ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Rapidly increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in older Ghanaian adults from 2007-2015: Evidence from WHO-SAGE Waves 1 &amp; 2

Background Studies on changes in the prevalence and determinants of obesity in older adults living in sub-Saharan Africa are scarce. We examined recent changes in obesity prevalence and associated factors for older adults in Ghana between 2007/08 and 2014/15. Methods Data on adults aged 50 years and older in Ghana were drawn from the WHO SAGE 2007/ 08 (Wave 1; n = 4158) and 2014/15 (Wave 2; n = 1663). The weighted prevalence of obesity, overweight, normal weight and underweight, and of high central adiposity were compared in 2007/08 and 2014/15. Multinomial and binomial logistic regressions were used to examine whether the determinants of weight status based on objectively measured body mass index and waist circumference changed between the two time periods. Results The prevalence of overweight (2007/08 = 19.6%, 95% CI: 18.0–21.4%; 2014/15 = 24.5%, 95% CI: 21.7–27.5%) and obesity (2007/08 = 10.2%, 95% CI: 8.9–11.7%; 2014/15 = 15.0%, 95% CI: 12.6–17.7%) was higher in 2014/15 than 2007/08 and more than half of the population had high central adiposity (2007/08 = 57.7%, 95% CI: 55.4–60.1%; 2014/15 = 66.9%, 95% CI: 63.7–70.0%) in both study periods. While the prevalence of overweight increased in both sexes, obesity prevalence was 16% lower in males and 55% higher in females comparing 2007/08 to 2014/15. Female sex, urban residence, and high household wealth were associated with higher odds of overweight/obesity and high central adiposity. Those aged 70+ years had lower odds of obesity in both study waves. In 2014/15, females who did not meet the recommended physical activity were more likely to be obese. Conclusion Over the 7-year period between the surveys, the prevalence of underweight decreased and overweight increased in both sexes, while obesity decreased in males but increased in females. The difference in obesity prevalence may point to differential impacts of past initiatives to reduce overweight and obesity, potential high-risk groups in Ghana, and the need to increase surveillance

Source: UG
Rare Serovars Of Non-Typhoidal Salmonella Enterica Isolated From Humans, Beef Cattle And Abattoir Environments In Nigeria

The Bacteriology Department aims to improve the quality of life first for Ghanaians and the world at large by conducting research into bacterial diseases of public health importance to Ghana and globally. In addition to working on enteric pathogens and sexually transmitted diseases, the department’s current main focus is on the two most important mycobacterial diseases of public health importance to Ghana, namely Buruli ulcer (BU) and tuberculosis (TB).

Source: UG
Rare-earth element comparative analysis in chosen geological samples using nuclear-related analytical techniques

In this study, four analytical techniques for the detection of Sc, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb and Lu in volcanic rock specimens from Ghana have been compared. These rock samples were examined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, and instrumental neutron activation analysis. The Am-241 excitation-based X-ray fluorescence accuracies were good for Y, La, Ce, Nd, Eu, and the results were comparable to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and instrumental neutron activation analysis except Silver-anode X-ray tube X-ray fluorescence. This demonstrates the limitations of the tube-based X-ray fluorescence excitation system for rare earth elements analysis, primarily caused by interference between the K series X-ray emission from the transition metals and the relatively low intensities of L-series lines of the rare earth elements. Data on the precision and accuracy of these methods were based on IAEA SOIL-7 reference material.

Source: UG
Rasch Analysis of the Proactive Personality Scale

The Proactive Personality Scale (PPS) is used widely to measure proactive personality. Previous research has evaluated the psychometric properties of the 6-item PPS (hereafter called PPS-6) using classical test theory. There is a need to provide further validity evidence for the PPS-6 using modern test theory. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the PPS-6 using Rasch analysis. A total of 429 participants completed the PPS-6. Rasch rating scale model (RSM) was used to analyse the data. RSM showed that the PPS-6 fitted the Rasch model well. RSM demonstrated that the PPS-6 functioned as a unidimensional measure with good internal consistency reliability. Items on the PPS-6 did not show any noticeable differential item functioning across gender. RSM showed that the response rating scale of the PPS-6 is suitable. Results suggest that the PPS-6 is a reliable measure for the assessment of proactive personality.

