ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Is there any Association between Serum Lipids and Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 2 Diabetic Patients in Ghana?

Aim: To evaluate the association between serum lipids and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in type 2 diabetic subjects. Study Design: Cross-sectional observational study. Place and Duration of Study: Diabetes and Ophthalmology units of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, between September 2011 and June 2012. Methodology: Serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were assessed in 251 type 2 diabetic mellitus patients. Diagnosis and classification of diabetic retinopathy was based on dilated ophthalmoscopy. Classification of lipid abnormalities was done according to the National Cholesterol Education Programme-Adult Treatment Panel 111 (NCEP-ATP111) Guidelines. Results: Among 251 type 2 diabetic mellitus patients, 41.0% had retinopathy of which 31% were of the non-proliferative type and 10% were proliferative. The mean ± SD age of the diabetics with retinopathy was 52.64±11.80 years; their mean duration of diabetes was 17.69±4.06 years. Subjects with DR were older (P<0.001), had longer duration of diabetes (P<0.001) and higher fasting blood glucose (P<0.001) than those without DR. HDL-C level (P=0.016) was lower, and TC (P<0.001), TG (P<0.001) and LDL-C levels (P<0.001) were higher in subjects with diabetic retinopathy (DR) compared with those without diabetic retinopathy. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that unadjusted TC (odds ratio [OR] 3.57 [95% CI 4.471-12.26] P<0.001), TG (odds ratio [OR] 2.25 [95% CI 1.54-3.2] P<0.0001), HDL-C (odds ratio [OR] 0.664 [95% CI 0 .471- 0.938] P=0.020), and LDL-C (odds ratio [OR] 2.97 [95% CI 2.22-3.96] P<0.001) were associated with DR. After adjusting for age and duration of diabetes, only TC (odds ratio [OR] 4.00 [95% CI 1.12-14.25], P=0.032) maintained a significant association with DR. However, after adjusting for fasting blood glucose (FBG), the association of TC (odds ratio [OR] 30.73 [95% CI 0.018-53.68] P=0.36) with DR lost its significance. Conclusion: Our analyses suggest that there is no significant association between serum lipids with DR in Ghanaians patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, further studies are needed to confirm this finding.

Source: UCC
Is There Really Support for Breastfeeding Mothers? A Case Study of Ghanaian Breastfeeding Working Mothers

This study was to find out whether the presence or the absence of social support for breastfeeding working mothers who return to work after maternity leave does have any significant effect on their level of satisfaction and also their commitment to their jobs. Three categories of social support were looked at: spousal and family members support, colleagues support at the workplace and support from care givers (house helps). A self administered questionnaire was given to 300 breastfeeding working mothers in Accra, Ghana. This group of mothers had their age range from 24-41 years with the mean age of 37.2 years and standard deviation of 8.8. The hypotheses were tested using Chi Square. The findings of the study revealed that breastfeeding working mothers who had support from their spouse and other family members appeared to be satisfied and committed to their jobs. Those who had support from other colleagues at the workplace reported to be satisfied with their jobs but not committed to their jobs. However, the group of mothers who were getting their child care support from care givers (house helps) appeared less committed to their jobs

Source: UCC
Islam and Gender in Dagbon

Gender has become a central issue in world discourse. It is more so in Islam because there is a general perception that the theology of Islam is built on gender injustice. The Dagomba people of Ghana converted to Islam in droves after the conversion of their King, Naa Zangina in about 1700. Since then, Islam has become the state religion of the Dagomba people and all their customs and traditions have become underpinned by Islam, including the negotiation of gender. There is a palpable gender imbalance in Dagomba life and thought. But what factor(s) account for this gender imbalance? This study therefore sought to investigate and to find out the extent to which Islam is or is not responsible for the male-female dynamics in Dagbon. In doing this, a qualitative method of data collection was employed. Questionnaires were administered, in-depth interviews were conducted and focus group discussions were held. The descriptive research design was also used to interpret the primary data that was collected. It was found out that gender relations in Dagbon are heavily biased in favour of men. The Afanema, who are the guardians of Islamic lore, teach a theology of Islam that purports to subjugate women. This theology has become accepted norm. However, a few women are beginning to find their voices and to challenge male dominance. This research recommends that more women take up the role of mufassirs (interpreters of the Qur’an) in order to balance the male centered interpretations that pervade the society. Education is also a leveler and tends to give people a voice. If more girls would be educated, it would contribute to a greater awareness of the fact that more feminine voices can only contribute to the development of the society rather than retard it.

