ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Development and Sensory Shelf-Life Testing of KOKO Plus: A Food Supplement for Improving the Nutritional Profiles of Traditional Complementary Foods

Background: Providing nutritionally adequate complementary foods is essential in preventing malnutrition in young infants. Koko made from fermented corn dough constitutes the most common complementary food in Ghana. However, these do not meet the nutrient requirements. Objective: To develop and test the acceptability and shelf-life of an energy-dense complementary food supplement for improving the nutritional profile of traditional complementary foods. Methods: Surveys of families in urban and rural communities and stakeholder engagements with health professionals were done to identify the most predominant traditional complementary foods and young infants’ feeding practices. A food supplement, KOKO Plus, that would improve the nutritional profile of koko and other complementary foods needed to be developed. Linear programming was used in ingredient formulations for the food supplement based on locally available foods. The acceptability of the food supplement, KOKO Plus, in koko and soup was assessed using 14 trained assessors in a 2 2 crossover design. Shelf-life of the product was estimated using the difference in control sensory test method at different storage temperatures (24 C, 34 C, and 44 C). Results: Koko was the most predominant complementary food in many homes. The KOKO Plus food supplement improved the nutritional profile of koko to satisfy the nutrient intake requirements of young infants as recommended by World Health Organization. KOKO Plus was microbiologically safe, with estimated shelf-life of more than 12 months. Conclusion: The development of KOKO Plus as a food supplement provides a practical solution to improve the nutritional status of weaning children in Ghana.

Source: UG
Development and Testing of Responsive Feeding Counseling Cards to Strengthen the UNICEF Infant and Young Child Feeding Counseling Package

Background: The UNICEF Community-based Infant and Young Child Feeding Counseling Package (C-IYCFCP) currently has limited responsive feeding (RF) content, thus limiting the dissemination of RF messages within infant and young child feeding (IYCF) counseling. Objectives: This project 1) developed counseling cards based on existing evidence-based RF guidelines and 2) tested their feasibility in Ghana. Methods: Five RF counseling cards were developed focusing on eating with family; introducing new foods; hunger/satiety cues; food texture; and calming a child. Four focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with adult mothers and fathers of children younger than 3 years of age to assess the cultural appropriateness of the cards and accompanying key messages. The feasibility of including cards as part of IYCF counseling was tested via 1) systematic observation of 8 group education sessions utilizing the cards with the same target audience and 2) in-depth interviews with health care providers involved in IYCF training and/or counseling. Results: FGD findings guided changes to all cards to ensure comprehension and cultural appropriateness. The group education sessions suggested that the counseling cards provided important RF messages that are specific, clear, and feasible to implement. Healthcare providers strongly endorsed the need for and utility of the RF counseling cards and felt they were feasible and important to integrate into the C-IYCFCP currently being used to deliver IYCF training and counseling in Ghana. Conclusions: The counseling cards have a strong potential to add key RF dimensions to IYCF training and counseling in Ghana. Curr Dev Nutr 2020;4:nzaa117

Source: UG
Development and validation of a novel scale for antiretroviral therapy readiness among pregnant women in urban Zambia with newly diagnosed HIV infection

Background Women who are newly diagnosed with HIV infection during pregnancy may not be ready to immedi‑ ately initiate lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART; called Option B+) as is recommended. Lack of “readiness” drives early disengagement from care and undermines prevention of HIV transmission to infants. Several studies have shown high early attrition of women initiating ART in pregnancy. Although poor ART uptake and adherence have been attributed to various factors including stigma, disclosure issues and structural issues, there is no standard way of determining which pregnant woman will face challenges and therefore need additional support. We developed and validated a novel ART readiness tool in Lusaka, Zambia. Methods The aim of this study was to develop and validate a tool that could be used to assess how ready a newly diagnosed pregnant woman living with HIV would be to initiate ART on the day of diagnosis. Using a mixed method design, we conducted this study in three public-setting health facilities in Lusaka, Zambia. Informed by qualitative research and literature review, we identifed 27 candidate items. We assessed content validity using expert and target population judgment approaches. We administered the 27-item questionnaire to 454 newly diagnosed pregnant women living with HIV, who were enrolled into a randomized trial (trials number NCT02459678). We performed item reduction analysis and used Cronbach’s alpha coefcient of 0.70 as threshold for reliability. Results A total of 454 pregnant women living with HIV enrolled in the study between March 2017 and December 2017; 452 had complete data for analysis. The correlation coefcient between the 27 items on the completed ART readiness scale ranged from 0.31 to 0.70 while item discrimination index ranged from -0.01 to 2.38. Sixteen items were selected for the fnal scale, representing three domains, which we classifed as “internalized and anticipated HIV stigma”, “partner support” and “anticipated structural barriers”. Conclusion We developed and validated a tool that could be used to assess readiness of newly diagnosed women living with HIV to initiate ART. This ART readiness tool could allow clinics to tailor limited resources to pregnant women living with HIV needing additional support to initiate and remain on ART

