AfricArXiv
Not a member yet
1453 research outputs found
Sort by
Neglected tropical diseases vectors occurrence data identified during medical consultations in hospitals in southern and central Benin
Get PDFNeglected tropical diseases are a group of preventable and curable diseases that affect 1.5 billion people, 40% of whom live in Africa. These diseases affect the poorest and most vulnerable populations living in remote areas of Africa. They disfigure and disable, prevent children from attending school and parents from working limiting their potential and leaving people trapped in poverty. The occurrences described in this publication cover Benin from January 2, 2015 to December 30, 2020. Patient registration records were used to extract occurrence data. A total of 7306 occurrences of neglected tropical disease vectors belonging to 7 species, 7 families and 5 orders were recorded. All occurrences have geographical coordinates. The large volume of data collected, the wide geographic coverage, and the long-term nature of the observations determined the value of their inclusion in the GBIF site and the need to publish them
Large-Scale Synthesis of CISe/ZnS Core-Shell Quantum Dots and Its Effects on the Enzymatic Activity of Recombinant Human Furin (an Activator of SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2 Spike Proteins)
Get PDFWe herein report, for the first time, the activity of copper indium selenide/zinc sulphide core-shell quantum dots (CISe/ZnS QDs) as an inhibitor against recombinant human furin, an enzyme that has been implicated in the aetiology of many diseases, including Covid-19. The cell viability of the as-synthesised CISe/ZnS QDs was tested against mouse colon carcinoma cells (C26), while the Furin activity was measured by hydrolysis of peptide substrate Pyr-RTKR-AMC liberating the fluorogenic 7-amino-4-methyl coumarin. The result showed that the as-synthesised stable near-infrared emitting (840 nm) CISe-ZnS QDs is biocompatible against C26 and can inhibit furin with an inhibition constant, Ki, of 15.66 μM. The IC50 was 11.29 ± 0.54 μM, while the enzymatic activity was abolished at about 23 μM of the inhibitor concentration. The results indicate the chemotherapeutic potential of CISe-ZnS QDs as an enzyme inhibitor, which may find application in managing diseases whose pathogenesis involves hyperactivity of furin
Glycogen Storage Disease Type I: Prognostic Factors and Treatment
Get PDFGlycogen storage disease type I (GSD I) is an inherited disorder that hinders the ability of the liver to effectively break down stored glycogen, leading to difficulties in maintaining appropriate blood sugar levels. The main treatment for this aspect of GSD I involves the use of filgrastim, although patients often require additional treatment for recurrent infections, and an enlarged spleen is a common side effect. Acute lactic acidosis, which can cause respiratory distress and ketoacidosis in newborns, can be triggered by minor illnesses and accompanied by severe hypoglycemia. Early diagnosis and prompt initiation of appropriate metabolic treatment are crucial in preventing the devastating effects of this condition. The overall prognosis and long-term efficacy of treatment are influenced by various factors, including the timing of diagnosis, adherence to dietary protocols, and availability of appropriate medical intervention
Prebisch and Singer in the Egyptian cotton fields
No full textBy emphasising the role of historical contingency in determining the losers and winners of economic interaction, the article argues that barter terms of trade (BTT) evolution is key to understanding central phenomena of the modern capitalist era apart from Weberian and Sombartian culturalist interpretations. By examining BTT data between Egypt and Britain in the long 19th century, the article demonstrates how it was a rational choice by an independent economy to commit to a 'peripheral' comparative advantage as future value evolution could not have been predicted at the onset of such commitment. Relying on previously unpublished archival records, the article also explores the role of empire and political power in determining supply and demand and hence value evolution, challenging neoclassical assumptions about the central role of consumer choice in influencing supply, demand and commodity value. The article argues that the BTT evolution is key to understanding two central phenomena of the modern capitalist era away from Weberian- and Sombartian-style culturalist interpretations. First is the growing uneven development–known as the Great Divergence–between the 'core' and the 'periphery' of the global economic system, and second is the rise of anti-colonial sentiments and policies in the Global South
Mokgwa wa X-rei ya maekherosekhoupu o ka šomišwa go bona ditho tše nnyanenyane tša dikhunkhwane
No full textNorthern Sotho translation of DOI: 10.31730/osf.io/2urxfGo hwetša dipalopalo tša ditho tša go thuša go hema tša dikhunkhwane le pharologantšho ya tšona e sa le tlhobaboroko ka baka la saese ya tšona ye e ka lemogwago ka maekhrosekhoupu. Mo re lekantšha bogolo bja mogolo wa dikhunkhwane go šomišwa sekena sa maekhro-thomokerafi ya X-rei (µCT) (go resolušene ya 15 µm) go sebokwana sa go phela, seo se robaditšwego sa dikhunkhwane tša legoro la Cacosceles newmannii go akaretša mehuta ye e fapafapanego ya bogolo bja mmele. Ka letlakaleng le re abelana ka datha ya bogolo ka botlalo le dimmotlolo tša 3D tša disekene tše 12, tše di abelanago ka datha ye mpsha go pušeletšego ya ditshekatsheko tša go tšea diswantšho le dipharologantšho tša ponagalo ya dibopego tša megolo tše di hwetšwago go mekgwa ye e fapafapanego ya pontšho ya diswantšho ka dikarolokarolo. Datha ya bolumu e fiwa mo ka dibopego tše di arogantšwego tša megolo bjalo ka dimmotlolo tša 3D
Conceptualizing Information Literacy for National Development
Get PDFThe concept of information literacy is a subject of serious debate among scholars in the information profession. The controversy surrounding the subject may well be due to proliferation in the information and communication technology (ICT) and the diversity of the world’s culture. In this paper: Conceptualizing Information Literacy for National Development, the study looked at the relationship between the concept of information literacy and national development, the definition of the concept as attempted by different authors. The study also x-rayed the socio-cultural construct (Theory) of the concept and American Association of School Librarians (AASL) theory. They identified individual elements of information literacy consistent the two theories which include: Recognition of information needs; location and evaluation of the quality of information; store and retrieve information; make effective and ethical use of information, and apply information to create and communicate knowledge. They concluded that, any country that strives for sustainable national development must of necessity strives towards ensuring that, its citizens achieve the status of information literacy in the context peculiar to such environment
Do Human Rights laws in Europe adequately deal with Offensive Speech?
