ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Chasing spirits: Clarifying the spirit child phenomenon and infanticide in northern Ghana

In the Kassena-Nankana District of Ghana, researchers and health interventionists describe a phenomenon wherein some children are subject to infanticide because they are regarded as spirit children sent " from the bush" to cause misfortune and destroy the family. This phenomenon remains largely misunderstood and misrepresented. Based upon both ethnographic research and verbal autopsy data from 2006 to 2007 and 2009, this paper clarifies the characteristics of and circumstances surrounding the spirit child phenomenon, the role it plays within community understandings of childhood illness and mortality, and the variations present within the discourse and practice. The spirit child is a complex explanatory model closely connected to the Nankani sociocultural world and understandings surrounding causes of illness, disability, and misfortune, and is best understood within the context of the larger economic, social, and health concerns within the region. The identification of a child as a spirit child does not necessarily indicate that the child was a victim of infanticide. The spirit child best describes why a child died, rather than how the death occurred. In addition to shaping maternal and child health interventions, these findings have implications for verbal autopsy assessments and the accuracy of demographic data concerning the causes of child mortality. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Source: UG
The chasm between rising incomes and human development and its potential for conflict in resource intensive countries

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to much of the world's mineral reserves. South Africa produces 77% of the world's platinum and 46% of its chromite. The Democratic Republic of Congo produces 53% of the world's cobalt and 21 percent of the world's industrial diamonds. Angola is the fifth producer of diamonds in the world and Nigeria is the world's tenth largest producer of oil. Until the 1990s, this region did not generate much revenue from this wealth. This situation changed in the latter part of the 1990s. The 20 resource intensive countries in the region started gaining more money for their extractive exports partly as a result of increasing demand from China. This has contributed to what is now over a decade of consistent high economic growth. This has never before happened in the region's history. The extractives industry now produces about one-third of the GOP of the region and the 20 resource intensive countries contribute 79.6% of the region's GOP. The problem is that the economic growth has not translated into better human development in resource intensive countries-rather it seems to have widened the inequality gap. The 2005 United Nation's report on the World's Social Situation stated that, "violence associated with NATIONAL and international acts of terrorism should be viewed in the context of social inequality and disintegration". It added, "Violence is more common where inequalities are greater". Th is paper assesses the possibility of increased conflicts in the region if the regions extractives driven growth is not accompanied with better human development for its growing youthful population

Source: UG
Chatgpt In Healthcare Education: A Double Edged Sword Of Trends, Challenges, And Opportunities.

The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has revolutionized teaching and learning, particularly in health care education, where they enhance pedagogy, foster immersive learning, and support healthcare provision. However, their use in healthcare education is contentious, warranting careful examination, especially regarding Generative AI (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT. This scoping review aims to explore the impact of ChatGPT on healthcare education and identify future research directions. The scoping review, conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, utilized search terms such as “ChatGPT,” “GPT,” “natural language processing,” “large language models,” and “health education”. The review followed the five-stage framework outlined for organization and analysis. The search encompassed Web of Science (WOS) (n=100), PubMed (n=100), CINAHL (n=21), SCOPUS (n=4), Science Direct (n=25), and Google Scholar (n=150). Initially, 400 papers were retrieved from these search engines, which were then reviewed and narrowed down to 33 papers for final analysis. This review investigated the trends, challenges, and opportunities of ChatGPT in healthcare education. The findings suggest that GenAI tools such as ChatGPT can significantly enhance teaching, learning, and research in healthcare education. Developed countries, particularly the United States and China, which are leaders in AI investment and research, lead research on ChatGPT’s applications in healthcare education, with limited studies conducted in the African region. Additionally, barriers remain that could lead to ethical and legal issues, particularly exacerbating inequalities in developing countries. Further research is needed to promote better GenAI practices in healthcare educational settings, especially for individuals in these regions.

Source: UG
A check-list of some elements of the vegetation in three river basins in the Okyeman area, Southern Ghana

The composition of some elements of the aquatic flora was determined in three river basins namely Ayensu, Birim and Densu, in the Okyeman area in Southern Ghana. Samples of these vegetation types, namely bryophytes, podostemonads and rhodophytes, in the three river basins were taken at 16 sites as follows: 4 sampling sites from the Ayensu basin, 7 sampling sites within the Birim and 5 sites were sampled in the Densu basin. Two species of rhodophytes were identified inconclusively. However no bryophyte species and podostemonads were encountered due to stated factors. Issues concerning detailed update of these members of the aquatic flora in Ghana are discussed.

Source: UG
Chediak-Higashi syndrome: A report of two cases in African (Ghanaian) children.

The overall goal of the department is to conduct research and provide solutions to nutritional problems in Ghana. In pursuance of this goal, the Nutrition Department since its inception has focused its research in the areas of maternal, infant and young child nutrition, food consumption and food security and micronutrient deficiency and interventions. These are priority food and nutrition problems in Ghana.

