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Introduction: Berberine is a naturally occurring alkaloid substance that can be extracted from various plants and can be found in medicinal herbs. The goal of this study is to conduct a literature review of the clinical use of berberine and assess the knowledge and opinion of pharmacy students on its beneficial effect as a blood sugar-reducing supplement. Methodology: An online survey was developed and sent to 42 students with a 100% response rate. The focal point of the remaining 15 questions was based on knowledge and perceptions regarding Berberine. Results: A total of 42 individuals participated in the survey. The majority of the participants were female (64.29%); between 24- 26 years old age range (40.48%); live in the DMV area where the study was conducted (42.86%). When asked about work experience, 50% of those who took the survey answered full-time, and 16 (38.10%) worked part-time. The majority (61.9%) indicated high knowledge about feeling comfortable with the beneficial use of berberine in reducing blood sugar. However, their overall knowledge score was 59.5% which is much less than the passing score set at 70%. When looking at how comfortable participants were regarding dietary supplements, the majority (n=25; 59.5%) were positive in their comfort. But only a third of participants (n=14; 33.3%) had the opportunity to interact with patients to discuss dietary supplements. Interestingly, more than two-thirds (n=29; 69%) of participants had taken supplements in the past for various personal reasons and the majority (n=28; 66.7%) of participants responded that they are currently taking supplements including vitamins. However, because of the low number of participants as a limitation of this study, a larger study with students in the medical field is recommended as a future plan. Conclusion: Overall, students showed a low level of knowledge despite their high opinion. The study shows the need to expose students more to dietary and herbal supplements during their pharmacy program. This would allow them to meet their patients’ needs upon graduation particularly if they chose to practice in a community pharmacy setting.

In this paper, we explored the bibliometric network structure in the major literature on human resource management (HRM) systems and firm innovation. In the search of Web of Science, we identified 173 unique papers, including quantitative papers, qualitative papers, literature review, editorial letters, etc. The VOS viewer bibliometric results showed three clusters of firm innovation from the HRM systems perspective: innovation in products or services, innovation in processes, and innovation in people and organizations. Our paper also described the number of publications, co-authorship information, and affiliated universities and countries per firm innovation cluster.

The purpose of the study was to assess the influence of inventory returns management on performance of food and beverage manufacturing firms in Kenya. Descriptive research design was adopted because it allowed an in-depth study of the subject. The target population was heads of procurement in the food and beverage manufacturing firms in Kenya. A sample of 132 food and beverage manufacturing firms was arrived at out of a total of 197 food and beverage manufacturing firms. R square value of 0.6 means that 60% of the corresponding variation in food and beverage manufacturing firms in Kenya can be explained or predicted by (refurbishment management, materials re-use management, waste management and re-manufacturing management) which indicated that the model fitted the study data. The results of regression analysis revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between dependent variable and independent variable at (β = 0.6), p=0.000

As electronics and the increasing popularity of social media are widely used, a large amount of text data is created at unprecedented rates. All data created cannot be read by humans, and what they discuss in their sphere of interest may be found. Modeling of themes is a way to identify subjects in a vast number of texts. There has been a lot of study on subject-modeling in English. At the same time, millions of people worldwide speak Tamil; there is no great development in resource-scarce languages such as Tamil being spoken by millions of people worldwide. The consequences of specific deep learning models are usually difficult to interpret for the typical user. They are utilizing various visualization techniques to represent the outcomes of deep learning in a meaningful way. Then, they use metrics like similarity, correlation, perplexity, and coherence to evaluate the deep learning models.

