ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Mental Health Professionals’ Attitudes Toward Offenders With Mental Illness (Insanity Acquittees) in Ghana

Mental health professionals’ attitudes toward offenders with mental illness have significant implications for the quality of care and treatment rendered, making it imperative for these professionals to be aware of their attitudes. Yet, this topical issue has received little research attention. Consequently, the present study investigates attitudes toward offenders with mental illness (insanity acquittees) in a sample of 113 registered mental health nurses in Ghana. Using a cross-sectional survey and self-report methodology, the participants respond to measures of attitudes toward offenders with mental illness, attitudes toward mental illness, conviction proneness, and criminal blameworthiness. The results show that mental health nurses who reportedly practiced for a longer duration (6 years and above) were more likely to be unsympathetic, while the male nurses who were aged 30 years and above were more likely to hold offenders with mental illness strictly liable for their offenses. Importantly, the nurses’ scores in conviction proneness and criminal blameworthiness significantly predict negative attitudes toward the offenders even after controlling for their attitudes toward mental illness. Yet, when the nurses’ conviction proneness and criminal blameworthiness were held constant, their attitudes toward mental illness failed to predict attitudes toward the offenders. This initial finding implies that the nurses’ views regarding criminal blameworthiness and conviction may be more influential in understanding their attitudes toward offenders with mental illness relative to their attitudes toward mental illness.

Source: UG
Mental Health Professionals’ Perspectives On Electronic Patient Record At The Accra Psychiatric Hospital

Patient records at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital have been stored in paper folders for several decades now and have recently had many challenges due to the increasing number of patients and limited storage space for these paper folders. The main objective of the study was to explore the perspectives of mental health professionals on Electronic Patient Record (EPR). The study adopted a qualitative research design with face to face interviews as the main research instrument. Fifteen participants were involved in the study. Thematic content analysis was used for the data analysis. The study revealed that mental health professionals have knowledge of EPR through their awareness of the concept, understanding of the concept, the content of their knowledge on EPR, their experiences with EPR as well as their attitude towards EPR. It was discovered that enhanced productivity and easy access to information among others were perceived as benefits of EPR in mental health delivery. The study further found that funding, internet connectivity, resistance to change and unstable power supply could be critical hindrances to the use of EPR. In conclusion, participants weighed the benefits of implementing EPR at Accra Psychiatric Hospital over the barriers and were optimistic of the benefits. It is therefore recommended that EPR should be adopted and there should be intense training for mental health professionals prior to EPR implementation, improved internet connection and an alternative source of electricity should be made available.

Source: UG
Mental health reportage in Ghanaian newspapers between 2000 and 2015: A qualitative analysis

Print media plays an important role in the circulation of information in contemporary Ghanaian society. We thematically examined the content of 164 mental health-related articles published between 2000 and 2015 in six widely circulating Ghanaian newspapers. The articles included investigative reports related to specific public events and incidents; advice columns; editorials; and didactic pieces. The articles covered the following four major topics: (1) Mental health awareness and advocacy; (2) Suicide; (3) Donations; and (4) Religion. Our findings demonstrate that Ghanaian newspapers promote awareness about mental disorders; advocate for those with mental disorders; provide mostly accurate basic knowledge about the nature and management of specific disorders; and inform the public about the state of mental health care in Ghana. We also observed that newspapers serve as a medium through which social representations of mental disorder in society are circulated, and in which tensions between common sense views and evidence-based information on mental health are expressed.

Source: UG
Mental Health-Related Stigma and Discrimination in Ghana: Experience of Patients and Their Caregivers

BACKGROUND: Mental health is now attracting increased public health attention from health professionals, policy makers and the general population. However, stigma and discrimination usually have enormous negative impact on the patients and their families. This study reports on stigma and discrimination faced by mental health patients and their caregivers in a suburban area of Ghana and the coping strategies used.METHOD: This is a cross-sectional exploratory study which used both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Two hundred and seventy seven mental health patients were purposively interviewed. Focus group discussions were held with caregivers and in-depth interviews were held with mental health professionals. The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS and Microsoft Excel(®) whilst the qualitative data were coded and manually analyzed thematically.RESULTS: Mental disorder cuts across all age, sex, education, ethnicity, employment, and marital status. More females were stigmatized than males at the work/employment and educational levels. Various forms of stigma were observed at the economic, psychological and social levels, whilst for discrimination it was only observed at the economic and social levels. Caregivers were also stigmatized and discriminated. The coping strategies adopted by the mental patients and their caregivers were also economic, psychological and social in nature.CONCLUSION: Mental health patients and their families suffer from stigma and discrimination from the individual, family, work, employment, education to the health level. Thus, community level policy on mental health care needs to be developed and implemented. Furthermore mental health education needs to be intensified at the community level.

