Abstract Buruli ulcer (BU) is a bacterial infectious disease of the subcutaneous fat caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, resulting in chronic, devastating, necrotizing consequences. M. ulcerans produces a polyketide-derived macrolide toxin called mycolactone, required for the organism’s virulence. The disease manifests initially as a painless pre-ulcerative subcutaneous nodule, a plaque or as a rapidly progressing oedema. The oedema, the severe form breaks down to form characteristic ulcers w...
ABSTRACT Introduction: The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) disease still remains a global public health issue. An intriguing observation is the increasing rate of the infection among Female Sex Workers (FSW). HIV Testing Services (HTS) is an essential entry point for any HIV intervention service for FSW and studies like the Integrated Bio-Behavioral Surveillance Surveys (IBBSS) anonymously link the HIV test results of FSW with their respect...
ABSTRACT A variety of physical processes may be characterised mathematically by a function, F say defined by (m>1) independent variables
ABSTRACT This work presents the effects of metakaolin as a supplementary cementitious material in mortars for construction applications. Kaolin from Teleku Bokazo was calcined at 650oC and partially used to replace Portland limestone cement to produce mortars and paste. The metakaolin was successfully used in a cement paste and its effect observed in the different cement replacements proportions. The replacements ranged from 10% - 35% by mass and characterised after 3, 7, 14 and 28 days of cu...
ABSTRACT One of the main challenges for clinical practice and public health surveillance is rapid and accurate identification of food borne pathogens. In Nigeria, the use of sophisticated molecular tools for foodborne pathogens detection has not been extensively adopted. Bacterial strains isolated from food products sold in Lagos, Nigeria, were subjected to phenotypic techniques and 16S rRNA gene sequencing for specie level identification. Bacterial identification was performed using colonial...
ABSTRACT Babesia species are intra-erythrocytic protozoa of the phylum apicomplexa. They are either round or pear shaped, often characterized by a tetrad configuration (Maltese cross). The merozoite stage of Babesia spp have diagnostic significance and are found as intracellular inclusions of infected red blood cells. The trophozoite stages appear as ring forms which measure about 1.0 to 5.0μm. This parasite is transmitted by hard ticks and can cause a zoonotic disease known as babesiosis. H...
ABSTRACT Concerns about the dangers of Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) have been a major problem all over the world. Hypertension, which is the commonest CVD is gradually usurping the minds of public health workers globally. The disease is the commonest cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world. It is also the commonest cause of heart disease. In this study, we employ the Vector Autoregressive (VAR) modeling approach to model and to forecast hypertension and heart disease cases in the...
ABSTRACT Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a public health problem in Ghana, leading to blindness. Year-round access to Vitamin Arich foods will curb its incidence. This study sought to identify appropriate processing, preservation and fortification methods to enhance E-carotene retention in foods towards VAD alleviation. Carrots were steamed, blanched in water, NaHS03, NaCl or alkali rocksalt (Kanwa) solutions. Amaranthus and Xanthosoma leaves were blanched in a range of kanwa solutions (0-0.1%)...
ABSTRACT Background Onchocerca volvulus is a filarial parasite that causes onchocerciasis or ‘river blindness’. Two strains of the parasite exist in West Africa namely, savannah and forest strains. They differ significantly in epidemiology, disease severity and are specific to different vectors. The savannah strain found in West Africa is associated with blindness while the forest strain, on the other hand, causes less severe ocular diseases even in individuals with high parasite load. In...
ABSTRACT Effective adaptation to climate change provides the means through which agricultural households reduce the vulnerability of their livelihood to the impacts of climatic hazards. Effective strategies reduce the adverse impacts of fluctuations and changes in climatic variables on households’ livelihood leading to the achievement of their livelihood targets whiles maintaining the quality of the environment. Agricultural households in Sissala area have devised their own mechanisms for e...
ABSTRACT Cocoa beans are the main ingredient for making chocolate and in Ghana, it is a major contributor to the economy as it generates an annual foreign exchange of about US $2 billion. The ability to produce high quality cocoa beans free from moulds and mycotoxin contamination has therefore become critical due to the impact mycotoxins have on health of consumers and global trade. This study investigated changes in fungal growth, mycotoxin concentrations, physico-chemical properties and coc...
ABSTRACT Multiple linear regression analysis may be used to describe the relation of a variable (response variable) based on the score of several other variables (independent variables). The least squares estimate of the regression coefficients are unsteady in that replicate samples can give widely differing values of the regression coefficients if the predictor variables are highly correlated. Ridge and Lasso regression analysis are regularization techniques for eliminating the effect of hig...
ABSTRACT The effectiveness of the water shield above the core and in the pool for shielding gamma rays and neutrons was investigated by measurements and calculations for a tank-in-pool type reactor, Ghana Research Reactor-1, GHARR-1. Experimental determination of y - dose rates were made using Radiation Alert Monitor-4 and halogen counter type J613 y probe with readout on y -radiation monitoring system of the control console and the microcomputer control system. The PC version of the one-dime...
ABSTRACT Cocoa has been the most important cash crop in Ghana, contributing significantly to the country’s GDP and providing a significant source of income for a lot of households. The government, in trying to support the cocoa sector, has implemented several measures to help farmers achieve maximum cocoa output. However, there are still challenges in the sector. This study looked at the management practices adopted by farmers and its impact on cocoa yield in the Asutifi North District of G...
ABSTRACT Land use/land cover dynamics in wetland catchments is poorly understood; even though it is an important indicator of wetland ecological health. The study was aimed at detecting and quantifying Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) changes at the Muni-Pomadze Ramsar site in Ghana. The objective was to produce LULC maps for the area, assess the LULC dynamics during a ten year period, and establish statistical relationship between the major LULC changes and biophysical factors that influence human...