The Israeli-Hamas conflict, particularly its escalation on October 7, 2023, has reshaped U.S. counterterrorism strategies in the Middle East. This study examines the implications of the Israeli-Hamas war on American counterterrorism objectives, alliances, and operational frameworks from 2015 to 2025. Anchored on the securitization theory, the study interprets how threats are constructed and framed by political actors to justify extraordinary responses. Employing a qualitative historical approach, the research draws on secondary sources, including government documents, academic journals, and policy briefs, to analyze shifts in U.S. foreign policy. Findings reveal that the war amplified regional instability, challenged normalization efforts under the Abraham Accords, and intensified U.S. military and diplomatic alignment with Israel. The study further found that the entrenchment of Hamas within a broader regional network of Iran-backed militant groups has transformed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into a larger geopolitical and multi-front confrontation, complicating U.S. security calculations. It is recommended that the United States adopt a more balanced diplomatic strategy that includes addressing the humanitarian and political dimensions of the Palestinian question to prevent radicalization and reduce long-term threats to regional security.

Tax Optimization should nevertheless be carried out with restraint so an attempt to reduce tax does not overstep the boundaries of the law by evading it. Therefore, the study seeks to examine the effect of tax optimization on financial performance of multinational firms in Nigeria using secondary data sourced from annual report of the selected multinational companies. The study utilized panel data analysis on 10 companies for the period of 2012 to 2022 using return on equity as proxy of financial performance of multinational companies and CAI, INI, ETR, FLE, FS and FA as proxy for tax optimization. The study found that Inventory intensity has a positive and insignificant relationship with ROE, CAI reveals a negative and significant relationship with ROE, FLE does not significantly affect multinational companies' financial performance (ROE). The result also showed that ETR had a negative and significant effect on return on equity (ROE). Finally, the control variables showed different effect on ROE, FS showed a positive and significant impact on return on equity (ROE) and FA showed a negative and insignificant relationship with the ROE. Consequently, the study recommended among the following that Companies should ensure appropriate use of creative tax optimization approach such that the tax reductions will be used properly to enhance or to serve as a useful ground for strengthening the firm financial performance.

Today?s technology requires materials with amalgamated properties which are deficient in the usual class of polymers, making polymer blending an alternative in the field of material science and engineering. However, the large quantity of plastic waste generated daily, issues associated with waste management in Nigeria and low decay rate of high density polyethylene (HDPE) is hazardous to the environment and health. For these reasons, studies on the mechanical and physical properties of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and Polystyrene (PS) blended at different proportions was investigated in this work. The waste high density polyethylene, pure polystyrene and blended samples were characterized for tensile strength, hardness, density, water absorption and modulus of elasticity. The results of the tests indicated that sample F (50 % HDPE/50 % PS) out of all modified polymer blend has the highest tensile strength, Young?s modulus and density of 34.62 MPa, 752.61 MPa and 1.02 g/cm3 respectively. While, sample D (70 % HDPE/30 % PS) has the highest percentage elongation, moisture content and hardness of 5.1 7 %, 0.267 % and 97.6 Shores respectively among other blends. Thus, this shows that sample F has the highest density and the stiffest compared to other blends, and on the other hand sample D has the best water absorption capacity of 0.267 %, most ductile and the hardest among other blends. Also, based on the results obtained, the ultimate tensile strength, modulus of elasticity and density of the samples increases gradually while, the percentage elongation decreases gradually as the percentage of polystyrene increases progressively and, this was because sample G (0 %HDPE/100 %PS) has higher tensile strength (41.77 MPa), modulus of elasticity (2776.40 MPa) and density (1.062 g/cm3) but lower percentage elongation (1.505 %) compared to sample A (100 %HDPE/0 %PS) with tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, density and percentage elongation of 30.93 MPa, 606.07 MPa, 0.959 g/cm3 and 5.105 % respectively.

The search for materials with superior properties has been ongoing and this study focuses on improving the mechanical properties of high density polyethylene (HDPE) with coconut fibre leading to a novel composite material. In this study, coconut fibre of 1mm particle size was compounded with high density polyethylene (HDPE) on the two-roll mill. The HDPE-coconut fibre composition was varied and the resulting composites were characterized on the basis of durometer hardness and impact strength. As fiber content increases from 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 to 50g, the durometer hardness ranged from 82, 90, 92, 89, 92 to 98 shores; while the vertical impact strength ranged from 0.887J, 1.321J, 0.511J, 0.445J, 0.387J to 0.324J; on the other hand, that of horizontal impact strength ranged from 2.333J, 0.687J, 0.722J, 0.513J, 0.569J to 0.213J. Thus, increase in fiber content increased the durometer hardness of the composites to a maximum of 98 at the 50g fiber content; the vertical impact strength decreased generally as fiber content increases; the horizontal impact strength also decreased as the fiber content increases and a maximum horizontal impact strength of 2.333J was obtained at the 0g fiber content (control sample). The application of the resulting composite is limited to areas requiring low mechanical strength materials.

