ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Eco-friendly polyethylene glycol (PEG-400): PEG mediated synthesis, in-vitro, molecular dynamics, DFT, docking, ADMET and MM-GBSA studies of novel sulfonamides as potential antioxidant agents

Novel thiomorpholine bearing sulfonamide analogs 3(a-f) were synthesized by a facile one-pot, single-step process in good to excellent yields (87–95 %). Polyethylene glycol (PEG-400) was used as an eco-friendly, recyclable, and non-flammable solvent. In-vitro antioxidant studies were done using H 2 O 2 and DPPH radical scavenging assays, while the docking studies were carried out using the Maestro software. In the DPPH assay, the activity of compound 3c with an IC 50 value of 30.83±0.33 µg/mL was comparable to the standard, ascorbic acid (13.54±0.33 µg/mL). Interestingly, this compound demonstrated the highest scavenging antioxidant activity at all concentrations, with an IC 50 value of 32.78±0.33 µg/mL in the H 2 O 2 method. Compound 3b, with salt bridge interactions and hydrogen bonds, exhibited a docking score of -2.01 kcal/mol (PDB: 1H4O). ADME results indicated that all the synthesized compounds obeyed Lipinski’s rule, indicating the drug-like properties. The RMSD curve of complex 3b was observed to be closely matching with benzoic acid, the co-crystallized ligand, indicating alignment and stability with the reference ligand. The optimized molecules with lower energy gaps of 2.17, 4.23, and 1.21 eV indicating that the synthesized compounds shown potent biological activity. This pro tocol offers excellent yields, green solvent, catalyst-free, shorter reaction times, inexpensive, and no harsh re action conditions. These research findings reveal that these sulfonamide analogs could be potent antioxidant pharmacophores for future research in antioxidant drug discovery.

Source: UG
Eco-friendly rubber compounds: Utilizing animal lard as a plasticizer oil

Melt-mixing technique was used to compound eco-friendly plasticizer, pork fat oil (PF) and natural rubber (NR)-carbon black (CB) and studied systematically. The results obtained for the PF-compounds (PFC) were compared to petro leum oil compounds (POC) and Shea-butter oil compounds (SBC). While some properties of the PFC were similar and favored those of the POC and SBC, the PFC generally demonstrated superior physico-mechanical properties. For instance, the optimum cure time (T90) of PF5 and PF40 reduced to about 225 and 276% when compared to POC5 and POC40 and 150 and 183% relative to SBC5 and SBC40, respectively. The bound rubber content (BRC %) (filler matrix interactions) of PF5 was over 15% and 5% greater than POC5 and SBC5, respectively. Also, the PF5 outperformed POC5 by 12% in crosslinking density and by 7% in rebound resilience (%). The PF5 and PF40 further showed improvements in fatigue life cycle, exceeding POC5 and POC40 by 40% and 75%, respectively. These enhancements were attributed to the effective distri bution of CB particles facilitated by compatible PF within the NR matrix. Therefore, PF has been demonstrated to be an environmentally friendly, cost effective, and compatible plasticizer for rubber compounding compared to POC and vegetable oil, predominantly as an activator for lowering production time.

Source: UG
Eco-innovation, sustainable business performance and market turbulence moderation in emerging economies

The study purports to empirically draw out the prominence of eco-innovation in achieving sustainability in business performances, which is further tested by the moderation of turbulent market conditions on the rela tionship. In contrast to previous eco-innovation research, a nascent methodology involving a dual-stage hybrid analysis and an emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) technique, deep learning was used to analyze 683 viable responses from Ghanaian manufacturing firms. Some intriguing conclusions were discovered where the dimensions of sustainable business performance are achievable vis-a-vis ` the implementation of product, process, and organizational eco-innovation. Notably, a manufacturing firm’s environmental performance can be considerably improved by implementing the triumvi rate of product, process, and organizational eco-innovation. Subsequently, a firm can improve its social per formance by R&D investment in eco-innovations, novel green management practices and staff sensitization on eco-innovation. Lastly, market turbulence (technology and environmental turbulence) in the form of techno logical advancements, intense market competition, changing household demand and taste amplifies the positive effect of product and organizational eco-innovation on the economic dimension of sustainable performance. Theoretically, a newly integrated theoretical framework, which incorporates eco-innovation, contingency and RBV theory, could aid in determining the relative importance of specific determinants, thereby providing sig nificant contributions to eco-innovations on the sustainability of business performance.

