Determinants of Financial Inclusion in Sub-Sahara African Countries

As the exclusion of large percentage of population has been identified as major obstacle to inclusive growth and development in developing countries of the world it is against this background this study investigates the determinants of financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa using Panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL). The results from the study reveal that financial inclusion in the region is meaningfully influenced by both demand side factors (level of income and literacy) and Supply side factors (Interest rate and bank innovation proxy by ATM usage). Government in the sub region should put policy in place to promote financial literacy and other forms of innovative banking in their respective country as this will go a long way in promoting financial inclusion in the region

The Relevance Of Multi Media Skills In Teaching And Learning Of Scientific Concepts In Secondary Schools In Lagos State, Nigeria

This study investigated the relevance of multi media skills in teaching and learning of scientific concepts in secondary schools. Self constructed questionnaire was administered to 120 students randomly selected in four secondary schools in Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos state. Data generated were analyzed using chi-square statistical instrument. The findings of the study revealed that the acquisition of relevant skills in multi media will improve teaching and learning of scientific concepts in secondary schools. Based on the findings, recommendations were proffered to inculcate knowledge of multi media skills in improving teaching of science. Key words: Scientific concepts, Multimedia, Skills and Dat

Modulation of PON2 and Proinflammatory Cytokine Genes in Rat Tissue Exposed to Combined oral Contraceptive Ethinylestradiol and Levonorgestrel

Paraoxonase (PON2) was identified as a genetic risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and usage of oral contraceptive (OC) is associated with increased cervical cancer and cardiovascular risk. PON2 protect against atherosclerosis development at the cellular level and this phenomenon could be related to their antioxidative properties. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of OC on the expression of PON2, pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin one alpha (IL1α) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) in the liver, kidney and brain of rats. Different dosage groups of eight female rats were treated with oral contraceptive (0.15mg levonorgestrel 0.03mg ethinylestradiol(A); 0.3mg levonorgestrel 0.06 mg ethinylestradiol (B) and 0.075 mg levonorgestrel 0.015 mg ethinylestradiol (C))/kg body-weight(bw)). Two groups of eight rats were included in the study for a control group (D) and ≤0.1% DMSO (drug vehicle) group (E), which were not subject to drug administration for 21days. The levels of expression of the gene were assessed using quantitative reverse polymerase chain reaction technique. Combined oral contraceptive treatment produced a significant increase(p<0.001) in the level expression of renal IL1α and TNFα in all the groups compared to control in a dose-dependent manner but has no significant effect on PON2. Meanwhile, OC resulted in significantly (p<0.0001) reduced level of expression of hepatic IL1α with no significant effect on hepatic PON2 and TNFα level. In the brain, OC resulted in significantly (p<0.0001) reduced level of expression of TNFα in all dose groups and IL1α level at 0.015mg/bw. Although OC treatment did increase the expression of brain PON2 significantly (p<0.05) at the lowest dose. Therefore, pharmacological modulation of the expression of genes could constitute a useful approach for preventing atherosclerosi

Coagulation Factors Level in Fresh Frozen Plasma in Rwanda

Objectives: To determine the level of coagulation factors and inherited inhibitors in Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) and to evaluate Prothrombin Time and activated partial thrombin time in fresh frozen plasma.Design: Cross-sectional study.Setting: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Medical Laboratory Sciences.Subjects: Eighteen blood bags collected from voluntary blood donors.Main outcome measures:Coagulation factors and inhibitors levels,  Prothrombin Time (PT) and Activated Partial thrombin Time  (APTT)remained within the reference range requested by quality assurance regulations after three months of storage.Results: APTT and PT show an increase from baseline to one month then remain constant up to three months, while, Fibrinogen, Factor II, Factor V, Factor VII, Factor X, Von Willbrand Factor, Protein C and Antithrombin decreased from baseline up to three months and then Factor VIII, Factor IX, Factor XI, Factor XII and Protein S, remained constant from baseline up to one month and decreased up to three months.Conclusion: There is good retention of all coagulation factors and inhibitors in plasma produced from whole blood within eight hours of collection, stored at minus 18ºC for three months

Emergence and spread of two SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest in Nigeria.

Identifying the dissemination patterns and impacts of a virus of economic or health importance during a pandemic is crucial, as it informs the public on policies for containment in order to reduce the spread of the virus. In this study, we integrated genomic and travel data to investigate the emergence and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.318 and B.1.525 (Eta) variants of interest in Nigeria and the wider Africa region. By integrating travel data and phylogeographic reconstructions, we find that these two variants that arose during the second wave in Nigeria emerged from within Africa, with the B.1.525 from Nigeria, and then spread to other parts of the world. Data from this study show how regional connectivity of Nigeria drove the spread of these variants of interest to surrounding countries and those connected by air-traffic. Our findings demonstrate the power of genomic analysis when combined with mobility and epidemiological data to identify the drivers of transmission, as bidirectional transmission within and between African nations are grossly underestimated as seen in our import risk index estimates

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

Investment in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing in Africa over the past year has led to a major increase in the number of sequences that have been generated and used to track the pandemic on the continent, a number that now exceeds 100,000 genomes. Our results show an increase in the number of African countries that are able to sequence domestically and highlight that local sequencing enables faster turnaround times and more-regular routine surveillance. Despite limitations of low testing proportions, findings from this genomic surveillance study underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic and illuminate the distinct dispersal dynamics of variants of concern-particularly Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron-on the continent. Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve while the continent faces many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

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