ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Detection of Human Papillomavirus Genotypes and Epstein-Barr Virus in Nasopharyngeal Carcinomas at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana

Nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC) are endemic in Far East Asia and commonly harbour Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) which is known to serve as a key oncogenic promoter. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is known to contribute to the pathogenesis of NPC. However, in Ghana these two viruses have not been linked to NPC prevalence. This study was designed to determine the HPV genotypes and EBV involved in NPC tissue biopsies. A retrospective study design involving 72 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPET) samples of NPC from 2006 to 2012 were retrieved from the Department of Pathology, University of Ghana School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences. Sections were taken for histological analysis and for DNA lysate preparation. The DNA lysates were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis to determine the presence of HPV genotypes and EBV. HPV specific primers were used to type for fourteen HPV genotypes (HPV-16, 18, 6/11, 31, 33, 35, 44, 42, 43, 45, 56, 52, 58, and 59). Out of the 72 NPC biopsies analyzed by PCR, EBV DNA was present in 18 (25%) cases and HPV DNA in 14 (19.23%). High risk HPV (HR-HPV) genotypes 18 and 31 were associated with the NPC. There were 3 (4.2%) cases of coinfection by both viruses. The EBV DNA present in the undifferentiated variant of the NPC and the histopathology of the NPC in Ghana is similar to the type described in endemic areas. © 2017 Du-Bois Asante et al.

Source: UG
Detection of Leishmania DNA in Phlebotomine Sand Flies in Tsatee, a Community in the Volta Region, Ghana

The Department of Parasitology conducts research into parasitic diseases of public health importance with the overall goal of reducing their transmission and the heavy disease burden that they impose on affected populations. The Department maintains focus on parasitic diseases in general. These include major diseases such as malaria, and others listed under the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) control initiative such as, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis.

Source: UG
Detection of malaria sporozoites by standard ELISA and VecTest™ dipstick assay in field-collected anopheline mosquitoes from a malaria endemic site in Ghana.

The Epidemiology Department contributes to the mission of the institute through basic and applied epidemiological research on, but not limited to, malaria and other diseases of public health importance. It is also home to the Social Science Unit of the Institute, including the Health Support Centre for HIV/AIDS and other communicable and noncommunicable health problems.

Source: UG
Detection of Mycobacterium ulcerans by the Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification Method

Background: Buruli ulcer (BU) caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans (M. ulcerans) has emerged as an important public health problem in several rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are important in preventing disfiguring complications associated with late stages of the disease progression. Presently there is no simple and rapid test that is appropriate for early diagnosis and use in the low-resource settings where M. ulcerans is most prevalent. Methodology: We compared conventional and pocket warmer loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) methods (using a heat block and a pocket warmer respectively as heat source for amplification reaction) for the detection of M. ulcerans in clinical specimens. The effect of purified and crude DNA preparations on the detection rate of the LAMP assays were also investigated and compared with that of IS2404 PCR, a reference assay for the detection of M. ulcerans. Thirty clinical specimens from suspected BU cases were examined by LAMP and IS2404 PCR. Principal Findings: The lower detection limit of both LAMP methods at 60uC was 300 copies of IS2404 and 30 copies of IS2404 for the conventional LAMP at 65uC. When purified DNA extracts were used, both the conventional LAMP and IS2404 PCR concordantly detected 21 positive cases, while the pocket warmer LAMP detected 19 cases. Nine of 30 samples were positive by both the LAMP assays as well as IS2404 PCR when crude extracts of clinical specimens were used. Conclusion/Significance: The LAMP method can be used as a simple and rapid test for the detection of M. ulcerans in clinical specimens. However, obtaining purified DNA, as well as generating isothermal conditions, remains a major challenge for the use of the LAMP method under field conditions. With further improvement in DNA extraction and amplification conditions, the pwLAMP could be used as a point of care diagnostic test for BU

Source: UG
Detection of Mycobacterium ulcerans by the Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification Method.