The burden faced by informal caregivers in caring for a child diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, and placed on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) is high due to the nature of the child’s dependence on the caregiver for fulfilling the child’s necessary needs. Evidence linking knowledge to the likelihood of performing the desired action exists. It is therefore crucial to explore caregivers’ knowledge of ART, and how that influences their children’s adherence to ART. The sought to explore the knowledge of informal caregivers on adherence to ART among their children with HIV/AIDS who received care at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Jirapa, Ghana. A qualitative phenomenology design was used. Data were collected from 13 purposively chosen caregivers of children with HIV/AIDS on ART at a hospital, using a semi-structured in-depth interview guide. A reflexive thematic analysis approach was used for data analysis. Informal caregivers were knowledgeable in the regularity of visits to the HIV Testing and Counselling (HTC) Centre for ARTs, identifying ARTs, ARTs administration, ARTs side effects identification, HIV transmission, and the nutritional restrictions for ARTs. A few, however, had misconceptions about HIV transmission. Informal caregivers still need education in the area of HIV transmission. The findings will guide nurses to focus on areas of education for informal caregivers to improve upon their knowledge of ART and to ensure increased adherence among children living with HIV/AIDS under their care.

Industry-academia collaboration largely depends on the way the nexus is defined as well as the extent of formalization of the relationship. The process of teaching and learning are a lot better when there is a concerted unison of research and knowledge transfer from the higher institutions to the industry and vice versa. Jointly organized course-based and project-based teaching collaborations have become increasingly crucial in guaranteeing that the student benefits from both sides of the theoretical and practical divide. This paper presents a review of research literature on the possible industry-academia success factors and seeks to highlight avenues through which this bond can be better strengthened. In a bid to close this lacuna between academia and industry, infusing industry experts to supervise research projects on one hand and improving teaching methods via curricula improvement on the other hand will prove beneficial. Keywords: Industry-Academia collaboration; teaching; engineering education; joint-based research; curriculum development.

COVID-19 has provided a solid basis for the diversification of healthcare delivery by incorporating medical technologies into healthcare, especially in developing countries. However, knowledge on the predictors of actual use behavior of medical technologies post-COVID-19 remains scarce. This study, therefore, seeks to provide an overview of the determinants of actual use behavior (AUB) of medical devices among Kenyans post-COVID-19 by using the extended Uni?ed Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model. Data were collected from the people of Kenya using structured questionnaires. Two hundred and twelve (212) responses were used for the analysis by applying the Partial Least Squares based on Structural Equation Modeling. The results showed a signi?cant positive relationship between FC and AUB (p < 0.000). Other predictors such as social in?uence, effort expectancy, and resistance to change were also found to signi?cantly impact the actual use behavior of medical devices among Kenyans post-COVID-19. Although the relationship between technology anxiety and actual use behavior was not significant in this study, it had a negative impact, influencing the actual use behavior of medical devices. Based on the ?ndings of this study, stakeholders need to create the necessary conditions to facilitate the adoption and use of medical devices, as this will boost the adoption and utilization of medical devices, which will help improve the quality of life among Kenyans post-COVID-19.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of studies that have examined the prevalence of falls among older adults living in Africa. Three investigators independently searched the databases of PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and Web of Science from their inception date until September 2019. Participants were 5,815 older adults aged 60 years and above. The prevalence of falls was determined using the random effects meta-analysis, whereas meta-regression was conducted to investigate the moderating factors. Eleven of the 921 potentially relevant studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed a pooled prevalence of fall rate of 24.2% (95% CI: 23.1%-25.3%, I2 = 95.2%). Multivariate meta-regression analysis found no moderating effects of study sub-region, study year, and sample size on fall prevalence (p values > 0.05). Falls among older adults living in Africa are common and therefore need continuous research to examine the possible risk factors associated with falls among older adults and to establish effective policies and prevention approaches to reduce risk.