Source: UG
Development and validation of a prediction model for gestational hypertension in a Ghanaian cohort

Objective To develop and validate a prediction model for identifying women at increased risk of developing gestational hypertension (GH) in Ghana. Design A prospective study. We used frequencies for descriptive analysis, Ï ‡ 2 test for associations and logistic regression to derive the prediction model. Discrimination was estimated by the c-statistic. Calibration was assessed by calibration plot of actual versus predicted probability. Setting Primary care antenatal clinics in Ghana. Participants 2529 pregnant women in the development cohort and 647 pregnant women in the validation cohort. Inclusion criterion was women without chronic hypertension. Primary outcome Gestational hypertension. Results Predictors of GH were diastolic blood pressure, family history of hypertension in parents, history of GH in a previous pregnancy, parity, height and weight. The c-statistic of the original model was 0.70 (95% CI 0.67-0.74) and 0.68 (0.60 to 0.77) in the validation cohort. Calibration was good in both cohorts. The negative predictive value of women in the development cohort at high risk of GH was 92.0% compared to 94.0% in the validation cohort. Conclusions The prediction model showed adequate performance after validation in an independent cohort and can be used to classify women into high, moderate or low risk of developing GH. It contributes to efforts to provide clinical decision-making support to improve maternal health and birth outcomes.

Source: UG
The development and validation of an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for malaria

Vaccines for P. falciparum will need to contain both T- and B-cell epitopes. Conserved epitopes are the most desirable, but they are often poorly immunogenic. The major merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP-1) is currently a leading vaccine candidate antigen. In this study, six peptides from conserved or partly conserved regions of MSP-1 were evaluated for immunogenicity in B10 congenic mice. Following immunization with the peptides, murine T cells were tested for the ability to proliferate in vitro and antibody responses to MSP-1 were evaluated in vivo. The results showed that one highly conserved sequence (MSP-1#1, VTHESYQELVKKLEALEDAV; located at amino acid positions 20 to 39) and one partly conserved sequence (MSP-1#23, GLFHKEKMILNEEEITTKGA; located at positions 44 to 63) contained both T- and B-cell epitopes. Immunization of mice with these peptides resulted in T-cell proliferation and enhanced production of antibody to MSP-1 upon exposure to merozoites. MSP-1#1 stimulated T-cell responses in three of the six strains of mice evaluated, whereas MSP-1#23 was immunogenic in only one strain. Immunization with the other four peptides resulted in T-cell responses to the peptides, but none of the resulting peptide-specific T cells recognized native MSP-1. These results demonstrate that two sequences located in the N terminus of MSP-1 can induce T- and B-cell responses following immunization in a murine model. Clearly, these sequences merit further consideration for inclusion in a vaccine for malaria.

Source: UG
Development and validation of an improved DeLone-McLean IS success model - application to the evaluation of a tax administration ERP

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is critical to an organization’s success. However, the factors that contribute to the success and usage of these ERP systems have received little attention. This study developed and validated an improved DeLone-McLean IS success model. Additionally, we examined the factors which influence ERP system usage, employee satisfaction, and information quality, service quality, and system quality, as well as the factors that influence the system’s overall success. The proposed model is based on a mixed-methods case study (MM-CS). The results show that the proposed model significantly measures the success of an ERP system. The organizational climate, the information quality, the system quality, and the service quality all have an impact on the usage of an ERP system. The proposed model also shows that the use of an ERP system, training and learning, and the three information (IS) quality constructs are all significant predictors of user satisfaction. The results also indicate that gender and years of ICT use on the path of ERP users have a moderating effect on the relationship between teamwork & support and use.

