Jumpstarting Orange- Fleshed Sweetpotato in West Africa through Diversified Markets

This flyer describes the objectives, activities, and progress made in implementing a three-year project that targets informal and formal orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) markets in Ghana, Nigeria and Burkina Faso between June 2014 and July 2015. The project is working towards four major outcomes at each target location: to establish commercial sweetpotato seed systems to provide clean planting material year round; to develop formal and informal markets for OFSP; to enable farmers including women, to participate in OFSP value chains; and to increase consumption of OFSP and other vitamin A-rich foods by vulnerable target populations, particularly women and children under the age of five

Nomogram for predicting the probability of the positive outcome of prostate biopsies among Ghanaian men

Introduction and objectives: Several existing models have been developed to predict positive prostate biopsy among men undergoing evaluation for prostate cancer (PCa). However, most of these models have come from industrialized countries. We therefore, developed a prostate disease nomogram model to provide a basis for predicting a prostate biopsy outcome by correlating clinical indicators and diagnostic parameters among Ghanaian men.Subjects and methods: The study was a hospital-based cross-sectional prospective one which was under- taken at the Department of Surgery (Urology Unit) Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) from December, 2014 to March, 2016. In all a total of 241 patients suspected of having a prostate disorder due based on an abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE) findings and, or elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) level underwent Trans-Rectal Ultrasonography (TRUS) guided biopsy of the prostate. Stepwise logistic regression was used to determine the independent predictors of a positive initial biopsy. Age, prostatespecific antigen (PSA), digital rectal examination (DRE) status, prostate specific antigen density (PSAD), history of alcohol consumption and history of smoking findings were included in the analysis. Two nomogram models were developed that were based on these independent predictors to estimate the probability of a positive initial prostate biopsy. Receiver-operating characteristic curves (ROC) were used to assess the accuracy of using the nomograms and PSA and PSAD levels for predicting positive a prostate biopsy outcome. Results: Prostate cancer was diagnosed in 63 out of 241 patients (26.1%). Benign prostatic hyperplasia was diagnosed in 172 (71.4%) of patients and the remaining 6 patients (2.48%) had chronic inflammation. Significantly elevated levels of PSA and PSAD were observed among patients with PCa compared to patients without PCa (p < 0.05). Furthermore, it was observed that age, DRE, PSA, PSAD, history of smoking, and history of alcohol consumption were significantly independent predictors (p < 0.05) of prostate cancer. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of nomogram I and II were 87.3 and 84.8 respectively which were greater than that of total PSA (AUC = 75.8) and PSAD (AUC = 77.8) alone for predicting a positive initial prostate biopsy. Conclusion: We conclude that, nomograms offer a better and accurate assessment for predicting a positive outcome of prostate biopsies than the use of traditional tools of PSA, DRE and PSAD alone

Sex estimation from the percutaneous lengths of the femur and the ulna in a Ghanaian population using discriminant function analysis

Sex estimation models form a vital part in Forensic human identification but they are usually population-specific. This study aimed to develop and test sex estimation models for a Ghanaian population using percutaneous lengths of the femur (FL) and ulna (UL). The study was cross-sectional from June to July 2020, involving 99 adults (male: 52, females: 47), aged between 19 and 31 years. The lengths of the femur and ulna were measured using standard anthropometric techniques. All measurements were taken twice from the left side and then averaged. The sample was randomly divided into training (n = 60) and holdout (n = 39) samples before been analysed using discriminant function analysis (DFA). Cross-population studies were performed to test the reliability of the models. Males had longer femur and ulna than females (p < 0.001). Sex estimation accuracies from all the models ranged from 68.2% to 81.8% for males and 52.9% to 86.7% for females. The standardized mean difference (SMD: Cohen’s d) by sample type ranged from −0.19 to 3.08 (living samples), 0.19 to 4.73 (cadaveric samples) and 0.30 to 5.46 (skeletal samples). The SMD by population type were: Africa, excluding Mixed or White ethnicities (d= −0.02 to 3.08), Asia (d = 0.83 to 4.85) and Europe or the Americas (d = 0.30 to 3.38). When other population-specific models were tested on the holdout sample, the difference in the average sex estimation accuracy ranged from 0 to 25.6%. Sex estimation models from the lengths of the femur and ulna are specific to a the studied population and the type of sample used

Interrelations of α- and β-amylase activity with starch, sugars, and culinary and nutritional quality attributes in sweetpotato storage roots

BACKGROUND Little information is available on α- and β-amylase activity and their associations with starch, sugars and other culinary qualities in sweetpotato. The objective of this study was to assess sweetpotato storage root α- and β-amylase activity in relation to starch, sugars, β-carotene content and storage root flesh color. RESULTS α- and β-amylase activity (α-AA and β-AA) were assayed from a Tanzania (T) x Beauregard (B) genetic mapping population in their uncured (raw), cured and stored (~ 11 weeks) forms during 2016 and 2017. The Ceralpha and Betamyl methods, with modifications to suit a high-throughput microplate assay format, were used to quantify α-AA and β-AA, respectively. Storage root dry matter, starch, glucose, fructose, sucrose, and β-carotene content were predicted using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). There was little relationship (r2 = 0.02–0.08, p-value ≤0.05 in 2016 and r2 = 0.05–0.11, p-value ≤0.05 in 2017) between α-AA and β-AA. We observed negative linear associations between α-AA and dry matter content and generally no correlations between β-AA and dry matter content. β-AA and sugars were weakly positively correlated. β-AA and β-carotene content were positively correlated (r = 0.3–0.4 in 2016 and 0.3–0.5 in 2017). CONCLUSIONS Generally, the correlation coefficient for amylase enzyme activity and sugar components of storage roots at harvest increased after curing and during post-harvest storage. This study is a major step forward in sweetpotato breeding by providing a better understanding of how α- and β-amylase activity are inter-associated with several culinary quality attributes

