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Introduction: This article examines the social, economic and institutional dynamics underlying the persistence of land-related conflicts associated with artisanal diamond mining in the villages of Bobi and Forona, located respectively in the sub-prefectures of Bobi and Diarabana, in the Séguéla Department of the Worodougou Region of Côte d’Ivoire. Particular attention is paid to the tensions arising from the coexistence of customary and statutory law in the governance of mining-related land. Methodology: The study adopts a mixed-methods approach combining documentary research, semi-structured and unstructured interviews, focus group discussions, and a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire was administered to 64 artisanal diamond miners, including 42 in Bobi and 22 in Forona. The analysis draws primarily on the theory of legal pluralism (Griffiths, 1986; Vanderlinden, 1972), complemented by social conflict theory (Marx, 1867; Dahrendorf, 1959) and the theory of access to resources (Ribot and Peluso, 2003). Results: The findings indicate that the respondents are predominantly married men (87.30%), while 67.18% are primarily engaged in mining activities. Access to land is organised through both open-ended arrangements, notably customary grants and theoretically prohibited sales, and time-limited arrangements, such as loans, tenancy agreements and leases involving the payment of rent. The conflicts identified are predominantly intra-family disputes (35.93%), followed by conflicts between indigenous community members (31.25%), boundary disputes (18.18%), and inter-village conflicts (14.06%). Conflict resolution remains overwhelmingly grounded in customary mechanisms (75% of cases), whereas administrative intervention accounts for only 25%.

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Amul's topical advertisements represent one of the world's longest-running contextual advertising which is successfully integrating contemporary socio-political, cultural, economic, and sporting events with a distinctive and recognizable visual identity. While previous research has extensively examined advertising effectiveness, consumer engagement, and brand communication, limited studies have quantitatively investigated the visual consistency of topical advertisements using Image Analytics. To address this research gap, the present study proposes a data-driven image analytics framework implemented in Orange Data Mining to analyze visual similarity patterns within a dataset of selected 60 Amul topical advertisements. Deep image embeddings were extracted from each advertisement to capture high-level semantic visual features, which were subsequently analyzed using Euclidean distance computation, distance matrices, hierarchical clustering, k-means clustering, t-distributed Stochastic Neighbour Embedding (t-SNE), and outlier detection. The proposed workflow enables an objective and scalable assessment of visual relationships among advertisements without relying on manual annotation, thereby providing a reproducible methodology for evaluating brand consistency through unsupervised machine learning. The experimental analysis demonstrates that although the advertisements represent diverse contemporary events and creative narratives, they exhibit a high degree of visual consistency through recurring illustration styles, typography, mascot representation, color composition, and layout design. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of deep image embeddings and unsupervised learning for objectively assessing visual branding strategies. The proposed framework contributes to the growing intersection of computer vision, image analytics, and marketing analytics by providing a scalable and reproducible approach for evaluating visual consistency in advertising campaigns, with p

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This study investigated the impact of motivational strategies on Biology learning outcomes among SS1 students in selected secondary schools in Aba Metropolitan Area using a pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design. The purpose of the study was to determine how the application of motivational strategies such as praise and reinforcement, goal-setting, instructional feedback, and group-based rewards could influence students’ academic performance, interest, and participation in Biology. A sample of 120 Senior Secondary School One (SS1) students was selected through stratified random sampling from four secondary schools. The instrument used for data collection was the Biology Achievement Test (BAT), which was validated by experts in science education and reliability established using the Kuder-Richardson formula 20, yielding a coefficient of 0.87. Data were collected through pre-test and post-test administration over a period of six weeks. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that students exposed to motivational strategies performed significantly better in Biology than those taught through the conventional method. Furthermore, the study found that motivational strategies enhanced students’ interest and participation, thereby improving their overall learning outcomes. The study concluded that motivation plays a crucial role in sustaining learners’ engagement and academic success in science-related subjects. It was recommended that Biology teachers adopt diverse motivational techniques—such as praise, feedback, goal-setting, and learner-centered reinforcement—to improve students’ learning outcomes and attitudes toward Biology.

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This study undertakes a comprehensive investigation into the phytochemical profile and potential dye properties of Cola acuminata extracts obtained using a range of solvents, including methanol (MeOH), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and hexane (n-hexane). Phytochemical screening revealed a diverse array of bioactive compounds, with the MeOH extract exhibiting high levels of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and tannins, underscoring its efficacy in extracting polar phytochemicals. The MeOH extract demonstrated superior antioxidant activity across multiple in vitro assays, including the hydroxyl radical scavenging assay (HRSA), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, with inhibition percentages of 57.43%, 65.59%, and 62.88%, respectively. The estimated IC50 values for the HRSA and DPPH assays were approximately 300 µg/mL, indicating that higher concentrations are required to achieve significant antioxidant activity relative to the positive control, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), which exhibited a maximum inhibition of 75.25%. The EtOAc extract was found to be rich in terpenoids and quinones, suggesting its potential for extracting semi-polar compounds with putative antimicrobial properties. The n-hexane extract contained notable amounts of phenolic compounds and tannins, albeit with a lower overall phytochemical diversity. The presence of alkaloids in all extracts highlights their biological significance, including potential anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. The findings of this study underscore the potential of Cola acuminata as a valuable source of natural dye and bioactive compounds with applications in the pharmaceutical and leather tanning industries. Future research directions should focus on the application and characterization of specific phytochemicals responsible for coloring activities, as well as elucidating their action on leather during tanning process.

