Displaying publications 61 - 80 of 405 in total

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  1. Yap HY, Ghazali K, Wan Mohamad Nazarie WF, Mat Isa MN, Zakaria Z, Omar AR
    Genome Announc, 2013;1(5).
    PMID: 24136854 DOI: 10.1128/genomeA.00872-13
    Pasteurella multocida serotypes B:2 and E:2 are the main causative agents of ruminant hemorrhagic septicemia in Asia and Africa, respectively. Pasteurella multocida strain PMTB was isolated from a buffalo with hemorrhagic septicemia and has been determined to be serotype B:2. Here we report the draft genome sequence of strain PMTB.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa
  2. Hee AK, Wee SL, Nishida R, Ono H, Hendrichs J, Haymer DS, et al.
    Zookeys, 2015.
    PMID: 26798266 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.540.6028
    An FAO/IAEA-sponsored coordinated research project on integrative taxonomy, involving close to 50 researchers from at least 20 countries, culminated in a significant breakthrough in the recognition that four major pest species, Bactrocera dorsalis, Bactrocera philippinensis, Bactrocera papayae and Bactrocera invadens, belong to the same biological species, Bactrocera dorsalis. The successful conclusion of this initiative is expected to significantly facilitate global agricultural trade, primarily through the lifting of quarantine restrictions that have long affected many countries, especially those in regions such as Asia and Africa that have large potential for fresh fruit and vegetable commodity exports. This work stems from two taxonomic studies: a revision in 1994 that significantly increased the number of described species in the Bactrocera dorsalis species complex; and the description in 2005 of Bactrocera invadens, then newly incursive in Africa. While taxonomically valid species, many biologists considered that these were different names for one biological species. Many disagreements confounded attempts to develop a solution for resolving this taxonomic issue, before the FAO/IAEA project commenced. Crucial to understanding the success of that initiative is an accounting of the historical events and perspectives leading up to the international, multidisciplinary collaborative efforts that successfully achieved the final synonymization. This review highlights the 21 year journey taken to achieve this outcome.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa
  3. World AIDS Day Newsl, 1994;?(2):3.
    PMID: 12287964
    PIP: Five positive and negative experiences of families dealing with AIDS are recounted. Imrat in Malaysia is an HIV-infected son who was not rejected by his family. Prudence of Botswana is an infected widow with five children who had a less positive experience with her in-laws, while Eric of Sweden considers his friends to constitute his family. His relationships with friends have only strengthened since his HIV-positive status became known. Mary of Zimbabwe, however, was infected with HIV by her husband. She was formerly angry at him for having brought home the virus, but they have since stop quarreling and are focusing upon building a stronger relationship. Finally, the brief story of Juan in Colombia is told. Thirty-two years old, married, and with a 17-month old daughter, Juan did not tell his wife that he was actively bisexual. Once infected with HIV, Juan's wife threw him out, more because he had sex with men than because of his HIV serostatus.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa; Africa, Eastern; Africa, Southern; Africa South of the Sahara
  4. Salahuddin M, Habib MA, Al-Mulali U, Ozturk I, Marshall M, Ali MI
    Environ Res, 2020 12;191:110094.
    PMID: 32846170 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110094
    This study employs dynamic panel data for 34 Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) countries for the period 1984-2016 to estimate the effects of renewable energy on environmental quality measured by three indicators, namely, per capita CO2 emissions, energy intensity (EI) and Aggregate National Savings (ANS). The study leveraged a battery of second-generation econometric tests and estimation and causality methods to obtain the coefficients between the regressed and the regressors. Results reveal that use of renewable energy reduces CO2 emissions and energy intensity while it enhances ANS. Economic growth still seems to be expensive for the region as it stimulates CO2 emissions. However, it has a positive effect on ANS. As expected, fossil fuels exacerbate CO2 emissions and energy intensity. FDI is found to be detrimental for the environment of SSA region with its positive significant coefficient on CO2 emissions. Financial development is reported to reduce CO2 emissions. Some causal links between variables are also noted.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa South of the Sahara
  5. Morelli M, Urbini F, Bianchi D, Baiocco R, Cattelino E, Laghi F, et al.
    PMID: 33806314 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052526
    BACKGROUND: Sexting is an increasingly common phenomenon among adolescents and young adults. Some studies have investigated the role of personality traits in different sexting behaviors within mainstream personality taxonomies like Big Five and HEXACO. However, very few studies have investigated the role of maladaptive personality factors in sexting. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationship between Dark Triad Personality Traits and experimental (i.e., sharing own sexts), risky (i.e., sexting under substance use and with strangers), and aggravated sexting (i.e., non-consensual sexting and sexting under pressure) across 11 countries.

