We investigated the role of Body mass index (BMI) in non-communicable diseases-polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD). Using a case control design, we compared mean BMI and its categories, in gender and disease specific samples, and computed odds ratios as well as receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. The 95 percentile cut off values were also determined but only for controls. We found mean BMI and prevalence of obesity to be higher in PCOS and T2DM and lower in CAD cases than controls. The ROC analysis suggested gender specific cut-off values are more sensitive than pooled sample. The area under the ROC curve which is highly significant suggests predictive utility of the BMI cut off values both for PCOS and T2DM.

The COVID-19 epidemic was initially experienced in China, in a city called Wuhan (December 2019), and Europe, the USA and Australia were not left behind. South Africa was the worst-hit country, with a total of 88,914 deaths recorded on October 24, 2021, and like many other countries of the world, it suffered the loss of human lives and livelihoods. In 2021, almost 65,000 South Africans had been lost to the pandemic. This pandemic has destabilised systems and processes that define human existence, thereby wreaking havoc on many facets of human life, with education being predominantly affected. COVID-19 has fostered global readjustments in education with the advent of online teaching or, as referred to in some studies, emergency online education. This paper examined many of the challenges faced by students and lecturers, including adaptation problems among lecturers and students, internet connectivity issues, an unconducive teaching and learning workspace, and associated health risks. This study also reviewed positive developments that took place since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the WiSeUp Moodle Training, academic discourse, and capacity development. In addition, it is suggested that researchers carry out further studies on the effects of COVID-19 with reference to teaching and learning. The paper concludes by reviewing the positive and negative teaching and learning outcomes of the transformations that Higher Educational Institutions underwent after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study was conducted to investigate the relationship between entrepreneurial intention, entrepreneurship risk perceptions and entrepreneurship risk aversion with a sample of 366 male and female university students in South Africa, using survey research design, and a structured validated questionnaire. Hypotheses were tested using Pearson correlation analysis. The results revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurship risk aversion. There is a significant positive relationship between entrepreneurship risk perceptions and aversion. However, there is no significant relationship between entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurship risk perceptions. The findings are valuable to policy makers and professionals in promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship among the youth.

This study, therefore, which is focused on forest systems services provisioning in Africa, case of Gambari Forest Reserve, Ibadan, Nigeria, provides policy makers, decision makers, ecologists, environmentalists, the academia, and other stakeholders with a document geared towards promoting national development through sustainable forest products utilization practices. In this study, a total of 200 key respondents participated in it, out of which 194 copies were returned and distributed among the seven main communities in the study area, namely, Ibusogbora, Oloowa, Daley north and south, Onipe, Mamu, Olubi, and Onipanu, respectively. The respondents stated that moringa 164 (84.5%), mint leaf (166 (85.6%), bitter kola 143 (73.7%), and shea tree accounts for 176 (90.7%), and the wood species utilized by producers in the study area include Leucaena leucocephala, Leucaena glauca, Gliricidia sepium, Tectona grandis, and Gmelina arborea, among others. The study recommends that there is need for African governments to restore public awareness campaign in the area of timber planting initiatives and sustainable forest resource management and increase allocation to fund forestry research in the African continent.

Gambari Forest Reserve (GFR) is located in Oyo State, in the south-western region of Nigeria, in the Mamu locality (Gambari Forest), co-ordinate 3.7 and 3.9E” and latitude 7°26 1 N and longitude 3°5 1 E. i.e. 17 km South-East of Ibadan, along the Ibadan/Ijebu-Ode road. The major taxa studies for this research include the forest tree species forest ecosystem in Gambari Forest Reserve, such as: Leucaena leucocephala, Leucaena glauca, Gliricidia sepium,Tectona grandis, Gmelina arborea, Swietenia macrophylla, Acacia spp., Albizia spp., Cassia siamea, and Pithecellobium saman. 200 key respondents participated in this study, which were drawn from the seven main communities namely Ibusogboro, Oloowa, Daley North and south, Onipe, Mamu, Olubi and Onipanu respectively. The results revealed that there are significant anthropogenic interventions taking place in the study area. It is therefore imperative to conserve and safeguard GFR ecosystem resources, as ensuring that ecosystem services and biodiversity function at optimum levels. This study therefore recommends continued research to be undertaken, in addition to consistent monitoring and conserving our fragile forest resources, with the aim of achieving optimum functioning and service delivery.