ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Five Years Of Family Medicine Undergraduate Education In Ghana: A Wake-Up Call!

OBJECTIVES: Given the introduction in 2008 of undergraduate family medicine in the University of Ghana, the study aimed to identify the perceptions of medical students in Ghana about family medicine with regard to knowledge and relevance as well as specialty preferences.DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey.METHOD: Investigators conducted yearly surveys of first clinical year students at the University of Ghana School of Medicine and Dentistry over a 5-year period (2008-2012) using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data was analysed using the first class group as baseline for comparison.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Trends in respondents' awareness of different aspects of family medicine, their attitudes towards the specialty and their expressed preference or lack of preference for family medicine as a potential specialty for themselves.RESULTS: Over the five-year period, 748 of 893 eligible first year students participated which comprised 84% of students. Awareness of family medicine as a medical specialty remained high but insignificantly declined over the period of study (88% to 80%, p=0.058). Preference for family medicine as career choice remained low at 4%, but an increase from 2% baseline though insignificant (p=0.397). The primary reason for not listing family medicine as career choice was unfamiliarity with the specialty (80%).CONCLUSION: Although awareness of family medicine among medical students in Ghana remains relatively high, their knowledge is insufficient to influence their career decisions for family medicine. This is a wake-up call!FUNDING: None declared.

Source: UG
Five-year trend of antipsychotic prescription practices in a district Hospital in Ghana: A retrospective study

Introduction: Antipsychotics are the mainstay treatment for psychotic conditions. Their prescription, however, should come with some caution since the consequences of their side effects can be dire for the patient receiving the prescription. Because of inadequate experts in low-middle-income countries, non-experts are trained through the Mental Health Gap Action Program (MHGAP) to reduce the treatment gap. This retrospective study analyzed the trend of antipsychotic prescriptions in a district hos pital where mental health services are delivered by non-experts. Methodology: This was a retrospective descriptive study that gathered data between 2015 and 2019 from the electronic database of the hospital. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20. We reported the descriptive statistics of our find ings in the form of frequencies and percentages. Results: There was a year-on-year increase in antipsychotic prescriptions over the study period. Starting with 48.1% in 2015 to 56.4% in 2019. The main condition for which antipsychotics were prescribed was psychosis (58.6%), followed by substance use disorder (SUD) (26%). Patients with age ≥ 50 received the most prescription of an tipsychotics. Starting from 2015, there was a high percentage of typical antipsychotic prescriptions (90.14%) with atypical antipsychotics being 9.86% and by 2019 atypical antipsychotic prescriptions had shot up to 74.8%. Polypharmacy prescription rate was 8.1% over the study period. Conclusion: Antipsychotics are essential in the treatment of psychosis and other men tal health conditions. Prescribers need to know more about these drugs to prescribe them appropriately and to minimize the likelihood of side effects among patients who use these drugs.

Source: UG
Five-year trends in treatment changes in an adult cohort of HIV/AIDS patients in Ghana: A retrospective cohort study

Background: There is limited information on patterns of treatment change among new initiators of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the regions most affected by HIV/AIDS. This makes it difficult to identify the determinants of treatment change. In this retrospective cohort study, we examined treatment change patterns over a five-year period among initiators of HAART. Methods: De-identified data were obtained from the Fevers' Unit Database at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. All adult treatment-naive patients who started treatment with first line HAART between 1st January, 2008 and 31st December, 2012 were followed over a minimum period of three months. The main outcome was the first treatment change, defined as the first substitution/switch in accordance with the standard treatment guidelines. Data were analyzed stratified by year of treatment initiation. Crude and adjusted hazard ratios were calculated. Results: A total of 3933 patients were followed with almost equal numbers of initiators per year. The mean age (standard deviation) at treatment initiation was 39 (10.3) years. The most prescribed HAART combination was AZT/3TC/EFV and overall for initiators zidovudine combination therapy was about 60%. Utilization of stavudine containing HAART increased gradually until 2010 and then dropped to zero. Over the study period, 44.9% of recorded deaths were from those initiated with a stavudine backbone, 41.1% from a zidovudine backbone, and 11.5% from a tenofovir backbone. Females had a significantly higher rate of treatment change compared to males (p-value=0.0002), and d4T/3TC/EFV and d4T/3TC/NVP recorded independent treatment change hazard ratios of 12.05 (CI 9.58 to 15.16) and 12.03 (CI 9.27 to 15.61) respectively. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that treatment change was higher among those who started treatment later in the study period compared with those who started earlier. Conclusion: A major treatment change in the utilization of antiretroviral medicines in Ghana occurred during the study period which was associated with type of treatment, year of treatment, gender and disease stage. The influence of a policy change during the period may have made a significant impact. For diseases involving life-long treatment in particular, it is important to monitor and periodically evaluation treatment utilization patterns.

