ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Movement of a falciparum malaria protein through the erythrocyte cytoplasm to the erythrocyte membrane is associated with lysis of the erythrocyte and release of gametes

Erythrocytes containing mature gametocytes of Plasmodium falciparum circulate in the blood until they are ingested by a mosquito, an event that triggers gametogenesis and lysis of the infected erythrocyte. It was previously shown that a parasite protein (Pf155/RESA) accumulates in the erythrocyte cytoplasm next to the parasitophorous vacuolar membrane (S. Unit, A. Masuda, M.J. Stewart, R. Nussenzweig, and M. Aikawa, Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 36:481-488, 1987). Using a monoclonal antibody to Pf155/RESA and rabbit sera to two different repeat peptides of Pf155/RESA, we have studied the location of Pf155/RESA after induction of gametogenesis. Five minutes after triggering gametogenesis, the parasitophorous membrane no longer surrounded the parasite, bringing the parasite membrane in contact with the erythrocyte cytoplasm. Clear spaces appeared throughout the hemoglobin-rich host cytoplasm; Pf155/RESA was now localized in the cytoplasm directly surrounding the spaces. No membrane existed between the spaces and the erythrocyte cytoplasm. The spaces with surrounding Pf155/RESA protein extended to the erythrocyte membrane. After lysis of the erythrocyte membrane (15 min after triggering gametogenesis), the protein was distributed along the erythrocyte membrane and throughout the space between the gamete and the erythrocyte membrane. The mechanism by which Pf155/RESA remained aggregated around the spaces and its role in erythrocyte lysis are unknown. It is of interest that the parasite appeared to use the same molecule during invasion of erythrocytes and during release of gametes from infected erythrocytes.

Source: UG
Moving Unruly Contemporary Urbanism Toward Sustainable Urban Development in Ghana by 2030

The widely held view that rapid urbanization is occurring across much of Sub-Saharan Africa has been questioned recently, and an alternative perspective has drawn attention to conditions of counter-urbanization and slow urbanization growth rates on the continent. This view has far-reaching implications for the urbanization agenda because the need for central government and metropolitan authorities to prepare for high levels of urbanization is in doubt. Using census data for the period 1970 to 2010, this study critically examines the population dynamics of cities in Ghana, and the key factors shaping these dynamics as well as future growth trajectories through 2030. We argue that without proper planning and investments in cities, Ghana is likely to produce a bipolar urban society marked, on the one hand, by world-class cities with solid infrastructure and services largely inhabited by the middle and upper classes and, on the other, by cities largely composed of informal settlements inhabited by a poor and low-skilled population. Although there is little doubt about Ghana’s urban future, the future pattern remains unclear, especially the potential impact of new urban projects as well as the effects of climate change and new investments in oil and gas on the existing pattern. We conclude that policymakers, city officials, the private sector, and other key actors need to be more proactive and creative in addressing the most salient negative outcomes of urbanization and embolden their policy instruments to deal with mounting urban challenges. © 2014 SAGE Publications.

Source: UG
MRI age verification of U-17 footballers: The Ghana study

Background A fair playground is absolutely necessary in any age limited sports. Age determination in countries where birth registration is not compulsory can often be difficult making it a challenge to determine ages of people born in such countries. Objective To determine correlation between chronological ages of under 17 Ghanaian footballers and the FIFA MRI grading. Method The degree of radial epiphyseal fusion was evaluated in 286 male Ghanaian footballers aged 13–16 years over a 4 year period (June 2012–November 2016) using 1.5 T Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The ages of the participants used in the study were those provided by the football players and confirmed with their national passports. Results Over 48% of these Ghanaian players below the age of 17 years had completely fused radial epiphysis. No significant correlation between the given chronological ages and the degree of fusion was found. The Spearmans correlation was given as (r = 0.069; p = 0.540). Conclusion There was no correlation between chronological age and degree of radial fusion among Ghanaian players. Normative study among Ghanaian/black African players is long overdue to ensure the U-17 players from these countries are not unfairly disadvantaged.

Source: UG
MSIS 2016: What are we teaching in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Organisations tend to increasingly prefer graduates with substantial competencies to reduce the cost of on-the-job training and to ensure a seamless transition from the classroom to the workplace. It is imperative that universities meet these organisational demands by developing innovative curricula. The Joint Taskforce of the Association of Computing Machines and the Association for Information Systems developed an information systems (IS) curriculum model to guide institutions’ degree programmes. The extent to which this model is adopted has been studied largely in the context of undergraduate programmes in the UK and US, and little research has been done in other regions. Thus, this paper empirically provides evidence of the nature of graduate IS programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa and assesses their adherence to the broad categories of competencies proposed in the MSIS 2016 through a direct survey of top universities. We found among others that, non-adherence to the MSIS 2016 is common.

