The Usability Testing of SSAAT, a Bioinformatic Web Application for DNA Analysis at a Nucleotide Level

This research article published by Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research, Vol. 11, No. 3, 2021Sanger sequencing remains the cornerstone method for Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) sequencing due to its high accuracy in targeting smaller genomic regions in a larger number of samples. The analysis of Sanger sequence DNA data requires powerful and intelligent software tools. Most of the preferred tools are proprietary licensed tools that offer a user-friendly interface and have many features, however, their affordability, especially to individual scientists or students, is limited. On the other hand, a few free and open-source licensed tools are available but have limited features. This study focuses on the usability testing of the developed Sanger Sequence Automatic Analysis Tool (SSAAT), a free and open-source web tool for Sanger sequence analysis. Usability tests were conducted with potential users and the results demonstrate that the participants were able to use the tool easily and accomplish the test tasks at the given time. Moreover, the participants were excited with the easy-to-use interface and agreed that most users could use the tool with no need for technical assistance. However, the participants also identified some issues that require more development effort

Mosquito control by abatement programmes in the United States: perspectives and lessons for countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Africa and the United States are both large, heterogeneous geographies with a diverse range of ecologies, climates and mosquito species diversity which contribute to disease transmission and nuisance biting. In the United States, mosquito control is nationally, and regionally coordinated and in so much as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provides guidance, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides pesticide registration, and the states provide legal authority and oversight, the implementation is usually decentralized to the state, county, or city level. Mosquito control operations are organized, in most instances, into fully independent mosquito abatement districts, public works departments, local health departments. In some cases, municipalities engage independent private contractors to undertake mosquito control within their jurisdictions. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where most vector-borne disease endemic countries lie, mosquito control is organized centrally at the national level. In this model, the disease control programmes (national malaria control programmes or national malaria elimination programmes (NMCP/NMEP)) are embedded within the central governments' ministries of health (MoHs) and drive vector control policy development and implementation. Because of the high disease burden and limited resources, the primary endpoint of mosquito control in these settings is reduction of mosquito borne diseases, primarily, malaria. In the United States, however, the endpoint is mosquito control, therefore, significant (or even greater) emphasis is laid on nuisance mosquitoes as much as disease vectors. The authors detail experiences and learnings gathered by the delegation of African vector control professionals that participated in a formal exchange programme initiated by the Pan-African Mosquito Control Association (PAMCA), the University of Notre Dame, and members of the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA), in the United States between the year 2021 and 2022. The authors highlight the key components of mosquito control operations in the United States and compare them to mosquito control programmes in SSA countries endemic for vector-borne diseases, deriving important lessons that could be useful for vector control in SSA

Sanger sequence automatic analysis tool development

A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master’s in Information and Communication Science and Engineering of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologyThe Sanger sequencing technique still remains the cornerstone methods for the Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing. This is due to its high accuracy in targeting smaller genomic regions in a large number of samples, sequencing of variable regions and validating results of other DNA sequencing platforms such as those from next-generation sequencing studies. The analysis of Sanger sequence DNA data is computationally intensive requiring efficient and high computational power software tools. The most preferred tools are the proprietary licensed tools since they offer user-friendly interface and they offer more DNA analysis functionalities. However, the affordability of the tools may be limited especially for individual researchers or students due to their expensive licenses. Nevertheless, free and open source licensed tools are available and but are not user-friendly, have steep learning curve since some lack graphical user interface, operating system platform dependent and have limited functionalities. This study presents a Sanger Sequence Automatic Analysis Tool (SSAAT), a software tool designed and implemented as a web application that provides a user-friendly graphical interface such as those provided in proprietary tools. The tool has abilities to extract raw data from sequence AB1 files, make base-calls, plot chromatogram, polymorphism detection, sequence alignment and report generation. Furthermore, the tool is free and open source that can be easily accessed online through standard web browser applications. With the above-mentioned features, SSAAT can be used by molecular biologist as an alternative to proprietary tools and get comparable experience and DNA sequence analysis result

Modelo de desarrollo de las microempresas del grupo “El Salinerito” en el Ecuador

Through this article, an attempt will be made to analyze the development model of the microenterprises of the "El Salinerito" Group of the Salinas de Guaranda parish in the province of Bolivar in Ecuador. The research carried out presents some elements that explain the model of microenterprise development as: the collective and solidary work of the residents of the Salinas parish, the planning of the agro-industrial production based on values ​​such as work, cooperation, saving, self-management, reinvestment of their utilities and social entrepreneurship and the proper application of distribution channels and marketing of their products. The process of social entrepreneurship of the Salinas parish and its micro-enterprises is oriented towards the principles of Good Living and the reinvestment of its profits in social projects with the aim of improving the standard of living of its inhabitants.Mediante este artículo se procurará analizar el modelo de desarrollo de las microempresas del Grupo “El Salinerito” de la parroquia Salinas de Guaranda provincia de Bolívar en el Ecuador. La investigación realizada presenta algunos elementos que explican el modelo de desarrollo microempresarial como: el trabajo colectivo y solidario de los pobladores de la parroquia Salinas, la planificación de la producción agroindustrial basada en valores como el trabajo, cooperación, ahorro, autogestión, reinversión de sus utilidades y el emprendimiento social y la adecuada aplicación de los canales de distribución y comercialización de sus productos. El proceso de emprendimiento social de la parroquia Salinas y sus microempresas está orientada a los principios del Buen Vivir y a  la reinversión  de sus ganancias en obras sociales con la  finalidad de mejorar el nivel de vida de sus pobladores