Source: UCC
Islam and Inheritance Conflict in Wa, Ghana

The Islamic scholarship looked at inheritance from many academic disciplines. It looks at it from the exegetical, financial and estate planning, jurisprudential, mechanistic, and historical and gender points of view. These studies affirm the primary function of Islamic inheritance as a system that transfers wealth from one generation of Muslims to the other. It spells out the heirs, their qualifications and corresponding shares each heir is entitled to. The system also prescribes the application of the regulation thereof on the devolution of the estate of the prepositus. One of the objectives of the system is to prevent estate related conflicts among Muslims. Paradoxically, conflict does emerge among some Muslims over inheritance and estate distribution. In view of this, the current thesis sought to find out factors that are responsible for the conflict, using the Waala Muslim community of Ghana as the site for the study. In doing so, the qualitative method of data collection was employed. Primary documents, in-depth interviews and observation were employed in collecting data from the field. Apart from greed and grievance from heirs, the study pointed out that inequality and deprivation are primarily responsible for the inheritance conflict phenomenon in the community. For the phenomenon to be curtailed, not only is there the need for the root causes to be addressed but also the need for a multifaceted approach for the resolution of the conflict. Besides, Muslim clerics could reinterpret and apply Qur’ān (4:7) to apportion estate to such people who serve the deceased (as non-heirs) throughout their lives without commensurate compensation. Furthermore, there is the need for the enactment of a comprehensive law by the state to address Muslim inheritance issues in Ghana.

Source: UCC
Islam and the Dagaaba of the Upper West Region of Ghana, C. E. 1400 - 2008

Dagaaba converted to Christianity in great numbers but resisted Islam when it came. The study seeks to investigate the factors that accounted for Dagaaba acceptance of and resistance to Islam. It also intends to collect and document the oral history of Islam in Dagaabaland in the Upper West Region of Ghana. A qualitative method of data collection and analysis was employed. Indepth interviews, focus group discussions guide (FGD) and participant observation were applied as research instruments for the data collection. The descriptive research design was also used to interpret the collected primary data. The author found out that Islam was established in Dagaabaland by nonindigenous and indigenous Muslims. The non-indigenous Muslims, mostly Mande-Yeri, entered Dagaabaland in the sixteenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The indigenous Muslims consisted of Southern Ghana Dagaaba migrant converts, liberated ex-slaves and converts in Dagaabaland. These people were converted to Islam towards the end of the nineteenth century and in the twentieth century. The author discovered that the non-indigenous and indigenous Muslims established Islam through various means and succeeded in converting some Dagaaba to Islam. However, the author also found out that the greatest obstacle to the spread of Islam and the conversion of Dagaaba was the resilience of the Dagaaba traditional religion. The people and the traditional religious authorities remained committed to the ancestral veneration and refused to convert to Islam. Though Islam failed to create an impact on the Dagaaba, it influenced Dagaabe society culturally.

Source: UCC
Islam in the Volta region a case study of Ave Afiadenyigba

The purpose of this study was to find out the history and impact of Islam in the Volta Region of Ghana with special emphasis on Ave Afiadenyigba. The design used for this research was that of a case study. Unstructured interview and participant observation were used as the instruments for the study. In selecting the sample for the interview, this study made use of the purposive and simple random techniques. These sampling procedures helped the researcher access relevant information on the history and impact of Islam in the study area. The key findings from the research showed that although Islam has been present in the Region for about two hundred years now, its overall influence has remained marginal. The study further discovered that in spite of the sparse distribution of Muslims in the Region Ave Afiadenyigba has a large Muslim community consisting of both migrants and indigenes. The study also discovered that there are several challenges facing the Muslim community in the study area paramount of which is the lack of holistic education as demanded by Islam and the inability by some Muslim traders to live according to the Islamic business ethics. Key among the recommendations made was for Muslim parents to change their attitude towards secular education and avail their wards of this form of education. This will enable them compete favourably for employment and other opportunities that may present themselves. The study concludes that Muslim scholars should take up their Islamic duty of propagating the faith through logical and peaceful means. This is because Islam is a religion which, when presented well and consistently will win the hearts of other people.

Source: UCC
Islam, Politics and Development: negotiating the future of Dagbon.

Dagbon is the territory that is inhabited by the Dagomba people. Dagombas are part of the Mole-Dagbani speaking people, having descended from a common ancestor with the Moshis, Mamprusis and Nanumbas. Dagbon is in the Northern Region of Ghana, lying between latitudes nine and ten and has an area of 9,611 square miles. Dagbon is the largest of the ethnic kingdoms in Northern Ghana. Communal violence erupted in the capital of the Dagomba people on March 25, 2002. This continued for three days, resulting in the death of their king, Ya Na Yakubu Andani on March 27 2002. The remote cause of this three day war was a long standing dispute, relating to the succession to the Dagbon skin. The Dagbon crisis has become a complex web of power play among family members, political manipulation or interference and the politics of justice. But these did not begin today. They have their historical antecedents. Since 1953, nearly all governments have intervened in this dispute in one way or another. But this political involvement has only deepened the rift and accentuated the disagreements. This paper posits that, there can be no political solution to the Dagbon crisis. Since the Dagomba people are predominantly Muslims and have a huge developmental deficit, this paper advocates a combination of Islamic, traditional and development based solutions.

