Kaduna State University

ABSTRACT Background Informal food supply chains in regions affected by conflict present significant risks associated with the transmission of foodborne pathogens and the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The objective of this research is to investigate the prevalence and AMR patterns of Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes in poultry feeds and ready-to-eat (RTE) foods available for sale in Maiduguri, located in northeastern Nigeria. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted involving the collection of 120 poultry feed samples and approximately 251 samples of RTE foods, with 120 samples specifically designated for the analysis of Listeria. Pathogen isolation was performed using standardized microbiological protocols (ISO/FDA-BAM), and the assessment of AMR was conducted utilizing the disk diffusion method in accordance with Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines for Shigella (n=5), Salmonella (n=15), and Listeria (n=3) isolates. Prevalence rates were calculated with 95% confidence intervals derived from the Wilson score method. Results The study revealed a prevalence of Salmonella spp. at 10.0% (95% CI 5.8–16.8) in poultry feeds, with a maximum occurrence of 25.0% identified in the Monday Market, contrasting with a prevalence of 2.3% (0.8–6.7) reported in RTE foods, particularly in Bulumkutu fruits and meats from the Custom Market. Shigella spp. was identified in 3.33% (1.3–8.1) of feed samples and in 0.76% (0.1–4.2) of RTE foods, specifically within pineapple. L. monocytogenes was detected in 2.5% (0.8–7.1) of RTE foods, exclusively sourced from Baga Road market, including meat and sala sour milk. The isolates of Salmonella obtained from feeds demonstrated high levels of multidrug resistance (100% to tetracycline and 83.33% to fluoroquinolones), while Salmonella from RTE foods maintained resistance to tetracycline but exhibited a loss of resistance to fluoroquinolones. Notably, L. monocytogenes exhibited 100% resistance to both fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins while remaining sensitive to tetracycline. The presence of coliforms indicated inadequate hygiene conditions in the feeds, with 60.0% of samples showing contamination. Conclusion This initial study, which encompasses multiple pathogens within the conflict-affected region of Maiduguri, reveals significant upstream contamination of Salmonella in poultry feeds. It delineates the risks associated with ready-to-eat (RTE) foods and highlights the exclusive presence of L. monocytogenes in RTE products. Furthermore, the study indicates divergence in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) based on the food matrix. The findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced One Health surveillance, the implementation of improved hygiene practices in feed production, and the regulation of antimicrobial usage in informal poultry systems. Such measures are essential to effectively mitigate foodborne threats and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in similarly underserved regions.

This research investigates the strategic role of propaganda in modern warfare, focusing on the sustained ideological confrontation between the United States and Iran. In an era where digital influence often precedes kinetic force, this study examines how both nations weaponize information to manage perceptions, legitimize hostile policies, and consolidate domestic support. Grounded in Securitization Theory, the study explores the "speech acts" through which both states frame one another as existential threats the U.S. utilizing narratives of global security and anti-terrorism, and Iran employing themes of "resistance" against neo-colonial arrogance. Using a qualitative research design and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the study evaluates purposively sampled official state rhetoric and digital media content surrounding pivotal "flashpoints," such as the 2015 nuclear negotiations and the 2020 assassination of Qasem Soleimani. The findings reveal that propaganda is no longer merely an auxiliary tool but a constitutive element of the conflict, creating "rhetorical traps" that impede diplomacy. Furthermore, the rise of "participatory propaganda" on social media has decentralized influence, allowing both state and non-state actors (including diaspora groups) to amplify polarizing narratives. The study concludes that the "digital divide" between the U.S. and Iran is defined by divergent "truth-claims," where the psychological disruption of the adversary is as vital as physical destruction. The research recommends the promotion of neutral information hubs and enhanced digital literacy to mitigate the escalation of non-kinetic warfare into full-scale military conflict.

