ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Genealogies of Ghana’s housing crisis: the role of colonial interventions and neoliberal reforms

The urgent need to develop and increase housing units has always featured prominently in electioneering campaigns in Ghana. Successive governments have developed countless programmes to deal with the housing deficit, but there has not been a significant improvement. As we write, the government of Ghana is grappling with a housing deficit of over two million units. But why has this problem remained intractable despite what seems like concerted efforts by various administrations to provide affordable housing for Ghana’s more vulnerable populations? Focusing on the 2015 National Housing Policy, this article critically reviews Ghana’s various housing policies and reforms, exploring how colonial policies and neoliberal reforms are separately and jointly implicated, in fundamental ways, in Ghana’s currently engulfing housing crisis. Our findings reveal that the yawning gap noticeable in Ghana’s overall effort at housing provision for the populace, is rooted in the colonial logic of piecemeal intervention. This same logic has continued to traverse successive Ghanaian housing policies through the immediate postcolonial era, the adjustment years, and the current period.

Source: UG
General Introduction: “40 Years of Ghana-Korea Relations”

Africa-Asia relations entered upon a particularly feisty and crucial phase in the last two decades of the twentieth century; this process continues apace in this century. As Amoah (2016) has argued, it is important not to be seduced by the turbo-charged quality of contemporary Africa-Asia relations and thereby for- get the long provenance of this interaction. To be sure, it is only recently that vigorous academic studies of the varied historical and contemporary links be- tween Africa and Asia has taken of. This new research interest has been driven in the main by China’s meteoric economic rise and its designs in Africa which have become a virtual cottage research industry (Ampiah and Naidu, 2008; Brautigam, 2011; Edoho, 2011; Monson, 2009; Prah and Gumede, 2018; Bodomo, 2013). A positive spin-of of this is the emergence of research centres in African academies (Amoah, 2015) dedicated to the study of the political-economy of Asia as well as and crucially “its … art, language, literature, history, philoso- phy, religion, etc.” (Amoah, 2015, 38). The Centre for Asian Studies () at the University of Ghana, Legon, is one of such centres

Source: UG
Generalisability of fetal ultrasound deep learning models to low‑resource imaging settings in fve African countries

Most artifcial intelligence (AI) research and innovations have concentrated in high-income countries, where imaging data, IT infrastructures and clinical expertise are plentiful. However, slower progress has been made in limited-resource environments where medical imaging is needed. For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa, the rate of perinatal mortality is very high due to limited access to antenatal screening. In these countries, AI models could be implemented to help clinicians acquire fetal ultrasound planes for the diagnosis of fetal abnormalities. So far, deep learning models have been proposed to identify standard fetal planes, but there is no evidence of their ability to generalise in centres with low resources, i.e. with limited access to high-end ultrasound equipment and ultrasound data. This work investigates for the frst time diferent strategies to reduce the domain-shift efect arising from a fetal plane classifcation model trained on one clinical centre with high-resource settings and transferred to a new centre with low-resource settings. To that end, a classifer trained with 1792 patients from Spain is frst evaluated on a new centre in Denmark in optimal conditions with 1008 patients and is later optimised to reach the same performance in fve African centres (Egypt, Algeria, Uganda, Ghana and Malawi) with 25 patients each. The results show that a transfer learning approach for domain adaptation can be a solution to integrate small-size African samples with existing large scale databases in developed countries. In particular, the model can be re-aligned and optimised to boost the performance on African populations by increasing the recall to 0.92 ± 0.04 and at the same time maintaining a high precision across centres. This framework shows promise for building new AI models generalisable across clinical centres with limited data acquired in challenging and heterogeneous conditions and calls for further research to develop new solutions for the usability of AI in countries with fewer resources and, consequently, in higher need of clinical support.

Source: UG
A generalization of the Carleson lemma and weighted norm inequalities for the maximal functions in the Orlicz setting

In this note we introduce the notion of Φ-Carleson sequence for Φa convex growth function and provide an equivalent characterization that is an extension of the off-diagonal Carleson embedding lemma. We apply this result to obtain Sawyer-type characterization and two-weight norm estimates for some maximal functions between different Orlicz spaces.

Source: UG
Generalized Bayesian non-informative prior estimation of Weibull parameter with interval censoring

Interval-censored data consist of adjacent inspection times that surround an unknown failure time. We seek to determine the best estimator for the Weibull scale parameter using interval-censored survival data. Consideration is given to the classical maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimation under squared error loss with interval censoring using noninformative prior and a proposed generalization of non-informative prior. The study is based on simulation and comparisons are made using mean squared error and absolute bias. We find that the proposed generalized non-informative prior is the preferred estimator of the scale parameter.

