ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
China’s Quest for Resources in Africa and Its Implications for Environmental Security: The Case of Ghana

This study focuses essentially on analyzing China’s quest for natural resources in Africa and its implications for Ghana’s environmental security. It focuses on the extent to which best practices are being pursued by China in its exploitation of Ghana’s resources. The study is purely qualitative and relies both on primary and secondary data for analysis. The primary data was obtained through interviews from key informants who have in-depth knowledge about the topic under study, whereas primary data was obtained through literature review from sources such as books, newspapers, journal articles and internet sources. Major findings from the study reveal that China’s interest in Ghana’s natural resources have contributed to the environmental security challenges confronting her, especially with respect to natural resource exploitation by the Chinese in Ghana. Paramount among such environmental security threats include water pollution, deforestation, air pollution, sound pollution or noise and land degradation. The study also reveals that Ghana, to a very large extent, has achieved some successes in ensuring that best practices are pursued by China in her quest for Ghana’s natural resources as some Chinese engaged in illegal natural resource extraction in Ghana are arrested and deported. This sends a strong signal to the Chinese Government that Ghana is every intention of preserving its sovereignty in spite of the cordial bilateral relations between Ghana and China and the ever deepening economic cooperation between them. However, some few challenges confront Ghana in addressing environmental security challenges due to China’s exploitation of Ghana’s natural resources. Paramount among them include financial constraints, insufficient technical and expertise personnel, ineffective/poor collaboration sometimes between the GAF and GPS due to unnecessary competition and politics, corruption, difficulty in obtaining reliable information and economic hardship and insufficient job opportunities in the country. The study, therefore, concludes that all stakeholders need to be guided by international and national environmental laws to remain focus and proactive in the fight against the environmental security menace created especially by some Chinese in Ghana. Therefore, there should be proper coordination and dialogue at all levels for a formidable action towards curbing the natural resource exploitation by some Chinese in Ghana. It is therefore recommended that the government must take a bold step in the fight against corruption and should not interfere with the work of the Judicial systems so that culprits of natural resource exploitation, especially foreigners such as the Chinese who may be found guilty will be sanctioned accordingly, to serve as a deterrent to others.

Source: UG
China, architecture and Ghana’s spaces: Concrete Signs of a soft Chinese imperium?

Africa’s interaction with China is beginning to be marked tellingly by Chinese architectural inscriptions on the African cityscape which need to be deconstructed. The furore in the African press and academia that greeted the building and handing over by China of the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa makes such an interrogation imperative. This study will attempt to offer some understanding of this nascent phenomenon using the Accra cityscape as an exemplary point of reference. In this regard this work seeks to locate the meaning of fortifications within contemporary global and local discourses on power, architecture, symbols, interests and international relations.

Source: UG
China-Ghana Trade Relations on the Ghanaian Textile Industry: A Case Study of Ghana Textile Printing Company Limited and Akosombo Textiles Limited

The Ghanaian textile industry was one of the most vibrant sub-sectors in the 1970s. However, the sub-sector is struggling to survive the numerous challenges it is facing. Cheap Chinese textile imports because of trade liberalization have resulted in unhealthy competition in the Ghanaian textile market. This study therefore investigates the impact of China-Ghana trade relations on the Ghanaian textile industry and makes recommendations towards revamping the Ghanaian textile industry. The study used a qualitative approach whereby respondents were selected using purposive, convenient, and snowballing sampling techniques. The study also employed the case study approach whereby the effects of Chinese textile imports were examined through ATL and GTP. Data was summarised and analysed under thematic areas with relevant tables and pictorial evidences for clarity and better understanding. The study revealed that, China-Ghana economic relations has had a negative effect on the Ghanaian textile industry in relation to market share and employment. Chinese textile companies pirate some designs of the local textile companies but due to weak control mechanism, these cheap pirated textiles get access to the Ghanaian market. Moreover, the study revealed that; cost, cultural identity, designs, and patterns influence the behaviour of Ghanaian consumers. Therefore, it will be important for the Ghanaian textile companies to increase their ability to compete effectively with Chinese textile products. The study concludes that, government, textile companies, textile consumers, textile importers, fabric sellers among other stakeholders in the Ghanaian textile industry must work together to revamp the Ghanaian textile industry.

