This study examined environmental adult education for curbing the effects of illegal oil bunkering on Ogoni land, Rivers State. It was guided by three research objectives and three research questions, The population for this study consisted of 1,499 members of 20 Community-Based Organisations (CBOS), which were drawn from farmers and fisherfolk in Gokana and Khana Local Government Areas of Rivers State, out of which 400 CBO members were sampled through a simple random sampling technique. The instruments for data collection were a validated self-developed questionnaire titled “Environmental Adult Education Programme as a Tool for Reducing Community Participation in Illegal Oil Bunkering Questionnaire (EAETRCPIOBQ)”. The instrument had a reliability index of 0.87. Data collected were analyzed using the mean statistics and standard deviation Findings revealed that poverty, unemployment, a lack of livelihood alternatives, weak institutional frameworks, and systemic corruption are central factors sustaining illegal oil bunkering in Ogoni land, despite government intervention. Community members in the area of study are environmentally aware of the impacts of illegal oil bunkering. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended, among other things, that the establishment of job programmes, skill acquisition facilities, and sustainable livelihood prospects in Ogoni land should be given top priority by the government, oil corporations, and development partners.

This systematic literature review examines the evolving role of the Scrum Master in contemporary project management, addressing how this critical agile leadership position has transformed since its original conception. Guided by the PRISMA 2020 framework and employing a PICO-informed search strategy, this study synthesized qualitative insights from peer-reviewed academic and grey literature published between 2010 and 2025. Thematic analysis revealed five major themes characterizing the role's evolution. First, the Scrum Master maintains a foundational identity as a servant leader who facilitates self-organization, though this ideal often conflicts with organizational pressures. Second, the role has expanded beyond its original scope to encompass coordination across scaled agile environments, global distributed teams, and remote work contexts. Third, Scrum Masters function as cultural catalysts who build organizational trust rather than merely managing processes. Fourth, role hybridization has emerged as a prevalent pattern, with Scrum Masters frequently assuming project management responsibilities that create accountability conflicts. Fifth, professionalization through structured competency frameworks and mentorship programs reflects the discipline's maturation, though gaps remain in practitioner supply and diversity. These findings reveal that while servant leadership orientation remains theoretically consistent, practical enactment varies substantially based on organizational maturity and structural clarity. The review identifies implications for organizations optimizing agile transformation, including the need for clear role boundaries and recognition of the Scrum Master as an organizational change agent. Future research should employ longitudinal designs and address diversity dimensions within the profession.

Background: Levothyroxine (LT4) therapy is highly effective for biochemical correction of hypothyroidism, yet many patients report persistent symptoms and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) despite achieving target thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. Whether alternative management strategies meaningfully improve HRQoL remains clinically important. Aim: To systematically review and qualitatively synthesize evidence on the relationship between hypothyroidism management approaches and patient quality of life. Methods: A systematic review was performed following PRISMA principles. Eligible studies were primary clinical studies evaluating adults with hypothyroidism or subclinical hypothyroidism in which HRQoL was measured and related to a management approach, treatment strategy, formulation, or biochemical response. Nine studies met eligibility and were synthesized qualitatively due to heterogeneity in populations, interventions, comparators, and HRQoL instruments. Results: Evidence from large randomized trials in older adults with subclinical hypothyroidism showed no clinically meaningful HRQoL benefit from LT4 compared with placebo or usual care. In primary hypothyroidism, switching from LT4 tablets to liquid LT4 was consistently associated with improved patient-reported QoL in selected cohorts, often without major changes in thyroid biochemistry. Trials of LT4/LT3 combination therapy generally did not demonstrate consistent HRQoL superiority over LT4 alone, although some studies reported patient preference or selective domain improvements. Observational studies and surveys repeatedly documented impaired HRQoL among LT4-treated patients compared with controls, and HRQoL was frequently weakly correlated or not correlated with TSH/FT4 within the reference range. Conclusion: Quality of life in treated hypothyroidism is influenced by more than biochemical normalization alone. LT4 treatment in older adults with subclinical hypothyroidism does not appear to improve HRQoL, while liquid LT4 may improve HRQoL in selected, dissatisfied, or absorption-challenged patients. Combination therapy remains an inconsistent strategy for HRQoL improvement. Future research should prioritize patient-centered outcomes, identify phenotypes of persistent symptoms, and test targeted management pathways using validated thyroid-specific HRQoL instruments.