Background: Buruli ulcer (BU) caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans (M. ulcerans) has emerged as an important public health problem in several rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are important in preventing disfiguring complications associated with late stages of the disease progression. Presently there is no simple and rapid test that is appropriate for early diagnosis and use in the low-resource settings where M. ulcerans is most prevalent. Methodology: We compared conventional and pocket warmer loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) methods (using a heat block and a pocket warmer respectively as heat source for amplification reaction) for the detection of M. ulcerans in clinical specimens. The effect of purified and crude DNA preparations on the detection rate of the LAMP assays were also investigated and compared with that of IS2404 PCR, a reference assay for the detection of M. ulcerans. Thirty clinical specimens from suspected BU cases were examined by LAMP and IS2404 PCR. Principal Findings: The lower detection limit of both LAMP methods at 60uC was 300 copies of IS2404 and 30 copies of IS2404 for the conventional LAMP at 65uC. When purified DNA extracts were used, both the conventional LAMP and IS2404 PCR concordantly detected 21 positive cases, while the pocket warmer LAMP detected 19 cases. Nine of 30 samples were positive by both the LAMP assays as well as IS2404 PCR when crude extracts of clinical specimens were used. Conclusion/Significance: The LAMP method can be used as a simple and rapid test for the detection of M. ulcerans in clinical specimens. However, obtaining purified DNA, as well as generating isothermal conditions, remains a major challenge for the use of the LAMP method under field conditions. With further improvement in DNA extraction and amplification conditions, the pwLAMP could be used as a point of care diagnostic test for BU.

Source: UG
Detection of non-influenza viruses in acute respiratory infections in children under five-year-old in Cote D’Ivoire (January – December 2013)

Most research activities involve the use of molecular methods such as regular PCR (PCR), quantitative PCR (Q-PCR), genomic sequence and analysis using different software, genetic engineering, probe hybridization techniques, biological and molecular cloning, evaluation of immune markers for laboratory diagnosis of infections, serological assays involving the use of rapid tests, ELISA-based evaluations and immunofluorescent assay techniques.

Source: UG
Detection of parasite-specific DNA in urine sediment obtained by filtration differentiates between single and mixed infections of Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium from endemic areas in Ghana

The Department of Parasitology conducts research into parasitic diseases of public health importance with the overall goal of reducing their transmission and the heavy disease burden that they impose on affected populations. The Department maintains focus on parasitic diseases in general. These include major diseases such as malaria, and others listed under the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) control initiative such as, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis.

Source: UG
Detection of Plasmodium falciparum Histidine-rich Protein II in Saliva of Malaria Patients

Detection of Plasmodium falciparum parasites in patients with malaria necessitates drawing blood, which increases the risk of accidental infections and is poorly accepted in communities with blood taboos. Thus, non-invasive, cost-effective malaria tests that minimize the need for blood collection are needed. Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein II (PfHRP II) levels in plasma and saliva were compared in malaria-positive and -negative patients in Ghana. Plasma and saliva obtained from 30 thick-film positive and 10 negative children were evaluated for PfHRP II by ELISA. Among the 30 children with positive blood smear, 16 (53%) were PfHRP II positive in plasma and 13 (43%) had PfHRP II positive saliva. The sensitivity of PfHRP II detection was 53% for plasma and 43% for saliva. The specificity was 100% with no false positive for both plasma and saliva when compared with blood smear. Thus, rapid detection of PfHRP II antigen in saliva may be a useful non-invasive and cost-effective malaria diagnostic technique.

Source: UG
Detection of vaccine-derived poliovirus circulation by environmental surveillance in the absence of clinical cases

Most research activities involve the use of molecular methods such as regular PCR (PCR), quantitative PCR (Q-PCR), genomic sequence and analysis using different software, genetic engineering, probe hybridization techniques, biological and molecular cloning, evaluation of immune markers for laboratory diagnosis of infections, serological assays involving the use of rapid tests, ELISA-based evaluations and immunofluorescent assay techniques.

Source: UG
Determinants and outcomes of preterm births at a tertiary hospital in Ghana

