Optical Behavior of PANI/Sno2 Nanocomposites

This article reports the synthesis of Polyaniline (PANI) in Emeraldine form by in situ chemical oxidation method by using Ammonium persulphate as an oxidizing agent and a simultaneous synthesis of polyaniline (PANI)/SnO2 nanocomposites. The UV-Vis absorption spectra were studied to explore the optical behavior after incorporating SnO2 nanoparticles into PANI matrix. The absorption bands for the PANI/SnO2 sample were observed at ~370nm, ~550 nm and ~910 nm wavelengths. This, however shows significant shifts in the absorption spectral to higher wavelength when comparing the absorption spectrum of both PANI and PANI/SnO2. These bands may well correspond to ?-?* transition, polaron-?* transition and polaron-? transition, respectively. This could be attributed to the successful interaction of the SnO2 with the polymer chain. Hence, such shifts in absorption peak positions are related to the presence of the SnO2 in the matrix of PANI. The Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) spectrum of PANI/SnO2 provided the characteristic absorption peaks at 3227.54cm-1,1569.03cm-1, 1496.71cm-1, 1444.86cm-1, 1289.13cm-1, 1145.65cm-1,821.57cm-1, 506.68cm-1, and 412.08cm-1 due to the provision of information about the changes in the chemical structure of polymer. ATR spectra also give indication that the incorporation of SnO2 in the matrix of PANI seems to be effective for the improvement of the physicochemical properties of conducting polymers

Phytochemical and Mineral Analysis of 12 Cultivated Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus Species)

Phytochemical analysis was conducted on methanolic extracts of 4 oyster mushrooms species (Pleurotus pulmonarius, P. ostreatus, P. sapidus and P. citrinopileatus) made up of 12 different strains. The study was carried out to determine the contents of total phenol and flavonoids, beta carotene and lycopene, antioxidant properties and concentrations of mineral elements and heavy metals in the macrofungi methanolic extracts. Total phenolic contents ranged from 1.48 µg GAE/g to 3.58 µg of GAE/g with a mean of 2.5 µg of GAE/g and 0.36 coefficient of variation. The 12 strains were statistically different from each other. Total flavonoid content varied from 0.20 µg of RE/g to 2.03 µg of RE/g of dry weight of extracts with a grand mean of 0.85 µg of RE/g and 9.89 coefficient of variation. There was significant difference among the 12 mushroom strains (P<0.001). Beta carotene content varied from 0.60 to 11.46 µg/g and that of lycopene varied from 0.04 to 4.28 µg/g. The IC50 values ranged between 43.21 µg/ml and 52.03 µg/ml, the inhibition of DPPH radical by P. sapidus strain PSC-1 and P. ostreatus strain POA-5 exhibited the highest activity. Significant difference was observed among the strains. Mg content varied from 660.0 mg/kg to 1993.7 mg/kg, Fe content ranged from 349.0 mg/kg to 1374.0 mg/kg and could not be detected in P. ostreatus strain POA-7.  Ca content ranged from 22.0 mg/kg to 415.3 mg/kg, Mn content varied from 10.7 mg/ kg to 48.3 mg/kg and was below detection in the six strains of P. pulmonarius strain PPA-2, P. ostreatus strain POA-5, P. ostreatus strain POA-6, P. ostreatus strain POA-7, P. ostreatus strain POA-10 and P. ostreatus strain POA-13. Cu content ranged from 15.3 mg/kg to 23.7 mg/kg but below detection in two strains P. ostreatus strain POA-6 and P. ostreatus strain POA-10. Zn content varied from 189.7 mg/kg to 411.3 mg/kg. Ni content varied from 175 mg/kg to 296.7 mg/kg, Cd content ranged between 57.7 mg/kg and 106.3 mg/kg, Pb content varied from 13.0 mg/kg to 230.7 mg/kg. Cr content ranged between 17.7 mg/kg and 124 mg/kg. All the Pleurotus strains showed appreciable levels of antioxidant activities and can be promoted as natural antioxidant preference in food and pharmaceutical Keywords: 1,1-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, total flavonoids content, total phenolics content, beta carotene content, lycopene content, mineral elements, heavy metal

Evaluation of Mid-Year Review of 2014 Seminars: A case study of the CSIR-Water Research Institute, Ghana

