scholarly journals The Polymorphic Linker Domain ofpfmdr1Is Associated with Resistance-Conferring Mutations in Plasmodium falciparum Populations from East and West Africa

2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (9) ◽  
pp. 4595-4598 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Okombo ◽  
Issaka Zongo ◽  
Nahla Gadalla ◽  
Teun Bousema ◽  
Khalid B. Beshir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Sequence Variation ◽  
Specific Form ◽  
Published Data ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rich Domain ◽  
Linker Domain

ABSTRACTSequence variation in the asparagine/aspartate-rich domain ofpfmdr1in 215 isolates ofPlasmodium falciparumfrom three African countries was compared with published data. The role of this domain in modulating antimalarial sensitivity has not been established. Thepfmdr186Y allele was significantly associated with different configurations of the Asn/Asp-rich domain in West and East Africa. In Kenya, a specific form of the Asn/Asp-rich domain was significantly linked to the 86Y, 184Y, and 1246Y haplotype ofpfmdr1.

scholarly journals Shedding Light on the Role of the Skin in Vaccine-Induced Protection against the Malaria Sporozoite

mBio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Patricia Daily
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Blood Vessels ◽  
Blood Stream ◽  
Mosquito Vectors ◽  
Protective Mechanisms ◽  
Partial Protection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
In Infants And Children

ABSTRACT The most advanced vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum malaria, RTS,S/AS01, provides partial protection in infants and children living in areas of malaria endemicity. Further understanding its mechanisms of protection may allow the development of improved second-generation vaccines. The RTS,S/AS01 vaccine targets the sporozoites injected by mosquito vectors into the dermis which then travel into the blood stream to establish infection in the liver. Flores-Garcia et al. (Y. Flores-Garcia, G. Nasir, C. S. Hopp, C. Munoz, et al., mBio 9:e02194-18, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02194-18) shed light on early protective responses occurring in the dermis in immunized animals. They demonstrated that immunization impairs sporozoite motility and entry into blood vessels. Furthermore, they established that challenge experiments performed using a dermal route conferred greater protection than intravenous challenge in immunized mice. Thus, the dermal challenge approach captures the additional protective mechanisms occurring in the dermis that reflect the natural physiology of infection. Those studies highlighted the fascinating biology of skin-stage sporozoites and provided additional insights into vaccine-induced protection.

scholarly journals Epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of cerebral malaria imported in Albania

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (02) ◽  
pp. 190-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arben Ndreu ◽  
Diana Hajdari ◽  
Anduena Ndoni ◽  
Klodiana Shkurti ◽  
Dhimiter Kraja ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Case Report ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Cerebral Malaria ◽  
Early Treatment ◽  
West African ◽  
First Episode ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Disease Episode

This is a case-report of two patients with cerebral malaria (CM) imported from West-African countries. Notably, this form of malaria was developed as a second disease episode, while the first episode was experienced in West Africa. These findings suggest that the second episode of malaria was caused by a different strain of Plasmodium falciparum as compared to the first one. They are the first cerebral malaria cases imported in Albania after the eradication and absence of Plasmodium for five decades. Early treatment of cerebral malaria is decisive on the duration of coma and disease’s outcome.

scholarly journals Combined Transcriptome and Proteome Profiling for Role of pfEMP1 in Antimalarial Mechanism of Action of Dihydroartemisinin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Chen ◽  
Zhongyuan Zheng ◽  
Hui Liu ◽  
Xi Wang ◽  
Shuiqing Qu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Mechanism Of Action ◽  
Blood Cells ◽  
Artemisinin Derivative ◽  
Combination Therapies ◽  
Proteomic Profiling ◽  
First Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Artemisinin Combination Therapies

Malaria parasites induce morphological and biochemical changes in the membranes of parasite-infected red blood cells (iRBCs) for propagation, with artemisinin combination therapies as the first-line treatments. To understand whether artemisinin targets or interacts with iRBC membrane proteins, this study investigated the molecular changes caused by dihydroartemisinin (DHA), an artemisinin derivative, in Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 using a combined transcriptomic and membrane proteomic profiling approach.

