ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Protected areas in tropical Africa: Assessing threats and conservation activities

Numerous protected areas (PAs) have been created in Africa to safeguard wildlife and other natural resources. However, significant threats from anthropogenic activities and decline of wildlife populations persist, while conservation efforts in most PAs are still minimal. We assessed the impact level of the most common threats to wildlife within PAs in tropical Africa and the relationship of conservation activities with threat impact level. We collated data on 98 PAs with tropical forest cover from 15 countries across West, Central and East Africa. For this, we assembled information about local threats as well as conservation activities from published and unpublished literature, and questionnaires sent to long-term field workers. We constructed general linear models to test the significance of specific conservation activities in relation to the threat impact level. Subsistence and commercial hunting were identified as the most common direct threats to wildlife and found to be most prevalent in West and Central Africa. Agriculture and logging represented the most common indirect threats, and were most prevalent in West Africa. We found that the long-term presence of conservation activities (such as law enforcement, research and tourism) was associated with lower threat impact levels. Our results highlight deficiencies in the management effectiveness of several PAs across tropical Africa, and conclude that PA management should invest more into conservation activities with long-term duration.

Source: UG
Protected but not from Contamination: Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Bacteria from Birds in a Ghanaian Forest Protected Area

Resistance to antimicrobial agents is a growing concern in public health. It has been reported in wildlife from several places in the world though wild animals are not normally exposed to clinically used antimicrobial agents. Despite this, very little research has been done in Ghana to determine antimicrobial resistance in wild animals, particularly those in protected areas. In this study, the presence of colistin resistant and multidrug resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria in cloacal swabs of wild birds captured in a Ghanaian forest protected area were evalu ated. A total of 195 isolates from 138 individual birds were obtained, identified and tested for resistance to colistin. The colistin-resistant isolates were subsequently tested for multidrug resistance to 4 other antimicrobial agents (Oxytetracycline, Streptomycin, Ampicillin and Ciprofloxacin). Colistin resistance was observed in 6.5% (9/138) of the birds and this was seen in only birds that were sampled close to the reception area of the protected area. About 50% of the colistin-resistant isolates were multidrug resistant. AMR isolates were obtained from birds that have been documented to show an insectivorous or omnivorous feeding preference. Data obtained from the study suggests that AMR and MDR occurred in wild birds from the Conservation Area and supports the claim that proximity to human impacted habitats (settlements/farmlands) increased the likelihood of carriage of AMR. Though the routes of transmission remain unclear, there is potential for spread from the wild birds to other wild/ domestic animals and possibly back to humans.

Source: UG
Protecting grain from insect pest infestations in africa: Producer perceptions and practices

Purpose of review: This review focuses on the current state of postharvest losses and important tools available for use by farmers for protecting grain against insect pest infestations in sub-Saharan Africa with the view of identifying farmer perceptions, effective control practices, critical challenges and information gaps that need further research. Findings: Several beetle and moth pests attack stored grains in Africa causing significant losses. Currently, there is a lack of reliable and verifiable data on postharvest losses in most African countries. Annual grain losses of over 50% in cereals and up to 100% in pulses have been reported. Smallholder farmers have various forms of indigenous knowledge and complex cultural norms which they apply to grain storage practices and their potential effects need to be analysed. Tools available for managing insects associated with grains include contact insecticides and fumigants, botanicals, inert dusts, biological control agents as well as appropriate modified atmospheres through metal silo and hermetic storage technology. The uses of synthetic insecticides continue to be a major component of stored-product pest management strategies in Africa. However, for sustainable grain protection the combination of the various control options in an integrated and compatible manner and their uptake are imperative. Directions for future research: Assessments of the scale of losses for key stored commodities along the value chain are required. For practical utilisation of botanicals well designed on-farm trials are needed to validate their efficacy. Large-scale field assessment of the impact of the histerid predator, Teretrius nigrescens Lewis on the larger grain borer, Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) should be carried out to justify their continued release into the different agro-ecosystems. The current knowledge of triple-bagging technology, its availability and adoption is limited. Appropriate knowledge transfer techniques to encourage adoption of practical techniques needs to be developed. © 2011 Stewart Postharvest Solutions (UK) Ltd.