Plants are continuously exposed to diverse environmental stresses, including drought, salinity, temperature extremes, and nutrient limitations, which significantly constrain agricultural productivity and ecosystem stability. Understanding how plants perceive, integrate, and respond to these stresses at the genetic level has become a central focus of modern plant science. Recent advances in genomics, transcriptomics, and functional genetics have revealed that plant adaptation to environmental stress is governed by complex, multilayered regulatory networks rather than single stress-responsive genes. These networks involve stress-sensing mechanisms, signal transduction pathways, transcriptional reprogramming, and post-transcriptional regulation, collectively shaping plant performance under adverse conditions. Genetic variation within and among plant species provides a critical resource for stress tolerance, enabling plants to optimize growth, metabolism, and reproductive success in fluctuating environments. Moreover, emerging tools such as genome-wide association studies, epigenetic profiling, and genome editing technologies have accelerated the identification of key genetic determinants underlying stress resilience. Integrating genetic insights with physiological and ecological perspectives has enhanced our understanding of how plants balance stress tolerance with growth and yield. This trade-off is particularly relevant under climate change scenarios. This review synthesizes recent progress in elucidating the genetic mechanisms that drive plant adaptation and performance under environmental stress. It highlights major stress-responsive gene families, regulatory networks, and adaptive strategies, and discusses how these insights can be translated into crop improvement programs. By bridging fundamental genetic research with applied plant breeding, this review underscores the potential of gene integration to develop resilient plant systems capable of sustaining productivity in increasingly challenging environments.

Background: Extra-short dental implants have emerged as a reliable option for rehabilitating posterior areas with limited vertical bone availability. However, clinical evidence regarding their use as single-unit restorations under immediate loading protocols in the mandibular first molar region remains scarce. Purpose: To evaluate implant survival, marginal bone loss, and biological and prosthetic complications associated with single extra-short implants (5.5 and 6.5 mm) immediately loaded in the mandibular first molar position. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted including 19 patients rehabilitated with 19 extra-short implants placed in the mandibular first molar region between June 2019 and June 2023. All implants were restored with single screw-retained crowns on a unitary transepithelial abutment and immediately loaded within 24 hours. Implant survival and marginal crestal bone loss were assessed radiographically. The mean follow-up period was 38.6 ± 10.5 months. Results: No implant or prosthetic failures were recorded during the follow-up period, resulting in a cumulative survival rate of 100%. Mean marginal bone loss was 0.36 ± 0.13 mm mesially and 0.60 ± 0.16 mm distally. No clinically relevant biological complications were observed. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this retrospective study, immediately loaded single extra-short implants placed in the mandibular first molar region demonstrated favorable clinical outcomes. Careful case selection, conservative surgical protocols, and standardized prosthetic design appear to be key factors for achieving predictable results in this demanding clinical scenario.

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is fundamentally reshaping the legal profession, presenting both unprecedented opportunities for efficiency and innovation, and profound ethical and professional challenges. This article argues that the imperative for robust AI ethics must be conscientiously integrated into legal education, particularly within vocational institutions like the Nigerian Law School (NLS). Drawing on an analysis of AI’s role, history, and defining characteristics, the article identifies critical ethical sustainability challenges, including algorithmic bias, data privacy breaches, challenges to academic integrity (such as plagiarism and unauthorized content generation), and the critical issue of accountability for AI-generated legal errors. The article proposes that legal education must shift its focus from preventing AI use to teaching responsible, ethical use, equipping future practitioners with the requisite technical literacy, critical thinking, and human judgment necessary to mitigate risks and uphold core professional duties, such as competence, integrity, and the duty not to mislead the court. Ultimately, fostering a culture of ethical and responsible AI engagement is essential to ensure the long-term viability and integrity of the legal profession in the digital age.

An electrically-operated California Bearing Ratio (CBR) machine was designed, fabricated with locally-sourced materials, calibrated and tested with the aim of providing high precision machine obtainable at lower cost. Materials were selected based on the ability to withstand mechanical loads, stiffness and dimensional stability, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, machinability and cost-effectiveness. The major component parts were designed using standard equations. For material components such as the loading frame, CBR moulds and reaction rings, mild steel was used, hardened medium carbon steel was used for the plunger, while high-grade spring steel was used for the load-measuring components for high elastic recovery. Calibration result gave proving ring constant as 0.02 kN/div. CBR test results on soil samples under unsoaked conditions gave CBR values ranging from 4.85 – 6.91 %, indicating poor to fair soils requiring stabilization or treatment for subgrade material. For soil tested under soaked conditions, the lowest CBR value of 0.82% showed poor subgrade soil that requires substantial stabilization, while the sample with the highest CBR value of 3.15% requires significant improvement. Statistical analysis of data using Minitab software version 2018 applied Fisher Pairwise tests for differences of means at 95% level of significance, which showed that soaked 2.5mm and unsoaked 5mm samples with P = 0.007 and soaked 5mm and unsoaked 5mm with P = 0.14 are significantly different for the top, and soaked 2.5mm and unsoaked 5mm having P = 0.028, are significantly different for the bottom. CBR values for all other top and bottom samples are not significantly different.

