School abductions in Chibok and Zamfara, Nigeria : the nexus between gender, terror and official responses

School abductions in Nigeria have received global attention since 2014. Although several studies exist on gender-based terrorism in Nigeria, none has sought to understand the relationship between gender, gender constructions, terror directed towards women and girls, and official responses. This thesis, therefore, addresses gender-based terrorism in Nigeria by focusing on responses to terror on women and the girl-child. Specifically, it analyses how gender and gender constructions influenced extremist groups in Nigeria to perpetrate violence against women and girls and what responses this generated from officials nationally and internationally. The research used both primary and secondary data. The primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews with academics, journalists, officials in Nigeria, and national and international organizations. The secondary data was sourced from academic publications, video material, reports, and other information released by non-governmental organizations, the media, and state institutions in Nigeria. The findings indicate that the socio-cultural fabric of the Nigerian society influenced the reasons for and rationale behind abductions of women and girls in the country. The study found that the socio-cultural fabric of the Nigerian society had created a sense of value for women and girls, which made extremist organizations in the country regard them as, firstly, a vital economic tool for bargaining and wealth making and, secondly, as a source of achieving group cohesion and loyalty among the extremists. The research also found that official responses to the cases under study were influenced by many factors, including gender, education, human rights abuses and forced separation from families; they also reflected concern with the rise of the Islamic State (IS) coupled with the objectives of Boko Haram. Moreover, the construction of gender and gender relations was connected to terror directed towards women and girls, and to the official responses to terror, through the unequal social and power relation, and the sense of value conditioned by the construction of gender, which created an avenue for extremists to exploit women and girls for their strategic advantage. Therefore, the study argues that fostering societal transformation, promotion of gender-sensitive prevention of violent extremism, and the enactment of comprehensive legislation are key factors in challenging gender-based violence, including terror. Overall, the thesis contributes to the growing literature on gender-based terrorism and the growing number of studies in international relations that focus on gender.M-I

Spatiotemporal co-existence of two Mycobacterium ulcerans clonal complexes in the Offin River Valley of Ghana

In recent years, comparative genome sequence analysis of African Mycobacterium ulcerans strains isolated from Buruli ulcer (BU) lesion specimen has revealed a very limited genetic diversity of closely related isolates and a striking association between genotype and geographical origin of the patients. Here, we compared whole genome sequences of five M. ulcerans strains isolated in 2004 or 2013 from BU lesions of four residents of the Offin river valley with 48 strains isolated between 2002 and 2005 from BU lesions of individuals residing in the Densu river valley of Ghana. While all M. ulcerans isolates from the Densu river valley belonged to the same clonal complex, members of two distinct clonal complexes were found in the Offin river valley over space and time. The Offin strains were closely related to genotypes from either the Densu region or from the Asante Akim North district of Ghana. These results point towards an occasional involvement of a mobile reservoir in the transmission of M. ulcerans, enabling the spread of bacteria across different regions

Explaining the Weakness of Associational Life in Oil Palm Growing Communities in Southwestern Ghana

As the second most important industrial crop in Ghana, oil palm holds the potential of improving farmers’ livelihoods and alleviating rural poverty. For smallholder farmers, collective action through farmer-based organisations (FBOs) could provide a pathway to inclusive participation in agricultural commercialisation. There is ample evidence in the literature that collective action can help smallholders gain access to credit, improved inputs, or even networks of social support. Thus, collective action is widely recognised as a viable pathway out of poverty for the agrarian poor. However, our findings show that FBOs were either weak or non-existent. Indeed, we find that economic relations between farmers tend to be more individualised than one would expect to find in rural communities. This paper presents these findings, and explores why this is the case

Development of Composite Material for Wind Turbine Blades

Rapid increases in the prices of conventional turbine blade making materials as well as future sustainability issues is attracting research interest in the development of polymer composites for turbine blade applications. This study examines the suitability of using a novel bamboo fibre and recycled plastics composite developed for wind turbine blade application. Bamboo fibre was extracted from raw bamboo by chemical and mechanical processes. Recycled High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) was collected, cut into pieces, cleaned and combined with extracted bamboo fibre to form the composite. The percentage ratio of fibre content in the ten specimens ranged from 2.5% to 25%. A series of mechanical tests were conducted on the specimens, including tensile test, impact test, water absorption test and sun radiation test. Results established that as the percentage of bamboo fibre in the specimen increased, the tensile strength and impact energy also increased. Water absorption and sun radiation tests conducted on specimen X revealed no meaningful impact its mechanical properties. Hence, the most significant deduction from this study is that the specimen with 25% bamboo fibre and 75% HDPE matrix possesses the quality that qualifies it to be used as a material for wind turbine blade fabrication

Relevance of genomic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in Africa

BACKGROUND: The diversity in the lineages of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) was initially considered insignificant. However, comparative genomics analysis of MTBC have found genomic variation among the genotypes with potential phenotypic implications. OBJECTIVE: Therefore, this viewpoint seeks to discuss the impact of the identified genotypic diversity on the physiology of MTBC and the potential implications on TB control. RESULTS: Studies conducted in West Africa and other parts of Africa have unravelled the implications of the genomic diversity on phenotypes such as disease outcome, transmission dynamics and host immune response. The understanding of the phenotypic diversity among the different lineages of MTBC may be an important key to the fight against TB. CONCLUSION: The relevance of these differences has been observed in the design of new control tools such as diagnostics and anti-TB drugs/vaccines. This only points to the fact that the diversity in MTBC cannot be ignored in future studies especially clinical trials for new vaccines and new anti-TB drugs

