/L respectively. There is positive and significant correlation between plasma homocysteine in the eclamptic group and the mean MCV (r=0.97, p=0.01), and between plasma homocysteine, systolic and diastolic blood pressure of the eclamptic group (r=0.944, p=0.0001; r=0.98, p=0.0001). The study further supports earlier findings of increased homocysteine levels in the occurrence of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia. Keywords: Hyperhomocysteinaemia, Pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, Primigravidae, Cardiovascular disorde

Immunovirological treatment outcomes after 2 years of antiretroviral therapy in children living with the human immune deficiency virus in Lagos Nigeria

Background/objective: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends routine assessment of antiretroviral treatment outcomes to detect  treatment failure early and prevent the development of drug resistance. The aim of this study was to describe treatment outcomes of antiretroviral therapy (ART) over 2 years in children living with the human immune deficiency virus enrolled in the paediatric HIV clinic at the Lagos UniversityTeaching Hospital (LUTH).Materials and methods: This was a retrospective study of antiretroviral treatment outcomes in 278 children receiving antiretroviral therapy at the paediatric HIV clinic of LUTH. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were retrospectively collected from clinical records of pediatric patientswho received antiretroviral therapy for 2 years ( from November 2015 to December 2017) . Virological failure was defined as viral load > 400  copies/ml and immunological failure was defined as a CD4 count <100 cells/mm3 or CD4 % <15% after receiving antiretroviral agents for 12 months. Data was analysed using graph pad prism version 5.0.Results: After 12 months on antiretroviral therapy (ART), 101 (36%) had virological failure while 14 (5%) and 36 (13%) failed immunologically [CD4 count <100 cells/mn3 and CD4 <15% respectively]. Virological blips were observed at 24 months in 6.1% of patients while immunovirological discordance occurred in 30% of patients (poor virological clearance despite good immunological recovery) . High baseline viral load (>5000  copies/ml), poor adherence (<95%) and low baseline CD4 counts (101-249 cells/mn3) were significantly associated with virological failure, while low baseline CD4 counts (<350 cells/mn3) and poor adherence (<95%) were significantly associated with immunologic failure.Conclusion: The treatment outcomes observed in this study are similar to those reported in earlier studies. At 1 and 2 years of antiretroviral therapy , there was immune restoration however 101 (36%) and 87 (31%) respectively had virological failure despite good adherence to therapy and good Immunological restoration. This calls for early initiation and switch to second and third line drugs . Key words: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), zidovudine, lamivudine, nevirapine, virological blips, immunovirological discordance , children, Nigeria

A Preliminary Chemical and Structural Analysis on the Albumen Gland of Three Snail Species Found in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria

The function of the albumen gland is to produce albumen or perivitelline fluid for the egg. A preliminary chemical and structural analysis of the albumen gland of three common land snail species (Archachatina marginata, Achatina achatina and Achatina fulica) found in Abeokuta (Nigeria) was carried out. The presence of Na+, K+, Ca2+ Cl- and PO4 2- was detected in the gland with the A.marginata having the highest chemical concentrations, followed by A. fulica and A. achatina. Ca2+ with the highest concentration in the gland and the protein content was similarly high. The gland contains secretory granules, epithelial lining and tissues which are similar in the three species, indicating that they are structurally similar. Meanwhile, the relevance of these results to the egg production in snails is discussed

Progress From Selection of Some Maize Cultivars' Response to Drought in the Derived Savanna of Nigeria

Field experiments were conducted to investigate the variations in sixteen maize genotypes in relation to drought tolerance. The experimental set up was subjected to drought stress after five weeks of planting for three weeks before data on morphological and yield characters of maize genotypes were [DBO1] obtained for three cropping years. Plant height and grain yield of Bodija yellow maize were the highest overall. There was a significant difference among genotypes for drought stress resistance and Bodija yellow maize showed the most tolerance, while TZBR Comp 1 – C1 S2 510 genotype was the least. First principal component axis (Prin 1) had the highest contribution to the variation of the morphological, yield and drought tolerance traits. Prin 1 was highly related to the morphological and yield characters more than to the drought resistance. [U2] Plant height was negatively and strongly correlated (p<0.01) with stem height, number of leaves, stem girth, leaf length, leaf width and week after planting, but negatively correlated with the drought resistance. Therefore, Bodija yellow maize should be considered as parent material in breeding for the development of drought tolerant traits in maize

Numerical Solutions for Linear Fredholm Integro-Differential Difference Equations with Variable Coefficients by Collocation Methods

We employed an efficient numerical collocation approximation methods to obtain an approximate solution of linear Fredholm integro-differential difference equation with variable coefficients. An assumed approximate solutions for both collocation approximation methods are substituted into the problem considered. After simplifications and collocations, resulted into system of linear algebraic equations which are then solved using MAPLE 18 modules to obtain the unknown constants involved in the assumed solution. The known constants are then substituted back into the assumed approximate solution. Numerical examples were solved to illustrate the reliability, accuracy and efficiency of these methods on problems considered by comparing the numerical solutions obtained with the exact solution and also with some other existing methods. We observed from the results obtained that the methods are reliable, accurate, fast, simple to apply and less computational which makes the valid for the classes of problems considered.   Keywords: Approximate solution, Collocation, Fredholm, Integro-differential difference and linear algebraic equation

