ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
A bibliometric analysis of the impact of COVID‑19 social lockdowns on air quality: research trends and future directions

Social lockdowns improved air quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments had previously spent a lot of money addressing air pollution without success. This bibliometric study measured the infuence of COVID-19 social lockdowns on air pollution, identifed emerging issues, and discussed future perspectives. The researchers examined the contributions of countries, authors, and most productive journals to COVID-19 and air pollution research from January 1, 2020, to September 12, 2022, from the Web of Sciences Core Collection (WoS). The results showed that (a) publications on the COVID-19 pandemic and air pollution were 504 (research articles) with 7495 citations, (b) China ranked frst in the number of publications (n = 151; 29.96% of the global output) and was the main country in international cooperation network, followed by India (n = 101; 20.04% of the total articles) and the USA (n = 41; 8.13% of the global output). Air pollution plagues China, India, and the USA, calling for many studies. After a high spike in 2020, research published in 2021 declined in 2022. The author’s keywords have focused on “COVID-19,” “air pollution,” “lockdown,” and “PM25.” These keywords suggest that research in this area is focused on understanding the health impacts of air pollution, developing policies to address air pollution, and improving air quality monitoring. The COVID-19 social lockdown served as a specifed procedure to reduce air pollution in these countries. However, this paper provides practical recommendations for future research and a model for environmental and health scientists to examine the likely impact of COVID-19 social lockdowns on urban air pollution.

Source: UG
A bibliometric analysis of theses at the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon

The purpose of the study was to analyse the Master of Philosophy and the Doctor of Philosophy theses publications by postgraduate students at the School of Nuclear and Allied Science (SNAS), University of Ghana from (2008 - 2016) using the INIS database as the source of data. The study used the bibliometric method. The purposive sampling technique was used to retrieve four hundred and fourteen (414) theses records from a population of five hundred and thirty eight (538) theses records published in Ghana. The International Nuclear Information System (INIS) database and the search query language (country:Ghana AND recordtype:Thesis/Dissertation) were the main instruments used in retrieving the data before extracting them onto Microsoft excel spreadsheet for analysis. The major findings of the study revealed that the yearly publication trend of graduate student theses at SNAS showed a constant rise and fall in the number of theses published over the period. There was also a big gender gap with male students dominating their female counterparts with (300 or 79.71%) counts. The most frequently used keyword assigned by the indexer (subject specialist) was radiation protection with (189) counts. It is recommended that SNAS should gain autonomy from the University of Ghana, the parent University as it will enable it to run its academic programs by itself, take decisions that will benefit its smooth running and management in the long run and also help to accelerate the plans already in place for a nuclear power plant to be added to the energy mix for Ghana.

Source: UG
Bibliotheque Des Geographes Arabes Pubiee Sous La Direction De Gabriel Ferrand

Le masalik el absar fi mamalik el amsar est un ouvrage bien connu ; Deguignes l'avait signale (1). Quatremere a traduit les chapitres relatifs a. I'Asie (2), et a fait servir a. la riche annotation de ses Mamluks les chapitres qui decrivent I'Egypte et la Syrie (3). Les manuscrits du masalik ont ete consultes avec fruit par divers savants, notamment par Amari et par Van Berchem. Le ta'rif bil mustalah as saril du meme auteur a ete publie ; R. Hartmann en a traduit la description geographique de I"Empire mamluk, et plusieurs ecrivains l'ont consulte avec fruit (4)

Source: UG
Big Men, Small Boys; A Power Dimension Perspective of Farmers-Herdsmen Conflict in Ghana

The Peace Council of Ghana ranks farmer–herder conflicts among the country’s three most significant threats to peace (Parker-Wilson, 2021). In In Ghana, herders are widely referred to as “Fulani,” making the term synonymous with cattle rearing. Initially, the term referred to a predominantly nomad group called the Peul or the Fulbe. These nomads were typically based in pockets of settlements from Lake Chad to the east of the Atlantic Coast. In the early 20th century, British colonialists sought to establish a vibrant cattle industry in Ghana to counter the French monopoly over meat exports to Europe. Since most Ghanaians at the time were engaged in farming or mining, the British outsourced the establishment of the large-scale cattle business to foreigners known as the Fulani. Tonah (2006) suggested that this thriving cattle business attracted other Fulanis to Ghana in the early 20th century.

