ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Source Tracking Mycobacterium ulcerans Infections in the Ashanti Region, Ghana

Although several studies have associated Mycobacterium ulcerans (MU) infection, Buruli ulcer (BU), with slow moving water bodies, there is still no definite mode of transmission. Ecological and transmission studies suggest Variable Number Tandem Repeat (VNTR) typing as a useful tool to differentiate MU strains from other Mycolactone Producing Mycobacteria (MPM). Deciphering the genetic relatedness of clinical and environmental isolates is seminal to determining reservoirs, vectors and transmission routes. In this study, we attempted to source-track MU infections to specific water bodies by matching VNTR profiles of MU in human samples to those in the environment. Environmental samples were collected from 10 water bodies in four BU endemic communities in the Ashanti region, Ghana. Four VNTR loci in MU Agy99 genome, were used to genotype environmental MU ecovars, and those from 14 confirmed BU patients within the same study area. Length polymorphism was confirmed with sequencing. MU was present in the 3 different types of water bodies, but significantly higher in biofilm samples. Four MU genotypes, designated W, X, Y and Z, were typed in both human and environmental samples. Other reported genotypes were only found in water bodies. Animal trapping identified 1 mouse with lesion characteristic of BU, which was confirmed as MU infection. Our findings suggest that patients may have been infected from community associated water bodies. Further, we present evidence that small mammals within endemic communities could be susceptible to MU infections. M. ulcerans transmission could involve several routes where humans have contact with risk environments, which may be further compounded by water bodies acting as vehicles for disseminating strains. © 2015 Narh et al.

Source: UG
Sources of nutrition information and level of nutrition knowledge among young adults in the Accra metropolis

Background Acquiring accurate and adequate nutrition information is important as it could inform nutritional choices positively and promote the maintenance of a healthy nutritional status. This study assessed a sample of young adults’ nutrition knowledge and identified where they gather information from to guide nutritional choices. Method This was a cross-sectional study involving young adults (N=192) between 18 to 25 years recruited at shopping areas in the Accra Metropolis of Ghana. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect information on demographic characteristics, sources of nutrition information and basic nutrition knowledge. Pearson chi-square test was used to identify possible differences between high and low scorers of the knowledge assessment in terms of their nutrition information acquisition behaviours and logistic regression was conducted to ascertain whether source of nutrition information was related to participants’ nutrition knowledge. Results Online resources were the most popular source (92.7%) used to seek information on nutrition among study participants, and healthcare professionals were perceived to be the most reliable source of nutrition information. Additionally, participants who used healthcare professionals as a source of nutrition information were 61% (95% CI: 0.15-0.99) more likely to have a high nutrition knowledge than participants who did not consult healthcare professionals for nutrition information. Conclusion Online resources serve as a very common source of nutrition information for young adults. Thus, healthcare professionals may need to adopt this as a useful channel to circulate trustworthy nutrition information to this age group.

Source: UG
Sources of retirement income among formal sector workers in Ghana

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine alternative sources of retirement income apart from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) pension benefits and the significance of these retirement income sources in the consumption decisions of pensioners in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach Using household survey data on SSNIT pensioners in Accra, Ghana, this study employ the Garrett and Kendall coefficient of concordance (W-test) to robustly identify the sources of retirement income and determine the significance of these income sources in financing consumption expenditure during retirement. Findings The findings show that apart from SSNIT pension benefits, other sources of retirement income including rental income, income from post-retirement jobs and remittances from family and friends are significant sources of income for pensioners in Ghana. Personnel savings and investment was the least important source of retirement income. Research limitations/implications Further research will be needed to validate these results, particularly using household survey data that covers the entire country. Originality/value The study contributes to the scanty literature on retirement income by robustly identifying the alternative sources of retirement income and their importance or significance to pensioners in Ghana.

