Contributions of Human and Non-human Resources’ Function, Benefit, and Rigidities Associated with Marketing E-resources among the Staff of Selected Technical University (TU) Libraries in Ghana.

The study investigated the contributions of human and non-human resources’ function, benefit, and rigidities associated with marketing e-resources at selected Technical University (TU) libraries in Ghana. 62 respondents from the three Technical Universities (TUs) libraries were respectively drawn from all the three selected Technical Universities (Kumasi Technical University, Tamale Technical University, and Takoradi Technical University). Given that the population from the three TUs library staff was small, no sampling had to be done. The investigator sent out 62 questionnaires to the various TUs and received 39 responses representing 63 %. To collect data from the libraries of the designated Technical Universities (TUs), a descriptive survey method was used. The data was analyzed using pie charts, bar charts, bar charts, line graphs, and percentages. Findings discovered that human resources are a key factor in marketing e-resources among the selected Tus libraries. Also, the functionality, attractiveness, invitation, and arrangement of the physical library building of the selected TUs libraries were good but not up to the mark. It was also certain that e-resources available at the selected Tus were challenged with several issues such as slow internet connections and restricted access, inadequate training on how to use the internet, inadequate funding, and poor ICT facilities, equipment, and resources. Hence the study recommends that the selected Technical Universities (TU) libraries should consider addressing the following challenges to aid the effectiveness of marketing e-resources

User Awareness and Usability of Research Support Platforms amongst undergraduates at Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) in Ghana

Abstract The study examined the awareness and usability of online library research support platforms among undergraduate students at Kumasi Technical University in Ghana. 126 respondents were sampled and respectively drawn from all the seven faculties that consist of the student population. A descriptive survey method was employed to obtain data from the various faculties using a questionnaire. Analysis of data gathered was carried out using Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS), version 20 and excel 2016 for descriptive statistics using percentages. The results revealed that the majority of the students were not aware of the online library research support platforms available at the university library. They could not state the online library research support platforms they recently used at the university library or outside the university library. Also, the frequency at which they used the research platforms were not inspiring. It was further established that the research platforms were not easy to be used by undergraduate students. However, some of the respondents were satisfied with the research platforms and found them to be user-friendly. The study recommends that University Library should consider new ways of creating awareness to attract the new generation of students into the university library. For instance, introduce multimedia technologies that shall allow students to interact, create many open spaces with internet cables where other technological equipment and devices can be connected

Contemporary strategies in marketing e-resources amongst selected Technical University (TU) Libraries in Ghana

The study examined Contemporary strategies in marketing e-resources amongst selected Technical Universities (TUs) in Ghana. 62 respondents were respectively drawn from all three selected Technical Universities ie Kumasi Technical University, Tamale Technical University, and Takoradi Technical University. Given that the population from the three TUs library staff was small, no sampling had to be done. The investigator sent out 62 questionnaires to the three TUs and received 39 responses representing 63 %. A descriptive survey design was employed to acquire data from the selected Technical University (TUs) libraries. Analysis of the data gathered was carried out using bar charts, pie charts, Line graphs, and percentages. Findings discovered that the state of use of e-resources amongst selected TUs was not encouraging. This is a result that the selected TUs were not using contemporary strategies such as print, online advertisement, electronic methods, and merchandise giveaways in marketing e-resources in their various libraries. Therefore, it is required of the various TUs to put measures to employ these contemporary approaches in marketing e-resources in their various libraries

Assessment of the Impact of Solid Waste Disposal on the Portability of Surface Water and Groundwater Using Water Quality Index (WQI) in Kpassa, Nkwanta North District of Ghana

The emergence of the Water Quality Index (WQI) has helped to convey vital water quality information to stakeholders and the general public at certain locations and times based on water quality parameters. The present study was carried out to assess how improper solid waste disposal impacts on the potability of surface and ground water at Kpassa in the Nkwanta North District of the Volta Region in Ghana. Water samples were collected at different locations on the River Kpassa and from boreholes within Kpassa in the Nkwanta North District of Ghana. The quality of the water was assessed by testing various physicochemical parameters such as pH, EC, Total Dissolved Solid (TDS), Total Hardness (TH), Calcium, Magnesium, Nitrate, Sulphate, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD). Apart from turbidity that was observed to be high in the samples during the period of study (indicating the presence of organic matter pollution, domestic effluents and runoffs from agricultural fields), all the other water quality parameters in both surface and groundwater were lower compared to WHO/ICMR/BIS standards.  The WQI for the surface water and the borehole water were 56.50 and 94.82 respectively. The study shows that the samples within the study area had poor water quality and therefore unsuitable for drinking and for domestic use. Regular water monitoring should be carried out especially with reference to the microbial analysis to give a better view of the water quality at Kpassa. Keywords: Kpassa, Index, pollution, agriculture fields, Leachat

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

ILLICIT DRUG USE AND TRADE: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF KUMASE (2000–2018)

The illegal drug trade is a world phenomenon, which has had some adverse impact on societies. Significantly, the impact is damning in developing economies in Africa and Ghana in particular. This paper therefore seeks to address the causes and effects of the use and peddle of these illegal drugs in three communities in the capital city of the Asante Region of Ghana. It further ascertains the extent to which these drugs burden the security agencies in the communities and the country in general. We have used documentary and non-documentary sources to arrive at some postulations on this important social question which has wider ramifications on Kumase, Asante, Ghana and Africa in general