Scientific seminars are organized to provide forum for participants to discuss and also bring into the public domain current activities of an organization. To ascertain whether the seminars are achieving its aim, evaluation is usually done to assess the effectiveness. It is against this background that Water Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research organized 2014 mid-year seminar to review its research activities as well as communicate findings of research undertaken by its scientist for the year under review. Hence, the main thrust of this paper is to evaluate the success of 2014 mid-year review seminar. The evaluation for the purposes of quality assurance and future organization of similar seminars were conducted using descriptive statistics analysis of the evaluation questionnaire. The results of the study revealed that 71% of the participants were males while 29% of them were females. Most of the respondents were of the view that the topics presented were relevant and the overall performance of the seminar was good as it was in line with the objectives of the institute, that is, to generate and provide scientific information. Keywords: CSIR-Water Research Institute, Scientific Seminars, Scientific Informatio

Assessment of knowledge and treatment practices of hepatitis B infection in children among health professionals in Krachi districts in Ghana:a cross-sectional study

Background. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains one of the neglected infectious diseases. Children infected with HBV are at higher risk of becoming chronic carriers. Barriers to measures against HBV in children are attributed to inadequate knowledge by some health professionals. This study assessed knowledge and treatment practices of HBV in children among health professionals. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among health professionals (185) in three districts in Krachi using a structured questionnaire. Stata version 15 was used to analyze participants’ responses on awareness, knowledge, and treatment practices. Pearson’s product-moment correlation was used to determine the relationship between knowledge and treatment practices. Multivariate regression analysis assessed the relationships between variables at P&lt;0.05 and 95% confidence interval. Results. 20% were not aware of HBV in children and 85% had only fair knowledge about HBV in children. Only 29% indicated good knowledge and treatment practices of HBV in children. A unit increase in knowledge of HBV in children leads to a 1.42 unit increase in awareness (P&lt;0.01), and a 1.3 unit increase in treatment practice (P&lt;0.01) of HBV in children. Conclusions. Participants demonstrated only fair knowledge about HBV in children. Seminars and workshops on HBV in children for health professionals must intensify.</p

Interplay of adipokines in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension: A comparative cross-sectional in Ghana

Background: The renin-angiotensin-system (RAS), endothelial dysfunction and sympathetic nervous system are mechanistic risk factors of hypertension. The study sought to elucidate the interplay of adipokines in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension.Methodology: This comparative cross-sectional study recruited 200 confirmed hypertensive patients from the KATH and 50 age-matched normotensives. Participants’ blood pressures, anthropometric and socio-demographic information were voluntarily obtained. Serum levels of adiponectin, leptin and resistin of the participants were quantified using the ELISA. Renal function, lipid profile and glycemic status of all subjects were also analyzed.Results: Hypertensive patients showed a significantly higher anthropometric indices of adiposity compared to normotensives, CI (p &lt; 0.0001), BAI (p &lt; 0.0001) and AVI (p = 0.002). Adiponectin levels (p &lt; 0.0001) were significantly lower in the hypertensive relative to the normotensives. Furthermore, significantly higher concentrations of serum leptin (p = 0.016) and the leptin-adiponectin ratio (p = 0.001) were observed among the hypertensive compared to the normotensives. The study further observed a direct association between serum leptin and weight (r = 0.111, p = 0.022), BMI (r = 0.129, p = 0.009) and WHtR (r = 0.098, p = 0.045) but inverse relationship with height (r = -0.134, p = 0.006) among the hypertensive. Serum leptin has a significant negative correlation with HDL-C among the hypertensive (r = -0.174, p = 0.013). The fully aOR for hypertension as predicted by resistin and adiponectin were 1.12 (95% Cl, 1.02–1.25); p = 0.019) and 0.93 (95% Cl, 0.91–0.95); p = 0.0001) respectively.Conclusion: We found that elevations in serum levels of leptin and resistin, and low levels of adiponectin may play a role in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension. Therefore, adipokines may offer themselves as potential indices for early and accurate detection of high blood pressure. At the same time our presentresults also confirm the conclusions with respect to correlation of leptin and obesity. Further longitudinal studies in a larger population are warranted to investigate the physiological and pathological functions of adipokines in hypertension.Keywords: Adipokines, Hypertension, Leptin, Adiponectin, Resisti

Profile of cancer patients’ seen at Korle Bu teaching hospital in Ghana (A cancer registry review)

BACKGROUND: Though cancer has become a major source of morbidity and mortality globally, few countries in Sub Saharan Africa have data on cancer incidence. This study aims to describe the profile of cancers seen at the Korle Bu teaching hospital which is a major referral centre in Ghana for cancers and other health conditions. Data for the study was obtained from the cancer registry of the hospital and covered the period from January 2012 to December 2012. The public health unit actively collects data on all cancer cases presenting to any department/unit of the hospital to feed the cancer registry. RESULTS: A total of 1136 patients with cancer were studied. Their ages ranged from 1 year to 92 years with a mean of 52.3 ± 15.9 years and a median of 54 years. Patients were predominantly female (70.2%) and majority had attained secondary level of education or higher. The most prevalent cancers seen in men were those of prostate, pharynx and colorectal while in the females, the corresponding cancers were breast, cervix and uterus. CONCLUSIONS: Breast and prostate cancers were the commonest among females and males respectively who presented with cancer at the Korle Bu teaching hospital in 2012

