Molecular epidemiology and whole genome sequencing analysis of clinical Mycobacterium bovis from Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) caused by Mycobacterium bovis is a re-emerging problem in both livestock and humans. The association of some M. bovis strains with hyper-virulence, MDR-TB and disseminated disease makes it imperative to understand the biology of the pathogen. METHODS: Mycobacterium bovis (15) among 1755 M. tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolated between 2012 and 2014 were characterized and analyzed for associated patient demography and other risk factors. Five of the M. bovis isolates were whole-genome sequenced and comparatively analyzed against a global collection of published M. bovis genomes. RESULTS: Mycobacterium bovis was isolated from 3/560(0.5%) females and 12/1195(1.0%) males with pulmonary TB. The average age of M. bovis infected cases was 46.8 years (7-72years). TB patients from the Northern region of Ghana (1.9%;4/212) had a higher rate of infection with M. bovis (OR = 2.7,p = 0.0968) compared to those from the Greater Accra region (0.7%;11/1543). Among TB patients with available HIV status, the odds of isolating M. bovis from HIV patients (2/119) was 3.3 higher relative to non-HIV patients (4/774). Direct contact with livestock or their unpasteurized products was significantly associated with bTB (p<0.0001, OR = 124.4,95% CI = 30.1-508.3). Two (13.3%) of the M. bovis isolates were INH resistant due to the S315T mutation in katG whereas one (6.7%) was RIF resistant with Q432P and I1491S mutations in rpoB. M. bovis from Ghana resolved as mono-phyletic branch among mostly M. bovis from Africa irrespective of the host and were closest to the root of the global M. bovis phylogeny. M. bovis-specific amino acid mutations were detected among MTBC core genes such as mce1A, mmpL1, pks6, phoT, pstB, glgP and Rv2955c. Additional mutations P6T in chaA, G187E in mgtC, T35A in Rv1979c, S387A in narK1, L400F in fas and A563T in eccA1 were restricted to the 5 clinical M. bovis from Ghana. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate potential zoonotic transmission of bTB in Ghana and hence calls for intensified public education on bTB, especially among risk groups

Using Weighted Goal Programming Model for Planning Regional Sustainable Development to Optimal Workforce Allocation:An Application for Provinces of Iran

Due to the urbanization and economic growth, planning of regional sustainable development has become one of the major challenges in the world. The key indicators such as gross domestic product (GDP), electricity and energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission (GHG) are considered in sustainable development planning. This paper determines number of required workforce in diferent sectors of each province in Iran considering targets/goals for sustainable development indicators in the 2030 macroeconomic and regional planning. First, the relative goals are designed for GDP, electricity, energy and GHG emission and then, two weighted goal programming models are applied to allocate the optimal workforce among four sectors: agriculture, industry, services and transportation. The frst model minimizes recruitment of new workforce and allows current workforce exchange among the four sectors in each province in order to achieve the goals, while the second model indicates equitable distribution of new workforce recruitment in diferent sectors within each province. In both models, the workforce changes have been investigated based on achieving the desirable growth rates of GDP, GHG, electricity and energy consumption as planned by the government. Based on the results of this paper, policy makers can manage workforce and the government can make optimized decisions to macroeconomic and regional planning

Comparative genomics of Mycobacterium africanum Lineage 5 and Lineage 6 from Ghana suggests distinct ecological niches.

Mycobacterium africanum (Maf) causes a substantial proportion of human tuberculosis in some countries of West Africa, but little is known on this pathogen. We compared the genomes of 253 Maf clinical isolates from Ghana, including N = 175 Lineage 5 (L5) and N = 78 Lineage 6 (L6). We found that the genomic diversity of L6 was higher than in L5 despite the smaller sample size. Regulatory proteins appeared to evolve neutrally in L5 but under purifying selection in L6. Even though over 90% of the human T cell epitopes were conserved in both lineages, L6 showed a higher ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous single nucleotide variation in these epitopes overall compared to L5. Of the 10% human T cell epitopes that were variable, most carried mutations that were lineage-specific. Our findings indicate that Maf L5 and L6 differ in some of their population genomic characteristics, possibly reflecting different selection pressures linked to distinct ecological niches

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Впровадження інтернет‐банкінгу в Гані: перший погляд на споживче сприйняття