Source: UG
The Mtb proteome library: A resource of assays to quantify the complete proteome of mycobacterium tuberculosis

Research advancing our understanding of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) biology and complex host-Mtb interactions requires consistent and precise quantitative measurements of Mtb proteins. We describe the generation and validation of a compendium of assays to quantify 97% of the 4,012 annotated Mtb proteins by the targeted mass spectrometric method selected reaction monitoring (SRM). Furthermore, we estimate the absolute abundance for 55% of all Mtb proteins, revealing a dynamic range within the Mtb proteome of over four orders of magnitude, and identify previously unannotated proteins. As an example of the assay library utility, we monitored the entire Mtb dormancy survival regulon (DosR), which is linked to anaerobic survival and Mtb persistence, and show its dynamic protein-level regulation during hypoxia. In conclusion, we present a publicly available research resource that supports the sensitive, precise, and reproducible quantification of virtually any Mtb protein by a robust and widely accessible mass spectrometric method. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Source: UG
Mucin 4 protein is expressed in B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia and is restricted to BCR::ABL1-positive and BCR::ABL-like subtypes

Mucin 4 (MUC4) is a transmembrane mucin that, like most mucins, is not expressed in normal hematopoietic cells, but little is known about its expression in malignant hematopoiesis. B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) consists of genetically distinct disease subtypes with similarities and differences in gene expression most frequently studied at the mRNA level, which is less amenable to widespread routine clinical use. Here, we demonstrate using immunohistochemistry (IHC) that MUC4 protein is expressed in less than 10% of B-ALL, with expression restricted to BCR::ABL1þ and BCR::ABL1-like (CRLF2 rearranged) subtypes of B-ALL (4/13, 31%). None (0/36, 0%) of the re maining B-ALL subtypes expressed MUC4. We compare clinical and pathologic features of MUC4þ and MUC4 BCR::ABL1þ/like cases and most significantly report a possible shorter time to relapse for MUC4þ BCR::ABL1 B-ALL that would need to be validated in larger studies. In conclusion, MUC4 is a specific, albeit insensitive, marker for these high-risk subtypes of B-ALL. We propose that MUC4 IHC may be used diagnostically to rapidly identify these B-ALL subtypes, particularly in resource-limited settings or when an aspirate sample is not available for ancillary genetic studies.

Source: UG
Mucuna pruriens for Parkinson's disease: Low-cost preparation method, laboratory measures and pharmacokinetics profile

Background Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurological condition. Levodopa (LD) is the gold standard therapy for PD patients. Most PD patients in low-income areas cannot afford long-term daily Levodopa therapy. The aim of our study was to investigate if Mucuna pruriens (MP), a legume with high LD content that grows in tropical regions worldwide, might be potential alternative for poor PD patients. Methods We analyzed 25 samples of MP from Africa, Latin America and Asia. We measured the content in LD in various MP preparations (dried, roasted, boiled). LD pharmacokinetics and motor response were recorded in four PD patients, comparing MP vs. LD + Dopa-Decarboxylase Inhibitor (DDCI) formulations. Results Median LD concentration in dried MP seeds was 5.29%; similar results were obtained in roasted powder samples (5.3%), while boiling reduced LD content up to 70%. Compared to LD + DDCI, MP extract at similar LD dose provided less clinical benefit, with a 3.5-fold lower median AUC. Conclusion Considering the lack of a DDCI, MP therapy may provide clinical benefit only when content of LD is at least 3.5-fold the standard LD + DDCI. If long-term MP proves to be safe and effective in controlled clinical trials, it may be a sustainable alternative therapy for PD in low-income countries. © 2016 The Authors.

Source: UG
Multi-centre point prevalence survey of hospital-acquired infections in Ghana

Background: There is a paucity of data describing hospital acquired infections (HAIs) in Africa. Objective: To describe the prevalence and distribution of HAIs in acute care hospitals in Ghana. Methods: Between September and December 2016, point prevalence surveys were conducted in participating hospitals using protocols of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. We reviewed medical records of eligible inpatients at or before 8am on the day of survey to identify HAIs present at the time of survey. Findings: Ten hospitals were surveyed, representing 32.9% of all acute care beds in government hospitals. Of 2107 inpatients surveyed, 184 HAIs were identified among 172 patients, corresponding to an overall prevalence of 8.2%. The prevalence values in hospitals ranged from 3.5 to 14.4% with higher proportion of infections in secondary and tertiary care facilities. The most frequent HAIs were surgical site infections (32.6%), bloodstream infections (19.5%), urinary tract infections (18.5%), and respiratory tract infections (16.3%). Device-associated infections accounted for 7.1% of HAIs. For 12.5% of HAIs, a microorganism was reported; the most isolated microorganism was Escherichia coli. Approximately 61% of all patients surveyed were on antibiotics; 89.5% of patients with an HAI received at least one antimicrobial agent on the day of survey. The strongest independent predictors for HAI were the presence of invasive device before onset of infection and duration of hospital stay. Conclusion: We recorded a low HAI burden compared to findings from other low and middle income countries.

