Microbial analysis of leafy vegetables in iceless cooling facility

Against the background that leafy vegetables stored under ambient conditions are influenced by environmental factors which may cause significant quality loss in terms of freshness, colour, texture and composition, the iceless cooler was used to evaluate microbial load of leafy vegetables. The samples were evaluated for bacterial (coliforms and mesophiles) and fungal (mold and yeast) loads. Results of the microbial test showed that Corchorus olitorius had highest mean microbial load with plate count of 6.7 x 104 CFU/g and Hibiscus sabdariffa had the least mean microbial load with plate count of 4.8 x 104 CFU/g after five days of storage. Corchorus olitorius show a significant increase of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococci species after five days of storage. The ANOVA results showed that vegetables stored under ambient conditions were significantly different (p˂0.01) from those stored in the iceless cooler. The results also indicate that Amaranthus dubius recorded the highest mean weight of 1.94kg and maintained its freshness and colour for up to three days compared with Corchorus olitorius with the least weight of 1.84kg

Welfare implications of participating in agri‐value chains among vegetable farmers in Northern Ghana

This study investigates the welfare implications of agri‐value chain participation utilizing data collected from 423 smallholder vegetable farmers in northern Ghana. The endogenous switching regression (ESR) model estimates the determinants of agri‐value chain participation and their associated impacts on farmers' welfare, measured by household income and consumption expenditure. The ESR model accounts for selectivity bias associated with observed and unobserved factors. We find that agri‐value chain participation improves vegetable farmers' welfare. Participation significantly increases household income and consumption expenditure by about 22% and 40%, respectively. Our results also reveal that agri‐value chain participation is significantly determined by education, household size, mobile phone ownership, irrigation, farm size, farmer group membership, and extension visits. Variables such as education, access to irrigation, farm size, access to credit, farmer group membership, and extension are the significant determinants of farmers' welfare

Agrifood system participation and production efficiency among smallholder vegetable farmers in Northern Ghana

Formalized marketing arrangements between smallholder farmers and produce buyers are gradually replacing spot market transactions in developing countries due to the rapid structural transformation of agrifood systems. This study examines the impact of agrifood system participation on the total value of vegetable production and technical efficiency (TE), using a sample of 423 vegetable farmers from Northern Ghana. We employ propensity score matching and W. Greene's selection bias-corrected stochastic production frontier methods to correct for observable and unobservable selection bias issues, respectively. We further use a metafrontier model to derive technology gap ratios (TGRs) and meta-TE for agrifood system participants and nonparticipants. The results reveal that agrifood system participants are about 50% more productive than nonparticipants. In addition, participants have higher meta-TE (58% vs. 55%) and TGR (98% vs. 94%) than nonparticipants. Variables such as farmer group membership, extension visits, mobile phone ownership, irrigation and road access are the notable correlates of smallholder farmers' participation in agrifood systems. The total value of vegetable production is significantly influenced by fertilizer, agrochemicals, seeds, irrigation, soil fertility, and location-fixed effects

In silico identification of potential inhibitors of acyl carrier protein reductase and acetyl CoA carboxylase of Plasmodium falciparum in antimalarial therapy

Malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum, remains one of the most fatal parasitic diseases that has affected nearly a third of the world’s population. The major impediment to the treatment of malaria is the emergence of resistance of the P. falciparum parasite to current anti-malaria therapeutics such as Artemisinin (ART)-based combination therapy (ACT). This has resulted in countless efforts to develop novel therapeutics that will counter this resistance with the aim to control and eradicate the disease. The application of in silico modelling techniques has gained a lot of recognition in antimalarial research in recent times through the identification of biological components of the parasite for rational drug design. In this study we employed various in silico techniques such as the Virtual screening, molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulations to identify potential new inhibitors of biotin acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) carboxylase and enoyl-acyl carrier reductase, two enzyme targets that play a crucial role in fatty acid synthesis in the Plasmodium parasite. Initially, nine hit compounds were identified for each of the two enzymes from the ZINCPharmer database. Subsequently, all hit compounds bind favourably to the active sites of the two enzymes as well as show excellent pharmacokinetic properties. Three 3) of the hits for the biotin acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) carboxylase and six 6) of the enoyl-acyl carrier reductase showed good toxicity properties. The compounds were further evaluated based on the Molecular Dynamics simulation that confirmed the binding stability of the compounds to the targeted proteins. Overall, the lead compounds ZINC38980461, ZINC05378039, and ZINC15772056, were identified for acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) carboxylase whiles ZINC94085628, ZINC93656835, ZINC94080670, ZINC1774609, ZINC94821232 and ZINC94919772 were identified as lead compounds for enoyl-acyl carrier reductase. The identified compounds can be developed as a treatment option for the malaria disease although, experimental validation is suggested for further evaluation of the work

Recontextualising gender in entrepreneurial leadership

Drawing on the literature examining the nexus between gender, entrepreneurial leadership and entrepreneurial performance, this article critically explores a framework for analysing the role of gender in shaping entrepreneurial performance and leadership in tourism firms in a non-western context. Utilising a poststructural feminist lens that challenges normative accounts of entrepreneurial leadership practices, a qualitative analysis of interview data from tourism entrepreneurs in Ghana and Nigeria provides evidence of how entrepreneurial performances and leadership are gendered, fluid and constantly being negotiated. The article extends current discussions within tourism entrepreneurship to engage more meaningfully with gender, thereby assisting in deconstructing homogenous, fixed conceptualisation of entrepreneurial leadership - often evident within the broader leadership and entrepreneurship literature dominated by Anglo-Western approaches

Exploring the potential of biologically active phenolic acids from marine natural products as anticancer agents targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) dimerizes upon ligand bindings to the extracellular domain that initiates the downstream signaling cascades and activates intracellular kinase domain. Thus, activation of autophosphorylation through kinase domain results in metastasis, cell proliferation, and angiogenesis. The main objective of this research is to discover more promising anti-cancer lead compound against EGRF from the phenolic acids of marine natural products using in-silico approaches. Phenolic compounds reported from marine sources are reviewed from previous literatures. Furthermore, molecular docking was carried out using the online tool CB-Dock. The molecules with good docking and binding energies scores were subjected to ADME, toxicity and drug-likeness analysis. Subsequently, molecules from the docking experiments were also evaluated using the acute toxicity and MD simulation studies. Fourteen phenolic compounds from the reported literatures were reviewed based on the findings, isolation, characterized and applications. Molecular docking studies proved that the phenolic acids have good binding fitting by forming hydrogen bonds with amino acid residues at the binding site of EGFR. Chlorogenic acid, Chicoric acid and Rosmarinic acid showed the best binding energies score and forming hydrogen bonds with amino acid residues compare to the reference drug Erlotinib. Among these compounds, Rosmarinic acid showed the good pharmacokinetics profiles as well as acute toxicity profile. The MD simulation study further revealed that the lead complex is stable and could be future drug to treat the cancer disease. Furthermore, in a wet lab environment, both in-vitro and in-vivo testing will be employed to validate the existing computational results

In silico evaluation of usnic acid derivatives to discover potential antibacterial drugs against DNA gyrase B and DNA topoisomerase IV

Due to the rising increase in infectious diseases brought on by bacteria and anti-bacterial drug resistance, antibacterial therapy has become difficult. The majority of first-line antibiotics are no longer effective against numerous germs, posing a new hazard to global human health in the 21st century. Through the drug-likeness screening, 184 usnic acid derivatives were selected from an in-house database of 340 usnic acid compounds. The pharmacokinetics (ADMET) prediction produced fifteen hit compounds, of which the lead molecule was subsequently obtained through a molecular docking investigation. The lead compounds, labelled compound-277 and compound-276, respectively, with the substantial binding affinity towards the enzymes were obtained through further docking simulation on the DNA gyrase and DNA topoisomerase proteins. Additionally, molecular dynamic (MD) simulation was performed for 300 ns on the lead compounds in order to confirm the stability of the docked complexes and the binding pose discovered during docking tests. Due to their intriguing pharmacological characteristics, these substances may be promising therapeutic candidate for anti-bacterial medication