Source: UG
Eco-Justice And Human Well-Being In Ghana’s Artisanal Mining Communities: Towards A Theological Ethic Of Sustainable Community

The negative effects of Ghana’s artisanal mining industry on the sustainability of the natural environment and community life, exemplifies the dilemma of the protracted relationship between the quest for human well-being and sustainability of communities. Nevertheless, sustainable communities are crucial if the flourishing of the natural environment and engendering of human well-being would be attained. Indeed, within the indigenous African community, one is not pursued without the other, for both occur in tandem to ensure the sustainability and well-being of community. Drawing on secondary sources on artisanal mining and its drivers—human livelihoods and wellbeing—as against their social and environmental effects, this article sets out to offer an eco-justice analysis of the relationship between the quest for human wellbeing through artisanal mining and sustainable communities towards a constructive eco-justice theological ethics of sustainable community for Christian ecological praxis in the context of artisanal mining.

Source: UG
Eco-toxic risk assessment and source distribution of trace metals in surface sediments of the coastal and in four rivers estuary of Sarawak

Background: Trace metals pollution in the coastal and estuarine sediment could harm water quality and aquatic organisms, leading to potential long-term health risks on the environment and humans. Thus, the purpose of this study was to conduct an assessment of selected trace metals in surface sediments of the coastal and in four rivers estuary in the Sarawak State of Malaysia to investigate their distribution, environmental risk, and potential source distribution. Results: Average concentrations of trace metals in sediment increased in the following order: Cd ˂ As ˂ Co ˂ Cu ˂ Ni ˂ Cr ˂ Zn ˂ Mn ˂ Mg ˂ Fe. The enrichment, contamination, and geo-accumulation index results showed that surface sediments were polluted with Zn and Mg. In contrast, the other metals (i.e., As, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cr, Cu, Co, and Cd) indicated background concentration to minor contamination. Generally, the pollution load index values showed that almost all the sampling sites were unpolluted with the selected trace metals. Sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) and risk indexes were employed to assess the ecotoxicological risk of trace metal contamination in the sediments. The results proved that studied trace metals are not likely to have a deleterious impact on bottom-dwelling organisms. Still, a further accumulation of trace metals such as Zn, Ni, and Cr with time may adversely afect bottom-dwelling organisms. The risk index results showed a low ecological risk to the study sites. The correlation analysis and principal component analysis indicated that nine studied trace metals have strong interrelationships, suggesting common pollution sources or similar geochemical characteristics. Conclusions: The study highlights the need to make tremendous efforts to monitor and control trace metal pollution in the coastal and estuarine areas.

Source: UG
Ecological and Edaphic Drivers of Yam Production in West Africa

Yam is an important food and cash crop in West Africa (the yam belt) whose production is traditionally nonsedentary due to its substantial nutrient demand. Population growth, urbanization, and existing soil degradation have made nonsedentary farming virtually impossible. Despite the numerous research invested in yam production within and outside the yam belt, some gaps remain to be filled owing to changing climate events and global developments. Alarmingly, the yam belt is facing sharp yield declines despite increasing production areas. 'e key edaphic and ecological drivers of yam production in the global yam belt were reviewed. 'e implications for yam production were discussed along with prospects for future research, sustainable production, and soil management. 'e main findings are that (1) agroecological zone, postplanting cultural practices, and climate change and variability ecological drivers, while (2) tillage, soil type, texture, and fertility were the edaphic factors. 'e most critical among the drivers, principally, soil fertility, entails the biological and chemical through which nutrients are released lude, and physical soil fertility which enhances low bulk density, porosity, and water retention for free yam tuber expansion. Soil fertility was the most cited driver, which explains why yam is often the first crop in the cropland cultivation cycle in the yam belt. Data show that yam yields decline with time under native fertility and mineral fertilizer application due to the voracious nutrient extraction by tubers. Conversely, yields increase chronologically under organic fertilizer application due to the additive effects of the latter on soil properties. 'us, a yam fertilizer program to develop specific yam fertilizer formulations and the adoption of the Terra Preta Model are proposed to sustain future yam production.

Source: UG
Ecological and Reproductive Cycles Drive Henipavirus Seroprevalence in the African Straw-Coloured Fruit Bat (Eidolon helvum).