Source: UG
Rastafari and Reggae Music as Tools for Critical Pedagogy in the African Academe

Reggae music emerged in the 1960s, an era of intense anti-colonial and anti-imperialist sentiments and struggles. Having originated in Jamaica, a jurisdiction where Africans had been enslaved, the genre has a tradition of social criticisms, especially the depravity that asymmetrical power relations extend to Africans globally. Through its Rastafari influences, reggae offers an avenue for redemptive philosophies and complex frameworks to waken consciousness and to offer identity, pride and dignity. To decolonise knowledge and conscientise the marginalised on the issues that enslave them, this article analyses four reggae songs by three artists to show how the content of some reggae songs can serve as critical literature for critical pedagogy (CP) in the African academe. CP creates the atmosphere for learners to identify the machinations of dominant forces in education and how to nurture agency for liberation. It promotes an association between education and society, arguing against the annexation of higher education by private capital. The ethos of reggae music, Rastafari and CP converge on the interactions between knowledge, authority and power.

Source: UG
Rates of return on physical and human capital in Africa's manufacturing sector

In this paper two sets of issues are addressed using panel data from the manufacturing sector of five African countries. First, how high are the returns to human relative to physical capital. Second, what is the relative importance of technology and endowments of human and physical capital in determining differences in earnings and productivity across the countries. Evidence from earnings functions shows that the private returns to both experience and education rise with the level of education. Private returns rise from 3 per cent at the primary level, to 10 per cent at the secondary level and 35 per cent for tertiary. Evidence from the production function gives lower returns on education than from the earnings function. Rates of return on physical capital exceed 20 per cent and greatly exceed the average return on human capital. Data is available on the stocks of human and physical capital across the countries. Productivity and earnings differentials are shown to be large between Cameroon and Ghana. These differences are due almost entirely to differences in physical, not human, capital endowments.

Source: UG
Ration health resources to save more statistical lives from cervical cancer death in Africa: Why are we allowing them to die?

Public health interventions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are implemented with the never-ending challenge of limited resources and the ever-present challenge of choosing between interventions. While necessary, the application of ethical analysis is absent in most of such decisions making, resulting in fewer favourable consequences. In applying ethical principles to the saving of women from the burden of cervical cancer, I argue in favour of saving statistical lives (investing in prevention) in LMICs, by mapping the principles of justice in resource allocation to the prevailing circumstance. The key facts in this circumstance are that providing treatment (which is saving identified lives), involves mostly providing palliative treatment, which is associated with a high likelihood of death among the identified lives while undergoing treatment or shortly thereafter. I focus on the dilemma of having a national cancer prevention program versus the expansion of cancer treatment facilities.

Source: UG
Rational but poor? An explanation for rural economic livelihood strategy

Applications of the neo-classical land tenure security hypotheses in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have largely failed to establish meaningful links between land tenure security and the rather axiomatic outcomes of improved access to finance and farmland productivity. While some authors blame the phenomenon on structural and institutional bottlenecks, others stress the need for changes in methodological approaches. We argue that since farmlands under continuous cultivation are hardly appropriated under SSA’s predominantly customary land tenure regimes, a tenure insecure farmer would, instead of fallowing, continue to cultivate his land while secure right holders may decide to leave their lands idle without fear of appropriation. The main objective of this paper is to highlight alternative measures and indicators of land tenure security within the context of Ghana's diverse land holding and use arrangements. The convention has been to equate land tenure security to individualisation and formal land titling. Some have argued that individualisation and formal land titling may exclude other social and cultural factors that influence land tenure security. The paper has proposed a two-stage measure of tenure security based on the premise of non-loss of lands under cultivation and proceeded to test the hypothesis using data from four agro-ecological zones of Ghana. The results show that many factors often thought to improve land tenure security such as land titling, being native to an area, cultivating perennials, and boundary demarcation, among others had a positive significant effect on the decision to leave land idle and the period of time lands could be left without loss of rights. The paper concludes that narrow definitions of tenure security as formal documentation of land ignore s context specific factors such as ancestry and household wealth that affect tenure. Our paper recommends flags the need for innovative approaches in the operationalisation of land tenure security, especially in jurisdictions with pluralistic land tenure systems such as Ghana.