Source: UG
Generating evidence to narrow the treatment gap for mental disorders in sub-Saharan Africa: Rationale, overview and methods of AFFIRM

There is limited evidence on the acceptability, feasibility and cost-effectiveness of task-sharing interventions to narrow the treatment gap for mental disorders in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this article is to describe the rationale, aims and methods of the Africa Focus on Intervention Research for Mental health (AFFIRM) collaborative research hub. AFFIRM is investigating strategies for narrowing the treatment gap for mental disorders in sub-Saharan Africa in four areas. First, it is assessing the feasibility, acceptability and cost-effectiveness of task-sharing interventions by conducting randomised controlled trials in Ethiopia and South Africa. The AFFIRM Task-sharing for the Care of Severe mental disorders (TaSCS) trial in Ethiopia aims to determine the acceptability, affordability, effectiveness and sustainability of mental health care for people with severe mental disorder delivered by trained and supervised non-specialist, primary health care workers compared with an existing psychiatric nurse-led service. The AFFIRM trial in South Africa aims to determine the cost-effectiveness of a task-sharing counselling intervention for maternal depression, delivered by non-specialist community health workers, and to examine factors influencing the implementation of the intervention and future scale up. Second, AFFIRM is building individual and institutional capacity for intervention research in sub-Saharan Africa by providing fellowship and mentorship programmes for candidates in Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Each year five Fellowships are awarded (one to each country) to attend the MPhil in Public Mental Health, a joint postgraduate programme at the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University. AFFIRM also offers short courses in intervention research, and supports PhD students attached to the trials in Ethiopia and South Africa. Third, AFFIRM is collaborating with other regional National Institute of Mental Health funded hubs in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia, by designing and executing shared research projects related to task-sharing and narrowing the treatment gap. Finally, it is establishing a network of collaboration between researchers, non-governmental organisations and government agencies that facilitates the translation of research knowledge into policy and practice. This article describes the developmental process of this multi-site approach, and provides a narrative of challenges and opportunities that have arisen during the early phases. Crucial to the long-term sustainability of this work is the nurturing and sustaining of partnerships between African mental health researchers, policy makers, practitioners and international collaborators. © Cambridge University Press 2015.

Source: UG
Generation of HIV-1 primary isolates representative of plasma variants using the U87.CD4 cell line

Most research activities involve the use of molecular methods such as regular PCR (PCR), quantitative PCR (Q-PCR), genomic sequence and analysis using different software, genetic engineering, probe hybridization techniques, biological and molecular cloning, evaluation of immune markers for laboratory diagnosis of infections, serological assays involving the use of rapid tests, ELISA-based evaluations and immunofluorescent assay techniques.

Source: UG
Generation of humoral immune responses to multi-allele PfAMA1 vaccines; effect of adjuvant and number of component alleles on the breadth of response

The Department of Immunology conducts research in the field of immunology of infectious and non-infectious diseases. The Department has the overall goal of contributing knowledge to better diagnosis, management, control and prevention of infectious and non-infectious diseases in Ghana and worldwide. This is consistent with the overall strategy of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and in line with the strategy of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana.

Source: UG
Generational conservation of composition and diversity of field-acquired midgut microbiota in Anopheles gambiae (sensu lato) during colonization in the laboratory

Background The gut microbiota is known to play a role in a mosquito vector’s life history, a subject of increasing research. Laboratory experiments are essential for such studies and require laboratory colonies. In this study, the conservation of field-obtained midgut microbiota was evaluated in laboratory-reared Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) mosquitoes continuously hatched in water from field breeding habitats. Methods Pupae and late instars were obtained from the field and reared, and the emerged adults were blood-fed. The eggs obtained from them were hatched in either water from the field or in dechlorinated tap water. The mosquito colonies were maintained for 10 generations. Midguts of female adults from unfed F0 (emerging from field-caught pupae and larvae), F5 and F10 were dissected out and genomic DNA was extracted for 16S metagenomic sequencing. The sequences were compared to investigate the diversity and bacterial compositional differences using ANCOM and correlation clustering methods. Results Less than 10% of the bacterial families identified had differential relative abundances between generational groups and accounted for 46% of the variation observed. Although diversity reduced in F10 mosquitoes during laboratory colonization (Shannon-Weaver; P-value < 0.05), 50% of bacterial genera were conserved in those bred continuously in field-water compared to 38% in those bred in dechlorinated tap water. Conclusions To our knowledge, this study is the first report on the assessment of gut bacterial community of mosquitoes during laboratory colonization and recommends the use of water from the natural breeding habitats if they are intended for microbiota research. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-019-3287-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Source: UG
Generational Perspective of Digital Literacy Among Ghanaians in the 21st Century: Wither Now?

