Search

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have gained a lot of attention due to their high efficiency and low cost. In this research paper, a methylammonium tin iodide (CH3NH3SnI3) based solar cell was simulated using a one-dimensional solar cell capacitance simulation (SCAPS-1D) tool. The SCAPS-1D tool is based on Poisson and the semiconductor equations. After thorough investigation, the initial device presents the following parameters; power conversion efficiency (PCE)=15.315%, fill factor (FF)=64.580%, current density (Jsc)=29.152 mA/cm2, and open circuit voltage (Voc)=0.813 V. The effect of absorber and ETL thicknesses were explored systematically. The performance of the simulated device was significantly influenced by the thickness of the absorber and ETL. The optimized absorber thickness was 0.5 µm and the ETL thickness was 0.02 µm, giving rise to an optimized PCE of 15.411%, FF of 63.525%, Jsc of 29.812 mA/cm2, and Voc of 0.814 V. Additionally, the effect of temperature on the optimized device was evaluated and found that it affects the performance of the device. This model shows the prospect of CH3NH3SnI3 as a perovskite material to produce toxic-free environment-friendly solar cells with high efficiency.

Many nations have long been actively supporting the development of electric vehicles (EVs). The adoption of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) actions in that direction have been accelerated to ensure that the 24% of the CO2 emission of the transport sector is brought down to the barest minimum. The focus of this paper is on the necessary measures and effective ways of acquiring EV technologies for developing countries such as Nigeria. The steps needed towards the development of the EV sector in Nigeria and the research and development strategies needed to address the challenges facing Nigeria in its quest to build a formidable EV industry are x-rayed. Finally, the opportunity for energy diversification towards confronting the challenges occasioned by inadequate electricity supply and distribution on the EV value chain is identified and analysed with recommendations made on the way forward. Since the EV industry cannot be true of zero-emission until its source of electricity is of zero-emission, the inherent potentials of using renewable electricity in the form of hydrogen fuel cells and harnessing the potential for solar photovoltaics (PV) of about 210 GW and concentrated solar power of approximately 88.7 GW is highlighted and recommended for the evolving EV market in Nigeria.

The development of efficient metal doped semiconductors for Photovoltaic applications has gained a lot of research attention. In this present paper, pure and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)-modified TiO2 nanocrystals (NCs) with different amount of AgNPs (say 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 µL) were achieved and the effects of AgNPs on the TiO2 NCs were explored systematically. The optical, structural and morphological properties were probed using UV-visible spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results of the optical studies showed a characteristic peak of TiO2 and the redshifting of the peak position was observed by introducing AgNPs. The synergetic effects from AgNPs and TiO2 results to diminished band gap. The XRD result confirmed the formation of a tetragonal anatase TiO2 phase with a decrease in crystallite size with increasing AgNPs content. The SEM images show enhanced nucleation and film growth with presence of shining surface which can be seen to contribute to good photon management by enhancing light scattering. The unadulterated TiO2 and AgNPs-modified TiO2 have spherical morphology and uniform size distribution ranging from 20 to 30 nm. This study established the view that surface modification of TiO2 with AgNPs is a viable approach towards achieving an efficient light photocatalyst.

Perovskite solar cells have garnered significant attention from solar cell researchers due to their potential for achieving high efficiency, primarily attributed to their exceptional Electron Transport layer (ETL). One of the key elements of perovskite solar cells for transporting electrons to generate current is the ETL material. Moreover, there is a promising avenue for enhancing stability and reducing fabrication costs by substituting the transport layer. In this study, TiO2 and SnO2 were used as ETL materials in the architecture of perovskite solar cells for a comparative analysis between two devices featuring distinct structures: TiO2/CH3NH3PbI3/Spiro-OMeTAD and SnO2/CH3NH3PbI3/Spiro-OMeTAD. To evaluate the performance of each electron transport layer (ETL), the SCAPS 1D tool was employed. The investigation involved varying the thickness of the electron transport layers, interface defect density and working temperature, allowing for a comprehensive assessment of key parameters such as voltage at open circuit (Voc), short circuit current density (Jsc), fill factor (FF), and overall efficiency (PCE%). Remarkably, when employing SnO2 as the ETL, the achieved efficiency stands at 10.10 %. In contrast, utilizing TiO2 as the ETL yields a slightly higher efficiency of 12.84%. These findings underline the nuanced influence of transport layer materials on the overall performance of perovskite solar cells.

