ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Safety and Effectiveness of Mist Antiaris, a Herbal Preparation for Treatment of Peripheral Neuropathy

Mist Antiaris is a herbal decoction for treatment of nervous disorders. Safety and efficacy were evaluated in Sprague-Dawley rats and human patients, respectively. Acute toxicity was assessed by administration of a single 5000 mg/kg oral dose of decoction to a group of six rats. For subchronic toxicity, four groups of six rats each received water (control) or 10, 100, or 200 mg/kg oral doses of decoction daily for eight weeks. Body weight, serum, urine, and hematological profile of the animals in each group were monitored over the period. Effects of treatment on pentobarbital-induced sleeping time and histology of liver, lung, heart, and kidney tissue were assessed at the end of the study. There was no evidence of acute toxicity within 48 hours of the oral dose. Over the 8-week period, body weight increases in Mist Antiaris treatment groups were reduced relative to the control group. There were no significant differences in urine profile, serum biochemistry, hematological parameters, and pentobarbital-induced sleeping time. Tissue histology revealed no differences relative to controls. Assessment of efficacy was by retrospective review of data on patients who presented with peripheral neuropathy. Treatment resulted in 53.7 % of patients reporting complete resolution and 15.7 % showing reduction in neuropathic symptoms. The data demonstrate that there is no toxicity due to subchronic administration of Mist Antiaris in Sprague-Dawley rats. The reduction or resolution of neuropathic symptoms indicated by patents’ file data provides evidence to suggest that Mist Antiaris has antineuropathic effects.

Source: UG
Safety and immunogenicity of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte poly-epitope, DNA plasmid (EP HIV-1090) vaccine in healthy, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-uninfected adults

We evaluated EP HIV-1090 vaccine, a DNA plasmid encoding 21 cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and the pan-DR helper T-lymphocyte epitope (PADRE), in a dose escalation, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled Phase 1 trial. Vaccine, at 0.5, 2.0, or 4.0mg doses, or placebo was injected four times over 6 months. Forty-two healthy, HIV-1-uninfected adults were enrolled. Using an interferon-gamma ELISPOT assay, a response to PADRE was detected in one vaccine recipient. Three vaccine recipients raised anti-HIV-1 CD8+ CTL measured by chromium-release assay. The vaccine was safe and well-tolerated, but only weakly immunogenic.

Source: UG
Safety and immunogenicity of EBA-175 RII-NG Malaria vaccine administered intramuscularly in semi-immune adults: A Phase 1, Double-blinded placebo controlled dosage escalation study

The Epidemiology Department contributes to the mission of the institute through basic and applied epidemiological research on, but not limited to, malaria and other diseases of public health importance. It is also home to the Social Science Unit of the Institute, including the Health Support Centre for HIV/AIDS and other communicable and noncommunicable health problems.

Source: UG
Safety and immunogenicity of multi-antigen AMA1-based vaccines formulated with CoVaccine HTTM and Montanide ISA 51 in rhesus macaques

The Department of Immunology conducts research in the field of immunology of infectious and non-infectious diseases. The Department has the overall goal of contributing knowledge to better diagnosis, management, control and prevention of infectious and non-infectious diseases in Ghana and worldwide. This is consistent with the overall strategy of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and in line with the strategy of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana.

Source: UG
Safety in the midst of stigma: Experiencing HIV/AIDS in two Ghanaian communities.

Stigmatisation of people associated with HIV can be devastating, even more so than the virus itself. It destroys the lives of HIV positive people and their loved ones. All too often in Ghana, those with no direct HIV experience do not see the depth of the impact of stigma on individuals, households and communities. This monograph, the result of fifteen months of ethnographic fieldwork in two communities in Ghana, brings to the fore the lived experiences of people infected with and affected by HIV from their own perspectives. In particular, their negotiations between resignation to fate and the struggle for survival as they cope with stigma are presented. Significantly, this book shows that being infected with or affected by HIV is as much a social issue as a medical one, and those associated with HIV/AIDS require more than medical care and support. Concerted efforts by all stakeholders – social and political leadership, the untested, the uninfected, the infected, the affected, service providers and policy makers – would go a long way to reduce the main problem that persists with regard to HIV prevention and treatment in Ghana: stigma.

