Influence of Multiple Media Channels on Adolescents’ Knowledge and Intentions to use Contraceptives: A quantitative Study of Amasaman, the Capital of Ga West District Assembly in Ghana

Available literature depicts a strong association between exposure to mass media and intentions to use contraceptives in Ghana. However, little is known about the influence of multiple media on the reminiscence of exact contraceptive messages and intentions to use contraceptives among in- school and out-of-school adolescents. This article, therefore, examines adolescents’ exposure to multiple media messages on contraceptives and its implications on message reminiscence. Their knowledge of the types of contraceptives, their intentions to use contraceptives and their perceptions of usage were also studied. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted in Amasaman, the capital of Ga West District Assembly in Ghana. Quantitative data were collected from systematically sampled adolescents in-school and out-of-school. The findings indicate that all the adolescents had ever been exposed to media messages on contraceptives, but few had intentions to use a contraceptive within the year preceding the survey. The adverse intentions to use contraceptives were influenced considerably by their fear of being caught due to cultural norms against sexual intercourse at their stage, preference for abstinence based on religious doctrines and poor knowledge of contraceptive usage. Old adolescents (15-19 years) were exposed to multiple media messages on contraceptives more than young adolescents (10-14 years), while majority understood contraceptive messages from radio and television. Generally there was positive association between exposure to multiple media and recollection of contraceptive messages. In conclusion, multiple media should be used to disseminate elaborative contraceptive messages to adolescents, in order for them to make informed choices and as a result enhance a healthy reproductive life. We suggest that the content of the messages should address negative religious and cultural perceptions about contraceptives, as well as educating them further on the available contraceptive methods

Use of a Mixed Formaldehyde and Sodium Hypophosphite Reducing Agent Bath in the Electroless Synthesis of Cu-Ni-Mo-P Electro-catalyst Active for Glycerol Oxidation

A new electroless bath was formulated in which two reducing agents - NaH2PO2 and formaldehyde – acted synchronously for the synthesis of electroless Cu-Ni-Mo-P/graphite electro-catalyst. The bath was operated at a pH of 10.2 and temperature of 80oC. Baths containing only sodium hypophosphite or formaldehyde reducing agents but with the same amounts of other bath constituents were used as controls in the deposition process. The deposits were characterized using SEM, EDX and XRD. Preliminary investigations conducted on oxidations of formaldehyde and glycerol show that the catalyst is an effective electro-catalyst as prepared, and that variations in the metallic composition of the electro-catalyst affect its electro catalytic activity

Knowledge and experience of a cohort of HIV-positive and HIV-negative Ghanaian women after undergoing human papillomavirus and cervical cancer screening.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women in Ghana, but knowledge and experience of women who have had cervical screening is under-evaluated. This study examined knowledge and understanding of HPV and cervical cancer and evaluated experiences of screening in a cohort of women of mixed HIV status. METHODS: This was a mixed methods study using questionnaires and focus group discussions, with a knowledge score constructed from the questionnaire. HIV-positive and HIV-negative women were recruited from a larger cervical screening study in Ghana and were interviewed 6 months after receiving screening. Quantitative data was analyzed and triangulated with qualitative data following thematic analysis using the framework approach. RESULTS: A total of 131 women were included (HIV-positive, n = 60). Over 80% of participants had a knowledge score deemed adequate. There was no difference between HIV-status groups in overall knowledge scores (p = 0.1), but variation was seen in individual knowledge items. HIV-positive women were more likely to correctly identify HPV as being sexually-transmitted (p = 0.05), and HIV negative women to correctly identify the stages in developing cervical cancer (p = < 0.0001). HIV-positive women mostly described acquisition of HPV in stigmatising terms. The early asymptomatic phase of cervical cancer made it difficult for women to define "what" cancer was versus "what" HPV infection was. All women expressed that they found it difficult waiting for their screening results but that receiving information and counselling from health workers alleviated anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of women who had participated in a cervical screening study was good, but specific misconceptions existed. HIV-positive women had similar levels of knowledge to HIV-negative, but different misconceptions. Women expressed generally positive views about screening, but did experience distress. A standardized education tool explaining cervical screening and relevance specifically of HPV-DNA results in Ghana should be developed, taking into consideration the different needs of HIV-positive women

