College of Basic and Applied Sciences
http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh:8080/handle/123456789/27639
2024-03-29T14:13:22ZMaking North–South Collaborations Work: Facilitating Natural Product Drug Discovery in Africa
http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh:8080/handle/123456789/39408
Making North–South Collaborations Work: Facilitating Natural Product Drug Discovery in Africa
Osei-Safo, D.; Kyeremeh, K.; Amewu, R.; et al.
Many global North–South collaborations seek to address different aspects of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Africa . The role of the North in these collaborations is crucial from a funding point of view. However, the realisation of the SDG objectives for Africa will depend largely on strategies that are guided by the successes and challenges of previous and existing collaborative efforts. Globally, Africa has the highest disease burden with the leading causes of morbidity and mortality being malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS and more recently, cardiovascular diseases , diabetes and cancer. Neglected tropical diseases are also causing long-term detrimental health effects, resulting in huge social and economic losses. Ironically, the continent is endowed with a huge biodiversity resource that has the potential to provide novel and potent drug candidates but remains largely unexplored partly due to financial and infrastructural challenges. Developing the scientific research capabilities of African institutions towards drug discovery through global networks is, therefore, an important component of improving health systems on the continent. This chapter examines experiences from three North–South collaborations—the Royal Society’s Leverhulme Trust Africa Award (LTAA), Newton Advanced Fellowships (NAF) and Cambridge-Africa Partnership for Research Excellence (CAPREx)—and proposes the adoption of structures that extend the current focus on skill transfer to include the building and maintenance of sustainable infrastructure. It is believed that these thoughts and suggestions could promote sustainable collaborative research to provide good health and well-being (SDG3), quality education (SDG4), relevant infrastructure (SDG9) and reduced inequalities (SDG10) in Africa .
Book chapter review
2019-01-01T00:00:00ZGenetic Improvement for Development of a Climate Resilient Food Legume Crops: Relevance of Cowpea Breeding Approach in Improvement of Food Legume Crops for Future
http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh:8080/handle/123456789/39286
Genetic Improvement for Development of a Climate Resilient Food Legume Crops: Relevance of Cowpea Breeding Approach in Improvement of Food Legume Crops for Future
Ofori, K.; Ngalamu, T.; Galla, J.O.; et al.
ABSTRACT
Global population increment coupled with the adverse effects of climate change pose horrendous possibilities for food shortage and hunger. Nevertheless, climate change embedded in several biotic and abiotic stresses affects food crops' productivity, despite breeding accomplishments. Consequently, there is urgent need for mapping out sustainable and environmentally friendly food crops as well as their efficient and appropriate improvement and production systems. This will enable genetic improvement for climate resilient, high-yielding, and nutritionally valuable food crops. Food legume crops, which represent the most valuable food source globally after cereals, are ideal for meeting the global food demand; thus, improving their productivity becomes crucial. Conversely, understanding and documenting limitations of food legume yield is a step toward a defined breeding goal. Having in-depth knowledge about the genetics of drought and heat, and deployment of molecular platforms, will enhance prospects of developing food legume varieties with improved agronomic traits. This accomplishment will be reflected in the output of any programmed and systematic improvement programs: development and release of high-yielding and early maturing food legume varieties that are tolerant and resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses. Hence, this chapter will constitute a repository for legume breeders interested in developing climate-resilient food legume varieties capable of adapting to marginal environments and giving appreciable yield in the face of climatic stressors: drought and heat stress. It could be concluded that co-occurrence of drought and heat stress during both vegetative and reproductive developmental phases of food legume crops would lead to impeded tissue development, loss of organelle functions, production of non-viable pollen, abortion of ovaries, and oxidative stress in the leaves. These will result in failure to fertilize and poor quality and quantity of assimilates produced and stored. Thus, the key to improvement for climate resilience is better understanding of pathways associated with yield, resistance, and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
Book Chapter Review
2023-01-01T00:00:00ZGranular Cell Tumour Of The Larynx: A Case Report
http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh:8080/handle/123456789/33763
Granular Cell Tumour Of The Larynx: A Case Report
Appiah-Thompson, P.; Baidoo, K.K.
Granular cell tumours (GCTs) are benign tumours
rarely found in the larynx even though they are
common in the head and neck region. The laryngeal
tumour may be asymptomatic but typically patients
present with hoarseness of voice, stridor, haemoptysis
and dysphagia. The lesion can mimic squamous cell
thus deep biopsy must be taken with adjacent normal
tissue to confirm this pathology. Immunohistochemical
staining is also used. Complete surgical
resection of this tumour is the treatment of choice. We
present a 25 year old woman with a laryngeal granular
cell tumour involving the right vocal cord diagnosed
after direct laryngoscopy and biopsy. She was treated
by right cordectomy via a laryngofissure approach. We
present the case due to the rarity of the laryngeal
granular cell tumour and the need to highlight the
importance of taking deep biopsies. If biopsies are
superficial, an inexperienced pathologist would
mistake it for well differentiated carcinoma.
Journal Article on Granular Cell Tumour Of The Larynx
2015-12-01T00:00:00ZImpact of Bioenergy Crop Adoption on Total Crop Incomes of Farmers in Northern Ghana: The Case of Jatropha Curcas
http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh:8080/handle/123456789/31263
Impact of Bioenergy Crop Adoption on Total Crop Incomes of Farmers in Northern Ghana: The Case of Jatropha Curcas
Kemeze, L.S.; Mensah-Bonsu, A.; Egyir, I.S.; Amegashie, D.P.K.; Nlom, J.H.
The present study examines the adoption of Jatropha Curcas as a bioenergy crop in West Mamprusi and Mion districts of Northern Ghana. A gender analysis is also undertaken. Using data from 400 farmers, the study employs a propensity score matching method to analyze the impact of the adoption of Jatropha Curcas on total crop incomes of farmers. The study concludes that Jatropha adoption significantly reduces the level of crop income per hectare of farmers. The reduction is worse for women-headed households compared to men. Specifically, the Average Treatment effect on the Treated (ATT) estimate is GHC −385.23 per hectare for the whole sample. The study recommends the development of appropriate strategies and a regulatory framework to harness the potential economic opportunities from Jatropha cultivation.
2018-06-01T00:00:00Z