Internet banking is a tool in the service delivery arsenal for banks. This study focuses on client-bank relationship and on how Internet adoption may improve the qualitative relationship between banks and firms in Ghana and the business they serve. The study adopted a triangulation approach in meeting its objectives. A sample of 180 companies was sampled from the manufacturing, commerce, and services sectors of the economy. The findings of the study were mainly reported by means of descriptive statistics. The research findings indicate that Internet banking services are at their infant stage. Of the respondents, 68% had heard about Internet banking while 33% have never heard about it. 55% of the respondents said security concerns were the major barrier to the adoption of Internet banking. 55.6% of the firms that responded were not connected to the Internet whiles 44.4% were. Majority of the interviewees said they would still visit the bank even if their company adopts Internet banking. Access to their account balance and understanding customer needs are the most important factors for facilitating a good bank client relationship for firms in Ghana and their banks. Banks in Ghana need to start considering the introduction of Internet strategies in the development of customer relationship management (CRM) programs, which will ultimately increase the customer lifetime value of their clients. The present paper is one of the first Internet banking studies from a West African context on the usefulness of Internet banking technologies to bank clients.В усьому світі інтернет-банкінг є важливим інструментом арсеналу надання банківських послуг. Дослідження було проведене в країні, що розвивається, з метою вивчення взаємозв’язків між клієнтами і банками, якісного покращення стосунків між банками та компаніями Гани шляхом впровадження інтернет-технологій у банківську систему. Для успішного досягнення мети був використаний тригонометричний підхід. Вибірка зі 180 компаній охоплює наступні сектори економіки: сфера виробництва, комерції та надання послуг. Результати дослідження надані за допомогою описової статистики. Вони вказують на те, що послуги інтернет-банкінгу Гани знаходяться на початковому етапі. Якщо для 68% респондентів явище інтернет-банкінгу є знайомим, то 33% ніколи про нього не чули, 55% респондентів доповіли, що проблема безпеки – основний бар’єр до впровадження інтернет-банкінгу, а 55.6% компаній навіть не мали доступу до інтернету. Компанії Гани користуються інтернет-банкінгом для переказу грошей та перевірки залишку коштів на рахунку. Переважна більшість опитуваних продовжуватимуть користуватись послугами традиційних банків навіть після впровадження системи інтернет-банкінгу. Результати дослідження свідчать про те, що вільний доступ до розрахункового балансу, так само, як і розуміння потреб клієнтів, – найважливіші фактори покращення взаємозв’язків між банками та клієнтами. Банкам необхідно усвідомити важливість впровадження інтернет-технологій, щоб сприяти розвитку програм управління відносинами з клієнтами (CRM – customer relationship management). У кінцевому результаті це приведе до підвищення оцінки життєвого циклу клієнта. Дана стаття – одне з перших досліджень у сфері інтернет-банкінгу Західної Африки, яка наголошує на корисності системи інтернет-банкінгу

Впровадження інтернет‐банкінгу в Гані: перший погляд на споживче сприйняття

Internet banking is a tool in the service delivery arsenal for banks. This study focuses on client-bank relationship and on how Internet adoption may improve the qualitative relationship between banks and firms in Ghana and the business they serve. The study adopted a triangulation approach in meeting its objectives. A sample of 180 companies was sampled from the manufacturing, commerce, and services sectors of the economy. The findings of the study were mainly reported by means of descriptive statistics. The research findings indicate that Internet banking services are at their infant stage. Of the respondents, 68% had heard about Internet banking while 33% have never heard about it. 55% of the respondents said security concerns were the major barrier to the adoption of Internet banking. 55.6% of the firms that responded were not connected to the Internet whiles 44.4% were. Majority of the interviewees said they would still visit the bank even if their company adopts Internet banking. Access to their account balance and understanding customer needs are the most important factors for facilitating a good bank client relationship for firms in Ghana and their banks. Banks in Ghana need to start considering the introduction of Internet strategies in the development of customer relationship management (CRM) programs, which will ultimately increase the customer lifetime value of their clients. The present paper is one of the first Internet banking studies from a West African context on the usefulness of Internet banking technologies to bank clients.В усьому світі інтернет-банкінг є важливим інструментом арсеналу надання банківських послуг. Дослідження було проведене в країні, що розвивається, з метою вивчення взаємозв’язків між клієнтами і банками, якісного покращення стосунків між банками та компаніями Гани шляхом впровадження інтернет-технологій у банківську систему. Для успішного досягнення мети був використаний тригонометричний підхід. Вибірка зі 180 компаній охоплює наступні сектори економіки: сфера виробництва, комерції та надання послуг. Результати дослідження надані за допомогою описової статистики. Вони вказують на те, що послуги інтернет-банкінгу Гани знаходяться на початковому етапі. Якщо для 68% респондентів явище інтернет-банкінгу є знайомим, то 33% ніколи про нього не чули, 55% респондентів доповіли, що проблема безпеки – основний бар’єр до впровадження інтернет-банкінгу, а 55.6% компаній навіть не мали доступу до інтернету. Компанії Гани користуються інтернет-банкінгом для переказу грошей та перевірки залишку коштів на рахунку. Переважна більшість опитуваних продовжуватимуть користуватись послугами традиційних банків навіть після впровадження системи інтернет-банкінгу. Результати дослідження свідчать про те, що вільний доступ до розрахункового балансу, так само, як і розуміння потреб клієнтів, – найважливіші фактори покращення взаємозв’язків між банками та клієнтами. Банкам необхідно усвідомити важливість впровадження інтернет-технологій, щоб сприяти розвитку програм управління відносинами з клієнтами (CRM – customer relationship management). У кінцевому результаті це приведе до підвищення оцінки життєвого циклу клієнта. Дана стаття – одне з перших досліджень у сфері інтернет-банкінгу Західної Африки, яка наголошує на корисності системи інтернет-банкінгу