Source: UG
Safety of &quot;sachet water&quot; and raw milk

A 3-month double-blind and placebo-controlled, phase IIa clinical trial was conducted in Ghana to investigate the safety, tolerance and aflatoxin-sorption efficacy of dietary NovaSil (NS). Volunteers (507 subjects) were clinically screened to evaluate their general health, pregnancy status and blood AFB(1)-albumin adduct levels. Of these subjects, 177 were randomly assigned to three groups: high-dose (HD), low-dose (LD) and placebo-control (PL) groups receiving 3.0, 1.5 and 0 g NS day(-1) in capsules. Trained study-monitors supervised NS capsule administration to participants and recorded side-effects daily. Physical examinations were performed monthly. Blood and urine samples were collected for laboratory analysis. Approximately 92% of the participants (162 of 177) completed the study and compliance rate was over 97%. Overall, 99.5% of person x time reported no side-effects throughout the study. Mild to moderate health events (approximately 0.5% of person x time) were recorded in some participants. Symptoms included nausea, diarrhea, heartburn and dizziness. These side-effects were statistically similar among all three groups. No significant differences were shown in hematology, liver and kidney function or electrolytes in the three groups. These findings demonstrate that NS clay is apparently safe and practical for the protection of humans against aflatoxins in populations at high risk for aflatoxicosis.

Source: UG
Safety of 5914 intravitreal ziv-aflibercept injections

Purpose To analyse the pooled safety data of intravitreal ziv-aflibercept (IVZ) therapy for various retinal conditions. Methods This was a retrospective, observational study which included patients from 14 participating centres who received IVZ. The medical records of patients who received IVZ from March 2015 through October 2017 were evaluated. Patient demographics and ocular details were compiled. Ocular and systemic adverse events that occurred within 1 month of IVZ injections were recorded and defined as either procedure-related or drug-related. Results A total of 1704 eyes of 1562 patients received 5914 IVZ injections (mean±SD: 3.73±3.94) during a period of 2.5 years. The age of patients was 60.6±12.8 years (mean±SD) and included diverse chorioretinal pathologies. Both ocular (one case of endophthalmitis, three cases of intraocular inflammation, and one case each of conjunctival thinning/necrosis and scleral nodule) and systemic adverse events (two cases of myocardial infarction, one case of stroke and two deaths) were infrequent. Conclusion This constitutes the largest pooled safety report on IVZ use and includes patients from 14 centres distributed across the globe. It shows that IVZ has an acceptable ocular and systemic safety profile with incidences of adverse events similar to those of other vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitory drugs. The analysis supports the continued use of IVZ in various retinal disorders.

Source: UG
Safety of intravitreal ziv-aflibercept in choroido-retinal vascular diseases: A randomised double-blind intervention study

Aim To evaluate the safety of 1.25mg and 2mg intravitreal ziv-aflibercept (IVZ) in Ghanaian eyes with choroido-retinal vascular diseases. Design Prospective, randomised, double blind, interventional study. Methods Twenty patients with centre involving macular oedema in diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, and neovascular age-related macular degeneration were assigned to 2 groups receiving 3 doses of 1.25mg/0.05ml (group 1) and 2mg/0.08ml IVZ (Group 2) at 4 weekly intervals. Safety data was collected after 30 minutes, 1 and 7 days, and 4, 8 and 12 weeks after injection. Changes in continuous variables were compared using paired t-test and categorical variables were compared using chi-square test of proportions. Repeated-Measures ANOVA with nesting test was used to compare variations in continuous variables by IVZ dose over time. Primary outcome measures were ocular and systemic adverse events at 4 weeks. Results Eleven females and nine males, with mean age of 63.2± 7.3 years were included. Ocular adverse events included subconjunctival haemorrhage in 1 eye, intraocular pressure (IOP) >21mmHg at 30 minutes in 6 eyes and mild pain in 3 eyes at 1-day. There was no significant difference in IOP rise between the 2 groups at 30 minutes (p = 0.21). No other ocular or systemic adverse events were observed. There was significant improvement in the best corrected visual acuity (LogMAR) from 0.95±0.6 to 0.6±0.4 (p<0.01) and 0.47±0.3 (p<0.01),reduction in central subfield foveal thickness from 405.9±140 um at baseline to 255.6±75 um (p<0.01) and 238±88 um (p<0.01) at 4 and 12 weeks respectively, although no difference was observed between the 2 groups (p = 0.34). Conclusion IVZ at 1.25mg and 2mg had similar safety profiles, and did not have any major unexpected adverse events. Further studies with larger cohorts are required to confirm efficacy.

