ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Transdisciplinary approach to natural resource governance research: a conceptual paper

Purpose Natural resources in contemporary times are mostly managed by a collaborative governance approach which hinges on complex institutional designs (rules, norms and strategies). Many studies have been designed and carried out to assess collaborative governance, and the various institutional designs underpinning them. The purpose of this paper is to unpack the methodological gaps in natural resource governance research (with emphasis on co-management) and to conceptualise the appropriateness of Transdisciplinary (TD) research approach. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts a critical stage review of relevant theoretical and empirical literature on natural resource governance. It discusses the complexities inherent in natural resource governance and juxtaposes these with the inherent weaknesses in methodologies employed by existing studies on the concept. The authors make a case for a TD research methodology that links scientists, practitioners and society in a joint problem design and solution process. Findings The authors register a “fuzziness” of the collaborative governance phenomenon but observe a methodological gap in existing studies on the concept. This paper discusses the complexities inherent. The paper describes TD as a “tailor-made approach” to solving complex societal issues and makes a case for its adoption in natural resource governance studies. Research limitations/implications This standalone paper is largely conceptual and not linked to any primary data; this notwithstanding, it synthesizes from both empirical and theoretical literature which would help shape future research endeavours in natural resource governance context. Practical implications With TD study oriented towards an epistemologically flexible approach, perspectives from different social and academic actors are integrated in this expanding field of research to address societal problems. Originality/value The paper provides a conceptual framework designating how actors interact in the TD research process as well as a “four-phase” approach in carrying out a TD research.

Source: UG
Transdisciplinary public leadership theory: Between the extremes of “traditional public administration” and “new public management”

The 21st century public organization is faced with complex problems, informed stakeholders, and information flows, which necessitate a corresponding open system view of leadership. The traditional notions of public administration and new public management had been structured by strict bureaucratic rules and managerial flexibility, respectively. This paper begins by theorizing two hypothetical constructs (helicopter and deadbeat leadership), which engage in extreme micromanagement/surveillance and negligence/indifference, respectively. Those form basis for designing an optimal (transdisciplinary) leadership, which forges synergistic link between leaders, subordinates, and external actors in codesigning objectives and strategies to address societal problems. Strategies to promote transdisciplinary leadership are discussed.

Source: UG
Transfer factor in prevention of Burkitt's lymphoma relapses.

Most research activities involve the use of molecular methods such as regular PCR (PCR), quantitative PCR (Q-PCR), genomic sequence and analysis using different software, genetic engineering, probe hybridization techniques, biological and molecular cloning, evaluation of immune markers for laboratory diagnosis of infections, serological assays involving the use of rapid tests, ELISA-based evaluations and immunofluorescent assay techniques.

Source: UG
Transfer pricing, earnings management and tax avoidance of firms in Ghana

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how transfer pricing (TP) and earnings management affect tax avoidance of firms in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a panel data set from 2008 to 2015 to further shed light on transfer pricing-tax avoidance nexus by examining the complex interaction of three key variables: transfer pricing, earnings management and tax avoidance. Findings The results show that almost all the sample firms have engaged in some form of transfer pricing strategies and the manipulation of earnings to avoid tax during 2008-2015. There is evidence to suggest that non-financial multinational corporations manipulate more earnings than the financial firms while financial firms also use more TP than non-financial firms. The overall results suggest that the sensitivity of tax avoidance to transfer pricing decreases as firms increase their earnings management. By extension, these results have important policy implication for policymakers in assessing the effectiveness of tax laws relating to transfer pricing. Originality/value The authors investigate how transfer pricing and earnings management affect the avoidance of firms operating in Ghana.

Source: UG
The transformation of urban food systems in Ghana: Findings from inventories of processed products

Urban food systems in Ghana are changing, along with rapid urbanization and growth in household incomes. Using data from retail inventories of packaged products carried out in eight cities in 2015 and 2016, we find that the interplay of urbanization, imports and domestic processing and packaging has led to some surprising outcomes. Imports are dominant, especially for milled rice and tomato paste, and the shares are higher in smaller cities than in Accra. Imported products are more prevalent in traditional retail outlets than in modern retail outlets. Moreover, imported products come mainly from East Asia; excluding South Africa, which accounts for 6% of imports, less than 3% of imported products were from other African countries.