Source: UG
Protecting Lives &amp; Livelihoods: Interrogating The Abuse Of Human Rights In The Midst Of A Global Pandemic

This study attempts to review some of the measures countries implement to mitigate the upsurge of the Corona virus disease (Covid-19). It delves into how the Ghanaian The state abused its powers in the name of ‘protecting lives and livelihoods’. It focuses on the introduction and subsequent implementation of draconian measures that infringe on the rights of the citizen and how the state (government) abuses its authority under such conditions. The study uses Ghana’s implementation of COVID-19-related measures as a case. Thus, the various directives of the president and state agencies are reviewed. Key among the issues is the use of emergency powers as granted by 1992. Constitution of Ghana, and the introduction of executive instruments that ultimately curtailed citizens’ rights. The Imposition of Restrictions Act, 2020 (Act 1012), Article 21 (4) (c) and (d), as well as Article 31 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, Section 169 of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), etc. are among some of the legal sources that are interrogated by the study. In addition, the ban on public gatherings (religious, social, and political) is questioned from the perspective of human and other related rights citizens enjoy. The study thus examines the rationale behind the use of emergency powers during the COVID-19 pandemic and how such exercise of powers affects the rights and freedoms of citizens (the very people that such exercise of power is meant for) to protect).

Source: UG
Protection of doctors in a suburban Nigerian teaching hospital against exposure to cytotoxic drugs

Cytotoxic drugs (CDs) are used commonly in the management of malignant diseases; they act by inhibiting growth and kill actively growing cells. Health workers may be exposed to CDs in the course of their duties; exposure is associated with mutagenesis and other health problems. To determine the amount of protection available to doctors working in a suburban tertiary hospital in Nigeria, a cross-sectional study of resident doctors was carried out, using a pre-tested, structured, self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire dealt with the demographic characteristics of the respondents, protective devices available, if they were adequate or not; exposure to CDs over the previous 6 months, mode of exposure and action taken following exposure. Questions were also asked about any training offered to doctors before they began administering CDs. Latex gloves were the most common protective equipment available. No respondent used respirators or eye protection, 76.3% said the protective equipments were inadequate while 78.9% did not receive any training. Fifteen (39.5%) of respondents had at least one incidence of exposure in the previous 6 months, house officers were more frequently exposed. Protection offered doctors against exposure to CDs is inadequate; equipment provided are insufficient and training on how to handle CDs is almost non-existent. Ways of alleviating these problems are suggested.

Source: UG
Protective effect of aloe extract against the cytotoxicity of 1,4-naphthoquinone in isolated rat hepatocytes involves modulations in cellular thiol levels

The Clinical Pathology Department conducts research that contributes to intervention strategies and safeguards of public health in Ghana. In view of this the Department carries out research into plant medicine development, drug interactions and regulation, bio-monitoring and prevention of poisoning from environmental toxicants (e.g. mycotoxins specifically aflatoxins and toxic heavy metals). The Department also provides specialized laboratory services in support of public health programmes.

Source: UG
Protein microarray analysis of antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum in western Kenyan highland sites with differing transmission levels

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
Protein utilization and in-vitro protein synthesis in young rats given gruels of sprouted white maize supplemented with graded amounts of dried fish

Sprouted white maize meal was supplemented with 5, 10, 15 and 20% (w/w) sundried pelagic fish meal. The nutritive value for young rats fed gruels of these mixtures was determined. The protein, fat, ash, and energy contents of the dried gruels increased when the amount of fish in the diet increased. Both supplemented and unsupplemented samples showed high true digestibilities (above 90%) and there was no statistical difference between them. NPUop and NDp-Cal% increased with increasing amount of fish in the diet. Supplemented maize meals at the 10, 15 and 20% levels were better utilized than the unsupplemented diet (p < 0.05). Furthermore, a decreased in-vitro protein synthetic capacity was shown in animals fed low protein diets. There was good correlation (r = 0.90) between weight gain and synthetic activity. Supplementation of sprouted white maize meal with 5–10% fish protein was sufficient to optimize the protein utilization in young rats.