Source: UG
Souring and breakdown of cyanogenic glucosides during the processing of cassava into akyeke

The population and composition of the lactic acid bacteria microbiota as well as the content of cyanogenic glucosides occurring at various stages of fermentation and subsequent processing of cassava roots into akyeke, a steamed sour cassava meal, were investigated. The number of lactic acid bacteria and percentage titratable acidity increased during 5 days of fermentation, but decreases were observed in the subsequent operations of 'washing' the dough with water followed by partial drying and steaming. In field and laboratory samples, Lactobacillus plantarum accounted for 59.3% and 52.3%, Lactobacillus brevis 23.3% and 22.8% and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris 14.5% and 15.8%, respectively, of all lactic acid bacteria isolated at various stages of fermentation and processing. A reduction of about 98% occurred in the total cyanogens (CN) content of cassava roots during processing, from 69.3 to 1.4 and 110.3 to 2.8 mg CN equivalent/kg dry weight for laboratory and field samples of akyeke, respectively. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Source: UG
&quot;Souring and starch behaviour during co -fermentation of cassava and soybean into gari ‘farina’&quot;

Investigations were conducted to determine changes in souring/acidification and starch behaviour during co-fermentation of cassava and soybean into gari, ‘farina’ an African fermented product. A 3 x 4 factorial experiment was performed with fermentation time (0, 24 and 48 h) and soybean concentration (0, 10, 20 and 30%) as variables. Titratable acidity, pH and starch content were studied using standard analytical methods. Starch breakdown and pasting characteristics were also evaluated. The results revealed that pH decreased with concomitant increases in titratable acidity during co-fermentation of the cassava dough. Soy - fortification up to 30% caused significant (p<0.05) effects on the pH, titratable acidity and starch content during the fermentation period with only minimal and insignificant (p<0.05) effect noted at 20% soy level. Fermentation caused significant differences (p<0.05) in the pH, titratable acidity and starch concentration. Starch content decreased from 69.8% to 60.4% within the 48 h fermentation time in the unfortified sample with similar trends noted at all levels of fortification. Starch pasting characteristics showed that the pasting temperature significantly increased with increasing fermentation time and soybean concentration. Contrary to this, viscosity at 95°C and at 50°C HOLD decreased with increasing fermentation time and soybean concentration. Peak viscosity decreased from 1150 BU to 820 BU and 750 BU after 48 hours of fermentation, with 0% and 30% soybean levels respectively. Cassava could be co-fermented with soybean up to 20% concentration during gari processing, without significant effect on its process and product quality characteristics.

Source: UG
South-South cooperation in africa: Historical, geopolitical and political economy dimensions of international development

This article examines how neoliberal reforms mediate and influence relationships between emergent powers and African nations centred on agricultural development. It investigates the impact of South-South relations on the nature of development and technical cooperation, aid and investment, and on the configuration of relations between states, farmers and the private sector. It examines the extent to which the experiences of China and Brazil in developing their agriculture result in qualitatively new paradigms for agricultural development, and whether they create new openings for a redefinition of development policy and practice. Moreover, the article assesses whether South-South development cooperation merely reinforces the drive to capital accumulation unleashed by global economic liberalisation, reflecting strategies by emergent powers to acquire new markets for agricultural technology, inputs, services and new sources of raw materials. In conclusion, the article questions the extent to which alternative paradigms for development cooperation can be created within the institutional framework created by neoliberal reform. © 2013 The Author. IDS Bulletin © 2013 Institute of Development Studies.

Source: UG
South–South Cooperation, Agribusiness, and African Agricultural Development: Brazil and China in Ghana and Mozambique

The rise of new powers in development has generated much debate on the extent to which South–South Cooperation (SSC) constitutes a new paradigm of development more relevant to African needs or a disguise for a new form of imperialism. This paper critically examines the rise of Chinese and Brazilian technical and economic cooperation in African agriculture with two cases drawn from Ghana and Mozambique. Using a historical framework, policy documents, case studies, and an analysis of the political economy of agrarian development, we trace the role of agricultural development in the relations of China and Brazil in Africa, and the extents to which recent developments in agribusiness and structural neoliberal reforms of African economies have influenced Brazilian and Chinese contemporary engagements with African agriculture. We examine the extent to which the different policy frameworks, political interests in agriculture, and institutional frameworks influence and impede the outcomes of Chinese and Brazilian development intents. We find that China and Brazil have different histories of experience within African agriculture, which influences the nature of their technical and development cooperation. Although they have distinct agrarian structures, the development of agribusiness and commercial seed, input and machinery sectors in China and Brazil influence engagements within Africa. These are often variants of the same interests that underlie the programs of northern donors, and frequently the two rising powers engage in trilateral arrangements with other donors and international agencies, particularly in the case of Brazil.

