Nitella congesta - a charophyte as a tool for the rehabilitation of sand mine-void wetlands at Capel, Western Australia

This research is the outcome of investigations of the ability of Nitella congesta, a charophyte, to hyperaccumulate metal contaminants, as well as contribute to the sustainable development of a chain of lakes derived from the sand mine voids at Capel 250km south of Perth, Western Australia. Studies were conducted to ascertain the taxonomy of Nitella congesta as well as its life cycle pattern in relation to the hydrological regime of the lakes of the wetlands. It was observed that a decrease in the availability of water in the lakes particularly on the onset of summer, initiated the production of fruiting bodies whiles prolonged availability of water ensured a prolonged vegetative growth.Aquatic plants play an important role in the structuring of freshwater communities. Freshwater macrophytes such as Nitella congesta have been reported to serve as food source as well as provide refuge and shelter for macroinvertebrates. Thus the presence of freshwater macrophytes in one way or the other has a direct impact on the species abundance and diversity of macroinvertebrates that use them as their habitat. A study of the impact of Nitella congesta as a suitable macrophyte on diversity and abundance of macroinvertebrates showed a positive outcome. It was observed that species richness and diversity were high in Nitella congesta dominated sites of the lakes. Experimental outcome showed that Nitella congesta is a hyperaccumulator of metals. Both the mucilage and the thallus displayed concentrations of few metals.The disappearance of submerged macrophytes such as charophytes in shallow lakes is a major problem caused by eutrophication. There has been an approved proposal to discharge treated waste water with a phosphorus concentration of about 4,000μg/L into the lakes of the Capel Wetlands Centre. This necessitated a study of the impact of eutrophication on the establishment of Nitella congesta as a functional macrophyte for the enhancement of the ecological structure of the wetlands.Results showed that though eutrophication will initially increase the primary productivity of the lakes of the wetlands, the eventual consequence will be the loss of Nitella congesta as a functional macrophyte in the wetlands.At the last stage of the study, a consistent decrease in pH readings of the lakes and lack of successful germination of Nitella congesta as a result of prolonged drought and exposure of the lake sediment was observed. This necessitated a thorough study of the impact of climate change on the establishment of Nitella congesta in the wetlands. In conclusion, it was observed that Nitella congesta could serve as a suitable tool for the rehabilitation of the wetlands

Anti-putrefying properties of the aqueous extract of fresh leaves of Manihot esculenta (cassava) on dead laboratory Sprague Dawley rats

The leaves of Manihot esculenta (ME) have been used by ancestors, apart from food, to preserve human bodies before burial. Formalin remains the chemical agent of choice in modern times to preserve corpses. However, cost, associated health hazards and recent public health concerns meant that researchers must explore alternative means of continuing this age-long process of preservation of human remains. The present study aimed to explore the effectiveness of extracts from cassava (Manihot esculenta) leaves in the preservation of dead remains of corpses. Aqueous extracts from fresh leaves of M. esculenta (MELE) were used to preserve euthanised rats and the internal organs were harvested after 7 days for histological analysis. The histological sections of the stomach and liver were compared with those of control rats treated with 6 ml of formalin (10%). The low and intermediate doses of MELE preserved the tissues of the dead rats beyond 7 days, as evidenced by histological sections of the stomach and liver. Concentrations of MELE between 300 mg/kg and 1500 mg/kg showed adequate potency in preserving dead rats compared to formalin. However, the dead rats treated with doses of MELE greater than 1500 mg/kg showed rapid putrefaction after 7 days

Trainee Teachers Attitudes toward Macro-Teaching: Resource Impact and Mentors Perspectives