Source: UG
Proteins and lipids of glycosomal membranes from Leishmania tarentolae and Trypanosoma brucei

In kinetoplastid protists, several metabolic pathways, including glycolysis and purine salvage, are located in glycosomes, which are microbodies that are evolutionarily related to peroxisomes. With the exception of some potential transporters for fatty acids, and one member of the mitochondrial carrier protein family, proteins that transport metabolites across the glycosomal membrane have yet to be identified. We show here that the phosphatidylcholine species composition of Trypanosoma brucei glycosomal membranes resembles that of other cellular membranes, which means that glycosomal membranes are expected to be impermeable to small hydrophilic molecules unless transport is facilitated by specialized membrane proteins. Further, we identified 464 proteins in a glycosomal membrane preparation from Leishmania tarentolae. The proteins included approximately 40 glycosomal matrix proteins, and homologues of peroxisomal membrane proteins - PEX11, GIM5A and GIM5B; PXMP4, PEX2 and PEX16 - as well as the transporters GAT1 and GAT3. There were 27 other proteins that could not be unambiguously assigned to other compartments, and that had predicted trans-membrane domains. However, no clear candidates for transport of the major substrates and intermediates of energy metabolism were found. We suggest that, instead, these metabolites are transported via pores formed by the known glycosomal membrane proteins. © 2013 Colasante C et al.

Source: UG
Protocol for a drugs exposure pregnancy registry for implementation in resource-limited settings

Abstract Background The absence of robust evidence of safety of medicines in pregnancy, particularly those for major diseases provided by public health programmes in developing countries, has resulted in cautious recommendations on their use. We describe a protocol for a Pregnancy Registry adapted to resource-limited settings aimed at providing evidence on the safety of medicines in pregnancy. Methods/Design Sentinel health facilities are chosen where women come for prenatal care and are likely to come for delivery. Staff capacity is improved to provide better care during the pregnancy, to identify visible birth defects at delivery and refer infants with major anomalies for surgical or clinical evaluation and treatment. Consenting women are enrolled at their first antenatal visit and careful medical, obstetric and drug-exposure histories taken; medical record linkage is encouraged. Enrolled women are followed up prospectively and their histories are updated at each subsequent visit. The enrolled woman is encouraged to deliver at the facility, where she and her baby can be assessed. Discussion In addition to data pooling into a common WHO database, the WHO Pregnancy Registry has three important features: First is the inclusion of pregnant women coming for antenatal care, enabling comparison of birth outcomes of women who have been exposed to a medicine with those who have not. Second is its applicability to resource-poor settings regardless of drug or disease. Third is improvement of reproductive health care during pregnancies and at delivery. Facility delivery enables better health outcomes, timely evaluation and management of the newborn, and the collection of reliable clinical data. The Registry aims to improve maternal and neonatal care and also provide much needed information on the safety of medicines in pregnancy.

Source: UG
Protocol for a realist synthesis of health systems responsiveness in low-income and middle-income countries

Health systems responsiveness is a key objective of any health system, yet it is the least studied of all objectives particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. Research on health systems responsiveness highlights its multiple elements, for example, dignity and confidentiality. Little is known, however, about underlying theories of health systems responsiveness, and the mechanisms through which responsiveness works. This realist synthesis contributes to bridging these two knowledge gaps. In this realist synthesis, we will use a four-step process, comprising: mapping of theoretical bases, formulation of programme theories, theory refinement and testing of programme theories using literature and empirical data from Ghana and Vietnam. We will include theoretical and conceptual pieces, reviews, empirical studies and grey literature, alongside the primary data. We will explore responsiveness as entailing external and internal interactions within health systems. The search strategy will be purposive and iterative, with continuous screening and refinement of theories. Data extraction will be combined with quality appraisal, using appropriate tools. Each fragment of evidence will be appraised as it is being extracted, for its relevance to the emerging programme theories and methodological rigour. The extracted data pertaining to contexts, mechanisms and outcomes will be synthesised to identify patterns and contradictions. Results will be reported using narrative explanations, following established guidance on realist syntheses. Ethics approvals for the wider RESPONSE (Improving health systems responsiveness to neglected health needs of vulnerable groups in Ghana and Vietnam) study, of which this review is one part, were obtained from the ethics committees of the following institutions: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (ref: 22981), University of Leeds, School of Medicine (ref: MREC19-051), Ghana Health Service (ref: GHS-ERC 012/03/20) and Hanoi University of Public Health (ref: 020-149/DD-YTCC).

