ABSTRACT The hydrogeological conditions of University of Ghana, Legon Campus was assessed using geophysical and numerical techniques. Data from borehole lithological logs and electrical resistivity survey was used to conceptualize the hydrogeological system of the terrain whiles using MODFLOW to generate groundwater flow simulation models under steady state conditions. The objective of the study was to conceptualize the hydrostratigraphy through geophysical techniques, develop a groundwater f...
ABSTRACT Though the promotion of resistant bacteria worldwide has mainly been attributed to the injudicious use of many antibiotics, the role of non-antimicrobial drugs used in the clinical management of pathological conditions of non-infectious diseases in the modulation of microbial drug resistance or susceptibility needs to be assessed. The effects of the antibioticnon- antibiotic drug-drug interactions against bacteria in SCD patients and in other chronic diseases cannot be overemphasized...
ABSTRACT Halloysite, a natural mineral mined in many parts of the world has gained a lot of attention recently due to its ability to control and sustain the release of drugs and other active agents. It is a hollow tubular structure composed of double layer of aluminosilicate minerals in the nanometric range. They are non-toxic and biocompatible as compared to other nanocarriers. Its unique structure can be modified to improve its properties for control drug delivery applications. In this stud...
ABSTRACT Mafi-Tsawla and surroundings geologically belongs to the internal zone of the Pan-African Dahomeyide orogenic belt, in southeastern Ghana. The geology of these internal units requires a total understanding of the structures and lithological types and their sequences. However, the structural and petrologic evolution of these internal units is unresolved, and this results in limited understanding of the geology of the terrain. The objectives of this study are to conduct a systematic fi...
ABSTRACT Neoproterozoic phyllites from the Akuapim range, a prominent part of the Togo Structural Unit forms part of the Pan-African Dahoeyide orogen exposed at the southeastern part of Ghana. The area of study exhibit three varieties of phyllites which are carbonaceous, ironstained and micaceous phyllites. These phyllites have been analyzed for their mineralogical and geochemical characteristics to infer their source -area weathering, source rock composition and tectonic setting. The mineral...
ABSTRACT There is an ever-growing interest in the Paenibacillus genus as a result of reports that strains belonging to this genus have several important properties. These properties include promotion of plant growth, bioremediation and the biosynthesis of structurally intriguing molecules with unrivalled biological activities and mechanisms of action. However, the agricultural applications of the aforementioned molecules far outweigh their use in medicine. In this current report, a novel Paen...
ABSTRACT Non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs) are currently receiving considerable interests for possible development as effective alternatives to clinically failing conventional small molecule antibiotics. Particularly, NRPs produced by the genus Streptomyces have attracted considerable attention given the antibiotic production history of the genus. In this current report, a novel Ghanaian Streptomyces sp. strain DE2E isolated from the high biodiversity rich wetlands of the Brong-Ahafo Region of Gh...
ABSTRACT Global uncertainty over fossil fuels security provides the impetus for the development of fuels from renewable feedstocks. A promising route to diesel is available through transesterification of vegetable oils. In this work, there is a novel development of the true liquid crystal templating approach to the synthesis of uniformly dispersed ordered porous mixed oxides. Via this route, a family of mesoporous and mesomacroporous MgO/SBA-15 and CaO/SBA-15 catalysts with metal loading in t...
Downstream evolution of ocean properties and associated fluxes in the Greater Agulhas Current System: Ad hoc Argo experiments and modeling Tamaryn Morris The evolution of cyclonic eddies across the Southern Mozambique Chanel and the downstream evolution of the Agulhas Current was investigated using Argo floats, in combination with output from ocean general circulation reanalysis models. Two dedicated experiments were undertaken in April and July 2013, whereby eight floats were deployed within...
While leopards (Panthera pardus) currently occupy the most extensive geographic range of all large felids, they are also suffering the highest rate of current range loss amongst large terrestrial carnivores. This is primarily because most leopards still range outside of formally protected areas where they are exposed to the full suite of anthropogenic threats affecting carnivores including habitat loss, prey depletion, conflict with humans, and commercial harvest for body parts. The extensive...
In comparison to their ecophysiological and behavioral aspects, the skeletal system of African mole-rats (Bathyergidae) has been relatively understudied. Only a few studies have assessed their skeletal system, but these have mostly focused on their cranial and dental systems, with little attention on their postcranial skeleton. This PhD thesis provides a considerable amount of information about the functional anatomy, morphological diversity and postnatal bone morphogenesis of the appendicula...
Abstract Point cloud classification has been shown to effectively classify points in 3D scans, and can accelerate manual tasks like the removal of unwanted points from cultural heritage scans. However, a classifier’s performance depends on which classifier and feature set is used, and choosing these is difficult since previous approaches may not generalise to new domains. Furthermore, when choosing training scans for campaign-based classification, it is important to identify a descriptive s...
Abstract Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is one of the leading causes of death globally, especially in low and middle-income countries. TB is primarily a curable disease, with chemotherapy predicated on a combination of four drugs. The increase in multiple forms of drugresistant TB is a major cause for concern, underpinning the importance of a continuous pipeline of new anti-TB agents. Drug repositioning – that is, the optimization of existing drugs for new th...
ABSTRACT There is an urgent need for new antimalarials following the emergence of Plasmodium falciparum strains with reduced sensitivity to the currently used artemisinin combination therapies. Classical aminoquinoline-based drugs inhibit the formation of haemozoin (HZ) thereby causing parasite death from the cellular accumulation of toxic ‘free’ haem. Coincidentally, this immutable pathway also exists in Schistosoma mansoni, and presents a vulnerable target for drug design in these haema...
Abstract A three dimensional fault seal analysis study of the AK fault situated offshore of the West Coast of South Africa is presented. This study is aimed at informing the development plan of the Ibhubesi gas field with regards to the compartmentalization of the reservoirs, by understanding whether a key fault, the AK fault facilitates hydrocarbon migration to the Ibhubesi field reservoirs or whether it provides a seal. In order to address this research aim, a seismic interpretation of the ...