Performance of nine cassava (Manihot esculanta Crantz) clones across three environments

The study was carried out to quantify the genotype × environment interaction (G × E) and to estimate the phenotypic stability by genotype genotype × environment (GGE) biplot of nine cassava clones comprising 5 hybrids, 3 parent checks and 1 improved variety. The study was planted across three different environments; Fumesua, Pokuase and Ejura representing forest, coastal savanna and forest transition zones, respectively. Genotype main effect was significant (P < 0.001) for fresh root yield and dry matter content, G × E interaction effect was significant (P < 0.001) for fresh root yield only and environment main effect was significant (P < 0.01) for only fresh root yield. The most stable clone for fresh root yield with above average performance was La02/026 (hybrid). The high genotype and low environment effects, and the relatively low interaction on dry matter content imply that evaluation and selection can be effectively done in fewer environments to select clones with high performance for the trait whiles fresh root yield requires multiple environments to identify clones with broad and specific adaptation

Genetic variability of three cassava traits across three locations in Ghana

A study was conducted to assess the extent of genetic variability, broad-sense heritability and correlations for fresh root weight, root number and top weight of five cassava genotypes across three locations in 2 years. Combined analysis of variance revealed highly significant genotypic effect for all the traits. Genotype x environment interaction was also significant for all the traits studied indicating considerable but, varying response of the genotypes to the environments. High broad-sense heritability and genetic advance as percent of the mean were observed for fresh root weight, suggesting that the trait is primarily under genetic control and that a simple recurrent phenotypic selection scheme would be rewarding. Phenotypic coefficients of variation values were larger than their corresponding genotypic coefficient of variation values for all traits. Correlations between the three traits were highly significant and positive indicating that simultaneous progress for the three traits is feasible

A Quality Control Scheme for a Commercial Pozzolana Plant: A Case Study of Pozzolana Ghana Ltd

A Quality control scheme was developed for a 200 ton per day commercial pozzolana plant. The scheme was evaluated for the first 34 days of production. Statistical Process Control tech­niques were specifically applied to the mechanical properties of setting times and compressive strength. Results obtained showed that pozzolana samples tested were chemically suitable with total SiO2, Al2O3 and Fe2O3 content ≥ 70%. Mechanical tests performed were mostly under control and when out-of-control, they gave valuable indication to plant malfunction or operator errors which were promptly corrected. The results of mechanical properties tested against the three major brands of cement on the Ghanaian market showed that pozzolana gave highest compressive strengths with Dangote CEM I 42.5R ranging between 21.3 MPa - 36.3 MPa at 7 days and 33.8 MPa - 45.1 MPa at 28 days whilst lowest compressive strengths were obtained with Ghacem CEM II B-L 32.5R cement ranging between 16.3 MPa – 23.6 MPa at 7 days and 23.3 MPa – 30.7 MPa at 28 days. Compressive strengths obtained with Diamond CEM II B-L 42.5N cement were average. A mean compressive strength for all brands of ce­ment of 25.2 MPa and 33.6 MPa at 7 days and 28 days respectively were obtained. Keywords: Pozzolana cement, statistical process control, Shewhart chart, compressive strength, setting tim

Environmental performance of chocolate produced in ghana using life cycle assessment

Ghana is an important cocoa producer and exporter and this production is of high economic importance. Increasing interest in the sustainable productions of cocoa/chocolate necessitated the need to assess the environmental impacts associated with the production of different chocolate variants (extra dark (EDC), dark (DC), milk (MC) and flavoured milk (FMC) in Ghana, including the identification of environmental hotspots for improvement. The life cycle assessment tool was used following the CML_IA and CED impact assessment methods. EDC had the lowest scores for most of the impact categories while FMC was most impactful. For Global Warming Potential (GWP), EDC and FMC were estimated to be 1.61 kg CO2 eq. and 4.21 kg CO2 eq., respectively. CED ranged from 1.44 × 102 to 1.50 × 102 MJ-eq. Chocolate manufacturing phase was generally more impactful than cocoa cultivation due to high emissions from milk and sugar production. The impact scores for 100 g packaged chocolate bar were the lowest in comparison to 300 g chocolate pouches and 12.5 g packaged chocolate strips. GWP for 100 g and 12.5 g were 0.20 kg CO2 eq. and 0.39 kg CO2 eq., respectively. Comparing different destination points for the manufactured chocolate, impact scores for the international destination were similar to those recorded for local destinations. Improvement options are suggested for all phases to ensure more sustainable chocolate production and distribu-tion

