Detection of Human Papillomavirus Genotypes and Epstein-Barr Virus in Nasopharyngeal Carcinomas at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana

Nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC) are endemic in Far East Asia and commonly harbour Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) which is known to serve as a key oncogenic promoter. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is known to contribute to the pathogenesis of NPC. However, in Ghana these two viruses have not been linked to NPC prevalence. This study was designed to determine the HPV genotypes and EBV involved in NPC tissue biopsies. A retrospective study design involving 72 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPET) samples of NPC from 2006 to 2012 were retrieved from the Department of Pathology, University of Ghana School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences. Sections were taken for histological analysis and for DNA lysate preparation. The DNA lysates were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis to determine the presence of HPV genotypes and EBV. HPV specific primers were used to type for fourteen HPV genotypes (HPV-16, 18, 6/11, 31, 33, 35, 44, 42, 43, 45, 56, 52, 58, and 59). Out of the 72 NPC biopsies analyzed by PCR, EBV DNA was present in 18 (25%) cases and HPV DNA in 14 (19.23%). High risk HPV (HR-HPV) genotypes 18 and 31 were associated with the NPC. There were 3 (4.2%) cases of coinfection by both viruses. The EBV DNA present in the undifferentiated variant of the NPC and the histopathology of the NPC in Ghana is similar to the type described in endemic areas

Post-construction support and the sustainability of rural water projects in Ghana

Many rural community-managed water supply programs in developing countries have been characterized by poor performance. In response, governments and non-governmental organizations have organized two types of “post-construction support” for village water and sanitation committees. The first, “demand-driven” approach leaves it largely up to communities themselves to seek out repair and other support services and to pay for them when needed. The second is a more “supply-driven” approach – to provide unsolicited technical assistance, training, trouble-shooting, and even financial assistance to communities. We evaluate the effect of these types of post construction support on the technical sustainability of community water supplies in rural Ghana using data collected from 200 villages in Volta and Brong Ahafo

Mechanical Manipulation of Quantum Interference in Single-Molecule Junctions

Mechanosensitive molecular junctions, where conductance is sensitive to an applied stress such as force or displacement, are a class of nanoelectromechanical systems unique for their ability to exploit quantum mechanical phenomena. Most studies so far relied on reconfiguration of the molecule-electrode interface to impart mechanosensitivity, but this approach is limited and, generally, poorly reproducible. Alternatively, devices that exploit conformational flexibility of molecular wires have been recently proposed. The mechanosensitive properties of molecular wires containing the 1,1'-dinaphthyl moiety are presented here. Rotation along the chemical bond between the two naphthyl units is possible, giving rise to two conformers (transoid and cisoid) that have distinctive transport properties. When assembled as single-molecule junctions, it is possible to mechanically trigger the transoid to cisoid transition, resulting in an exquisitely sensitive mechanical switch with high switching ratio (> 102 ). Theoretical modeling shows that charge reconfiguration upon transoid to cisoid transition is responsible for the observed behavior, with generation and subsequent lifting of quantum interference features. These findings expand the experimental toolbox of molecular electronics with a novel chemical structure with outstanding electromechanical properties, further demonstrating the importance of subtle changes in charge delocalization on the transport properties of single-molecule devices

Comparative analysis of access to WASH facilities and risk of microbial infection to children in poor urban communities in Accra, Ghana

