Science and Development Journal

Kombucha modulates the gut Microbiota and promotes Insulin secretion and Pancreatic Beta cell recovery during Diabetes.

2024-11-24T12:47:49+00:00

Kombucha is fermented tea brewed by the introduction of a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts (SCOBY) into a sweetened tea substrate. Kombucha consumption has been anecdotally linked to the treatment of multiple diseases including diabetes. Even though the medicinal capabilities of Kombucha have been associated to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, the precise mode of action is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the antidiabetic effect of Kombucha in rat models. Diabetes was induced in adult male Wistar rats by a single intraperitoneal injection of 150 mg/kg body weight of alloxan monohydrate. Rats were grouped and administered different doses of Kombucha (5, 25 and 100 mg/kg), and standard drugs (glibenclamide and metformin). Blood samples were collected weekly to determine glucose and insulin levels. To determine the physiological effect of Kombucha treatment on beta pancreatic cells, we performed histological analysis on the pancreas after hematoxylin-eosin staining. Finally, 16S metagenomics sequencing was performed on stool samples to evaluate the temporal gut microbiota changes. We showed that alloxan injection induced diabetes characterized by hyperglycemia, hypoinsulinemia and pancreatic beta cells damage. Notably, treatment with kombucha significantly reduced blood glucose levels, increased insulin secretion and showed better-preserved pancreatic beta cells characterized by reduced inflammation and increased viable cell mass. Additionally, our analysis of gut microbiome revealed shifts in microbial taxonomical composition characterized by the relatively high abundance of Lactobacillaceae in kombucha treated rats, in contrast, these bacteria populations were diminished in the alloxan control. Altogether, our data provide evidence that the antidiabetic mode of action of kombucha involves restoration of proper glycemic control by ameliorating pancreatic beta cell damage, improving insulin secretion and modulating the gut microbiome. Thus, kombucha could offer a positive outcome for the management of diabetes mellitus.

Household Food Insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review of Associated Factors and Prevalence during COVID-19 Pandemic

2024-11-24T12:50:53+00:00

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) carries the heaviest burden of food insecurity globally, a challenge compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and its related restrictions. This systematic review sough to assess the prevalence and factors associated with household food insecurity in SSA during the pandemic. Searches were conducted in three bibliographic databases and two search engines on October 30, 2023, covering the period from March 2020 to October 2022. Peer-reviewed studies reporting on the prevalence and contributing factors of household food insecurity were included. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology tool. A total of 29 publications from 12 countries were reviewed. The Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) and Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) were the most frequently used instruments for assessing food insecurity. The prevalence of household food insecurity during the pandemic ranged from 11.2% to 98.8%, with an average rate of 53.7%. COVID-19 restrictions were linked to increased food insecurity in six studies, and pre-existing vulnerabilities, such as lower educational attainment, older household heads, and low household income, persisted. Rising food prices and a lack of alternative livelihoods further heightened household vulnerability during the pandemic. Although the review found no significant change in overall food insecurity levels compared to pre-pandemic periods, the ongoing effects of COVID-19 could worsen the situation. Immediate action, including the provision of social protection and agricultural support, is critical to preventing further deterioration in food security.

Effect of Synthetic and Organic Insecticide on Chemical Composition and In-vitro Gas Production of Cowpea Haulms

2024-11-24T12:54:24+00:00

Farmers often use insecticides to manage pests on cowpea farms, raising concerns about their longterm residual effect on the chemical composition and digestibility of crop residues used as ruminant feed and on human health. This study examined the effect of synthetic and organic insecticides on the chemical composition and in vitro gas production of cowpea haulms. Field trials across two cropping seasons and laboratory analyses were used to assess the effect of insecticide application on cowpea haulms. Insecticide application significantly influenced the chemical composition of cowpea haulms (p > 0.05). Both synthetic and organic insecticide-treated haulms had significantly higher crude protein contents than the control group (p > 0.05). All treatment groups exhibited high levels of crude protein (CP) (157.2–213.4 g/kgDM), crude fat (78.8–103.7 g/kgDM), and ash (118.5–128.1 g/kgDM). The neem extract treatment had the highest CP content (213.4 g/kgDM), while the control group had the lowest (14.46%). Moderate in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM) (43.39 - 45.71%) and metabolizable energy (ME) values (6.09 - 6.68 MJ g/kg) were also observed. The microbial population was significantly decreased in the neem oil extract and Dursban treatment groups compared to that in the control group (p<0.05). Cowpea haulms can serve as supplementary feed to improve the utilisation of poor-quality feed resources during the dry season, thereby enhancing ruminant growth performance. However, the persistence of pesticides in plant matter post-harvest hinders microbial digestion and fermentation in the rumen when animals consume plant residue.

