Seaweeds Pretreatment Methods for Long Term Storage; Effect on Nutrients, Bioactive Compounds and General Sensory Characteristics

Global human population is projected to increase by more than 34 % to over 9 billion people by 2050. As food, feed, fuels, and pharmaceutical sources are crucial to support this population increase, researchers are putting efforts in to finding novel sustainable ingredients and means to produce these valuable resources. Currently, there is high focus on macroalgae as an alternative sustainable ingredient due to its positive contribution to ecosystem preservation, particularly in reducing greenhouse gases and in bioremediation. Norway has an extensive coastline and an already established competence in marine raw materials processing and related technologies and thus have great prospects in macroalgae cultivation and value addition. The large-scale utilization of macroalgae, particularly in the food and pharmaceutical industries, will require continuous supply of the macroalgae biomass. However, harvesting is currently done seasonally (usually between the months of April to June) in Norway. Therefore, it is imperative to develop suitable low cost and low energy methodology for preserving the harvested biomass for long periods, while maintaining an intact chemical composition. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the storage stability of brown macroalgae – Saccharina latissima, preserved for a long period (approx. 2.5 months) and to determine the effects of different pretreatment methods such as ensiling with different additives, microbes, and chemical stabilizers, on the general sensory properties and chemical composition. Another aim was to determine the bioactivity of fucoidans – an important biomolecule found in brown macroalgae. To do this, the macroalgae samples were subjected to 20 different treatments and stored vacuum packed for approx. 2.5 months. Afterwards the samples were physically analysed to check for colour change, smell, and fungal growth. Compositional analyses were conducted to assess any differences in compositions due to the different pretreatments. And subsequently, extraction of fucoidans and bioactivity analysis in head kidney leukocytes of Atlantic salmon was conducted. The results indicated that higher volumes of the additives were generally more effective in preserving the samples than lower volumes. Furthermore, although freezing is an effective preservation method, it is not feasible for larger volumes of macroalgae biomass, due to high energy and space requirements and high associated cost. Instead, preservation using formic acid 85 % was the most effective method based on the amount of fucose (major constituent of fucoidans) and purity of the fucoidan-rich seaweeds extracts. The other effective pretreatments were ensiling with Sil-All® 4x4, no additive (storing at room temperature), GrasAAT® Plus and GrasAAT® Lacto. Finally, the bioactivity of fucoidan-rich seaweeds extracts from S. latissima was confirmed based on its ability to induce an upregulation of the tnfɑ gene in head kidney leukocytes from Atlantic salmon

Recommendations for Implementing Hepatitis C Virus Care in Homeless Shelters: The Stakeholder Perspective.

Compared with the general population, homeless individuals are at higher risk of hepatitis C infection (HCV) and may face unique barriers in receipt of HCV care. This study sought the perspectives of key stakeholders toward establishing a universal HCV screening, testing, and treatment protocol for individuals accessing homeless shelters. Four focus groups were conducted with homeless shelter staff, practice providers, and social service outreach workers (n = 27) in San Francisco, California, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Focus groups evaluated key societal, system, and individual-level facilitators and barriers to HCV testing and management. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed thematically. The societal-level barriers identified were lack of insurance, high-out-of-pocket expenses, restriction of access to HCV treatment due to active drug and/or alcohol use, and excessive paperwork required for HCV treatment authorization from payers. System-level barriers included workforce constraints and limited health care infrastructure, HCV stigma, low knowledge of HCV treatment, and existing shelter policies. At the individual level, client barriers included competing priorities, behavioral health concerns, and health attitudes. Facilitators at the system level for HCV care service integration in the shelter setting included high acceptability and buy in, and linkage with social service providers. Conclusion: Despite societal, system, and individual-level barriers identified with respect to the scale-up of HCV services in homeless shelters, there was broad support from key stakeholders for increasing capacity for the provision of HCV services in shelter settings. Recommendations for the scale-up of HCV services in homeless shelter settings are discussed

Assessing the Life Insurance Industry in Ghana

Insurance has a crucial role to play in every economy. In Ghana, there have been a number of disasters resulting in loss of life and property. This paper attempts to assess the life insurance industry in Ghana through a sample of 330 customers of life insurance companies operating in the Kumasi Metropolis. The study revealed that life insurance companies find it difficult to settle claim payment and subject customers to long processing period while some settlement end up in court. 70% of the customers do not received feedback after lodging complains. These insurance companies however collect their premium promptly. Keywords: insurance, effectiveness, satisfaction, claim, premiu