Source: UG
Safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of a chimpanzee adenovirus vectored Ebola vaccine in children in Africa: a randomised, observer-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial

The Epidemiology Department contributes to the mission of the institute through basic and applied epidemiological research on, but not limited to, malaria and other diseases of public health importance. It is also home to the Social Science Unit of the Institute, including the Health Support Centre for HIV/AIDS and other communicable and noncommunicable health problems.

Source: UG
Safety, security, clean air and intention to experience: Do TikTok short video narratives matter?

Safety, security, and clean air have been given some appreciable attention in tourism research and practice. However, little is known about TikTok short video narratives of safety, security, and clean air of a tourism destination. To fill this knowledge gap, this study was guided by narrative transportation theory to examine the impact of TikTok short safety, security, and clean air video narratives on potential tourist intention to experience. The snowball sampling technique was employed to select 357 potential tourists, and the structural equation modelling analysis was utilised to analyse the survey gathered data. The results revealed that there were significant positive associations between short video narratives about safety, security, clean air, and intention to experience. Additionally, the moderating effects of TikTok short video narratives showed a significant positive impact between security, and clean air on intention to experience. Destination marketers and management could utilise TikTok short video narratives in promoting tourism sites through the perspective of tourists.

Source: UG
Saint-Preux et Julie ou les deux tourtereaux brûlant d’amour : une métaphore filée dans La Nouvelle Héloïse de Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Dans Julie ou la Nouvelle Héloïse, le discours amoureux de Julie et de Saint-Preux est dominé par l’imagerie du feu, symbole choisi par les deux amants pour représenter ce qu’ils ressentent l’un pour l’autre depuis les profondeurs de leur être. Les feux et les flammes deviennent une métaphore filée, exploitée et même abusée par les deux tourtereaux. Or, si l’on tirait toutes les conséquences de cette imagerie, on tomberait dans la logique relative à la nature du feu : ce feu qui s’allume, consomme ce dont il s’alimente, et éventuellement s’éteint. Cet article cherche donc à jauger les amours de Saint-Preux et de Julie à l’aune de la nature de ce feu auquel ces amours sont assimilés par les amoureux eux-mêmes.

Source: UG
SAKAWA - The Forms of Cyber Crime in Ghana

This paper investigates the prevalence of cybercrimes (called ‘sakawa’) in Ghana and examines its forms and implications. Using qualitative approach, we explore efforts by organizations and government agencies in Ghana towards curtailing cybercrimes in terms of apprehension, prosecution, reporting, and law enforcement. Findings from our research showed that although awareness of cyber crime is on the increase, the crimes mostly go unreported. The Ghana Police Service which is the organ of government responsible for arresting and prosecuting cyber criminals also lack the technical know-how and adequate legal support to effectively discharge their duties. We recommend that a multi-stakeholder effort and appropriate technical training for the Police and supportive legislation are required. For online financial transactions, developing strategies which incorporate offline business qualification requirements may be the necessary starting point. Since the perpetrators are young and have some degree of technical competence to commit computer-related crimes. This brings to question the need for appropriate youth development programs which utilize their technical competencies. In future research, we will explore how social theories in criminology can assist in understanding the behavior and intention of both the victim and perpetrators in cyber crime.