Source: UG
The “Big Switch”; Plastics to Paper. Ghana’s Long Eco Journey: Challenges, Prospects and Opportunities.

This study examines the plastic pollution menace globally and its ramifications for Ghana. The study was motivated by the increasing wave of plastic production and its attendant disposal challenges. Deploying a qualitative methodology, the study used primary sources like interviews and reviewed secondary data on plastic pollution in addition to a field research involving senior public officials and private citizens. The findings of this study show that there is a major global effort, led by the United Nations, to protect the environment in general and manage plastic waste in particular. Of utmost significance in this regard is the Basel Convention which has recently been amended to include provisions on plastic waste management. The study also assessed the capacity of Ghana to deal with plastic pollution and the findings show that although the country is signatory to several international Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and has made efforts to domesticate some of them, it lacks the political will to fully implement them. For example, the country is currently having challenges with landfill sites to manage waste, yet the study could not establish that there are plans to make substantial investments in recycling or incineration of waste, apart from a few private sector initiatives. The study concludes with some recommendations on how the Government of Ghana can rally citizens to reduce plastic pollution on the environment.

Source: UG
Bijdragen En Mededeeling En Van Het Historisch Genootschap

In het XIXde deel dezer Bijdragen en Mededee- lingeni) had ik het genocgcn cen advertisement" uit hot janr 1607 to doen ardrukken, wanrill cen uitvoerig overzicht werd gegcvcn van den tocstand van handel en niverheid hier to lande in het begin der 17de ceuw) in de cerste jaren dus van de opkomst van dien handel en die nijverheid. Thans kall ik een dergelijk overzieht, zil het slechts over den handel en de zeevaart, aanbieden uit het haatst derzelfde ecuw, naar het mij tocschijut een veel nauwkeurigcr en daardoor ook belangrijker overzicht. Door vergelijking der beide overzichten kan men zich thans een uitgewcrkt denkbeeld vormen van de ontwikkeling ten minste van handel en zeevaart ten oozent in die eeuw.

Source: UG
Biliary excretion in persons with low blood glutathione levels

The main research focus of the Electron Microscopy and Histopathology Department in the past 20 years has been in the areas of enteric diarrhoeas with special emphasis on rotavirus. Through its diarrhoea surveillance studies, the Department has helped to firmly establish rotaviruses as a major cause of diarrhoea in children, and document the circulation of unusual rotavirus genotypes in Ghana. The Department has also recently expanded its diagnostic repertoire to include the identification and characterization of noroviruses, astroviruses, and other enteric viruses.

Source: UG
Bilingual serial verb constructions: A comparative study of Ewe-English and Ewe-French codeswitching

The paper compares serial verb constructions (SVCs) in Ewe-English and Ewe-French codeswitching (CS) spoken in Ghana and Togo respectively. It argues that Ewe, the Matrix Language (ML) in both cases, sets the morphosyntactic frames of bilingual SVCs and, thus, determines their structural possibilities. It demonstrates this by looking at the various properties of SVCs in monolingual Ewe (including monoclausality and the expression of aspect and modality categories) and comparing them to the ones found in Ewe-English and Ewe-French CS structures. It also demonstrates this by looking at the expression of complex motion using Talmy's (2000) typology. Although English and French belong to different types with English being satellite-framed and French being verb-framed, and, although neither language has SVCs, complex motion is expressed in CS with SVCs. The facts are accounted for by using Myers-Scotton's (1993, 2002) Matrix Language Frame model. One major significance of the paper is that it is the first cross-linguistic study of bilingual SVCs. It predicts that for bilingual SVCs to be characteristic of CS, the ML has to have SVCs even if the other language, the embedded language, does not have them. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Source: UG
BILLBOARDS, YOUTH, UNEMPLOYMENT AND SUPERSTITION IN MAMFE-AKUAPEM, GHANA