English in West Africa

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrike Gut
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Structural Properties ◽  
West African ◽  
The Other ◽  
African Countries ◽  
The West ◽  
Current Role ◽  
British Colonization

This chapter describes the history, role, and structural properties of English in the West African countries the Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, the anglophone part of Cameroon, and the island of Saint Helena. It provides an overview of the historical phases of trading contact, British colonization and missionary activities and describes the current role of English in these multilingual countries. Further, it outlines the commonalities and differences in the vocabulary, phonology, morphology, and syntax of the varieties of English spoken in anglophone West Africa. It shows that Liberian Settler English and Saint Helenian English have distinct phonological and morphosyntactic features compared to the other West African Englishes. While some phonological areal features shared by several West African Englishes can be identified, an areal profile does not seem to exist on the level of morphosyntax.

Jihadist expansion into West Africa will take time

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Ivory Coast ◽  
West African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Intelligence Sharing ◽  
Joint Operations ◽  
Hit And Run ◽  
Security Assistance

Significance While the overall number of incidents is fewer than a dozen since the rise of the region's jihadist insurgencies in the early 2010s, the trend lends credence to growing warnings about the jihadist threat to coastal West African countries. Concern has focused on Ivory Coast and Benin, but there is also nervousness about Ghana, Togo and even Senegal. Impacts Western governments will boost security assistance to coastal states. Intelligence sharing and joint operations will not forestall cross-border hit-and-run attacks. Most regional states will resort to security-focused responses whose abuses drive jihadist recruitment.

Can financial inclusion reduce the presence of corruption? Evidence from selected countries in Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (11) ◽  
pp. 1345-1362
Author(s):  
Folorunsho M. Ajide
Keyword(s):  
Random Effect ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Threshold Level ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Least Square ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Control Of Corruption

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of financial inclusion (FI) on control of corruption in selected African countries.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs secondary data spanning over a period of 2005–2016. These data are sourced from IMF's International Financial Statistics, World Bank Development Indicators, Global Financial Development Database, Transparency International and International Country Risk Guide. The author uses Sarma (2008) approach to construct the FI index for 13 countries in Africa. The author applies random effect, robust least square and instrumental variable (IV) estimations to examine the impact of FI on control of corruption in Africa.FindingsThe author finds that financial inclusion improves the control of corruption. The author tests for possible FI threshold to avoid the case of extreme FI in Africa. The results show that there is a threshold level if reached, FI would have negative impacts in the control of corruption. This may likely happen mainly due to weak institutions in Africa. The results are robust to alternative proxy for control of corruption and various alternative estimation techniques.Practical implicationsThe finding indicates that FI can serve as part of toolkits for reducing corruption in Africa.Originality/valueThis study stresses the important role of FI in the economic system. It is the first paper that empirically suggests the role of FI in controlling corruption in Africa.

The role of financial development and corruption in environmental degradation of Sub-Saharan African countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 895-913 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nura Sani Yahaya ◽  
Mohd Razani Mohd‐Jali ◽  
Jimoh Olajide Raji
Keyword(s):  
Financial Development ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Efficient Technology ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Credit Allocation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sub Saharan

PurposeThis study examines the role of financial development and its interaction with corruption in the environmental degradation of eight Sub-Saharan African countries from 2000–2014.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilizes Pedroni cointegration and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) techniques for the estimation of the models.FindingsThe results of the cointegration test reveal that there exist long-run relationships among the variables in the model with the interaction of financial development and corruption, and in the model without interaction. The FMOLS estimates show that in the former model, the interaction of financial development with corruption is positively significant in determining the level of environmental degradation in those countries. Moreover, in the latter, financial development, trade openness, and corruption have a positive effect on their environmental degradationResearch limitations/implicationsUnavailability of data, the study was limited to only eight Sub-Saharan African nationsPractical implicationsThe finding that financial development and its interaction with corruption have an adverse effect on the environments of the Sub-Saharan African countries implies the need to focus on how efficient credits are being allocated in those countries. For better management of environmental quality, this may require the implementation of policies that enhance credit allocation to users with energy-efficient technology and appliances that promote the quality of environments. In addition, stringent policies could be embarked upon to curtail all acts of corruption in the region for an efficient credit allocation and a better environment in the development of Sub-Saharan African society.Originality/valueThe dearth in empirical studies on the Sub-Saharan African countries motivates this study. In particular, little is known about the interaction effect of corruption and financial development on the environmental degradation of those countries, as the work on this is limited in the existing literature.