Source: UCC
Islam, polygyny and modern feminist thinking: An appraisal of Mariama Ba’s so long a letter

During Prophet Mohammad’s Prophethood, many reforms were enacted to address the place of women in a patriarchal society. One of such reforms is the limits placed on polygyny as stipulated in Qur’an 4:3 which limit it to a maximum of four wives. However in this twenty first century, recourse is not made to the stipulation that makes polygyny the exception rather than the rule. Using Mariama Ba’s So long a letter as a basis; the researcher endeavours to find out Muslim feminist views on polygyny using Kotokuraba and Ayiko-ayiko Muslim communities as study areas. The study reveals that the Islamic implementation and practice of polygyny vary among Muslims and it is influenced by the cultural contexts of various communities. Current trends seem to favour the social utility of the institution, rather than its religious validity. As revealed by the research, thirteen respondents out of a sample size of twenty which represent 65% are of the view that the reason why polygyny is practised is ‘the social prestige syndrome’. Religion was not used explicitly as a justification. So, there are a lot of cultural or societal influences which encourage polygyny but men hide under the guise of the Islamic religion to practice it. It was recommended that some reforms are needed to compel those involved to practice it fairly by appealing to their conscience. Thus, the main problem with polygyny is with its practice and implementation rather than its concept as a permissible act in Islam.

Source: UCC
Islamic economics and the relevance of Al-Qawā‘id Al-Fiqhiyyah

Islamic economics, as part of the Islamic body of knowledge, has emerged as a new social science discipline that has gained currency and recognition in various institutions of higher learning in the contemporary Muslim world. Different sources of Islamic knowledge have significantly contributed to shape its evolution and development. The Islamic legal maxims, however, do not seem to have received much attention in terms of their contextualization in the present economic thinking. Using the content analysis approach, this article examines the relevance of qawā‘id al-fiqhiyyah, placing emphasis on the five normative maxims and some of their variants, to the understanding of Islamic economics. The aim is to assess their relevance to Islamic economic life and their contextualization within time and space. It was found that qawā‘id al-fiqhiyyah significantly contributes to the understanding of Islamic economics as a discipline in the Islamic tertiary educational pursuits. They help to understand certain economic theories from the Islamic ethical perspective. Therefore, it is concluded that if Muslim social scientists, especially, Muslim economists, embrace and pursue this branch of fiqh with an utmost concern and commitment, it would facilitate a better appreciation of economic theories from the Islamic perspective

Source: UCC
Islamic Microfinancing by the Banking Sector of Pakistan: Problems and Solutions

This study highlights the obstacles which limit the penetration of the banking sector in the field of Islamic microfinance in Pakistan, keeping in view the practitioners’ perspective as to how these obstacles can be overcome. In Pakistan, where approximately sixty percent (60%) of the population is living below the international poverty line, Islamic microfinance has the potential to play a vital role in alleviating poverty. Unfortunately, the banking sector of Pakistan is reluctant to contribute in Islamic microfinance due to some limitations from the bankers’ perspective. Qualitative approach has been followed in this study in which semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-six participants from all over Pakistan, including five from Islamic, seven from conventional, thirteen from microfinance and one from an Islamic microfinance bank. Interviews were conducted with the board of directors, Sharīʿah board members, senior management, and microfinance heads. According to the experts, the mindset of bankers, lack of collateral, weak role of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the government of Pakistan in setting targets, limited availability of sector targeted products, lack of customer awareness, lack of initial capital, time consumption and documentation problems are among the issues faced by the banking sector. These experts emphasized the crucial role of the SBP and government support to promote Islamic micro-financing through banks. State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) as regulator and other commercial banks, Islamic microfinance banks and their boards of directors, Sharīʿah board members, senior management, and microfinance heads can implement the outcomes of this study

Source: UCC
Isobolographic analysis of co-administration of two plant-derived antiplasmodial drug candidates, cryptolepine and xylopic acid, in Plasmodium berghei

