ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Optimizing Sustainable Resource Efficiency: A Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Sustainable Practices in SMEs.

This study examines the influence of sustainability practices on resource efficiency in Ghana's small and medium-sized enter prises (SMEs), utilizing a comprehensive framework that integrates environmental and social dimensions, enabling conditions, innovative practices, and technological advancements. Through a survey of 462 manufacturing SMEs, the research uncovers the complex interrelationships between sustainability practices and their impact on resource efficiency. The findings reveal four distinct sustainability pathways: the first underscores the critical importance of environmental dimensions and enabling conditions without robust social dimensions and innovative practices. The second highlights the significance of environmen tal and enabling conditions, even when technological innovativeness is limited. The third and fourth pathways emphasize the pivotal role of social dimensions and technological innovation, with innovative practices as supportive elements. Additionally, two typologies emerge, illustrating the integration of environmental and social dimensions with enabling conditions and the synergy between technological innovation, social dimensions, and innovative practices. This research advances the discourse on sustainability within SMEs, emphasizing the necessity for reduced resource consumption, conservation, efficient production, circular economy principles, and waste minimization. The findings suggest that achieving SDG 8.4 by 2030, which targets global resource efficiency, hinges on adopting these sustainable pathways with emphasis on Ghanaian SMEs. This study provides a deeper understanding of sustainability practices among developing economy SMEs, shedding light on the intricate dynamics that enhance resource management. It offers critical insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to promote sustainability in local SMEs, particularly in Ghana, advocating for a holistic approach that considers the multifaceted nature of sustainability.

Source: UG
Optimum fisheries management under climate variability: Evidence from artisanal marine fishing in Ghana

In most developing coastal countries, the artisanal fisheries sector is managed as a common pool resource. As a result, such fisheries are overcapitalized and overfished. In Ghana, in addition to anthropogenic factors, there is evidence of rising coastal temperature and its variance, which could impact the environmental carrying capacity of the fish stock. This study investigates the effect of climate variation on biophysical parameters and yields. Our results indicate that the rising temperature is decreasing the carrying capacity. As a result, an optimum tax on harvest must reflect climate variability, as well as the congestion externality.

Source: UG
Optimum reserve size, fishing induced change in carrying capacity, and phenotypic diversity

Fish stocks around the world are heavily overexploited in spite of fishing policies in several parts of the world designed to limit overfishing. Recent studies have found that the complexity of ecological systems and the diversity of species, as well as negative impact of fishing activities on environmental carrying capacity of fish stocks—all contribute to the problem. A number of biologists, managers, and practitioners strongly support the use of marine reserves as a management strategy for marine conservation. This paper contributes to this line of research by seeking an optimum reserve size and fishing effort for situations where species diversity decrease at fishing grounds and fishing activities impact carrying capacity. We found that a reserve size which maximizes economic rents could ruin a fish stock if fishing impacts are not accounted for. On the other hand, the reserve serves as a bifurcation term which could improve the resilience of a marine ecosystem. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Source: UG
Optineurin coding variants in Ghanaian patients with primary open-angle glaucoma

Purpose Coding variants in the optineurin gene (OPTN, GLC1E) have been reported to play a role in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in various populations. This study investigated the role of OPTN sequence variants in patients with POAG in Ghana (West Africa). Methods This is a case-control study of unrelated Ghanaian POAG cases and non-glaucomatous controls. Ascertainment criteria for POAG included the presence of glaucomatous optic nerve neuropathy, associated visual field loss, and elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in both eyes, all in the absence of secondary causes of glaucoma. Controls had normal optic nerves, visual fields, and IOP. All the coding exons of OPTN were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified and sequenced in all 140 cases and 130 controls using an ABI 3730 DNA analyzer. Results All the coding exons of OPTN were sequenced in 140 POAG patients and 130 controls. Several coding variants were identified including M98K, A134A, V147L, P292P, A301G, S321S, and E322K. Three coding variants (V147L, P292P, and A301G) have not been reported previously. There were no significant differences on the frequencies of all the identified variants between POAG cases and controls in this population.