Source: UG
Development and Validation of an Ion-Pair HPLC-UV Method for the Quantitation of Quinoline and Indoloquinoline Alkaloids in Herbal and Pharmaceutical Antimalarial Formulations

Quinine- and cryptolepine-based antimalarials serve as valuable alternatives to artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) in Ghana. *eir use, however, is associated with adulteration and substandard quality challenges. An HPLC method targeting quinoline and indoloquinoline antimalarial alkaloids was developed, validated, and applied to evaluate herbal and pharmaceutical antimalarial formulations (HPAFs) and starting materials (APIs). *e separation/quantitation of the alkaloids (including quinine, quinidine, cinchonine, cinchonidine, dihydroquinine, dihydroquinidine, and cryptolepine) was achieved on a Zorbax SB-CN column (250mm× 4.6 mm, 5 μm), with an isocratic elution system of methanol: trifluoroacetic acid (0.1%, v/v) (15 : 85, v/v) at 1.5 mL/min and 223 nm. Method validation was according to ICH Q2(R1) guidelines. It was then used to assess the quality of APIs (n = 3) and HPAFs (n = 44) including quinine-based pharmaceutical antimalarial formulations (QBPAFs) (n = 23) and herbal antimalarial products (HAMPs). *e method was found to be specific, selective, accurate, precise, and robust toward the alkaloids with linearity achieved within specified concentration ranges (r2 > 0.995 for all analytes). Analyte stability ranged between 6 and 12 hours. All the APIs contained quinine <99.0%–101.0%, with dihydroquinine and cinchonidine at levels compliant with the established acceptance criteria. *e QBPAFs had quinine content ranging between 50.2% and 151.2%, with 43.5% (n = 10/23) of them complying with the acceptance criteria. *erelated alkaloids observed in the QBPAFs included quinidine (56.5%, n = 13/23), dihydroquinine (100%, n = 23/23), dihydroquinidine (21.7%, n = 5/23), cinchonine (17.4%, n = 4/23), and cinchonidine (95.7%, n = 22/23). For the HAMPs, 81.0% (n = 17/21) were adulterated with quinine (0.59 ± 0.04 mg/10 mL–86.03 ± 0.02 mg/10 mL). Cryptolepine was identified in 19% (n = 4/21) of the HAMPs with concentration ranging between 43.99 ± 0.43 μg/mL and 747.86 ± 0.34 μg/mL. In conclusion, the application of the ion-pair HPLC method targeting quinoline and indoloquinoline antimalarials has demonstrated the presence of quality and poor-quality HPAFs on the Ghanaian market.

Source: UG
Development and Validation of an Objective, Passive Dietary Assessment Method for Estimating Food and Nutrient Intake in Households in Lowand Middle-Income Countries: A Study Protocol

Malnutrition is a major concern in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), but the full extent of nutritional deficiencies remains unknown largely due to lack of accurate assessment methods. This study seeks to develop and validate an objective, passive method of estimating food and nutrient intake in households in Ghana and Uganda. Household members (including under-5s and adolescents) are assigned a wearable camera device to capture images of their food intake during waking hours. Using custom software, images captured are then used to estimate an individual's food and nutrient (i.e., protein, fat, carbohydrate, energy, and micronutrients) intake. Passive food image capture and assessment provides an objective measure of food and nutrient intake in real time, minimizing some of the limitations associated with self-reported dietary intake methods. Its use in LMIC could potentially increase the understanding of a population's nutritional status, and the contribution of household food intake to the malnutrition burden. This project is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03723460).