Preparing for future outbreaks in Ghana:An overview of current COVID-19, monkeypox, and Marburg disease outbreaks

Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Ghana is currently grappling with simultaneous outbreaks of Marburg virus disease and human monkeypox virus. The coexistence of these outbreaks emphasizes the imperative for a collaborative and global approach to enhance surveillance and expedite case detection. While Ghana has made efforts to respond to these outbreaks, this paper outlines the lessons learned and proposes recommendations in this regard. It is crucial to intensify response efforts at the local, regional, and national levels to effectively contain the spread of these infectious diseases. Therefore, this paper suggests prioritizing the following recommendations as crucial for assisting Ghana in adequately preparing for future outbreaks and safeguarding global public health: strengthening surveillance system through digitization, rapid and effective response; risk communication and community engagement; healthcare system readiness; and research and collaboration. Also, prioritizing building healthy public policies and developing personal skills of health personnel across the country is key for future outbreak response.</p

Integration of multiple geospatial applications and intelligence for responding to COVID-19 in Ghana

Objective: We describe the use of integrated geospatial applications for the provision of access to timely and accurate data on samples, visualisation of Spatio-temporal patterns of cases and effective communication between field sample collectors, testing laboratories, Regional Health directors and Government Decision Makers.Design: This study describes how an integrated geospatial platform based on case location and intelligence was developed and used for effective COVID-19 response during the initial stages of COVID-19 in Ghana.Data Source: Collector for ArcGIS, ArcGIS Survey123Main outcome measure: successful development and deployment of integrated geospatial applications and analytics.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Results: The Collector for ArcGIS app was customised to collect COVID-19 positive cases location information. Survey 123 was introduced as a COVID-19 contact tracing application to digitise the case-based forms and provide real-time results from the laboratories to GHS and other stakeholders. The laboratory backend allowed the testing laboratories access to specific information about each patient (sample) collected by the fieldworkers. The regional supervisors’ backend web application provided accessing test results for confidentiality and timely communication of results.Conclusion: Geospatial platforms were successfully established in Ghana to provide timely results to Regional Health Directors and Government decision-makers. This helped to improve the timeliness of response and contact tracing at the district level

Preparing for future outbreaks in Ghana: An overview of current COVID-19, monkeypox, and Marburg disease outbreaks

Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Ghana is currently grappling with simultaneous outbreaks of Marburg virus disease and human monkeypox virus. The coexistence of these outbreaks emphasizes the imperative for a collaborative and global approach to enhance surveillance and expedite case detection. While Ghana has made efforts to respond to these outbreaks, this paper outlines the lessons learned and proposes recommendations in this regard. It is crucial to intensify response efforts at the local, regional, and national levels to effectively contain the spread of these infectious diseases. Therefore, this paper suggests prioritizing the following recommendations as crucial for assisting Ghana in adequately preparing for future outbreaks and safeguarding global public health: strengthening surveillance system through digitization, rapid and effective response; risk communication and community engagement; healthcare system readiness; and research and collaboration. Also, prioritizing building healthy public policies and developing personal skills of health personnel across the country is key for future outbreak response

Secondary bacterial infections of buruli ulcer lesions before and after chemotherapy with streptomycin and rifampicin

Buruli ulcer (BU), caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans is a chronic necrotizing skin disease. It usually starts with a subcutaneous nodule or plaque containing large clusters of extracellular acid-fast bacilli. Surrounding tissue is destroyed by the cytotoxic macrolide toxin mycolactone produced by microcolonies of M. ulcerans. Skin covering the destroyed subcutaneous fat and soft tissue may eventually break down leading to the formation of large ulcers that progress, if untreated, over months and years. Here we have analyzed the bacterial flora of BU lesions of three different groups of patients before, during and after daily treatment with streptomycin and rifampicin for eight weeks (SR8) and determined drug resistance of the bacteria isolated from the lesions. Before SR8 treatment, more than 60% of the examined BU lesions were infected with other bacteria, with Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa being the most prominent ones. During treatment, 65% of all lesions were still infected, mainly with P. aeruginosa. After completion of SR8 treatment, still more than 75% of lesions clinically suspected to be infected were microbiologically confirmed as infected, mainly with P. aeruginosa or Proteus miriabilis. Drug susceptibility tests revealed especially for S. aureus a high frequency of resistance to the first line drugs used in Ghana. Our results show that secondary infection of BU lesions is common. This could lead to delayed healing and should therefore be further investigated