ON A SUNNY DAY OF MAY 1983, A SECTION OF THE YOUTH OF MAMFE-AKUAPEM IN SOUTH-EASTERN GHANA- REEKING HEAVILY OF ALCOHOL, ARMED WITH MATCHETES AND PICKAXES AND ANGRILY SINGING WAR SONGS, DRUMMING AND DANCING, WENT TO THE RESIDENCE OF NANA AMA ANSAA SASRAKU III. THEIR MISSION WAS SIMPLE. THEY WERE TO INFORM HER OF THEIR PLANS TO DEMOLISH THE BILLBOARD WHICH WELCOMEED MOTOIRISTS AND VISITORS TO THE TOWN. ACCORDING THEM, THE BILLBOARD WAS INHABTED BY AN EVIL SPIRIT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GENERAL INCIDENCE OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND THE ABSENCE OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE TOWN. THE TURN OUT OF EVENTS IN THE FOCUS OF THIS PAPER BASED ON ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH AND SUPPLIMENTED BY ARCHIVAL AND SECONDARY SOURCES.

Source: UG
Binge Drinking among adolescents is related to the development of Alcohol Use Disorders: results from a Cross-Sectional Study

Binge drinking (BD) is a common pattern of alcohol consumption among adolescents. At present few data are available on the possible relationship between BD and alcohol use disorders (AUD) in adolescents. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of BD and relationship between BD behavior and AUD among adolescents. A total of 2704 students attending 10 purposively selected high schools from three Italian provinces were surveyed. Questionnaires regarding socio-demographic data, pattern and amount of alcohol intake, smoking habits, use of illicit drugs, and physical activity were administered. AUD and affective disorders were also evaluated. Alcohol intake was reported by 2126 participants; 1278 reported at least one episode BD in the last year and 715 in the last month. A diagnosis of AUD was made in 165 adolescents. The prevalence of AUD was higher in adolescents that reported BD behavior than in those that did not report BD (11.6% vs 0.9%, respectively; p < 0.0001). Logistic regression showed a positive relationship between a diagnosis of AUD and BD behavior (OR 9.6; 95% CI 4.7–22·9; p < 0.0001). In conclusion alcohol consumption with the pattern of BD among adolescents is highly related to development of AUD. © 2018, The Author(s).

Source: UG
Bio-activities of powders four plants against Prostephanus Truncatus Horn. (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and Tribolium Castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

The effect of the dry powders of the roots and leaves of Ocimum canum, Zanthoxylum xanthoxyloides, Moringa oleifera and Securidaca longipedunculata on the survival of Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) was determined in the laboratory. Generally, all the plant materials exhibited various levels of bio efficacies, with Z. xanthoxyloides and S. longipedunculata exhibiting the highest potency. Percentage survivorship of 35% and 40% were recorded for the roots and leaves, respectively, of Z. xanthoxyloides against T. casteeneum while 20% and 30% were recorded for roots and leaves of S. longipedunculata, respectively, against P.tuncatus.

Source: UG
Bio-based and sustainable food packaging systems: relevance, challenges, and prospects

Packaging materials are critical in ensuring the safety and quality of foods. Conventional packaging materials from non-renewable sources have revolutionized the food packaging industry, driven largely by convenience, low cost, good moisture barriers, and exhibition of excellent mechanical and handling properties. However, the growing ecological crisis and health burden emanating from heterogenous plastic waste demands sustainable and biodegradable alternatives, which promote circularity and lead to responsible material consumption. Beyond protection and containment, sustainable food packaging materials, unlike their traditional fossil cousins, leave minimal environmental impact and low carbon footprint from birth to dust. There is, therefore, a growing body of research on sustainable food packaging systems from different classes of natural polymers derived mainly from plants and animals. Bio-based packaging materials have been identified as possible renewable sources that can potentially replace conventional packaging materials. They can be extracted from biomass, chemically synthe sized, or produced by microorganisms. Besides, they can be processed using wet and dry processes, and other complementary processes. Bio-based materials are generally abundant in nature, and their sources can be broadly categorized into polysaccharides, proteins, and polyhydroxyalkanoates. Though noted as renewable sources, their application has some limitations, such as difficulty in processing and poor performance. However, they can be blended with other materials to overcome these limitations, improving their intrinsic and extrinsic properties, thereby increasing their applicability in the food industry. This review aims to provide an overview of bio-based packaging materials and their consideration for sustainable food packaging. Besides, it discusses the properties critical for their application in the food industry, their limitations, and prospects.

