The National Open University of Nigeria came up with harmonized journals series to strengthen scholarship and quality, hence the birth of the Journal of Physical and Life Sciences, a blind peer review journal and joint publication of the Faculties of Agricultural Sciences, Health Sciences and Sciences. The Journal of Physical and Life Sciences is an international journal with Editorial Board spread across Africa, Europe and Australasia in academic institutions and international research institutes. Editorial Board is composed of seasoned academics in fields of science and expertise in their disciplines while our reviewers are drawn from both within and outside Nigeria.
In this maiden edition, the special feature challenges on multi- and inter-disciplinary approach to research and submitted that it would encourage research networks and collaboration while better harnessing results for coordinated development. It is opined that national technology advancement is hampered by poor appreciation of multidisciplinary research directed at national developmental needs. This position seemed to be accentuated by the highlight of manuscripts published in this issue, with 50% of the papers being jointly authored. However, only 30% are truly multidisciplinary in scope.
A major developmental issue addressed by one of the contributions is the exploratory study of the mental health challenges in three Nigerian communities. This paper accentuated the need for better public health intervention in order to forestall further psychosocial deterioration in communities. Another study look highlighted the need for health education on regulatory use of herbal therapies in rural communities to curb indiscriminate administration of herbal therapies particularly amongst pregnant women.
This maiden edition is also rich in contributions from agricultural disciplines, with investigation into the impact of extension services in fish farming, accessibility of productive resources for farming by rural women and a look into saving and investment pattern of rural households. Mathematical model was developed to determine the effects of variable viscosity and thermal conductivity on radiative MHD flow in a porous medium between two vertical wavy walls in a mathematics study while in a statistical investigation, another mathematical model developed to determine the effect of vaccination on the rate of incidence of measles epidemic. The level of potassium bromate in bread loaf has health implications and a study evaluated its content in bread samples using qualitative and spectrophotometric method. The final but not the least contribution evaluated merits and demerits of four electronic payment channels in Nigeria namely: the automatic teller machine (ATM), point of sales terminal (POS), mobile payment system and the web payment system. It identified the need for financial institutions, e-payment channel developers as well as financial regulators to introduce higher security if the e-payment channels would be sustained.
It is with joy and pride that I present to you the first National Open University of Nigeria’s harmonized journal, the NOUN Journal of Physical and Life Sciences (NJPLS), as a quality outlet for publishing ground breaking classical and applied research of high value and global relevance.
The Editor-in-Chief:
Prof. Shehu Usman Adamu