The Level of Existence and Impact of Cost and Time Overruns of Building Construction Projects in Ghana

The construction industry has over the years been challenged with cost and time overruns of construction projects all over the world including Ghana. This problem has become a major concern to all the stakeholders of construction industry in Ghana. This study attempts to identify and establish the level of existence of cost and time overruns of building construction projects in Ghana, its causes and its relative effect on the construction industry and offers recommendations to minimize or curbs it. A survey which relied heavily on questionnaires was used to elicit opinions from Quantity Surveyors, Architects and Project/Construction Managers in key institutions in the Ghanaian construction industry such as client organisations, contracting firms and consulting firms. The purposive, convenience and snowball sampling techniques were used and out of 120 questionnaires distributed, 89 were received. The findings showed that cost and time overruns exist in more than 40% of building construction projects in Ghana. It was also identified and established that cost and time overruns of building construction projects in Ghana exceed 40% of estimated project cost and time. It was further established that, public building construction projects in Ghana had an alarming average cost and time overruns of 75% and 146% respectively with a maximum limits of cost and time overruns of 376% and 400% respectively, whereas, private building construction projects in Ghana, rather had a relatively lower average cost and time overruns of 34% and 77% respectively, with maximum limits of cost and time overruns of 98% and 300% respectively. The study further identified 34 and 38 significant causes of cost and time overruns respectively, as well as 15 significant effects. This study has not only filled the gap in existing literature on the subject in Ghana, but has also made recommendations which will improve and minimize the occurrence of cost and time overruns of construction projects in Ghana. Keywords: Level of Existence, Impact, Cost Overrun, Time Overrun, Building Construction Project

Novel Strategies for Malaria Vaccine Design

The quest for a licensed effective vaccine against malaria remains a global priority. Even though classical vaccine design strategies have been successful for some viral and bacterial pathogens, little success has been achieved for Plasmodium falciparum, which causes the deadliest form of malaria due to its diversity and ability to evade host immune responses. Nevertheless, recent advances in vaccinology through high throughput discovery of immune correlates of protection, lymphocyte repertoire sequencing and structural design of immunogens, provide a comprehensive approach to identifying and designing a highly efficacious vaccine for malaria. In this review, we discuss novel vaccine approaches that can be employed in malaria vaccine design

The Role of ICT in Teaching and Learning Mathematics at College of Education: A Systematic Review

Integrating ICT in education has become increasingly popular. This systematic literature review explores the role of ICT in teaching and learning mathematics at the College of Education level. A comprehensive search was conducted using various academic databases, resulting in a final sample of 27 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The findings indicate that the use of ICT in mathematics education has positively impacted teaching and learning. The studies reviewed reported improved student engagement, motivation, and achievement in mathematics, as well as increased teacher effectiveness and confidence in their ability to teach mathematics. Regarding specific ICT tools and strategies, the studies reviewed suggest that interactive whiteboards, educational software, and online resources effectively enhance teaching and learning mathematics. However, the effective integration of ICT requires adequate infrastructure, professional development opportunities, and teacher support. This review highlights the potential benefits of integrating ICT into mathematics education at the College of Education level. Further research is to be conducted to investigate the most effective strategies for integrating ICT in mathematics education and to address the challenges associated with ICT implementation in educational settings. Keywords:Information and Communication Technology, Collaborative Learning, Community of Practice, Constructivism, Teaching and Learning. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-12-06 Publication date: April 30th 202

Evasion of Classical Complement Pathway Activation on Plasmodium falciparum-Infected Erythrocytes Opsonized by PfEMP1-Specific IgG

Members of the PfEMP1 protein family are expressed on the surface of P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IEs), where they contribute to the pathogenesis of malaria and are important targets of acquired immunity. Although the PfEMP1-specific antibody response is dominated by the opsonizing and complement-fixing subclasses IgG1 and IgG3, activation of the classical complement pathway by antibody-opsonized IEs does not appear to be a major immune effector mechanism. To study the molecular background for this, we used ELISA and flow cytometry to assess activation of the classical component pathway by recombinant and native PfEMP1 antigen opsonized by polyclonal and monoclonal PfEMP1-specific human IgG. Polyclonal IgG specific for VAR2CSA-type PfEMP1 purified from a pool of human immune plasma efficiently activated the classical complement pathway when bound to recombinant PfEMP1 in ELISA. In contrast, no activation of complement could be detected by flow cytometry when the same IgG preparation was used to opsonize IEs expressing the corresponding native PfEMP1 antigen. After engineering of a VAR2CSA-specific monoclonal antibody to facilitate its on-target hexamerization, complement activation was detectable in an ELISA optimized for uniform orientation of the immobilized antigen. In contrast, the antibody remained unable to activate complement when bound to native VAR2CSA on IEs. Our data suggest that the display of PfEMP1 proteins on IEs is optimized to prevent activation of the classical complement pathway, and thus represents a hitherto unappreciated parasite strategy to evade acquired immunity to malaria