Discovery of a major QTL for root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) resistance in cultivated sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas)

The root-knot nematode [Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & White) Chitwood] (RKN) causes significant storage root quality reduction and yields losses in cultivated sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.]. In this study, resistance to RKN was examined in a mapping population consisting of 244 progenies derived from a cross (TB) between ‘Tanzania,’ a predominant African landrace cultivar with resistance to RKN, and ‘Beauregard,’ an RKN susceptible major cultivar in the USA. We performed quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis using a random-effect QTL mapping model on the TB genetic map. An RKN bioassay incorporating potted cuttings of each genotype was conducted in the greenhouse and replicated five times over a period of 10 weeks. For each replication, each genotype was inoculated with ca. 20,000 RKN eggs, and root-knot galls were counted ~62 days after inoculation. Resistance to RKN in the progeny was highly skewed toward the resistant parent, exhibiting medium to high levels of resistance. We identified one major QTL on linkage group 7, dominant in nature, which explained 58.3% of the phenotypic variation in RKN counts. This work represents a significant step forward in our understanding of the genetic architecture of RKN resistance and sets the stage for future utilization of genomics-assisted breeding in sweetpotato breeding programs

Nomogram for predicting the probability of the positive outcome of prostate biopsies among Ghanaian men

Introduction and objectives: Several existing models have been developed to predict positive prostate biopsy among men undergoing evaluation for prostate cancer (PCa). However, most of these models have come from industrialized countries. We therefore, developed a prostate disease nomogram model to provide a basis for predicting a prostate biopsy outcome by correlating clinical indicators and diagnostic parameters among Ghanaian men. Subjects and methods: The study was a hospital-based cross-sectional prospective one which was undertaken at the Department of Surgery (Urology Unit) Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) from December, 2014 to March, 2016. In all a total of 241 patients suspected of having a prostate disorder due based on an abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE) findings and, or elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) level underwent Trans-Rectal Ultrasonography (TRUS) guided biopsy of the prostate. Stepwise logistic regression was used to determine the independent predictors of a positive initial biopsy. Age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), digital rectal examination (DRE) status, prostate specific antigen density (PSAD), history of alcohol consumption and history of smoking findings were included in the analysis. Two nomogram models were developed that were based on these independent predictors to estimate the probability of a positive initial prostate biopsy. Receiver-operating characteristic curves (ROC) were used to assess the accuracy of using the nomograms and PSA and PSAD levels for predicting positive a prostate biopsy outcome. Results: Prostate cancer was diagnosed in 63 out of 241 patients (26.1%). Benign prostatic hyperplasia was diagnosed in 172 (71.4%) of patients and the remaining 6 patients (2.48%) had chronic inflammation. Significantly elevated levels of PSA and PSAD were observed among patients with PCa compared to patients without PCa (p < 0.05). Furthermore, it was observed that age, DRE, PSA, PSAD, history of smoking, and history of alcohol consumption were significantly independent predictors (p < 0.05) of prostate cancer. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of nomogram I and II were 87.3 and 84.8 respectively which were greater than that of total PSA (AUC = 75.8) and PSAD (AUC = 77.8) alone for predicting a positive initial prostate biopsy Conclusion: We conclude that, nomograms offer a better and accurate assessment for predicting a positive outcome of prostate biopsies than the use of traditional tools of PSA, DRE and PSAD alone. Keywords: Nomogram, Prostate biopsy, Prostate specific antigen (PSA), Prostate specific antigen density (PSAD

Development of NIRS Calibration Curves for Sugars in Baked Sweetpotato

Background Variability in sugar content between raw and cooked sweetpotato storage roots impact nutritional and dietary importance with implications for consumer preference. High-throughput phenotyping is required to breed varieties that satisfy consumer preferences. Results Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) calibration curves were developed for analyzing sugars in baked storage roots using 147 genotypes from a population segregating for sugar content and other traits. The NIRS prediction curves had high coefficients of determination in calibration (R2c) of 0.96 (glucose), 0.93 (fructose), 0.96 (sucrose), and 0.96 (maltose). The corresponding coefficients of determination for cross validation (R2cv) were 0.92 (glucose), 0.89 (fructose), 0.96 (sucrose) and 0.93 (maltose) and were similar to the R2c for all sugars measured. The ratios of the standard deviation of the reference set to the standard error of cross validation were greater than three for all sugars. These results confirm the applicability of the NIRS curves in efficiently determining sugar content in baked sweetpotatoes storage roots. External validation was performed on an additional 70 genotypes. Coefficients of determination (r2) were 0.88 (glucose), 0.88 (fructose), 0.86 (sucrose) and 0.49 (maltose). The results were comparable to those found for the calibration and cross validation in fructose, glucose, and sucrose, but were moderate for maltose due to the low variability of maltose content in the population. Conclusions NIRS can be used for screening sugar content in baked sweetpotato storage roots in breeding programs and can be used to assist with the development of improved sweetpotato varieties that better meet consumer preferences