ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Postcolonial Disgust or Regenerative Vision?: The Values and Significance of &quot;The Man&quot; in Ayi Kwei Armah's The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born

Ayi Kwei Armah’s The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born has been condemned for its severe criticism of newly independent Ghana, its disdain for its lead ers and officials, and for the absence of hope displayed for a future in which the individual and the nation might triumph over societal corruption. This article analyzes Armah’s controversial novel through the caustic response of its main character, The Man, to contemporary national ethics and to the possibilities he himself embodies for genuine change and regeneration. The conflict in The Man’s alienated consciousness is rooted not only in the expediencies of the newly postcolonial Ghana he fastidiously observes, but also in his loyalty to the traditional Ghanaian values he inherits, remembers, and practices, thus indicating the possibility of hope and change for both character and nation.

Source: UG
Postgraduate Students’ perception Towards the Use of ICT in Research in Ghanaian Public Universities

The use of ICT in research has become significant among postgraduate students. However, available literature shows that there is little research on the perception and adoption of this technology in developing countries. This problem has created gap in the existing literature. This, therefore, make it necessary to find out more about the perceptions of postgraduate students on th e use of ICT in research. The paper intents to discuss these. The paper adopted the survey methodology by using the stratified and convenience sampling techniques to select 346 postgraduate students from University of Ghana and University of Cape Coast to participate in the study. Incorporating the Technology Acceptance Model 3 (TAM3), this study revealed the following: Most postgraduate students perceive the use of ICT applications in research as very important. Again, majority of them intimated that ICT f acilities that their institutions provided met their research needs. The findings further indicated that students accessed ICT applications for quick access to information, convenience of access to information, time saving, and currency of information acce ssed. This paper strongly recommends that public universities in Ghana should maintain the already existing ICT facilities. However, they should ensure that all ICT facilities are monitored and maintained.

Source: UG
Postharvest losses of tomatoes in transit

Tomatoes are highly perishable and very susceptible to mechanical damage with poor handling and transportation. This study was conducted with the primary objective of establishing the current practices of handling and transportation of tomatoes from a main producing area, Bolgatanga, in the Upper East Region of Ghana, to a main marketing center, Accra, 815 kilometers away. The primary method was to interview the producers, tomato merchants and sellers in the market with the help of a prepared questionnaire. Observations were made on the journey from Bolgatanga to Accra. An assessment of losses along the route was found to be 20%.

Source: UG
Postnatal depression symptoms are associated with increased diarrhea among infants of HIV-positive Ghanaian mothers

HIV infection is linked to increased prevalence of depression which may affect maternal caregiving practices and place infants at increased risk of illness. Weexamined the incidence and days ill with diarrhea among infants of HIV positive (HIV-P), HIV negative (HIV-N), and unknown HIV status (HIV-U) women, and determined if symptoms of maternal postnatal depression (PND) modulated the risk of diarrhea. Pregnant women (n = 492) were recruited from three antenatal clinics; mothers and infants were followed for 12 months postpartum. Diarrheal incidence was 0.6 episodes/100 days at risk.More HIV-P thanHIV-NandHIV-Uwomen tended to report PND symptoms (χv2 = 4.76; P = 0.09). Reporting symptoms was associated with an increased risk of infantile diarrhea only amongHIV-P and HIV-Ubut notHIVN women (interaction term, χ2 = 7.84; P = 0.02). Health care providers should be aware of the increased risk of infantile diarrhea when both maternal HIV and PND symptoms are present and take preventive action. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012.

Source: UG
Postoperative Pain Experience of Men after Urological Surgery at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital

Post-operative pain (POP) is a global phenomenon of concern, associated with Genito-urinary surgeries and has multidimensional effect. The study aimed at exploring the POP experiences of men after urological surgery at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. The qualitative exploratory-descriptive design was used with twelve (12) participants purposively sampled. One-on-one interviews were conducted with a semi-structured interview guide and audiotaped. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed concurrently using thematic content analysis. Under the guidance of the adapted multidimensional model of cancer pain by Ahles & Martins in 1992, six (6) themes emerged. They are the sensory characteristics of the pain, the cognitive, behavioural, affective and socio-cultural dimensions and Pain management experiences. The participants experienced moderate to severe pain at the incisional site, in their lower abdomen and penis. Descriptors used include: boiling, burning, throbbing and dull; others likened the pain to analogues such as ‘been cut with a cutlass or knife’. The pain was predominantly ‘on & off’ and increases within the first week post-surgery in the urethra; but pain assessments were irregular. The POP was considered as normal, with limited education concerning pain received. The cognitive and behavioural coping strategies were employed by the participants, who expressed their pain verbally or through pain behaviours. As a consequence, sleep was predominantly affected by the pain, as participants elicited negative emotional responses. Additionally, the sociocultural context and views influenced their pain response and management. Intravenous infusions and subsequent oral medications were administered, non-pharmacological management was limited. It is recommended that regular pain assessment and surgery-specific multimodal approach should be employed for effective pain management.

Source: UG
Postpandemic fear of COVID‐19, psychological distress, and resilient coping among frontline health workers in Ghana: An analytical cross‐sectional study

Background and Aims: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has significantly impacted the psychological well‐being of healthcare workers globally. However, little is known about the mental health state of frontline health workers in the postpandemic era. The purpose of this study was to examine postpandemic COVID‐19‐related psychological distress and fear among frontline health workers in Ghana. Methods: Data were collected from 245 frontline healthcare workers in the Western region of Ghana. COVID‐19‐related fear, psychological distress, and resilient coping were assessed with the fear of COVID‐19 scale, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and the Brief Resilient Coping Scale, respectively. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the association between psychological distress and fear of COVID‐19 as well as the moderating effects of resilient coping. Results: Participants were mostly female (57.1%), aged between 21 and 30 years (50.6%), and not married (58.0%). We found that 52.2% of frontline healthcare workers experienced mild‐to‐severe fear, while 40% experienced psychological distress. Fear of COVID‐19, previous contact with COVID‐19 patients, and earning a monthly income between 501 and 1000 Ghanaian cedis were significantly associated with higher psychological distress. The positive association between fear of COVID‐19 and psychological distress was stronger among frontline health workers who had higher resilient coping. Conclusion: There is the need to provide frontline health workers with mental health support services to promote their psychological well‐being and enhance their ability to provide quality care during the postpandemic era.

Source: UG
Postpartum abstinence and risk of HIV among young mothers in the kassena-nankana district of northern Ghana

This study explored the role and shaping of postpartum abstinence on young mothers' sexual conduct and vulnerability to HIV infection in a rural setting of Northern Ghana. Young mothers in their mid-twenties to early-thirties and men married to young mothers were purposively selected for repeated semi-structured interviews. The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed and Nvivo software was used to organize and manage the data for analysis. In this setting, postpartum abstinence was perceived as a risk period for STIs due to increased male infidelity during this period. Yet, women's urge to take action to mitigate the risk of STIs is compromised by childbearing obligations. More assertive women, however, employ crafty and nifty protective strategies including the masturbation of their male partner when they perceive themselves at risk. We conclude that the advent of HIV and AIDS, coupled with improved access to sexual and reproductive health information and modern contraception, has eroded the logic of observance of postpartum abstinence in the Kassena-Nankana District of Northern Ghana. Efforts should be made to facilitate easy access to modern contraceptives and HIV protection by rural women.

Source: UG
Postpartum contraceptive initiation and use: Evidence from Accra, Ghana

Background: Postpartum contraceptive use reduces unintended pregnancies and results in better health outcomes for children and women. However, there is a dearth of knowledge on postpartum contraceptive use in Ghana, particularly among women in low-income urban settings. To shed light on strategies that might enhance access to postpartum family planning services in low-income urban settings, we examined contraceptive use among postpartum women in Accra, Ghana, at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months following the birth and the methods used. The predictors of modern contraceptive use in the 12-month postpartum period were also examined. Methods: Data come from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2018 among 624 women aged 16–44 years who reported giving birth in the past 13–31 months prior to the interview. We generated descriptive statistics to examine the prevalence of contraceptive use among postpartum women at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after birth. We further estimated a binary logistic regression to examine the predictors of modern contraceptive use at 12 months postpartum. Results: Forty percent of postpartum women never used any contraceptive method during 1 year after birth and of those who used a method, 40% relied on traditional methods. Moreover, 29% of women started using a method the immediate 1 month post-birth. Results further show that postpartum modern contraceptive uptake was positively associated with higher education, having more live births, and being currently in a union. Conclusions: Findings highlight that there may be opportunities to improve the quality of counseling during antenatal and postnatal care visits by clients to ensure fully informed choices regarding postpartum contraception. Community outreach by health providers/promoters or similar models should be promoted in low-income population settings to educate postpartum women on modern contraceptive use. Women who plan to use traditional methods should be provided with information on the consistent and correct use of these methods

