ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Eight decades of invasion by Chromolaena odorata (Asteraceae) and its biological control in West Africa: the story so far

Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M. King and H. Robinson (Asteraceae) is a perennial weedy shrub of neotropical origin and a serious biotic threat in its invasive range. The Asian-West Africa (AWA) biotype of C. odorata present in West Africa is both morphologically and genetically different from the southern African (SA) biotype. The AWA biotype was first introduced into Nigeria in the late 1930s and rapidly spread across West Africa. Currently, 12 of the 16 countries in West Africa have been invaded, with significant negative effects on indigenous flora and fauna. However, locals in West Africa have found several uses for the weed. As chemical, physical and other conventional methods were unsustainable, costly and largely ineffective, three biological control agents, Apion brunneonigrum (Coleoptera: Brentidae), Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) and Cecidochares connexa (Diptera: Tephritidae), have been released in West Africa between the 1970s and the early 2000s. However, only C. connexa and P. pseudoinsulata established, contributing to the control of the weed, in six and four countries in West Africa respectively. Limited research funding, the absence of post-release evaluations of the established agents, and the ‘conflict of interest’ status of C. odorata (i.e. being beneficial for local use but damaging to ecosystem services and agriculture), are serious factors deterring the overall biological control effort. Here, using historical records and field surveys, we examine the invasion history, spread, impacts, and management of C. odorata in West Africa and make recommendations for the sustainable management of C. odorata in the region.

Source: UG
Eighteen Years the Gold Coast of Africa

The great degradation of the African owing to a constitutional law of our nature-Assertion of the natural affections-The authority of the government-its great moral power-insubordination of chiefs-alarm of the fetismen-causes of our extensive influence-necessity for maintaining it-Diminished power of the Chiefs –The Governor necessary severity –Establishment of good order-its effect upon men’s minds-Poverty of the people-More general union of the members of a family –frequent appeals made to the Governor-A better understanding and full confidence established-Caution in carrying out reforms-Great influence of the decisions given in Court.

Source: UG
El Niño-Southern Oscillation forecasting using complex networks analysis of LSTM neural networks

Arguably, El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the most influential climatological phenomenon that has been intensively researched during the past years. Currently, the scientific community knows much about the underlying processes of ENSO phenomenon, however, its predictability for longer horizons, which is very important for human society and the natural environment is still a challenge in the scientific community. Here we show an approach based on using various complex networks metrics extracted from climate networks with long short-term memory neural network to forecast ENSO phenomenon. The results suggest that the 12-network metrics extracted as predictors have predictive power and the potential for forecasting ENSO phenomenon longer multiple steps ahead.

Source: UG
El Niño‐Southern Oscillation, rainfall variability and sustainable agricultural development in the Ho Municipality, Ghana

El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which occurs in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean, has been identified to have significant influence on rainfall variability throughout the world, especially in the tropics. Such variability in rainfall has implications for agrarian economies, such as that in Ghana. This study therefore sought to demonstrate the effect of ENSO-induced variability in annual and seasonal rainfall on the development of sustainable agriculture in the Ho Municipality of Ghana. Using 61 years of monthly rainfall data (1955–2015) for the Ho Municipality and ENSO indices, this study showed that 15% of the variability in total annual rainfall is explained by the ENSO phenomena. Mean annual rainfall and rainfall in the major rainy season decreased for El Niño years, in addition to a more variable rainfall compared to that received in La Niña years. The major growing season was observed to be longer in La Niña years and shorter in El Niño years. This means that the potential for crop cultivation will be severely hampered in an El Niño year. Farmers within the municipality are therefore encouraged to harness other complementary water sources for farming activities and also employ water management strategies during El Niño years. © 2018 The Authors. Natural Resources Forum © 2018 United Nations

Source: UG
Elderly Women, Community Participation and Family Care in Ghana: Lessons from HIV Response and AIDS Orphan Care in Manya Krobo

The new paradigm for promoting quality of life of the elderly, referred to as active aging, embraces the continued participation of the elderly in social, cultural, religious, and civic affairs. Culture has been identified as a cross-cutting determinant in the active aging framework. Based on ethnographic research on traditional responses to HIV/AIDS in Manya Krobo, this paper illustrates how elderly Krobo women leveraged their cultural status to participate in family and community affairs, foster family sustenance, and contribute to health promotion and HIV response in their community. Community participation was however stressful for many of the participants because of inadequate support. The paper argues that while the social benefits accrued from elder people’s participation could be a complementary argument for policy interventions on their behalf, there is a need to interrogate how such engagements are likely to affect their quality of life. The paper thus recommends support for the elderly as they engage in community and family affairs, so as to enhance their quality of life, which is the ultimate goal of the active aging paradigm.