Source: UG
Rational But Poor? An Explanation for Rural Economic Livelihood Strategy

Using panel data for six rural sub-Saharan Africa countries, this article tests two hypotheses: (i) household-specific staple food price bands resulting from market failures in the presence of liquidity constraints and rainfed agriculture induces rural household specialisation in food crops as an economic livelihood strategy; (ii) specialisation in food crops yields inferior welfare than diversification, and keeps households trapped in poverty. The results lend strong support to both hypotheses, reinforcing the need for public investment in rural infrastructure in order to encourage household livelihood diversification for improved welfare. © 2017 The Agricultural Economics Society

Source: UG
Rational design of a multiepitope vaccine encoding T-lymphocyte epitopes for treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infections

Protein sequences from multiple hepatitis B virus (HBV) isolates were analyzed for the presence of amino acid motifs characteristic of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) and helper T-lymphocyte (HTL) epitopes with the goal of identifying conserved epitopes suitable for use in a therapeutic vaccine. Specifically, sequences bearing HLA-A1, -A2, -A3, -A24, -B7, and -DR supertype binding motifs were identified, synthesized as peptides, and tested for binding to soluble HLA. The immunogenicity of peptides that bound with moderate to high affinity subsequently was assessed using HLA transgenic mice (CTL) and HLA cross-reacting H-2(bxd) (BALB/c x C57BL/6J) mice (HTL). Through this process, 30 CTL and 16 HTL epitopes were selected as a set that would be the most useful for vaccine design, based on epitope conservation among HBV sequences and HLA-based predicted population coverage in diverse ethnic groups. A plasmid DNA-based vaccine encoding the epitopes as a single gene product, with each epitope separated by spacer residues to enhance appropriate epitope processing, was designed. Immunogenicity testing in mice demonstrated the induction of multiple CTL and HTL responses. Furthermore, as a complementary approach, mass spectrometry allowed the identification of correctly processed and major histocompatibility complex-presented epitopes from human cells transfected with the DNA plasmid. A heterologous prime-boost immunization with the plasmid DNA and a recombinant MVA gave further enhancement of the immune responses. Thus, a multiepitope therapeutic vaccine candidate capable of stimulating those cellular immune responses thought to be essential for controlling and clearing HBV infection was successfully designed and evaluated in vitro and in HLA transgenic mice.

Source: UG
Rational Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Heterocyclic Quinolones Targeting the Respiratory Chain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A high-throughput screen (HTS) was undertaken against the respiratory chain dehydrogenase component, NADH:menaquinone oxidoreductase (Ndh) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The 11000 compounds were selected for the HTS based on the known phenothiazine Ndh inhibitors, trifluoperazine and thioridazine. Combined HTS (11000 compounds) and in-house screening of a limited number of quinolones (50 compounds) identified ∼100 hits and four distinct chemotypes, the most promising of which contained the quinolone core. Subsequent Mtb screening of the complete in-house quinolone library (350 compounds) identified a further ∼90 hits across three quinolone subtemplates. Quinolones containing the amine-based side chain were selected as the pharmacophore for further modification, resulting in metabolically stable quinolones effective against multi drug resistant (MDR) Mtb. The lead compound, 42a (MTC420), displays acceptable antituberculosis activity (Mtb IC 50 = 525 nM, Mtb Wayne IC 50 = 76 nM, and MDR Mtb patient isolates IC 50 = 140 nM) and favorable pharmacokinetic and toxicological profiles. © 2017 American Chemical Society.