Source: UG
Chinese Digital Platform: “We Write What the Algorithm Wants”

This study examines Nigerian journalists’ perception of the affor dances of recommendation algorithms in news production and distribution on Opera News Hub. The study uses a triangulation of methods involving content analysis, a semi-structured interview, and a focus group discussion (FGD) with content creators, who have been trained in traditional media practices in Lagos, Nigeria. The findings indicate news stories published on the Hub contravene the platform’s publishing guidelines. The Hub’s recom mender system is underpinned by “metricisation” of gatekeeping, which affords soft news over hard news. Hence, content creators of hard news compromise their journalistic autonomy and take on a new professional identity in which they engage in a con stant struggle to produce sensational content that will attract audience engagement on Opera News Hub. However, there are indications that Opera News Hub may enhance media sustainability and the welfare of journalists in Nigeria.

Source: UG
Chinese Technologies and Pro-Poor Industrialisation in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Furniture Manufacturing in Kenya

Despite very rapid growth, absolute poverty levels and unemployment in Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as a whole have remained high. This situation can be associated with SSA's high dependence on imported technologies from advanced economies, many of which are unsuited to African factor endowments. This trend is, however, being reversed; advanced countries are becoming less important as sources of technology for SSA economies while other developing countries, particularly China, are becoming more important sources. This article assesses whether technologies from China and Africa's indigenous capital goods sector may help address the development impasse. Drawing on a detailed research on Kenya's formal and informal furniture sectors, the article compares the operating characteristics of Chinese machines, advanced country machines and the locally manufactured machines. The findings indicate that Chinese and Kenyan technologies appear more amenable for pro-poor industrialisation and development of SSA economies than do those from advanced countries. © 2016 European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes.

Source: UG
A Chink in the Charm? A Framing Analysis of Coverage of Chinese Aid in the Ghanaian Media

Much recent scholarship focuses on China’s growing global influence. Of note is China’s recent charm offensive on Africa through the soft power of aid and trade. With development assistance being key to asserting global influence, it would seem that by pursuing a no-strings-attached approach to aid, China has propositioned itself to Africans as a benevolent development partner. Yet China’s business activities in Africa may represent a chink in its image. In Ghana, there is a palpable Chinese presence in nearly every facet of life (including energy, construction and trade). Across these spheres, Chinese elements are the object of criticism. For instance, their involvement in illegal mining (“galamsey”) is blamed for the degradation of lands and pollution of water bodies. The question evoked by these cross-purposes of aid and trade is: how is China’s influence in Ghana reflected in its image as a development partner? We argue that the media is key to answering this question, given that they reflect and affect the opinions of citizens on national interest issues. The study thus explores how the local Ghanaian media frame “China in Ghana” to their audience as a means to shape local opinions and discourses on the matter.

Source: UG
Chinweizu, Asia’s Rise and Disentangling Africa’s Strategic Incoherence for Africa’s Future

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
Chitosan composites synthesized using acetic acid and tetraethylorthosilicate respond differently to methylene blue adsorption

The sol-gel and cross-linking processes have been used by researchers to synthesize silica-based nanostructures and optimize their size and morphology by changing either the material or the synthesis conditions. However, the influence of the silica nanostructures on the overall physicochemical and mechanistic properties of organic biopolymers such as chitosan has received limited attention. The present study used a one-step synthetic method to obtain chitosan composites to monitor the uptake and release of a basic cationic dye (methylene blue) at two different pH values. Firstly, the composites were synthesized and characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) to ascertain their chemical identity. Adsorption studies were conducted using methylene blue and these studies revealed that Acetic Acid-Chitosan (AA-CHI), Tetraethylorthosilicate-Chitosan (TEOS-CHI), Acetic Acid-Tetraethylorthosilicate-Chitosan (AA-TEOS-CHI), and Acetic Acid-Chitosan-Tetraethylorthosilicate (AA-CHI-TEOS) had comparatively lower percentage adsorbances in acidic media after 40 h, with AA-CHI adsorbing most of the methylene blue dye. In contrast, these materials recorded higher percentage adsorbances of methylene blue in the basic media. The release profiles of these composites were fitted with an exponential model. The R-squared values obtained indicated that the AA-CHI at pH ~2.6 and AA-TEOS-CHI at pH ~7.2 of methylene blue had steady and consistent release profiles. The release mechanisms were analyzed using Korsmeyer-Peppas and Hixson-Crowell models. It was deduced that the release profiles of the majority of the synthesized chitosan beads were influenced by the conformational or surface area changes of the methylene blue. This was justified by the higher correlation coefficient or Pearson's R values (R ≥ 0.5) computed from the Hixson-Crowell model. The results from this study showed that two of the novel materials comprising acetic acid-chitosan and a combination of equimolar ratios of acetic acid-TEOS-chitosan could be useful pH-sensitive probes for various biomedical applications, whereas the other materials involving the two-step synthesis could be found useful in environmental remediation of toxic materials. © 2018 by the authors.