Source: UG
Chemical and Biological Characteristics of Some Marketed Solid Waste Composts in Ghana

The study assessed the chemical and biological characteristics of composts made from municipal solid waste in Accra and agricultural waste in Kade in Ghana. In Accra, compost samples were taken at residential level (Household composting), decentralised community level (Asiedu- Keteke composting facility) and at large-scale metropolis level (Teshie composting plant). The compost samples from Kade were produced at the University of Ghana Agricultural Research Station. Composting operations at Teshie and Asiedu-Keteke were from mixed feed stock of organic material, newspapers, bottles, plastics, etc. and represented composting of un-segregated solid waste. The Household compost was produced from kitchen waste, whilst the Kade compost was produced from agricultural wastes (a mixture of cocoa pod husk, poultry droppings and saw dust). The Household and Kade composts were, thus, from purely organic sources. Public interest in composting in general was also assessed by way of questionnaires. The results indicated that the nutrient value, mainly nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the Accra composts, which were from municipal solid waste (MSW) were low compared to the compost from Kade, which was from agricultural waste. The differences in nutrient value reflected differences in feed-stocks for the composting. The composts from the mixed waste stream (Teshie and Asiedu-Keteke) did contain higher concentrations of heavy metals such as * lead and cadmium compared to the composts from pure organic sources (Household and Kade). However, the concentrations of the heavy metals found in the mixed waste composts, were not of levels that would pose significant health risk. The Asiedu-Keteke composts were found not to be matured and thus, may have restrictions for its use, particularly, for crop cultivation. All the other composts studied were found to be matured. The social survey indicated that respondents were less familiar with MSW derived composts in comparison to their knowledge on animal manure or yard waste composts. However, there was a potential for a positive public response to solid waste composting.

Source: UG
Chemical characterization and source apportionment of household fine particulate matter in rural, peri-urban, and urban West Africa

Household air pollution in sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions is an important cause of disease burden. Little is known about the chemical composition and sources of household air pollution in sub-Saharan Africa, and how they differ between rural and urban homes. We analyzed the chemical composition and sources of fine particles (PM2.5) in household cooking areas of multiple neighborhoods in Accra, Ghana, and in peri-urban (Banjul) and rural (Basse) areas in The Gambia. In Accra, biomass burning accounted for 39-62% of total PM2.5 mass in the cooking area in different neighborhoods; the absolute contributions were 10-45 μg/m 3. Road dust and vehicle emissions comprised 12-33% of PM 2.5 mass. Solid waste burning was also a significant contributor to household PM2.5 in a low-income neighborhood but not for those living in better-off areas. In Banjul and Basse, biomass burning was the single dominant source of cooking-area PM2.5, accounting for 74-87% of its total mass; the relative and absolute contributions of biomass smoke to PM 2.5 mass were larger in households that used firewood than in those using charcoal, reaching as high as 463 μg/m3 in Basse homes that used firewood for cooking. Our findings demonstrate the need for policies that enhance access to cleaner fuels in both rural and urban areas, and for controlling traffic emissions in cities in sub-Saharan Africa. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Source: UG
Chemical characterization of ancient pottery from the greater Accra region of Ghana using neutron activation analysis

Archaeology in Ghana has a long and respectable tradition. Despite this encouraging situation, significant gaps still exist in our understanding of the history of some early societies in Ghana. Accumulated evidence revealed that the Ga (Ayawaso), Dangme-Shai and the Wullf had trade and other cultural contacts with their Akan and Guan neighbours as well as the various European factors that traded and established footholds in the Accra coast. In an attempt to reconstruct the early history of the Ga, Dangme-Shai and Wullf, the archaeological material remains recovered from these communities during excavation have been studied. In all, 15 trace elements were determined in 40 pottery shards using instrumental neutron activation analysis. The elemental concentrations were processed using multivariate statistical methods, such as cluster, factor and discriminant analyses. The results revealed patterns of trade between these communities and also classified the 40 samples into two major groups based on variations in elemental compositions. The groupings suggested a clear separation between the shards from Shai and Ayawaso. The shards from Wullf scattered amongst the two groups, consistent with the archaeological findings that the Wullf community never produced their own pots. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Source: UG
Chemical composition and cyanogenic potential of traditional and high yielding CMD resistant cassava (Manihot esculenta crantz) varieties