The introduction of significantly shorter, all-oral regimens has significantly shifted the management of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) towards a more tolerable and patient-centred therapeutic approach that aims to enhance treatment adherence, clinical outcomes, and quality of life among patients. Nigeria has gradually adopted this all-oral, shorter regimen, but the impact of this regimen in programmatic settings has not yet been studied. In 2022, a longitudinal, two-armed cohort study was conducted to explore the effectiveness, safety, and feasibility of the all-oral shorter regimen in the programmatic management of RR/MDR-TB in Nigeria. Consenting and eligible RR/MDR-TB patients receiving the all-oral regimen (intervention group) in four states were consecutively enrolled and compared to those receiving the standard of care (SOC). Treatment effectiveness, proportion, and 95% confidence intervals of favourable and unfavourable outcomes were measured at the end of treatment and during follow-up (six and 12 months post-treatment). In total 383 Participants were followed monthly throughout the 9-12-month treatment phase and then reassessed at 6 and 12 months after treatment completion, giving a total possible observation period of up to 24 months (185 received the intervention and 198 the standard of care). At the end of follow-up, there was a higher but non-significant proportion of favourable outcomes among the intervention vs. SOC group (80% vs. 69.7%); a higher proportion of favourable outcomes was also noted at the end of treatment among intervention participants (81.1 vs. 76.8%). Around one third of patients reported at least one serious adverse event (SAE), with no significant differences between arms, and none were deemed related to the use of medication. Intervention participants reported greater improvements in health-related quality of life between baseline and four months compared to those receiving the SOC. These findings support the programmatic use of all-oral shorter treatment for RR/MDR-TB as a regimen that is effective, tolerable, safe, and associated with enhanced health-related quality of life for patients in Nigeria.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to establish normative values of Foetal Middle Cerebral Artery Pulsatility index (MCA-PI) at 12-41 weeks of gestation for the Nigerian population and to compare values with Caucasians. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional data were obtained from four hundred and eighty low-risk pregnant women from a tertiary health facility in Jos over fourteen months using real-time ultrasound and Doppler to establish reference values of the fetal middle cerebral artery (MCA) pulsatility index for fetal gestational ages between 12 and 41 weeks. Fetal biometrics and biophysical profile scores were measured using ultrasound to establish fetal gestational age and weight for subjects who met the inclusion criteria and were willing to participate in the study, while the fetal middle cerebral artery was scanned using Doppler to establish waveform values such as the peak systolic velocity and the end diastolic velocity, which were categorized into Pulsatility Index. Mean values of this index were used to construct percentile curves. Pearson’s correlation and regression curve were used to determine the relationship between fetal biometrics and Pulsatility Index. Z-test was used to compare mean values of subjects with Caucasian values. Results: Subjects consisted of 480 pregnant women between the ages of seventeen and forty years, with ages between 21- 30 years constituting 56.9% of the subjects. The findings of this study further showed that values of the middle cerebral artery pulsatility index rose gradually from 1.09±0.28 at 12 weeks, 1.22±0.22 at 24 weeks, and 0.90±0.20 at 36 weeks of gestation and then decreased towards the end of pregnancy. Pearson’s correlation of the pulsatility index with fetal gestational age showed a negative relationship, demonstrating a parabolic pattern in the regression curve (r=-0.421 at 0.01 level, 2-tailed). This relationship also yielded a regression curve equation as follows: pulsatility index =1.29GA -0.009. Conclusion: Our values showed that foetal middle cerebral artery pulsatility index rose gradually with advancing gestation, reaching a peak (1.22±0.22) at 24 weeks of gestation and then decreased towards the end of pregnancy. Pearson’s correlation of the pulsatility index with fetal gestational age showed a negative relationship, demonstrating a parabolic pattern in the regression curve (r=-0.421 at 0.01 level, 2-tailed). This relationship also yielded a regression curve equation as follows: pulsatility index =1.29GA -0.009, and there was a slight difference with Caucasian values. Though data distribution across variables, especially fetal gestational age, was uneven, findings from this study could serve as a useful guide to determine limits of normality in our environment.

Leaf blight of maize and purple blotch of onion are economically important foliar diseases that significantly reduce crop yield and quality in tropical and subtropical agro-ecosystems. This study comparatively investigated the fungal communities associated with leaf blight symptoms of maize (Zea mays L.) and purple blotch symptoms of onion (Allium cepa L.) in Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria. Diseased leaf samples were collected from farmers’ fields and analyzed using standard mycological techniques. Fungal isolates were cultured on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) supplemented with chloramphenicol and identified based on macroscopic and microscopic characteristics. The frequency of occurrence of each fungal genus was determined, and diversity indices were calculated to assess community structure. Three fungal genera were isolated from maize: Helminthosporium, Colletotrichum, and Fusarium, while onion samples yielded Alternaria, Botrytis, and Fusarium. Fusarium was the only genus common to both crops. The Jaccard similarity index (0.20) indicated low similarity between the fungal communities, despite the similarity in disease symptoms. Shannon diversity indices revealed moderate and comparable fungal diversity in both crops. Molecular identification and pathogenicity assays are recommended to confirm the causal roles of the isolated fungi and improve disease management strategies.