Source: UG
Transformational leadership as a moderator of the relationship between psychological safety and learning behaviour in work teams in Ghana

Orientation: Transformational team leadership is an important variable that influences team members' perception of the team as psychologically safe enough to engage in learning behaviours. Research purpose: The study was aimed at investigating the relationship between psychological safety and learning behaviour in teams, as well as the moderating role of transformational team leadership in this relationship. Motivation for the study: For a team to be effective, adaptive and innovative and engage in learning behaviours, the transformational team leader must set the right climate in the team, where he or she welcomes the team members' opinions, questions and feedback at no risk to their image. An understanding of this will be important in team leader selection and training. Research design, approach and method: Using a cross-sectional survey design, 57 work teams comprising 456 respondents in teams of 7-9 members were purposively sampled from five financial institutions in Accra, Ghana. Hierarchical regression and moderation analyses were run on the data at the team level. Main findings: Results indicated a positive relationship between team psychological safety and team learning behaviour, with transformational team leadership moderating this relationship. Practical/managerial implication: Transformational team leadership is important in creating a climate of psychological safety that will enable team members to engage in learning behaviours. Contribution/value-add: The study provided theoretical and empirical evidence that, in organisational contexts, transformational team leadership is an important variable that can facilitate psychological safety and learning behaviour in teams. © 2013. The Authors.

Source: UG
Transforming agribusiness in developing countries: SDGs and the role of FinTech

Transformation of agribusiness is critical in light of the Agenda for Sustainable Development. FinTech and the integration of FinTech with other (green) technologies as well as with digitized agriculture plays an important role when it comes to, for example, SDG 12, specifically, responsible production, as it can mitigate trade-offs and enhance synergies between environmental and social SDGs, for example, 1 and 15, increasing profitability without additional use of natural resources. Important limitations and risks need to be addressed, however, for developing countries to fully benefit from the potential that FinTech holds in this context. Mitigating factors include massive infrastructure investments and large-scale capacity building. Rigorous research on economic sustainability and cost-effectiveness of newer FinTech models is needed to make sound policy recommendations.

Source: UG
Transforming critical agrarian studies: Solidarity, scholar activism and emancipatory agendas in and from the Global South*

ABSTRACT This paper examines the challenges and opportunities faced by critical agrarian scholars in and from the Global South. We argue that despite the historical and structural limitations, the critical juncture of convergence of crises and renewed interest in agrarian political economies offers an opportunity for fostering a diverse research agenda that opens space for critical perspectives about, from and by the Global South, which is mostly absent in mainstream scholarship dominated by the Global North. We also propose doing so by enhancing solidarity to transform injustices within academia and other spaces of knowledge production and dissemination. To develop the argument, first, we reflect on the multiplicity of crises in rural areas and the changing character of social struggles, as well as the interlinkages between environmental crises and the re-emergence of critical agrarian studies that are reshaping the agrarian question. Then, we discuss the implications and conditions of the political agenda carried out by a scholar-activist movement working on agrarian studies from the Global South. Drawing on our experience as the Collective of Agrarian Scholar-Activists from the South (CASAS), we conclude by proposing three ways forward for enhancing solidarity through networks of scholar-activists: knowledge accessibility, cooperative organization, and co-production of knowledge

Source: UG
Transforming Growth Factor–β, Interleukin (IL)–18, and IL-12: Effect on the Clinical Course and Complications of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria

The Department of Immunology conducts research in the field of immunology of infectious and non-infectious diseases. The Department has the overall goal of contributing knowledge to better diagnosis, management, control and prevention of infectious and non-infectious diseases in Ghana and worldwide. This is consistent with the overall strategy of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and in line with the strategy of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana.