Digital health change has now become a strategic priority in the world health care system, but it has been indicated that investing in technology does not guarantee a better outcome in healthcare. Efforts that are made at the organisational and managerial levels are critical determinants of whether the digital health initiatives will deliver anything significant. The purpose of this research was to investigate how a change management affects the work of digital healthcare on the example of a knowledge transfer mediator, and the evidence accessible and applicable in large healthcare systems, i. e. Saudi Arabia was considered. A qualitative systematic review approach was chosen with the help of the Preferred Reporting Items Systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) framework. The systematic search through five academic databases revealed 200 records out of which 20 qualitative and mixed-method studies that were peer-reviewed were incorporated in the eventual synthesis. The results demonstrate that the core of the successful use of digital health implementation relates to the transformational leadership and organized change management practices. Nevertheless, they have a significant indirect effect on the digital healthcare performance, and this effect happens due to effective knowledge transfer mechanisms. Knowledge transfer can assist healthcare professionals to gain, exchange and implement digital competencies which creates a process of embedding digital tools into common clinical and organisational practice. This review finds that digital healthcare performance is the product of the synergy between leadership, change management, and knowledge transfer instead of technology. The implications that these findings could have on healthcare leaders and policymakers are significant, and the change management and organizational learning institutionalization must be put into place with the digital health strategies in ingrained in order to create sustainability in improvement of performance.

The purpose of study was to find out the individual and combined effects of suryanamskar and pranayama practices on flexibility of school boys. To achieve this purpose of the study, forty school boy’s students from Alagappa Physical Fitness Academy, Karaikudi, were randomly selected as subjects. The age of the subjects ranged between 11 and 13 years. The study was formulated as pre and post-test random group design, in which forty subjects were divided into four equal groups. The experimental group-1 (n=10, SNP) underwent suryanamaskar practices, the experimental group-2 (n=10, PP) underwent pranayama practices, the experimental group-3 (n=10, SNP+PP) underwent combined practice of suryanamaskar and pranayama and group 4 served as control group (n=10, CG) did not undergo any specific training. In this study, three training programme were adopted as independent variable, i.e., suryanamaskar practices, pranayama practices and combined practice of suryanamaskar and pranayama. The flexibility was selected as dependent variables and the measurement was recorded in Centimetres. The selected three treatments were performed five days in a week for the period of six weeks, as per the stipulated training program. The selected flexibility was collected before and after the training period. The collected pre and post data was critically analysed with apt statistical tool of one-way analysis of co-variance, for observed the significant adjusted post-test mean difference of three groups. The Scheffe’s post hoc test was used to find out pair-wise comparisons between groups. To test the hypothesis 0.05 level of significant was fixed in this study.

In this article, I discuss the ways in which technology has been used to build, implement, and maintain an automated report for the purpose of reporting swap transactions that are covered by the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) and Dodd-Frank Act (DFA) Rule 12b-2. The automated report will use advances in technology, including but not limited to Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Natural Language Processing (NLP), to enhance the regulatory reporting process, exception management, and compliance with EMIR, DFA and across all regions of the globe. All automated reports will be designed so that companies can minimize their need to perform manual processing and maximize the quality, accuracy, and transparency of their reports by converting them to a single format and standardizing the way they collect and submit data to regulators. By utilizing the advanced analytics capabilities in combination with a real-time monitoring, companies will benefit from more timely swap reporting and will ultimately enhance the efficiency of markets for all types of securities. The automated reporting of swaps improves the environment for regulatory reporting in regard to the marketplace, provides a new baseline for the financial services industry's compliance with regulation, eliminates or reduces the possibility of violating regulatory requirements within the financial services sector, decreases the cost of regulatory penalties associated with non-compliance, and improves the reputation of the organization overall.

Counseling services are integral to holistic healthcare delivery, particularly in addressing the psychosocial needs of patients and healthcare professionals. Despite their recognized importance, evidence suggests inconsistent engagement with these services, even among counseling professionals. This study assessed the knowledge, perception, and utilization of counseling services among counselors at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH), Edo State. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was employed, using total sampling to include all eligible counselors. Data were collected through a structured, self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 26, with descriptive and inferential statistics applied at a 5% significance level. Results indicated universal awareness (100%) of counseling services among respondents; however, only half had received formal training, and 70% were knowledgeable about referral protocols. Perceptions of counseling services were generally positive, although concerns regarding staffing adequacy and service structure were noted. Utilization was high for patient referrals (90%) but comparatively low for personal use (40%). Major barriers identified included workload constraints, stigma, lack of institutional support, cultural and religious beliefs, and inadequate personnel. The study concludes that while counselors at ISTH demonstrate high awareness and favorable perceptions of counseling services, significant gaps remain in training, personal utilization, and organizational support. Strengthening institutional policies, expanding training opportunities, and addressing systemic and sociocultural barriers are essential to improving counseling service utilization and promoting mental well-being within tertiary healthcare settings.