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are essential drivers of economic growth, yet they face persistent financial access constraints in Nigeria. This study investigates the impact of financial inclusion, measured through total deposits, number of bank branches, private sector credit, and interest rates, on the growth of MSMEs in Nigeria from 1992 to 2023. Using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) technique on annual time-series data, results show that total deposits have a statistically significant positive effect on MSME loan access, while other indicators (number of bank branches and credit to the private sector) show no significant effect. Interest rates exhibit a marginally significant effect, indicating constrained but persistent borrowing by MSMEs. The findings emphasize the role of targeted deposit mobilization strategies and inclusive financial policies. Recommendations include policy actions by the Central Bank of Nigeria to direct credit to MSMEs and enhance digital financial access.

Nigeria holds over 206.53 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of proven natural gas reserves, yet more than 90 million Nigerians lack access to electricity. This study investigates the role of natural gas in addressing energy poverty and catalyzing sustainable economic diversification. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach and sectoral data from 2020 to 2025, the paper evaluates gas utilization in electricity generation, manufacturing, and domestic energy access. Findings indicate that only about 25% of produced gas is used domestically, while 11% is flared, due to inadequate infrastructure, regulatory fragmentation, and uncompetitive pricing. However, full implementation of Nigeria?s Decade of Gas Initiative and targeted infrastructure investments could add over 5 GW of generation capacity and boost industrial productivity. The study concludes with actionable policy recommendations for leveraging gas to drive inclusive growth, reduce emissions, and enhance energy security.

Transitioning to sustainable energy sources is critical for mitigating climate change, and hydrogen has emerged as a key alternative to fossil fuels. This study evaluates the feasibility of blue hydrogen production from carbon utilization in Nigeria, with a focus on environmental, economic, and policy dimensions. Using the ReCiPe Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, the study analyzes global warming potential (GWP), resource depletion, acidification, and human toxicity of blue hydrogen, compared to grey and green alternatives. The results show blue hydrogen reduces CO? emissions by up to 90% relative to grey hydrogen, with a GWP range of 1.5?2.5 kg CO?-eq/kg H?. However, methane leakage and water consumption remain significant concerns. Economically, blue hydrogen production costs $1.50?$2.50/kg, more than grey hydrogen but less than green hydrogen. Policy and infrastructure gaps continue to hinder large-scale adoption in Nigeria. The study recommends introducing carbon pricing, regulatory incentives, and investment in carbon capture and storage (CCS) to improve blue hydrogen competitiveness. Overall, blue hydrogen presents a viable transitional pathway toward Nigeria?s low-carbon energy future.

Nigeria has emerged as a central figure in Africa?s climate diplomacy, leveraging its strategic influence within regional institutions such as ECOWAS, the African Union (AU), and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to advance climate resilience and South-South cooperation. This study explores Nigeria?s evolving role in shaping regional climate governance by analyzing its contributions to the development and implementation of key frameworks, including the ECOWAS Regional Climate Strategy and the AU Climate Resilience Plan (2022?2032). Through a qualitative case study and thematic analysis, the research highlights Nigeria?s legal reforms, institutional leadership, and policy advocacy aimed at harmonizing climate action across the continent. Despite these efforts, challenges such as limited climate finance, weak intergovernmental coordination, and inadequate monitoring systems persist. The study concludes with recommendations to strengthen Nigeria?s leadership and promote integrated, accountable, and inclusive climate governance in Africa. These findings are vital for policymakers, regional organizations, and development partners working toward a sustainable and climate-resilient future for the continent.