Source: UG
Mental illness has multiple causes: beliefs on causes of mental illness by congregants of selected neo-prophetic churches in Ghana

The present study explored perceived causes of, and preferred treatment approach for, mental illness among congregants of six Neo-prophetic churches in Accra and Kumasi through in-depth interviews. Using thematic analysis, five themes emerged from participants’ causal attributions of mental illness. These included lifestyles and environmental stressors, spiritual causes, interaction of multiple factors, trauma and biological causes. Additionally, participants discussed four main mechanisms through which stress leads to mental illness. These included persistent worrying over stressors, use of inappropriate coping strategies to cope with stress, refusal to talk about one's problems and individuals’ appraisal of stress and available coping resources. These beliefs directly determined congregants’ preferred treatment approach. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Source: UG
Mentally disordered offenders and the law: Research update on the insanity defense, 2004–2019

The insanity defense is among the most controversial legal constructs that has attracted the attention of scholars, practitioners and policy makers. Here, we conducted a systematic review of the literature spanning 2004 to 2019 that produced 58 studies of insanity defense research. Findings are organized according to: (1) assessments and assessment-related issues, (2) juror decision-making in defense trials, (3) characteristics of insanity acquittees, (4) release recommendations for insanity acquittees, (5) revocation of conditional release status of insanity acquittees, and (6) additional areas of insanity defense research. Implications of the research for the insanity defense and cognate legal issues are proffered

Source: UG
Mercury in different environmental compartments of the Pra River Basin, Ghana

Artisanal gold mining (AGM) with metallic mercury has a long history in Ghana. It is believed to be over 2000 years old. Today, AGM has escalated in a new dimension consuming about half of the country where gold lode deposits exist along riverbanks or rivers are alluvial-gold rich. The Pra River in southwestern Ghana is a site of on going application of metallic mercury in prospecting gold, and this paper examines mercury (Hg) contamination in the different environmental compartments in its watershed. Samples of water, sediment, soil and biota (i.e., human hair and fish) were collected from locations along the course of the river during the rainy and dry seasons of 2002 and 2003, respectively. Besides the obvious Hg point sources along the Pra and its tributaries, the obtained results show that Hg levels and speciation in the studied aquatic system are controlled by precipitation, which drives the hydrology and differences in flow regimes versus seasons. The seasonal difference in Hg speciation suggests that methyl mercury (MeHg) found in the aqueous phase and riverine sediments is likely of terrestrial origin where its production is favored during the rainy season by high soil water and organic matter content. The use of the enrichment factor (EF) for the assessment of sediment quality indicated moderate to severe contamination of surface sediments in the rainy season, while in the dry season, the EF index indicates nearly no pollution of surface sediments. Accordingly, most of the Hg introduced into this river system is likely transported to depositional downstream terminal basins (e.g. the river delta and the Gulf of Guinea). With regard to biota, Hg measured in hair in the dry period was higher than data obtained on samples collected during the wet period. This could be explained at least in part by the shift in diet as a result of abundance of fish in the local markets and the concurrent increase and more active fishing during the dry season. Mercury data obtained on a very limited number of fish samples collected during the dry period only are also presented. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Source: UG
Mercury in the Surface Soil and Cassava, Manihot esculenta (Flesh, Leaves and Peel) Near Goldmines at Bogoso and Prestea, Ghana

Mercury amalgamation is used indiscriminately in the recovery of gold by small-scale native gem winners in Ghana. Mercury is released into the environment in the form of wastewater, tailing and vapor from the roasting of amalgam to separate gold. The study looked at the levels of total mercury concentration in surface soil and cassava crop from farms located within the vicinities of Bogoso and Prestea Goldmines. The surface soil total mercury concentrations ranged between 125.29 and 352.52 μg/kg whiles cassava had between 66.60 and 195.47 μg/kg. The results showed proportionately more deposits at higher distances in 15-30 cm soil zone and less deposits at higher distances on leaves with relatively high uptake of the metal occurred at higher distances from the mines into the peels. These results suggest serious mercury pollution to the surface soil and the cassava crop but the speciation exercise showed that mercury is not in the free state, rather bound to hydroxides and organic compounds as complexes. © The Author(s) 2012.