Review books or articles provide a critical and constructive analysis of existing published literature in a field, through summary, analysis, and comparison, often identifying specific gaps or problems and providing recommendations for future research. These are considered as secondary literature since they generally do not present new data from the author's experimental work. Review articles can be of three types, broadly speaking: literature reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. It also the researcher to stay abreast of new literature in the field.

Source: UG
Genetic Advance in Grain Yield and Other Traits in Two Tropical Maize Composites Developed via Reciprocal Recurrent Selection

Assessment of genetic gain in two tropical maize (Zea mays L.) composites improved across years is critical in determining their future improvement and use as sources of inbred lines. Two genetically complementary tropical maize composites were subjected to four cycles of reciprocal recurrent selection (RRS) for grain yield, resistance to foliar diseases, and other desirable agronomic traits using a reciprocal S1 testcross evaluation scheme. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of this selection scheme on: (i) the rate of genetic gain in grain yield and other traits, (ii) the changes in variance and heritability estimates, and (iii) changes in correlations between grain yield and other traits in the two tropical maize composites. One hundred S1 lines, each derived from the original (C0 ) and advanced (C4) cycles of the two composites, were crossed in pairs to form 100 C0 × C0 and 100 C4 × C4 testcrosses, which were evaluated along with 10 commercial hybrid checks in a replicated trial across eight environments in Nigeria. The observed genetic gain was 3.60% cycle⁻¹ for grain yield. On average, the top 10 C4 × C4 testcrosses outyielded the commercial hybrids by 29% and had desirable agronomic traits and improved resistance to foliar diseases. The genetic variance estimates for C0 and C4 of each composite were significantly larger than zero for most traits. These results indicated that the RRS was effective in improving grain yield and other desirable agronomic traits without diminishing genetic variability that can be exploited for further improvement of the two tropical maize composites. © Crop Science Society of America | 5585 Guilford Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA All rights reserved.

Source: UG
Genetic Analyses of Tanzanian Local Chicken Ecotypes Challenged with Newcastle Disease Virus

Newcastle Disease (ND) is a continuing global threat to domestic poultry, especially in developing countries, where severe outbreaks of velogenic ND virus (NDV) often cause major economic losses to households. Local chickens are of great importance to rural family livelihoods through provision of high-quality protein. To investigate the genetic basis of host response to NDV, three popular Tanzanian chicken ecotypes (regional populations) were challenged with a lentogenic (vaccine) strain of NDV at 28 days of age. Various host response phenotypes, including anti-NDV antibody levels (pre-infection and 10 days post-infection, dpi), and viral load (2 and 6 dpi) were measured, in addition to growth rate. We estimated genetic parameters and conducted genome-wide association study analyses by genotyping 1399 chickens using the Affymetrix 600K chicken SNP chip. Estimates of heritability of the evaluated traits were moderate (0.18–0.35). Five quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with growth and/or response to NDV were identified by single-SNP analyses, with some regions explaining ≥1% of genetic variance based on the Bayes-B method. Immune related genes, such as ETS1, TIRAP, and KIRREL3, were located in regions associated with viral load at 6 dpi. The moderate estimates of heritability and identified QTL indicate that NDV response traits may be improved through selective breeding of chickens to enhance increased NDV resistance and vaccine efficacy in Tanzanian local ecotypes.

Source: UG
Genetic Analysis and Marker Assisted Breeding for Drought Tolerance and Yield in Chickpea (Cicer Arietinum L.)

Review books or articles provide a critical and constructive analysis of existing published literature in a field, through summary, analysis, and comparison, often identifying specific gaps or problems and providing recommendations for future research. These are considered as secondary literature since they generally do not present new data from the author's experimental work. Review articles can be of three types, broadly speaking: literature reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. It also the researcher to stay abreast of new literature in the field.