Bats are known to host zoonotic viruses, including henipaviruses that cause high fatality rates in humans (Nipah virus and Hendra virus). However, the determinants of zoonotic spillover are generally unknown, as the ecological and demographic drivers of viral circulation in bats are difficult to ascertain without longitudinal data. Here we analyse serological data collected from African straw-coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) in Ghana over the course of 2 years and across four sites, comprising three wild roosts and one captive colony. We focus on antibody affinity to five henipavirus antigens: Ghanaian bat henipavirus (GhV), Nipah virus (NiV), Hendra virus (HeV), Mojiang virus (MojV) and Cedar virus (CedV). In the wild roosts, we detected seasonal variations in henipavirus antibody binding, possibly associated with bat life-history cycles and migration patterns. In the captive colony, we identified increases in antibody affinity levels among pregnant bats, suggesting possible shifts in the immune system during pregnancy. These bats then pass maternal antibodies to their pups, which wane before antibody affinity levels rise later in life following initial infections and/or reactivation of latent infections. These results improve our understanding of the links between bat ecology and viral circulation, including for GhV, a locally-circulating African henipavirus.

Source: UG
Ecological impact of river impoundment on zooplankton

The current study was carried out to assess the ecological impact of impoundment using zooplankton as indicators. Sampling was conducted at two stations Bui and Bamboi that are located upstream and downstream of the dam, respectively. Sixteen species of zooplankton belonging to the order Cladocera (suborder Copepoda) were identified. Cladocerans were dominated by Leptodora sp. while copepods by Cyclops sp. Cladoceran densities increased from 29.67 ind./m3 in the pre-impoundment period to 1179.4 ind./m3 in the immediate post-impoundment period with a significant difference (p < 0.05) between these periods recorded. Hence, the abundance of Cladocerans varied following the Bui dam impoundment on the Black Volta River. The study into seasonal zooplankton distribution showed that zooplankton abundance reached the highest values during the wet season. Abundance of zooplankton groups at the upstream station was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that at the downstream station, indicating the impact of impoundment on zooplankton ecology downstream. Since zooplankton was more abundant during the wet season, factors such as climatic changes and/or dam construction that modify the flooding pattern of the river will also alter zooplankton community structure in the newly created Bui reservoir and may have serious implications for fish production in the entire Black Volta ecosystem.

Source: UG
Ecological shocks and children’s school attendance and farm work in Ghana

Accelerating the education of children and reducing child labor in agriculture remains an important development pathway to preventing intergenerational poverty and achieving the sustainable development goals. While several studies have analyzed the impact of ecological stressors on yield, income, and food security, there is limited understanding of the linkages of prevailing ecological shocks to child education and farm work. In this paper, we examine the effect of ecological shocks of pest and weed invasion on children’s school attendance and working hours on the farm using the seventh round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS). We employ a multi nomial endogenous switching regression (MESR) model that corrects for selection bias and endogeneity origi nating from both observed and unobserved heterogeneity. The results show that double shocks (pests and weeds) reduced the number of children attending school by 11% and increased children’s on-farm working hours by 0.75 h. Comparatively, the decline in the number of children attending school due to weed invasion (0.88) is higher than the decline due to pest invasion (0.43). Furthermore, weed invasion increases children’s on-farm working hours by 0.05 h while pest invasion reduces children’s on-farm working hours by 0.08 h. Increasing access to improved agricultural technologies bundled with credit and policies are critical to reducing the threats from ecological shocks and improving farmers’ welfare. To avert the decline in school attendance and children’s working hours requires training farmers to reduce the practice of continuous cropping and to embrace crop rotation and fallow to reduce the spread of pests and weeds.

Source: UG
Ecological status of large mammals of a moist semi-deciduous forest of Ghana: implications for wildlife conservation

A preliminary survey was conducted in the Gyeni River and Gyemera Forest Reserves and an off-reserve area within the Moist Semi-Deciduous forest of the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region, Ghana, to assess the ecological status of large mammals at the area. The study involved transect-walks and interviews with local people. Overall, a total of 23 large mammal species were considered to be potentially present at the study area. Nineteen (83%) of these species belonging to five orders, Pholidota, Carnivora, Hyracoidea, Artiodactyla and Primates were confirmed. The relative abundance of large mammal species (Ar) was low, with high similarity of species composition between study sites (Sorenson Index SI > 0.7) Thirteen of the mammals were of conservation concern; six species, including olive colobus monkey (Procolobus verus), Pel’s anomalure (Anomalurus peli), black duicker (Cephalophus niger), tree-, giant-, and long-tailed pangolins (Phataginus tricuspis, Smutsia gigantea and Manis tetradactyla) are Near Threatened, one species, Geoffroy’s pied colobus monkey (Colobus vellerosus) is Vulnerable and the rest, including bay duicker (Cephalophus dorsalis), Maxwell’s duicker (Cephalophus maxwelli), royal antelope (Neotragus pygmaeus), African civet (Civettictis civetta), African palm-civet (Nandinia binotata) and red river hog (Potamocheorus porcus) are nationally protected. The threats to large mammals included hunting and habitat loss and fragmentation via slash-and-burn agriculture, illegal logging and small scale mining operations. Initiation of biodiversity conservation education, awareness and training programmes for the local people is recommended for conservation and management of wildlife and their habitats at the study area.