This study investigated the impact of decomposed oil price shocks on household consumption in Zambia from 1985-2019. A structural Vector Autoregressive Model (SVAR) was used to measure the contemporaneous impact of oil price shocks on household consumption, and was complemented by Impulse Response Functions (IRFs), Granger Causality Tests and Forecast Error Variance Decompositions (FEVD). The existence of long-run relationships was determined by cointegration tests. The findings revealed that oil price shocks neither had short-run nor long-run impacts on consumption at the 5% level. Notwithstanding, it was found that oil-specific demand granger-causes consumption and that oil-specific demand shocks were attributed for the largest variation in consumption i.e. 6.5%. The findings implied that historic fuel subsidies insulated consumers from the adverse effects of oil price shocks. Therefore, the Zambian Government should introduce smart, optimal energy subsidies which have a less distortionary effect on its fiscal position. KEYWORDS - Oil Price Shocks, Structural Vector Autogressive Model, Forecast Error Variance Decomposition, Consumption, Impulse Response Functions, Granger Causality, Zambia

Hemoroid adalah suatu penyakit tidak menular yang terjadi di daerah anorektal. Hemoroid disebabkan oleh suatu aktivitas yang memicu pelebaran dan inflamasi pembuluh darah vena di plexus haemorrhoidalis yang terdapat di sekitar anus dan rektum. Hemoroid diklasifikasikan dalam 4 tingkatan yaitu hemoroid kelas I, II, III, dan IV. Micronized Purified Flavonoid Fraction (MPFF) adalah suatu obat plebotonik yang kerap digunakan dalam pengobatan konservatif hemoroid kelas I dan II. Tinjauan Pustaka ini bertujuan untuk memahami peran MPFF dalam terapi pengobatan hemoroid kelas I dan II serta mengevaluasi efektivitasnya dalam menangani hemoroid secara menyeluruh. Tinjauan pustaka ini ditulis dengan metode menganalisis dan meninjau secara sistematis hasil kajian dari beberapa penelitian terhadap penggunaan MPFF dalam pengobatan hemoroid. Hasil penelitian yang melibatkan 1.952 pasien hemoroid secara acak menemukan bahwa MPFF efektif dalam meredakan gejala pada 1.489 (76,3%) pasien yang menderita hemoroid. Selain itu, ditemukan juga 68 (3,5%) pasien yang mengikuti pengobatan invasif (pembedahan) untuk menangani hemoroid kelas IV dan sebanyak 395 (20,2%) pasien dengan hemoroid kelas I – III menjalani pengobatan konservatif campuran. Penelitian tersebut menunjukkan bahwa MPFF termasuk pengobatan konservatif yang cukup efektif untuk mengatasi hemoroid kelas I dan II, tetapi kurang berdampak untuk mengatasi tingkatan hemoroid yang lebih tinggi.

The objective of this study is to assess the IPTp use among the pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic in Bingham University Teaching Hospital and improve the knowledge and attitudes of the patients toward the treatment. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out between August and December 2017 among 107 pregnant women selected by systematic random sampling from antenatal care attendees at Bingham University Teaching Hospital in Jos North local Government of Plateau State of Nigeria. Information on the knowledge, attitudes and practices with respect to intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) with sulphadoxine –pyrimethamine (SP) were obtained with the aid of a pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Bivariate analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: Most of the interviewees were aged 26-30 years 40(37.4%) of the respondent, there was a high significant association between the age, educational level and occupation of the patients. Many of the respondents 57 (61%) were graduates, the association between the knowledge of malaria and level of education was highly significant. About 32 (29.9%) of the respondents had poor knowledge of treatment of malaria, there was a high significant association between the knowledge of treatment of malaria and level of education. 26 (24.3%) of the patients rarely used insecticide treated nets (ITNs) as method of malaria prevention, the association between the knowledge of malaria prevention and educational level was significant. Conclusion: Effort is needed to increase the sensitization of pregnant women about the benefits of IPTp in order to improve IPTp compliance.