Selected phytochemicals of Momordica charantia L. as potential anti-DENV-2 through the docking, DFT and molecular dynamic simulation

Dengue fever is now one of the major global health concerns particularly for tropical and sub-tropical countries. However, there has been no FDA approved medication to treat dengue fever. Researchers are looking into DENV NS5 RdRp protease as a potential therapeutic target for discovering effective anti-dengue agents. The aim of this study to discover dengue virus inhibitor from a set of five compounds from Momordica charantia L. using a series of in-silico approaches. The compounds were docked into the active area of the DENV-2 NS5 RdRp protease to obtain the hit compounds. The successful compounds underwent additional testing for a study on drug-likeness similarity. Our study obtained Momordicoside-I as a lead compound which was further exposed to the Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) toxicity analysis to determine the toxicity based on docking scores and drug-likeness studies. Moreover, DFT studies were carried out to calculate the thermodynamic, molecular orbital and electrostatic potential properties for the lead compound. Moreover, the lead compound was next subjected to molecular dynamic simulation for 200 ns in order to confirm the stability of the docked complex and the binding posture discovered during docking experiment. Overall, the lead compound has demonstrated good medication like qualities, non-toxicity, and significant binding affinity towards the DENV-2 RdRp enzyme

Pharmacophore-based virtual screening and in-silico study of natural products as potential DENV-2 RdRp inhibitors

Dengue fever is a significant public health concern throughout the world, causing an estimated 500,000 hospitalizations and 20,000 deaths each year, despite the lack of effective therapies. The DENV-2 RdRp has been identified as a potential target for the development of new and effective dengue therapies. This research’s primary objective was to discover an anti-DENV inhibitor using in silico ligand- and structure-based approaches. To begin, a ligand-based pharmacophore model was developed, and 130 distinct natural products (NPs) were screened. Docking of the pharmacophore-matched compounds were performed to the active site of DENV-2 RdRp protease . Eleven compounds were identified as potential DENV-2 RdRp inhibitors based on docking energy and binding interactions. ADMET and drug-likeness were done to predict their pharmacologic, pharmacokinetic, and drug-likeproperties . Compounds ranked highest in terms of pharmacokinetics and drug-like appearances were then subjected to additional toxicity testing to determine the leading compound. Additionally, MD simulation of the lead compound was performed to confirm the docked complex’s stability and the binding site determined by docking. As a result, the lead compound (compound-108) demonstrated an excellent match to the pharmacophore, a strong binding contact and affinity for the RdRp enzyme, favourable pharmacokinetics, and drug-like characteristics. In summary, the lead compound identified in this study could be a possible DENV-2 RdRp inhibitor that may be further studied on in vitro and in vivo models to develop as a drug candidate

Basic Formal Education Quality, Information Technology and Inclusive Human Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

This study assesses the relevance of basic formal education in information technology for inclusive human development in 49 countries in sub-Saharan Africa for the period 2000-2012. The question it aims to answer is the following: what is the relevance of basic formal education in the effect of mobile phone penetration on inclusive human development in sub-Saharan Africa when initial levels of inclusive human development are taken into account? The empirical evidence is based on instrumental quantile regressions. Poor primary education dampens the positive effect of mobile phone penetration on inclusive human development. This main finding should be understood in the perspective that, the education quality indicator represents a policy syndrome because of the way it is computed, notably: the ratio of pupils to teachers. Hence, an increasing ratio indicates decreasing quality of education. It follows that decreasing quality of education dampens the positive effect of mobile phone on inclusive development. This tendency is consistent throughout the conditional distribution of inclusive human development. Policy implications for sustainable development are discussed