Nigeria?s industrial development is progressing amid escalating climate challenges. While the manufacturing sector is key to economic diversification and job creation, it remains a major contributor to national greenhouse gas emissions due to outdated technologies and inefficient energy use. This study investigates how Nigeria can align industrial expansion with environmental sustainability through the development of climate-compatible manufacturing hubs. Adopting a qualitative, document-based approach, the paper reviews key national frameworks, including the Climate Change Act (2021), Energy Transition Plan (2022), and the Carbon Market Activation Plan (2023), alongside two industry case studies (Sacral Industries and Nigerian Breweries Plc) that illustrate practical decarbonization pathways. Findings point to persistent barriers including regulatory fragmentation, limited green financing, infrastructure gaps, and low technical capacity. The study proposes an integrated policy framework emphasizing regulatory alignment, targeted investment incentives, infrastructure modernization, and institutional capacity building. This paper offers actionable policy pathways for harmonizing Nigeria?s industrial ambitions with climate imperatives and fostering a resilient, low-carbon economic future.

This study examined the impact of Social Reporting Index (SRI), Governance Quality Index (GQI), and Sustainability Reporting Disclosure Index (SRDI) on the financial performance (FP) of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Employed a survey research design, data were collected from 108 SME practitioners via structured questionnaires rated on a five-point Likert scale. Reliability analysis yielded a Cronbach?s Alpha of 0.7530, confirming internal consistency. Descriptive statistics indicated moderate average engagement in SRI (mean = 2.13), GQI (2.10), SRDI (2.23), and FP (2.14), with positively skewed distributions. Bivariate correlations revealed significant positive associations between FP and both SRI (r = .468, p

This work assessed the physico-chemical properties, alcohol and heavy metal concentration of Jiko produced and consumed in Zonkwa, Kaduna State. The alcohol content was determined by the pycnometer method, the heavy metal concentration was determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The pH of the samples ranged from 2.42 to 2.58 while the percentage moisture content was in the range 87.66 to 95.54 %. Dry matter content ranged from 4.46 to 12.34 %. The Titratable acidity ranged from 1.40 to 2.41 g/dm3. Sugar and alcohol contents were in the range 11.68-18.28 mg/dm3 and 1.69-5.23 % v/v respectively. The concentration of Zn, Fe, and Mn were in the range 0.155 to 1.143 mg/dm3, 0.275 to 2.953 mg/dm3, 0.073 to 0.196 mg/dm3 while the corresponding values for Pb, and Cd were in the range 0.000 to 0.700 mg/dm3, 0.000 to 0.002 mg/dm3 respectively. Cr and Ni were not detected in all the samples analysed. The result shows that Jiko is an acidic alcoholic drink which contains Zn, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Cd. The concentration of Zn was less than the 5.0 mg/dm3 maximum contaminant limit(MCL) by the WHO, while Fe, Mn, and Pb exceeded the MCL.

The primary goal of this research article is to develop and evaluate an herbal pimple face pack for acne treatment using natural ingredients in varying concentrations such as Multani Matti, acorus calamus, coriandrum sativum, symplocos racemose roxb, neem powder, Chandan powder, and rose powder. Ayurvedic treatments are safer than synthetic formulations because the side effects are less. Herbal face packs are primarily used to eliminate dark circles, pimples, acne, and dirt particles from the skin's pores. Thus, in the current study, we developed a pimple herbal face pack that may be quickly produced with readily available substances. Following evaluation, we discovered that the face packs had good properties, were free of skin irritation, and retained their consistency even after being stored under stable settings. All of the face pack formulations were found to be satisfactory in physical parameters and free of skin irritations, thus we concluded that the face packs had good flowing properties and were suitable for human skin.

Tourism is often celebrated as a driver of economic growth, cultural exchange, and global connectivity. In India, it is no exception?tourism contributes significantly to the nation?s GDP,[2] and employment landscape. However, what lies beneath the surface of exotic destinations and cultural showcases is a disturbing and under-acknowledged reality: the sexual and economic exploitation of children in the tourism sector. Despite constitutional protections, legal frameworks, and a growing international discourse on child rights, India remains a troubling hotspot for child exploitation linked to tourism.

This study explores the effectiveness of social work interventions in improving nutritional knowledge and practices among pregnant women in rural areas of Chamarajanagara district, Karnataka. Maternal nutrition is a critical determinant of both maternal and fetal health, yet rural women often face multiple barriers including poverty, limited healthcare access, cultural taboos, and low educational levels. These challenges contribute to poor dietary practices, nutritional deficiencies, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Social work plays a crucial role in addressing these issues by bridging knowledge gaps, promoting health education, and connecting women with available nutritional services.