    METHODS: An online survey was completed by 6093 participants (Mage = 20.35; SDage = 3.63) from 11 different countries which covered four continents (Europe, Asia, Africa, and America). Participants completed the Sexting Behaviors Questionnaire and the 12-item Dark Triad Dirty Dozen scale.

    RESULTS: Hierarchical regression analyses showed that sharing own sexts was positively predicted by Machiavellianism and Narcissism. Both risky and aggravated sexting were positively predicted by Machiavellianism and Psychopathy.

    CONCLUSIONS: The present study provided empirical evidence that different sexting behaviors were predicted by Dark Triad Personality Traits, showing a relevant role of Machiavellianism in all kinds of investigated sexting behaviors. Research, clinical, and education implications for prevention programs are discussed.

    Matched MeSH terms: Africa
  6. Ponka D, Coffman M, Fraser-Barclay KE, Fortier RDW, Howe A, Kidd M, et al.
    BMJ Glob Health, 2020 07;5(7).
    PMID: 32624501 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2020-002470
    The Alma Ata and Astana Declarations reaffirm the importance of high-quality primary healthcare (PHC), yet the capacity to undertake PHC research-a core element of high-quality PHC-in low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC) is limited. Our aim is to explore the current risks or barriers to primary care research capacity building, identify the ongoing tensions that need to be resolved and offer some solutions, focusing on emerging contexts. This paper arose from a workshop held at the 2019 North American Primary Care Research Group Annual Meeting addressing research capacity building in LMICs. Five case studies (three from Africa, one from South-East Asia and one from South America) illustrate tensions and solutions to strengthening PHC research around the world. Research must be conducted in local contexts and be responsive to the needs of patients, populations and practitioners in the community. The case studies exemplify that research capacity can be strengthened at the micro (practice), meso (institutional) and macro (national policy and international collaboration) levels. Clinicians may lack coverage to enable research time; however, practice-based research is precisely the most relevant for PHC. Increasing research capacity requires local skills, training, investment in infrastructure, and support of local academics and PHC service providers to select, host and manage locally needed research, as well as to disseminate findings to impact local practice and policy. Reliance on funding from high-income countries may limit projects of higher priority in LMIC, and 'brain drain' may reduce available research support; however, we provide recommendations on how to deal with these tensions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa
  7. Ahmad NS, Makmor-Bakry M, Hatah E
    Res Social Adm Pharm, 2020 10;16(10):1359-1369.
    PMID: 31987771 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.01.002
    BACKGROUND: Drug price transparency is defined as readily available information on the price of pharmaceutical drugs to either authorities or consumers. Price transparency, together with other information, helps define the value of drugs and enables informed decision making. It has also been used as a reference in drug price setting mechanisms in some countries' pricing policies.

    OBJECTIVE: To investigate the evidence available: 1) on government initiatives to mandate transparency in drug pricing worldwide, 2) on the reported effects of drug pricing transparency initiatives on drug price, and 3) on the limitations and barriers of the implementation of drug pricing transparency.

    METHODS: Databases such as Medline-Ovid, Cochrane Central Register, PubMed, and Science Direct were used to search for relevant literature from inception to February 2018. A manual search of grey literature such as policy papers, governmental publications, and websites was also performed to obtain the information that was not available in the articles. Using narrative synthesis, the results were critically assessed and summarized according to its context of drug pricing approaches.

    RESULTS: Of the 4382 relevant articles located, 12 studies met the inclusion criteria for drug price transparency initiatives. Only 3 studies reported the outcomes on the regulation of drug prices. Two studies in South Africa showed that price transparency initiatives did not necessarily reduce drug prices. Another study in the Philippines indicated a reduction in medicines' price based on the effects of government-mediated access prices. The limitations and barriers in price transparency initiatives include fragmentation of the healthcare system and nondisclosure of discounts and rebates by pharmaceutical companies.

    CONCLUSION: Drug pricing transparency initiatives have been implemented in many countries and commonly coexist with a country's pricing policies. Nevertheless, due to sparse evidence, the effect of drug price transparency initiatives on price control is still inconclusive.