Source: UG
Development and validation of DNA microarray for genotyping group A rotavirus VP4 (P[4], P[6], P[8], P[9], and P[14]) and VP7 (G1 to G6, G8 to G10, and G12) genes

The main research focus of the Electron Microscopy and Histopathology Department in the past 20 years has been in the areas of enteric diarrhoeas with special emphasis on rotavirus. Through its diarrhoea surveillance studies, the Department has helped to firmly establish rotaviruses as a major cause of diarrhoea in children, and document the circulation of unusual rotavirus genotypes in Ghana. The Department has also recently expanded its diagnostic repertoire to include the identification and characterization of noroviruses, astroviruses, and other enteric viruses.

Source: UG
Development of 31 polymorphic microsatellite markers for guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) using next-generation sequencing technology

Though efforts to domesticate guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) have been productive, both feral and wild populations continue to decline due to habitat fragmentation and heavy hunting, increasing the need to monitor and sustain this species. This study reports the first 31 original polymorphic microsatellite markers for guinea fowl by the next-generation sequencing technology. Observed (HO) and expected heterozygosities (HE) ranged from 0.033 to 1.000 (mean 0.396) and 0.033 to 0.799 (mean 0.419), respectively. Number of alleles ranged between 2 and 9 per locus (mean 3.387). Nine loci significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (p &lt; 0.05), after Bonferroni correction. Null allele frequency was less than 0.2 in all loci except locus Nmg22 (0.3). Results from this study can serve as baseline information for genetic diversity studies and also inform breeding strategies for the improvement and conservation in both domestic and wild populations of the species. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Source: UG
Development of a Novel Lager Beer from Sorghum Malt

Pito is a fermented alcoholic beverage from malted sorghum. It has a characteristic sour taste and contains 3-5% alcohol by volume because the production involves a combination of lactic acid and alcoholic fermentations. The product quality is variable because processing methods have remained at the artisanal level. Pito is drunk while still fermenting and has a limited shelf life of 3 to 5 days. This work reports on the production of a novel larger beer, based on standardizing the procedures of pito production according to specifications for malting and brewing. Sorghum is malted according to standard procedures. The malt is coarse ground, slurried in water (1: 5 ratio) and stood for 60 minutes to settle. The supernatant enzyme-rich liquor is decanted, and the mash is boiled. The supernatant is recombined with the boiled mash and taken through a programmed mashing regime. It is left to sour and filtered, boiled and hopped to a final extract of 12°P. The wort is cooled to 20°C and pitched with brewer’s yeast. After fermentation for 3 days at this temperature, the beer is cooled, filtered and packaged. The original extract of the sorghum malt was14.0±0.5 ° P and the apparent extract 4.0±0.5°P. The pH of the beer ranged from 3.6-3.9, and it had a color of 15-25 EBC units. The beer bitterness index ranged between 20-24 bitterness units. The alcohol content by volume was 5.0±0.4%. Except for the pH that was slightly lower than normal, all the parameters of the beer were within standard specifications for conventional lager beers. Consumer evaluation of the product found it to be acceptable.

Source: UG
Development of a diarrhoea severity scoring scale in a passive health facility-based surveillance system

Abstract Background Diarrhoeal disease remains a leading cause of death among children mostly in low and middle- income countries. Factors contributing to disease severity are complex and there is currently no consensus on a scoring tool for use in community-based studies. Methods Data were collected during a passive surveillance system in an outpatient health facility in Lusaka, Zambia from March 2019 to July 2019. Diarrhea episodes were assessed for severity using an in-house severity scoring tool (CIDRZ) and previously published scores (Vesikari, Clark, CODA, and DHAKA). The CIDRZ score was constructed using fieldworker-reported clinical signs and exploratory factor analysis. We used precision-recall curves measuring severe diarrhoea (i.e., requiring intravenous rehydration or referred for hospital admission) to determine the best performing scores. Then, we used Cronbach’s alpha to assess the scale’s internal consistency. Finally, we used Cohen’s kappa to assess agreement between the scores. Results Of 110 diarrhea episodes, 3 (3%) required intravenous rehydration or were referred for hospital admission. The precision-recall area under the curve of each score as a predictor of severe diarrhoea requiring intravenous rehydration or hospital admission was 0.26 for Vesikari, 0.18 for CODA, 0.24 for Clark, 0.59 for DHAKA, and 0.59 for CIDRZ. The CIDRZ scale had substantial reliability and performed similarly to the DHAKA score. Conclusions Diarrhoea severity scores focused on characteristics specific to dehydration status may better predict severe diarrhea among children in Lusaka. Aetiology-specific scoring tools may not be appropriate for use in community healthcare settings. Validation studies for the CIDRZ score in diverse settings and with larger sample sizes are warranted.