Source: UG
Multi-Centric Evaluation of Biomeme Franklin Mobile qPCR for Rapid Detection of Mycobacterium Ulcerans in Clinical Specimens

The Bacteriology Department aims to improve the quality of life first for Ghanaians and the world at large by conducting research into bacterial diseases of public health importance to Ghana and globally. In addition to working on enteric pathogens and sexually transmitted diseases, the department’s current main focus is on the two most important mycobacterial diseases of public health importance to Ghana, namely Buruli ulcer (BU) and tuberculosis (TB).

Source: UG
Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach for Siting Sewer Treatment Plants in Muscat, Oman

Sewer Treatment Plants (STPs) are essential pieces of infrastructure given the growing scarcity of water sources due to the challenges of urbanization. The positioning of STPs is a complex multidimensional process that involves integrative decision-making approaches that consider multiple sustainability criteria to ensure their optimal placement. The Multi-Criteria Decision Method (MCDM) is a suite of approaches available to decision-makers when making systematic and sci-entifically informed decisions on siting wastewater treatment plants. Although MCDM methods have manifold applications in different geographic contexts, there is a paucity of studies employing MCDM models for the siting of STPs within the context of Oman. In this study, we assessed the locations of existing STPs and identified suitable locations for future STPs within the Muscat Governorate of Oman using a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Analytic Hierarchy Process (MCDM-AHP) model in a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment. Eight factors were considered in the MCDM-AHP model: slope, elevation, proximity to built-up areas, airports, valleys, road networks, the sea, parks, and golf courses. Each factor was assigned priority weights based on its importance using the AHP method. Thematic maps were generated to categorize the potential sites into different suitability levels. The results showed that the coastal areas of A’Seeb and Bowsher were the most suitable locations for STPs, representing only 1.19% of the total study area. The novelty of this study stems from the perspective of an original application within the context of Oman, which has generated novel results and interpretations. This has significant implications for urban policy and planning with respect to better informing decision-makers with a systematic framework for efficient wastewater treatment.

Source: UG
Multi‑decadal shoreline changes in Eastern Ghana—natural dynamics versus human interventions

Human infrastructure, such as dams, seawalls, and ports, can affect both the sedimentary budget and nearshore hydrodynamics, enhancing and accelerating the loss or gain of coastal sediments. Understanding the processes and factors controlling beach morphodynamics is essential for implementing adequate adaptation strategies in coastal areas, particularly in those regions where coastal protection measures are scarce. This study analyzes shoreline changes in the Keta Municipal District. located in southeastern Ghana (West Africa). This area is characterized by the sedimentary input of the Volta River, which forms a river delta situated to the west, i.e., updrift, of our study site. Following the construction of two dams (Akosombo and Kpong) on the Volta River in 1965 and 1982, groins and revetments have been built along the coast between 2005 and 2015 to reduce the high rates of coastal erosion in this area. Here, we explore the influence of these dams and the hard protection constructions on beach morphodynamics using historical maps and satellite images complemented by a shoreline survey undertaken with a different GNSS in 2015. The multi-decadal evolution between 1913 and 2015, reconstructed for 90 km of shoreline suggests that local erosion rates in the region predate the construction of the two dams on the Volta River. indicating that these structures might not be the primary driver of coastal erosion in this area, as previously suggested. We emphasize that delta dynamics under conditions of high-energy longshore drift, modified by anthropogenic drivers such as Sand mining plays a key role in the long-term evolution of this coast. Our results also show that the infrastructures built to halt coastal erosion result in localized erosion and accretion down-current along the coastline towards the border with Togo, highlighting the need for a transnational perspective in addressing the problems caused by coastal erosion.