Use of e-government services: the role of trust

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 622-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mercy Mpinganjira
Keyword(s):  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Government Services ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Online Channel ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of trust in understanding usage of e-government services in South Africa. Of interest are services that involve two way interactions between citizens and government. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from members of the public using in-depth interviews and a structured questionnaire, respectively. Findings – The findings show that trust in internet and in government as a provider of e-services are important factors that differentiates users and non-users of e-government services. The two factors are also significantly related to willingness to start using e-government services. Trust in e-service provider unlike trust in internet was however found to be a stronger differentiator of users and non-users and to have a stronger relationship with willingness to start using e-government services. Practical implications – Efforts aimed at promoting use of e-government services need to be based on a good understanding of factors that impact on citizens’ decisions in this regard. Such efforts need to include activities targeted at improving people’s trust in government’s ability to provide reliable and secure e-services. Originality/value – While provision of government services using the online channel is a growing phenomenon in most African countries, not much research has been done into what governments should focus on in order to entice more citizens to take up this channel. This study contributes to addressing this gap.

scholarly journals Developing entrepreneurship in Africa: investigating critical resource challenges

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 644-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Yawo Atiase ◽  
Samia Mahmood ◽  
Yong Wang ◽  
David Botchie
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Contract Enforcement ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entrepreneurship Development ◽  
Access To Credit ◽  
State Institutions ◽  
Political Governance

Purpose By drawing upon institutional theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of four critical resources (credit, electricity, contract enforcement and political governance) in explaining the quality of entrepreneurship and the depth of the supporting entrepreneurship ecosystem in Africa. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative approach based on ordinary least squares regression analysis was used. Three data sources were employed. First, the Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI) of 35 African countries was used to measure the quality of entrepreneurship and the depth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Africa which represents the dependent variable. Second, the World Bank’s data on access to credit, electricity and contract enforcement in Africa were also employed as explanatory variables. Third, the Ibrahim Index of African Governance was used as an explanatory variable. Finally, country-specific data on four control variables (GDP, foreign direct investment, population and education) were gathered and analysed. Findings To support entrepreneurship development, Africa needs broad financial inclusion and state institutions that are more effective at enforcing contracts. Access to credit was non-significant and therefore did not contribute to the dependent variable (entrepreneurship quality and depth of entrepreneurial support in Africa). Access to electricity and political governance were statistically significant and correlated positively with the dependent variables. Finally, contract enforcement was partially significant and contributed to the dependent variable. Research limitations/implications A lack of GEI data for all 54 African countries limited this study to only 35 African countries: 31 in sub-Saharan Africa and 4 in North Africa. Therefore, the generalisability of this study’s findings to the whole of Africa might be limited. Second, this study depended on indexes for this study. Therefore, any inconsistencies in the index aggregation if any could not be authenticated. This study has practical implications for the development of entrepreneurship in Africa. Public and private institutions for credit delivery, contract enforcement and the provision of utility services such as electricity are crucial for entrepreneurship development. Originality/value The institutional void is a challenge for Africa. This study highlights the weak, corrupt nature of African institutions that supposedly support MSME growth. Effective entrepreneurship development in Africa depends on the presence of a supportive institutional infrastructure. This study engages institutional theory to explain the role of institutional factors such as state institutions, financial institutions, utility providers and markets in entrepreneurship development in Africa.

Ethiopian mobile banking begins a slow expansion phase

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Banking ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Foreign Investors ◽  
Expansion Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mobile Payments ◽  
Slow Expansion ◽  
National Bank ◽  
Roll Out

Subject Mobile banking in Ethiopia. Significance A significant increase in the roll-out of mobile banking platforms is underway. In December, the Irish-linked mobile banking platform m-Birr received regulatory approval and expects to add 13,000 users during February. The National Bank of Ethiopia's (NBE) mobile banking framework adopted in January 2013 was stymied by a 6,000-birr (295 dollar) cap on transactions and a requirement for printed receipts for transactions at branches. However, the roll-out of an agent network like m-Birr could change the sector's fortunes. Impacts Mobile payments services will spur demand for telecommunications, but strain the capacity of state monopoly Ethio Telecom. However, compared to the experience of private-sector driven processes in other African countries, take-up will grow at a modest pace. The role of foreign investors is likely to remain limited to technology provision.

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