Source: UG
PROTOCOL: The impact of infrastructure on low‐income consumers' nutritious diet, women's economic empowerment, and gender equality in low‐ and middle‐income countries: An evidence and gap map

This is the protocol for an evidence and gap map. The objectives are as follows: this evidence and gap map (EGM) aims to identify, map, and provide an overview of the existing evidence and gaps on the impact of different types of physical infrastructure on various outcomes of low‐income consumers' nutritious diet, women's economic empowerment, and gender equality in low‐ and middle‐income countries. The specific objectives of the EGM are: (1) identify clusters of evidence that offer opportunities for evidence synthesis and (2) identify gaps in evidence where new studies, research, and evaluations are needed

Source: UG
Protocol: The impact of infrastructure on low‐income consumers' nutritious diet, women's economic empowerment, and gender equality in low‐ and middle‐income countries: An evidence and gap map

This is the protocol for an evidence and gap map. The objectives are as follows: this evidence and gap map (EGM) aims to identify, map, and provide an overview of the existing evidence and gaps on the impact of different types of physical infrastructure on various outcomes of low-income consumers' nutritious diet, women's economic empowerment, and gender equality in low- and middle-income countries. The specific objectives of the EGM are: (1) identify clusters of evidence that offer opportunities for evidence synthesis and (2) identify gaps in evidence where new studies, research, and evaluations are needed

Source: UG
Prototype Development, Usability, and Preference of a Culturally-relevant Pictorial Aid to Facilitate Comprehension of Likert-type Levels of Agreement in Caregivers of Children Living With HIV in Ghana

Pictorial illustrations of Likert-type scales are culturally useful and may reduce error associated with usage of Westernized self-report measures in low- and middle-income countries. Pictorial illustrations can be encounter-specific decision aids in populations with low literacy or English proficiency. In an unanticipated finding from the SANKOFA study, caregivers of children living with human immunodeficiency virus experienced challenges comprehending Likert-type scales. A cross-sectional, qualitative study was conducted with a SANKOFA participant subset (n = 30) in Ghana. Using an informatics-based formative design approach, we developed a culturally-relevant pictorial aid to assess usability and preference when compared to a Likert-type self-report measure. Ninety percent (n = 27) of substudy participants preferred the pictorial of a traditional Bolga basket over a shallow basket. Forty-three percent (n = 13) preferred the pictorial aid over the Likert-type measure. Fifty percent reported the pictorial aid was easy to use. Fifty-seven percent preferred the Likert-type measure, potentially because English proficiency is regarded in Ghana as a means of upward social and financial mobility. Such cultural norms may have contributed to the lack of consensus and must be considered for pictorial aids to be meaningful. Pictorial aids have been designed for use in clinical and research settings. They reduce barriers associated with lower textual literacy while facilitating comprehension and decision-making.

Source: UG
Provenance And Depositional Setting Of The Buem Structural Unit (Ghana): Implications For The Paleogeographic Reconstruction Of The West African And Amazonian Cratons In Rodinia.

We present new field, petrological and geochemical data, combined with U-Pb zircon ages and Lu-Hf isotope compositions for the sandstones of the Neoproterozoic Buem structural unit (BSU) of the Dahomeyide belt, and whole-rock geochemical data of BSU shale to investigate their provenance and depositional setting. The BSU contains siliciclastic sequences and fragments of oceanic lithosphere (pillow lavas, gabbro, and peridotite) that have archived the entire evolution of the Ediacaran West Gondwana Orogen (WGO), from early accretion to final amalgamation of the West African Craton (WAC) with the Benino-Nigerian Shield. Three broad groups of samples exist within the BSU in Ghana: those with dominantly older age fractions of 2300 – 1800 Ma, represented by samples from the base of the BSU; those with prominent 1700 – 1100 Ma zircons, occupying the middle part of the BSU; and those with significant 1000 – 970 Ma age fractions, forming the uppermost part of the BSU. Results from this study, together with published data on the BSU, and adjacent Togo structural unit and Voltaian Supergroup, reveal two main sedimentary sequences in the Dahomeyide belt, i.e., passive margin and foreland basin sequences with three potential provenances: Amazonian Craton, Benino-Nigerian Shield, ± WAC. This interpretation resembles that for the sedimentary rocks of the Borborema Province, NE Brazil, which implies similar evolution along the WGO. Thus, a long, >2500 km passive mar gin basin developed at 1000 – 700 Ma, which was subsequently inverted during the Braziliano/Pan African plate convergence and collision, and the concomitant formation of the foreland basin during the assembly of the supercontinent Gondwana. Because a greater portion of the detritus in the BSU is probably from the Amazonian Craton, we propose that the WAC and the Amazonian Craton adjoined each other from the Paleoproterozoic onward within the supercontinents Rodinia and Gondwana, until the opening of the Atlantic Ocean.

Source: UG