Background and Aim: One Health (OH) approach is crucial for the effective management of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and other public health threats. A meta-analysis was conducted to explore the benefits and challenges encountered in the practical implementation of multisectoral coordination in the fight against public health threats and to identify similarities between countries in the practical implementation of multisectoral coordination and cooperation across sectors in OH. Materials and Methods: To identify relevant studies published globally between 2010 and 2023, a literature search was conducted online using Google Scholar and PubMed search engines. Inclusion criteria were adopted based on key search terms “One Health,” “multisectoral coordination,” “One Health framework,” and related terms “multisectoral collaboration” and “multidisciplinary.” Unpublished manuscripts, dissertations, and conference reports were excluded from the review. A total of 307 articles were retrieved. Titles, abstracts, and keywords were screened for inclusion criteria. We extracted and analyzed 46 full-text articles published in English. Unpublished manuscripts, dissertations, and conference reports were excluded from the study. Results: This study found that most countries have similar challenges that hamper the coordination of OH activities implementation. Of the 46 articles reviewed, 69.6% (n = 32) focused on the benefits of adopting the OH approach and 73.9% (n = 34) focused on multisectoral coordination and collaboration among sectors. In addition, 58.7% (n = 27) of the articles indicated that governments need to invest more resources in OH implementation, and 50% (n = 23) proposed that policies, guidelines, and plans should be integrated to facilitate multisectoral coordination and collaboration. In addition to inadequate coordination and funding, other reported challenges were limited knowledge (34.8%) (n = 16) and inadequate resources (32.6%) (n = 15). In addition, 21.7% (n = 10) highlighted different sectoral priorities and interests as obstacles to effective coordination in the implementation of OH activities. Conclusion: Multisectoral coordination plays a key role in the effective management of public health threats through OH. The creation of mechanisms for regular communication, the promotion of mutual trust, and the strengthening of relations between sectors will enhance cooperation. The similarity in challenges across regions observed in this study calls for countries across regions to prioritize OH operationalization and collaboration among sectors, strengthen collaboration, and synergize activities to enhance future changes in the mitigation of public health threats.

The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), marked by unprecedented growth in connected devices, has created an insatiable demand for supplementary computational and communication resources. The integration of Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) within IoT ecosystems presents a promising avenue to surmount these obstacles, offering enhanced network coverage, agile deployment capabilities, and efficient data gathering from geographically challenging locales. UAVs have been recognized as a compelling solution, offering extended coverage, flexibility, and reachability for IoT networks. Despite these benefits, UAV technology faces significant challenges, including limited energy resources, the necessity for adaptive responses to dynamic environments, and the imperative for autonomous operation to fulfill the evolving demands of IoT networks. In light of this, we introduce an innovative UAV-assisted data dissemination framework that aims to minimize the total energy expenditure, considering both the UAV and all spatially-distributed IoT devices. Our framework addresses three interconnected subproblems: device classification, device association, and path planning. For device classification, we employ two distinct types of deep reinforcement learning (DRL) agents—Double Deep Q-Network (DDQN) and Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO)—to classify devices into two tiers. To tackle device association, we propose an approach based on the nearest-neighbor heuristic to associate Tier 2 devices with a Tier 1 device. For path planning, we propose an approach that utilizes the Lin-Kernighan heuristic to plan the UAV’s path among the Tier 1 devices. We compare our method with three baseline approaches and demonstrate through simulation results that our approach significantly reduces energy consumption and offers a near-optimal solution in a fraction of the time required by brute force methods and ant colony heuristics. Consequently, our framework presents an efficient and practical alternative for energy-efficient data dissemination in UAV-assisted IoT networks.