High yielding cassava mosaic disease (CMD) resistant cassava varieties have been developed by the Crop Research Institute of Ghana with distinct chemical composition and cyanogenic glucoside concentrations. This study characterized these improved varieties (Ampong, Broni bankye, Sika and Otuhia) together with some traditional varieties (Amakuma and Bankye fitaa) for their nutritional properties and cyanogenic potential (toxicity). The proximate composition, mineral content and cyanogenic potential were determined using standard methods. The different cultivars had moisture content (33.14-45.86%), protein (1.17-3.48%), ash (1.71-2.34%), crude fibre (1.38-3.20%), fat (0.74-1.49%) and carbohydrate (83.42-87.35%) and these varied significantly among cultivars. Mineral contents were 0.60-1.60, 1.35-1.58 and 1.06-2.13 mg/100g for Ca, Mg and P respectively, and 0.16-0.24, 0.021-0.030, 0.04-0.13, 0.25-0.36 and 0.25-0.37 mg/100g for Fe, Mn, Zn, K and Na respectively. Cyanogenic potential ranged from 0.08-0.12 mgHCN/kg. Wide variations exist in chemical composition of the improved and traditional cassava cultivars but all possess safe levels of cyanogenic potential and thus safe for human consumption. © 2008 IFRJ, Faculty of Food Science & Technology, UPM.

Source: UG
Chemical composition and microbiological changes during spontaneous and starter culture fermentation of Enam Ne-Setaakye, a West African fermented fish-carbohydrate product

Enam Ne-Setaakye, a fermented fish-carbohydrate meal was made from minced fish flesh (75%), yam (20.5%), onions(1%), ginger(1%) and salt(2.5%). A total of 113 isolates belonging to the genus Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Staphylococcus, Debaromyces and Candida were obtained from the natural fermentation process of the product. Lactobacillus brevis and Pediococcus pentosaceus were the dominant species with 24% and 19% occurrence respectively, while Candida species least occurred (3%). Changes in the viable count of the microflora showed the dominance of lactic acid bacteria from the 48 h of fermentation period (5.8×10 cfu/g) to the end (2.3×10 cfu/g). Enterobacteriaceae which was detected at a level of 10 cfu/g at 0 h, were not detectable after 72 h. Moulds were not isolated, while the yeast population became detectable from 72 h reaching 10 cfu/g at the end of fermentation. On the other hand, a shorter fermentation period of 72 h with a LAB count of 10 cfu/g, nondetection of enterobacteriaceae, moulds and a yeast population of 10 cfu/g were obtained when the fermentation was carried out using L. brevis and P. pentosaceus as starter cultures. A pH level of 4.3, 3.1% titratable acidity and 2.1% (w/wp) salt content were obtained in the starter culture fermented Enam Ne-Setaakye. There were significant differences in the moisture and free fatty acid contents of both naturally and starter culture fermented samples, but the protein content (16%) was not significantly different. Sensory evaluation of the products showed consumer preference for the steamed samples. © Springer-Verlag 2002.

Source: UG
Chemical composition and physical quality characteristics of Ghanaian cocoa beans as affected by pulp pre-conditioning and fermentation

Investigations were conducted to evaluate the effects of pod storage (as a means of pulp preconditioning) and fermentation on the chemical composition and physical characteristics of Ghanaian cocoa beans. A 4 × 2 full factorial design with factors as pod storage (0, 7, 14, 21 days) and cocoa treatment (fermented and unfermented) were conducted. Samples were analyzed for their chemical composition (moisture, crude fat, crude protein, ash and carbohydrate content) and mineral content using standard analytical methods. The physical qualities of the beans were analyzed for their proportions of cocoa nibs, shells and germ. Fermentation and increasing pod storage resulted in significant (P < 0.05) decreases in ash (3.48-2.92%), protein (21.63-17.62%) and fat (55.21-50.40%) content of the beans while carbohydrate content increased from 15.47% to 24.93% with both treatments. As well, increasing pod storage and fermentation significantly (P < 0.05) increased the copper content of the beans from while reductions in Mg and K occurred. Amongst the minerals studied, potassium was the most abundant mineral followed by magnesium, phosphorus and calcium in the fermented cocoa beans. Proportion of cocoa nibs also increased from with increasing pod storage and fermentation whiles reductions in shell content and no appreciable changes in germ proportions were noted. © 2011 Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India).

Source: UG
Chemical composition and quality changes occurring in Dioscorea dumetorum pax tubers after harvest

Studies were conducted on the chemical composition, as well as the biochemical and textural changes, occurring during storage of two cultivars of Dioscorea dumetorum yam tubers. The tubers were harvested and stored under tropical ambient (28°C) and cold room conditions (4°C) for 24, 48 and 72 h. The samples were evaluated for moisture, starch, sugars, fibres and textural properties. Chemical analysis showed no significant differences between the means obtained for moisture, ash, protein, fibre, fat, carbohydrate, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C contents of the cultivars (white and yellow) studied. During storage, moisture contents decreased by approximately 6-10% after 72 h of harvest due to dehydration. Starch levels declined from 70.5-66.5 g/100 g, while sugars and fibre contents increased slightly in the samples. Textural properties (peak force and curve areas) also increased considerably during storage. Peak force (hardness) increased from 1143.0 to 5711.5 g in the white cultivars whilst the yellow cultivars increased from 2130.5 to 4194.1 g. Curve areas (adhesiveness) also increased from 12.2254 to 29.5646 g in the white cultivars and from 17.1316 to 24.3108 g in the yellow cultivars. There were very high correlation co-efficients (r=-0.9503-0.9913, P≤0.05) between peak force (hardness) and all the biochemical constituents of the white cultivars, and (r=-0.9876-0.9380, P≤0.05) for the yellow cultivars investigated. However, the rate of hardening varies with cultivars and temperature of storage. Copyright © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Source: UG
Chemical composition and sources of particle pollution in affluent and poor neighborhoods of Accra, Ghana