Get PDFIt is a widely accepted view that the universal nature of human rights and civil liberties are innate and fundamental in democratic societies. In the aftermath of the Second World War that saw massive human rights violations and bloodbath, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDRH) still reigns supreme to this day as a backbone of human rights. Those rights include freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of religion, right to dignity, right to life, among others.
The rise in anti-immigration and anti-Islam rhetoric in political debates across Europe has brought into sharp focus the role of human rights when faced with expression that offends particular groups within society. Thus, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights, Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Fundamental Freedoms adopted the freedom of expression although worded slightly different on each but the principles are similar.
The empirical basis for this paper has included mostly primary and secondary sources, including literature review on books, articles, reading annual UN and EU reports, global reports and relevant Statutes. This project is structured to include; firstly, an analysis of key frameworks that include the human rights, especially freedom of speech and offensive speech. Secondly, concluding a summary of the essence of the research and key findings. Those include that freedom of speech rights come with responsibilities. Thus, Legislative interventions and court precedents continue to bring legal and judicial clarity on what is an offensive speech
Support Vector Classifiers in scikit-learn: Mathematical Detail, Part III
Get PDFWe present mathematical detail pertaining to the theory of the soft-margin support vector classifier ν-SVC, as used in scikit-learn. We construct the primal problem, from which we derive the dual problem. We also show how the primal problem can be derived from the dual problem. We analyze the effect of the parameter ν, and we discuss the relationship between ν-SVC and C-SVC. We include an interesting numerical example. The paper is the third in a series and is intended to be educational in nature. Tunawasilisha maelezo ya hisabati yanayohusiana na nadharia ya kiainishi cha vekta ya usaidizi wa ukingo laini ν-SVC, kama inavyotumika katika kujifunza-scikit. Tunaunda shida ya msingi, ambayo tunapata shida mbili. Pia tunaonyesha jinsi shida ya msingi inaweza kutolewa kutoka kwa shida mbili. Tunachambua athari za parameta ν, na tunajadili uhusiano kati ya ν-SVC na C-SVC. Tunajumuisha mfano wa nambari unaovutia. Karatasi ni ya tatu katika mfululizo na inakusudiwa kuwa ya elimu kwa asili. (The translation into Swahili was provided by Google Translate)
Report on the dissemination Projects of HAQAA2
Get PDFThere were 14 projects funded that were aimed at disseminating the knowledge and skills of quality assurance (QA) in higher education gained during the HAQAA training program more widely in the countries of the participants. A brief overview of the diverse projects from Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, Uganda and Zambia are provided in this report. It is important upon conclusion of such a continental capacity development initiative to consider whether the project has achieved its aims. By having each project coordinator reflect on the completed project in a final report and an interview, it was possible to determine whether the objectives set for each project were achieved. The coordinators provided information on the outcomes achieved against the objectives set, the organisation of the intervention, and the challenges experienced and the manner in which the risks were managed, the sustainability considerations and their recommendations for future such projects.
The main target group for the majority of the projects was the quality managers in the higher education institutions (HEIs), but many also included other stakeholders such as members of the regulatory bodies, executive management members of the HEIs and students. The most common focus was on the African Standards and Guidelines (ASGs) and other topics included were the African Quality Rating Mechanism (AQRM), the Pan African Quality Assurance Framework (PAQAF) and the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA). Many projects included a focus on the tools and templates used for external and internal quality assurance.
Countries are at different levels of maturity in terms of their regulatory frameworks, infrastructure and implementation of quality assurance. The COVID-19 pandemic created uncertainty during the planning phase of the project, and the six-month window period for the completion of the projects was reported to be too tight. The HAQAA Initiative has had a significant impact on building the capacity of QA professionals, and the dissemination has increased the reach of some institutions. However, it is evident that there is a need for more such training, as well as more in-depth training on specific aspects for those already trained