Source: UG
Oral activity of the antimalarial endoperoxide 6-(1,2,6,7-tetraoxaspiro[7.11]nonadec-4-yl)hexan-1-ol (N-251) against Leishmania donovani complex

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
Oral health status of peri-urban schoolchildren in Accra, Ghana

Aim: To update and add to the sparse information available on the dental disease experience of Ghanaian children. Method: A cross-sectional survey where all 4–16-year-old schoolchildren in a peri-urban community of Accra, Ghana, were examined. Three primary schools had been selected by the school authorities for the study. Results: Plaque scores ranged from 78.9% in the 4–5-year-olds to a high of 97% in the 6-year-olds with the older age groups occupying intermediate levels. The proportion with calculus ranged from a low of 40% in the 4–5-year-olds to a high of 67% in the 13–16-year-olds. Gingival disease increased with age from slight to low in the lower age groups and increasing significantly from 12 years to 16 years. Caries experience was low to very low from a high of a DMFT score of 1.11 (SE 0.07) in the 7–9-year-olds to a low of 0.30 (SE 0.06) in the 13–16-year-olds. Conclusion: Sustained community preventive dental activity needs to be instituted in both rural and urban regions to prevent and control both caries and periodontal diseases and to prevent future increases in the caries rates as has been experienced in some developing countries.

Source: UG
Oral iron chelation therapy with deferiprone. Monitoring of biochemical, drug and iron excretion changes

The oral iron chelator 1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxypyrid-4-one (L1, deferiprone, CAS 30652-11-0) has been given daily for 3-11 months to 6 transfusion dependent iron loaded patients (myelodysplasia (MDS) 2, Diamond-Blackfan anaemia 1, thalassaemia intermedia 1, thalassaemia major 2). Daily doses of 3 g, 2×2 g and 3×2 g were administered for the first 2-7 months. DaiLy doses of 2×3 g were also used for periods up to 4 months. Urine iron excretion following 3 g of L1 was found to be related to the number of previous transfusions but not to serum ferritin or the amount of L1 excreted. In each case 24 h urinary iron excretion in response to 3 g L1 ranged from 5-21 mg in MDS, 13-25 mg in a thalassaemia intermedia and a Diamond-Blackfan patient and 16-110 mg in thalassaemia major patients. Further increases of urinary iron were observed in all the patients when the daily dose was increased. Serum ferritin levels have fluctuated but overall have remained unchanged. Biochemical assessment did not show any major abnormalities ascribed to L1 except from subnormal serum zinc levels in two patients and white blood cell absorbate in another. In a separate study we have compared urinary L1 and iron excretions in 7 transfusional iron loaded patients. In all the cases the concentration of L1 was in excess of iron and higher than the LeveL required for 100% iron binding. There was no other apparent correlation beyween the concentrations of L1 and iron in the urines studied. Iron excretion by L1 at the doses used appears to depend on the availability of a chelatable iron pool which is variable but generally related to the iron overload of each individual patient and other as yet unknown factors

Source: UG
Oral Literature in African Libraries: Implications for Ghana

African oral tradition has come into UNESCO's programme in a number of ways. First of all, oral tradition is one of the main sources of African history used for the "General History of Africa" project. Secondly, oral tradition is of the greatest'importance as a depository of the cultural past of Africa. Lastly, material drawn from the oral tradition is used in the study of African cultures and African languages (UNESCO 1974?: 15). As far back as 1966 an international committee of experts met in Abidjan, Cote d'lvoire to propose regions and periods to be covered and the themes to be dealt with and, secondly, , decide what types of research should be undertaken in view of the sources and periods involved and the importance, abundance or scarcity of documentation. Since then, there have been other meetings on the coordination and planning of the collection of oral tradition in Ouagadougou, Niamey and Porto Novo

Source: UG
Oral nifedipine therapy in the management of severe preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of nifedipine (Cordipin) and hydralazine in lowering blood pressure in severe preeclampsia. METHOD: A randomized, prospective study of 104 patients with severe preeclampsia in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana, was conducted between January 1992 and June 1994. RESULTS: Of the 104 patients recruited into the study, six did not deliver at our hospital and were thus excluded from the study. Nifedipine and hydralazine as first-line drugs controlled the blood pressure in 44 and 35 patients, respectively, but failed in 5 and 14, respectively. This was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The mean birth weight was higher in the nifedipine group (2500+/-800 g vs. 2400+/-800 g). There were 11 admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit in the nifedipine group and 13 in the hydralazine group but the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Nifedipine and hydralazine could both be used effectively to control blood pressure in severe preeclampsia in our subregion. While hydralazine is administered intravenously and needs strict monitoring, nifedipine is more effective, is easy to administer orally, less demanding on hospital staff, convenient and more predictable.