Source: UG
Development of a Facilitator Guide for Nutrition Education on Overweight and Obesity in the Eastern Region of Ghana

Overweight and obesity are global public health problems. Although overweight and obesity are high in urban areas, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing steadily in rural areas. However, interventions to address overweight and obesity in rural areas are limited. This study reports on the process of developing a facilitator guide for a nutrition education program on overweight and obesity in rural Ghana. The transtheoretical model guided this study. The study was conducted in three districts in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The facilitator guide was developed according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) guidelines for planning community nutrition education. This study engaged nutrition and agricultural officers working in the study area and academics through an iterative process to draft, revise, and design the facilitator guide. The procedures included a desk literature review, analysis of secondary data, telephone interviews, a seminar and two workshops. The guide consists of five lessons. Lesson 1 creates an awareness of overweight and obesity by providing a definition and the Stunkard Figure Rating Scale. It also includes data on the prevalence of overweight and obesity and abdominal obesity of women in the study area. Lesson 2 discusses body image perceptions and their association with overweight and obesity. Lesson 3 highlights the economic, social and health consequences of overweight and obesity. Lesson 4 explains the four-star diet and how to achieve it. The lesson includes a description of each star of the four-star diet with local examples. Lesson 5 discusses physical activity and steps to increase physical activity. Each lesson ends with a key message. Songs were developed for Lessons 3, 4 and 5. This study describes the process of developing a facilitator guide for overweight and obesity education at the community level. The guide can be used to raise awareness of overweight and obesity and weight management

Source: UG
Development of a Language-Independent Functional Evaluation

Haig AJ, Jayarajan S, Maslowski E, Yamakawa KS, Tinney M, Beier KP, Juang D, Chan L, Boggess T, Loar J, Owusu-Ansah B, Kalpakjian C. Development of a language-independent functional evaluation. Objective: To design, validate, and critique a tool for self-report of physical functioning that is independent of language and literacy. Design: Software design and 2 prospective trials followed by redesign. Setting: United States and African university hospitals. Participants: Outpatient and inpatient competent adults with diverse physical impairments. Interventions: (1) Software design process leading to a Preliminary Language-Independent Functional Evaluation (Pre-L.I.F.E.); (2) patient surveys using a printed Pre-L.I.F.E. and a computer-animated Pre-L.I.F.E. tested in random order, followed by a questionnaire version of the standard Barthel Index; and (3) software redesign based on objective and qualitative experiences with Pre-L.I.F.E. Main Outcome Measures: Validation of the general concept that written and spoken language can be eliminated in assessment of function. Development of a refined Language-Independent Functional Evaluation (L.I.F.E.). Results: A viable Pre-L.I.F.E. software was built based on design parameters of the clinical team. Fifty Americans and 51 Africans demonstrated excellent (Cronbach α>0.8 Americans) and good (α>.425 Africans) reliability. In general, the relations between Pre-L.I.F.E. and Barthel scores were excellent in the United States (interclass correlation coefficient for stair climbing, .959) but somewhat less good in Africa, with elimination functions very poorly related. The computer-animated Pre-L.I.F.E. was faster and trended to be more reliable than the printed Pre-L.I.F.E. in both the United States and Africa. Redesign meetings corrected statistical and qualitative challenges, resulting in a new tool, the L.I.F.E. Conclusions: Literacy and language translation can be eliminated from some aspects of functional assessment. The new L.I.F.E., based on solid empirical evidence and design principles, may be a practical solution to assessment of function in the global culture. © 2009 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Source: UG