Nigeria’s teacher-preparation courses still follow a traditional, instructor-dominated format that stifles creativity and leaves future teachers unable to translate pedagogical theory into interactive classroom practice. Because programmes prioritize syllabus coverage, tests and credentials over genuine learning, earlier research has debated abstract ideas such as “teacher quality” without embracing experiential, student-focused philosophies. This study therefore examines experiential education learning forged through direct encounters. Following Dewey and Kolb, it portrays such learning as a cycle of engaged experience, reflective observation, conceptual generalization and purposeful application in which both teacher and student actively construct meaning. Grounded in this framework, the paper recommends that curriculum designers and administrators re-engineer teacher education around field- and classroom-based experiential tasks so that educators cultivate the inventiveness society demands.

Microbiological contamination, particularly from unspecified spoilage bacteria such as Salmonella sp., Vibrio spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli, has raised concerns. This study aims to evaluate the effect of transportation on chemical and microbiological status of frozen imported fish purchased in Wukari markets, Taraba State. Proximate composition analysis and microbial assays were conducted. The highest protein content was recorded in frozen marine fish samples from Marmara market, followed by New market and Old market respectively. The bacterial count in New market was 1.94 x 104, Old market it was 0.97 x 104, and Marmara market was 1.1 x 103. The fungal count in New market was 5.0 x 103, Old market it was 4.0103, and Marmara market was 4.1 x 103. Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and E. coli were isolated from both New market and Old market, with a percentage occurrence of 37.50%; however, E. coli and S. aureus were present in Marmara market with a percentage occurrence of 25%. Nonetheless, the results obtained from the sampled fish species fell within a safe range for human consumption.

Mentorship: a structural sustained developmental relationship where an experienced practitioner imparts specialized industry wisdom, professional ethical frameworks and essential tacit knowledge to a junior professional to accelerate the critical professional socialization and competence of such junior professional is a norm acceptable in quantity surveying and all other professions through various formal and informal means. This study assessed the mentorship programs on career progression of quantity surveyors in Bauchi Nigeria using a Likert scaled questionnaire administered via a snowball sampling technique to Quantity Surveyors in Bauchi, Nigeria. Bauchi, Nigeria has 123 Quantity Surveyors registered with Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN), which was the sample frame and 95 as the sample size. From 95 administered questionnaires, the retrieved questionnaires were 69 with 72.63% retrieved. Data gotten were analysed using mean score ranking of SPSS. Quantity Surveyors in Bauchi believed that mentorship programs are essential for future Quantity Surveying professionals and that mentorship programs are valuable for career development in Quantity Surveying. Lack of time involved for mentorship remains the major problem faced by Quantity Surveyors in the study area.

Digital pedagogy has transformed the theoretical framework of technologies-enhanced learning, such as e-learning, blended learning, and distance education, that has grown rapidly. The development of learning theories since the time of behaviourism and cognitivism through constructivism, social constructivism and connectivism, as well as the analysis of modern theoretical frameworks like Activity Theory, Learning Analytics, TPACK, SAMR and rhizomatic/networked learning, are presented in this study. This paper presents empirical findings and a literature review done within the last ten years; therefore, drawing on these findings, this paper argues that technology-enhanced learning can be effectively done based on a multi-theoretical and integrated approach that can co-align pedagogical goals with digital opportunities and socio-cultural backgrounds. The examples are illustrative of how hybrid theoretical frameworks can be used to design courses, create assessment plans, and community-building in online and blended classes. Two conceptual maps: a historical roadmap and a synthesized theoretical map are provided to help educators and researchers in knowing how the traditional theories and the contemporary frameworks correlate with each other. The paper ends with the further research directions, such as the synthesis of the theory, cross-disciplinary discovery, and implications of the emerging technological tools, which are artificial intelligence and immersive learning environments, to the pedagogical process.