Source: UG
OraSure InteliSwab™ Rapid Antigen Test Performance with the SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern—Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron

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
organ histology

This study examines how the combination of layer breeder age and oxygen concentration in the incubator impacts Chorioallantoic (CAM) vascularization, embryo and chick organs, blood profiles, and organ histology at hatch. Nine hundred (900) eggs from 33 to 50 wk ISA breeders were incubated at different O2 levels (15%, 17%, and 21%). Results showed signifi cant interactions between breeder age and oxygen levels, affecting liver and heart weights, blood indices, and CAM vascularity. Hypoxic conditions led to adaptive changes in embryonic organs, with notable differences between breeder age groups, suggesting that mild hypoxia can influence compensatory growth, depending on exposure stages.

Source: UG
Organ Toxicity by Immunosuppressive Drugs in Solid Organ Transplantation

Solid organ transplantation is the preferred therapeutic option that confers significant survival advantage on patients suffering from end-organ dysfunction and provides improved quality of life together with its cost-effectiveness. During perioperative and post-transplant periods, organ transplant recipients receive immunosuppressive therapy, which reduces the high risk of allograft rejection, minimizes infections, improves allograft quality, and prolongs recipient survival. While there is no optimal immunosuppressive protocol in solid organ transplantation across transplant centers, some centers have adopted a triple combination therapy consisting of a calcineurin inhibitor, a purine synthesis inhibitor, and glucocorticoid. Other centers have also used dual therapy comprising inhibitors of mammalian target of rapamycin and belatacept to achieve the goal of immunosuppression. However, chronic immunosuppression is associated with post-transplant complications including organ toxicity, resulting in significant mortality of transplant recipients and hindering long-term success of organ transplantation. This chapter discusses organ toxicity induced by commonly used immunosuppressive drugs in solid organ transplantation and strategies to reduce the burden of immunosuppression after solid organ transplantation.

Source: UG
Organ Transplantation in Ghana

There is a growing burden of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in sub Saharan Africa, driven by a genetic predisposition to kidney disease and an increasing prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus. It is estimated that 13.9% (95% confidence interval, 12.2-15.7) African Blacks have chronic kidney disease1 with a significant fraction progressing to ESKD, a harbinger of imminent death in Africa due to the scarcity and the lack of affordable dialysis. Kidney transplantation is the best treatment for ESKD, conferring superior survival, quality of life in addition to being more cost effective than dialysis.2 A recent systematic literature review in sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa and Sudan) showed that only few adults (16 studies) and children (6 studies) received kidney transplants (1.1% and 2.5%, respectively).3 The report of The Transplantation Society meeting in 2013 emphasized the lack of kidney transplantation in sub-Saharan Africa.4

Source: UG
Organisational adoption of telecommuting: Evidence from a developing country

Even though telecommuting has been a growing phenomenon in the more advanced world over the past 2 decades, businesses in Africa and more specifically West Africa are yet to adopt the practice, hence providing a gap for research into telecommuting in a developing country such as Ghana to be filled. The study sought to investigate the technological, environmental, and organisational factors that influence telecommuting adoption and to also examine the potential benefits of adopting telecommuting in the operations of Ericsson Ghana. Technology–organisation–environment (TOE) framework was used as the guiding lens. The study, from the critical realism perspective, adopted the qualitative research approach. Hence, Ericsson Ghana was selected as the case. Miles and Huberman's transcendental realism data analysis approach was used for the case study. This study's findings established that the staff and the company as a whole benefited from the adoption of telecommuting practices. The study also identified some factors that influence the adoption of telecommuting. Contribution is therefore made by the findings of the study to the body of knowledge by probing into strategies and guidelines for implementing telecommuting in Ghana and to a larger extent West Africa. Arguably, few studies have been conducted on telecommuting from a developing economy's perspective using the TOE framework. Again, this study provides the guideline for policy discourse in relation to telecommuting adoption in Ghana. The originality of this study lies in the ability to identify an organisation in a developing country such as Ghana, which has institutionalised telecommuting practices for a case study.

Source: UG
Organisational Commitment in the Public Service of Ghana: An Empirical Study.