Source: UG
Mercury: An agent of poverty in Ghana's small-scale gold-mining sector?

There is consensus worldwide that the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector is comprised of individuals who are trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, lacking the necessary financial and technological means to improve their standards of living. Minimal work, however, has been undertaken to identify the very factors behind miners' plight, which inevitably vary from country to country. This paper uses a case study of Ghana to argue that an increased dependence upon mercury for amalgamation in artisanal gold-mining communities is one such-albeit overlooked-"agent of poverty". There is mounting empirical evidence which suggests that dealings with the monoponistic middlemen who supply mercury, purchases of costly medicines to remedy ailments caused by mercury poisoning, and a lack of appropriate safeguards and alternatives to amalgamation, are preventing gold miners from improving their practices and livelihoods. The solution to the problem lies in breaking this cycle of dependency, which can be achieved by providing miners with robust support services, mercury-free technologies and education. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Source: UG
Mesoporous carbon/Li4Ti5O12 nanoflakes composite anode material lithiated to 0.01 V

A composite anode material is fabricated from mesoporous carbon and synthesized Li4Ti5O12 nanoflakes for application in lithium ion batteries. Li4Ti5O12 is used as a capacity contributing conductive additive because of the change in its electronic structure from insulating to metallic as it undergoes lithiation. Cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy are used to analyze the electrochemical properties of the mesporous carbon/Li4Ti5O12 nanoflakes composite material, and synergistic results have been confirmed. The composite achieves high specific capacity and excellent cyclability with a capacity stabilizing at 300 mA h g 1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 175 mA g 1 and 200 mA h g 1 after 500 more cycles at a high current density of 500 mA g 1. This research shows the applicability of using LTO as a conducting agent with significant capacity contribution as a composite material with anode materials discharged to 0.01 V for high energy storage with fast charge– discharge capability.

Source: UG
Meta-Analysis Identification of Highly Robust and Differential Immune-Metabolic Signatures of Systemic Host Response to Acute and Latent Tuberculosis in Children and Adults

Background: Whole blood expression profiling is a mainstay for delineating differential diagnostic signatures of infection yet is subject to high variability that reduces power and complicates clinical usefulness. To date, confirmatory high confidence expression profiling signatures for clinical use remain uncertain. Here we have sought to evaluate the reproducibility and confirmatory nature of differential expression signatures, comprising molecular and cellular pathways, across multiple international clinical observational studies investigating children and adult whole blood transcriptome responses to tuberculosis (TB). Methods and findings: A systematic search and quality control assessment of gene expression repositories for human TB using whole blood resulted in 11 datasets with a total of 1073 patients from Africa, Europe, and South America. A non-parametric estimation of percentage of false prediction was used for meta-analysis of high confidence differential expression analysis. Deconvolution analysis was applied to infer changes in immune cell proportions and enrichment tests applied using pathway database resources. Meta-analysis identified high confidence differentially expressed genes, comprising 372 in adult active-TB versus latent-TB (LTBI), 332 in adult active-TB versus controls (CON), five in LTBI versus CON, and 415 in childhood active-TB versus LTBI. Notably, these confirmatory markers have low representation in published signatures for diagnosing TB. Pathway biology analysis of high confidence gene sets revealed dominant metabolic and innate-immune pathway signatures while suppressed signatures were enriched with adaptive signaling pathways and reduced proportions of T and B cells. Childhood TB showed uniquely strong inflammasome antagonist signature (IL1RN and ILR2), while adult TB patients exhibit a significant preponderance type I and type II IFN markers. Key limitations of the study include the paucity of data on potential confounders. Conclusion: Meta-analysis identified high confidence confirmatory immune-metabolic and cellular expression signatures across studies regardless of the population resource setting, HIV status and circulating endemic pathogens. Notably, previously identified diagnostic signature markers for TB show limited concordance with the confirmatory meta-analysis. Overall, our results support the use of the confirmatory expression signatures for guiding optimized diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic monitoring modalities in TB.