Abstract Citizen science projects are expanding globally, with the African continent, particularly Nigeria, registering significant growth. Here, we document and analyse novel operations of the Nigerian Bird Atlas Project (NIBAP), 2015–2022. This project has employed the use of ornithologists, mainly trained at the A. P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI) located in Jos, Nigeria, and its 28 bird clubs established across Nigeria to enlist 827 bird enthusiasts that contribute regular and near real‐time data about bird distribution and relative abundance in the country. Interestingly, NiBAP has recorded about 75% of the bird species known from Nigeria in only about 50% of Nigeria's total surface area, including 39 nationally threatened species. The Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus, Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis, and Grey‐backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brevicaudata were the most commonly recorded species, while Amurum Forest Reserve, Rennajj Fish Farm, and Obudu Cattle Ranch were the most surveyed sites during the period. Thus, our approach reveals how to increase involvement of nature enthusiasts, ornithologists, and a regional research institute to build local capacity and contribute rich information necessary to alleviate the lack of distributional data about Afrotropical avifauna. We strongly recommend our approach to boost other citizen science projects across Africa and beyond to address the huge lack of biodiversity data, create public awareness, and foster conservation education.

Telecommunications plays a crucial role in facilitating the transmission of voice, data, and multimedia over extended distances. This paper explores the significance of telecommunications, particularly in Nigeria, the largest ICT market in Africa, where telecom and internet usage hold substantial importance. However, the sector's heavy reliance on fossil fuels has resulted in environmental challenges. This research underscores the imperative to transition to clean energy sources, aligning with the commitment of the Nigerian Communications Commission. The paper presents a case study of a solar hybrid system designed to enhance Base Transceiver Station (BTS) coverage, emphasizing notable challenges such as elevated costs and the industry's familiarity with fossil fuels. The optimal power configuration for a BTS, as identified in the study, features a 16kW PV (photovoltaic) array, 14kW Diesel Generator (DG), 32kWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), and Utility, achieving the lowest Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE) at $0.255/kWh. The production summary for the Solar PV array is 24,767 kWh/year (76%), the Diesel Generator is 1,250 kWh/year (4%), and the Utility is 6,503 kWh/year (20%). Consequently, the total estimated production is 32,520 kWh/year, constituting 100% of the energy requirement for the BTS. The study proposes solutions to challenges, including local clean energy component production, capacity building, and regulatory alignment. In conclusion, the adoption of clean energy is deemed essential for sustainability, with recommendations for policy adoption and efficient equipment utilisation.

The increasing global influence of FM in higher education institutions (HEIs) reported in the literature necessitates a comprehensive examination of the research landscape, with emphasis on how facility management (FM) plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality of teaching, learning, and research environments. This study provides an analysis of the research landscape of FM within HEIs. Using the PRISMA approach to analyze 428 documents from the Scopus™ database, this paper employs a combination of bibliometric analysis, systematic literature review, and meta-analysis to provide a comprehensive examination of FM research trends and key themes. This study reveals a significant increase in publications in the field of FM research over the past three decades, emphasizing its growing significance in fostering efficient and sustainable learning environments. The significant role of effective FM practices in enhancing student satisfaction, academic performance, and institutional reputation was emphasized. Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) (viz., thermal comfort, air quality, lighting, and acoustics) is crucial for the well-being and productivity of building occupants. The integration of FM with building information modeling (BIM), smart campus technologies, and sustainability initiatives has improved operational efficiency and environmental sustainability. This study underscores the importance of allocating resources for facility maintenance and professional services and implementing advanced technologies and sustainable practices in FM for HEIs to create a conducive academic environment. This study provides beneficial insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners aiming to increase FM in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jamming attacks significantly degrade the performance of wireless communication systems and can lead to significant overhead in terms of re-transmissions and increased power consumption. Although different jamming techniques are discussed in the literature, numerous open-source implementations have used expensive equipment in the range of thousands of dollars, with the exception of a few. These implementations have also tended to be partial-band and do not cover the whole available bandwidth of the system under attack. In this work, we demonstrate that flexible, reliable, and low-priced software-defined radio (SDR) jamming is feasible by designing and implementing different types of jammers against IEEE 802.11n networks. First, to demonstrate the optimal jamming waveform, we present an analytical bit error rate expression of the system under attack by employing two common jamming waveforms: Gaussian noise and digitally modulated in an additive white Gaussian noise channel to obtain a lower bound performance. Then, we validated the finding obtained by the analysis via realistic end-to-end simulations using the MATLAB WLAN toolbox. Afterwards, we implement JamRF, a toolkit that employs a low-cost SDR to implement numerous types of jammers to further validate the analysis and simulation findings. The obtained results demonstrated that the Gaussian noise waveform outperformed the digitally modulated waveforms. Furthermore, in terms of jamming attack strategies, experimental results showed that to jam the whole 2.4GHz spectrum, a stateful-reactive jammer employing a random channel hopping jamming strategy achieves a packet loss ratio above 90%.