Source: UG
Electoral Politics In Ghana’s Fourth Republic

This is a book about the state and the fate of multiparty electoral politics and, to some extent, democratic governance, in Ghana’s Fourth Republic. It presents not only an insight into the trajectories of the five elections since the 1990s, but also provides a historical sketch of elections in Ghana since pre-independence times. It further draws broad lessons for future elections, most significantly, the impending Election 2012. This work is also unique in putting Ghana’s electoral politics in the broader context of post-Cold War Africa. It argues that while Ghana did not start as a best case scenario, it has subsequently made progress in many respects worthy of emulation by other African States. At the same time, Ghana still carries some of the burdens of consolidating new democracies

Source: UG
Electricity and informal settlements: Towards achieving SDG 7 in developing countries

Despite many academic discussions on the importance of sustainable and reliable energy to informal settlement dwellers, there is limited evidence on the delivery of electricity in informal settlements, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using the concept of tactical urbanism, this study examined electricity delivery and access to informal settlement dwellers in Accra, Ghana, as an important component of meeting SDG 7. The paper analyses evidence collected through three focus group discussions of thirty informal settlement dwellers in three communities in Accra. The findings showed that, whereas access to electricity in informal settlements has improved significantly; this increase is a result of corruption and connivance with electricity officials and that informal settlement dwellers pay exorbitantly to access and use electricity. This paper contributes to the growing body of scholarship on sustainable electricity in urban informal settlements in the Global South by documenting the experiences of informal settlement dwellers in Accra, Ghana.

Source: UG
Electricity Consumption-Economic growth nexus: The Ghanaian case

Research into the electricity-economic growth nexus has important implications for energy conservation measures and environmental policy. However, results from the energy-economic growth nexus have been mixed in the literature on Ghana. This posses serious problems for the country's energy policy. Much research is thus, required to establish the direction of causality between energy and economic growth. Nonetheless, less evidence is available for Ghana. It is against this background that this study seeks to investigate the direction of causality between a type of energy, electricity, and economic growth to add to the existing argument in the literature. The Toda and Yomamoto Granger Causality test was used to carry out the test of causality between electricity consumption and economic growth from 1971 to 2008. The results obtained herein revealed that there exists a unidirectional causality running from economic growth to electricity consumption. Thus, data on Ghana supports the Growth-led-Energy Hypothesis. The results imply that electricity conservation measures are a viable option for Ghana.

Source: UG
Electricity supply in Ghana: The implications of climate-induced distortions in the water-energy equilibrium and system losses

An important synergy exists between electricity supply security and sustainable economic development. However, distortions in the water-energy equilibrium (especially for electricity systems that heavily depend on hydropower renewable energy) and operational inefficiency in the transmission and distribution networks can affect electricity supply negatively and distort this synergy. Given the irreversible nature of capital investments and the time-dependent nature of learning abilities and information flow, it is critical to delineate the short- and long-run effects of system losses and distortions in the water-energy equilibrium on electricity availability. This study applies an econometric approach to study the case of Ghana from 1970 to 2016. Distortions in the water-energy equilibrium negatively affect electricity supply in the short- and long-run. Investment in storage renewable hydro will ensure operational flexibility and compensate for the variability in water flow. Moreover, storage hydropower is a vital asset for the development of non-flexible renewables (i.e. wind and solar) due to the synergy that exists between them. System losses have a concave effect on electricity supply, with the tolerable rate determined as 6.65%. Current levels suggest that the country should cut down on system losses by 13.35%; this requires a significant investment in transmission and distribution networks and meters.

Source: UG
Electrochemical evaluation of ion substituted-hydroxyapatite on HeLa cells plasma membrane potential