Source: UG
Genetic analysis of drought tolerance in adapted × exotic crosses of maize inbred lines under managed stress conditions

Introduced maize (Zea mays L.) germplasm can serve as sources of favorable alleles to enhance performance in new maize varieties and hybrids under drought stress conditions. In the present study, the combining abilities of 12 exotic maize inbred lines from CIMMYT and 12 adapted maize inbred lines from IITA were studied for grain yield and other traits under controlled drought stress. The inbred lines from each institution were separated into groups using SSR-based genetic diversity and were intercrossed using a factorial mating scheme to generate 96 hybrids. These hybrids were evaluated under both controlled drought stress and well-watered conditions at Ikenne in Nigeria in 2010 and 2011. Average mean yields of hybrids under drought stress represented 23 % of the average yield of hybrids under full irrigation. General combining ability (GCA) effects accounted for 49-85 % of the observed variation for several traits recorded under both well-watered and drought stress conditions. Specific combining ability effects for grain yield, though positive in most hybrids, were not significant under drought stress conditions. All the twelve exotic and nine adapted lines had positive GCA effects (female, male, or both) for grain yield under either drought stress or full irrigation, or both environments. EXL03 and EXL15 that had positive and significant female and male GCA effects for grain yield under both environments can be used to improve their adapted counterparts for grain yield and drought tolerance. Normalized difference vegetation index had weak but significant correlation with grain yield. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Source: UG
Genetic analysis of Ghanaian G1P[8] and G9P [8] rotavirus A strains reveals the impact of P [8] VP4 gene polymorphism on P-genotyping

The main research focus of the Electron Microscopy and Histopathology Department in the past 20 years has been in the areas of enteric diarrhoeas with special emphasis on rotavirus. Through its diarrhoea surveillance studies, the Department has helped to firmly establish rotaviruses as a major cause of diarrhoea in children, and document the circulation of unusual rotavirus genotypes in Ghana. The Department has also recently expanded its diagnostic repertoire to include the identification and characterization of noroviruses, astroviruses, and other enteric viruses.

Source: UG
Genetic analysis of grain yield and agronomic traits of early provitamin A quality protein maize inbred lines in contrasting environments

Early-maturing provitamin A (PVA) quality protein maize (QPM) hybrids with combined drought and low soil nitrogen (low-N) tolerance are needed to address malnutrition and food security problems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The current study’s objectives were to (i) examine combining ability of selected early maturing PVA-QPM inbreds for grain yield and other agronomic traits under drought, low-N, optimal environments and across environments, (ii) determine gene action conditioning PVA accumulation under optimal environments, (iii) classify inbreds into heterotic groups and identify testers and (iv) assess yield and stability of hybrids across environments. Ninety-six hybrids generated from 24 inbred lines using the North Carolina Design II together with four commercial hybrid controls were evaluated under drought, low-N and optimal environments in Nigeria in 2016 and 2017. Fifty-four selected hybrids were assayed for PVA carotenoid and tryptophan content. Additive genetic effects were greater than non-additive effects for grain yield and most agronomic traits under each and across environments. The gene action conditioning accumulation of PVA carotenoids under optimal growing conditions followed a pattern similar to that of grain yield and other yield-related traits. The inbred lines were categorized into four heterotic groups consistent with the pedigree records and with TZEIORQ 29 identified as the best male and female tester for heterotic group IV. No tester was found for the other groups. Hybrid TZEIORQ 24 × TZEIORQ 41 was the highest yielding and most stable across environments and should be further tested for consistent performance for commercialization in SSA.

Source: UG
Genetic analysis of grain yield of IITA and CIMMYT early-maturing maize inbreds under Striga-infested and low–soil-nitrogen environments

Breeding maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids resistant to Striga and tolerant to low soil nitrogen (low-N) will reduce grain yield losses due to stresses in West Africa (WA). Studies were conducted to determine if selection for Striga resistance and/or drought tolerance in early-maturing maize populations improved low-N tolerance in hybrids derived from selected inbreds from International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and International Centre for Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT) under Striga-infested, low-N and optimum environments in Nigeria. One hundred and fifty hybrids developed from crosses involving 30 lines using North Carolina Design II plus six checks were evaluated at two locations each under low-N, artificial Striga infestation, and optimum environments for 2 yr. Lines with combined resistance or tolerance to Striga as well as low-N were identified. Striga-resistant– as well as low-N–tolerant hybrids with outstanding performance under both stress environments could be obtained through the accumulation of favorable alleles for resistance or tolerance in both parental lines. Although selection for Striga resistance and/or drought tolerance resulted in improved performance of genotypes under low-N, it is important to test genotypes under low-N to identify those with outstanding performance under the target stress. ENT 11 × TZEI 4 and TZEI 65 × ENT 11 were identified as the most stable and high-yielding hybrids.

Source: UG
Genetic analysis of HIV type 2 from Ghana and Guinea-Bissau, West Africa

Most research activities involve the use of molecular methods such as regular PCR (PCR), quantitative PCR (Q-PCR), genomic sequence and analysis using different software, genetic engineering, probe hybridization techniques, biological and molecular cloning, evaluation of immune markers for laboratory diagnosis of infections, serological assays involving the use of rapid tests, ELISA-based evaluations and immunofluorescent assay techniques.

Source: UG