This study constructed and examined a mathematical model on the dynamics of Lassa fever transmission and control. We took into account two interacting rodent and human populations. There are six groups within the human population, one of which is made up of people who underwent complicated recovery. Additionally, there are three divisions within the rodent population. The reduction of susceptible, latent, and infectious individuals by treatment and isolation is the main goal of this work. The goal of optimality is to reduce the number of latent and infectious individuals through isolation and treatment. The amount of influence of the controls in lowering the population of causal pathogens and susceptible, latent, and infectious people is determined by applying the optimal control theory. The model's optimal solution was established using Pontryagin's maximum principle, and the optimal system was then generated and solved numerically. Graphs were used to create simulations showing how the controls affected susceptible, latent, and infected persons. The results demonstrated that applying the two controls simultaneously can be one of the quick and efficient strategies to regulate Lassa Fever. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine adulteration in food products is unacceptable to consumers who avoid pork consumption due to religious or health reasons; hence, detecting pork and its derivatives in food products is vital. The present work focused on assessing the DNA extraction efficiency of salt method as compared to the DNeasy mericon Food Kit to detect porcine DNA via quantitative PCR (qPCR), and comparing these qPCR findings with the food product labelling. The study selected food products which lacked JAKIM (Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia) certified halal logo, and those bearing foreign or counterfeit halal logos in Sibu, Sarawak. Twenty-four (n = 24) commercial food products, three (n = 3) pork-based products (positive control), and three (n = 3) JAKIM halal-certified products (negative control) were included. DNA was isolated and used as a template in a qPCR assay to target cytochrome b (cytb). Positive samples were sent for DNA sequencing. The experimental output was compared with the food ingredient and presence of a halal logo on product labelling. Out of 30 samples extracted using the DNeasy mericon Food Kit, DNA from all samples (100%) fell within the optimal DNA purity ratio which ranged from 1.7 to 2.0. The DNA extracted using this method was further used as a template in the qPCR. The qPCR assay demonstrated presence of porcine DNA in two food samples which lacked product labelling, with mean Ct values ± SD of 19.05 ± 0.72 and 28.07 ± 1.67 as compared to the positive control (mean Ct values ± SD of 13.44 ± 0.37 to 14.78 ± 1.10). Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis revealed a high percentage identity (94.74 - 100%) to Sus scrofa domesticus (pig) as compared to sequences in the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database. The present work demonstrated a significant halal status of various food items for Muslims and individuals with pork allergies in the studied area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major clinical problem in tertiary hospitals in Tanzania and jeopardizes the life of neonates in critical care units (CCUs). To better understand methods for prevention of MDR infections, this study aimed to determine, among other factors, the role of MDR-Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) contaminating neonatal cots and hands of mothers as possible role in transmission of bacteremia at Bugando Medical Centre (BMC), Mwanza, Tanzania. Methods This cross-sectional, hospital-based study was conducted among neonates and their mothers in a neonatal intensive care unit and a neonatology unit at BMC from December 2018 to April 2019. Blood specimens (n = 200) were sub-cultured on 5% sheep blood agar (SBA) and MacConkey agar (MCA) plates. Other specimens (200 neonatal rectal swabs, 200 maternal hand swabs and 200 neonatal cot swabs) were directly inoculated on MCA plates supplemented with 2 μg/ml cefotaxime (MCA-C) for screening of GNB resistant to third generation cephalosporins, r-3GCs. Conventional biochemical tests, Kirby-Bauer technique and resistance to cefoxitin 30 μg were used for identification of bacteria, antibiotic susceptibility testing and detection of MDR-GNB and screening of potential Amp-C beta lactamase producing GNB, respectively. Results The prevalence of culture confirmed bacteremia was 34.5% of which 85.5% were GNB. Fifty-five (93.2%) of GNB isolated from neonatal blood specimens were r-3GCs. On the other hand; 43% of neonates were colonized with GNB r-3GCs, 32% of cots were contaminated with GNB r-3GCs and 18.5% of hands of neonates’ mothers were contaminated with GNB r-3GCs. The prevalences of MDR-GNB isolated from blood culture and GNB r-3GCs isolated from neonatal colonization, cots and mothers’ hands were 96.6, 100, 100 and 94.6%, respectively. Significantly, cyanosis (OR[95%CI]: 3.13[1.51–6.51], p = 0.002), jaundice (OR[95%CI]: 2.10[1.07–4.14], p = 0.031), number of invasive devices (OR[95%CI]: 2.52[1.08–5.85], p = 0.031) and contaminated cot (OR[95%CI]: 2.39[1.26–4.55], p = 0.008) were associated with bacteremia due to GNB. Use of tap water only (OR[95%CI]: 2.12[0.88–5.09], p = 0.040) was protective for bacteremia due to GNB. Conclusion High prevalence of MDR-GNB bacteremia and intestinal colonization, and MDR-GNB contaminating cots and mothers’ hands was observed. Improved cots decontamination strategies is crucial to limit the spread of MDR-GNB. Further, clinical presentations and water use should be considered in administration of empirical therapy whilst awaiting culture results.