Source: UG
South-South Irregular Migration: The Impacts of China’s Informal Gold Rush in Ghana

This article examines irregular South-South migration from China to Ghana, and the role it played in transforming livelihoods and broader developmental landscapes. It looks at the entry of approximately 50,000 Chinese migrants into the informal small-scale gold mining sector from 2008-2013. These migrants mainly hailed from Shanglin County in Guangxi Province. In Ghana, they formed mutually beneficial relationships with local miners, both legal and illegal, introducing machinery that substantially increased gold production. However, the legal status of Chinese miners was particularly problematic as, by law, small-scale mining is restricted to Ghanaian citizens. In mid-2013, President Mahama established a military task force against illegal mining, resulting in the deportation of many Chinese miners. The article examines the experiences of both Chinese migrants and Ghanaian miners. Findings are that irregular migration into an informal sector had long-lasting impacts and played a significant role in the transformation of economic, political, and physical landscapes in Ghana

Source: UG
South-South Irregular Migration: The Impacts of China's Informal Gold Rush in Ghana

This article examines irregular South‐South migration from China to Ghana, and the role it played in transforming livelihoods and broader developmental landscapes. It looks at the entry of approximately 50,000 Chinese migrants into the informal small‐scale gold mining sector from 2008‐2013. These migrants mainly hailed from Shanglin County in Guangxi Province. In Ghana, they formed mutually beneficial relationships with local miners, both legal and illegal, introducing machinery that substantially increased gold production. However, the legal status of Chinese miners was particularly problematic as, by law, small‐scale mining is restricted to Ghanaian citizens. In mid‐2013, President Mahama established a military task force against illegal mining, resulting in the deportation of many Chinese miners. The article examines the experiences of both Chinese migrants and Ghanaian miners. Findings are that irregular migration into an informal sector had long‐lasting impacts and played a significant role in the transformation of economic, political, and physical landscapes in Ghana.

Source: UG
Sovereign credit ratings and bank funding cost: Evidence from Africa

This paper aims to examine the relationship between sovereign credit ratings and funding costs of banks and also the relationship between sovereign credit ratings. Using over 300 banks operating in Africa from 2006 to 2012, the study investigates sovereign ratings’ impact on funding cost. The long term domestic sovereign ratings announced by Fitch and Standard & Poor’s during the period under study were used. The panel made use of Generalized Method of Moments estimation strategy for funding cost. The findings of the study indicate that sovereign ratings upgrades have an inverse and statistically significant relationship with funding costs. The findings suggest that sovereign rating upgrades makes it easier for banks to access funds from the capital and global market at a cheaper cost compared to rating downgrades. The study recommends and encourages emerging economies to use the services provided by credit rating agencies since these agencies may help improve accessibility of funds in the international markets by banks. It is recommended that sovereign rating should be considered as a supplement and not a substitute to our own perceived judgement and research.

Source: UG
Soviet Apartheid: Stalin's Ethnic Deportations, Special Settlement Restrictions, and the Labor Army: The Case of the Ethnic Germans in the USSR

This article examines the Stalin regime's treatment of the ethnic Germans in the USSR during the 1940s as a case study in racial discrimination. After 1938, Soviet definitions of nationality became racialized. Systematic repression against certain nationalities in the USSR after this time clearly fit the definition of racial discrimination formulated by scholars in the post-war era. This article examines the separate and unequal institutions of the special settlement regime and labor army imposed upon the ethnic Germans in the USSR during World War II in the context of race as a category constructed along lines of primordial and essentialist views of culture. It also compares the construction of racialized groups and the practice of racial discrimination in the USSR with South Africa during the apartheid era. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Source: UG
Space, time, rhetoric and agricultural change in the transition zone of Ghana

This paper examines change within farming systems in the Brong Ahafo Region in Ghana, and the impact of agricultural modernization and mechanization on the regional economy and local farming systems. It combines anthropological, historical, and remote sensing techniques to document changes in farming practice and land use and land cover. It argues that change is not the product of simple evolutionary sequences of responses to population pressures or adoption of modern technologies, but arises out of a complex set of factors interacting within wider regional economies, which are increasingly commodified and commercialized and subject to global market pressures. These include technical, institutional, market, movements of labor, and transport infrastructure development dimensions, which often create new opportunities for local farmers other than those envisaged in agricultural development policies. Tracing the opening up of the transition zone over the last 40-50 years through the development of state farms and mechanized synthetic agriculture, the paper examines the changing fortunes of farming systems within a radius of 30-40 km from agricultural technology hubs and the implications for models of agricultural development. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2006.