Source: UG
Flavonoid-Rich Extract of Dissotis rotundifolia Whole Plant Protects against Ethanol-Induced Gastric Mucosal Damage

Dissotis rotundifolia is a plant in the family Melastomataceae. 'e methanolic extract of the whole plant is reported to be rich in C-glycosylflavones such as vitexin and orientin. 'ough there are several reports on the ethnomedicinal use of this plant extract in stomach ulcers, experimental-based data is unavailable. 'e drive for carrying out this research was to obtain data on the possible ameliorative effect of the whole plant extract of Dissotis rotundifolia (DRE) in gastric ulcerations induced by ethanol in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. SD rats were pretreated with 100, 300, and 500 mg/kg of DRE for 14 days after which an ulcerogen-ethanol was administered. Gross examinations of the stomach lining and histological analysis of gastric lesions were carried out coupled with an assessment of the antioxidant activity of gastric mucosa using MDA, GSH, CAT, and SOD as indicators. 'e data suggested a significant attenuation in gastric mucosal damage in DRE-pretreated ethanol-induced gastric ulcer reflected in the antioxidant status. 'ere was also a reduction or absence of hemorrhage, edema, and leucocytes infiltration in DRE-treated groups compared to the negative control group. DRE conserved glutathione (GSH) levels, reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and enhanced catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme levels. 'e present study shows that DRE possess protective effects against ethanol-induced ulcer damage in the stomach of rats, which could be attributed to its antioxidant activity

Source: UG
Flavor Formation and Character in Cocoa and Chocolate: A Critical Review

Chocolate characters not only originate in flavor precursors present in cocoa beans, but are generated during post-harvest treatments and transformed into desirable odor notes in the manufacturing processes. Complex biochemical modifications of bean constituents are further altered by thermal reactions in roasting and conching and in alkalization. However, the extent to which the inherent bean constituents from the cocoa genotype, environmental factors, post-harvest treatment, and processing technologies influence chocolate flavor formation and relationships with final flavor quality, has not been clear. With increasing speciality niche products in chocolate confectionery, greater understanding of factors contributing to the variations in flavor character would have significant commercial implications.

Source: UG
Flexibility and Usability: Focal Point of Graduate Students’ Knowledge Level of The Features of SAKAI Learning Management System

