Forecasting Monthly Maternal Mortality in the Bawku Municipality, Ghana Using SARIMA

Maternal mortality is defined as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management. Maternal mortality which accounts for 14% of all female deaths is still the second largest cause of female deaths in Ghana. Maternal mortality is very high in the northern regions of Ghana hence the need to model and forecast maternal mortality data to give insight to public health workers so as to combat any expected high maternal mortality. This study therefore models and also forecast future maternal mortality trends in the Bawku Municipality of the Upper East Region of Ghana using Box-Jenkins Approach. Analyses were based on monthly data available at the Biostatistics department of the municipal hospital. Results show that SARIMA (3, 0, 0) × (1, 1, 2)12 adequately models the maternal mortality data. The forecasted values also revealed that, maternal mortality cases increased during the months of May to July and from September to December, which is an insight for public health workers. Keywords: Bawku-Ghana, Maternal Mortality, SARIMA, Box-Jenkins Approac

Chemical Composition and Microbial Contaminants of Poha Beer: A Local Nonalcoholic Beverage in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Ghana

Microbial and physicochemical analysis was performed on randomly sampled Poha Beer manufactured and vended in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Ghana. Poha Beer as it is referred to in Dagbani, is a Tamarindus indica fruit extract, a local nonalcoholic beverage originally processed and sold by rural women of the Dagomba ethnic descend. Morphological examination of bacterial cultures, Gram staining, and biochemical confirmatory tests were used to detect the presence of microbial pathogens in 45 samples of Poha Beer. A refractometer, a flame photometer and an atomic absorption spectrometer were used for the elemental analysis. All Poha Beer samples obtained from the Bolgatanga Municipality were positive for yeast, E. coli, Enterobacter sp. and Bacillus cereus. Pb was not detected in any of the samples. Chemical components detected include Zn2+ (average, 0.154 mg/L), Cd2+ (0.056 mg/L), Na+ (1.723 mg/L), Ca2+ (2.262 mg/L) and K+ (3.96 mg/L). All samples were acidic with an average pH value of 3.55. The Brix value of samples, however, was between 9.0 and 11.4 % per 40 mL of Poha Beer. Therefore, Poha Beer processed and sold in the Bolgatanga Municipality is acidic and contains detrimental amounts of Cd2+ and bacterial pathogens which may render it unwholesome for human consumption

Racial Disparities and Preventive Measures to Renal Cell Carcinoma

Kidney cancer ranks among the top 10 cancers in the United States. Although it affects both male and female populations, it is more common in males. The prevalence rate of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which represents about 85% of kidney cancers, has been increasing gradually in many developed countries. Family history has been considered as one of the most relevant risk factors for kidney cancer, although most forms of an inherited predisposition for RCC only account for less than four percent. Lifestyle and other factors such as occupational exposure, high blood pressure, poor diet, and heavy cigarette smoking are highly associated with its incidence and mortality rates. In the United States, White populations have the lowest prevalence of RCC compared to other ethnic groups, while Black Americans suffer disproportionally from the adverse effects of RCC. Hence, this review article aims at identifying the major risk factors associated with RCC and highlighting the new therapeutic approaches for its control/prevention. To achieve this specific aim, articles in peer-reviewed journals with a primary focus on risk factors related to kidney cancer and on strategies to reduce RCC were identified. The review was systematically conducted by searching the databases of MEDLINE, PUBMED Central, and Google Scholar libraries for original articles. From the search, we found that the incidence and mortality rates of RCC are strongly associated with four main risk factors, including family history (genetics), lifestyle (poor diet, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol drinking), environment (community where people live), and occupation (place where people work). In addition, unequal access to improvement in RCC cancer treatment, limited access to screening and diagnosis, and limited access to kidney transplant significantly contribute to the difference observed in survival rate between African Americans and Caucasians. There is also scientific evidence suggesting that some physicians contribute to racial disparities when performing kidney transplant among minority populations. New therapeutic measures should be taken to prevent or reduce RCC, especially among African Americans, the most vulnerable population group