Source: UG
Salesforce Social Media Use, Adaptive Selling Behaviour and Consumer Outcomes in Consumer Electronics: An Emerging Market Perspective

The study aims to fill literature gaps in the use of adaptive selling on social media platforms by observing consumer and sales force beha vior in the consumer electronic market. The study’s main objectives are framed to answer the following questions: How does adaptive selling influence consumer outcomes in consumer electronics? What are the effects of social media on consumer outcomes through adaptive selling? The unit of analysis was individual consumers who use consumer electronics, retailers’ services and products offered through salespeople. The sample size of 400 consumers of electronic products was reached via electronic surveys. The questionnaire was adapted from literature to satisfy the quantitative nature of the study. This study found adaptive selling behavior of salespeople to be positively significant in predicting consumer outcomes. The out comes of the study give statistical proof that social media use in sales has a positive impact on adaptive selling habits. The study also revealed a significant positive impact of consumer satisfaction on customer loyalty; this relationship is identified as critical in the con sumer electronics retail market. This study is unique because it widens the understanding of social media use among salespeople in emerging markets.

Source: UG
Salesperson improvisation: Antecedents, performance outcomes, and boundary conditions. Industrial Marketing Management

Premised on the idea that not all salesperson behaviors can be pre-scripted and that, increasingly, salespersons must find ways to respond to unexpected but urgent market conditions, this study theorizes the drivers, outcomes and boundary conditions of salesperson improvisation. Using primary data from industrial salespersons, the study examines how perceptions of resource availability and customer demandingness drive salesperson improvisation and condition its sales performance effects. Findings show that higher levels of salesperson improvisation are associated with increased sales performance. Additionally, a heightened perception of resource availability and greater customer demandingness are associated with increases in salesperson improvisation. Furthermore, findings indicate that the salesperson improvisation–sales performance relationship is strengthened when resource availability is greater and when customer demandingness is lower.

Source: UG
Saline conditions effect on the performance and stress index of anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) bacteria

In this study, a lab-scale sequencing batch reactor dominated by freshwater anammox bacteria (FAB) was used to study the performance and stress index of the anammox bacteria at various saline conditions. The reactor with an effective volume of 1.8 L was operated for about 160 days. The nitrogen-loading rate was maintained at 0.364 kg-N m 3d 1 throughout the operational period. At the start-up phase, the seed biomass acclimation to the lab bioreactor showed an inconsistent performance. However, a stable performance was observed after day 38. The average substrate removal efficiency was 92% during most of the operational period. Anammox stress index; a ratio of dissolved Adenosine Triphosphate (dATPamx) to total Adenosine Triphosphate (tATPamx) showed an irrefutable correlation between NaCl concentration, anammox stress and microbial community. A drop in the biomass cellular ATP at 5 g L 1 salinity led to a significant decrease in the Specific Anammox activity. Candidatus Brocadia was identified as the main anammox species and its relative abundance reduced along the stepwise salinity increment

Source: UG
Salmonella bloodstream infection in Ghanaian children

Objective: To examine the frequency of community-acquired salmonella bloodstream infection in Ghanaian children and the occurrence of antibiotic resistance in salmonellae. Methods: The study comprised 472 patients with a blood culture obtained within 48 h of admission to the pediatric department of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana, over a 3-month period. All Salmonella isolates from blood cultures were speciated and antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed. Clinical data of children with salmonella bloodstream infection were compared to those of controls. Two control groups were identified: all children enrolled in the study without salmonella bloodstream infection (group I), and those with bloodstream infection due to other organisms (group 2). Results: A pathogen was isolated from 11 1 children (23.5%), and salmonellae were among the most common isolates (n=24; 21.6%). Among Salmonella strains, S. enteritidis (n=14; 59%) predominated over S. typhi (n=6; 25%). Resistance to several antibiotics was only found in S. enteritidis isolates (n=8; 57%). Children with salmonella bloodstream infection presented more often than controls with severe anemia, jaundice, abdominal pain and distension as well as hepatomegaly and splenomegaly. They were also hospitalized for a significantly longer period, but the case-fatality rate was similar. Conclusions: Salmonella bloodstream infection, especially due to non-typhoidal strains, is a potential health problem for Ghanaian children and may be complicated by resistance to the commonly available antibiotics.