Source: UG
Rational or irrational? Understanding the uptake of ‘made-in-China’ products

African economies are currently characterised by the increasing penetration of made-in-China products, resulting in a resurgence of academic interest in the ‘country of origin’ (COO) studies. The existing literature has described Chinese products as ‘inferior’ and patronised by the poor who cannot afford ‘superior’ brands from elsewhere. Based on in-depth interviews conducted with 65 consumers and 15 suppliers of made-in-China products in Ghana, this paper unpacks the notion of ‘inferiority’ of ‘made-in-China’ and the process of uptake in Ghana. The findings indicate that increasingly, Ghanaians of different socioeconomic statuses patronise made-in-China and employ various approaches including foot-in-the-door technique, the demand for product warranty and reliance on product reviews to guarantee their purchases. The findings, therefore, challenge the constraining effect of COO as a determinant of purchasing behaviour and reiterate the creativity and innovativeness of consumers to safeguard their private interest.

Source: UG
Rational prescribing of antibiotics in children under 5 years with upper respiratory tract infections in Kintampo Municipal Hospital in Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana

Objective The aim of the study was to assess the rational use of antibiotics in children with URTIs in the Kintampo Municipal Hospital in Ghana. Results A total of 839 medicines were prescribed, 237 were antibiotics. The mean number of medicines prescribed per patient encounter was 3.1. The percentage of patient encounters with antibiotics was 28.2 and 0.4% for injections. The percentage of medicines prescribed by generic was 93.8% and from the essential medicines list was 94.9%. Ninety-two of patients received amoxicillin. Polypharmacy was common as prescriptions with five to six medicines per patient encounter was found. Some prescribers are not following the WHO/INRUD requirement of prescribing medicines in their generic and from the essential medicine list of the country.

Source: UG
Rationale and cross-sectional study design of the research on obesity and type 2 diabetes among African migrants: The RODAM study

Introduction: Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are highly prevalent among African migrants compared with European descent populations. The underlying reasons still remain a puzzle. Gene-environmental interaction is now seen as a potential plausible factor contributing to the high prevalence of obesity and T2D, but has not yet been investigated. The overall aim of the Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants (RODAM) project is to understand the reasons for the high prevalence of obesity and T2D among sub-Saharan Africans in diaspora by (1) studying the complex interplay between environment (eg, lifestyle), healthcare, biochemical and (epi)genetic factors, and their relative contributions to the high prevalence of obesity and T2D; (2) to identify specific risk factors within these broad categories to guide intervention programmes and (3) to provide a basic knowledge for improving diagnosis and treatment. Methods and analysis: RODAM is a multicentre cross-sectional study among homogenous sub-Saharan African participants (ie, Ghanaians) aged >25 years living in rural and urban Ghana, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK (http://rod-am.eu/). Standardised data on the main outcomes, genetic and non-genetic factors are collected in all locations. The aim is to recruit 6250 individuals comprising five subgroups of 1250 individuals from each site. In Ghana, Kumasi and Obuasi (urban stratum) and villages in the Ashanti region (rural stratum) are served as recruitment sites. In Europe, Ghanaian migrants are selected through the municipality or Ghanaian organisations registers. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval has been obtained in all sites. This paper gives an overview of the rationale, conceptual framework and methods of the study. The differences across locations will allow us to gain insight into genetic and non-genetic factors contributing to the occurrence of obesity and T2D and will inform targeted intervention and prevention programmes, and provide the basis for improving diagnosis and treatment in these populations and beyond.