The purpose of this study was to find out influence of teachers’ attitudes to work on learners’ study readiness in primary schools in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. Two research questions and two null hypotheses were posed and formulated respectively to guide the study. Ex-post-facto design was adopted for the study, purposive sampling technique was used to select 60 respondents (40 class teachers, 10 deputy head teachers and 10 head teachers) for the study. The instruments used for gathering data for this study were the Teachers’ Attitude to Work Questionnaire (TAWQ) and Learners’ Study Readiness Assessment Scale (LSRAS), which were arranged on a 4-point Likert Scale. The instrument was validated by one expert in educational Measurement and Evaluation in National Teachers’ Institute (Calabar Study Centre). All the hypotheses were tested with one-sample population t-test and one-way analysis of variance at .05 level of significance. The research findings revealed that: The levels of learners’ study readiness in terms of reading/note copying, concentration, time schedule and home work are all significantly higher than the expected level. Teachers’ attitude has significant influence on learners’ study readiness in schools. The teachers should help nurture in learners the capacity of using effective study readiness as a guarantee for maximum achievement as one of the recommendations.

This research sought to investigate the strategies employed by ADS in enhancing Community Development (CD) in Kenya. The study targeted four Anglican Development Services (ADS) regions in Kenya, namely, Pwani, Eastern, Mount Kenya East and NAIKA (Nairobi, Kajiado and All Saints). A sample of 330 respondents drawn from a target population of 1,827 was acquired through a Descriptive Research design. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Quantitative data were analysed using frequencies and percentages, while thematic analysis was done on qualitative data. The findings illustrated that there were well-founded strategies for enhancing CD in Kenya employed by the ADS. In this regard, the ADS use strategies that are implementable on the ground to improve the sustainability of CD within targeted areas. The main strategies employed by the four ADS regions in enhancing CD in Kenya include mobilising for food production and security in the community, partnership and networking for community capacity building, promotion of health care, training and mobilising farmers to form groups to promote Agri-business by Farming God’s. These findings illustrated that the ADS has an array of strategies for enhancing CD in Kenya. It is recommended that for the effectiveness of ADS strategies, the target recipients should be expanded through a conscientisation process, biblical and theological interventions and a participatory transformation approach, with the most vulnerable members of the community receiving priority.

After the breakout of the worldwide pandemic COVID-19, there arises a severe need of protection mechanisms, face mask being the primary one. According to the World Health Organization, the corona virus COVID-19 pandemic is causing a global health epidemic, and the most successful safety measure is wearing a face mask in public places. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have developed themselves as a dominant class of image recognition models. The aim of this project is to use machine learning capabilities for detecting and recognize face masks worn by people in any given video or picture or in real time. This project develops a real-time, GUI-based automatic Face detection and recognition system. It can be used as an entry management device by registering an organization's employees or students with their faces, and then recognizing individuals when they approach or leave the premises by recording their photographs with faces. The proposed methodology makes uses of Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Face Net, LBPH Face detection Algorithm and HAAR Cascade Algorithm. Based on the performance and accuracy of our model, the result of the binary classifier will be indicated showing a green rectangle superimposed around the section of the face indicating that the person at the camera is wearing a mask, or a red rectangle indicating that the person on camera is not wearing a mask along with face identification of the person. Once the Algorithm Identified the face it will send a text message to the recognized person to wear a mask and save the record.

