The Incidence, severity and aetiology of a bacterial canker disease of citrus in Ghana

A disease of citrus characterised by slightly raised spots with chlorotic halo was observed in the citrus orchard of the Soil and Irrigation Research Centre of the University of Ghana, located at Kpong in 2009. Samples of the diseased leaves and fruits were taken and a bacterium isolated and identified using cultural, morphological and polymerase chain reactions with three different sets of species specific primers. The pathogenicity of the bacterium was established using citrus seedlings. The bacterium isolated was found to produce yellow mucoid colonies and the cells were short rods and gram negative. It showed pectolytic activity on potato plugs and was pathogenic to artificially inoculated seedlings. The expected PCR product of 222 bp, 179 bp and 197 bp were obtained in the PCR using the primer pairs 2/3, J-RXg/J-RXC2 and J-pth1/J-pth2 respectively. It was concluded that the bacterium was Xanthomonas campestris pv citri A and the disease was a form of citrus canker. The disease incidence decreased from 100% to 13.3% in six years (2009-2014). Correspondingly, the disease severity declined from 88.3% to 1.7% in six years (2009-2014) without the application of any control measure. It was conjectured that the prevailing microclimate and environmental conditions might have influenced the survival of the pathogen. The practical implications of the findings are discussed and future studies suggested

Dynamic recruitment of microRNAs to their mRNA targets in the regenerating liver.

BACKGROUND: Validation of physiologic miRNA targets has been met with significant challenges. We employed HITS-CLIP to identify which miRNAs participate in liver regeneration, and to identify their target mRNAs. RESULTS: miRNA recruitment to the RISC is highly dynamic, changing more than five-fold for several miRNAs. miRNA recruitment to the RISC did not correlate with changes in overall miRNA expression for these dynamically recruited miRNAs, emphasizing the necessity to determine miRNA recruitment to the RISC in order to fully assess the impact of miRNA regulation. We incorporated RNA-seq quantification of total mRNA to identify expression-weighted Ago footprints, and developed a microRNA regulatory element (MRE) prediction algorithm that represents a greater than 20-fold refinement over computational methods alone. These high confidence MREs were used to generate candidate \u27competing endogenous RNA\u27 (ceRNA) networks. CONCLUSION: HITS-CLIP analysis provide novel insights into global miRNA:mRNA relationships in the regenerating liver

Hygienic Disposal of Children’s Stools Practices Among Women of Children With Diarrhoea in Sub-Saharan Africa

Background Diarrhoea stools contain infectious agents and pose a public health threat to children and members of the entire family when exposed to them Therefore their hygienic disposal is essential Empirical data are needed to stir the needed public health interventions to encourage or enforce proper disposal practices to curb associated clinical issues This study assessed the prevalence and correlates of hygienic stool disposal practices by mothers of children with diarrhoea in sub Saharan Africa SSA Methods The Demographic and Health Surveys DHS data of 16 sub Saharan African countries from 2015 to 2021 involving 22 590 mother child pairs were analysed Multilevel binary logistic analysis was conducted to assess the individual and household level factors associated with the hygienic disposal of stool practices by mothers of children with diarrhoea The results were presented using adjusted odds ratios AOR and 95 confidence intervals CI at a statistical significance of i P i lt 05 Results The overall prevalence of hygienic disposal of children s stools among women of children with diarrhoea was 49 01 95 CI 48 40 49 62 and ranged from 15 70 in Liberia to 86 6 in Rwanda The practice of hygienic disposal of stools of children with diarrhoea was likely to increase among mothers who are working AOR 1 19 95 CI 1 09 1 30 those with partners with primary level of education AOR 1 18 95 CI 1 06 1 31 Muslims AOR 1 69 95 CI 1 49 1 91 and widowed divorced AOR 8 94 95 CI 3 55 22 53 Again mothers in the richer AOR 1 23 95 CI 1 08 1 39 wealth index had increased odds of disposing of stools hygienically compared to those in the poorest wealth index Women who were 20 years and above to who belonged to Traditional Religions AOR 0 57 95 CI 0 43 0 74 and those with unimproved sources of water AOR 0 89 95 CI 0 82 0 98 and toilet facilities AOR 0 63 95 CI 0 58 0 69 were less likely to dispose of child s diarrhoea stool hygienically than their counterparts Conclusion The study reveals tha

