Introduction in Nigeria, it was estimated that 1.9 million people were living with HIV of which 130,000 people were newly infected with HIV. HIV self-testing would potentially increase access to HIV testing for people to know their status, get diagnosed, and initiate treatment as soon as possible. Our study aims to assess the knowledge of HIV Self-Testing (HIVST) and the acceptability of this youth-friendly approach among students in southwest Nigeria online. Methods a cross-sectional study was conducted among bona fide undergraduate students (2019/2020 session) of two popular tertiary institutions in southwest Nigeria. An online standardized self-administered questionnaire was administered using Google Forms. Microsoft Excel and IBM SPSS statistics were used for tabulation and statistical data analysis. The Chi-Square test was conducted using a P value of 0.05 to determine the level of significance. Results of the 155 students that participated in the study, 82 (52.9%) were male. Most of the respondents (65.2%) were studying medicine and other health-related courses. The mean knowledge of HIVST among respondents was slightly above average. Respondents studying medical and other health-related courses showed a slightly better level of knowledge than others although not statistically significant (P = 0.222). 76.1% of respondents had never used the HIVST option before and 62.6% are willing to use it sometimes in the future. Conclusion to achieve the UNAIDS 95-95-95 fast-track targets in Nigeria by 2030, there is a need to promote sexual and reproductive health education and increase awareness and accessibility of HIVST to youths.

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An increase in the cost of conventional aggregate and the resulting environmental ecological imbalance has propelled research in the use of organic and industrial wastes as alternatives. The use of palm kernel shell concrete (PKSC) for structural applications such as beams is yet to be explored, mainly as a result of fewer research in the flexural strength of PKSC. This study investigates the flexural strength of palm kernel shell concrete (PKSC) for structural applications such as beams. Standard 150 x 150 x 150mm cube size and 100 x 100 x 500mm prisms of PKSC samples were casted at 1:1:2 mix ratio at water cement ratio of 0.5, and tested at age of 7, 14, 21 and 28 days according to BS EN 12390 – 3 (2002) and BS EN 12390 - 5 (2000). Method of batch by volume was adopted. At 28 days, the results show that the PKSC beam can support a load of 3981N with a deflection and flexural strength of 0.947mm and 2.883N/mm2 respectively. Also, the theoretical values of flexural strength and deflection compares well with the experimental values. A power equation in the form y = axn relating flexural strength with compressive strength produced a R2 value of 0.94 and relative predictive error of 0.028, the latter compares well with ACI 363 (1992) minimum value of 0.026 for power equations.

Using waste materials in road construction is a sustainable technique that will promote waste reduction, a cleaner environment, cost savings in road construction projects, and serve as an alternative material. This study evaluated the performance of hospital waste ash (HWA) modified asphalt mixtures. The modified asphalt mixtures were produced using HWA as mineral filler at 0%–100% at an interval of 10% by weight. The performance of the mixtures was evaluated with the Marshall, Cantabro, and retained strength index (RSI) tests. The Marshall parameters indicate that the modified asphalt mixtures met the General Specification for Roads and Bridges of Nigeria with satisfactory results. Except for mixes prepared with 90% and 100%, HWA-modified mixtures fulfill the RSI and Cantabro durability requirement at up to 80% filler content. However, to ensure the optimum performance of the HWA-modified asphalt mixtures, a 40% HWA is recommended.

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