In Ghana, youth unemployment remains significant challenges, with technical and vocational education and training (TVET) emerging as a potential solution to equip young people with practical skills for the job market. However, the uptake of TVET programmes among Ghanaian youth remains low, particularly among females. This study therefore explores the determinants that influence TVET choices among Ghanaian youth, with the goal of informing policy development to enhance participation in vocational education. Applying an enhanced multinomial logistic regression (MLR) model, this research examines the influence of socio-economic, demographic, and attitudinal factors on career decisions. The enhanced model accounts for class imbalances in the dataset and improves classification accuracy, making it a robust tool for understanding the drivers behind TVET choices. A sample of 1600 Ghanaian youth engaged in vocational careers was used, ensuring diverse representation of the population. Key findings reveal that males are approximately three times more likely to choose TVET programs than females, despite females making up 50.13% of Ghana’s population. Specific determinants influencing TVET choices include financial constraints, parental influence, peer influence, teacher influence, self-motivation, and vocational limitations. In regions with limited vocational options, youth often pursue careers based on availability rather than preference, which highlights a gap in vocational opportunities. Parental and teacher influences were found to play a dominant role in steering youth towards specific careers. The study concludes with recommendations for policymakers, instructors, and stakeholders to increase the accessibility, relevance, and quality of TVET programmes to meet the socio-economic needs of Ghanaian youth.

This review provided a detailed overview of the different synthesis and characterization methods of polymeric nanoparticles. Nanoparticles are defined as solid and colloidal particles of macromolecular substances ranging in size under 100 nm. Different types of nanoparticles are used in many biological fields (bio-sensing, biological separation, molecular imaging, anticancer therapy, etc.). The new features and functions provided by nano dimensions are largely different from their bulk forms. High volume/surface ratio, improved resolution and multifunctional capability make these materials gain many new features. 

Low temperature is one of the most significant environmental factors that threaten the survival of subtropical and tropical plant species. By conducting a study, which was arranged in a completely randomized design with three replicates, the relative freezing tolerance (FT) of four Iranian pomegranate cultivars, including ‘Alak Torsh’, ‘Tabestaneh Torsh’, ‘Poost Sefid’, and ‘Poost Syah’, as well as its correlation with some biochemical indices, were investigated. From each cultivar, pieces of one-year-old shoot samples were treated with controlled freezing temperatures (−11, −14, and −17 ℃) to determine lethal temperatures (LT₅₀) based on survival percentage, electrolyte leakage, phenolic leakage, and tetrazolium staining test (TST) methods. Results showed that FT was higher in the second year with a lower minimum temperature and a higher concentration of cryoprotectants. The stronger correlation of electrolyte leakage with survival percentage (r = 0.93***) compared to the other three indices explained that this index could be the most reliable injury index in determining the pomegranate FT to investigate freezing effects. Of all four cultivars, ‘Poost Syah’ was the hardest by presenting a higher FT than ~ −14 ℃ in mid-winter. Accordingly, this pomegranate cultivar seems to be promising to grow in regions with a higher risk of freezing and to be involved in breeding programs to develop novel commercial cultivars.