Mycolactone Diffuses into the Peripheral Blood of Buruli Ulcer Patients - Implications for Diagnosis and Disease Monitoring.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of Buruli ulcer (BU), is unique among human pathogens in its capacity to produce a polyketide-derived macrolide called mycolactone, making this molecule an attractive candidate target for diagnosis and disease monitoring. Whether mycolactone diffuses from ulcerated lesions in clinically accessible samples and is modulated by antibiotic therapy remained to be established. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING: Peripheral blood and ulcer exudates were sampled from patients at various stages of antibiotic therapy in Ghana and Ivory Coast. Total lipids were extracted from serum, white cell pellets and ulcer exudates with organic solvents. The presence of mycolactone in these extracts was then analyzed by a recently published, field-friendly method using thin layer chromatography and fluorescence detection. This approach did not allow us to detect mycolactone accurately, because of a high background due to co-extracted human lipids. We thus used a previously established approach based on high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. By this means, we could identify structurally intact mycolactone in ulcer exudates and serum of patients, and evaluate the impact of antibiotic treatment on the concentration of mycolactone. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our study provides the proof of concept that assays based on mycolactone detection in serum and ulcer exudates can form the basis of BU diagnostic tests. However, the identification of mycolactone required a technology that is not compatible with field conditions and point-of-care assays for mycolactone detection remain to be worked out. Notably, we found mycolactone in ulcer exudates harvested at the end of antibiotic therapy, suggesting that the toxin is eliminated by BU patients at a slow rate. Our results also indicated that mycolactone titres in the serum may reflect a positive response to antibiotics, a possibility that it will be interesting to examine further through longitudinal studies

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Surface Modified Coals for Enhanced Catalyst Dispersion and Liquefaction

The aim of this study is to enhance catalyst loading and dispersion in coal for improved liquefaction by preadsorption of surfactants and catalysts on to the coal. During this reporting period, liquefaction experiments were conducted with the raw coal and catalyst loaded samples. Pretreatment of the coal and catalyst-loaded samples were done using the surfactants presented in previous reports. Liquefaction samples were tested using 6.6 g of solvent, 3.3 g coal, 6.9 MPa ambient hydrogen pressure, 425 0 C and 30 minutes. The liquid and solid products were removed from the reactor using tetrahydrofuran (THF). Coal conversions were calculated based on THF and heptane solubility. The results showed that in the absence of a catalyst, 33.8% heptane solubles was obtained with the parent coal compared to 27.8% and 27.3% with the SDS and DDAB surfactants. The presence of molybdenum, as expected, resulted in enhanced heptane solubles with or without surfactants. In the absence of surfactants, 50% heptane solubles was obtained compared to 40-47% with surfactants. Thus, it appears that pretreatment, unexpectedly, had a negative effect on liquefaction activity. It is unclear if the observed differences in results are significant. Clearly, additional experiments are needed before any firm deductions and conclusions can be drawn from the results

Surface Modified Coals for Enhanced Catalyst Dispersion and Liquefaction

The aim of this study is to enhance catalyst loading and dispersion in coal for improved liquefaction by preadsorption of surfactants and catalysts on to the coal. During this reporting period, the effects of dodecyl dimethyl ethyl ammonium bromide (DDAB) (a cationic surfactant), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) (an anionic surfactant), Triton X-100 (a neutral surfactant), and ferrous sulfate (as a catalyst precursor) on the coal surface charge at various pH values were determined. The results of the zeta potential measurements suggest that ferrous sulfate as catalyst precursor creates a distinctly different condition on the coal surface compared to that of molybdenum as reported in the previous progress reports. The effects of the adsorption of the surfactants also varied distinctly with the type of surfactant. With the adsorption of DDAB, the cationic surfactant, the surface charge was more positive. The opposite effect was observed for the SDS, the anionic surfactant. The coals treated with Triton X-100, the neutral surfactant, also showed an overall negative surface charge density. The adsorption of the catalyst precursor (ferrous sulfate) resulted in a net negative charge on the coal surface

