Chemosensitivity analysis of tiger nuts ( L.) using ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) and colchicine mutagens.

Four hundred tubers of four genotypes, two brown and two black tiger nuts were subjected to Ethyl Methanesulfonate (EMS) and Colchicine treatments at concentrations of 0 %, 0.1 %, 0.25 %, 0.

Plasticity of root hair and rhizosheath traits and their relationship to phosphorus uptake in sorghum.

Sorghum is an essential crop for resilient and adaptive responses to climate change. The root systems of crop plants significantly contribute to the tolerance of abiotic stresses. There is little information on sorghum genotypes' root systems and plasticity to external P supply.

Contrasting Hygiene-Related Gastrointestinal Infections and Stress-Related Diseases at a Primary Health Care Facility within a Sub-Saharan African City: Before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, protocols such as social distancing and upscaling of hygiene practices were implemented to limit the spread of the disease. Meanwhile, along with COVID-19 came stress due to restrictions on movement, trade and transport, and closure of schools, among others.

Aim: This study compared the prevalence of hygiene-related gastrointestinal infections and stress-related diseases before (March 2019-February 2020) and during (March 2020-February 2021) the COVID-19 pandemic.

Improvement in cowpea variety for traits of extra earliness and higher seed yield.

The cowpea variety , which was used as the control, matures early (70 days after planting), although it produces low yields. Gamma irradiation mutagenesis was used to induce into extra-early maturing and higher yielding mutant genotypes. A single seed descend population was developed for radio-sensitivity test, and a Lethal Dose 50 (LD) of 240.

Similarities in Bacterial Uropathogens and Their Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profile in Diabetics and Their Non-Diabetic Caregivers at a National Diabetes Management and Research Centre, Accra-Ghana.

Background: Diabetes mellitus has some damaging effects on the genitourinary system and has been found to have adverse effects on the host immune system, resulting in higher risk of infections including urinary tract infections (UTI). Incidences of UTI caused by bacteria have been increasingly reported globally and the abuse of antibiotics leading to evolving resistant strains of antibiotics is a public health challenge for the management of this condition. Information on the difference in types of bacterial agents causing UTI in diabetic patients and non-diabetic individuals, and their susceptibility profiles, will facilitate effective management among these groups of patients.

Bacterial Contamination of Surgical Instruments Used at the Surgery Department of a Major Teaching Hospital in a Resource-Limited Country: An Observational Study.

Surgical instruments, be they disposable or reusable, are essential in any surgical procedure. Reusable surgical instruments should be properly sterilized or disinfected before use. However, the protocols are not always followed accordingly.

Dynamics in Morbidity Markers and Cytological Observations Made in Urine of -Infected Children: Pre- and Post-Praziquantel Treatment in an Endemic Setting.

Background: Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by helminths of the genus . Morbidity markers and cytological observations such as squamous metaplastic cells, inflammatory cells, and hyperkeratotic cells in the urine of -infected children may suggest disease severity. They may also help predict severe forms of clinical presentation, such as bladder cancer in later years, among infected ones who miss out on early detection and treatment.

Preliminary Investigation into -like Piroplasms (/) among Cattle, Dogs and Humans in A Malaria-Endemic, Resource-Limited Sub-Saharan African City.

and are protozoan parasites belonging to the order piroplasmida, transmitted by hard ticks, and can cause diseases known as piroplasmosis. Human infections are usually asymptomatic, except in immuno-compromised persons who present malaria-like symptoms. Moreover, microscopically, the morphologies of and can resemble that of the malaria parasite, .

Aminoglycoside Therapy for Tuberculosis: Evidence for Ototoxicity among Tuberculosis Patients in Ghana.

Background: Hearing impairment (HI) is a major problem in Ghana; however, the few attempts at shedding light on its causes appear to overlook the adverse effects of some medications—a gap that this study sought to fill. Aminoglycoside therapy for tuberculosis (TB) treatment is one of these medications. Aim: The aim of this study was to establish the potential of aminoglycoside as a cause of hearing impairment among patients on anti-TB treatment.

Unravelling the Perspectives of Day and Night Traders in Selected Markets within a Sub-Saharan African City with a Malaria Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Survey.

Background: Malaria is still endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, with a high disease burden. Misconceptions about malaria contribute to poor attitudes and practices, further increasing the burden in endemic countries. Studies have examined the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of malaria among different populations.

Antimicrobial Activity of Selected Medicinal Plants from a Sub-Saharan African Country against Bacterial Pathogens from Post-Operative Wound Infections.

