ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Evidence of Pathogenic Variation in Sclerospora graminicola Populations from Pearl Millet Regions of Senegal

Downy mildew of pearl millet ( Sclerospora graminicola ) ( Fig. 1 ) is a major disease that causes significant yield losses in most pearl millet production areas worldwide. It causes yield losses from 10 to 60% and this loss could be higher under favorable conditions and when a single cross hybrid F1 is grown in successive years. A well-known resistant cultivar in a given geographic region or time may not be resistant in a different zone or in another period owing to the pathogenic variability of this fungus. Therefore, for effective resistance breeding program, it would be necessary to study the pathogenic variability of S. graminicola populations from different agroecological zones in Senegal.

Source: UG
Evidence of recent dengue exposure among malaria parasite-positive children in three urban centers in Ghana

Blood samples of 218 children ages 2-14 years old with confirmed malaria in hospitals across Ghana were tested for dengue virus exposure. We detected dengue-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies in 3.2% of the children, indicating possible coinfection, and IgG antibodies in 21.6% of them, which suggests previous exposure. Correlates of exposure are discussed. Copyright © 2015 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Source: UG
Evidence of Rift Valley Fever Virus Circulation in Livestock and Herders in Southern Ghana

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
Evidence of time-varying conditional discrete jump dynamics in sub-Saharan African foreign exchange markets

An Autoregressive Jump Intensity-GJRGARCH model is used to examine the time-varying conditional discrete jump dynamics in the foreign exchange markets of Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. The findings suggest that conditional discrete jump is time-varying, and time-varying conditional discrete jump is sensitive to past shocks for all the four countries’ foreign exchange markets. Time-varying conditional discrete jump sensitivity is persistent in all the four markets, and all four markets exhibit asymmetric time-varying conditional discrete jump volatility. We also find that all the foreign exchange markets exhibit asymmetry in volatility, the so-called leverage effects. The findings shed some light on the volatility in these markets which are very relevant for hedging, portfolio allocation, pricing of currency derivatives and forecasting.

Source: UG
Evidence On Physical Activity And Sedentary Behaviour In Ghana: A Rapid Scoping Review

In Ghana, more than four in ten deaths in 2016 resulted from non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Physical inactivity and sedentary behaviours are important risk factors for NCDs. No previous systematic reviews examining physical activity and sedentary behaviour among Ghanaians were identified. Therefore, this rapid scoping review was conducted to find and synthesise what is known about the epidemiology of physical activity and sedentary behaviour of children and adults in Ghana. MEDLINE was searched for eligible studies and a narrative synthesis was conducted based on 17 identified papers as well as the 2008 Demographic and Health Survey report. Little recent high-quality data on prevalence of physical activity or sedentary behaviour in Ghana was found. Existing nationally representative data is now more than ten years old. The data identified suggest that the majority of Ghanaian adults, aged 18+ years, are physically active, achieving or exceeding World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations (84.3% according to data collected in 2007-2008). Studies reporting sedentary behaviour in adults further suggest that the majority of Ghanaians are minimally sedentary. The most consistent associations with physical activity were by gender (men achieved more than women), employment (the employed, particularly in skilled manual jobs, achieved more than the unemployed), urban or rural residence (rural inhabitants achieved more than urban inhabitants) and socio-economic status (lower physical activity with increasing socio-economic status). Meanwhile, the few existing studies of physical activity in children (all of which investigated children aged 12+ years) suggest that the proportion of children achieving WHO recommendations on physical activity may be lower than for adults. A similar gender trend exists for children as in the adult data, with boys achieving more physical activity than girls. Physical activity is accrued most frequently through active travel, and active occupations, while leisure time physical activity is low. This means that the Ghanaian population may be vulnerable to becoming increasingly inactive as work and travel become more frequently mechanised and sedentary.

Source: UG
Evidence on respectful maternity care for adolescents: a systematic review protocol