Artificial intelligence (AI) techniques are increasingly used in internal combustion engines (ICEs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) research, mainly for prediction, control, optimization, and classification task. The present study is a bibliometric-based review involving analyzing 1,800 documents using VOSviewer (v1.6.19) and Excel sourced from the Scopus database between 2014 and 2023. The VOSviewer methodology involved importing bibliographic data to analyze the most prolific countries, authors and construct co-occurrences of keywords. The most influential publication was attributed to Das, H.S.; Li, S.; Rahman, M.  M. and Tan, C.  W. with the highest number of citations of 446, published in 2020. Applied Energy emerges as the most prolific journal, with 1508 citations across 34 documents. Similarly, the United States, leading with 298 publications, also has the highest number of citations at 4118. China follows closely, with 262 publications and 3667 citations, securing the second position. Italy ranks third, contributing 149 publications that garnered 2236 citations. The keyword analysis portrayed that the emerging trend was found to correlate majorly with ‘machine learning algorithms’, ‘hybrid electric vehicles’, ‘control’ and ‘multi-objective optimization’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transplanted (T.) aman rice (Oryza sativa L.) covers the largest cultivated area in Bangladesh while very little information on molecular level characterization of T. aman genotypes persists. The major aim of this study was to dissect molecular characterization and genetic diversity of 25 T. aman rice genotypes using twelve simple sequences repeats (SSRs) markers. The rice genotypes comprised local landraces that were collected from twelve districts of Bangladesh. A total of twelve SSR primer pairs covering all 12 chromosomes of rice were selected for the study. The molecular characterization, genetic diversity, population structure and principal component analysis (PCA) were estimated and the results revealed a total of fifty alleles across 12 loci ranged from 2 (RM411) to 7 (RM252) per locus. The maximum gene diversity exhibited in RM252 (0.7) while the minimum was in RM320 (0.15). The polymorphism information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.14 to 0.67 while RM252 and RM206 identified as the most suitable markers. Clustering based on unweight pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) analysis clustered 25 genotypes into six major clusters (IVI) with similarity coefficient value of 0.34. Cluster V contained a maximum seven genotypes with 5 subgroups. Again, the population structure displayed 3 populations namely population 1, 2 and 3. These populations were clustered into the 3 major groups in the Principle Component Analysis (PCA) 2D plot. Here, PC1 and PC2 contributed 32.7% variations. However, the overall hybridization suggested between the genotypes of the population 1 and 3, specifically between clusters I and cluster VI, and between the diverse parents such as, genotypes Bohi Trimota and Ranga, Bohi Trimota and Purple Rice-2, Bohi Trimota and Purple Rice-3. These diverse clusters and genotypes identified through SSR makers are lay foundation of molecular characterization of T. aman rice genotypes in Bangladesh and further marker-assisted studies will be suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate that usually occurs in aging men and some higher mammals. Many studies have been conducted to explore different treatment strategies for managing BPH. However, a suitable animal model for studying BPH is necessary. So far, only a few animal models, such as rat and dog models, have been used for this purpose. This study aimed to compare the assessment of the BPH model induced in rabbits through the administration of exogenous testosterone and estrogen post-bilateral orchidectomy. Fifteen (N=15) indigenous Nigerian rabbits were used for this experiment. The rabbits were orchiectomized and randomly divided into 3 groups: the testosterone, estrogen, and control groups. Seven days after bilateral orchidectomy, BPH was induced using exogenous subcutaneous administration of testosterone (15 mg kg-1), estrogen (0.75 mg kg-1), and normal saline (1 mL) for 4 weeks. After completion of the treatments, prostates were removed. The weight, volume, prostate index, and histologic scoring were determined. There were significant changes (p<0.05) in prostate weight, volume, and index. Testosterone and estrogen-treated groups differed significantly from the control groups. There were no significant differences in all the parameters between the testosterone and the estrogen groups. Histological evaluation revealed hyperplasia of the epithelium of the prostate gland and increased stromal connective tissues with a corresponding increase in the number of glandular units with secretory-filled fluid within the lumens of the glands. The benign prostate hyperplasia rabbit model was developed successfully using exogenous treatment with testosterone propionate. Testosterone appeared to have significant roles in the development of prostate hyperplasia when compared to estrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have gained a lot of attention due to their high efficiency and low cost. In this research paper, a methylammonium tin iodide (CH3NH3SnI3) based solar cell was simulated using a one-dimensional solar cell capacitance simulation (SCAPS-1D) tool. The SCAPS-1D tool is based on Poisson and the semiconductor equations. After thorough investigation, the initial device presents the following parameters; power conversion efficiency (PCE)=15.315%, fill factor (FF)=64.580%, current density (Jsc)=29.152 mA/cm2, and open circuit voltage (Voc)=0.813 V. The effect of absorber and ETL thicknesses were explored systematically. The performance of the simulated device was significantly influenced by the thickness of the absorber and ETL. The optimized absorber thickness was 0.5 µm and the ETL thickness was 0.02 µm, giving rise to an optimized PCE of 15.411%, FF of 63.525%, Jsc of 29.812 mA/cm², and Voc of 0.814 V. Additionally, the effect of temperature on the optimized device was evaluated and found that it affects the performance of the device. This model shows the prospect of CH3NH3SnI3 as a perovskite material to produce toxic-free environment-friendly solar cells with high efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing methods of callose quantification include epifluorescence microscopy and fluorescence spectrophotometry of aniline blue-stained callose particles, immuno-fluorescence microscopy and indirect assessment of both callose synthase and β-(1,3)-glucanase enzyme activities. Some of these methods are laborious, time consuming, not callose-specific, biased and require high technical skills. Here, we describe a method of callose quantification based on Sandwich Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (S-ELISA). Tissue culture-derived banana plantlets were inoculated with Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum (Xcm) bacteria as a biotic stress factor inducing callose production. Banana leaf, pseudostem and corm tissue samples were collected at 14 days post-inoculation (dpi) for callose quantification. Callose levels were significantly different in banana tissues of Xcm-inoculated and control groups except in the pseudostems of both banana genotypes. The method described here could be applied for the quantification of callose in different plant species with satisfactory level of specificity to callose, and reproducibility. Additionally, the use of 96-well plate makes this method suitable for high throughput callose quantification studies with minimal sampling and analysis biases. We provide step-by-step detailed descriptions of the method.