Wealth-related inequalities in the utilisation of modern contraceptives in Papua New Guinea: evidence from the 2016–2018 Demographic and Health Survey data

OBJECTIVE To examine the wealth-related disparities in modern contraceptives use among women in Papua New Guinea. DESIGN We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the 2016-2018 Papua New Guinea Demographic and Health Survey data. We included 11 618 women of reproductive age in our final analysis. Percentages were used to present the results on utilisation of modern contraceptives. A concentration curve was used to summarise the cumulative use of modern contraceptives by wealth index (ranked into groups richest, richer, middle, poorer and poorest). We used a decomposition analysis to estimate the contributions of individual factors towards wealth-related inequality in modern contraceptives use. We estimated the slope index of inequality (SII) and the relative index of inequality (RII) in modern contraceptive utilisation to provide summary evidence of inequality. SETTING Papua New Guinea. PARTICIPANTS Women aged 15-49 years. OUTCOME MEASURE Modern contraceptives utilisation. RESULTS Overall, 27.5 of Papua New Guinea women used modern contraceptives. The concentration curve showed that the use of modern contraceptives was highly concentrated among women of the richest household wealth index as the concentration curve lies below the equality line. The SII (0.210, CI 0.182 to 0.239) indicates that the richest group uses more modern contraceptives. The RII depicts a relative difference of 2.044 between the richest and the poorest women in the use of modern contraceptives. CONCLUSIONS Our study has shown that modern contraceptives use among women in Papua New Guinea is low. Women from the richest household wealth index group had the highest propensity to use modern contraceptives in comparison with those from poorer homes. The Ministry of Health and other organisations must design and carry out initiatives aimed at enhancing the availability of and use of modern contraceptives among women from less affluent backgrounds

Socioeconomic and residence-based related inequality in childhood vaccination in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Benin.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Childhood vaccination remains a cost-effective strategy that has expedited the control and elimination of numerous diseases. Although coverage of new vaccines in low- and middle-income countries increased exponentially in the last two decades, progress on expanding routine vaccination services to reach all children remains low, and coverage levels in many countries remains inadequate. This study aimed to examine the pattern of wealth and residence-based related inequality in vaccination coverage through an equity lens. METHODS: We used data from the 2017-2018 Benin Demographic and Health Survey. Statistical and econometrics modeling were used to investigate factors associated with childhood vaccination. The Wagstaff decomposition analysis was used to disentangle the concentration index. RESULTS: A total of 1993 children were included, with 17% in the wealthiest quintile and 63% were living in rural areas. Findings showed that wealth is positively and significantly associated with vaccination coverage, particularly, for middle-wealth households. A secondary or higher education level of women and partners increased the odds of vaccination compared to no education (p < 0.05). Women with more antenatal care visits, with multiple births, attending postnatal care and delivery in a health facility had increased vaccination coverage (p < 0.01). Inequalities in vaccination coverage are more prominent in rural areas; and are explained by wealth, education, and antenatal care visits. CONCLUSION: Inequality in child vaccination varies according to socioeconomic and sociodemographic characteristics and is of interest to health policy. To mitigate inequalities in child vaccination coverage, policymakers should strengthen the availability and accessibility of vaccination and implement educational programs dedicated to vulnerable groups in rural areas

Distinct developmental and degenerative functions of SARM1 require NAD+ hydrolase activity

SARM1 is the founding member of the TIR-domain family of NAD+ hydrolases and the central executioner of pathological axon degeneration. SARM1-dependent degeneration requires NAD+ hydrolysis. Prior to the discovery that SARM1 is an enzyme, SARM1 was studied as a TIR-domain adaptor protein with non-degenerative signaling roles in innate immunity and invertebrate neurodevelopment, including at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Here we explore whether the NADase activity of SARM1 also contributes to developmental signaling. We developed transgenic Drosophila lines that express SARM1 variants with normal, deficient, and enhanced NADase activity and tested their function in NMJ development. We find that NMJ overgrowth scales with the amount of NADase activity, suggesting an instructive role for NAD+ hydrolysis in this developmental signaling pathway. While degenerative and developmental SARM1 signaling share a requirement for NAD+ hydrolysis, we demonstrate that these signals use distinct upstream and downstream mechanisms. These results identify SARM1-dependent NAD+ hydrolysis as a heretofore unappreciated component of developmental signaling. SARM1 now joins sirtuins and Parps as enzymes that regulate signal transduction pathways via mechanisms that involve NAD+ cleavage, greatly expanding the potential scope of SARM1 TIR NADase functions