Coupled with the global pandemic (COVID-19) and technological advancement, the SAKAI learning management system (LMS) was initiated to deliver synchronous, asynchronous, blended instruction to break the artificial boundaries towards delivering quality education. This requires students to acquire the requisite knowledge to develop self-regulated skills to navigate through inbuilt features of SAKAI LMS to ensure usability, flexibility, and accessibility. To ascertain the usability, flexibility and accessibility of the SAKAI LMS, this study sought to examine the knowledge level of graduate students on the features of SAKAI LMS. The cross sectional survey design was used to gather data. Using the SAKAI LMS, the systematic sampling technique was used to sample 209 students drawn from the six (6) schools within the three colleges of the University of Ghana. A close-ended questionnaire on a three-point Likert Scale was employed to elicit information on respondents’ knowledge of the features of the SAKAI LMS. The study’s findings revealed that the respondents possessed a low level of knowledge on forum tools, lesson tools, quizzes and assessment tools, resources tools as well as chatroom tools of the SAKAI LMS. However, there was a significant difference between the level of knowledge of the features of SAKAI LMS across genders, but there was no statistically significant difference in the level of knowledge of the SAKAI LMS across the age and college of affiliation of respondents. Based on the study’s findings, university management needs to organise some SAKAI LMS training and orientation for at least three days to enable students to acquire the requisite knowledge and understanding of the different inbuilt features of the SAKAI LMS. Through this exercise, respondents will build and develop self-regulatory skills. This is because the SAKAI LMS can become beneficial if respondents possess the mastery of knowledge to control and monitor their traits of metacognition as they engage with the SAKAI LMS.

Source: UG
Flexible working schedules in SMEs: Evidence from a developing country

There has been a sustained interest in flexible work schedules (FWSs) because of the opportunities they offer in improving organizational efficiency and providing a more work–life balanced role for employees. Yet, less research attention has been focused on FWSs in SMEs in developing countries, which leaves much to be concerned about FWSs, its application and impacts in SMEs in developing countries especially in the context of Africa. Drawing on the theory of work adjustment and job demand resource model and using a survey data on SMEs from Ghana, the study theorizes and tests the relationship between FWSs and SMEs perceived profitability, employees' career satisfaction and productivity. The results from the analysis indicate that FWSs in SMEs in developing countries are positively associated with (perceived) profitability, employees' career satisfaction and productivity. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Source: UG
The flight of physicians from West Africa: Views of African physicians and implications for policy

West African-trained physicians have been migrating from the sub-continent to rich countries, primarily the US and the UK, since medical education began in Nigeria and Ghana in the 1960s. In 2003, we visited six medical schools in West Africa to investigate the magnitude, causes and consequences of the migration. We conducted interviews and focus groups with faculty, administrators (deans and provosts), students and post-graduate residents in six medical schools in Ghana and Nigeria. In addition to the migration push and pull factors documented in previous literature, we learned that there is now a well-developed culture of medical migration. This culture is firmly rooted, and does not simply fail to discourage medical migration but actually encourages it. Medical school faculty are role models for the benefits of migration (and subsequent return), and they are proud of their students who successfully emigrate. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Source: UG
Flood hazard response to scenarios of rainfall dynamics and land use and land cover change in an urbanized river basin in Accra, Ghana

Understanding of flood hazard response to multiple scenarios of relevant determinants in urban centers is a precondition for proactive disaster risk management. Yet, studies on flood response to the effects of multiple agents in Sub-Saharan Africa countries is rare. This study simulates peak runoff and water flow rate to land use and land cover (LULC), and scenarios of rainfall intensity of different durations and return periods. An urban flood-prone Odaw River catchment of Accra, Ghana was studied for the possible hazard responses to variations in LULC and rainfall intensities and amounts. Landsat data for 2000, 2011 and 2020 were classified and analyzed for changes in LULC. Rainfall intensity was estimated for different durations; and 2, 10 and 25 years of return periods, using Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) model. The rational and the successive flow routing hydrological models were used to simulate peak runoff and flow rate, respectively. Built-up area increased in coverage from 40% in 2000 to 65% in 2020, whereas woodland reduced from 10.5% to 4.0% for the same period. The peak runoff was highest in the built-up areas, and directly proportional to rainfall intensities and return periods. Replacing a given amount of woodland by equal amount of built-up area increased peak discharge by 3.5 times. Runoff peaked 30 mins after onset of rainfall for the 10-yr and 25-yr return periods, but peaked 1 hr for the 2-yr return period. We recommend that flood risk reduction strategies maintain substantial amount of woody vegetation and grassland, and provide quick early warning when extremely high rainfall intensity is anticipated. Land use planning organization should consider a range of flood hazard intensities, including rare and extreme events in their decisions.