The rising awareness of synthetic hair dyes results in the expanding need to utilize natural and safe variations of hair dyes. The herbal hair dye contains natural plant based components that provide hair dyeing effects and at the same time act in the healing aspect without damaging the scalp or hair. The present paper dwells on the preparation and testing of the multi-tonal hair dye based on Henna (Lawsonia inermis) and mixed with a great number of herbal constituents estimated to be dye-active, hair-conditioning and hair-nourishing. They have come up with four different compositions by combining the use of traditions such as Indigo, Amla, Shikakai, Chamomile, Moringa, Hibiscus, Rose, Clove, Coffee, and Kaolin clay which are used traditionally in caring of the hair. The formulations were evaluated in terms of colour tone, spreadability, texture, stability and herbal functionality. The mixture of these herbs is supposed to result in shades between reddish-green and dark brown and black, depending upon proportions employed. The herbal dyes did not only give out multi-tonal shades but also enhanced the texture of hair, cut down the growth of dandruff, ensured the growth of hair and gave an excellent cooling effect on the scalp. The product was developed without usage of harmful chemicals; hence it could be used regularly. This finding reveals that multi-herbal dye blends be a good solution to chemical dyes and would not only be aesthetic but also therapeutic in one mix.

This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition, extraction, and in vitro cytotoxic and anti-skin cancer activity of Pithecellobium dulce leaf extract. Phytochemicals, renowned for their potential health benefits, were extracted from dried P. dulce leaves using ethanol via Soxhlet extraction, yielding 5.86% (w/w) of crude extract. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) revealed the presence of four distinct compounds with Rf values ranging from 0.664 to 0.849, suggesting a complex mixture. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) further identified several compounds, including Benzene derivatives and Bromocyclopentane, indicating the chemical diversity of the extract. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the crude extract was evaluated using the MTT assay against both normal L929 fibroblast cells and A431 human skin cancer cells. Results showed that the extract exhibited relatively low toxicity towards normal L929 cells, with an IC50 value of 485.61~mu g/mL. Importantly, the extract demonstrated significant anti-skin cancer activity against A431 cells, achieving an IC50 value of 169.58~mu g/mL. These findings suggest that Pithecellobium dulce leaf extract possesses promising selective cytotoxic effects against skin cancer cells, highlighting its potential as a source of novel therapeutic agents for cancer treatment.

The course Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Python Programming for Pharmacy ? II builds on foundational principles of artificial intelligence to equip pharmacy students with advanced analytical and computational skills. It integrates linear algebra, calculus, and differential equations to explain the mathematical logic underlying neural networks and machine-learning algorithms.

The healthcare industry is undergoing a digital transformation, but challenges such as data breaches, interoperability issues, and limited patient control over health records continue to hinder its progress. Blockchain technology, originally developed for financial transactions, offers a revolutionary framework for secure, decentralized, and transparent data management. In healthcare, blockchain can address critical concerns such as data security, privacy, access control, and information sharing. This article explores the impact of blockchain on healthcare, focusing on its application in electronic medical record (EMR) systems, data interoperability, research data sharing, and patient empowerment. Through a review of recent research and pilot systems such as MedRec, MediBchain, and privacy-preserving Internet of Things (IoT) networks, the paper highlights how blockchain offers promising solutions to modern healthcare problems while identifying challenges to large-scale adoption.

In an increasingly digital world, cyber security equity has emerged as a critical concern, particularly for under-resourced schools in rural and marginalized regions. This study, titled "Cyber Security Equity: Addressing the Digital Divide and Safe Internet Use in Under- Resourced Schools," investigates how digital disparities intersect with cyber security awareness and practices in government schools with limited resources. Relying on secondary data from national education reports, policy documents, NGO assessments, and cyber security literacy studies, the research explores the infrastructural, socio-economic, and pedagogical challenges that contribute to digital exclusion and online vulnerability among students and educators.

By accelerating the identification, refinement, and validation of therapeutic candidates, artificial intelligence is transforming the drug discovery process. From target identification to clinical trial design, this paper examines the current uses of AI in drug discovery. To mine biological data, forecast drug-target interactions, and create new compounds with desirable pharmacological features, machine learning methods, deep neural networks, and natural language processing are used. Successful AI-driven lead optimisation and virtual screening are illustrated by case studies like Atomwise and Insilico Medicine. AI is also essential for developing new medicine formulations and repurposing existing ones. Data bias, model transparency, and regulatory acceptance are still issues despite its potential. It is anticipated that the combination of AI with robotics, cloud computing, and omics technologies would further revolutionise pharmaceutical research.