Water quality is often compromised during the transmission chain in poor urban communities due to exposure to faecal matter. Uncontained toilet facilities and indiscriminate faecal disposal results in contamination of water sources with consequent enteric infections especially among children. This study aimed to analyse the linkage between accessibility to WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) facilities in two urban poor communities; and to spatially predict the risk of infection to children under five years. We mapped building blocks, households, toilet facilities, drains and water sources using orthophotos generated from UAV images and Real-Time Kinematic GPS surveys in two poor urban settlements- Madina Zongo and Gbegbeyise- in Accra. We enumerated 1, 680 households in the two study sites taking key indicators such as number of children under 5 years and duration of water storage. Results from the study show that most sanitation facilities were shared by multiple households. Water points and toilet facilities had uniform geographical coverage in Madina Zongo compared to Gbebseyise. In Madina Zongo, water and toilet facilities are mostly private, shared by users from the house where the facilities are located. In Gbegbeyise, most of the facilities are public use, open to several community members. The flash points in the drains mapped indicates several potential sources of contamination. Further, larger proportion of households in the two communities rely on water sources from storage tanks due to the infrequent water flow (more than 61.8% in Madina above the median water storage days for both rainy and dry seasons and more than 56.1% in Gbegbeyise above the average days of water storage for both rainy and dry seasons). A significant number of houses in Madina Zongo, use unprotected well as alternative source of water to the pipe water. Baseline water quality monitoring revealed that water from treatment point were devoid of total coliform and faecal coliform indicating safe drinking water source. However, several water samples collected at point of use showed presence of faecal matter. Mapping the distribution of infection risk adjusted for WASH allowed the identification of communities where interventions to improve WASH will yield the greatest health benefits

HER-2 Protein Overexpression in Patients with Gastric and Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma at a Tertiary Care Facility in Ghana

The prognosis of gastric and oesophageal adenocarcinoma remains generally poor. However, mounting evidence suggests a positive role of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) expression in the prognosis of patients with these cancers. In this work, the patterns of HER-2 protein expression were determined in patients with gastric or oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Retrospectively, we reviewed records of gastric and oesophageal biopsies received from 2008 to 2012 and their corresponding archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks selected for immunohistochemical analysis. The prevalence of gastric and oesophageal adenocarcinomas and their association with HER-2 protein overexpression were evaluated. Gastric adenocarcinoma made up 18.79% of the gastric biopsies reviewed, and majority of these cancers occurred in males. Regarding the tumour type, HER-2 overexpression was common in the intestinal subtype compared to the diffuse type. Although squamous cell carcinoma was observed to be the commonest (31%) tumour type in the oesophagus compared to adenocarcinoma (8.79%), HER-2 was overexpressed in 42.9% of oesophageal adenocarcinomas, like gastric adenocarcinoma (41.4%). There is a high prevalence of gastric and oesophageal adenocarcinoma, with significant overexpression of HER-2 in these tumours, a window of hope for the management of patients with these cancers

Electronic waste control and management in Ghana: A critical assessment of the law, perceptions and practices

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of Ghana’s hazardous and e-waste control and management Act 917 of 2016 on current e-waste management practices and the level of awareness among key stakeholders (general public, repairers, wholesalers/retailers, recyclers and importers of electronic items) in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and examined in this study. Results showed a low level (12%) of awareness among stakeholders on the e-waste legislation. Almost 13% of respondents had been educated on e-waste management. Community engagement and the mass media were the main sources of information on e-waste. Significant associations between background information of respondents and awareness level on ‘Ghana’s Act 917’ were observed. Relative to general e-waste issues, only education and stakeholder showed significant associations with e-waste legislation and management. The main e-waste disposal methods adopted by respondents were disposal at dumpsites (22.7%), repair and reuse (21.1%) and reselling (20.1%). Almost 10% of respondents made changes to their e-waste disposal practices over the past 5 years. These changes were mainly due to the economic benefits derived from reselling e-waste (37.6%) and the perceived adverse impacts of e-waste on the environment (23.9%). Overall, there is the need to intensify awareness on ‘Ghana’s Act 917’, especially issues regarding sustainable e-waste management practices

Post-Construction Support and Sustainability in Community-Managed Rural Water Supply

Executive Summary This volume reports the main findings from a multi-country research project that was designed to develop a better understanding of how rural water supply systems are performing in developing countries. We began the research in 2004 to investigate how the provision of support to communities after the construction of a rural water supply project affected project performance in the medium term. We collected information from households, village water committees, focus groups of village residents, system operators, and key informants in 400 rural communities in Bolivia, Ghana, and Peru; in total, we discussed community water supply issues with approximately 10,000 individuals in these communities. To our surprise, we found the great majority of the village water systems were performing well. Our findings on the factors influencing their sustainability will, we hope, be of use to policy makers, investors, and managers in rural water supply