SURFACE-MODIFIED COALS FOR ENHANCED CATALYST DISPERSION AND LIQUEFACTION

This is the final report of the Department of Energy Sponsored project DE-FGF22-95PC95229 entitled, surface modified coals for enhanced catalyst dispersion and liquefaction. The aims of the study were to enhance catalyst loading and dispersion in coal for improved liquefaction by preadsorption of surfactants and catalysts on the coal and to train and educate minority scientists in catalysts and separation science. Illinois No. 6 Coal (DEC-24) was selected for the study. The surfactants investigated included dodecyl dimethyl ethyl ammonium bromide (DDAB), a cationic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate, an anionic surfactant, and Triton x-100, a neutral surfactant. Ammonium molybdate tetrahydrate was used as the molybdenum catalyst precursor. Zeta potential, BET, FTIR, AFM, UV-Vis and luminescence intensity measurements were undertaken to assess the surface properties and the liquefaction activities of the coal. The parent coal had a net negative surface charge over the pH range 2-12. However, in the presence of DDAB the negativity of the surface charge decreased. At higher concentrations of DDAB, a positive surface charge resulted. In contrast to the effect of DDAB, the zeta potential of the coal became more negative than the parent coal in the presence of SDS. Adsorption of Triton reduced the net negative charge density of the coal samples. The measured surface area of the coal surface was about 30 m{sup 2}/g compared to 77m{sup 2}/g after being washed with deionized water. Addition of the surfactants decreased the surface area of the samples. Adsorption of the molybdenum catalyst increased the surface area of the coal sample. The adsorption of molybdenum on the coal was significantly promoted by preadsorption of DDAB and SDS. Molybdenum adsorption showed that, over a wide range of concentrations and pH values, the DDAB treated coal adsorbed a higher amount of molybdenum than the samples treated with SDS. The infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and the atomic force microscopy (AFM) also provided evidence that confirmed the adsorption of the surfactants onto the coal surface. The luminescence measurements showed that the coal and solid surfactants luminescence weakly. No statistically significant influence was observed that resulted from the action of the surfactants or surfactant-molybdenum catalyst. Interestingly, the liquefaction results produced data that indicated the use of surfactants did not significantly improve the liquefaction activity of the coal as had initially been hypothesized. The UV-adsorption tests provided evidence that suggest that this may have been due to oversaturation. Detailed discussions of the results and recommendations for future work are provided

Surface modified coals for enhanced catalyst dispersion and liquefaction

The aim of the study is to enhance catalyst loading and dispersion in coal for improved liquefaction by preadsorption of surfactants and catalysts on to the coal. During this reporting period, zeta potential measurements were conducted to assess the surface charge on the raw, pretreated and catalyzed coal samples. The surface area, transmission spectroscopy and luminescence intensity of the raw coal and pretreated coal samples were also determined to assess the quality of the coal surface. Across a broad range of pH values, the raw coal had an overall negative charge. Coal treated with anionic surfactant SDS maintained an overall net negative surface negative charge. The interaction between the coal and cationic surfactant DDAB caused the opposite effect resulting in a more positive coal surface charge. Although one would have expected little or no effect of the neutral surfactant Triton X-100, there appears to be some difference in the results of the raw coal and the coal treated with Triton X-100. The authors believe that the Triton not only binds to the nonpolar sites but also has a strong affinity for the polar sites through electrostatic bonding and interaction between the hydrophobic tails. The addition of molybdenum to coal pretreated with DDAB caused a reduction in the positive charge of the coal surface probably due to possible ionic interaction between the coal surface, the surfactant and the catalyst. The adsorption isotherm of the coal was characteristic of isotherms for porous samples and the surface area of the coal increased from 30 m{sup 2}/g to 77 m{sup 2}/g when washed with deionized water. This suggests coal washing may be one method of increasing the surface area for surfactant adsorption. Although the transmission measurements provided valuable information about the coal it resulted in little information on the amount of adsorbed Triton. However, the maximum solid-liquid ratio for optimum surfactant loading of Triton X-100 was determined via the UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The luminescence intensity measurements showed that the coal and surfactants luminescence weakly. No statistically significant influence was observed from the actions of the surfactants or surfactant-molybdenum catalyst. Qualitative inspection however, showed that SDS might effectively coat coal surfaces and influence catalyst dispersion. Also, catalysts appeared to be better distributed among coal particles and in finer clusters when DDAB and Triton surfactants were used