Unravelling the Flock Dynamics and constraints to Poultry Production in a typical Indigenous Poultry-keeping community in Uganda

2024-12-21T10:54:12+00:00

The efforts to promote improved poultry production in Africa and Uganda in particular are a threat to the continent’s indigenous poultry genetic resource, and the practices used by farmers to maintain these resources. In the efforts to conserve these resources, we conducted a survey among 80 farmers in a typical indigenous poultry-keeping community of Ibulanku, Busoga subregion where most of Uganda’s indigenous poultry species are hosted. The study revealed a higher female (63.3%) and youth (over 40%) participation in indigenous poultry production. Only 2.5% of farmers kept exotic birds on top of the indigenous species. Indigenous chickens were the most common poultry species, being kept by all farmers most of whom had ≥10 chickens. Housing has been embraced by all farmers although only 27.5% had a designated poultry house, with the rest using either their kitchens or family dwellings. Primarily, birds were kept for home consumption (93.8%), income generation (92.5%) and welcome for visitors (86.3%). Diseases were the most constraining factor to indigenous poultry production which the farmers mainly managed by treatment (85.7%), with some using herbal and/or human medicines. The study has revealed an improvement in management of indigenous poultry, through housing, which improves on their welfare. However, further studies should be conducted to assess the traces of human medicine residues in indigenous poultry products, and appropriate policies on use of the same formulated to safe guard the consumers.

Predictors and Pathways associated with Potentially High-Risk Preeclampsia among Pregnant Women in Selected Health Facilities in Accra, Ghana

2024-11-24T12:57:01+00:00

Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the major complications associated with pregnancy. The study sought to determine the predictors associated with potentially high risk for PE and their pathways. This was a prospective study conducted among 403 pregnant women, ≤ 20 weeks of gestational age, who attended antenatal clinic at two hospitals in Accra and were followed till 6 weeks postpartum. The Body Mass Index was calculated based on the World Health Organization criteria. Potentially high risk for preeclampsia was defined as having at least one of the following: systolic blood pressure ≥ 130 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≥ 80 mmHg, oedema, and proteinuria. Data analyses were carried out using SPSS Version 22. Binary logistic regression and structural equation modeling were performed to determine the predictors and their pathways respectively. Majority 341 (84.6) of the respondents were aged 20-35 years. Pregnant women with estimated pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 and pre-pregnancy weight ≥71 kg were at significantly increased risk of being at a potentially high risk for PE AOR 3.6; 95%CI (1.09 – 11.75) p < 0.040 and AOR 3.4; 95% CI (1.250 - 12.703) p < 0.019 respectively. Anthropometric indices (estimated pre-pregnancy BMI and pre-pregnancy weight) had a statistically significant positive direct relationship with potentially high risk for PE; β = 0.519; t-value = 8.545; p-value < 0.001). Estimated pre-pregnancy weight and BMI (obesity ≥ 30 kg/m²) were the predictors and also had a significant direct positive relationship with potentially high risk for PE.

Analysis of Brain Tumour and Stroke Prediction using Selected Machine Learning Algorithms

2024-11-24T12:59:45+00:00

In this work, brain tumour detection and stroke prediction are studied by applying techniques of machine learning. To address challenges in diagnosing brain tumours and predicting the likelihood of strokes, this work developed a machine learning-based automated system that can uniquely identify, detect, and classify brain tumours and predict the occurrence of strokes using relevant features. The system utilizes advanced algorithms to analyze medical data and images to extract meaningful patterns and relationships that can assist in accurate prediction. The machine learning algorithms used for the brain tumour prediction is the convolutional neural network (CNN), whilst for the stroke prediction, support vector machine, random forest, decision tree and logistic regression were used for purposes of comparison. The dataset was partitioned into 80 % for training and 20 % for testing the brain tumour images using the machine learning programming language Python. It was observed that when the CNN model was trained up to 100 epochs, it achieved an overall accuracy of 95.78 %. The precision of the simulated model was 96.70 %, recall was 96.65 %, and F1-score was 96.17 %. For the stroke images, it was partitioned into 90 % for training and 10 % for testing and the decision tree algorithm gave the most accurate results among the four machine learning algorithms with an area under the curve (AUC) score of 0.97 on the original dataset and a value of 1.00 after hyperparameter tuning.

Anaerobic Biofiltration of Landfill Gas

2024-11-24T13:02:06+00:00

This study involved the treatment (via a pilot biofilter) of landfill gas containing volatile organic compounds (including sulphur and chlorinated hydrocarbons) and determining the removal efficiency based on optimum pH, concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), base gases, pressure drop and inlet biofilter flow rates. Also measured and analysed was the reactor Empty bed residence time, and amount of nutrients added to the biofilter. The biofilter reactor was designed to mimic industrial biofilters with parameters chosen to provide optimum removal efficiencies and consisted of a two biofilters arranged in series. The ultimate focus was to design a biofilter that removes the unwanted volatile organic compounds from the high energy value of methane compound in the biofilter and thereby arriving at treated gas containing methane and oxygen for utilization in internal combustion engines. In this study, hydrogen sulfide was entirely removed, achieving a removal efficiency (RE) of 100%. The other target constituents—vinyl chloride, benzene, toluene, n-octane, and n-decane—also demonstrated significant reductions, with removal efficiencies ranging from 20% to 64%, 64% to 80%, 30% to 60%, 55% to 65%, and 45% to 66%, respectively. Biofiltration was chosen over conventional treatment methods, such as catalytic and thermal oxidation technologies, due to the biofilter's simpler construction and cost-effectiveness. The functional values of the biofilter are an Empty Bed Residence Time (EBRT) exceeding 30 seconds and a biofilter medium pH range of 4 to 11.