Background: The burden of drug abuse is becoming a public health concern in Nigeria. Preventive measures should include identifying the root causes of the burden for targeted intervention. We, therefore, aim to conduct a scoping review of the literature to summarize the findings of epidemiological studies on drug abuse and provisions of drug laws in Nigeria. The review also provides appropriate recommendations as interventions for prevention.Methods: We conducted a systematic search of the literature on PubMed to identify information on drug abuse and drug laws in Nigeria from the inception of the database to March 2020. Additional information was retrieved from Google Scholar, a manual search of included articles, discussion with experts on the subject matter, and gray literature. Study selection was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statements. Information from gray literature was assessed for quality and accuracy using the AACODS checklist (authority, accuracy, coverage, objectively, date, significance).Results: The systematic search of the literature generated 253 studies. Nine articles were obtained from other sources. After the selection process, 23 eligible studies were included for review. A prevalence of 20–40% and 20.9% of drug abuse was reported among students and youths, respectively. Commonly abused drugs include cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine, heroin, diazepam, codeine, cough syrup and tramadol. Sources where abusers obtained drugs, were pharmacies/patent medicine shops, open drug markets, drug hawkers, fellow drug abusers, friends, and drug pushers. Drug abuse was common among undergraduates and secondary school students, youths, commercial bus drivers, farmers, and sex workers. Reason for use included to increase physical performance, stress and to derive pleasure. Poor socioeconomic factors and low educational background were the common risk factors associated with drug abuse. We identified several drug laws and policies that were established under government agencies such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) and a Presidential Advisory Committee.Conclusion: Findings from epidemiological studies on drug abuse in Nigeria has demonstrated that the burden of drug abuse is still high despite the existing drug laws, policies, and strategies for prevention. Measures to reduce the burden should involve the community, government, and religious bodies. Preventive measures should target the youths, the students, identified sources of the drugs, reasons and risk factors associated with drug abuse in Nigeria.