A sentiment analysis framework to classify instances of sarcastic sentiments within the aviation sector

Social media in our current dispensation has become an integral part of daily routines. As a result, it is abundant in user opinions. Amid a global pandemic, these online platforms have taken a center stage in the disbursement of relevant information such as travel, emergency and pandemic hotspots. For researchers, this situation has presented itself as a challenge and opportunity to leverage big data for analysis and making informed decisions. This study seeks to develop a framework comprising of three operators, namely Assemble+Deft, Edify+Authenticate and Forecast to classify opinion instances as sarcastic or non-sarcastic. The framework is tested with a Twitter dataset using key state-of-the-art techniques, namely Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) with Gated recurrent unit and Support Vector Machines (SVM). The dataset consists of opinions on effect of COVID-19 pandemic on air travel. The evaluation metrics used include precision, accuracy, recall and F1-score. The experimental analysis showed a significant increase from 9.28% under a standard sentiment review to 10.1% optimized sentiment analysis. The findings further show a significant improvement in the performance of optimized SVM yielding an improved prediction performance compared to RNN. The outcome of this study will support airlines to understand the frustration and complaints of customers and to make concrete decisions on how to improve their services. The framework will serve as a benchmark for future sentiment analysis in other sectors where customer views and comments are core to their services

Molecular epidemiology and whole genome sequencing analysis of clinical Mycobacterium bovis from Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) caused by Mycobacterium bovis is a re-emerging problem in both livestock and humans. The association of some M. bovis strains with hyper-virulence, MDR-TB and disseminated disease makes it imperative to understand the biology of the pathogen. METHODS: Mycobacterium bovis (15) among 1755 M. tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolated between 2012 and 2014 were characterized and analyzed for associated patient demography and other risk factors. Five of the M. bovis isolates were whole-genome sequenced and comparatively analyzed against a global collection of published M. bovis genomes. RESULTS: Mycobacterium bovis was isolated from 3/560(0.5%) females and 12/1195(1.0%) males with pulmonary TB. The average age of M. bovis infected cases was 46.8 years (7-72years). TB patients from the Northern region of Ghana (1.9%;4/212) had a higher rate of infection with M. bovis (OR = 2.7,p = 0.0968) compared to those from the Greater Accra region (0.7%;11/1543). Among TB patients with available HIV status, the odds of isolating M. bovis from HIV patients (2/119) was 3.3 higher relative to non-HIV patients (4/774). Direct contact with livestock or their unpasteurized products was significantly associated with bTB (p<0.0001, OR = 124.4,95% CI = 30.1-508.3). Two (13.3%) of the M. bovis isolates were INH resistant due to the S315T mutation in katG whereas one (6.7%) was RIF resistant with Q432P and I1491S mutations in rpoB. M. bovis from Ghana resolved as mono-phyletic branch among mostly M. bovis from Africa irrespective of the host and were closest to the root of the global M. bovis phylogeny. M. bovis-specific amino acid mutations were detected among MTBC core genes such as mce1A, mmpL1, pks6, phoT, pstB, glgP and Rv2955c. Additional mutations P6T in chaA, G187E in mgtC, T35A in Rv1979c, S387A in narK1, L400F in fas and A563T in eccA1 were restricted to the 5 clinical M. bovis from Ghana. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate potential zoonotic transmission of bTB in Ghana and hence calls for intensified public education on bTB, especially among risk groups