Design and Fabrication of a Towing Tank for Hydrodynamic Experiments as Ashesi University

2024-12-21T11:28:25+00:00

A two-axis towing tank for conducting hydrodynamic and biomimetic experiments at Ashesi University, Ghana, has been designed, fabricated, and validated. Motion control of the carriage along the tank is achieved through a custom-built MATLAB application controlling speed, trajectory, and data acquisition. The system is broken into four subsystems: the MATLAB-based control application, the electrical and electronic system, the mechanical system, and the data acquisition system. The MATLAB-based control application sends commands to the electrical and electronic systems, which control the mechanical and data acquisition systems. Experiments were conducted to measure the motion system's accuracy and reliability in velocity and travel distance. Sixty experiments were performed across three different velocities and travel distances, with each set of parameters tested ten times. The findings from these experiments reveal a maximum error margin of 2% for velocity and 1.82% for travel distance, indicating the system's reliability as an experimental platform. Minimal equivalent platforms have been created on the African continent; hence, this work offers significant potential to advance teaching and research in Africa's engineering programs. This design bridges theoretical learning and practical application, offering students a hands-on experience of fluid mechanics through experimental measurement and enabling technical research in areas currently limited largely to computer simulation. This system will support the development of a skilled engineering workforce equipped to tackle Africa's industrial opportunities in transportation, marine engineering, offshore technology, aerospace, sensing, and advanced technologies such as biomimetics.

Current Status and Potential Opportunities for Uganda’s Pig Sub-Sector: A Review

2024-12-20T19:42:06+00:00

Pig production is one of the most important livestock sub-sectors in agricultural economy of Uganda. However, pig production is not a priority enterprise in the government endeavors to uplift livelihoods of Ugandans, which has deterred the sub-sector from realizing its full potential. This review explores opportunities that pig farmers and policy makers could exploit to improve pig production in the country. Since gender inclusivity is pivotal in global agricultural development, the review examines the level of gender inclusivity in Uganda’s pig production, the key constraints to pig production, and opportunities that could boost growth of the sub-sector. The review has identified that there is an increase in female participation in pig production, which portrays realization of faster growth of Uganda’s pig production. This faster growth might however be deterred by frequent African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks, high cost of feeding and low quality of feed materials due to aflatoxin contamination. Offensive smell from pig houses could also constrain pig production especially in densely populated areas. Potential opportunities for Uganda’s pig production include use of alternative feeds like black soldier fly larvae and biochar. Black soldier fly larvae grow on readily available organic wastes and are rich in proteins while biochar improves the immunity of pigs. Nixtamalization, a process involving the treatment of maize with an alkaline solution to reduce aflatoxin levels, could be explored to mitigate feed contamination while indigenous microorganism solution could be applied on deep litter beddings to reduce offensive odor in pig house. In conclusion, the study observed that Uganda has untapped opportunities that, once utilized, could improve pig production. These, if adopted, could contribute to a swifter take-off in the pig sub-sector and ensure that future domestic demand for pork is met by our own production. The potential alternatives are also applicable to pig production in any developing country.

Sediment Transport Dynamics in a Semi-Arid Reservoir Environment: A Case Study of the Weija Dam

2024-12-20T19:41:26+00:00

The provision and control of water resources is becoming increasingly expensive with semi-arid regions experiencing significant issues with soil loss, sedimentation, and river erosion. This paper sought to investigate the current rate of sediment transport, capacity and bathymetry of the Weija reservoir by establishing discharge and sediment rating curves at the upstream of the reservoir using empirical equations together with suspended sediment data collected through a one-year (03/2019 - 02/2020) monitoring programme. In realising this, impeller current meters and echo sounders were deployed in the field. Equally, sediment samples were analysed at the laboratory of Water Research Institute, Accra-Ghana. The results indicate minimum and maximum suspended sediment concentrations of 34.67 mg/L and 239.69 mg/L respectively in January 2020 and June 2019. Within the reservoir, the suspended sediment concentrations range from 34.75 mg/L to 124.92 mg/L with gross annual sediment yield estimated at 104,539 t/yr. The current reservoir capacity stands at 86.67x10⁶m³ indicating a 25% reduction over the designed storage capacity of 116.04 x 10⁶m³. With increasing changes in land uses, sediment yield is anticipated to worsen within the Weija reservoir and thus the buffer zone policy needs to be enforced to curtail depletion of the reservoir capacity.