Source: UG
Ecological status of the Mount Afadjato-Agumatsa range in Ghana after a decade of local community management

Over the past few decades, the world community has recognized the need to involve local people in the management of conservation areas (CAs) (Ferraro, 2006). This paradigm shift from the old state‐centred ‘fences and fines’ management to a community‐based management (CBM) approach empowers local people to play much more active roles (Balint, 2006). The underlying principle of the CBM concept is that local people are more inclined to implement any management decisions for which they had provided some input, and given sufficient technical support, they can determine for themselves appropriate conservation solutions (Shackleton et al., 2002). However, the ability of local communities to effectively manage CAs is being debated, despite recent successes. Indeed, available empirical evidence suggests that community‐managed forests are more effective in reducing forests loss than strictly protected areas in the tropics (Africa, Asia, South and North Americas) (Porter‐Bolland et al., 2012). The different purposes for which CAs are established, and variations in their tenure regimes, socio‐economic and cultural contexts make it difficult to generalize the performance of CAs across regions and warrant evaluation of individual CAs. A number of methods have been developed for assessing the ecological status and management effectiveness of CAs, but currently, there is no globally sanctioned metric because of the aforesaid reasons (Chape et al., 2005). Although remotely sensed data are useful for monitoring trends in forest cover extent, they have rarely been used to evaluate the performance of CAs in Ghana and Africa. Here, we used Landsat images and questionnaires to assess the ecological status of Mount Afadjato–Agumatsa Range (MAAR), a community‐managed conservation area in Ghana. The specific objectives were to assess the changes in forest cover and threat status of the MAAR over the past decade.

Source: UG
Ecological Zones Rather Than Molecular Forms Predict Genetic Differentiation in the Malaria Vector Anopheles gambiae s.s. 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
Ecological zones rather than molecular forms predict genetic differentiation in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae s.s. in Ghana.

The malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae s.s. is rapidly becoming a model for studies on the evolution of reproductive isolation. Debate has centered on the taxonomic status of two forms (denoted M and S) within the nominal taxon identified by point mutations in the X-linked rDNA region. Evidence is accumulating that there are significant barriers to gene flow between these forms, but that the barriers are not complete throughout the entire range of their distribution. We sampled populations from across Ghana and southern Burkina Faso, West Africa, from areas where the molecular forms occurred in both sympatry and allopatry. Neither Bayesian clustering methods nor F(ST)-based analysis of microsatellite data found differentiation between the M and S molecular forms, but revealed strong differentiation among different ecological zones, irrespective of M/S status and with no detectable effect of geographical distance. Although no M/S hybrids were found in the samples, admixture analysis detected evidence of contemporary interform gene flow, arguably most pronounced in southern Ghana where forms occur sympatrically. Thus, in the sampled area of West Africa, lack of differentiation between M and S forms likely reflects substantial introgression, and ecological barriers appear to be of greater importance in restricting gene flow.

Source: UG
Ecology and Transmission of Buruli Ulcer Disease: A Systematic Review

The Bacteriology Department aims to improve the quality of life first for Ghanaians and the world at large by conducting research into bacterial diseases of public health importance to Ghana and globally. In addition to working on enteric pathogens and sexually transmitted diseases, the department’s current main focus is on the two most important mycobacterial diseases of public health importance to Ghana, namely Buruli ulcer (BU) and tuberculosis (TB).

Source: UG
Ecommerce in LDCs: Summary Evidence and Implications

We undertook a review and classification of research on electronic commerce (e-commerce) in developing countries. We analyzed 181 articles published in a broad range of journals covering e-commerce, global information technology, and development issues. The analysis provides a roadmap that not only indicates the current state of e-commerce for development research but also identifies gaps and priorities for future research. This will be of significant value to both academics and practitioners who are working on, or plan to work on, e-commerce in developing countries.

Source: UG
Ecommerce in Least Developing Countries: Summary Evidence and Implications

We undertook a review and classification of research on electronic commerce (e-commerce) in developing countries. We analyzed 181 articles published in a broad range of journals covering e-commerce, global information technology, and development issues. The analysis provides a roadmap that not only indicates the current state of e-commerce for development research but also identifies gaps and priorities for future research. This will be of significant value to both academics and practitioners who are working on, or plan to work on, e-commerce in developing countries.

Source: UG