Profile and outcomes of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 at a tertiary institution hospital in Ghana

Background: In high-income countries, mortality related to hospitalized patients with the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is approximately 4-5%. However, data on COVID-19 admissions from sub-Saharan Africa are scanty.Objective: To describe the clinical profile and determinants of outcomes of patients with confirmed COVID-19 admitted at a hospital in Ghana.Methods: A prospective study involving 25 patients with real time polymerase chain reaction confirmed COVID-19 admitted to the treatment centre of the University Hospital, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana from 1st June to 27th July, 2020. They were managed and followed up for outcomes. Data were analysed descriptively, and predictors of mortality assessed using a multivariate logistic regression modelling.Results: The mean age of the patients was 59.3 ± 20.6 years, and 14 (56%) were males. The main symptoms at presentation were breathlessness (68%) followed by fever (56%). The cases were categorized as mild (6), moderate (6), severe (10) and critical (3). Hypertension was the commonest comorbidity present in 72% of patients. Medications used in patient management included dexamethasone (68%), azithromycin (96%), and hydroxychloroquine (4%). Five of 25 cases died (Case fatality ratio 20%). Increasing age and high systolic blood pressure were associated with mortality.Conclusion: Case fatality in this sample of hospitalized COVID-19 patients was high. Thorough clinical assessment, severity stratification, aggressive management of underlying co-morbidities and standardized protocols incountry might improve outcomes

What is Microbial Dormancy?

Life can be stressful. One way to deal with stress is to simply wait it out. Microbes do this by entering a state of reduced activity and increased resistance commonly called ‘dormancy’. But what is dormancy? Different scientific disciplines emphasize distinct traits and phenotypic ranges in defining dormancy for their microbial species and system-specific questions of interest. Here, we propose a unified definition of microbial dormancy, using a broad framework to place earlier discipline-specific definitions in a new context. We then discuss how this new definition and framework may improve our ability to investigate dormancy using multi-omics tools. Finally, we leverage our framework to discuss the diversity of genomic mechanisms for dormancy in an extreme environment that challenges easy definitions – the permafrost

Evaluation of Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine Effectiveness in Ghana (TyVEGHA) Using a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Phase IV Trial: Trial Design and Population Baseline Characteristics.

Typhoid fever remains a significant health problem in sub-Saharan Africa, with incidence rates of >100 cases per 100,000 person-years of observation. Despite the prequalification of safe and effective typhoid conjugate vaccines (TCV), some uncertainties remain around future demand. Real-life effectiveness data, which inform public health programs on the impact of TCVs in reducing typhoid-related mortality and morbidity, from an African setting may help encourage the introduction of TCVs in high-burden settings. Here, we describe a cluster-randomized trial to investigate population-level protection of TYPBAR-TCV®, a Vi-polysaccharide conjugated to a tetanus-toxoid protein carrier (Vi-TT) against blood-culture-confirmed typhoid fever, and the synthesis of health economic evidence to inform policy decisions. A total of 80 geographically distinct clusters are delineated within the Agogo district of the Asante Akim region in Ghana. Clusters are randomized to the intervention arm receiving Vi-TT or a control arm receiving the meningococcal A conjugate vaccine. The primary study endpoint is the total protection of Vi-TT against blood-culture-confirmed typhoid fever. Total, direct, and indirect protection are measured as secondary outcomes. Blood-culture-based enhanced surveillance enables the estimation of incidence rates in the intervention and control clusters. Evaluation of the real-world impact of TCVs and evidence synthesis improve the uptake of prequalified/licensed safe and effective typhoid vaccines in public health programs of high burden settings. This trial is registered at the Pan African Clinical Trial Registry, accessible at Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (ID: PACTR202011804563392)

Mitochondria in epithelial ovarian carcinoma exhibit abnormal phenotypes and blunted associations with biobehavioral factors

Malignant tumor cells exhibit mitochondrial alterations and are also influenced by biobehavioral processes, but the intersection of biobehavioral factors and mitochondria in malignant tumors remains unexplored. Here we examined multiple biochemical and molecular markers of mitochondrial content and function in benign tissue and in high-grade epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) in parallel with exploratory analyses of biobehavioral factors. First, analysis of a publicly-available database (n = 1435) showed that gene expression of specific mitochondrial proteins in EOC is associated with survival. Quantifying multiple biochemical and molecular markers of mitochondrial content and function in tissue from 51 patients with benign ovarian masses and 128 patients with high-grade EOC revealed that compared to benign tissue, EOCs exhibit 3.3–8.4-fold higher mitochondrial content and respiratory chain enzymatic activities (P < 0.001) but similar mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) levels (− 3.1%), documenting abnormal mitochondrial phenotypes in EOC. Mitochondrial respiratory chain activity was also associated with interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in ascites. In benign tissue, negative biobehavioral factors were inversely correlated with mitochondrial content and respiratory chain activities, whereas positive biobehavioral factors tended to be positively correlated with mitochondrial measures, although effect sizes were small to medium (r = − 0.43 to 0.47). In contrast, serous EOCs showed less pronounced biobehavioral-mitochondrial correlations. These results document abnormal mitochondrial functional phenotypes in EOC and warrant further research on the link between biobehavioral factors and mitochondria in cancer