Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in vitro morphogenesis in response to growth regulators, sucrose and nitrogen

Studies were conducted to test the effect of different growth regulators, sucrose and nitrogen on Phoenix dactylifera L. explants cultured on Eeuwen’s basal medium. Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) wasvery effective for callus induction. Addition of cytokinins (BAP and Kinetin) to NAA containing media did not enhance actual callus growth. Sucrose influenced callus production. Depending on the auxin concentration of media, callus production could be supported by sucrose within the range 15 - 105 g/l but the optimum sucrose concentration in the medium in all cases, as determined by size of callus was 30 g/l. NAA and sucrose tended to interact at relatively high levels of sucrose (45 – 90 g/l) to produceroots in culture. KNO3 was essential as a source of nitrogen for callogenesis and optimum callus formation was observed at 50 mM (combined nitrogen)

Fertility Desire and Contraceptive Use among Women in Nigeria

Studies have showed that decision making at the household level whether joint or solely by husband or wife have effect on whether a woman would use contraceptive or not. This study examines regional differences in decision making in households on whether or not to use contraceptives and how this influence actual use in Nigeria. It employed the 2013 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) data set in which variables of interest were extracted. The data set was analysed using Univariate, Bivariate, and multivariate (i.e. binary logistic regression) techniques. Results of the analysis is statistically significant in husband/wife fertility desire on contraceptive use by place of residence (p-value = 0.000), education (p-value = 0.000), and wealth index (p-value = 0.000). Findings also showed statistically significant husband/wife fertility desire on contraceptive use by age of respondent (p-value = 0.000), religion (p-value = 0.000), region (p-value = 0.000), and work status (pvalue = 0.000) among women. Binary logistic result shows that Women who want the same number of children as their spouse were 1.4 times as likely as those who don’t know their husbands desire to use contraceptive methods, while women whose husband want fewer children were 1.8 times as likely as those who don’t know to use contraceptive methods. Policy and programmes geared towards improving contraceptive decision making and use in households will need to consider these factors

Influencing factors of unmet needs for child spacing among selected countries experiencing high maternal-mortality in sub-Saharan Africa

Background: Maternal complication and death have implicated unintended pregnancy. The indicator for measuring the risk of unintended pregnancy is unmet need for family planning (FP). It is necessary to explore the current situation of unmet need for child spacing (UNCS) as well as its influencing factors among countries that are experiencing high maternal mortality ratio. We aimed to unveil the prevalence of UNCS and its associated factors in Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone.Methods: We analysed the data from DHS phase VII survey, a cross- sectional study conducted from year 2017 to 2018 across several countries. Total records of 25,539, 5,553, and 10,050 were extracted for Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone respectively. Explored variables were UNCS, demographic characteristics and husband’s partners profile. Data was analysed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics, test of association (chi-square) and binary logistic regression were used during the data analysis (α0.05).Results: UNCS was high in Nigeria (15.9%), Liberia (22.5%) and Sierra Leone (21.9%). In Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone, 40%, 37% and 49.1% were uneducated respectively. The proportion of married women were 89% in Nigeria, 32% in Liberia and 70.2% in Sierra Leone. Also, female headship of household (OR: 1.29, 95%CI: 1.09-1.54) was associated with UNCS relative to male headship of household.Conclusions: UNCS was high in the three countries. Factors like educational status of women, age, as well as women as head of the households should be given much attention in the efforts to reduce UNCS as identified in this study

Multiple Exposure to Information about Family Planning and Contraceptive Use among Women in Nigeria

Exposure to the media advertising is known to help change attitudes and behavior of a targeted population. This study examined multiple exposures to Information about Family Planning and Contraceptive use among Women in Nigeria. The study used 2013 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) data set. Data analysis included Univariate, Bivariate, and Multivariate (binary logistic regression) techniques. Bivariate analysis findings showed that exposure to family planning information via radio, television, newspapers and told at health facility are significantly related to contraceptive use in Nigeria (p-value = 0.000). Also, Contraceptive use is significantly related to women characteristic such as age, marital status, residence, region, work status, religion, education and wealth index. (Pvalue = 0.000). Binary logistic regression showed that show that married women who heard FP information at health facility were 1.5 times as likely as those who did not, to report using contraception, and those exposed to multiple channels of family planning information were 2.5 times as likely as those who were not exposed to use contraceptive methods. Therefore policies that encourage more qualified health workers should be put in place so as to persuade women to use contraceptive. Also, NGO and family planning programmers should make use of multiple media channel for their campaign strategy in order to increase contraceptive use in Nigeria

SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR IN NIGERIAN CONTEXT, VULNERABILITY TO CERVICAL CANCER AND HEALTH PROMOTION

