ICT AS A CHANGE AGENT FOR QUALITATIVE HIGHER ADULT EDUCATION IN NIGERIA: A CASE STUDY OF OYO STATE

This study appraised the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a change agent in qualitative higher adult education programmes in Oyo State. It identified the available ICT facilities, determine the extent of utilization of ICT and ascertain the strategies for practical use and implementation of ICT for such programmes. Three research questions and hypotheses guided the study with a descriptive survey design and a questionnaire as a data collection instrument. Four experts in the field validated the instrument while data generated and collated was tested using the Cronbach statistics. The overall reliability score of the instrument's rating was 0.908. Findings showed that the identified ICT facilities available, as well as their extent of utilization in these programmes for higher adult education programmes, were accepted as being appropriate. Similarly, the strategies adopted for the effective implementation and use of ICT in higher adult education programmes in the State were considered suitable for the application

INFLUENCE OF WEB SURFING ON UNDERGRADUATES’ STUDYING IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS

Undergraduates are now bereft of the ability to read; rather they devote more time to social networking. Studying literatures and documents in an unobtrusive, quiet place of a reading room or house is becoming the most out-dated notion to many university students. However, as studying is essential, an obvious minor alteration may produce severe consequences. The study, therefore, examined works from several fields on the technical, communal, developmental, and neuro-scientific influences of web surfing on the reading culture of evolving undergraduates, particularly in the Nigerian context. A descriptive quantitative method was used to study the influence of the web surfing on the educational well-being of the students of the University of Ibadan. In total, 154 participants from three faculties of the institution took part in the study. Results indicated that only academic-oriented Internet utilization contributes to better academic performance with the significance value of 0.001 while the social and recreational function of the internet would hinder the achievement of a better academic result. Also, there were significant differences between Internet use and gender, the web use and age groups, and the Internet use and institutions in Nigeria. The application of the web for leisure and common purpose may hamper the reading culture of students, especially those in tertiary institutions. Therefore, the government, teachers, parents and concerned parties should cooperate and collaborate to minimize using the web for unproductive social and recreational purposes

A HYBRID MACHINE LEARNING MODEL FOR NETWORK INTRUSION DETECTION

 Intrusion detection is a significant challenge in network security, as it involves detecting unseen attacks in a network or system. In this research, we aimed to build a hybrid machine learning model for intrusion detection using artificial intelligence (AI). To do this, we used the KDD CUP 99 dataset and applied two machine learning algorithms: AdaBoost and Stochastic Gradient Descent Classifier (SGDC). These algorithms were combined to form two hybrid models: SGDC_ADA and ADA_SGDC.  The results of our study showed that the SGDC_ADA model had an accuracy of 0.97 and outperformed the ADA_SGDC model, which had an accuracy of 0.96. In addition, the SGDC_ADA model had an average precision of 0.97, average recall of 0.96, and average F1-score of 0.97, while the ADA_SGDC model had an average precision of 0.96, average recall of 0.95, and average F1-score of 0.96.  Overall, our research suggests that the SGDC_ADA hybrid model is an effective method for intrusion detection, with high accuracy and low error rates. This model may be useful in improving network security and protecting against unseen attacks

Uncovering the inhibitory potentials of <i>Phyllanthus nivosus</i> leaf and its bioactive compounds against Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase for malaria therapy

Malaria control efforts have been hampered due to the emergence of resistant malaria parasite strains and the coinciding events of Covid-19. The quest for more effective and safe treatment alternatives is driving a slew of new studies that must be accelerated if malaria can be overcome. Due to its reported antimalarial activity, we studied the effects of extract and fractions of Phyllanthus nivosus leaf on Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) activity using an in vitro assay. This was followed by an anti-plasmodial study using Plasmodium berghei-infected mice and an in silico identification of the plant’s phytochemicals with possible pLDH-inhibitory activity. The activity of pLDH was significantly reduced in the presence of ethanol extract and various solvent fractions of Phyllanthus nivosus leaf, with the ethyl acetate fraction having the best inhibitory activity, which was comparable to that of the standard drug (chloroquine). The ethyl acetate fraction at 100 and 200 mg/Kg also suppressed the parasitaemia of Plasmodium berghei-infected mice by 76 and 80% respectively. Among the 53 compounds docked against pLDH, (-)-alpha-Cadinol, (+)-alpha-phellandrene, and spathulenol, all terpenes from the ethyl acetate fraction of P. nivosus leaf extract, demonstrated docking scores comparable to that of chloroquine. The three chemicals, like chloroquine, displayed important molecular interactions with the amino acid residues of the enzyme’s NADH-binding site. According to the in silico ADMET study, the three terpenes have suitable drug-like abilities, pharmacokinetic features, and safety profiles. Hence, they could be considered for further development as antimalarial drugs. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma</p