Background: Intrapartum mistreatment of women is an ubiquitous public health and human rights challenge. The issue reportedly has severe maternal and neonatal outcomes including mortality, and generally leads to a decreased satisfaction with maternity care. Intrapartum mistreatment, despite being ubiquitous, indicates higher incidence amongst adolescent parturients who are simultaneously at a higher risk of maternal morbidity and mortality. Studies have suggested that Respectful Maternity Care interventions reduce intrapartum mistreatment and improve clinical outcomes for women and neonates in general. However, evidence on the effect of RMC on adolescents is unclear. Hence, the specific aim of this study is to synthesise the available evidence relating to the provision of RMC for adolescents during childbirth. Methods: The methodology of the proposed systematic review follows the procedural guideline depicted in the preferred reporting items for systematic review protocol. The review will include published studies and gray literature from January 1, 1990, to June 30, 2021. Electronic databases including MEDLINE, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, Google Scholar and Web of Science will be searched to retrieve available studies using the appropriate search strings. Studies included in the review will be appraised for quality using tools tailored to each study design. If appropriate, we will conduct random effects meta-analysis of data to summarise the pooled estimates of respectful maternity care prevalence and outcomes. The selection of relevant studies, data extraction and quality assessment of individual studies will be carried out by two independent authors. Results: Summaries of the findings will be compiled and synthesised in a narrative summary. In addition to the narrative synthesis, where sufficient data are available, a random-effects meta-analysis will be conducted to obtain a pooled estimate value for respectful maternity care prevalence and outcomes. Discussion: Respectful Maternity Care for adolescents holds great promise for improved maternal and neonatal care. However, there is a gap in knowledge on the interventions that work and the extent of their effectiveness. Findings from this study will be beneficial in improving Adolescents Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and reducing maternal mortality, especially for adolescents.

Source: UG
Evidence-Based approach to decision making: the inclusion of GIS as part of Ghana's health information systems

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
Evidence-based interventions for improvement of maternal and child nutrition: What can be done and at what cost?

Maternal undernutrition contributes to 800000 neonatal deaths annually through small for gestational age births; stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies are estimated to underlie nearly 3·1 million child deaths annually. Progress has been made with many interventions implemented at scale and the evidence for effectiveness of nutrition interventions and delivery strategies has grown since The Lancet Series on Maternal and Child Undernutrition in 2008. We did a comprehensive update of interventions to address undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in women and children and used standard methods to assess emerging new evidence for delivery platforms. We modelled the effect on lives saved and cost of these interventions in the 34 countries that have 90% of the world's children with stunted growth. We also examined the effect of various delivery platforms and delivery options using community health workers to engage poor populations and promote behaviour change, access and uptake of interventions. Our analysis suggests the current total of deaths in children younger than 5 years can be reduced by 15% if populations can access ten evidence-based nutrition interventions at 90% coverage. Additionally, access to and uptake of iodised salt can alleviate iodine deficiency and improve health outcomes. Accelerated gains are possible and about a fifth of the existing burden of stunting can be averted using these approaches, if access is improved in this way. The estimated total additional annual cost involved for scaling up access to these ten direct nutrition interventions in the 34 focus countries is Int$9·6 billion per year. Continued investments in nutrition-specific interventions to avert maternal and child undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies through community engagement and delivery strategies that can reach poor segments of the population at greatest risk can make a great difference. If this improved access is linked to nutrition-sensitive approaches - ie, women's empowerment, agriculture, food systems, education, employment, social protection, and safety nets - they can greatly accelerate progress in countries with the highest burden of maternal and child undernutrition and mortality. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Source: UG
Evidences of the Low Implication of Mosquitoes in the Transmission of Mycobacterium ulcerans, the Causative Agent of Buruli Ulcer

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
The Evolution and Development of The New Patriotic Party in Ghana

This paper examines the emergence and development of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government in the context of a broader examination of the roles of political parties within the Ghanaian political landscape. After describing the political architecture as well as some significant constitutional issues of Ghana’s democracy and the roles played by other societal stakeholders, the paper examines the rationale for the formation of the NPP, its manifesto, structure, constituency, power brokers. It then analyses various aspects of the implementation (or not) of the NPPs political and economic objectives since it came to power in 2000 with ‘positive change’. The electoral politics of the campaigns against its major opposition, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and issues of regionalism, ethnicity and other factors are considered in detail. The paper concludes with some lessons learned and generic recommendations for emerging African political parties in relatively young democracies

Source: UG
Evolution and nature of diaspora engagement policies in Ghana.

This chapter examines evolution and nature of Ghana’s diaspora engagement policies and programs, using Alan Gamlen’s framework on diaspora engagement policies. It specifically discusses capacity building of state institutions, strategies aimed at extending rights to the Ghanaian diaspora, and programs initiated to incentivize the Ghanaian diaspora to participate in national development through their skills and financial resource transfers. The chapter also discusses the major challenges associated with previous interventions aimed at engaging the Ghanaian diaspora, noting among others that a consistent shift from ad hoc to more institutionally coordinated policies and programs for diaspora engagement now drives the process. The chapter concludes by highlighting lessons learned from Ghana’s experience and making recommendations for enhancing the country’s relationship with its diaspora.