Source: UG
Flood plains: critically threatened ecosystems

Riparian zones, river-marginal wetland environments and flood plains are key landscape elements with a high diversity of natural functions and services. They are dynamic systems that are shaped by repeated erosion and deposition of sediment, inundation during rising water levels, and complex groundwater–surface water exchange processes (Chapter 3). This dynamic nature makes flood plains among the most biologically productive and diverse ecosystems on earth ( Junk et al. 1989; Gregory et al. 1991; Naiman & De´camps 1997; Tockner & Stanford 2002; Naiman et al. 2005). Flood plains are also of great cultural and economic importance; most early civilizations arose in fertile flood plains and throughout history people have learned to cultivate and use their rich resources. Flood plains have also served as focal points for urban development and exploitation of their natural functions.

Source: UG
‘The floods came and we lost everything’: weather extremes and households’ asset vulnerability and adaptation in rural Ghana

Extreme weather events such as flooding have been observed to deplete households’ assets and render households vulnerable to shocks and poverty. Few empirical studies have however examined households’ asset vulnerability and adaptation to such extreme events in Ghana. Based on qualitative research with two ecologically fragile communities in Ghana, this paper explores the asset vulnerability and adaptation strategies of households against periodic flooding. Findings suggested that households’ assets most vulnerable to flooding were farmlands, human health, housing and financial savings. However, flooding did not affect households’ assets equally; the effects were gendered and differentiated, often occasioned by inequalities in exposure, vulnerability, access to resources, capabilities and opportunities. Nonetheless, many households are actively adapting their assets by acquiring new knowledge about early warning systems, employing different farming practices and diversifying their assets. Understanding the differences in households’ asset vulnerability as well as in the priorities that men and women, as well as the young and old, place on different asset adaptation strategies could therefore be important in the effectiveness of climate change adaptation as well as the sustainability of communities.

Source: UG
Floods in the Sahel: An analysis of anomalies, memory and anticipatory learning

This study explores the implications of recent extreme rainfall and flood events in the Sahel and the wider West African region for climate change adaptation. Are these events merely a temporal nuisance as suggested by the lingering desertification discourse or will more climatic extremes characterize the region over the next century? After reviewing incidences of severe rainfall and projected future climate variability, the paper examines local flood knowledge and decision-making, drawing upon a case study in Ghana. The data demonstrate that a variety of response strategies to flooding exist; yet, knowledge of and access to climate forecasts and other learning tools are essentially absent. So far, floods have not triggered mass displacement although cumulative environmental deterioration is likely to cause environmental refugees. The paper recommends to lay to rest the desertification narrative, consider the possibility of both floods and droughts, and mobilize local memory for anticipatory learning and practical adaptation.

Source: UG
Floristic composition, abundance, and distribution pattern of woody plants in a tropical savanna in northern Ghana

The floristic composition, abundance and distribution pattern of woody plants in a tropical savanna in the Sinsabligbini Forest Reserve in northern Ghana was studied using 15 circular vegetation plots of 10 m radius. In total, 2534 individuals of woody plants belonging to 62 species in 19 families were identified. The most species rich and abundant families were Fabacaeae, Combretaceae and Rubiaceae. The abundant woody plants included Dichrostachys cinerea (L.) Wright & Arn. (Fabaceae), Ptelcopsis suberosa Engl. & Diel. (Combretaceae), Combretum collinum Fresen. (Combretaceae), Dalbergia afzeliana G. Don. (Fabaceae) and Terminalia mollis Laws. (Combretaceae). The majority (80.6%) of the woody plant species were found to be highly aggregated in their pattern of distribution while twelve species showed some degree of randomness. The study has shown that the floristic composition and abundance of plants is very variable in different areas of the Guinea Savanna Zone.