Source: UG
Bio-detheobromination of cocoa pod husks: Reduction of ochratoxin A content without change in nutrient profile

Background: Utilization of cocoa pod husks (CPH) in animal feed is hindered by the presence of theobromine, which is variably toxic to animals. Treatment of this agro-waste to remove theobromine, while preserving its nutrient content, would allow beneficial use of the millions of metric tonnes discarded annually. The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of selected theobromine-degrading filamentous fungi for use as bio-tools in degradation of theobromine in CPH. Results: The candidate fungi assessed in this study were an Aspergillus niger (AnTD) and three Talaromyces spp. (TmTD-1, TmTD-2, TvTD) isolates. All the fungi eliminated CPH theobromine, 0.15% w/w starting concentration, within 7days of start of treatment, and were capable of degrading caffeine and theophylline. The fungi decreased CPH ochratoxin A content by 31-74%. Pectin was not detectable in fungus-treated CPH whereas parameters assessed for proximate composition were not affected. Conclusions: The data provide ample evidence that the four isolates can be applied to CPH for the purpose of eliminating theobromine and decreasing ochratoxin A content without affecting nutrient profile. Comparatively, Talaromyces verruculosus TvTD was considered as most suitable for use as a bio-tool in detheobromination of CPH for animal feed. © 2018 The Author(s)

Source: UG
Bio-efficacy, user perception and acceptability of pyrethroid based mosquito coils in controlling Anopheles gambiae s.l., in some parts of Accra, Ghana

This study was to provide baseline information on patterns of coil usage, user acceptability and susceptibility levels of mosquito coils in some parts of Accra, Ghana. Three hundred and twenty questionnaires were administered to obtain information on knowledge and perception of respondents on the usage of mosquito coils. Adult Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes were tested for resistance to pyrethroid based mosquito coils using WHO standard protocol for testing household insecticide products. A total of 152 out of 320 respondents were direct users of coils. Close to 62% of this number frequently changes brands of coil they use. Over 61% of coil users indicated their willingness to continue to use coils even though there are adverse effects after use. Anopheles gambiae s.s. was the only species that was found in the study area. Mortalities of An. gambiae s.s. after exposure to coils were 37% for Angel®, 37.5% for Lord® and 15% for Heaven mosquito coil brands. More than half of the inhabitants in the area used coils to prevent mosquito bites. However, high levels of resistance was detected for all the three pyrethroid-based coils because West African kdr was detected in about 59% of samples of Anopheles gambiae s.s. that survived the exposure.

Source: UG
Bio-rational control of red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in stored wheat with Calneem® oil derived from neem seeds

The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), is one of the most serious secondary pests that feeds on a wide range of durable stored products including cereals, cereal products and other high value produce such as cocoa beans and dried fruits. Toxicity and protectant potential of Calneem® oil derived from the seeds of the neem tree Azadirachta indica A. Juss. towards T. castaneum were evaluated in stored wheat in the laboratory using contact toxicity, grain treatment, persistency, progeny emergence and repellency assays. Calneem® contains about 0.3% azadirachtin as its major active ingredient. The Calneem® was applied at six dosages (0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0% v/v). The oil was emulsified with water using 0.07% soap. All dosages of Calneem® oil were toxic and highly repellent to T. castaneum with an overall repellency in the range of 52-88%. The highest dosage of 3.0% of Calneem® oil tested killed at least 90% of the beetles within 72 h on grain, and 88% mortality was obtained on filter paper. T. castaneum mortality was dose dependent. The development of eggs to adults on cracked wheat was significantly (P > 0.05) inhibited by Calneem® oil treatments. The effectiveness of Calneem® oil was significantly reduced by the length of storage after application. The results obtained suggest good potential for the practical use of Calneem® oil as grain protectant for stored product pest control. The use of plant materials such as neem oil may be a safe, cost-effective method of grain preservation against pest infestation amongst low-resource poor farmers who store small amounts of grains. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.