Source: UG
Rationale for development of a synthetic vaccine against plasmodium falciparum malaria

Protective immunity against malaria can be obtained by vaccination with irradiated spoorozoites. The protective antigens known as circumsprozoite (CS) proteins, are polypeptides that cover the surface membrane of the parasite. The CS proteins contain species-specific immunodominant epitopes formed by tandem repeated sequences of amino acids. Here it is shown that the dominant epitope of Plasmodium falciparum is contained in the synthetic dodecapeptide Asn-Ala-Asn-Pro-Asn-Ala-Asn-Pro-Asn-Ala-Asn-Pro or (NANP)3. Monoclonal antibodies and most or all polyclonal human antobodies to the sporozoites react with (NANP)3, and polyclonal antibodies raised against the synthetic peptide (NANP)3 react with the surface of the parasite and neutralize its infectivity. Since (NANP)3 repeats are present in CS proteins of P. falciparum from many parts of the world, this epitope is a logical target for vaccine development.

Source: UG
Rationalization of building micro-dams equipped with fish passages in West African savannas

Micro-dams in West African savannas are investigated in conjunction with aquatic fauna and human activities at a community level. A study area is chosen in the Northern Region of Ghana. The micro-dams in the study area serve as habitats for fish, providing food and job opportunities for inhabitants, but their construction has sacrificed rice fields and fragmented migration routes of fish. A stochastic population dynamics model is developed to rigorously assess the effect of establishing fish passages between the fragmented habitats containing the microdams on the ichthyological fauna. Values of the model parameters are estimated from the literature and results of field surveys, in which ten fish species including cichlidae, clariidae, bagridae, schilbeidae, cyprinidae, and alistidae are reported to be present. A sustainability criterion is proposed to judge whether a set of model parameters realizes stationarity of the stochastic process representing the population dynamics. It is suggested that ichthyological fauna can be sustainable provided that the fishing activity is restricted to upstream migrating and fast growing species. More generally, building micro-dams in West African savannas will be much better justified when the dams are equipped with appropriately designed fish passages.

Source: UG
Rationing health and social goods during pandemics: Guidance for Ghanaian decision makers

Healthcare rationing during pandemics has been widely discussed in global bioethics literature. However, existing scenarios and analyses have focused on high income countries, except for very few disease areas such as HIV treatment where some analyses related to African countries exist.We argue that the lack of scholastic discourse, and by extension, professional and democratic engagement on the subject constitute an unacceptable ethical omission. Not only have African governments failed to develop robust ethical plans for pandemics, ethicists in this region have been unable to ignite public discourse on rationing. Therefore, we aim to initiate a debate on how rationing health and social goods could be done ethically in Ghana during the current and future pandemics. The paper discusses and critiques some moral considerations (utilitarian, equity, equal worth, urgent need, and the prioritarian principles) for rationing and their relevance in the Ghanaian context. This contribution may facilitate ethical decision-making during the current (COVID-19) pandemic - in Ghana and other African settings where hardly any rationing guidelines exist

Source: UG
Rawls’ Reflective Equilibrium as a Method of Justifying Moral Beliefs

It is undeniable that people have beliefs about what actions are morally right. These beliefs play an important role in guiding moral action. Is it possible however to justify beliefs about what actions are morally right? How can beliefs of this sort be justified? Sinnott-Armstrong has advanced an epistemic regress argument against the justification of moral beliefs with the consequence that moral beliefs cannot be justified. This essay addresses the issue of the justification of moral beliefs to answer the question about how moral beliefs can be justified in response to Sinnott-Armstrong’s epistemic regress argument. It argues for the plausibility of Rawls’ reflective equilibrium as an adequate method of justification of moral beliefs. Three problems arise in the attempt to show that reflective equilibrium can adequately respond to Sinnott-Armstrong’s regress argument. These are vicious circularity, arbitrariness and epistemic moral disagreement. It is shown in this essay that these problems can be satisfactorily dealt with.

Source: UG