Background: Increasing resistance to current anti malarial therapies requires a renewed effort in searching for alternative therapies to combat this challenge, and combination therapy is the preferred approach to address this. The present study confirms the anti plasmodial effects of two compounds, cryptolepine and xylopic acid and the relation ship that exists in their combined administration determined. Methods: Anti plasmodial effect of cryptolepine (CYP) (3, 10, 30 mg kg-1) and xylopic acid (XA) (3, 10, 30 mg kg-1) was evaluated in Plasmodium berghei infected male mice after a 6 day drug treatment. The respective doses which produced 50% chemosuppression (ED50) was determined by iterative fitting of the log dose responses of both drugs. CYP and XA were then co administered in a fixed dose combination of their ED 50s (1:1) as well as different fractions of these combinations (1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 and 1/32) to find the experimental ED50 (Zexp). The nature of interaction between cryptolepine and xylopic acid was determined by constructing an isobologram to compare the Zexp with the theoretical ED 50 (Zadd). Additionally, the effect of cryptolepine/xylopic acid co administration on vital organs asso ciated with malarial parasiticidal action was assessed. Results: The Zadd and Zexp were determined to be 12.75±0.33 and 2.60±0.41, respectively, with an interaction index of 0.2041. The Z exp was significantly (P < 0.001) below the additive isobole indicating that co administration of cryptolepine and xylopic acid yielded a synergistic anti plasmodial effect. This observed synergistic antiplasmodial effect did not have any significant deleterious effect on the kidney, liver and spleen. However, the testis were affected at high doses Conclusion: The co administration of cryptolepine and xylopic acid produces synergistic anti malarial effect with minimal toxicity.

Source: UCC
Isobolographic analysis of co‑administration of two plant‑derived antiplasmodial drug candidates, cryptolepine and xylopic acid, in Plasmodium berghei

Background: Increasing resistance to current anti-malarial therapies requires a renewed effort in searching for alternative therapies to combat this challenge, and combination therapy is the preferred approach to address this. The present study confirms the anti-plasmodial effects of two compounds, cryptolepine and xylopic acid and the relation‑ ship that exists in their combined administration determined. Methods: Anti-plasmodial effect of cryptolepine (CYP) (3, 10, 30 mg kg−1) and xylopic acid (XA) (3, 10, 30 mg kg−1) was evaluated in Plasmodium berghei-infected male mice after a 6-day drug treatment. The respective doses which produced 50% chemosuppression ­(ED50) was determined by iterative fitting of the log-dose responses of both drugs. CYP and XA were then co-administered in a fixed dose combination of their ­ED50s (1:1) as well as different fractions of these combinations (1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 and 1/32) to find the experimental E­ D50 ­(Zexp). The nature of interaction between cryptolepine and xylopic acid was determined by constructing an isobologram to compare the Z ­ exp with the theoretical ­ED50 ­(Zadd). Additionally, the effect of cryptolepine/xylopic acid co-administration on vital organs asso‑ ciated with malarial parasiticidal action was assessed. Results: The ­Zadd and ­Zexp were determined to be 12.75 ± 0.33 and 2.60 ± 0.41, respectively, with an interaction index of 0.2041. The ­Zexp was significantly (P < 0.001) below the additive isobole indicating that co-administration of cryptolepine and xylopic acid yielded a synergistic anti-plasmodial effect. This observed synergistic antiplasmodial effect did not have any significant deleterious effect on the kidney, liver and spleen. However, the testis were affected at high doses. Conclusion: The co-administration of cryptolepine and xylopic acid produces synergistic anti-malarial effect with minimal toxicity.

Source: UCC
An isobolographic analysis of the anti-nociceptive effect of geraniin in combination with morphine or diclofenac

Background: Geraniin, a dehydroellagitannin, is a major component of the aqueous extract of the aerial parts of Phyllanthus muellerianus (Kuntze) Exell. (Euphorbiaceae). Several Phyllanthus species are traditionally used for painful disorders. The anti-nociceptive effects of the aqueous extract of the aerial parts of P. muellerianus and of geraniin have been scientifically established. The aim of the paper is to determine whether a combination of geraniin and diclofenac or geraniin and morphine leads to better anti-nociceptive effects. Methods: The nature of the interactions of morphine and diclofenac with geraniin was evaluated by undertaking the isobolographic analysis. Mice were treated with geraniin (3–30 mg/kg), morphine (1–10 mg/kg), and diclofenac (10–100 mg/kg) to obtain the ED50 values of the agents in the formalin test. Dose-response curves were then obtained and analyzed after the co-administration of geraniin with morphine or diclofenac in fixed ratio (1:1) combinations based on specific fractions (1/2, 1/4, and 1/8) of their respective ED values for the formalin test. Results: Geraniin was less potent than morphine but more potent than diclofenac in the formalin-induced nociception. The isobolographic analysis of geraniin/morphine (G/M) and geraniin/diclofenac combinations (G/D) at different fractions revealed the potentiation of their antinociceptive effects. The degrees of potentiation, which were calculated as interaction indices, showed synergism for both combinations in both phase I (G/M: 0.040, G/D: 0.017) and phase II (G/M: 0.004, G/D: 0.002) of the formalin test. Conclusions: The present study demonstrates synergism for the co-administration of geraniin with both morphine and diclofenac.

Source: UCC