Introduction Preterm birth remains an important clinical challenge with significant short and long-term complications although its burden in the developing world is not adequately explored. This study determines the incidence, specific determinants and outcomes of preterm birth at a teaching hospital in Ghana. Methods Retrospective review of singleton births at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Ghana between 1st January to 31st December, 2015. Results Preterm birth (PTB) occurred in 1478 (18.9%) out of 7801 single deliveries with etiological distribution of 879 (59.5%) spontaneous and 599 (40.5%) provider-initiated phenotypes. Gestational age categorization (WHO classification) of the preterm births included 68 (4.6%), 235 (15.9%) and 1175 (79.5%) below 28, between 28-31 and 32–36 weeks respectively. Adverse perinatal outcomes (low birth weight, perinatal deaths and poor Apgar scores) but not adverse maternal outcomes (cesarean and maternal deaths) were significantly higher in preterm compared to term births. Major factors associated with PTB include advanced maternal age (>35 years), poor antenatal care, hypertensive disorders and preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) whiles obesity was protective. There were 156 stillbirths (105.6 per1000 births) comprising 93 macerated (62.9 per 1000 births) and 63 fresh stillbirths (42.6 per 1000 births), and perinatal mortality rate of 119.8 per 1000 births. Discussion Preterm birth is highly prevalent with significant adverse outcomes among singleton gestations at KBTH in Ghana, with disproportionately higher spontaneous etiology compared to provider-initiated phenotype. A paradigm shift in clinical management of preterm births/prematurity is urgently required with proactively dedicated multidisciplinary team and involvement of the global community.

Source: UG
Determinants and the impact of the National Health Insurance on neonatal mortality in Ghana

The national health insurance was established to increase access to health care services and the maternal component was later introduced to improve the health outcomes of both mother and child. The main objectives of this study are to investigate the factors that affect neonatal deaths as well as examine the effect of the Ghana Health Insurance on neonatal deaths in Ghana. Using the most recent round of the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, the study estimates the probit model with interaction effects to account for the heterogeneity in outcomes. Additionally, the study employs the propensity score matching approach to account for the possible endogeneity in the insurance enrolment decision. Results from the estimations, after controlling for relevant individual and household characteristics suggest that the national health insurance significantly reduces the likelihood of neonatal deaths. Estimates remain consistent even after more robust estimators are employed. Estimates from the interaction between place of residence and health insurance indicate that health insurance beneficiaries who reside in urban areas are at a higher risk of neonatal deaths compared to other women. Access to medical facilities proxied by distance to the nearest health post emerged as an important predictor of neonatal death. The study also suggests significant regional differences in neonatal deaths. We, therefore, conclude that the national health insurance may have the potential to substantially improve the health outcomes of neonates and have policy implications for increasing coverage to more mothers and their neonates, as well as coverage in critical neonatal services and drugs. © 2017, The Author(s).

Source: UG
Determinants and Value Relevance of Corporate Disclosure: Evidence from the Emerging Capital Market of Ghana

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to document the determinants and value relevance of corporate disclosure and transparency on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE). Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs the Fama and French model by relating firm value to firm level characteristics, with a sample of 27 firms on the GSE over a six-year period (2003-2008) Findings – The author found positive though statistically insignificant relationship between corporate disclosure and firm value represented by market to book value ratio and negative for stock price. Consistent with the political cost, signalling, agency and economic theories of corporate disclosure, the author found firm size, financial leverage, audit quality, age and profitability to be significant firm level characteristics determining corporate disclosure in Ghana. Though the adoption of IFRS is significant, it has marginally improved disclosure, though perhaps it is observed more in breach than in compliance and practical steps must be taken to improve disclosure practice on the GSE. Originality/value – The main value of the paper lies in providing further evidence of the value relevance and determinants of corporate disclosure using emerging data.

Source: UG
Determinants of abortion decisions among Ghanaian university students

Abstract Background: Unsafe abortion accounts for a significant proportion of maternal and reproductive health related mortalities and complications in developing countries. In Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa in general, abortion remains a significant barrier to achieving the health related MDGs. Yet, there exist a dearth of information on the determinants of abortion decisions among adolescents, students and other populations at risk. OBJECTIVES: This study explores the factors that are likely to influence abortion decisions among University students in Ghana. It also explores their knowledge and perceptions on abortion. METHODS: Data were collected from 142 randomly sampled students of the University of Ghana through focus group discussions. Questions focused on their knowledge on abortion and the key determinants of their decisions to abort. The results were recorded, transcribed, and analysed qualitatively using the thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: The students were knowledgeable on abortion. In making decisions on abortion, the students considered their education, religious beliefs, health, economic factors, and family. CONCLUSIONS: Factors such as societal pressure and peer influence that, to date, have been the backbone of sexual and reproductive health, anti-abortion stigma, and unsafe abortion education and interventions have minimal influence on abortion decisions among the students. Rather, these interventions must focus on their education, religious beliefs, health, economic factors, and family to make maximum impact.

