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Health insurance policies have become key social policy interventions incepted to extend healthcare to vulnerable populations. In this vein, Ghana devised a health insurance scheme in the year 2003. However, there have been concerns about quality, value, satisfaction and trust regarding healthcare and insurance usage. Using data drawn from 345 participants, our study investigates these dimensions to empirically test their predictive effects on the actual usage of health insurance. Data analysis results using the Structural Equation Modelling technique confirmed these dimensions as predictors of intention and actual usage. Our study delineates the practical, theoretical and policy implications of the study findings.

The question of the degree to which participation by civil society contributes to environmental decisions in post-conflict societies has received little attention. This study sheds light on the extent to which degrees of participation contribute to environmental decision-making in the Puntland State of Somalia using questionnaire surveys. We found that active participation has the highest contribution to environmental decisions. Our findings also indicated that the most pressing forms of environmental degradation in Puntland, as perceived by the respondents, are land degradation, drought related to the scarcity of rainfall, and deforestation. This study recommends “environmental cooperation” built into the peace-building process as a clear-cut concept to tackle both environmental degradation and conflicts. At the core of this concept is active participation and collaboration between civil society and the government as a means of mitigating environmental degradation in post-conflict Somalia. This will result in favorable environmental conditions and sustainable peace.

Polymer nanocomposites are drawing considerable interest in electrical energy storage research owing to their distinctive characteristics and promising roles in various devices, such as batteries, supercapacitors, and fuel cells. This review examines the selection criteria of polymer nanocomposites for electrical energy storage applications and the current advancements in developing and producing polymer nanocomposites specifically tailored for electrical energy storage applications. Key topics covered include the selection of polymer matrices, choice of nanofillers, fabrication techniques, characterization methods, and performance evaluation of the resulting nanocomposites. The impact of nanofiller dispersion, interface engineering, and morphology control on electrical storage properties is emphasized. Proper dispersion enhances uniformity and interfacial interactions, improving electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties. Interface engineering boosts polymer-nanofiller compatibility, while morphology control optimizes nanofiller structure and arrangement for better storage efficiency. Emerging trends, challenges, and future research directions are also discussed, providing insights for developing advanced polymer nanocomposites with improved electrical energy storage capabilities.

The study determined the impact of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) adoption on crop yield, income, and food security status of smallholder farmers in north-western Nigeria using a sample of 377 farming households. Descriptive statistics, farm budgeting, probit regression model, and treatment effect model were used for data analysis. The result revealed that 82 % of the respondents are adopters of the CSA practices. Significant differences exist in the socioeconomic attributes of the adopters and non-adopters of CSA practices. More so, adopters had significantly larger farm sizes of about 4.0ha compared to 3.4ha for non-adopters. The major CSA practices adopted include crop rotation, application of organic and inorganic fertilisers, and multiple cropping. The major determinants of CSA practices adoption are age, membership of an association, and awareness of climate change impact. The result further shows that CSA adoption will increase technical efficiency scores by 21.9 %, crop income by ₦19,389 ($17.62) per hectare, while the household per capita expenditure on food will also increase by ₦21,938 ($20.0) This implies that the adoption of climate-smart agriculture significantly improved crop yield, income and food security status of smallholder farmers. To sustain the benefits of CSA practices adoption, farmers should be supported so that they do not discontinue its adoption. Credit availability should also be facilitated by the government to enable farmers to obtain relevant agricultural inputs to complement the adoption of CSA practices.

Reproductive deficiency is a major outcome of pesticide exposure sequel to cellular oxidative damage to sex organs. Flavonoid possess potent antioxidant capacities to mitigate pesticide related cellular injury. The present investigation examined the mitigative effect of micronized purified fractions of diosmin and hesperidin on reproductive hormones, sperm parameters, and testicular glycogen in male Wistar rats after sub-chronic Chlorpyriphos (CPF) exposure. Twenty-five male Wistar rats (120-145 g) were randomly allocated five rats per group. Group I (DW) received distilled water (2 ml/kg), Group II (S/oil) received soya oil (2 ml/kg), Group III (DAF) received Daflon at 1000 mg/kg, Group IV (CPF) received Chlorpyriphos (7.74 mg/kg), and Group V (DAF + CPF) received Daflon (1000 mg/kg) followed by CPF (7.74 mg/kg) after 30 min of Daflon. This regimen was administered daily for 60 days. After cervical venesection under light chloroform anesthesia, blood samples were examined for levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone. Each rat's testicular tissue was quickly cut, collected, and glycogen evaluated. Sperm concentration, motility, morphology, and viability were measured in the right caudal epididymis. Results revealed that the untreated CPF group had significantly lower FSH, LH, testosterone, testicular glycogen, and sperm concentration. Additionally, CPF group sperm characteristics were abnormal compared to other groups. These reproductive hormones, testicular glycogen, and sperm parameters improved in the Daflon-treated groups. Hence, pre-treatment with flavonoid fractions of diosmin and hesperidin mitigated CPF-induced reproductive toxicity.

Shallow groundwater in semi-arid basins shows significant hydrochemical variability, mainly influenced by seasonal changes and controlled dominantly by rock weathering processes. Seasonal variations in the hydrochemistry of shallow groundwater can be due to the interactions between internal geochemical processes and external factors such as rainfall and human activities. This study applied seasonal and multivariate statistical analyses to understand the hydrochemical controls on shallow groundwater. The study area was divided into three sub-basins, or clusters (i.e., Birnin kebbi, Sokoto, and Gusau). Fifteen shallow groundwater samples were derived from each cluster, totalling ninety shallow groundwater samples for the dry (April) and wet (July) seasons. The sampling periods have been chosen since they represent the peaks of the two seasons. Physical parameters, including Temperature, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), and pH, were analysed in situ using handheld metres. However, chemical parameters (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Fe3+, Cu2+, Zn2+, CO3−, HCO3−, Cl−, SO42−, PO43−, NH3 and NO3−) were analysed in the laboratory. These ions reveal hydrochemical processes, anthropogenic inputs, water-rock interactions, and pollution levels essential for evaluating groundwater quality and seasonal variability. Subsequently, statistics were applied to study the impact of seasonality and groundwater evolution. Results of the Mann-Whitney U test revealed that seasonality exerts a considerable influence on shallow groundwater through a significant difference in Temperature, EC, DO, TDS, HCO3−, Cl−, NH3 and PO43−. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed strong relationships between hydrochemical elements, which suggest natural and anthropogenic influences on shallow groundwater evolution. Correlation results were concurrent with principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), and Piper and Gibbs models. Therefore, this study inferred that seasonality and rock weathering are the primary mechanisms controlling shallow aquifers’ hydrochemistry in a semiarid Sokoto Basin, as revealed by the Gibbs model and statistical analysis. The positive correlations between nitrate and major cations in shallow aquifers suggest potential pollution from agricultural runoff or sewage sources, posing risks to water quality and human health (i.e., methemoglobinemia) and highlighting the need for integrated water resources management approaches to mitigate nutrient loading in these aquifers. The seasonal and multivariate statistics provide a framework for more accurate shallow groundwater quality analysis while considering multiple groundwater quality parameters under different environmental conditions. Seasonal and multivariate statistical analyses provide a user-friendly tool for monitoring shallow groundwater quality monitoring systems in global semiarid environments.