Comparative analysis of access to WASH facilities and risk of microbial infection to children in poor urban communities in Accra, Ghana

Water quality is often compromised during the transmission chain in poor urban communities due to exposure to faecal matter. Uncontained toilet facilities and indiscriminate faecal disposal results in contamination of water sources with consequent enteric infections especially among children. This study aimed to analyse the linkage between accessibility to WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) facilities in two urban poor communities; and to spatially predict the risk of infection to children under five years. We mapped building blocks, households, toilet facilities, drains and water sources using orthophotos generated from UAV images and Real-Time Kinematic GPS surveys in two poor urban settlements- Madina Zongo and Gbegbeyise- in Accra. We enumerated 1, 680 households in the two study sites taking key indicators such as number of children under 5 years and duration of water storage. Results from the study show that most sanitation facilities were shared by multiple households. Water points and toilet facilities had uniform geographical coverage in Madina Zongo compared to Gbebseyise. In Madina Zongo, water and toilet facilities are mostly private, shared by users from the house where the facilities are located. In Gbegbeyise, most of the facilities are public use, open to several community members. The flash points in the drains mapped indicates several potential sources of contamination. Further, larger proportion of households in the two communities rely on water sources from storage tanks due to the infrequent water flow (more than 61.8% in Madina above the median water storage days for both rainy and dry seasons and more than 56.1% in Gbegbeyise above the average days of water storage for both rainy and dry seasons). A significant number of houses in Madina Zongo, use unprotected well as alternative source of water to the pipe water. Baseline water quality monitoring revealed that water from treatment point were devoid of total coliform and faecal coliform indicating safe drinking water source. However, several water samples collected at point of use showed presence of faecal matter. Mapping the distribution of infection risk adjusted for WASH allowed the identification of communities where interventions to improve WASH will yield the greatest health benefits

ZRANB3 is an African-specific type 2 diabetes locus associated with beta-cell mass and insulin response.

Genome analysis of diverse human populations has contributed to the identification of novel genomic loci for diseases of major clinical and public health impact. Here, we report a genome-wide analysis of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in sub-Saharan Africans, an understudied ancestral group. We analyze ~18 million autosomal SNPs in 5,231 individuals from Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. We identify a previously-unreported genome-wide significant locus: ZRANB3 (Zinc Finger RANBP2-Type Containing 3, lead SNP p = 2.831 × 10-9). Knockdown or genomic knockout of the zebrafish ortholog results in reduction in pancreatic β-cell number which we demonstrate to be due to increased apoptosis in islets. siRNA transfection of murine Zranb3 in MIN6 β-cells results in impaired insulin secretion in response to high glucose, implicating Zranb3 in β-cell functional response to high glucose conditions. We also show transferability in our study of 32 established T2D loci. Our findings advance understanding of the genetics of T2D in non-European ancestry populations

ZRANB3 is an African-specific type 2 diabetes locus associated with beta-cell mass and insulin response

Abstract: Genome analysis of diverse human populations has contributed to the identification of novel genomic loci for diseases of major clinical and public health impact. Here, we report a genome-wide analysis of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in sub-Saharan Africans, an understudied ancestral group. We analyze ~18 million autosomal SNPs in 5,231 individuals from Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. We identify a previously-unreported genome-wide significant locus: ZRANB3 (Zinc Finger RANBP2-Type Containing 3, lead SNP p = 2.831 × 10−9). Knockdown or genomic knockout of the zebrafish ortholog results in reduction in pancreatic β-cell number which we demonstrate to be due to increased apoptosis in islets. siRNA transfection of murine Zranb3 in MIN6 β-cells results in impaired insulin secretion in response to high glucose, implicating Zranb3 in β-cell functional response to high glucose conditions. We also show transferability in our study of 32 established T2D loci. Our findings advance understanding of the genetics of T2D in non-European ancestry populations

Design and experimental testing of the performance of an outdoor LiBr/H2O solar thermal absorption cooling system with a cold store