Source: UG
Space-time cube approach in analysing conflicts in Africa

In terms of conflict types and occurrences, there is a mesh of old, new, and concurrent conflicts which coexist and are affecting each other over space and time. Existing conflict studies are unable to fully explicate the space-time elements, hence this generates static and two-dimensional hotspots/coldspots. Using Africa as a case, this study used three-dimensional space-time cube, with conflict occurrences grouped into bins where space is mapped horizontally and time is mapped vertically for analysis. Analysis of conflict based on the three dimensional space time cube produced four main categories of hotspots namely consecutive, sporadic, oscillating, and new hotspots. Furthermore, the causes of conflicts in Africa varied significantly across each time-based hotspot, providing insight into why straightjacket solutions have been unsuccessful. Conflict managers can learn from the patterns of time-based hotspots which helps to see conflicts as three-dimensional entities needing with three levels of orientation that focus on type, space, and time instantaneously.

Source: UG
Spaces of resilience, ingenuity, and entrepreneurship in informal work in Ghana

Further, the study found that in contrast to the notion of unregulated competition typically associated with street vending, market relations among women traders in informal market spaces are marked by alliances between rival sellers that transcended religious, ethnic, linguistic, and generational divides. As well, a strict code of conduct governs market behaviour, underpinned by an ethos of cooperation and mutual assistance among rival sellers. Furthermore, market women in Accra articulate the rationale behind informal entrepreneurship in ways that align with local and national development agenda. In so doing, the market women lend legitimacy to their trade, demand accountability from local authorities, and oppose repressive practices by the state. We highlight the implications of our findings for city planning and development. © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Source: UG
The Spanish Novelist

IN the following series of national I1m"els, connected with. The secondary class of prose fiction so abounding in Spanish literature, it has been the humble endeavour of the translator, upon a similar plan with the Italian and the German specimens, to convey to the English reader some idea of its rise and progress, as well as of the peculiar manners, customs, and modes of thinking at different periods, as exhibited in this form of composition. In the novel and the drama, Spain is allowed to hold a distinguished rank in the literature of modern nations j in the former, sufficient justice has not been done her j the writers of other countries have taken their plots, and even entire stories, without acknowledgment. LE SAGE, SCARRON, and many others, by thus appropriating and adapting to the prevailing taste, their neighbour's inventions, ha\'e given rise to a keen controversy upon the "subject; one into which I should be extremely sorry 10 carry the reader, even the least way, to partake of its tediousness, its bitterness, and its heaviness. As little will it be necessary, in a work of specimens, to examine into the nature and extent of the various classes and branches of the Spanish novel; it is enough that the Editor has been desirous to render justice to some of the earliest and best models of the language-to bring before the public a version of the production productions to which both the writers and the readers of some of the most attractive and popular novels circulated throughout Europe have been so largely indebted. In this point of view, however, it would have been presumption in the Editor, after the mastery advocates they have recently boasted, to pretend to rescue from unmerited neglect, the names and works, or pay a fitting tribute to the inventive powers. Of the Spanish Novelists. In other countries, especially among the Germans and the French, their just claims have been admitted; in the present instance, all that the translator can assume, in his humbler task, is the merit of having long read, and carefully compared, the smaller class of novels, such as "ere conceived best adapted to give the English reader a taste for the original, as well as for mere popular amusement. In regard to the selections, no less than to the biographical materials, and other points, the translator feels bound to express here his obligations to his lamented friend, Mr. Mendibil, late Professor of Spanish Literature in the King's College j a gentleman whose eloquence and learning, whose enthusiasm for the honour and freedom of his country, were equalled only by his high worth, and the urbanity of his disposition.

Source: UG