Source: UG
Determinants of Academic Mentoring in Higher Education: Evidence from a Research University, Educational Process

Research has shown that most young and inexperienced faculty members require assistance in developing their career and meeting their teaching quota through mentoring. However, academic mentoring has not been effective in many research universities, especially those in the developing world. This study has investigated the factors that facilitate academic mentoring in a typical research university. The study adapted a quantitative methodology by drawing from a sample of 244 senior and junior teaching staff of a public research university in Ghana and used Multiple Regression as the basis for the study analysis to test the hypotheses. Findings showed a strong positive relationship between institutional career support and the process of mentoring. Findings also showed a strong positive mentoring relationship between senior faculty and inexperienced faculty, as well as between colleague faculty. Similarly, findings showed a very low presence of academic mentoring in the University of Ghana. This work contributes strongly to academic mentoring and discovers some legitimate antecedents of mentoring in institutions of Higher Education. By this, the work provides HE institutions with the value of developing their internal human capital asset that can leverage their performance.

Source: UG
Determinants of access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking in Africa: A panel autoregressive distributed lag approach

Clean cooking fuels and technologies remain essential in addressing the climate crises, environmental degradation, deforestation, air pollution, health complications, and poverty. Nevertheless, many countries in Africa lack access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking. The extant literature remains scarce on the determinants of clean cooking fuels and technologies using macroeconomic indicators covering many African countries in a single study. This article addresses this gap using panel data from 38 African countries. The paper shows that rural population, particulate matter emission, and natural resources depletion significantly decreased access to clean cooking fuels and technologies in the long run while the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita significantly increased access to clean cooking fuels and technologies in the long run in Africa. The results show a bi-causal relationship between clean cooking fuels and technologies and rural population, GDP per capita, natural resource depletion, and particulate emissions damage. Understanding the determinants of clean cooking fuels and technologies will expand insights into addressing challenges associated with particulate emission damages. Governments in Africa should target improvements in GDP per capita, promote advocacies, and advocate for investments to address the limited access to clean cooking fuels and technologies, particularly for the rural poor.

Source: UG
Determinants of adoption of computer-assisted audit tools and techniques among internal audit units in Ghana

This study investigates the determinants of adoption of computer-assisted audit tools and techniques (CAATTs) among internal audit units in Ghana. Data for the study was drawn from a sample of 75 private and state-owned enterprises through questionnaires while the partial least squares structural equation modeling was employed to analyze and test the hypotheses. The findings indicate that albeit CAATT adoption within internal audit units is fairly high, the actual usage in the areas of risk assessment, fraud detection, substantive testing, and analytical procedures are still low. Using the extended technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework, results show that CAATT behavioral intention is driven by technological readiness, organizational readiness, and environmental readiness but not personal innovativeness. In addition, CAATT behavioral intention influences CAATT adoption among the internal audit units. The findings provide valuable insights to management, heads of audit units, policymakers, and regulators on ways to improve the adoption and use of CAATT. Firms should invest more in training workshops on big data analytics, hiring more data scientists or data engineers, and equipping internal audit units with the information technology infrastructure. The paper complements prior research by applying a hierarchical component modeling technique to the extended TOE framework to investigate CAATT adoption in internal audits.

Source: UG
Determinants of an extended metric of agricultural commercialization in Ghana

For smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, increasing productivity and agricultural commercialization are mooted as one of the pillars for agricultural development. However, the measurement of agricultural commercialization has been restricted to the household crop commercialization index (HCCI) that focuses on crops neglecting livestock. This study develops an extended metric of agricultural commercialization named household crop-livestock commer cialization index (HCLCI), which combines crop and livestock commercialization with the argument that it is superior to the overly used HCCI. Fractional regression is used to estimate the determinants of the extended metric using secondary and primary data from Ghana. Results indicate that agricultural commercialization is low when examined with the HCCI and the HCLCI. However, the HCLCI (at 26.44 % and 29.76 %, respectively, for the GLSS7 and primary data) is much lower relative to the HCCI (at 35.20 % and 38.24, respectively) but higher than the live stock commercialization index (10.93 % and 8.21 %, respectively). The underlying simultaneous factors that boost agricultural commercialization are infrastructure variables (i.e., road, market, transport, and bank), institutional variable (i.e., agricultural cooperatives) and scale of produc tion (i.e., land endowment and crop production diversity). These findings imply that Ghana needs to invest in infrastructure and farmer institutional development to boost agricultural commercialization.

Source: UG
Determinants of Anaemia in Pregnancy in Sekyere West District, Ghana

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