This study investigated the effect of aqueous extract ofTapinanthus bangwensison some serum electrolytes in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The effect of this plant extract was monitored on the serum concentration of potassium iron (k+), sodium ion (Na+), uric acid, bicarbonate (HCO3_), and urea. Sixty-six albino rats were used for the study arranged into eleven groups of 6 rats each. Two groups (12 rats) were used for the pilot study. Nine other groups (54 rats) were used for the experiment labelled groups 1-9. Group 1 constitute the normal control which received only feed and water, group 2 received 50mg/kg citrate buffer. Group 3 was administered alloxan solution and allowed free access to feed and water. Group 4-6 received 50mg/kg of citrate buffer and were also administered with the aqueous extract ofTapinanthus bangwensisat a dose of 250mg/kg and referred to as normal treated, concentration 1(NT conc-1), concentration 2 (NT con-2) and concentration 3 (NT conc-3) respectively. Groups 7-9 were administered 50mg/kg alloxan and different grades (5%, 7%, 10%) respectively of the aqueous extract. Blood liver and pancreatic tissues were collected into appropriately labelled sample bottles and analyzed. The result of the blood analysis showed electrolyte levels were only slightly altered with potassium ions having the least change. Bicarbonate rose from 22.67±1.15 to 24.50±1.52, potassium ions decreased from 4.45±0.14 to 4.43±0.22 and sodium ions rose from 139.33±1.63 to 143.00±2.90. The metabolite uric acid was elevated from 2.75±0.12 to 3.35±0.33. Oral administration of 250mg/kg aqueousTapinanthus bangwensisextract to groups 7,8 and 9 of 50mg/kg, 70mg/kg, and 100mg/kg respectively, significantly decreased many of these biochemical alterations in a dose-dependent manner. 100mg/kg extract showed the highest effect in lowering the elevated parameters followed by 70mg/kg administration. The 50mg/kg dose had the least lowering effect. Histopathological results also confirmed these chemical pathological results. The extract ofTapinanthus bangwensisis insulinogenic and thus can be a good antibiotic agent as it can improve most of the altered biochemical and physiological parameters observed during diabetes mellitus.

The Bantaeng megalithic site houses megalithic cultural relics, such as terraces (teras berundak), dakon, lumpang batu, menhir, dolmen, stone altars, circular stone (batu temu gelang), tombs, and fences, including fragments of pottery and foreign ceramics on the surface of the site. In addition, residents on the site also preserves and performs traditional megalithic rituals. This study aims to find out the functions and meanings of these megalithic cultural relics using surveys, inventory studies, and interviews to the local community. The results indicate that the megalithic culture functions both as a sacred medium of ritual, and a secular instrument of daily life. Furthermore, some of the elements of megalithic culture have symbolic meaning which are related to social status, cosmic symbols, agriculture, astrology, and religious symbols.

Job satisfaction is an attitude of employees towards their job. It is important in business organizations because it increases individual and organizational effectiveness. Employee job satisfaction mostly is attributed to demographic characteristics, employee behaviours and psychological capital. The effect of managerial power on job satisfaction has not been explicit among antecedents of job satisfaction in management literatures. The paper objective was to explore the effect of five French and Raven’s managerial power bases on employee job satisfaction in organizations of various backgrounds. The paper adopted a qualitative methodology by reviewing 13 empirical literatures published online from different parts of the world. The paper found that referent, reward and expert power bases used by managers mostly had significant positive effect on employee job satisfaction. It was also found that coercive and legitimate power bases had mixed findings regarding their effects on employee job satisfaction. While coercive and legitimate powers had positive effect on employee job satisfaction in some few organizations, several others felt the negative effect of legitimate and coercive powers on job satisfaction. Based on the perspective of literature review, the paper concluded that reward, referent and expert managerial power bases lead in having positive effect on job satisfaction. The paper provided implication for managers in Tanzania to sustain employee job satisfaction through usage of power bases by French and Raven. KEYWORDS: Managers, expert, power, employee, satisfaction

The purpose of this study was to look at the effect of motivation on the performance of public health employees in Ghana, with a focus on the Accra District. The study had three goals: to look at the motivation techniques utilized at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, to look into the elements that impact employee performance, and to figure out how motivation and performance are related. The study employed a case study technique, with Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital serving as the case study, as well as an explanatory research design. To meet the study’s goals, stratified random sampling was employed in sample selection, with personnel being divided into management levels. Employees of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital were chosen as the sample of 30 respondents. According to the findings, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital motivates its staff in a variety of methods, including providing fringe benefits, awarding incentives to outstanding employees, instilling a sense of responsibility, promoting consistently good individuals, and treating all employees equally. The survey also indicated that the management did not use motivational techniques such as compensation, training, employee engagement in decision-making, and personnel rotation. The survey also discovered that motivation is the most important element influencing employee performance. Employee motivation and performance were found to have a direct, substantial, and favorable link in the study. According to the investigation management should always do a comprehensive investigation into the numerous performance and effectiveness that might encourage certain personnel. KEYWORDS: employee motivation, employee performance, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Public Health Workers.