Life cycle assessment of protected strawberry productions in central Italy

Agricultural activities in Europe cover half of the total area of the continent and are simultaneously a cause of environmental impact and victims of the same impact. Horticultural or fruit crops are considered highly intensive and often employ many crop inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, and various materials. Strawberry falls into this group, and it has grown in acreage and production more than others globally. The aim of this study is to compare the environmental impact of two strawberry cultivation systems in central Italy, a mulched soil tunnel and a soilless tunnel system. The method used to assess the impact is LCA, widely applied in agriculture and supported by international standards. The data used are mainly primary, related to 2018, and representative of the cultivation systems of central Italy. For impact assessment, the method selected was the CML_IA baseline version. From the results obtained, the two systems show a similar impact per kg of strawberries produced (e.g., for global warming: 0.785 kg CO2 eq for soilless, 0.778 kg CO2 eq for mulched soil tunnel). Reduced differences can be observed for the use of crop inputs (greater for the tunnel) and the use of materials and technology (greater for soilless). The mitigation measures considered concern the replacement of the packaging (excluding plastic) and the growing medium of the soilless using perlite and compost from insect breeding

Spinal Cord Imaging Markers and Recovery of Volitional Leg Movement With Spinal Cord Epidural Stimulation in Individuals With Clinically Motor Complete Spinal Cord Injury

Previous studies have shown that epidural stimulation of the lumbosacral spinal cord (scES) can re-enable lower limb volitional motor control in individuals with chronic, clinically motor complete spinal cord injury (SCI). This observation entails that residual supraspinal connectivity to the lumbosacral spinal circuitry still persisted after SCI, although it was non-detectable when scES was not provided. In the present study, we aimed at exploring further the mechanisms underlying scES-promoted recovery of volitional lower limb motor control by investigating neuroimaging markers at the spinal cord lesion site via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Spinal cord MRI was collected prior to epidural stimulator implantation in 13 individuals with chronic, clinically motor complete SCI, and the spared tissue of specific regions of the spinal cord (anterior, posterior, right, left, and total cord) was assessed. After epidural stimulator implantation, and prior to any training, volitional motor control was evaluated during left and right lower limb flexion and ankle dorsiflexion attempts. The ability to generate force exertion and movement was not correlated to any neuroimaging marker. On the other hand, spared tissue of specific cord regions significantly and importantly correlated with some aspects of motor control that include activation amplitude of antagonist (negative correlation) muscles during left ankle dorsiflexion, and electromyographic coordination patterns during right lower limb flexion. The fact that amount and location of spared spinal cord tissue at the lesion site were not related to the ability to generate volitional lower limb movements may suggest that supraspinal inputs through spared spinal cord regions that differ across individuals can result in the generation of lower limb volitional motor output prior to any training when epidural stimulation is provided

Hiv/Aids prevalence at the accident & emergency centre of a tertiary and referral health institution in Ghana

Background: Ghana has an estimated HIV prevalence of 1.4%, but the HIV prevalence of patients presenting at emergency departments in Ghana is not well documented in published literature. This study evaluated the prevalence of HIV infection at the Accident &amp; Emergency Department, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH A&amp;E), Kumasi, Ghana.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out on patients aged 18 and above presenting to KATH A&amp;E. An opt-in testing approach was used; consenting patients were screened for HIV using rapid HIV finger-stick testing with HIV 1-2 STAT-PAK. Sero-positivity was confirmed by OraQuick HIV 1-2 test. Data was analysed using multivariate logistic regression.Results: 1125 patients presenting at the KATH A&amp;E during the study period were offered the Rapid HIV test. 667 of these patients consented to have the test. HIV prevalence was 13.5% (90/667). 53 females (58.9%) were HIV positive compared to 37 males (41.1%). The age group 30-50 years had the highest risk of being HIV-positive. Other socio-demographic variables such as educational level and occupation were significantly associated with HIV-infection (Pvalue = 0.001 at 95% CI).Conclusion: This study shows that emergency department HIV testing in Ghana is feasible. The prevalence of HIV sero-positive patients presenting at KATH A&amp;E was tenfold higher than national estimates. We conclude that this study showed a high prevalence among patients seeking emergency care in our setting. Testing in the emergency department could lead to early detection of HIV-infected patients for linkage to care.Keywords: HIV Infections; HIV Screening; Prevalence, Diagnosis, Emergency Departmen