This study reports the electrochemical activities of a novel ion substituted-Hydroxyapatite (HAp) material in contact with HeLa cells. The work was performed to evaluate the inhibitory effects of various concentrations of HAp on ion transfer mechanisms in HeLa cells. The materials (n = 2: HAp1 and HAp3) were prepared at different stirring times from Achatina achatina snail shells and phosphate-containing solution. The structure of the materials and the trace elements concentration were evaluated using x-ray diffractometry and infrared spectrometry as well as atomic absorption spectroscopy. Electrochemical studies conducted on the cells after 30 min of exposure to the materials demonstrated different responses as elucidated by cyclic voltammetry. The voltammograms revealed HAp1 to be non-redox whereas HAp3 was redox active. Minimal concentrations of HAp1 showed high anodic peak current when compared to the HeLa cells alone, indicating a hyperpolarization of the cells. The peak current gradually reduced as the concentration of HAp1 was increased, and then followed by a sudden rise suggesting inhibition of the cell action potential. HAp3 showed a wavy pattern of the anodic peak current when the material concentration was varied. Peak currents of 0.92±0.03 nA and 0.57±0.01 nA were recorded for HAp1 and HAp3, respectively at the highest concentration of 5 µL. The results suggest that different inhibitory mechanisms are at play on the voltage-gated ion channels of the cells, indicating the possibility of using the materials to achieve different cancer proliferation inhibition.

Source: UG
Electrochemical Response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Corresponds to Cell Viability upon Exposure to Dioclea reflexa Seed Extracts and Antifungal Drugs

Dioclea reflexa bioactive compounds have been shown to contain antioxidant properties. The extracts from the same plant are used in traditional medical practices to treat various diseases with impressive outcomes. In this study, ionic mobility in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells in the presence of D. reflexa seed extracts was monitored using electrochemical detection methods to link cell death to ionic imbalance. Cells treated with ethanol, methanol, and water extracts were studied using cyclic voltammetry and cell counting to correlate electrochemical behavior and cell viability, respectively. The results were compared with cells treated with pore-forming Amphotericin b (Amp b), as well as Fluconazole (Flu) and the antimicrobial drug Rifampicin (Rif). The D. reflexa seed water extract (SWE) revealed higher anodic peak current with 58% cell death. Seed methanol extract (SME) and seed ethanol extract (SEE) recorded 31% and 22% cell death, respectively. Among the three control drugs, Flu revealed the highest cell death of about 64%, whereas Amp b and Rif exhibited cell deaths of 35% and 16%, respectively, after 8 h of cell growth. It was observed that similar to SWE, there was an increase in the anodic peak current in the presence of different concentrations of Amp b, which also correlated with enhanced cell death. It was concluded from this observation that Amp b and SWE might follow similar mechanisms to inhibit cell growth. Thus, the individual bioactive compounds from the water extracts of D. reflexa seeds could further be purified and tested to validate their potential therapeutic application. The strategy to link electrochemical behavior to biochemical responses could be a simple, fast, and robust screening technique for new drug targets and to understand the mechanism of action of such drugs against disease models.

Source: UG
Electronic interaction in composites of a conjugated polymer and carbon nanotubes: First-principles calculation and photophysical approaches

The mechanisms that control the photophysics of composite films made of a semiconducting conjugated polymer (poly(paraphenyl- ene vinylene), PPV) mixed with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) up to a concentration of 64 wt % are determined by using photoexcitation techniques and density functional theory. Charge separation is confirmed experimentally by rapid quenching of PPV photoluminescence and changes in photocurrent starting at relatively low concentrations of SWNT. Calculations predict strong electronic interaction between the polymer and the SWNT network when nanotubes are semiconducting.

Source: UG
Electronic learning among students at public universities in Ghana

This study was planned to establish the extent of the usage and benefits of mobile technologies to learn by distance learners at the University of Ghana and the University of Education, Winneba. The study adopted an explanatory sequential mixed-method design. Structured questionnaires were administered to 400 dis tance learners selected by multi-stage sampling technique and phone interviews involving 20 participants selected by random sampling technique to collect data. Using the Relative Important Index and Thematic analysis, the findings show that respondents not only agreed to all the mobile learning academic activities and benefits raised in this study as relevant but fundamental to their studies. The five most important mobile learning activities by students are communicating with colleagues for information, participating in online courses, doing coursework assignments, holding meetings among colleagues and instructors, and forming networks with peers on a social media platform. The highest of the first five highest ranked benefits is finding relevant material for coursework with ease, studying at own pace in different environments, learning anywhere and anytime, receiving real-time information, and having quick access to coursework content. The findings of this study can encourage institutions offering distance education to build strategic electronic learning implementation plans and design guidelines by taking into consideration the highest-ranked important benefits and uses of mobile learning identified in this study.