Source: UG
A multi-gene dataset reveals a tropical New World origin and Early Miocene diversification of croakers (Perciformes: Sciaenidae)

Widely distributed groups of living animals, such as the predominantly marine fish family Sciaenidae, have always attracted the attention of biogeographers to document the origins and patterns of diversification in time and space. In this study, the historical biogeography of the global Sciaenidae is reconstructed within a molecular phylogenetic framework to investigate their origin and to test the hypotheses explaining the present-day biogeographic patterns. Our data matrix comprises six mitochondrial and nuclear genes in 93 globally sampled sciaenid species from 52 genera. Within the inferred phylogenetic tree of the Sciaenidae, we identify 15 main and well-supported lineages; some of which have not been recognized previously. Reconstruction of habitat preferences shows repeated habitat transitions between marine and euryhaline environments. This implies that sciaenids can easily adapt to some variations in salinity, possibly as the consequence of their nearshore habitats and migratory life history. Conversely, complete marine/euryhaline to freshwater transitions occurred only three times, in South America, North America and South Asia. Ancestral range reconstruction analysis concomitant with fossil evidence indicates that sciaenids first originated and diversified in the tropical America during the Oligocene to Early Miocene before undergoing two range expansions, to Eastern Atlantic and to the Indo-West Pacific where a maximum species richness is observed. The uncommon biogeographic pattern identified is discussed in relation to current knowledge on origin of gradients of marine biodiversity toward the center of origin hypothesis in the Indo-West Pacific.

Source: UG
Multi-method machine learning techniques in gold pathfinder elements prediction in central parts of Tanzania using stream sediment geochemical data

Prediction models using machine learning techniques have proven to be a reliable technique in mineral explo ration. A combination of these techniques is very robust and reliable in exploration targeting and much dependable as an approach in greenfield. In this study, multi-machine learning methods: random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and artificial neural network (ANN) were employed to conduct a data-driven gold (Au) prospectivity modelling in the Central parts of the Tanzania Craton (TC). A total of 166 samples with Au concentrations from stream sediment samples were considered. Based on the modeling results, the RF model demonstrates superior prediction accuracy compared to the SVM (MSE of 0.89) and ANN models (MSE of 1.21), achieving an MSE of less than 0.82. In terms of overall predictive performance and efficiency, the RF model outperforms other ML models deployed in this research. Therefore, it is deemed the suitable model for gold (Au) prediction in the TC catchments. According to the geological interpretation derived from the model, anomalies in arsenic (As), nickel (Ni), and tungsten (W) now emerge as significant predictors in the quest for gold. This implies that the association of As–Ni–W are potential pathfinder elements in the exploration of gold in the central part of the TC.

Source: UG
A multi-methods study exploring the role of stakeholders in the digital preservation environment: The case of Ghana

This study aims to examine the role of stakeholders in the digital preservation under the following key research questions: What are the levels of awareness of the volumes of digital material? What are the contributory factors for the growth of digital records and the types of information and communication technology products? Design/methodology/approach With the convergence of questionnaire, documentary evidence, observation, interview and questionnaire, this paper aims to examine the state and role of stakeholders in the digital preservation environment. The adoption of the multi-methods approach to the study offered a panoramic view of the inquiry where the quantitative paradigm became the emphasis or the priority for the study, while the qualitative data set provided a secondary or supportive role. Findings The study underscored the adoption of collaborative and participatory opportunities in the digital preservation environment and reinforced the concept of Open Data, which thrives on citizen’s trust, participation and collaboration (UN e-government survey, 2014). It further revealed lack of knowledge about the likely growth of digital material across the ministries and agencies and confirmed that government legislations have contributed to the increased demand for information and the growth of digital records. Originality/value The study underlined two mutually exclusive concepts (collaboration and participation) as part of the strategies to ameliorate the digital preservation conundrum confronted by memory institutions in Ghana. The applications of these concepts as solutions to the digital preservation problems are novel and currently gaining prominence and acceptance within the archival community Their adoption in this study could not have come at a better time, particularly when public sector organizations are confronted with the challenge of preserving digital records.

Source: UG
Multi-population genomic analysis of malaria parasites indicates local selection and differentiation at the gdv1 locus regulating sexual development

Abstract Parasites infect hosts in widely varying environments, encountering diverse challenges for adaptation. To identify malaria parasite genes under locally divergent selection across a large endemic region with a wide spectrum of transmission intensity, genome sequences were obtained from 284 clinical Plasmodium falciparum infections from four newly sampled locations in Senegal, The Gambia, Mali and Guinea. Combining these with previous data from seven other sites in West Africa enabled a multi-population analysis to identify discrete loci under varying local selection. A genome-wide scan showed the most exceptional geographical divergence to be at the early gametocyte gene locus gdv1 which is essential for parasite sexual development and transmission. We identified a major structural dimorphism with alternative 1.5 kb and 1.0 kb sequence deletions at different positions of the 3′-intergenic region, in tight linkage disequilibrium with the most highly differentiated single nucleotide polymorphism, one of the alleles being very frequent in Senegal and The Gambia but rare in the other locations. Long non-coding RNA transcripts were previously shown to include the entire antisense of the gdv1 coding sequence and the portion of the intergenic region with allelic deletions, suggesting adaptive regulation of parasite sexual development and transmission in response to local conditions.

Source: UG