Macro-teaching is a technique used to prepare trainee teachers for the real classroom setting. This technique enables trainee teachers to experiment and learn relevant teaching skills through interactions with their lead mentors and mentors. This study assessed the attitude of trainee teachers towards macro-teaching from the perspective of lead mentors and mentors. The study also assessed the importance of school resources in macro-teaching exercise. Using a qualitative case study research design, and Braun and Clarke’s inductive thematic analysis approach 194 respondents’ responses were used for analysis. The study findings revealed a positive attitude among trainee teachers toward the macro-teaching exercise. It also revealed that school resources, particularly infrastructure and teaching and learning resources were inadequate and also not available in some public basic schools in the Bono East region. The findings found this to adversely affect trainee teachers’ competency development in the teaching profession. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education through the Ghana Education Service should provide school resources such as staff common rooms and reading materials for basic schools in the municipality to promote quality teaching and learning in schools

Impact of universal childhood vaccination against hepatitis B in Ghana: A pilot study

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is of public health importance worldwide. Vaccination against the infection, especially in early childhood has significantly reduced the public health impact. This pilot study was undertaken in Cape Coast Metropolitan area to assess the impact of the introduction of HBV vaccination in children. A cross-sectional multi-stage cluster sampling of 501 pupils from 30 public and private primary and junior high schools within the Cape Coast metropolis. A questionnaire covering basic demographic details and immunisation history were administered to the participants after consent and assent had been sought. Hepatitis B serological test for HBsAg, HBcAb, HBsAb, HBeAg and HbeAb was undertaken using Hepatitis B test kit and capillary blood from the participants. The general prevalence of HBcAb, HBsAg and HBsAb was found to be 3.6, 2.6 and 19.8% respectively. The prevalence of HBcAb was 2.6 and 6.1% among pupils delivered after and before the vaccine programme introduction respectively. Introduction of the vaccination programme in Ghana has had a positive impact on the HBV infection in Ghana

Do we harm others even if we don't need to?

Evolutionary explanations of the co-existence of large-scale cooperation and warfare in human societies rest on the hypothesis of parochial altruism, the view that in-group pro-sociality and out-group anti-sociality have co-evolved. We designed an experiment that allows subjects to freely choose between actions that are purely pro-social, purely anti-social, or a combination of the two. We present behavioral evidence on the existence of strong aggression-a pattern of non-strategic behaviors that are welfare-reducing for all individuals (i.e., victims and perpetrators). We also show how strong aggression serves to dynamically stabilize in-group pro-sociality

Pseudomonas oryzihabitans sepsis in a 1-year-old child with multiple skin rashes: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Pseudomonas oryzihabitans is a Pseudomonas bacterial organism rarely implicated in human infections. The bacterium has been isolated in a few reported cases of neurosurgical infections and patients with end-stage cirrhosis, sickle cell disease, and community-acquired urinary tract infections. Limited information exists in developing countries, however, because of the lack of advanced microbiological tools for identification and characterization of this bacterium. This case report describes the isolation of a rare Pseudomonas bacterium in a patient presenting with sepsis and skin infection. CASE PRESENTATION: A 1-year-old girl was presented to a hospital in the northeastern part of Ghana with a 1-week history of pustular rashes on her scalp and neck, which occasionally ruptured, along with discharge of yellowish purulent fluid. The child is of Mole-Dagbon ethnicity and hails from the northern part of Ghana. Pseudomonas oryzihabitans was identified in the patient's blood culture using the 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid sequencing technique. The rash on the patient's scalp and skin resolved after continuous treatment with gentamicin while her condition improved clinically. CONCLUSIONS: This finding suggests the potential of this bacterium to cause disease in unsuspected situations and emphasizes the need to have evidence for the use of the appropriate antibiotic in clinical settings, particularly in rural settings in Africa. It also brings to the fore the unreliability of conventional methods for identification of Pseudomonas bacteria in clinical samples and thus supports the use of 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid in making the diagnosis

Perspective: Food environment research priorities for Africa—Lessons from the Africa Food Environment Research Network