Source: UG
Electronic Learning and Open Educational Resources in the Health Sciences in Ghana

Objectives: To determine whether a group of Ghanaian students are able to easily use electronic learning material and whether they perceive this method of learning as ac-ceptable. Setting: The University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS) and the School of Medical Sciences (SMS), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Participants: One hundred and fifty third year medical students at SMS and nineteen fifth year medical students at UGMS Methods: Two e-learning materials were developed, one on the polymerase chain reaction and the other on total abdominal hysterectomy and these were distributed to selected medical students. Two weeks after the distribu-tion of the programmes, a one-page, self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the target groups of stu-dents at the two institutions. Results: Ninety three percent (139) of respondents at KNUST and 95% (18) at UG report having access to a computer for learning purposes. All of the UG students viewed the TAH programme; 82% (130) of the KNUST students viewed the PCR animations. All students who viewed the programmes at both institutions indicated that the e-learning pro-grammes were “more effective” in comparison to other methods of learning. Conclusion: Computer ownership or availability at both medical schools is sufficient to permit the distribution and viewing of e-learning materials by students and the medical students considered both programmes to be very helpful.

Source: UG
Electronic Resources: Access and Usage at Ashesi University College

Purpose – Sets out to investigate the use of electronic resources by students and faculty of Ashesi University, Ghana, in order to determine the level of use, the type of information accessed and the effectiveness of the library's communication tools for information research. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire‐based survey was utilized. It consisted of 16 questions to determine level of use, type of information accessed, assessment of library's communication tools, problems encountered when using electronic resources and ways to improve the provision of electronic information in the community. The questionnaire was distributed to all students, faculty and administrative staff in order to reduce the generalization of the results. The students were made up of four year groups categorized as YearGroupA, YearGroupB, YearGroupC, YearGroupD. The questionnaire was pre‐tested on six students from three different year groups and some amendments were made. A total of 169 questionnaires were therefore distributed and 141 completed questionnaires were returned, giving an overall response rate of 83 per cent. Survey responses were coded and input into Excel for analysis. Findings – The study found that general computer usage for information access was high because of the University's state‐of‐the art IT infrastructure. Usage of some internet resources were also very high, whilst the use of scholarly databases was quite low. The low patronage was attributed to inadequate information about the existence of these library resources. The study recommends, among others, the introduction of information competency across the curriculum and/or the introduction of a one‐unit course to be taught at all levels and the provision of more PCs on campus. Originality/value – Would be of value to library administrators considering how to determine level of use, type of information accessed, assessment of library's communication tools, problems encountered when using electronic resources and ways to improve the provision of electronic information.

Source: UG
Electronic waste exposure and DNA damage: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives: Inappropriate processing and disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) expose workers and surrounding populations to hazardous chemicals, including clastogens and aneugens. Recently, considerable literature has grown around e-waste recycling, associated chemical exposures and intermediate health outcomes, including DNA damage. Micronuclei (MN) frequency has been widely used as a biomarker to investigate DNA damage in human populations exposed to genotoxic agents. We conducted a systematic review of published studies to assess DNA damage in e-waste-exposed populations and performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between e-waste exposure and DNA damage. Methods: This systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement checklist. Articles published in English from January 2000 through December 2020 investigating the associations between e-waste exposure and DNA damage were retrieved from the following three major databases: MED-LINE, ProQuest, and Scopus. Studies that reported the use of MN assay as a biomarker of DNA damage were included for meta-analysis. Studies that also reported other DNA damage biomarkers such as chromosomal aberrations,comet assay biomarkers, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), telomere length, apoptosis rate were reported using narrative synthesis. Results: A total of 20 publications were included in this review, of which seven studies were within the occupational setting, and the remaining 13 studies were ecological studies. The review found six biomarkers of DNA damage (micronuclei, comets assay parameters (tail length, % tail DNA, tail moment, and olive tail moment), 8-OHdG, telomere length, apoptosis rate and chromosomal aberrations) which were assessed using seven different biological matrices (buccal cells, blood, umbilical cord blood, placenta, urine and semen). Most studies showed elevated levels of DNA damage biomarkers among e-waste exposed populations than in control populations. The most commonly used biomarkers were micronuclei frequency (n=9) in peripheral blood lymphocytes or buccal cells and 8-OHdG (n=7) in urine. The results of the meta-analysis showed that electronic waste recycling has contributed to an increased risk of DNA damage measured using MN frequency with a pooled estimate of the standardized mean difference (SMD) of 2.30 (95% CI: 1.36, 3.24, p<0.001) based on 865 participants. Conclusions: Taken together, evidence from this systematic review with meta-analysis suggest that occupational and non-occupational exposure to e-waste processing is associated with increased risk of DNA damage measured through MN assay and other types of DNA damage biomarkers. However, more studies from other developing countries in Africa, Latin America, and South Asia are needed to confirm and increase these results’ generalizability.

Source: UG