University of Abuja

Study habit and its impact on secondary school students academic performance in biology in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

Study habits is how one studies. That is, the habits which students form during their school years. Without good study habits, a student cannot succeed. Thus, this study investigated the impact of study habits on secondary school students’ academic performance in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The study was guided by one null hypothesis. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design as its plan. The sample of the study constituted of 1050 senior secondary school students drawn from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The instrument used for data collection was questionnaire. Chi-square was used for data analysis. The finding of the study revealed that there is significant relationship between study habits and students’ academic performance. It was recommended that teachers and school guidance counselors should collaboratively guide students on how to develop good study habits; thereby enhancing their academic success. Key words: Habits, study habits, biology, impact and academic performance.

A review of MRI studies in Africa with special focus on quantitative MRI: Historical development, current status and the role of medical physicists

Africa’s readiness for artificial intelligence in clinical radiotherapy delivery: Medical physicists to lead the way

BACKGROUND: There have been several proposals by researchers for the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology due to its promising role in radiotherapy practice. However, prior to the introduction of the technology, there are certain general recommendations that must be achieved. Also, the current challenges of AI must be addressed. In this review, we assess how Africa is prepared for the integration of AI technology into radiotherapy service delivery. METHODS: To assess the readiness of Africa for integration of AI in radiotherapy services delivery, a narrative review of the available literature from PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Scopus was conducted in the English language using search terms such as Artificial Intelligence, Radiotherapy in Africa, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Quality Assurance. RESULTS: We identified a number of issues that could limit the successful integration of AI technology into radiotherapy practice. The major issues include insufficient data for training and validation of AI models, lack of educational curriculum for AI radiotherapy-related courses, no/limited AI teaching professionals, funding, and lack of AI technology and resources. Solutions identified to facilitate smooth implementation of the technology into radiotherapy practices within the region include: creating an accessible national data bank, integrating AI radiotherapy training programs into Africa's educational curriculum, investing in AI technology and resources such as electronic health records and cloud storage, and creation of legal laws and policies to support the use of the technology. These identified solutions need to be implemented on the background of creating awareness among health workers within the radiotherapy space. CONCLUSION: The challenges identified in this review are common among all the geographical regions in the African continent. Therefore, all institutions offering radiotherapy education and training programs, management of the medical centers for radiotherapy and oncology, national and regional professional bodies for medical physics, ministries of health, governments, and relevant stakeholders must take keen interest and work together to achieve this goal.