Optimizing Hydroelectric Power Generation: The Case of Shiroro Dam

Abstract—Hydroelectric power, one of the most important sources of mass generation of electric power, is a renewable source of energy. The amount of electricity that can be produced by a hydro-electricity generating system depends on systemic variables viz; plant efficiency, volumetric water flow through the turbine and the head of the water from the water surface to the turbine. The availability of the Water in the reservoir is a function of some hydrological variables principal among which are rainfall, reservoir inflows and evaporation. Understanding the dynamics of these variables, and the correlation between them are core to proper planning and management of a hydroelectric power station. In this Study, simple mathematical methods that include linear programming and statistical analysis based on simulation techniques were used to evaluate vital parameters based on the hydrologic data obtained from the Hydrologic Units of the Shiroro Power Stations in Nigeria. The overall aim of the study is to idealize power generation at Shiroro dam in and out of rain season so as to ensure optimum generation of electricity all year round in order to achieve energy sufficiency in Nigeria

Relationship of oral hygiene status and practices with oral lesions in a group of HIV positive patients in Lagos, Nigeria

Objective: The oral health of HIV positive patients may be compromised because of their depressed immunity and may increase their risk of developing some oral lesions. This study was carried out to assess the relationship of the oral hygiene status and practices with oral lesions in HIV positive patients at a dedicated HIV clinic in Nigeria. Method: A cross sectional study of adult HIV positive patients aged 18 years and above at the HIV outpatient clinic of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Data on age, gender, marital status, level of education and oral hygiene practices were collected. Their CD4 counts were recorded. Oral examination was carried out on all patients to assess their oral hygiene status using the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index. Oral lesions were recorded when present. Result: A total of 134 HIV positive patients were seen, most (71.6%) of whom had never visited a dentist. The mean oral hygiene index (OHI-S) score of the patients was 1.85 and 55.2% had a fair oral hygiene status. The majority (77.6%) cleaned their teeth once daily. Oral candidiasis and linear gingival erythema (LGE) were the two most prevalent oral lesions being 26.1% and 11.2% respectively. The mean oral hygiene index (OHI-S) score was higher in males [2.10] compared with females [1.71] (p<0.05), in patients who had never visited the dentist [1.99] compared with those who had visited the dentist previously [1.49] (p<0.05) and in patients with linear gingival erythema compared with those without the lesion (p< 0.05).The CD4 + Tlymphocyte count was not associated with the OHI-S (p>0.05). Conclusion: Poorer oral hygiene was significantly associated with male gender, no previous dental visits and linear gingival erythema lesions in the HIV positive patients in this study. Regular oral health education programmes should be incorporated into the treatment protocol of HIV positive patients at the HIV clinic to improve their overall health status

Effects of selenium supplementation on pregnancy outcome and disease progression in HIV-infected pregnant women in Lagos, Nigeria: Study protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Micronutrient deficiencies are common during pregnancy, especially in pregnant women from economically disadvantaged settings where diets with low content of minerals and vitamins are consumed. Selenium is a non-metallic chemical element of great importance to human health. This study will assess the effect of selenium supplementation on major pregnancy outcomes and disease progression among HIV-infected pregnant women in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving confirmed HIV-positive pregnant women at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) between September 2018 and February 2019. Eligible participants are HIV-infected pregnant women aged 15 to 49 years and have a singleton gestation at 14 to 27 weeks’ gestation. At enrolment, 90 women will be randomly assigned into each intervention arm to receive either a daily tablet of 200 μg elemental selenium or placebo. Relevant participants’ data will be collected at enrolment and at delivery. Statistical analyses will be carried out using SPSS version 23.0 for Windows. The associations between any 2 groups of continuous variables will be tested using the t test or the Mann-Whitney U test and that of 2 groups of categorical variables with chi-square or Fishers exact test where appropriate. A series of multivariable analyses will also be carried out to identify and control for several possible confounders of the major pregnancy outcomes and HIV disease progression. Statistical significance will be defined as P < .05. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the LUTH's Health Research and Ethics Committee (Approval number: ADM/DCST/HREC/APP/2438; 30th August 2018). Discussion: This trial will assess the effect of selenium supplementation on pregnancy outcome and HIV disease progression among HIV-infected pregnant women in Lagos. This will help to determine if routine selenium supplementation in HIV-infected pregnant women will contribute to the improvement in the major adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth and low birth weight and the HIV disease surrogate markers such as CD4+ cells count and viral load. Trial registration: PACTR, PACTR201809756724274. Registered on 3rd September 2018, https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/TrialDisplay.aspx?TrialID=3571