Citizen science projects are expanding globally, with the African continent, particularly Nigeria, registering significant growth. Here, we document and analyse novel operations of the Nigerian Bird Atlas Project (NIBAP), 2015–2022. This project has employed the use of ornithologists, mainly trained at the A. P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI) located in Jos, Nigeria, and its 28 bird clubs established across Nigeria to enlist 827 bird enthusiasts that contribute regular and near real‐time data about bird distribution and relative abundance in the country. Interestingly, NiBAP has recorded about 75% of the bird species known from Nigeria in only about 50% of Nigeria's total surface area, including 39 nationally threatened species. The Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus, Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis, and Grey‐backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brevicaudata were the most commonly recorded species, while Amurum Forest Reserve, Rennajj Fish Farm, and Obudu Cattle Ranch were the most surveyed sites during the period. Thus, our approach reveals how to increase involvement of nature enthusiasts, ornithologists, and a regional research institute to build local capacity and contribute rich information necessary to alleviate the lack of distributional data about Afrotropical avifauna. We strongly recommend our approach to boost other citizen science projects across Africa and beyond to address the huge lack of biodiversity data, create public awareness, and foster conservation education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We derive a deterministic mathematical model that scrutinizes the dynamics of cholera pathogen carriers and the hygiene consciousness of individuals, before the illness, during its prevalence, and after the disease's outbreaks. The dynamics can effectively help in curtailing the disease, but its effects had less coverage in the literature. Boundedness of the solution of the model, its existence, and uniqueness are ascertained. Effects of cholera pathogen carriers and hygiene consciousness of individuals in controlling the disease or allowing its further spread are analyzed. The differential transformation method is used to obtain series solutions of the differential equations that make the system of the model. Simulations of the series solutions of the model are carried out and displayed in graphs. The dynamics of the concerned state variables and parameters in the model are interpreted via the obtained graphs. It is observed that higher hygiene consciousness of individuals can drastically reduce catching cholera disease at onset and further spread of its infections in the population, this in turn, shortens the period of cholera epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]