Risk factors affecting maternal health outcomes in Rivers State of Nigeria: towards the PRISMA model

Existing research suggests that Nigeria accounts for about 23% of the world’s maternal mortality ratio, with negative impact on women’s wellbeing and the country’s socio-economic development. The underlying risk factors of the problem can be categorized into political influences, poor access to healthcare, inadequate utilization of health facilities, poor family planning support and complex pregnancy-related illness. Yet, the complex interrelations amongst the factors makes it difficult to ascertain the riskiest ones that affect women’s reproduction and child death, with the existing intervening strategies failing to address the problem. This study identifies maternal health risk factors and prioritizes their management in Rivers State of Nigeria, using the Prevention and Recovery Information System for Monitoring and Analysis (PRISMA) model. Taking a quantitative turn, we applied exploratory factor analysis to analyze 174 returned questionnaires from healthcare professionals working in Rivers State and used the results to establish the relationships between maternal health risk factors and prioritized the riskiest factors. The outcomes indicate that the PRISMA model provides an effective framework for identifying and managing maternal mortality risks that can enable healthcare experts and managers to address the avoidable risk factors and mitigate the unavoidable patient-related risk factors in Nigeria. The implications for theory, practice and policy are discussed

Financial performance and constraints in Gari Production in Kumasi, Ghana

Gari is a crisp and crunchy West African food made from grated cassava with the excess liquid dried out. It is a major food security product  consumed by most households and students in second cycle institutions in West African. Gari production is an important source of livelihood for many women in the informal sector in Ghana. It serves as a vital avenue for value addition to cassava, thus helping to address the problem of post-harvest losses and generating income for producers. This study assessed the financial performance and constraints in gari production in Kumasi, Ghana. Primary data from a cross-sectional survey of 46 gari producers who were identified using snowball sampling technique was used. Descriptive statistics, profitability indicators, and a 5-point Likert scale were used to analyse the primary data. Results showed that gari production ispredominantly done by women 30-75 years old with a mean age of 50 years. Majority of producers had no formal education (57%) and had been in production for an average of 24 years. It was found that gari production in Kumasi is financially profitable, with all the profitability indicators employed showing positive returns on inputs employed in production, although the values were less competitive relative to other producers’ valueselsewhere. The profit margin was favourable at 22%, return on capital employed (ROCE) at 29% and operating expense ratio at 76%. The relatively low ROCE of 29% compared with the opportunity cost of capital (31%) by commercial banks in the study area indicates the underutilization of producers’ capital in gari production. Key constraints identified in the gari production business were seasonality and high cost of cassava. Adoption of cost-effective management strategies and release of all year round cassava varieties could help improve gari production and livelihoods of producers and other actors along the cassava value chain. Key words: Cassava, Gari, Production, Profitability, Constraints, Women, Livelihood, Kumasi-Ghan

Association of bovine leptin polymorphisms with energy output and energy storage traits in progeny tested Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle sires

peer-reviewedBackground: Leptin modulates appetite, energy expenditure and the reproductive axis by signalling via its receptor the status of body energy stores to the brain. The present study aimed to quantify the associations between 10 novel and known single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes coding for leptin and leptin receptor with performance traits in 848 Holstein-Friesian sires, estimated from performance of up to 43,117 daughter-parity records per sire. Results: All single nucleotide polymorphisms were segregating in this sample population and none deviated (P > 0.05) from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Complete linkage disequilibrium existed between the novel polymorphism LEP-1609, and the previously identified polymorphisms LEP-1457 and LEP-580. LEP-2470 associated (P < 0.05) with milk protein concentration and calf perinatal mortality. It had a tendency to associate with milk yield (P < 0.1). The G allele of LEP-1238 was associated (P < 0.05) with reduced milk fat concentration, reduced milk protein concentration, longer gestation length and tended to associate (P < 0.1) with an increase in calving difficulty, calf perinatal mortality and somatic cells in the milk. LEP-963 exhibited an association (P < 0.05) with milk fat concentration, milk protein concentration, calving difficulty and gestation length. It also tended to associate with milk yield (P < 0.1). The R25C SNP associated (P < 0.05) with milk fat concentration, milk protein concentration, calving difficulty and length of gestation. The T allele of the Y7F SNP significantly associated with reduced angularity (P < 0.01) and reduced milk protein yield (P < 0.05). There was also a tendency (P < 0.1) for Y7F to associate with increased body condition score, reduced milk yield and shorter gestation (P < 0.1). A80V associated with reduced survival in the herd (P < 0.05). Conclusions Several leptin polymorphisms (LEP-2470, LEP-1238, LEP-963, Y7F and R25C) associated with the energetically expensive process of lactogenesis. Only SNP Y7F associated with energy storage. Associations were also observed between leptin polymorphisms and calving difficulty, gestation length and calf perinatal mortality. The lack of an association between the leptin variants investigated with calving interval in this large data set would question the potential importance of these leptin variants, or indeed leptin, in selection for improved fertility in the Holstein-Friesian dairy cow.Department of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Ireland - Research Stimulus Fund (RSF-06-0353; RSF-06-0409); Irish Dairy Research Trust; Teagasc Walsh Fellowshi

Cyclized NDGA modifies dynamic α-synuclein monomers preventing aggregation and toxicity.

Growing evidence implicates α-synuclein aggregation as a key driver of neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. Herein, the molecular and structural mechanisms of inhibiting α-synuclein aggregation by novel analogs of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), a phenolic dibenzenediol lignan, were explored using an array of biochemical and biophysical methodologies. NDGA analogs induced modest, progressive compaction of monomeric α-synuclein, preventing aggregation into amyloid-like fibrils. This conformational remodeling preserved the dynamic adoption of α-helical conformations, which are essential for physiological membrane interactions. Oxidation-dependent NDGA cyclization was required for the interaction with monomeric α-synuclein. NDGA analog-pretreated α-synuclein did not aggregate even without NDGA-analogs in the aggregation mixture. Strikingly, NDGA-pretreated α-synuclein suppressed aggregation of naïve untreated aggregation-competent monomeric α-synuclein. Further, cyclized NDGA reduced α-synuclein-driven neurodegeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans. The cyclized NDGA analogs may serve as a platform for the development of small molecules that stabilize aggregation-resistant α-synuclein monomers without interfering with functional conformations yielding potential therapies for PD and related disorders

The nuclear fuel cycle associated with the operation of nuclear power plants

Electric power generation in Ghana is presently achieved through hydro and fossil fuel energy sources. However, recent energy crisis due to sporadic rainfall patterns has mandated the search for alternate and more secure electricity generating technologies. The nuclear power option has been mentioned as an alternative for Ghana but the issue of waste management worries both policy makers and the public. In this paper, the nuclear fuel cycle associated with the operation of nuclear power plants (NPPs) for electric power generation has been extensively reviewed. Different methods or schemes for dealing with the management of spent fuel arisings from the operation of these power plants have also been analyzed. Particular attention has been paid to providing answers to vital questions often asked by the public regarding the front- (nuclear fuel supply) and back- (spent fuel disposal) ends of the nuclear fuel cycle. Different strategies of the fuel cycle have been mentioned. The wet and dry storage methods of spent fuel management required for temporal storage of spent fuel at-reactor (AR) and away-from-reactor (AFR) sites have also been reviewed. Some recommendations have been made for the adoption of a nuclear power program in Ghana by concentrating on management and disposal of nuclear waste. JOURNAL OF THE GHANA SCIENCE ASSOCIATION Volume 2 No. 2 (2000) pp. 121-12