In many developing countries in Africa, financial exclusion among the poor is a major constraint to poverty reduction ever since independence. Mobile money is a financial innovation that provides transfers, payments, and other financial services at a low or zero cost to individuals in developing countries where banking and capital markets are deficient and financial inclusion is low. In Tanzania, mobile money systems have been increasingly used as a means to overcome this constraint. However, there still existing mobile money service divide, highly skewed against the rural poor population. This paper was therefore seeking to explore the potential innovative strategies of using mobile money systems for enhancing financial inclusion in Tanzania. In this paper secondary data was used whereby, review and analysis of several documentary sources were done. The findings of the study revealed that although mobile phones have become common in Tanzania covering rural areas where there is acute poverty and lack of access to formal banking institutions is rampant, they are hardly used for financial transfers and payments due to a number of existing obstacles such as poor network coverage; lack of knowledge of m-banking users; high mobile money transaction fees; and lack of enough float, ATM breakdown and theft. As a result, the country has been losing opportunities to use mobile money systems to extend financial facilities to the poor who do not have access to formal finance. Innovative strategies are highly needed to fight the obstacles and promote financial inclusion to both rural and urban sectors. Some of the key determinants recommended that make the strategies work and therefore result into successful financial inclusion are such outreach, penetration, availability, accessibility, technology, financial literacy, trust, and income adequacy KEY WORDS: Financial services, financial inclusion, Poverty reduction, Mobile Phone Money, Mobile Phone Users, Challenges, Mobile Phone Money Use, Mobile Phone Money Adoption

The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019 challenged universities in sub-Saharan Africa to reinvent themselves and rely more on digital technologies for curriculum delivery. Before the pandemic, technology use in curriculum delivery was ad-hoc and depended mainly on teachers' self-efficacy. This article investigates how teachers in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ghana appropriated new media technologies for teaching and research before the outbreak of COVID-19. This study explored the new media technologies used by teachers, their motivations for using them, how they used them, and the challenges they encountered in their appropriation of technologies for curriculum delivery. The study triangulated in-depth interviews and semi-structured questionnaires to gather data from university teachers who are members of the Communication Educators Association, Ghana (CEAG). Thematic and descriptive analyses were employed to analyze data collected through interviews and surveys. The study revealed that communication educators mostly used Google Scholar, YouTube, and Facebook. Their choices and usage of these new media were influenced by personal preference and the perceived usefulness of digital technologies to teaching and research. Communication educators face several challenges in using digital technologies; these include unstable internet connection, low digital literacy, and financial constraints, which impede their appropriation of new media technologies. The adoption and adaption of new media among communication educators is consistent with the Technology Appropriation Theory, and practicality rather than pedagogical imperatives drive their usages. The study concludes that teachers must carefully plan the deployment of new media in curriculum delivery; therefore, communication educators require institutional support and policy guidelines to appropriate and deploy new media technologies effectively.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of Return on Assets (ROA), Return Equity (ROE), Earning per Share (EPS), and Price per Book Value (PBV) on stock prices and stock returns in manufacturing companies registered on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2018-2020. This study used 73 manufacturing companies as the sample and using panel data regression analysis. The results indicate that ROA has negative and insignificant effect on stock prices, and has positive and significant effect on stock returns; ROE has insignificant positive effect on stock prices, and has significant and negative effect on stock returns; EPS has negative and insignificant effect on stock prices, and has positive and insignificant effect on stock returns; PBV has negative and insignificant effect on stock prices, and has positive and insignificant effect on stock returns. ROA, ROE, EPS, and PBV simultaneously have significant effect on stock price and stock return.