    Matched MeSH terms: South Africa
  8. Rozali, A., Zakaria, A., Sherina, M.S., Muhd Amin, M., Mohd Ghazalli, M.T., Muhamad Ello, M.S., et al.
    MyJurnal
    Military personnel who are deployed for peace-keeping missions are exposed to many hazards, including infectious diseases. One of the most common and fatal infectious disease is Malaria. Although well controlled in Malaysia, this deadly disease is still widely endemic in many other countries especially Africa. We would like to report the case of a military personnel who was infected with Malaria during a peace-keeping mission in Sudan and subsequently died after returning home. We hope that by reporting this case in depth, strategic actions can be taken to avoid similar unfortunate events in future.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa
  9. Carapinha JL
    J Med Econ, 2016 Aug 26.
    PMID: 27564849
    To compare the pharmacoeconomic guidelines in South Africa (SA) with other middle- and high-income countries.
    Matched MeSH terms: South Africa
  10. Sullivan MJ, Talbot J, Lewis SL, Phillips OL, Qie L, Begne SK, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2017 01 17;7:39102.
    PMID: 28094794 DOI: 10.1038/srep39102
    Tropical forests are global centres of biodiversity and carbon storage. Many tropical countries aspire to protect forest to fulfil biodiversity and climate mitigation policy targets, but the conservation strategies needed to achieve these two functions depend critically on the tropical forest tree diversity-carbon storage relationship. Assessing this relationship is challenging due to the scarcity of inventories where carbon stocks in aboveground biomass and species identifications have been simultaneously and robustly quantified. Here, we compile a unique pan-tropical dataset of 360 plots located in structurally intact old-growth closed-canopy forest, surveyed using standardised methods, allowing a multi-scale evaluation of diversity-carbon relationships in tropical forests. Diversity-carbon relationships among all plots at 1 ha scale across the tropics are absent, and within continents are either weak (Asia) or absent (Amazonia, Africa). A weak positive relationship is detectable within 1 ha plots, indicating that diversity effects in tropical forests may be scale dependent. The absence of clear diversity-carbon relationships at scales relevant to conservation planning means that carbon-centred conservation strategies will inevitably miss many high diversity ecosystems. As tropical forests can have any combination of tree diversity and carbon stocks both require explicit consideration when optimising policies to manage tropical carbon and biodiversity.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa
  11. Wan Omar Abdullah, Lokman Mohd Noh
    MyJurnal
    Malaria remains one of the most important infectious diseases worldwide considering that 40% of the world’s population live in health risk areas and millions of febrile episodes due to malaria infection occur annually in children under the age of five in Africa alone and almost 3 million patients, primarily children, die each year. Among the various measures envisaged, to contain the disease, the concept of a vaccine to protect humans against malaria appears particularly attractive. The development of an effective malaria vaccine represents one of the most important approaches to provide cost-effective intervention, in addition to currently available malaria control strategies. Here, we review malaria as a public health problem and the status and promise in malaria vaccine development.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa
  12. Tan MK, Wahab RBHA
    Zootaxa, 2018 Apr 20;4413(1):193-196.
    PMID: 29690128 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4413.1.9
    There are now more than 28,000 described orthopterans globally (Cigliano et al., 2018) and this figure is likely to increase in the future. The same is true for Southeast Asia, where we are still at a stage of discovering species new to science, and this is partly an artefact of incomplete sampling (Tan et al., 2017a). In one of the most popular biodiversity hotspots, i.e., Borneo, is the Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre. It is located in the primary lowland and ridge dipterocarp forests of the Ulu Temburong National Park, Brunei Darussalam. Recent collection of orthopterans in the area led to the discovery of several new species of katydids (Tan et al., 2017b; Tan Wahab, 2017a) and crickets (Tan et al., 2017c; Tan Wahab, 2017b). Here, we describe another new species of katydid, from the genus Tapiena Bolívar, 1906. Tapiena currently consists of 26 species (Tan et al., 2015) and is distributed around Asia and even Africa. In Borneo, only one species is known: Tapiena incisa Karny, 1923 from Sarawak (see Karny, 1923). The new species Tapiena paraincisa sp. nov. represents the second species described from Borneo.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa
  13. Balogun WG, Cobham AE, Amin A, Seeni A
    Metab Brain Dis, 2018 10;33(5):1431-1441.
    PMID: 29797116 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-018-0250-2
    Africa is faced with an increasing underrepresentation of her research progress in many fields of science including neuroscience. This underrepresentation stems from the very low investments directed towards research by African governments as these are thought to be high-priced. Scientists and researchers within the continent are left to compete highly for the very limited research grants or choose to fund research from their personal purse. Therefore, presenting a need for all possible strategies to make science and research approaches more affordable in Africa. This paper presents one of such strategy, which advocates the use of invertebrate animal models for neuroscience research in place of the commonly used vertebrate models. Invertebrates are cheaper, more available and easy to handle options and their use is on the rise, even in the developed societies of the world. Here, we investigate the current state of invertebrate neuroscience research in Africa looking at countries and institutions conducting neuroscience research with invertebrates and their publication output. We discuss the factors which impede invertebrate neuroscience research in Africa like lack of research infrastructure and adequate expert scientists and conclude by suggesting solutions to these challenges.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa
  14. Wasser SK, Torkelson A, Winters M, Horeaux Y, Tucker S, Otiende MY, et al.
    Sci Adv, 2018 09;4(9):eaat0625.
    PMID: 30255141 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat0625
    Rapid growth in world trade has enabled transnational criminal networks to conceal their contraband among the 1 billion containers shipped worldwide annually. Forensic methods are needed to identify the major cartels moving the contraband into transit. We combine DNA-based sample matching and geographic assignment of tusks to show that the two tusks from the same elephant are often shipped by the same trafficker in separate large consignments of ivory. The paired shipments occur close in time from the same initial place of export and have high overlap in the geographic origins of their tusks. Collectively, these paired shipments form a linked chain that reflects the sizes, interconnectedness, and places of operation of Africa's largest ivory smuggling cartels.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa
  15. Jessop TS, Ariefiandy A, Forsyth DM, Purwandana D, White CR, Benu YJ, et al.
    Ecology, 2020 04;101(4):e02970.
    PMID: 31984486 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2970
    Apex predators can have substantial and complex ecological roles in ecosystems. However, differences in species-specific traits, population densities, and interspecific interactions are likely to determine the strength of apex predators' roles. Here we report complementary studies examining how interactions between predator per capita metabolic rate and population density influenced the biomass, population energy use, and ecological effects of apex predators on their large mammalian prey. We first investigated how large mammal prey resources and field metabolic rates of terrestrial apex predators, comprising large mammals and the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), influenced their biomass densities and population energy use requirements. We next evaluated whether Komodo dragons, like apex mammalian predators, exerted top-down regulation of their large mammal prey. Comparison of results from field studies demonstrates that Komodo dragons attain mean population biomass densities that are 5.75-231.82 times higher than that of apex mammalian predator species and their guilds in Africa, Asia, and North America. The high biomass of Komodo dragons resulted in 1.96-108.12 times greater population energy use than that of apex mammalian predators. Nevertheless, substantial temporal and spatial variation in Komodo dragon population energy use did not regulate the population growth rates of either of two large mammal prey species, rusa deer (Rusa timorensis) and wild pig (Sus scrofa). We suggest that multiple processes weaken the capacity of Komodo dragons to regulate large mammal prey populations. For example, a low per capita metabolic rate requiring an infrequent and inactive hunting strategy (including scavenging), would minimize lethal and nonlethal impacts on prey populations. We conclude that Komodo dragons differ in their predatory role from, including not being the ecological analogs of, apex mammalian predators.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa
  16. Wang W, Hafeez M, Jiang H, Ashraf MU, Asif M, Akram MW
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Mar;30(12):32751-32761.
    PMID: 36469267 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24218-8
    The presented work analyzes the energy prices, climate shock, and health deprivation nexus in the BRICS economies for the period 1995-2020. Panel ARDL-PMG technique is used to reveal the underexplored linkages. The long-run estimates of energy prices are observed to be negatively significant to the health expenditure and life expectancy model, whereas, positively significant to the climate change model. These findings suggest that energy prices significantly reduce health expenditures and life expectancy and, thus, increase the death rate in the BRICS economies. The long-run country-wise estimate of energy prices is found negatively significant in case of Brazil, India, China, and South Africa. Alongside, the group-wise significance of CO2 emissions is discovered to be negatively, positively, and insignificant in the cases of life expectancy, death rate, and health expenditure models, respectively. Besides, country-wise long-run estimate of CO2 emissions witnesses negative significance for Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
    Matched MeSH terms: South Africa
  17. Tilley A, Mills D, Short R, Kolding J
    Ambio, 2020 07;49(7):1268-1270.
    PMID: 31965559 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-019-01309-4
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa, Eastern
  18. Launois P, Maher D, Certain E, Ross B, Penkunas MJ
    Health Res Policy Syst, 2021 Apr 06;19(1):59.
    PMID: 33823859 DOI: 10.1186/s12961-021-00703-3
    BACKGROUND: Implementation research (IR) can play a critical role in the delivery of disease control interventions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The growing demand for IR training has led to the development of a range of training programmes and university courses, the majority of which can not be accessed by learners in LMICs. This article reports on the evaluation of the massive open online course (MOOC) developed by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases hosted by WHO on the topic of IR with a focus on infectious diseases of poverty. This study followed the Kirkpatrick Model to evaluate training programmes with a specific focus on post-training changes in behaviour.