Source: UG
Salt use behaviours of ghanaians and south africans: A comparative study of knowledge, attitudes and practices

sodium chloride; adult; aging; alcohol consumption; Article; attitude; blood pressure; diet supplementation; education; educational status; female; gender; Ghanaian; health behavior; human; hypertension; information processing; knowledge; major clinical study; male; questionnaire; salt intake; smoking; South African; world health organization; administration and dosage; attitude to health; cohort analysis; comparative study; cooking; diet; ethnology; feeding behavior; Ghana; health disparity; healthy diet; hypertension; longitudinal study; middle aged; nutrition; patient compliance; population dynamics; prevalence; prospective study; risk; self report; South Africa; Cohort Studies; Cooking; Diet; Feeding Behavior; Female; Ghana; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Status Disparities; Health Transition; Healthy Diet; Humans; Hypertension; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Nutrition Surveys; Patient Compliance; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Risk; Self Report; Sodium Chloride, Dietary; South Africa

Source: UG
Sam Moyo: A Life of Prodigious Scholarship, Institution Building and Strategic Activism

The car accident that took Sam Moyo's life in Delhi on 22 November 2015 and injured his comrades Paris Yeros and Marcelo Rosa, cut short a scholar at the height of his powers. Working together with a group of like-minded colleagues, Sam had finally built the foundations of a vibrant tri-continental network that could hold his dreams: the Agrarian South Network. He was in Delhi at a conference on ‘Labour Questions in the Global South’, hosted by Praveen Jha, professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, one of his two closest intellectual partners — the other, of course, being Yeros. The conference, like earlier gatherings in Sao Paulo and Brasilia, was an opportunity to coordinate meetings of the Network and its journal, Agrarian South: Journal of Political Economy. As it turned out, a meeting of the journal's editorial board was Sam's last activity before the accident. © 2017 International Institute of Social Studies

Source: UG
Sample size calculation for multicentre efficacy trials of blood-stage malaria antigens

Background: Sample size has increasingly become a prerequisite for grant approval. Study size calculations for multicentre trials are more complicated because these sites present different assumptions on incidence of disease expected in the control group; this then changes the mechanism of sample size determination. This paper suggested an alternative approach to estimating study size in multicentre vaccine efficacy trials. Methods. The approach suggested in this paper was to determine the expected number of events for a given sample size under set of different assumptions. The power was then calculated given the expected number of events under the set of assumptions so as to assess the sensitivity of the sample size. The approach was then illustrated assuming a malaria vaccine efficacy trial planned in four centres. Results: The approach showed that by assuming 30% cumulative incidence of malaria in three of the centres and 10% cumulative incidence in the other centre, a sample size of 460 children in each centre (total 1,840) corresponding to a total of 339 events gives 90% power to detect vaccine efficacy of 30% at 5% level of significance, allowing for 15% loss to follow-up. However, if the incidence is lower than anticipated or a centre drops out altogether the power will be low. But this would not have much effect if it were a low incidence centre. Rather, it might have major effect if it were a high incidence centre. Discussion. Decision on recruitment depends on whether separate estimates of efficacy in each transmission level are reasonable. If not, equal numbers can be recruited, which then gives safety data for each site and overall efficacy. Recruiting all or most subjects in the highest transmission site can minimize sample size but may be better to spread the risk due to uncertainty about incidence due to year to year variation and also the possibility of a site dropping due to political or other unforeseen problems. Conclusion: The approach demonstrated the potential of estimating the expected number of events required to give a specified power for multicentre efficacy trails of blood stage malaria antigens. © 2013 Bosomprah; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Source: UG