ABSTRACT
The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is introducing a fundamental shift in the relationship between researchers, scholarly information and academic library research services. Academic libraries have traditionally served as information providers and professional intermediaries, guiding researchers in the discovery, retrieval, evaluation and use of scholarly information. However, the increasing capacity of GenAI tools to perform literature search, synthesis, research ideation, data-analysis assistance, academic writing and reference-style interaction is creating a new form of research assistance that challenges established patterns of library-mediated information access. This article examines the emerging relationship between GenAI and academic library research services from three perspectives: competition, collaboration and convergence. The article argues that GenAI competes with the routine functions of research services by reducing the need for human mediation in some information activities and by offering researchers immediate, conversational and accessible assistance. At the same time, GenAI presents an opportunity for collaboration by augmenting librarians' capabilities in reference services, literature searching, research support and information-literacy instruction. Beyond competition and collaboration, the article conceptualizes convergence as an emerging research-support environment in which the researcher, librarian, GenAI and scholarly information operate as interconnected components. The article contends that the increasing use of GenAI does not necessarily signify the disappearance of academic library research services but rather their transformation. It, therefore, advocates the repositioning of librarians as AI-informed research advisers, the development of AI literacy among librarians and researchers, strategic integration of GenAI into library services with human verification, and institutional policies for responsible AI-suppo

ABSTRACT
Academic librarians are increasingly expected to function as subject experts, knowledge curators, and interdisciplinary collaborators. Yet, traditional library science education often lacks the disciplinary depth needed to meet the demands of subject-specific information services. Drawing from personal experience and reflective observation, this paper critiques the mono-disciplinary focus of library training in Nigeria and advocates for a hybrid educational model that enables librarians to evolve as professionals of other disciplines. The study proposes a structural shift in curriculum, professional identity, and policy frameworks to support librarians as active contributors to scholarly advancement across academic spectrum. From the evidence and arguments presented, the paper concluded that librarianship in Nigeria should be repositioned from a custodial, technique-centered profession to a cognitively flexible and interdisciplinary knowledge enterprise if it is to remain relevant within the 21st-century academic environment. Among others, it was recommended that Library and Information Science (LIS) curricula in Nigeria should be restructured to include formal subject-specialization pathways, such as minors, dual degrees, or certified disciplinary concentrations to strengthen contextual understanding of user domains.

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Despite near-universal antenatal care and facility-delivery coverage, neonatal mortality in Zimbabwe rose between 2019 and 2023–24, exposing a gap between service contact and newborn survival. A cluster-randomised trial in Mashonaland West Province found that institutionalising three community health system "vital signs" (trained village health workers, functional community governance, and participatory women's and men's learning and action groups) reduced neonatal deaths by 57%. The women's and men's groups protected newborns only once attendance was sustained over multiple meeting cycles, consistent with a cumulative participatory social-change mechanism rather than an effect of assignment alone. Policy should formalise village health workers, grant community governance structures real financial and operational authority, and sustain participatory groups over the years, directing investment toward the most under-governed and underserved communities.

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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%.

ABSTRACT
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

ABSTRACT
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.