1099 Provider Tax Application, providing healthcare organizations with an automated 1099 Provider Tax Reporting solution for the full end-to-end process of provider income reporting by enabling automatic electronic reporting to IRS via an approved format, enables healthcare organizations to automate their income reporting processes from the initial provider billing through to IRS electronic filing. 1099 Provider Tax Application utilizes a unique combination of statistical data analysis techniques to identify provider income that is based on the claims payment data and the electronic systems that provide the claims data. Data regarding provider income from all these electronic sources is effectively collated and stored in an S3 data engine environment for future retrieval and aggregation. In addition, because of AWS's Serverless architecture, the 1099 Provider Tax Application can create, and securely deliver to providers, IRS-compliant 1099s on an annual basis. The cloud-native architecture of the platform enhances both the speed and accuracy of tax document filing and ensures compliance with HIPAA and IRS regulations, which greatly reduces the likelihood of human error in the reconciliation and filing of tax documents. Moreover, the flexible nature of the platform would allow for the addition of other types of tax forms and multi-state/country reporting, along with the capability for integration with organizational data lakes and self-service portals for providers. As such, the cloud-native 1099 Provider Tax Application represents an opportunity to develop a reusable template for reporting systems in the regulated financial and healthcare sectors.

A company's success hinges significantly on its board's effectiveness in providing strategic leadership and promoting independence in its stakeholder relationship. To achieve this, the board must have independent non-executive directors with the necessary qualifications, responsibilities, and appointment processes. However, determining who qualifies as an independent non-executive director and establishing their true independence remain critical in corporate governance. This article aims to provide comprehensive answers to these questions and to offer a deeper understanding of independent non-executive directors under the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 and the Nigerian Code of Corporate Governance 2018. The article proposes that to ensure the true independence of independent non-executive directors, their appointment and removal should involve a more rigorous process that includes a special resolution. Dissenting members should have the right to question appointments or removals to ensure that the appointed person protects the rights of the minority and other stakeholders. By emphasising the importance of independent non-executive directors and advocating for a more robust appointment and removal process, this article contributes to the scholarship on corporate governance and promotes best practices for board independence.

Areca nut, commonly known as betel nut, holds significant cultural importance in Asian societies. However, its aflatoxin associated losses are more common in Pakistan, Nepal, India and Bangladesh. This study aimed to optimize total aflatoxin determination in areca nut using cost effective, accurate and valid techniques. Various strategic modifications were applied during the method optimization. Blending an 80:20 methanol: water mixture with areca nut sample at high speed, followed by dilution with 15% Tween 20, was found to yield reliable and repeatable results. Validation results aligned with the EU Directive 2002/657/EC and AOAC standard validation guidelines, with % RSD ˂ 20-21% and recovery rates between 60 – 110 %. Detection and quantification limits were low, indicating method sensitivity. Methods were found rugged but showed cross reactivity against tannin and phenolic compounds. Measurement uncertainty was ± 5.8µg/kg for fluorometry and ± 1.9 µg/kg for ELISA. Statistical comparison using ANOVA against the HPLC-FLD reference method revealed no significant differences (p = 0.991), confirming result consistency and homogeneity of variance (Levene’s statistic = 0.009). In conclusion, optimized fluorometry and ELISA methods for aflatoxin analyses in areca nut are cost-effective, reproducible, sensitive, and statistically comparable to the reference method, making them ideal for routine analysis.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common globally prevalent sleep disordered breathing. It is associated with various orofacial malformations and systemic morbidities. The limited level of awareness has left most cases undiagnosed. This study assessed the level of awareness of OSA and its orofacial and systemic complications among dental patients at the Lagos State University teaching hospital (LASUTH), Lagos, Nigeria. It was cross-sectional, involving 120 consenting subjects. Sample selection was by convenient sampling. Data collection was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire to obtain the biodata and the participants' awareness of OSA using the Likert scale. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 24 to assess the descriptive variables and OSA awareness of the subjects. Ordinal logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between the covariates and the participants' awareness of OSA. Statistical significance was determined at p≤ 0.05. The mean age of the participants was 45.7±16.2 years. A few, 23(19.2%), were fully aware of what OSA is. Twenty-six (21.7%) were fully aware that OSA can predispose to dental problems. Seventy-one (59.2%) were aware to a limited extent that some orofacial symptoms could identify people with OSA. Only 27(22.5%), 24 (20%), and 23 (19.2%) were fully aware that OSA is related to high blood pressure, obesity, and sudden death, respectively. In an ordinal regression, the age groups and occupational groups were the determinants of the participants' awareness about OSA (p≤0.05). Intensive education of the population is needed through several forums to increase their awareness of OSA and its complications.