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This study investigated the adoption, perceived usefulness, and impact of Canva on innovative learning outcomes among undergraduate students in Nigerian universities, aiming to understand how digital visual design tools can enhance creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and visual literacy in higher education. Employing a quantitative research approach with a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 200 undergraduate students across selected public and private universities using a structured questionnaire comprising sixteen items measuring Canva adoption, perceived usefulness, and innovative learning outcomes on a five-point Likert scale. The validity of the instrument was ensured through expert review for face and content validity, while reliability was confirmed via Cronbach’s alpha, exceeding the acceptable threshold of 0.70. Descriptive analyses, including mean and standard deviation, revealed high levels of Canva adoption and perceived usefulness, alongside moderately high innovative learning outcomes among respondents. Inferential analyses using Pearson correlation demonstrated a strong positive relationship between Canva adoption and innovative learning outcomes (r = 0.624, p < 0.05), and a significant positive influence of perceived usefulness on innovative learning outcomes (r = 0.672, p < 0.05), leading to the rejection of both null hypotheses. The findings indicate that students’ engagement with Canva, coupled with their perception of its academic value, significantly contributes to enhanced creative and innovative competencies in learning. The study recommends that Nigerian universities integrate Canva and similar digital tools into curricula, provide training to enhance digital literacy, and ensure adequate institutional support, to foster innovative learning environments that prepare students for the demands of the digital age.

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Water pollution is a worldwide issue caused by human interference with nature. The physicochemical variables of water samples of the New Calabar River, Choba section were studied to develop guideline data on the pollution status. Water samples were obtained from three stations based on effluent characteristics. The physicochemical characteristics were analysed using standard conventional techniques. The findings showed the difference concentrations of selected physicochemical parameters with the use of one- way ANOVA to analyze the results in three locations. During the study, the physicochemical parameters of surface water in wet and dry seasons were measured using standard methods for temperature, total dissolved solids, turbidity, electrical conductivity, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand, and nitrate. The results showed that temperature varied between 27.90a ± 0.97 and 29.02 ± 1.71a ℃ across the stations and in both seasons with a mean TDS of 172.52 ±2.43 which is significantly different across stations and between the seasons. Turbidity recorded the highest value of 22.98a ± 12.66 NTU in station 1. All the values recorded in the three station in both dry and wet season were above the permissible limit. Higher and lower conductivity value of 474.03±5.37a and 279.17±5.92c µS/CM was recorded in station 1 and 3 during the dry season. pH of surface water varied from 7.08± 0.27b to 8.53±0.22a Mg/l in the two seasons while a higher salinity was recorded during the dry season across the stations. DO ranged from 5.53c ± 0.88 to 6.65±0.24a mg/l across the stations and in both seasons. Others were COD that ranged from 120.02±2.36c to 223.02±5.67a mg/kg in both seasons. Turbidity and nitrate were above the WHO and NESREA permissible limit. There was a seasonal variation between the dry and wet season in most of the parameters studied. This study has shown that despite the visibility anthropogenic activities in the study area, the surface water is still

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Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among women worldwide, and early detection through breast self-examination (BSE) has proven to be an effective preventive measure. This study examined the attitudes and practices of breast self-examination among female undergraduates in Emuoha Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria. The objectives were to assess the level of awareness, attitude, and frequency of BSE practice, and to identify factors influencing students’ participation in the exercise. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted. A structured questionnaire was administered to a sample of female undergraduate students selected through simple random sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages, and means, and the results were presented in tables. The findings revealed that although most respondents had adequate awareness and positive attitudes toward BSE, only a small proportion practiced it regularly and correctly. Major barriers identified included forgetfulness, lack of knowledge of proper technique, fear of detecting a lump, and negligence. The study further found that students in higher levels of study demonstrated better knowledge and practice compared to those in lower levels, suggesting the influence of educational exposure. Despite their awareness of breast cancer risks and the importance of early detection, many respondents had not integrated BSE into their regular health routines. The study concluded that while awareness and attitudes toward BSE among female undergraduates are encouraging, actual practice remains low. It recommends continuous health education, practical demonstrations, inclusion of breast health in university orientation programs, and the use of peer and media-based interventions to promote consistent practice. Strengthening these strategies will enhance early detection of breast abnormalities and contribute to reducing breast cancer