Whole genome sequencing and spatial analysis identifies recent tuberculosis transmission hotspots in Ghana

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is progressively being used to investigate the transmission dynamics of; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; complex (MTBC). We used WGS analysis to resolve traditional genotype clusters and explored the spatial distribution of confirmed recent transmission clusters. Bacterial genomes from a total of 452 MTBC isolates belonging to large traditional clusters from a population-based study spanning July 2012 and December 2015 were obtained through short read next-generation sequencing using the illumina HiSeq2500 platform. We performed clustering and spatial analysis using specified R packages and ArcGIS. Of the 452 traditional genotype clustered genomes, 314 (69.5%) were confirmed clusters with a median cluster size of 7.5 genomes and an interquartile range of 4-12. Recent tuberculosis (TB) transmission was estimated as 24.7%. We confirmed the wide spread of a Cameroon sub-lineage clone with a cluster size of 78 genomes predominantly from the Ablekuma sub-district of Accra metropolis. More importantly, we identified a recent transmission cluster associated with isoniazid resistance belonging to the Ghana sub-lineage of lineage 4. WGS was useful in detecting unsuspected outbreaks; hence, we recommend its use not only as a research tool but as a surveillance tool to aid in providing the necessary guided steps to track, monitor, and control TB

Second-line anti-tuberculosis drug resistance testing in Ghana identifies the first extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis case

Background: Drug resistance surveillance is crucial for tuberculosis (TB) control. Therefore, our goal was to determine the prevalence of second-line anti-TB drug resistance among diverse primary drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates in Ghana. Materials and methods: One hundred and seventeen MTBC isolates with varying first-line drug resistance were analyzed. Additional resistance to second-line anti-TB drugs (streptomycin [STR], amikacin [AMK] and moxifloxacin [MOX]) was profiled using the Etest and GenoType MTBDRsl version 2.0. Genes associated with resistance to AMK and MOX (gyrA, gyrB, eis, rrs, tap, whiB7 and tlyA) were then analyzed for mutation. Results: Thirty-seven (31.9%) isolates had minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ≥2 µg/mL against STR while 12 (10.3%) isolates had MIC values ≥1 µg/mL for AMK. Only one multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolate (Isolate ID: TB/Nm 919) had an MIC value of ≥0.125 µg/mL for MOX (MIC = 3 µg/mL). This isolate also had the highest MIC value for AMK (MIC = 16 µg/mL) and was confirmed as resistant to AMK and MOX by the line probe assay GenoType MTBDRsl version 2.0. Mutations associated with the resistance were: gyrA (G88C) and rrs (A514C and A1401G). Conclusion: Our findings suggest the need to include routine second-line anti-TB drug susceptibility testing of MDR/rifampicin-resistant isolates in our diagnostic algorithm

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

Reduced transmission of Mycobacterium africanum compared to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in urban West Africa

Understanding transmission dynamics is useful for tuberculosis (TB) control. A population-based molecular epidemiological study was conducted to determine TB transmission in Ghana.; Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates obtained from prospectively sampled pulmonary TB patients between July 2012 and December 2015 were characterized using spoligotyping and standard 15-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) typing for transmission studies.; Out of 2309 MTBC isolates, 1082 (46.9%) unique cases were identified, with 1227 (53.1%) isolates belonging to one of 276 clusters. The recent TB transmission rate was estimated to be 41.2%. Whereas TB strains of lineage 4 belonging to M. tuberculosis showed a high recent transmission rate (44.9%), reduced recent transmission rates were found for lineages of Mycobacterium africanum (lineage 5, 31.8%; lineage 6, 24.7%).; The study findings indicate high recent TB transmission, suggesting the occurrence of unsuspected outbreaks in Ghana. The observed reduced transmission rate of M. africanum suggests other factor(s) (host/environmental) may be responsible for its continuous presence in West Africa

TB-diabetes co-morbidity in Ghana : the importance of Mycobacterium africanum infection

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a known risk factor for tuberculosis (TB) but little is known on TB-Diabetes Mellitus (TBDM) co-morbidity in Sub-Saharan Africa.; Consecutive TB cases registered at a tertiary facility in Ghana were recruited from September 2012 to April 2016 and screened for DM using random blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level. TB patients were tested for other clinical parameters including HIV co-infection and TB lesion location. Mycobacterial isolates obtained from collected sputum samples were characterized by standard methods. Associations between TBDM patients' epidemiological as well as microbiological variables were assessed.; The prevalence of DM at time of diagnosis among 2990 enrolled TB cases was 9.4% (282/2990). TBDM cases were significantly associated with weight loss, poor appetite, night sweat and fatigue (p&lt;0.001) and were more likely (p&lt;0.001) to have lower lung cavitation 85.8% (242/282) compared to TB Non-Diabetic (TBNDM) patients 3.3% (90/2708). We observed 22.3% (63/282) treatment failures among TBDM patients compared to 3.8% (102/2708) among TBNDM patients (p&lt;0.001). We found no significant difference in the TBDM burden attributed by M. tuberculosis sensu stricto (Mtbss) and Mycobacterium africanum (Maf) and (Mtbss; 176/1836, 9.6% and Maf; 53/468, 11.3%, p = 0.2612). We found that diabetic individuals were suggestively likely to present with TB caused by M. africanum Lineage 6 as opposed to Mtbss (odds ratio (OR) = 1.52; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.92-2.42, p = 0.072).; Our findings confirms the importance of screening for diabetes during TB diagnosis and highlights the association between genetic diversity and diabetes. in Ghana