Clinical and laboratory characteristics of children with sickle cell disease on hydroxyurea treated with artemether-lumefantrine for acute uncomplicated malaria

IntroductionLimited information exists on any interactions between hydroxyurea (HU) and antimalarials in sickle cell disease (SCD). We evaluated changes in clinical and laboratory parameters among children with SCD on HU therapy treated with artemether-lumefantrine (AL) for acute uncomplicated malaria (UM).MethodsA prospective, non-randomized, pilot study of 127 children with SCD (23, UM; 104, steady state) were recruited from three hospitals in Accra. UM participants were treated with standard doses of AL and followed up, on days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, and 28. Venous blood was collected at baseline and follow-up days in participants with UM for determination of malaria parasitaemia, full blood count, reticulocytes, and clinical chemistry. Further, Plasmodium falciparum identification of rapid diagnostic test (RDT) positive samples was done using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR).ResultsAmong SCD participants with UM, admission temperature, neutrophils, alanine-aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl-transferase, and haemoglobin significantly differed between HU recipients (HU+) and steady state, while white blood cell, neutrophils, reticulocytes, bilirubin, urea, and temperature differed significantly between non-HU recipients (no-HU), and steady state. Mean parasitaemia (HU+, 2930.3 vs. no-HU, 1,060, p = 0.74) and adverse events (HU+, 13.9% vs. no-HU, 14.3%), were comparable (p = 0.94). Day 28 reticulocyte count was higher in the HU+ (0.24) (0.17 to 0.37) vs. no-HU, [0.15 (0.09 to 0.27), p = 0.022]. Significant differences in lymphocyte [HU+ 2.74 95% CI (−5.38 to 58.57) vs. no-HU −0.34 (−3.19 to 4.44), p = 0.024]; bilirubin [HU+, −4.44 (−16.36 to 20.74) vs. no-HU −18.37 (−108.79 to −7.16)]; and alanine aminotransferase, [HU+, −4.00 (−48.55 to 6.00) vs. no-HU, 7.00 (−22.00 to 22.00)] were observed during follow up.ConclusionParasite clearance and adverse event occurrence were comparable between SCD children treated with AL irrespective of HU status. However, distinct patterns of changes in laboratory indices suggest the need for larger, more focused studies

The Lighter Side of Marriage: Skin Bleaching in Post-Colonial Ghana

Skin color plays a significant role in the lives of Ghanaian women. Many Ghanaian women’s feelings about beauty, attractiveness and the marriage market are associated with skin complexion. Using sixty Ghanaian students and thirty market trading women, this study investigated skin color (i.e. its lightness-darkness) as a function of social capital in the marriage market. A Skin Color Assessment Procedure was administered toall participants. This study showed that although participants were satisfied with their skin color, they believed that Ghanaian men found lighter- skinned women more attractive. This project expands existing scientific and scholarly literature concerning skin bleaching by presenting the implications of skin bleaching from a psychological perspective.ResuméLa couleur de la peau joue un rôle important dans la vie des femmes ghanéennes. Les sentiments de nombreuses femmes ghanéennes vis-à-vis la beauté, le charme et le marché de mariage sont liés au teint de la peau. Menée auprès de soixante étudiantes et trente commerçantes ghanéennes, cette enquête analyse la couleur de la peau (clartéfoncée)comme fonction de capital social sur le marché de mariage. Tous les participants ont fait objet d'une procédure d'évaluation de la couleur de peau. L'enquête a démontré même si les participants se contentaient de la couleur de leur peau, elles sont de l'avis que les hommes ghanéens sont plus attirés par les femmes de teint clair. En présentant lesconséquences de la décoloration de la peau d'une perspective psychologique, ce projet amplifie la littérature scientifique et savante existante sur la décoloration de la peau