A domestic-scale prototype experimental solar cooling system has been developed based on a LiBr/H2O absorption system and tested during the 2007 summer and autumn months in Cardiff University, UK. The system consisted of a 12 m2 vacuum tube solar collector, a 4.5 kW LiBr/H2O absorption chiller, a 1000 l cold storage tank and a 6 kW fan coil. The system performance, as well as the performances of the individual components in the system, were evaluated based on the physical measurements of the daily solar radiation, ambient temperature, inlet and outlet fluid temperatures, mass flow rates and electrical consumption by component. The average coefficient of thermal performance (COP) of the system was 0.58, based on the thermal cooling power output per unit of available thermal solar energy from the 12 m2 Thermomax DF100 vacuum tube collector on a hot sunny day with average peak insolation of 800 W/m2 (between 11 and 13.30 h) and ambient temperature of 24 °C. The system produced an electrical COP of 3.6. Experimental results prove the feasibility of the new concept of cold store at this scale, with chilled water temperatures as low as 7.4 °C, demonstrating its potential use in cooling domestic scale buildings

Saints, demons, wizards, pagans, and prophets in the collapse of banks in Ghana

The essence of banks in an economy cannot be underscored enough. However, poor institutional as well as unscrupulous banking and accounting practices could collapse a banking system and wreak an economy-wide havoc due to a contagion. Thus, the impact of bank failures/crises are grave. Given that this paper seeks to comprehensively discuss bank failures in the light of both agency and structural perspectives. Also, the study theorizes the causes of bank failures using Ayee's (2000) concepts and Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of social practice. The study adopted a qualitative methodology and used nine failed Ghanaian banks as cases. A latent content analysis on reports of these recent nine failed banks indicated the banking crises were a reproduction of old social actions, which include weak regulatory supervision, poor corporate gover-nance and risk management practices. Besides, the culture of weak enforcement explained the collapse of the local banks unlike their foreign counterparts who had internalized the culture of their parent companies and also possessed the right cultural capitals. Further, it was observed that weak saints, hungry and deceitful demons, lazy wizards, praise and attention-loving pagans and the neglect of prophets were the issues responsible for the bank crises or failures in Ghana

EMI-BF4 electrolyte and Al2O3/PVDF-HFP modified PE separator for high capacitance retention and cycle stability in supercapacitors

Polyolefin separators are inherently hydrophobic and thermally unstable, contributing to poor cycle performance and high thermal shrinkage, respectively, which can shorten cycle life. Herein, a high-performance supercapacitor based on a composite separator made from nano-Al2O3/PVDF-coated on polyethylene (PE) polyolefin substrate was prepared using a low-cost casting (stir-dip-coat-dry) technique and an electrolyte containing 1M EMI-BF4 salt in EC : EMC:DMC (1 : 1 : 2 vol%) is reported. The results show that integration of nano-Al2O3 in the PVDF matrix contributes to a large interactive surface area that attenuates interfacial energy at the separator-electrolyte boundary and improves porosity as well as the overall performance. The filler also enhances high mechanical anchoring onto the PE substrate, contributing to the overall physical and electrochemical properties of the separator. These modified PE separators with porous microstructure demonstrate superior electrolyte wettability (88%), stable electrochemical performance, and high cycle stability superior to analogous cells with commercial separators. The pair of coated modified separators with the 1M EMI-BF4 modified electrolyte registered a high ionic conductivity value of 2.23mS/cm. This facile technique is scalable for separator-electrolyte design and is attractive for low-cost supercapacitor manufacturing which is safe and fast charging.FALS

Type 2 diabetes complications and comorbidity in Sub-Saharan Africans

Background: Context-specific evidence of the spectrum of type 2 diabetes (T2D) burden is essential for setting priorities and designing interventions to reduce associated morbidity and mortality. However, there are currently limited data on the burden of T2D complications and comorbidity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods: T2D complications and comorbidities were assessed in 2,784 participants with diabetes enrolled from tertiary health centres and contextualised in 3,209 individuals without diabetes in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. T2D complications and comorbidities evaluated included cardiometabolic, ocular, neurological and renal characteristics. Findings: The most common complications/comorbidities among the T2D participants were hypertension (71%; 95% CI 69–73), hyperlipidaemia (34%; 95% CI 32–36), and obesity (27%; 95% CI 25–29). Additionally, the prevalence of cataracts was 32% (95% CI 30–35), diabetic retinopathy 15% (95% CI 13–17), impaired renal function 13% (95% CI 12–15), and erectile dysfunction (in men) 35% (95% CI 32–38). T2D population-attributable fraction for these comorbidities ranged between 6 and 64%. Interpretation: The burden of diabetes complications and comorbidity is substantial in SSA highlighting the urgent need for innovative public health strategies that prioritise promotion of healthy lifestyles for prevention and early detection of T2D. Also needed are strategies to strengthen health care system capacities to provide treatment and care for diabetes complications