Source: UG
Chitosan-Coated Halloysite Nanotubes As Vehicle for Controlled Drug Delivery to MCF-7 Cancer Cells In Vitro

The aim of the work is to improve the release properties of curcumin onto human breast cancer cell lines using coated halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) with chitosan as a polycation. A loading efficiency of 70.2% (w/w) was attained for loading 4.9 mg of the drug into 0.204 g bed volume of HNTs using the vacuum suction method. Results acquired from Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron spectroscopy (SEM), zeta potential, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated the presence of the drug and the biopolymer in and around the nanotubes. The release properties of drug-loaded HNTs (DLHNTs) and chitosan-coated drug-loaded HNTs (DLHNTs-CH) were evaluated. The release percentages of DLHNTs and DLHNTs-CH after 6 h were 50.7 and 37%, respectively. Based on the correlation coefficients obtained by fitting the release nature of curcumin from the two samples, the Korsmeyer-Peppas model was found to be the best-fitted model. In vitro cell viability studies were carried out on the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7, using the MTT and trypan blue exclusion assays. Prior to the Trypan blue assay, the IC50 of curcumin was determined to be ∼30 µM. After 24 h of incubation, the recorded cell viability values were 94, 68, 57, and 51% for HNTs, DLHNTs-CH, DLHNTs, and curcumin, respectively. In comparison to the release studies, it could be deducted that sustained lethal doses of curcumin were released from the DLHNTs-CH within the same time. It is concluded from this work that the “burst release” of naked drugs could be slowly administered using chitosan-coated HNTs as potential drug carriers.

Source: UG
Chitosan-soybean oil emulsion coating affects physico-functional and sensory quality of eggs during storage

Effects of soybean oil (SO) and chitosan-soybean oil (CH:SO = 40:60) emulsion as coating materials for preserving internal quality of eggs were evaluated during 7 and 15 weeks storage at 25 °C and 4 °C, respectively. Consumers (n = 150) assessed surface properties and purchase intent of freshly coated eggs. Noncoated eggs deteriorated from AA to B grade after 1 week while coated eggs retained A grade up to 5 weeks at 25 °C. Amongst coatings, CH:SO emulsion maintained a lower albumen pH while SO was better at reducing weight loss. Effect of refrigeration on albumen pH was minimal. Weight loss of coated eggs was &lt;3% after 7 weeks at 25 °C. Emulsion capacity and emulsion viscosity were minimally affected by coating and refrigeration, and their trends were more correlated to the yolk index at 25 °C than at 4 °C. Only SO-coated eggs were not sensorially smoother than noncoated eggs; however, CH:SO emulsion-coated eggs had the least shell colour changes (ΔE*, values at day 0 as a reference) during storage at 25 °C. All coated eggs had 85% positive purchase intent. SO and CH:SO emulsion coatings significantly extended egg shelf-life compared to that of noncoated eggs at room and refrigerated storage. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Source: UG
Chlamydia Trachomatis and Neisseria Gonorrhoeae prevalence among women of reproductive age living in urogenital schistosomiasis endemic area in Ghana

Background: Many studies have shown an overlap in the epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and urogenital schistosomiasis among young women living in schistosomiasis endemic areas. Yet we found no study assessing the prevalence of STI infections in urogenital schistosomiasis endemic areas in Ghana. As part of an epidemiological study on urogenital schistosomiasis and HIV, we sought to assess the prevalence of both Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorhoeae (NG) infections among women living in schistosomiasis endemic communities and explore the relationship between the sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and demographic characteristics, sexual behaviour and self-reported symptoms. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study in which endocervical samples were collected from 191 women aged 15-49 years from October 2005 to March 2006. Samples were examined for CT and NG using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). A structured questionnaire was also used to elicit information on study participant's gynaecological and obstetric history and symptoms for genital infection. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used to assess association between CT and NG and other variables such as age, sexual behaviour and self-reported symptoms. Results: The overall prevalence of CT and NG were 6.3% and 2.6% respectively.The highest prevalence rates of CT were in the 15 to 19 year group while only individuals between 15 and 39 years were positive for NG. There was no association between CT and age, contraceptive use and the other variables assessed. NG on the other hand was found to be associated with age, number of births and number of sexual partners only by chi-square test. Conclusions: Our research revealed higher prevalence of CT and NG infections when compared to previous studies conducted among higher risk groups in non-urogenital schistosomiasis areas in Ghana. We therefore recommend further studies of these STIs in urogenital schistosomiasis endemic areas in the country. © 2014 Yirenya-Tawiah et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Source: UG
Chlamydia Trachomatis and Neisseria Gonorrhoeae prevalence among women of reproductive age living in urogenital schistosomiasis endemic area in Ghana