Source: UG
Transforming Parkinson’s Care in Africa (TraPCAf): protocol for a multimethodology National Institute for Health and Care Research Global Health Research Group project

Background Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and, according to the Global Burden of Disease estimates in 2015, was the fastest growing neurological disorder globally with respect to associated prevalence, disability, and deaths. Information regarding the awareness, diagnosis, phenotypic charac‑ teristics, epidemiology, prevalence, risk factors, treatment, economic impact and lived experiences of people with PD from the African perspective is relatively sparse in contrast to the developed world, and much remains to be learned from, and about, the continent. Methods Transforming Parkinson’s Care in Africa (TraPCAf ) is a multi-faceted, mixed-methods, multi-national research grant. The study design includes multiple sub-studies, combining observational (qualitative and quantitative) approaches for the epidemiological, clinical, risk factor and lived experience components, as appropriate, and inter‑ ventional methods (clinical trial component). The aim of TraPCAf is to describe and gain a better understanding of the current situation of PD in Africa. The countries included in this National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Group (Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania) represent diverse African geographies and genetic profles, with difering resources, healthcare systems, health and social protection schemes, and policies. The research team is composed of experts in the feld with vast experience in PD, jointly led by a UK-based and Africa-based investigator. Discussion Despite the increasing prevalence of PD globally, robust data on the disease from Africa are lacking. Exist‑ ing data point towards the poor awareness of PD and other neurological disorders on the continent and subsequent challenges with stigma, and limited access to afordable services and medication. This multi-site study will be the frst of its kind in Africa. The data collected across the proposed sub-studies will provide novel and conclusive insights into the situation of PD. The selected country sites will allow for useful comparisons and make results relevant to other low- and middle-income countries. This grant is timely, as global recognition of PD and the public health challenge it poses builds. The work will contribute to broader initiatives, including the World Health Organization’s Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders.

Source: UG
Transforming Supply Logistics for Health Commodity Security in Africa

To resolve the problem of ensuring secure supplies of all health commodities, health planners in African countries must first identify arrangements that best serve the public interests of promoting choice and competition in ensuring health commodity security. Investments in inventory management should not be viewed as a one-off exercise but rather as a continuous search for the optimal scale and scope of operations that ensure the availability of essential health commodities most of the time. Without competing alternatives to manage inventory, public-sector logistics monopolies lack adequate incentives to devise ways of reducing costs and improving output. Further, these monopolies make it more difficult to minimize the impact and duration of catastrophic supply disruptions. Current efforts to improve public-sector supply logistics must be extended to include the transformation of existing public and private logistics infrastructure for inventory management into a state of prudent multiplicity—one in which there are at least 2 full-line national logistics institutions competing to serve all government, nongovernmental, and private health facilities. Health planners should consider creating a state of prudent multiplicity in their roadmaps, master plans, and health system strengthening initiatives.

Source: UG
Transforming Teaching a nd Learning a t University o f Ghana through Community Service - Learning: Listening t o t he Voices o f Students

Universities all over the world are undergoing change to improve teaching, learning and service. These changes have been motivate d by call for universities to connect more to communities to address their problems. One of the means of ensuring that universities and communities engage mutually in a partnership where students, faculty and community members create and co - create knowledg e to find solution to problems is through community service - learning. Although community service - learning has been incorporated in several universities in the United States and lately in South Africa, it is not common amongst universities in Ghana. This pa per examines students’ perception towards community service - learning. The study adopted a mixed methods case study approach and collected data using questionnaire and in - depth interview. The findings reveal students’ positive perception towards community s ervice - learning which could eventually have an impact on the University of Ghana’s decision to implement service - learning programmes.

Source: UG
Transhumance pastoralism in West Africa – its importance, policies and challenges

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) recognises transhumance pastoralism as a beneficial livestock production system that can contribute to food security together with economic and political stability. Thus, the subregional bloc put together the ECOWAS Protocol on Transhumance and supporting regulations to actualise these benefits. These policies seek to regulate transhumance pastoralism by ensuring that herd movements are along defined migratory corridors among member states. This review assesses the importance of transhumance pastoralism in West Africa, local and cross-border policies, and associated challenges, with emphasis on herder–farmer conflicts. It was realised that the movement of large numbers of livestock into rangelands (1) provides employment for many, and thus improves livelihoods; (2) improves productivity through high milk production and high fertility; (3) reduces moribund and combustible forage materials in the dry season; and (4) enhances seed dispersal, soil fertility and plant diversity on rangelands. This review shows that the ECOWAS cross-border transhumance protocols have led to infrastructural developments in some member states, but the partial enforcement of protocols has led to herder–farmer conflicts. We conclude that transhumance pastoralism and the regulatory policies have several benefits. However, to ensure policy compliance and avoid herder–farmer conflicts, the policies need to be reviewed and discernible gaps eliminated.