The study determined allocative efficiency among rainfed rice farmers in Ardo-kola and Jalingo local government area of Taraba State, Nigeria. The objectives of the paper were to determined allocative efficiency of rice farmers in the study area. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to collect data from 180 rice farmers through a structured questionnaire. Both descriptive statistics and stochastic frontier approach were used to analyze data collected. Diagnostic statistic, gamma (0.856) and sigma squared (0.191) were statistically significant at P≤ 0.01. probability level. The result further revealed that cost of seed and cost of fertilizer were significant at P≤ 0.01, while cost of family labour and cost of agrochemicals were significant at P≤ 0.05. The mean allocative efficiency (AE) is 0.89. The study also revealed that education, age and extension contact and gender increases allocative efficiency of rice farmers in the study area. The study recommends diversification of income, especially to rice farmers with large household size. However, farmers should be encouraged with improved facilities either from government and non-governmental agencies.

An extensive survey of lichens was conducted in different parts of Mathikettan Shola National Park, and analysed 55 macrolichen species under six families. Two species were found to be new to the Indian peninsula, and five species were new to the lichen flora of Kerala.

Macro lichens of Kalpetta Municipality of Wayanad District of Kerala state were studied. The study revealed about 21 macro lichen species. All the species identified are either foliose or fruticose forms belonging to families Coccocarpiaceae, Caliciaceae, Physciaceae, Parmeliaceae, Collemataceae, Lobariaceae, and Ramalinaceae indicating the dominance of these groups in the study area.

Many persons with aphasia (PWA) have limited access to speech-language treatment (SLT) due to limited funding, speech-language pathologist shortages, geographical barriers, physical disabilities, transportation barriers, and COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to determine if telepractice is an effective and feasible service delivery model for PWA. Ten PWA completed 8 hours of remote treatment over 4 weeks. Synchronous telepractice sessions employed Oral Reading for Language in Aphasia (ORLA) and Conversational Script Training (CST). Pre- and post-assessment outcome measures included the Communication Activities of Daily Living-3 (CADL-3) and the Communication Confidence Rating Scale for Aphasia (CCRSA). Participants completed a telepractice satisfaction survey following post-assessment. All participants demonstrated improvements in CCRSA scores, total words produced correctly on trained CST stimuli, and total words produced correctly on trained ORLA stimuli. No differences were noted in CADL-3 scores. All participants were highly satisfied with telepractice as a service delivery model.

Introduction:Road traffic injury is of great public health concern, as it stands as the eighth leading cause of death globally with the most affected being the youth aged 15-29 years. It is projected that by 2030, road traffic deaths will become the fifth leading cause of death globally unless urgent action is taken to avert it. Lack of employment has forced many youths in Sub-Saharan Africa into the commercial use of motorcycles known commonly as “Okada”business. Unfortunately, most of these riders do not undertake any formal and structured training or are licensed to be riders. Motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable road users in Ghana; they contribute to about 34% of all road traffic injuries. There is a progressive increase in motorcycle-related accidents as a result of the rise in the use of these bikes for commercial transport despite it being illegal. Statistics from the National Road Safety Commission of Ghana indicate that in 2020 road traffic crashes involving motorcycles killed 1,056 and injured 4,684 commuters. The primary aim of this study is to identify the prevalence and the associated risk factors for motorcycle accident cases and to assess the knowledge of motorcyclists’ on-road regulations on admission at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, a national referral point for all emergency cases in Ghana. Methods:The study employed a cross-sectional design that used a structured questionnaire to collect data from 200 respondents using a systematic sampling technique for enrolment. Pearson's Chi-square test statistics were used to estimate the association between helmet usage and respondents’ knowledge level of road regulations on selected socio-demographic characteristics. Results: The results revealed that demographic characteristics such as age (p Conclusion: Motorcycle-related accidents could be reduced through law enforcement agencies, continuous mass education using all media available and helmet use. Also, there should be a collaboration between all road sectors and road users to find a solution to the current motor accident trend.