The study examined the extent to which Nigerian women are vulnerable to cervical cancer in the context of their cultural characteristics of sexual behaviour. The data were extracted from 2015 Regional Breast and Cervical Cancers Survey that targeted women in age 15-49 years using structured face-to-face interviews. The geo-political zones constituted the strata, out of which two geo-political zones (South West and North Central) were randomly selected and only two states (one from each zone) were randomly picked. The data were analysed using univariate and multivariate techniques. The study revealed the proportion of respondents with identified risk factors that could increase vulnerability to cervical cancer including STIs such as vagina discharge (15.4%) experience heavy or long menstruation (13.9%), discomfort during sexual intercourse (13.1%), pelvic pain (9.5%) and bleeding in-between menstrual periods (5.6%). Multiple sexual partnership practice was not perceived as a risk factor to cervical cancer. The study concludes that the traditional passivity on women sexual relationship could aggravate the vulnerability to cervical cancer. Counselling also would be necessary to address women perception and understanding of various implications of their sexual behaviour in order to reduce the spread of not only cervical cancer but also other reproductive health challenges

SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR IN NIGERIAN CONTEXT, VULNERABILITY TO CERVICAL CANCER AND HEALTH PROMOTION

The study examined the extent to which Nigerian women are vulnerable to cervical cancer in the context of their cultural characteristics of sexual behaviour. The data were extracted from 2015 Regional Breast and Cervical Cancers Survey that targeted women in age 15-49 years using structured face-to-face interviews. The geo-political zones constituted the strata, out of which two geo-political zones (South West and North Central) were randomly selected and only two states (one from each zone) were randomly picked. The data were analysed using univariate and multivariate techniques. The study revealed the proportion of respondents with identified risk factors that could increase vulnerability to cervical cancer including STIs such as vagina discharge (15.4%) experience heavy or long menstruation (13.9%), discomfort during sexual intercourse (13.1%), pelvic pain (9.5%) and bleeding in-between menstrual periods (5.6%). Multiple sexual partnership practice was not perceived as a risk factor to cervical cancer. The study concludes that the traditional passivity on women sexual relationship could aggravate the vulnerability to cervical cancer. Counselling also would be necessary to address women perception and understanding of various implications of their sexual behaviour in order to reduce the spread of not only cervical cancer but also other reproductive health challenges

Discrimination in Welfare Distribution between Academic and Non- Academic Staff of selected Nigerian Universities: A Qualitative Perspective

Background: The study considered the unequal access to healthcare, housing and decent office space among academic and non-academic staff of Nigeria four universities (public and private) and how these have impacted on staff’s work output. Objective: It examined the intra-and-inter universities divergences in staff welfare provisions using three basic indices of welfare, namely: healthcare, housing accommodation and decent office provisions. Methods: The study used semi-structured in-depth interviews among 12 academics (6 seniors, 6 juniors) and 14 non-academics (8 senior and 6 junior) in two public and two private universities selected out of the list of universities within the Lagos and Ogun States. The qualitative data obtained were analysed following systematic-content analysis pattern and presented in adherence to RATS guidelines. The result shows that the abdication of welfare-provision responsibility in the public universities with unhealthy consequences paved way for private ownership and has not been totally benign. The finding revealed that there is high priority for academics in the allocation of welfare facilities especially housing accommodation and offices compared to non-academics in both private and public universities. It shows that the cost of medical bills in private universities are high, unaffordable to workers and are not overwhelmingly. Recommendation: The authors suggest that the implications for discrimination in welfare distribution between academic and non-academic could breed unhealthy working rivalry, and eventual substandard research activities with negative consequences on the quality of the graduates

NEIGHBOURHOOD DISADVANTAGES AND ATTITUDE TO SCHOOLING IN POOR URBAN SETTLEMENT IN NIGERIA:IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT

The challenges facing students in 21st century are enormous especially the adolescents in secondary schools in distress and adverse neighbourhood environment. However, only limited studies have explained the interrelationships between neighbourhood environment (such as poverty, violence and its associate stress and crime) and reading culture, academic learning and performance, school dropouts, unemployable school leavers and the existence of widening gap in economic opportunities. The paper examined association between urban neighbourhood disadvantages with poor cognitive and behavioural disposition on schooling, learning and performance. Data for the study were extracted from a cross sectional survey among 1220 senior secondary schools students selected in equal proportion from 14 secondary schools in Lagos metropolis with attrition rate of 12.9%. The state was selected for being a representative of tribe and culture, urban rich and poor setting. The study adopted a measuring scale for both adverse environment and students’ disposition. The data were analyzed using univariate and binary logistic regression analysis. The findings suggest, among others, that adverse neighbourhood characteristics in urban center are connected with the poor learning attitude and learning outcomes. It recommends simultaneous emphasis on attitudinal change motivations and compulsory secondary education policy initiatives in Nigeria and across other sub- Saharan African countries

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Genetic algorithm based optimal trajectories planning for robot manipulators on assigned paths

This research work focuses on finding an optimal trajectory for a robot manipulator taking into consideration the dynamics constraints of the manipulator. A 3–DOF planar robot was modeled using MATLAB/SIMULINK toolbox. The simulation of the robot manipulator was carried out using the Genetic Algorithm to find the optimal trajectory both in the workspace with and without obstacles. In both cases, the Genetic Algorithm (GA) generated optimal trajectories. The results of both environments were also compared. The increase in the simulation result in an obstacle existence environment made it possible for optimal trajectory devoid of collision with any obstacle in the working area. Thereafter, result comparison was done with a similar work and the GA method produced a more desired result in terms of execution time