The highest levels of air pollution in the world now occur in developing country cities, where air pollution sources differ from high-income countries. We analyzed particulate matter (PM) chemical composition and estimated the contributions of various sources to particle pollution in poor and affluent neighborhoods of Accra, Ghana. Elements from earth's crust were most abundant during the seasonal Harmattan period between late December and late January when Saharan dust is carried to coastal West Africa. During Harmattan, crustal particles accounted for 55 μg m-3 (37%) of fine particle (PM 2.5) mass and 128 μg m-3 (42%) of PM10 mass. Outside Harmattan, biomass combustion, which was associated with higher black carbon, potassium, and sulfur, accounted for between 10.6 and 21.3 μg m -3 of fine particle mass in different neighborhoods, with its contribution largest in the poorest neighborhood. Other sources were sea salt, vehicle emissions, tire and brake wear, road dust, and solid waste burning. Reducing air pollution in African cities requires policies related to energy, transportation and urban planning, and forestry and agriculture, with explicit attention to impacts of each strategy in poor communities. Such cross-sectoral integration requires emphasis on urban environment and urban poverty in the post-2015 Development Agenda. © 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Source: UG
Chemical composition, in vitro dry matter digestibility and Gas production of four browse species and their combinations used as feed for small ruminants

Browse species as complete feed for ruminants is uncommon. This may be due to low dry matter (DM) and high condensed tannins (CT) contents limiting its potential to influence weight gain. Drying however improves DM content and reduces CT levels and its astringency. The objective of this study was to determine chemical composition, in vitro parameters and to evaluate the potential benefits of feeding small ruminants on dried browse leaves and their combinations. The browse species were Albizzia lebbek, Gliricidia sepium, Moringa oleifera and Millettia thoningii. Rumen fluid was obtained from two fistulated forest type wethers for the in vitro evaluation. The DM, crude protein (CP), ash, CT, neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), cellulose and lignin were 866-916 g/kg, 101-303 g/kg DM, 74.7-200 g/kg DM, 0.9-1.3 g/kg DM, 202-552 g/kg DM, 205-520 g/kg DM, 94-381 g/kg DM and 105-192 g/kg DM respectively. The organic matter digestibility (OMD), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), in vitro gas production (IVGP), metabolisable energy (ME) and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) of the four browse species and their combinations recorded were 314.9-721.6 g/kg DM, 515.4-721 ml/g DM, 139-602 ml/g DM, 314.6-1406.9 ml/g DM and 3.1-14.4 ml/g DM respectively. There were positive associative effects shown by the combined browse leaves between IVDMD and IVGP. The regression analyses revealed that relationships between IVGP and CP and IVDMD and CT and all relationships between OMD, SCFA, ME and IVGP were significant (p<0.05). All the browse species and their combinations had IVDMD values of more than 500 g/kg DM and low gas production. The high CP and ash contents, low CTs, low to moderate fibre components, moderate to high IVDMD and low IVGP of the four browse species and their combinations make them potentially valuable as feed resources for small ruminant production.

Source: UG
Chemical constituents and antimicrobial activity of medicinal plants from Ghana: Cassia sieberiana, Haematostaphis barteri, Mitragyna inermis and Pseudocedrela kotschyi

The antimicrobial activity of the sequential n-hexane, acetone and 50% aqueous methanol extracts of leaves, stem bark and roots of four species of medicinal plants, Cassia sieberiana DC. (Leguminosae), Haematostaphis barteri Hook. f. (Anacardiaceae), Mitragyna inermis (Willd.) O. Kuntze (Rubiaceae) and Pseudocedrela kotschyi (Schweinf.) Harms (Meliaceae), from Ghana were tested against Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas syringae and Cladosporium herbarum using TLC direct-autobiographic methods. Extracts from leaves, stem bark and roots of the four species gave a positive result against at least one test organism. Twelve of the 36 extracts were active against B. subtilis, four extracts were active against P. syringae and six were active against C. herbarum. Preliminary chemical analysis revealed the presence of flavonoids, stilbenes and alkaloids. This is the first report of a stilbene from the Anacardiaceae.

Source: UG