Source: UG
Bioaccessibility and children health risk assessment of soil-laden heavy metals from school playground and public parks in Accra, Ghana

Parks and playground soils constitute a critical matrix for children exposure to hazardous substances due to their high exposure rate. However, minimal investigation has been conducted in Ghana on the subject, thus the need for this research. One hundred and twenty (120) soil samples were collected between April 2015 and March 2016 and then analyzed for heavy metals using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The health risk posed to school children by the heavy metals laden in soil was assessed via oral bioaccessibility and hazard index. The oral bioaccessibility of the metals was estimated using the simple bioaccessibility extraction test (SBET) method. Iron (Fe) measured the highest range of total metal concentrations of 2785.0–15275.0 mg kg−1 followed by Pb of 2.1–284.0 mg kg−1. The oral bioaccessibility of the metals varied significantly with Pb and Cu exhibiting the highest mean values of 47.80% and 54.45%, respectively. The sequence for the mean bioaccessibility result does not correspond with the mean concentration of metals in the soil. The hazard index (HI) for most of the heavy metals indicated no potential non-carcinogenic health risk to children (HI < 1) except for Pb. The prolonged use of leaded fuel in Ghana prior to its outright ban on January 1 2004 and the persistence of Pb in soil media may account for its high risk. The deleterious health effects of Pb on children call for the adoption and implementation of appropriate environmental management of playgrounds so as to mitigate children’s exposure to soil-laden heavy metals.

Source: UG
Bioaccessibility of lead in airborne particulates from car battery repair work

The bioaccessibility of Pb in air particulate matter from two car battery repair workshops in Kumasi (Ghana) was measured (64 full shift personal aerosol samples). An artificial lung lining fluid simulant (Hatch solution) was applied for leaching the bioaccessible fraction in half of the samples, the other half was leached with synthetic gastric juice. At both locations, the Pb solubility (median) in gastric juice (89% and 92%) is substantially higher than in Hatch solution (4.9% and 5.6%). The high solubility of Pb in gastric juice may be related to the presence of Pb oxides. The low bioaccessibility of Pb in Hatch solution is in good agreement with previous work on mine tailings, urban aerosol, car exhaust, welding fumes and indoor dust. The high bioaccessibility of Pb in the gastrointestinal tract underpins the importance of improving the personal hygienic behavior at the workplace. It is recommended that air monitoring of Pb should include the extrathoracic aerosol fraction using inhalable aerosol samplers, as particles of this size fraction are most likely transferred to the gastrointestinal tract in addition to the non-lung-soluble particles transported from the lung by mucociliary and phagocytosis clearance. © 2014 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Source: UG
Bioactivity data for eunicellin-based diterpenes isolated from Acalycigorgia Sp

The cytotoxicity of five compounds previously isolated from the gorgonian Acalycigorgia sp was evaluated against human myeloid leukemia cells HL-60 and T-lymphocyte Jurkat cells. The tetrazolium-based colorimetric (MTT) assay was used to assess cytotoxicity of the compounds. They were found to be cytotoxic against the cell lines tested, and their IC50 values were comparable to that of curcumin which had IC50 values of 9.0μM and 6.8μM in HL-60 and Jurkat cells, respectively. Compound 1 was the most cytotoxic with IC50 values of 15.0μM and 21.9μM in HL-60 and Jurkat cells, respectively. The least cytotoxic was compound 5 which had IC50 values of 92.0μM and 123.8μM in HL-60 and Jurkat cells, respectively. The lower cytotoxicity of compound 5 could be attributed to the bulky fatty acid moiety attached at C6 of the main eunicellin skeleton. The GST activity of the five compounds was also studied and the results showed that the compounds had only moderate GST inhibitory activities. Compound 3 showed the strongest GST inhibitory activity with IC50 value of 0.67mM compared to the IC50 value of 0.01mM given by ETA which was used as a positive control. In addition, the five compounds tested showed very mild radical scavenging activity in the DPPH test. © Research India Publications.

Source: UG