Source: UG
Flow Improvers and Pipeline Internal Coating Benefits and Limitations with Respect to Pipeline Capacity Enhancement

This article illustrates the outcome of a theoretical examination of applying internal coating and flow improver to gas and liquid pipeline systems. A test case of a 12-inches, 18-inches, 24-inches, 30-inches, 36-inches, and 42-inches diameter gas and liquid transmission pipelines evaluates hypothetically, synergistic use of pipeline internal coating with flow improver to enhance flow rate of a pipeline and minimize internal friction. The improvements in pipeline hydraulics are recognized and the enhancement of pipeline capacity calculated over a broad range of parameters. The hydraulic benefits are presented as percentage increase in pipeline capacity using flow equations. Analysis shows that internal coating of pipelines plus injection of flow improver is hydraulically and economically viable for both gas and liquid pipelines with a typical capacity increase greater than 116%. Corrosion protection and safety is improved with low operating cost.

Source: UG
Fluorine speciation analysis using reverse phase liquid chromatography coupled off-line to continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (CS-MAS): Identification and quantification of novel fluorinated organic compounds in environmental and biological samples

Figure Persented: Driven by increasing demand for the monitoring of industrial perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), the identification of novel fluorine containing compounds (FOCs) and the tracking of organofluorine drugs and their degradation products, there is a clear need for sensitive, fluorine-specific detection of unknown FOCs. Here we report the first ever direct fluorine-specific (speciation) method; capable of individually detecting untargeted FOCs in environmental and biological samples through the application of continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (CS-MAS) using a commercial CS-AAS. Two model FOCs (2,4,6, trifluorobenzoic acid (TFBA) and 5-fluoroindol-5-carboxylic acid (FICA)) were used, achieving fluorine-specific detection across a range of 0.1 to 300 ng/mL fluorine, corresponding to a limit of detection of 4 pg F and 5.26 nM for both compounds. Both TFBA and FICA showed a similar response to CS-MAS detection, potentially enabling the quantification of fluorine content in novel FOCs without having molecular standards available. This paper also reports the use of reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) coupled off-line with CS-MAS for the identification of single organofluorines in a mixture of FOCs via fraction collection. The linear range of both FOCs was determined to be from 1 to 500 ng/mL. The limits of detection of those species were just above 1 ng/mL (100 pg) and can therefore compete with targeted analytical methods such as ESI-MS. Finally, as a proof of principle the analysis of a fluoride-containing groundwater sample from Ghana demonstrated that this method can be used in the detection of novel FOCs, with identification achieved through parallel ESI-MS. Coupled HPLC-CS-MAS/ESI-MS is the first analytical methodology capable of selectively detecting and identifying novel FOCs, making possible the quantification of all fluorine containing compounds in one sample. This is the necessary analytical requirement to perform fluoronomics. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Source: UG
Focal Choroidal Excavation in Retinal Dystrophies

Aim: To investigate the presence of focal choroidal excavation (FCE) in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), Stargardt’s disease (STGD), and Best disease in the Indian population. Methods: This retrospective consecutive case series included 309 eyes of 157 patients with RP (183 eyes), STGD (93 eyes), and Best disease (33 eyes) with good-quality, enhanced-depth spectral domain optical coherence tomography scans. Comprehensive ophthalmic examination data were collected. Characteristics of FCE, including location of FCE, type (conforming and non-conforming), maximal width, and depth, were noted. Results: FCE was found in 2 out of 33 (6%) eyes with Best disease and no FCE was found in eyes with RP or STGD. The location of the FCE was extrafoveal in both cases. The first case had non-conforming FCE while the second case had the conforming type and the FCE occurred in association with choroidal neovascularization in the second case. The first case maintained good visual acuity of 20/20 over the entire period of follow-up (14 months), while the second case had a visual acuity of 20/200 at the last follow-up (three years) due to scarred choroidal neovascular membranes. The FCE showed no change in both eyes over the entire duration of follow-up. Conclusion: Focal choroidal excavation was found in 6% of eyes with Best disease, which remained stable throughout follow up. Eyes with RP and STGD did not have any FCE. Further studies are re

Source: UG