Source: UG
Potash pretreatment enhances carbohydrate biodegradability and feed potential of groundnut (Arachis hypogea) shell meal

The rising cost of commercial non-ruminant feeds in Ghana has necessitated a search for local alternatives such as modified crop residues. The present study was carried out to investigate the extent to which maize stalk potash treatment might improve groundnut shell biodegradability and whether or not a low dietary intake of the treated groundnut shell would support the growth of rats. Groundnut Shell (GS) meal was immersed in 1% (w/v) potash, pH 11.2, for 24 h at room temperature (solid to liquid ratio of 1:4). The enzymatic degradation of the cellulose fraction of groundnut shell in vitro increased 18 fold following the potash treatment. Three dietary treatments were evaluated on five randomly selected rats over a period of four weeks: normal broiler mash diet, broiler mash partially substituted with either 10% potash-treated GS or 10% untreated GS. The mean values for daily feed intake (g rat -1) were 14.2±1.4, 15.8±1.3 and 13.2±0.8 while the specific growth rates were 2.03±0.06, 2.34±0.20 and 2.31±0.15 for normal diet, untreated GS and potash-treated GS, respectively. Although the differences were not statistically significant, the growth performance of rats fed on the diet partially substituted with potash-treated GS appeared to be better than the other two groups. The feed conversion ratio of 4.05±0.48 for this dietary treatment was the lowest. Taken together, the results suggest that a low dietary concentration of alkali-treated GS should support the growth of rats and other monogastrics without supplementation with costly feed additives. © 2012 Asian Network for Scientific Information.

Source: UG
Potent trypanocidal curcumin analogs bearing a monoenone linker motif act on Trypanosoma brucei by forming an adduct with trypanothione

We have previously reported that curcumin analogs with a C7 linker bearing a C4-C5 olefinic linker with a single keto group at C3 (enone linker) display midnanomolar activity against the bloodstream form of Trypanosoma brucei. However, no clear indication of their mechanism of action or superior antiparasitic activity relative to analogs with the original di-ketone curcumin linker was apparent. To further investigate their utility as antiparasitic agents, we compare the cellular effects of curcumin and the enone linker lead compound 1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)hept-4-en-3-one (AS-HK014) here. An AS-HK014-resitant line, trypanosomes adapted to AS-HK014 (TA014), was developed by in vitro exposure to the drug. Metabolomic analysis revealed that exposure to AS-HK014, but not curcumin, rapidly depleted glutathione and trypanothione in the wild-type line, although almost all other metabolites were unchanged relative to control. In TA014 cells, thiol levels were similar to untreated wild-type cells and not significantly depleted by AS-HK014. Adducts of AS-HK014 with both glutathione and trypanothione were identified in AS-HK014-exposed wild-type cells and reproduced by chemical reaction. However, adduct accumulation in sensitive cells wasmuch lower than in resistant cells. TA014 cells did not exhibit any changes in sequence or protein levels of glutathione synthetase and γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase relative to wild-type cells. We conclude that monoenone curcuminoids have a different mode of action than curcumin, rapidly and specifically depleting thiol levels in trypanosomes by forming an adduct. This adduct may ultimately be responsible for the highly potent trypanocidal and antiparasitic activity of the monoenone curcuminoids. Copyright ï¿½ 2015 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

Source: UG
Potential Application of Dioctyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate Salt (DOSS)–Saponin Binary Dispersant in Oil Spill Remediation: Synergistic Interaction Between DOSS and Saponin