Global Prevalence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

1. Abstract 1.1. Background: Evidence suggests that diabetes in all forms are on the rise especially gesta-tional diabetes mellitus which increases the risk of maternal and neonatal morbidities; however global prevalence rates and geographical distribution of GDM remain uncertain. The aim of this study is to examine the global burden of gestational diabetes mellitus. 1.2. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting Randomised Clinical Trials (RCTs) in pregnant women who have GDM was conducted. Cochrane (Central), PubMed, Scopus, JBI, Medline, EMBASE and reference lists of retrieved studies were searched from inception to March 2019. Publications on prevalence of GDM irrespective of the baseline criteria used to diagnose GDM were included in the study. Studies were limited to English language, randomised control trials and women aged between 19-44 years inclusive. 1.3. Results: Eleven RCTs met the inclusion criteria for this review. The included studies collectively reported GDM rates of 13,450 pregnant women from 7 countries. The diagnostic criteria used in the studies were World Health Organisation (WHO) 1985 and 1999, International Association of Diabetes, Pregnancy Study Group (IADPSG), National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG), Carpenter-Coustan (C&C) and O'Sullivan's criteria. Seven RCTs screened for GDM in comparison with different diagnostic criteria in the same population while three studies used the same criteria for different groups. One study compared 100g, 3h OGTT to 75g, 2h OGTT for diagnosing GDM using Carpenter and Coustan criteria. All seven RCTs that compared different diagnostic criteria in the same population detected different prevalence rates of GDM. Three RCTs measured prevalence of GDM in the same population using WHO 1999 and IADPSG 2013 criteria. Using random effect model, data from three studies that compared IADPSG criteria to WHO 1999 showed an Odds Ratio (OR) of 0.52(0.15, 1.84), 95% Confidence Interval (CI) and high heterogeneity of 99%. In all three studies, prevalence of GDM measured by IADPSG criteria was higher than WHO 1999 criteria, although not significant (p= 0.31). Combining all the studies gave a global estimated prevalence of GDM to be 10.13% (95% CI, 7.33-12.94) with moderate heterogeneity of 27%. The highest prevalence of GDM wit

Association between Sexual Activity and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Initiation and Completion among College Students

HPV vaccination is most effective if received before initiation of sexual activity. Previous studies suggested that young adult women who were not sexually active were not interested in receiving the vaccine because they did not think it was necessary. Whether this misperception is still prevalent today-and also shared by men-is unknown. This study examined whether sexual activity was associated with HPV vaccine uptake (initiation and completion) among university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted between February and May 2021 among students (n = 951) at a public Midwestern University. Sexual activity was categorized as never or ever had oral and/or vaginal sex. Outcome variables were HPV vaccine initiation, defined as receipt of ≥1 dose, and completion, defined as receipt of ≥3 doses. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated the association between sexual activity and HPV vaccine uptake, adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Approximately 18% of students reported never engaging in sexual activity. Overall, 45.5% initiated the HPV vaccine, and 16.5% completed the vaccine series. After adjusting for covariates, compared to students that reported never engaging in sexual activity, those that had ever engaged in sexual activity were more likely to have initiated the vaccine series (aOR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.34-3.17); however, no difference was observed for completion. HPV vaccination was low; sexually naïve students were less likely to initiate the HPV vaccine. Since sexually naïve students may benefit from receiving the HPV vaccination, targeted interventions should be implemented towards this population to help increase vaccination rates and prevent HPV-associated diseases

Providing insight into the incubation period of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease: two case reports.

BACKGROUND: Buruli ulcer caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans is endemic in parts of West Africa and is most prevalent among the 5-15 years age group; Buruli ulcer is uncommon among neonates. The mode of transmission and incubation period of Buruli ulcer are unknown. We report two cases of confirmed Buruli ulcer in human immunodeficiency virus-unexposed, vaginally delivered term neonates in Ghana. CASE PRESENTATION: Patient 1: Two weeks after hospital delivery, a baby born to natives of the Ashanti ethnic group of Ghana was noticed by her mother to have a papule with associated edema on the right anterior chest wall and neck that later ulcerated. There was no restriction of neck movements. The diagnosis of Buruli ulcer was confirmed on the basis of a swab sample that had a positive polymerase chain reaction result for the IS2404 repeat sequence of M. ulcerans. Patient 2: This patient, from the Ashanti ethnic group in Ghana, had the mother noticing a swelling in the baby's left gluteal region 4 days after birth. The lesion progressively increased in size to involve almost the entire left gluteal region. Around the same time, the mother noticed a second, smaller lesion on the forehead and left side of neck. The diagnosis of Buruli ulcer was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction when the child was aged 4 weeks. Both patients 1 and 2 were treated with oral rifampicin and clarithromycin at recommended doses for 8 weeks in addition to appropriate daily wound dressing, leading to complete healing. Our report details two cases of polymerase chain reaction-confirmed Buruli ulcer in children whose lesions appeared at ages 14 and 4 days, respectively. The mode of transmission of M. ulcerans infection is unknown, so the incubation period is difficult to estimate and is probably dependent on the infective dose and the age of exposure. In our study, lesions appeared 4 days after birth in patient 2. Unless the infection was acquired in utero, this would be the shortest incubation period ever recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Buruli ulcer should be included in the differential diagnosis of neonates who present with characteristic lesions. The incubation period of Buruli ulcer in neonates is probably shorter than is reported for adults