Globally, the application of medicinal plants in the management of acute and chronic wounds can be considered a common occurrence in most traditional medicine practices. In view of this, many plants in the tropical and subtropical regions have been screened for their wound-healing activities. Consequently, plants having antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant (MD-R) pathogens can be considered great assets.

Phenotypic Characterization of Tiger Nuts ( L.) from Major Growing Areas in Ghana.

Tigernut ( Lativum) is an important but understudied and underutilized crop in Ghana. The tubers are highly appreciated for their health benefits and nutritive value. To contribute to the conservation process of tiger nut and identify elite genotypes, this study was conducted to assess phenotypic variability in tiger nut genotypes in Ghana.

Genetic Studies on the Inheritance of Storage-Induced Cooking Time in Cowpeas [ (L.) Walp].

Cowpeas provide food and income for many small-holder farmers in Africa. Cowpea grains contain substantial quantities of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and fiber. In areas where subsistence farming is practiced, cowpea's protein is cheaper than that obtained from other sources such as fish, meat, poultry or dairy products and combines well with cereal grains in diets.

The search for yield predictors for mature field-grown plants from juvenile pot-grown cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz).

Cassava is the 6th most important source of dietary energy in the world but its root system architecture (RSA) had seldom been quantified. Ability to select superior genotypes at juvenile stages can significantly reduce the cost and time for breeding to bridge the large yield gap. This study adopted a simple approach to phenotyping RSA traits of juvenile and mature cassava plants to identify genotypic differences and the relationships between juvenile traits and harvest index of mature plants.

Persistent Urogenital Schistosomiasis and Its Associated Morbidity in Endemic Communities within Southern Ghana: Suspected Praziquantel Resistance or Reinfection?

Background: schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by helminths of the genus Schistosoma. The disease has a worldwide distribution, with more cases occurring in Africa. Urogenital schistosomiasis caused by S.

Cytological and Wet Mount Microscopic Observations Made in Urine of -Infected Children: Hint of the Implication in Bladder Cancer.

Background: Schistosomiasis is the second major human parasitic disease next to malaria, in terms of socioeconomic and public health consequences, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. () is a trematode and one of the species of that cause urogenital schistosomiasis (urinary schistosomiasis). Although the knowledge of this disease has improved over the years, there are still endemic areas, with most of the reported cases in Africa, including Ghana.

Ability of Vital and Fluorescent Staining in the Differentiation of Live and Dead Eggs.

This study reports (for the first time) the staining ability of vital (0.4% trypan blue and 1% neutral red) and fluorescent (Hoechst 33258) dyes to differentiate between live and dead () eggs in human urine samples. Since egg is important in disease pathology, diagnosis, transmission, and drug development research, it is essential to be able to easily distinguish live eggs from dead ones.

Plasma Levels of Cytokines (IL-10, IFN-γ and TNF-α) in Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis and Drug Responsive Tuberculosis Patients in Ghana.

The emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR⁻TB) and more recently, extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB has intensified the need for studies aimed at identifying factors associated with TB drug resistance. This study determined the differences in plasma concentrations of pro-inflammatory (IFN-γ and TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines in MDR-TB and drug-susceptible (DS) TB patients, in addition to some socio-economic factors. Plasma levels of IL-10, IFN-γ and TNF-α were measured in 83 participants (comprising 49 MDR-TB and 34 DS-TB patients) using sandwich ELISA.

Characterising shoot and root system trait variability and contribution to genotypic variability in juvenile cassava ( Crantz) plants.

The development of cassava genotypes with root system traits that increase soil resource acquisition could increase yields on infertile soils but there are relatively few work that has quantified cassava root system architecture (RSA). We used an easily adaptable and inexpensive protocol to: (i) measure genotypic variation for RSA and shoot traits of a range of cassava genotypes; and (ii) identify candidate variables that contribute the largest share of variance. Cassava genotypes were grown in soil-filled pots, maintained at 70% field capacity.

Microbial carriage of cockroaches at a tertiary care hospital in ghana.

Cockroaches are common in the environment of many hospitals in Ghana; however, little is known about their public health risks. To evaluate potential risks, we investigated the external and internal microbial flora of 61 cockroaches from a tertiary hospital in Ghana and evaluated the antibiotic resistance profiles of the common bacterial species. Standard methods were used in all the microbiological investigations and antibiotic susceptibility testing.