Motivations for food prohibitions during pregnancy and their enforcement mechanisms in a rural Ghanaian district

© 2015 Arzoaquoi et al. Background: Food taboos are known from virtually all human societies and pregnant women have often been targeted. We qualitatively assessed food taboos during pregnancy, its motivating factors, and enforcement mechanisms in the Upper Manya Krobo district of Ghana. Methods: This was an exploratory cross sectional study using qualitative focus group discussions (FGDs). Sixteen FGDs were conducted. Participants were purposively selected using the maximum variation sampling technique. Tape recorded FGDs were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Malterudian systematic text condensation technique. Results: All the participants were aware of the existence of food prohibitions and beliefs targeting pregnant women in Upper Manya Krobo. The study identified snails, rats, hot foods, and animal lungs as tabooed during pregnancy. Adherence motivators included expectation of safe and timely delivery, avoidance of "monkey babies" (deformed babies); respect for ancestors, parents, and community elders. Enforcement mechanisms identified included constant reminders by parents, family members and significant others. Stigmatization and community sanctions are deployed sparingly. Conclusions: Food taboos and traditional beliefs targeting pregnant women exist in Upper Manya Krobo. Pregnant women are forbidden from eating snails, rats, snakes, hot foods and animal lungs. To a large extent, socio-cultural, and to a lesser, health concerns motivate the practice

Clarifying supply chain disruption and operational resilience relationship from a threat-rigidity perspective: Evidence from small and medium-sized enterprises

Given the significant risk supply chain disruptions pose to businesses, scholars and experts presume such events encourage resilience-building efforts. This study uses the threat-rigidity theory to question this normative assumption by proposing that supply chain disruption can trigger threat interpretation bias, which undermines operational resilience. Specifically, the study contends that threat interpretation bias negatively mediates the relationship between supply chain disruption and operational resilience, particularly in low disruption orientation circumstances. An empirical analysis of survey data from 259 small and medium-sized enterprises in Ghana using covariance-based structural equation modeling supports these theoretical predictions. The results indicate that supply chain disruption increases threat interpretation bias, which in turn reduces operational resilience. The negative effect of threat interpretation bias on operational resilience is stronger when disruption orientation is low than when it is high. These results offer an enhanced understanding of the supply chain disruption–resilience link while shedding light on how firms can manage threat interpretation bias to improve operational resilience

Social factors influencing child health in Ghana

Objectives Social factors have profound effects on health. Children are especially vulnerable to social influences, particularly in their early years. Adverse social exposures in childhood can lead to chronic disorders later in life. Here, we sought to identify and evaluate the impact of social factors on child health in Ghana. As Ghana is unlikely to achieve the Millennium Development Goals’ target of reducing child mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015, we deemed it necessary to identify social determinants that might have contributed to the non-realisation of this goal. Methods ScienceDirect, PubMed, MEDLINE via EBSCO and Google Scholar were searched for published articles reporting on the influence of social factors on child health in Ghana. After screening the 98 articles identified, 34 of them that met our inclusion criteria were selected for qualitative review. Results Major social factors influencing child health in the country include maternal education, rural-urban disparities (place of residence), family income (wealth/poverty) and high dependency (multiparousity). These factors are associated with child mortality, nutritional status of children, completion of immunisation programmes, health-seeking behaviour and hygiene practices. Conclusions Several social factors influence child health outcomes in Ghana. Developing more effective responses to these social determinants would require sustainable efforts from all stakeholders including the Government, healthcare providers and families. We recommend the development of interventions that would support families through direct social support initiatives aimed at alleviating poverty and inequality, and indirect approaches targeted at eliminating the dependence of poor health outcomes on social factors. Importantly, the expansion of quality free education interventions to improve would-be-mother’s health knowledge is emphasised