Source: UG
Transient Impact of Dysglycemia on Sputum Conversion among Smear-Positive Tuberculosis Patients in a Tertiary Care Facility in Ghana

BACKGROUND: Apart from increasing the risk of tuberculosis (TB), diabetes may be associated with more severe disease and lower rates of sputum conversion among TB patients. METHODS: We conducted a baseline cross-sectional study with a longitudinal follow-up of newly diagnosed smear-positive TB patients for 6 months. Sputum conversion rates between those with dysglycemia and those without were compared at 2 months (end of the intensive phase) and 6 months (end of the treatment). Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were computed to assess factors associated with dys glycemia as well as sputum conversion. RESULTS: A significantly higher proportion of normoglycemic patients had negative sputum compared with those with dysglycemia (83% vs 67%, P-value < .05) at 2 months but not at 6 months (87% vs 77%, P-value > .05). After controlling for age group and adjusting for other covariates, patients with dysglycemia were 66% less likely to convert sputum than those with normoglycemia. Females were at least 7 times more likely than males and those with high waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) of 88% were less likely compared with those with low WHR for sputum conversion at 2 months, respectively. At 6 months, females (compared with males) and those with high WHR (compared with those with normal WHR) were at over 9 times increased odds and 89% less likely for sputum conversion, respectively. CONCLUSION: A significantly lower proportion of smear-positive TB patients with dysglycemia converted to smear negative after 2 months of treatment but not at the end of the treatment, thus suggesting a transient impact of dysglycemia on sputum conversion.

Source: UG
Transient rural livelihoods and poverty in Ghana

Although agriculture remains the main economic livelihood activity for the majority of rural households in sub-Saharan Africa it has also been observed that livelihood diversity is the norm. Using household panel data from Ghana this article argues that aside from farming many rural economic livelihood options are transient because of a large gap between livelihood activity and professional vocation development. Further, the household welfare effect of being livelihood diversity transient is examined under the premise that of utmost relevance is the welfare implication of such behaviour. Evidence suggests that a substantial proportion (55%) of households exhibit considerable instability in livelihood diversity behaviour. More importantly, being livelihood diversity transient imposes statistically significant albeit economically marginal household welfare cost. The findings also reveal that spatial location of household, demographics factors, education, and consumer–producer price differentials were the most important determinants of rural household welfare. The key message from the findings is the need to develop entrepreneurial skills of rural households to acquire gainful employment opportunities, which leads to more stable livelihood diversity behaviour and poverty reduction.

Source: UG
Transition Experiences Of Newly Qualified Diploma Nurses During Rotation: A Study At The Tema General Hospital

Background: Over the years it has been assumed that newly qualified nurses are ready for practice immediately after passing their licensure examination. However, studies have shown that, the newly qualified graduate nurse experiences role performance stress, moral distress, discouragement and disillusion. Expectations at the workplace, during the initial months of their introduction to professional practice are inordinately high; structures that promote transition from newly qualified nurse to professional nurse have not been put in place to assist them. Aim: The study was aimed at exploring the transitional experiences of newly qualified diploma nurses during their one year rotation at the Tema General Hospital. Method: The study used a qualitative exploratory descriptive research design. A purposive sample size of ten rotation nurses were interviewed. Data was analyzed using content analysis. Seven themes emerged from the data, which included motivation for career choice, preparation for practice, expectations, work experience, supportive work environment, faith and coping strategies, and measure to improve transition experience Findings: The findings from the study showed that the transition period is stressful, with the new nurses reporting of negative staff attitude towards them, a sense of unfair expectations on them from their senior colleagues, and lack of supportive environment. Conclusions: The study revealed that the transition from newly qualified diploma nurse to professional nurse was stressful for the participants. It is therefore important that ward managers, and all nurses understand the experiences these new nurses go through and try to organized support systems for tracking and mentoring newly qualified nurses. This will make the rotation period less stressful for them.

Source: UG