    METHODS: MOOC participants were invited to take part in an anonymous online survey examining their knowledge of IR and how they applied it in their professional practice approximately 1-1.5 years after completing their course. The survey contained 43 open-ended, multiple choice and Likert-type questions. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the quantitative data and responses to the open-ended questions were thematically coded.

    RESULTS: A total of 748 MOOC participants responded to the survey. The demographic profile of the survey respondents aligned with that of the MOOC participants, with nearly 70% of respondents originating from Africa. Responses to the quantitative and open-ended survey questions revealed that respondents' knowledge of IR had improved to a large extent as a result of the MOOC, and that they used the knowledge and skills gained in their professional lives frequently and had consequently changed their professional behaviour. Respondents most often cited the problem-solving aspect of IR as a substantial area of behavioral change influenced by participating in the MOOC.

    CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that the MOOC was successful in targeting learners from LMICs, in strengthening their IR knowledge and contributing to their ability to apply it in their professional practice. The utility of MOOCs for providing IR training to learners in LMICs, where implementation challenges are encountered often, makes this platform an ideal standalone learning tool or one that could be combined with other training formats.

    Matched MeSH terms: Africa
  19. Sreeramareddy CT, Pradhan PM, Sin S
    BMC Med, 2014;12:243.
    PMID: 25518855 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-014-0243-x
    BACKGROUND: Although the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control prioritizes monitoring of tobacco use by population-based surveys, information about the prevalence and patterns of tobacco use in sub-Saharan Africa is limited. We provide country-level prevalence estimates for smoking and smokeless tobacco (SLT) use and assess their social determinants.
    METHODS: We analyzed population-based data of the most recent Demographic Health Surveys performed between 2006 and 2013 involving men and women in 30 sub-Saharan African countries. Weighted country-level prevalence rates were estimated for 'current smoking' (cigarettes, pipe, cigars, etc.) and 'current SLT use' (chewing, snuff, etc.). From the pooled datasets for men and women, social determinants of smoking and SLT use were assessed through multivariate analyses using a dummy country variable as a control and by including a within-country sample weight for each country.
    RESULTS: Among men, smoking prevalence rates were high in Sierra Leone (37.7%), Lesotho (34.1%), and Madagascar (28.5%); low (<10%) in Ethiopia, Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, and Sao Tome & Principe; the prevalence of SLT use was <10% in all countries except for Madagascar (24.7%) and Mozambique (10.9%). Among women, smoking and SLT prevalence rates were <5% in most countries except for Burundi (9.9%), Sierra Leone (6%), and Namibia (5.9%) (smoking), and Madagascar (19.6%) and Lesotho (9.1%) (SLT use). The proportion of females who smoked was lower than SLT users in most countries. Older age was strongly associated with both smoking and SLT use among men and women. Smoking among both men and women was weakly associated, but SLT use was strongly associated, with education. Similarly, smoking among men and women was weakly associated, but SLT use was strongly associated, with the wealth index. Smoking and SLT use were also associated with marital status among both men and women, as well as with occupation (agriculturists and unskilled workers).
    CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of smoking among women was much lower than in men, although the social patterns of tobacco use were similar to those in men. Tobacco control strategies should target the poor, not/least educated, and agricultural and unskilled workers, who are the most vulnerable social groups in sub-Saharan Africa.
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa; Africa South of the Sahara/epidemiology
  20. Corvinus F
    Geogr Rundsch, 1984 Nov;36(11):575-81.
    PMID: 12313492
    Matched MeSH terms: Africa; Africa, Western; Africa South of the Sahara
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