Overall performance of an organisation depends on several factors including organisational commitment. This phenomenon is a valuable factor that affects policy direction of organisations of today. The current study examines commitment of workers in the civil/public service of Ghana. In the process, the researchers also investigated differences in commitment in terms of age and length of service. Subjects were 343 male and female civil/public servants, drawn from various ministries, departments and agencies. Analyses show that males are more committed than their female counterparts. It was further revealed that age is positively associated with employee commitment, and that longer serving employees are more committed than staff with short tenure in an organisation. The implications were discussed and recommendations made.

Source: UG
Organization Development Models: A Critical Review and Implications for Creating Learning Organizations

Over approximately the last 20 years, models have been used to guide the organization development (OD) consulting process for enhanced organizational effectiveness, with implications for creating learning organisations. This review analyses and synthesizes the characteristics, similarities and differences, and strengths and weaknesses of four main models of OD, and the extent to which they can be used to create learning organisations. The models reviewed are the three-step, action research, appreciative inquiry, and the general planned change model. Whereas all four models overlap in characteristics such as involving participants in the change process, important differences including the focus and stages of change exist amongst them. On the basis of the review, the general model of OD which integrates the other three models is revised and extended to address two main gaps. The first is the absence of a stage in the change process that focuses on assessing pertinent organizational and client factors capable of influencing the success/failure of planned change efforts. The second concerns the lack of clarification on how organizations can become learning organizations as part of the change process. The proposed extended general OD model comprises six overlapping stages, including a final “empoweringwithdrawal” stage. It proposes that OD efforts should empower clients to become learning organizations as an ultimate focus of the field of OD. The review holds important implications for OD practitioners and researchers to jointly adopt, review, and build on the proposed revised general model of OD.

Source: UG
Organizational antecedents of a mining firm's efforts to reinvent its CSR: The case of golden star resources in ghana.

This article reports a case study of how organizational antecedents, specifically leadership choices, decisions, culture, and organizational learning, impact and construct the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of a Canadian mid-tier mining firm operating in Ghana. The primary objective of the article is to demonstrate, through an in-depth study of a single case, that organizational- and firm-level antecedents are a powerful tool for understanding how ethical, socially responsible, and community-relevant behaviors of a mining firm in a developing area come to be constructed. The article thus contributes to the conceptual and applied literatures on CSR by suggesting that much as the voice of moral suasion, advocacy, and critical censure have been important motive forces behind CSR efforts, it seems that the sustainability and community relevance of CSR efforts are linked to identifiable internal response mechanisms that dispose or enable firms to behave in responsible ways.

Source: UG
Organizational barriers to employee training and learning: evidence from the automotive sector

Purpose This study examines the factors that hinder employee training and learning in the automotive industry in Ghana, Africa. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts quantitative research methodology and cross-sectional survey design. Eighty-nine usable questionnaires from employees of an automotive organization in Ghana are used. Descriptive statistics and one-sample t-test are used for the analyses. Findings The results indicate that organizational culture, poor management commitment to training, inadequate promotion prospects, and lack of transparency and fairness in trainees’ selection are the most common barriers to employee training and learning. Practical implications Top management should provide opportunities to employees to apply new skills and knowledge they acquired. Fair and transparent procedures should be used to select training beneficiaries. Finally, organizations should develop cultural systems that encourage continuous learning motivation among their employees. Originality/value In this era of knowledge-driven economy, this research highlights factors that inhibit employees’ motivation to learn.

Source: UG
Organizational capacities of national pharmacovigilance centres in Africa: assessment of resource elements associated with successful and unsuccessful pharmacovigilance experiences

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
Organizational Commitment of Public Service Employees in Ghana: Does Code of Ethics Matter

One of the most difficult and under-examined issues in the ethics research of developing countries is whether the establishment of codes of ethics in public service organizations leads to employees’ organizational commitment. This study investigates the link between codes of ethics and organizational commitment, as well as its three dimensions of affective, normative and continuance commitment, in Ghanaian public service organizations. Correlational, regression and descriptive statistics were used to study 228 participants conveniently sampled from selected public service organizations within the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Empirical evidence showed that codes of ethics significantly and positively predicted employees’ organizational commitment, as well as the three dimensions of the affective, normative and continuance commitment of employees.

Source: UG