Abstract Background Many studies have shown an overlap in the epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and urogenital schistosomiasis among young women living in schistosomiasis endemic areas. Yet we found no study assessing the prevalence of STI infections in urogenital schistosomiasis endemic areas in Ghana. As part of an epidemiological study on urogenital schistosomiasis and HIV, we sought to assess the prevalence of both Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorhoeae (NG) infections among women living in schistosomiasis endemic communities and explore the relationship between the sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and demographic characteristics, sexual behaviour and self-reported symptoms. Methods This was a cross-sectional study in which endocervical samples were collected from 191 women aged 15&#8211;49 years from October 2005 to March 2006. Samples were examined for CT and NG using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). A structured questionnaire was also used to elicit information on study participant&#8217;s gynaecological and obstetric history and symptoms for genital infection. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used to assess association between CT and NG and other variables such as age, sexual behaviour and self-reported symptoms. Results The overall prevalence of CT and NG were 6.3% and 2.6% respectively.The highest prevalence rates of CT were in the 15 to 19&#160;year group while only individuals between 15 and 39&#160;years were positive for NG. There was no association between CT and age, contraceptive use and the other variables assessed. NG on the other hand was found to be associated with age, number of births and number of sexual partners only by chi-square test. Conclusions Our research revealed higher prevalence of CT and NG infections when compared to previous studies conducted among higher risk groups in non-urogenital schistosomiasis areas in Ghana. We therefore recommend further studies of these STIs in urogenital schistosomiasis endemic areas in the country.

Source: UG
Choice of Delivery Facility among Expectant Mothers in Ghana: Does Access to Health Insurance Matter?

This article examines the effect of health insurance ownership among expectant mothers on facility-based delivery, having controlled for a host of socio-economic and demographic characteristics. Home deliveries often endanger the health of women, where complications are often referred to appropriate health facilities only when the condition has already deteriorated. Consequently, this study examines the extent to which expectant mothers' access to health insurance influence their choice of delivery facilities broadly categorized into public health facilities, private health facilities and home delivery. Methodologically, the multinomial logistic regression is employed in the empirical estimation. Using the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, we found at both the bivariate and multivariate level that women with access to health insurance are more likely to deliver in modern health facilities namely public and private allopathic health facilities relative to home delivery. In particular, women with access to health insurance are approximately 18 percentage points more likely to deliver in a public health facility as compared to home delivery. Also, the propensity to deliver in private health facilities relative to home delivery increases by one percentage point for women with health insurance. Thus, for expectant mothers with health insurance, the utilization of public health facilities predominates. Some of the control variables that were found to significantly influence the choice of delivery facilities include age, educational attainment, wealth quintile, area of residence, religion and region of residence. The study makes a case for scaling up access to health insurance among expectant mothers due to its positive effect on the choice of appropriate delivery facilities. © 2013 Indian Institute of Health Management Research.

Source: UG
The choice of English as a home language in urban Ghana

In this paper, we investigate the choice of English as a home language in Ghana, a multilingual nation where 81 languages are spoken by a population of about 27 million people. In the past, while English was reserved as the de facto language of official domains, e.g., government business and education, Ghanaian languages were used in informal domains such as homes, markets and churches. Recent research and observations show a gradual shift from the use of indigenous languages in some informal domains to the use of the English language, especially in urban centres. This study uses audio-recordings, questionnaires and observations to gather data from 20 homes from 2 geographically and socio-economically distinct urban communities in Accra. The findings of the study show that economic status, age, inter-ethnic marriages and educational background are the main factors influencing the choice of English as a home language in urban Ghana. Other factors, such as the media, the language in education policies and the use of the internet, also play a role in the use of English in Ghanaian homes.

Source: UG
The choice of health care services by households in selected regions of Ghana

This paper aims at examining the factors which influence the demand for health care services in selected Regions of Ghana. We use cross-sectional data covering 300 households in Ghana, and adopt a multinomial probit model with four health care options: self-care, drug stores, clinics, and hospitals with self-care as the base comparison group. Beside the relevant demographic, socio-economic, location, and facility-specific variables, we consider gender bias in households’ utilization of health care services. We find that married people tend to prefer care at drug stores, clinics, or hospitals to self-care. Also, urban dwellers tend to have easier access to drug stores compared to rural dwellers. Male-headed households tend to prefer self-care to any of the formal care options. We also find that, interestingly, households with more female children tend to use self-care compared to care at drug stores or hospitals while those with more adult males prefer to use drug stores during illness. This finding implies that policies aimed at promoting gender equity in health care need to consider not only the gender of the decision maker, but also the gender of individual household members

Source: UG