The interfacial activity of dispersants can be enhanced by combining two or more surfactants to formulate the dispersant. This paper examines the effects of Bio-Saponin (BS), a phytogenic surfactant on the interfacial activity of synthetic dioctyl sulfosuccinate sodium salt (DOSS) usually adopted as a suitable surface-active agent in dispersants used in dealing with large-scale oil spills. The o/w emulsion created with the binary DOSS-BS was very stable and recorded the least average droplet size compared with that of DOSS only and BS only. Lower surface and interfacial tension values were also obtained from the DOSS-BS binary formulation. The dispersion effectiveness was also higher compared with that of DOSS and BS. However, they were dependent on the salinity and type of crude oil. These observations were attributed to the moderation of the interaction between the anionic head group of DOSS by the polysaccharide hydrophilic group of BS. The results revealed the potential application of DOSS-BS binary dispersant in oil spill remediation and in other processes that would require an effective emulsifier.

Source: UG
Potential effects of warmer worms and vectors on onchocerciasis transmission in West Africa

Development times of eggs, larvae and pupae of vectors of onchocerciasis (Simulium spp.) and of Onchocerca volvulus larvae within the adult females of the vectors decrease with increasing temperature. At and above 258C, the parasite could reach its infective stage in less than 7 days when vectors could transmit after only two gonotrophic cycles. After incorporating exponential functions for vector development into a novel blackfly population model, it was predicted that fly numbers in Liberia and Ghana would peak at air temperatures of 298C and 348C, about 38C and 78C above current monthly averages, respectively; parous rates of forest flies (Liberia) would peak at 298C and of savannah flies (Ghana) at 308C. Small temperature increases (less than 28C) might lead to changes in geographical distributions of different vector taxa. When the new model was linked to an existing framework for the population dynamics of onchocerciasis in humans and vectors, transmission rates and worm loads were projected to increase with temperature to at least 338C. By contrast, analyses of field data on forest flies in Liberia and savannah flies in Ghana, in relation to regional climate change predictions, suggested, on the basis of simple regressions, that 13–41% decreases in fly numbers would be expected between the present and before 2040. Further research is needed to reconcile these conflicting conclusions. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Source: UG
Potential factors influencing lymphatic filariasis transmission in “hotspot” and “control” areas in Ghana: the importance of vectors

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
Potential factors influencing lymphatic filariasis transmission in “hotspot” and “control” areas in Ghana: the importance of vectors

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
Potential feedstocks for bioethanol production as a substitute for gasoline in Ghana

Developed countries are aspiring to increase the production of biofuels in order to reduce dependence on crude oil and also improve energy security, developing countries such as Ghana can adopt biofuel technologies to provide supports for rural developments. Bioethanol has been identified as one of the biofuels that can be developed in order to meet the targets as stipulated in Ghana's Strategic National Energy Plan (SNEP) up to 2020. The focus of this study was to identify the available feedstocks and their quantities for bioethanol production that can support this policy. The potential energy crops identified were cassava, yam and maize. However, cassava was identified to be the most suitable feedstock for bioethanol production since an average of less than 50% of its domestic supply is consumed as food. Even if best farming practices were adapted, bioethanol from yam and maize would not be significant compared to that of cassava. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Source: UG
Potential gains in reproductive-aged life expectancy if maternal mortality were eradicated from the Kintampo districts of Central Ghana

Background: Almost 99% of pregnancy or childbirth-related complications globally is estimated to occur in developing regions. Yet, little is known about the demographic impact of maternal causes of death (COD) in lowand middle-income countries. Assuming that critical interventions were implemented such that maternal mortality is eradicated as a major cause of death, how would it translate to improved longevity for reproductive-aged women in the Kintampo districts of Ghana? Methods: The study used longitudinal health and demographic surveillance data from the Kintampo districts to assess the effect of hypothetically eradicating maternal COD on reproductive-aged life expectancy by applying multiple decrement and associated single decrement life table techniques. Results: According to the results, on the average, women would have lived an additional 4.4 years in their reproductive age if maternal mortality were eradicated as a cause of death, rising from an average of 28.7 years lived during the 2005-2014 period to 33.1 years assuming that maternal mortality was eradicated. The age patterns of maternal-related mortality and all-cause mortality depict that the maternal-related mortality is different from the all-cause mortality for women of reproductive age. Conclusion: This observation suggests that other COD are competing with maternal mortality among the WRA in the study area and during the study period.

Source: UG