Source: UG
A meta-analysis of the impact of traffic-induced compaction on soil physical properties and grain yield

Soil compaction caused by wheel traffic is a major driver of soil degradation in modern agriculture and thus, a threat to agricultural sustainability. To improve the predictive capacity of compaction models and to support decision-making that implements site-specific practices for ameliorating soil compaction effects in modern agriculture, we need quantitative syntheses of the effect of soil compaction on soil physical properties and crop types. In this work, we used a meta-analytical approach to summarize results from 51 published articles on the impacts of soil compaction attributed to machinery axle load, wheel passes, compaction events and tire inflation pressure on soil bulk density (ρb), degree of compactness (DC), penetration resistance (PR), volume of water filled pores at field capacity (θFc), air permeability (ka) at field capacity, saturated hydraulic conductivity (ksat), and grain yield of corn (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.). Results from this meta-analysis (MA) showed that compaction increased soil mechanical strength shown by increased soil ρb, DC and PR. However, an increase in soil strength was more pronounced in the medium- and coarse-textured soils, and mainly in the topsoil (0–30 cm depth). Penetration resistance for the non-compacted soil (control) treatment was 1.21 MPa for the coarse-textured, 1.11 MPa for the medium-textured and 0.93 MPa for the fine-textured soils. Soil compaction on average, increased PR by 99, 94 and by 41 percent in the medium-, coarse- and fine-textured soils. Compaction decreased hydraulic conductivity characterized by ka and ksat from the topsoil down to the subsoil (>40 cm depth), and grain yield of corn, wheat, barley, and soybean. Overall, compaction decreased grain yield on average by 6–34 percent. Findings of the MA suggest that soil hydraulic properties may be more sensitive indicators to reflect the impact of soil compaction on soil structure and pore system functions in the soil profile. Future efforts should place a greater emphasis on the publication of complete metadata that allows replication and accurate comparison of results across studies and on providing open access to original datasets that can be used to improve our understanding of the effect of traffic-induced compaction on soil functioning, including crop production.

Source: UG
A meta-analysis of the prevalence of bovine trypanosomiasis in some African countries from 2000 to 2018

Bovine trypanosomiasis is a disease of cattle. In sub-Saharan Africa, the disease mean prevalence estimates are unknown in most endemic countries. We therefore performed a meta-analysis with the aim of estimating national mean prevalence of bovine trypanosomiasis in endemic countries across sub-Saharan Africa. Relevant articles reporting bovine trypanosomiasis prevalence were retrieved through systematic literature search and scanning of articles reference-lists. Eligibility criteria included that articles reported sample size, prevalence, and diagnostic technique adopted. Overall, data from 180 eligible articles from 19 countries satisfied the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis of prevalence data based on the random-effects model resulted in an overall mean prevalence of 15.10% (95% CI: 13.22–17.08). National prevalence estimates were generally high except those of Benin and Senegal where estimates ranked below 10.00%. Significant heterogeneity (I2 = 98.75%. p = <0.0001) was noted between studies, and univariate meta-regression analysis identified choice of diagnostic method being major contributor to observed heterogeneity (R2 = 36.37%); while country of study (R2 = 9.57%) and sample size (R2 = 3.47%) had marginal effect on heterogeneity. In spite of past and ongoing control activities, bovine trypanosomiasis remains highly prevalent in most endemic sub-Saharan African countries. Nevertheless, dearth of epidemiological data in some countries and the use of less sensitive diagnostic tools limit reliable estimation of the disease prevalence. Therefore, there is the need to intensify efforts in aspects of surveillance and increased application of molecular diagnostic tool(s) across endemic locations as this would raise the chances of achieving a near-accurate estimate of the disease prevalence which is the first step to attempting eradication.

Source: UG
Meta-frontier analysis of organic and conventional cocoa production in Ghana

This study considers the meta-frontier technique to compare the efficiency level of organic and conventional cocoa production systems in Ghana using a cross sectional data of 390 farms. The results reveal that the organic systems exhibit an increasing return to scale whilst, the conventional system exhibit decreasing returns to scale. All the inputs variables positively influence the production except the age of trees. The combined effects of operational and farm specific factors are identified to influence the technical efficiency although the individual effects of some variables are not significant. The mean technical efficiency relative to the meta-frontier is estimated to be 0.59 for the organic and 0.71 for the conventional farms. The study concludes that the conventional system of cocoa production is more technically efficient than the organic system. However, the increase in the scale of production in the organic system to take advantage of the economies of scale may enhance the efficiency of production.

Source: UG
Meta-narrative review of molecular methods for diagnosis and monitoring of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis treatment in adults

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
Metabolic and target-site mechanisms combine to confer strong DDT resistance in Anopheles gambiae

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