Over the last 2 decades, many African countries have undergone dietary and nutrition transitions fuelled by globalization, rapid urbanization, and development. These changes have altered African food environments and, subsequently, dietary behaviors, including food acquisition and consumption. Dietary patterns associated with the nutrition transition have contributed to Africa's complex burden of malnutrition—obesity and other diet-related noncommunicable diseases (DR-NCDs)—along with persistent food insecurity and undernutrition. Available evidence links unhealthy or obesogenic food environments (including those that market and offer energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods and beverages) with suboptimal diets and associated adverse health outcomes. Elsewhere, governments have responded with policies to improve food environments. However, in Africa, the necessary research and policy action have received insufficient attention. Contextual evidence to motivate, enable, and create supportive food environments in Africa for better population health is urgently needed. In November 2020, the Measurement, Evaluation, Accountability, and Leadership Support for Noncommunicable Diseases Prevention Project (MEALS4NCDs) convened the first Africa Food Environment Research Network Meeting (FERN2020). This 3-d virtual meeting brought researchers from around the world to deliberate on future directions and research priorities related to improving food environments and nutrition across the African continent. The stakeholders shared experiences, best practices, challenges, and opportunities for improving the healthfulness of food environments and related policies in low- and middle-income countries. In this article, we summarize the proceedings and research priorities identified in the meeting to advance the food environment research agenda in Africa, and thus contribute to the promotion of healthier food environments to prevent DR-NCDs, and other forms of malnutrition

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

The impact of phosphorus enrichment on a Nitella sp. from sand-mine void wetlands, Capel, Western Australia

The disappearance of submerged macrophytes in shallow lakes is one of the most critical problems caused by eutrophication. The impact of increased phosphorus concentration on the establishment of a Nitella species as a suitable macrophyte for the rehabilitation of sandmine void wetlands at Capel in Western Australia, in the context of an imminent proposal to discharge effluent water from a waste processing plant into the wetlands was studied in the laboratory. The Nitella species was cultured in aquarium tanks in eutrophic and mesotrophic concentrations of phosphorus with a control (oligotrophic) treatment and its growth and lifecycle were monitored. It was observed that eutrophication had a significant impact on growth, morphology and lifecycle of Nitella. In addition to showing profuse vegetative growth, Nitella species produced no reproductive organs in the eutrophic medium. An approximate ratio of 1:1 male to female reproductive organs was recorded in the mesotrophic and control treatments but with reduced vegetative growth. Higher biomass of Nitella and filamentous algae including blue green algae was also recorded in the eutrophic treatment. In the eutrophic medium, the height, number of nodes, internode distance and the biomass were also found to be significantly higher than those in the other treatments. It was concluded that with the projected discharge of waste water into the Capel Wetlands, the Nitella meadows would display an initial accelerated growth followed by excessive growth of filamentous algae including cyanobacteria leading to increase in turbidity and eventual disappearance of Nitella species

Ecology and life cycle of a Nitella sp. from Capel Wetlands, Western Australia

The morphology, ecology, life cycle pattern and taxonomy of a Nitella sp., a charophyte from three sand-mine-void lakes at the Capel Wetlands Centre, were investigated both in the field and in the laboratory. Water depth was positively correlated with the height of the Nitella sp. Low numbers of gametangia were associated with high water depth. Life cycle of the charophyte was shown to be adapted to the hydrological regime and water quality of the temporary lakes at Capel Wetlands within the pH range of 5 to 9. Laboratory cultures of the species as well as its occurrence in lakes in the Perth Metropolitan region under various trophic conditions indicate that the species has wide ecological tolerance. The charophyte begins its life cycle with autumn rains filling the temporary wetlands and continues to grow throughout the winter. By spring, reproduction is initiated. Mature oospores are produced by the end of summer, coinciding with the decline in water level followed by the drying of the lakes. Morphology of vegetative and reproductive structures, reproductive state and ultrastructure of oospores were combined to provide a description of the species. The number of accessory branchlets was found to be variable. The Nitella species is placed under the subgenus Decandollea section Decandollea and shares characters of N. congesta (R Brown) A Braun and N. lhotzkyi A Braun