Source: UG
Evolution from covalent conjugation to non-covalent interaction in the ubiquitin-like ATG12 system

Ubiquitin or ubiquitin-like proteins can be covalently conjugated to multiple proteins that do not necessarily have binding interfaces. Here, we show that an evolutionary transition from covalent conjugation to non-covalent interaction has occurred in the ubiquitin-like autophagy-related 12 (ATG12) conjugation system. ATG12 is covalently conjugated to its sole substrate, ATG5, by a ubiquitylation-like mechanism. However, the apicomplexan parasites Plasmodium and Toxoplasma and some yeast species such as Komagataella phaffii (previously Pichia pastoris) lack the E2-like enzyme ATG10 and the most carboxy (C)-terminal glycine of ATG12, both of which are required for covalent linkage. Instead, ATG12 in these organisms forms a non-covalent complex with ATG5. This non-covalent ATG12–ATG5 complex retains the ability to facilitate ATG8–phosphatidylethanolamine conjugation. These results suggest that ubiquitin-like covalent conjugation can evolve to a simpler non-covalent interaction, most probably when the system has a limited number of targets.

Source: UG
Evolution of a G6P[6] rotavirus strain isolated from a child with acute gastroenteritis in Ghana, 2012

The main research focus of the Electron Microscopy and Histopathology Department in the past 20 years has been in the areas of enteric diarrhoeas with special emphasis on rotavirus. Through its diarrhoea surveillance studies, the Department has helped to firmly establish rotaviruses as a major cause of diarrhoea in children, and document the circulation of unusual rotavirus genotypes in Ghana. The Department has also recently expanded its diagnostic repertoire to include the identification and characterization of noroviruses, astroviruses, and other enteric viruses.

Source: UG
Evolution of cellular morphology in pure materials

The evolution of cellular morphology during interfacial instability for liquid–solid transition for pure unary material systems is studied using the maximum entropy production (generation) rate principle (MEPR) for steady-state directional solidification. This approach is dependent on a quantity called maximum entropy production rate density which inherently contains key solidification parameters that governs cellular evolution for liquid–solid transformation. The maximum entropy production rate density is computationally measured from the solid–liquid interface in diffuse form and considers steady-state solidification at low velocities for both near and far from equilibrium conditions. The results are presented in mathematical expressions for morphological instability that corresponding to the evolution of a cellular morphology which emanates from the solid–liquid interface. The model is formulated to evaluate the solid–liquid interface thickness, the solidification velocity, grain boundary energy, and the size of the cellular morphological at instability. The results are tested with a number of pure single element materials at different temperature gradients which compare well with available experimental data.

Source: UG
The evolution of nursing education in a postindependence context - Ghana from 1957 to 1970

Development of nursing education in Ghana between 1957 and 1970 is characterized by dynamic change and growth. Published manuscripts, personal interviews, and letters were used to analyze evolution of nursing education during this period. Following independence in 1957, developments in nursing education continued to be strongly influenced by external organizations and their designated experts. Policies, such as the local training of nurses and Africanization, provided impetus for nurses to further their education to assume senior positions in nursing education and administration. Emphasis on training nurses to work in a hospital-based curative health system, which had been the legacy of colonialism, gradually shifted to a broad-based education that prepared nurses to work in a variety of settings. Changes in nursing education occurred within an economic climate that presented ongoing impediments, yet the vision of the first generation of Ghanaian nurse leaders facilitated the tremendous progress seen during this period.

Source: UG
Evolutionary analysis of groundwater flow: Application of multivariate statistical analysis to hydrochemical data in the Densu Basin, Ghana

An evolutionary trend has been postulated through the analysis of hydrochemical data of a crystalline rock aquifer system in the Densu Basin, Southern Ghana. Hydrochemcial data from 63 groundwater samples, taken from two main groundwater outlets (Boreholes and hand dug wells) were used to postulate an evolutionary theory for the basin. Sequential factor and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to disintegrate the data into three factors and five clusters (spatial associations). These were used to characterize the controls on groundwater hydrochemistry and its evolution in the terrain. The dissolution of soluble salts and cation exchange processes are the dominant processes controlling groundwater hydrochemistry in the terrain. The trend of evolution of this set of processes follows the pattern of groundwater flow predicted by a calibrated transient groundwater model in the area. The data suggest that anthropogenic activities represent the second most important process in the hydrochemistry. Silicate mineral weathering is the third most important set of processes. Groundwater associations resulting from Q-mode hierarchical cluster analysis indicate an evolutionary pattern consistent with the general groundwater flow pattern in the basin. These key findings are at variance with results of previous investigations and indicate that when carefully done, groundwater hydrochemical data can be very useful for conceptualizing groundwater flow in basins.

Source: UG
Evolutionary changes between pre- and post-vaccine South African group A G2P[4] rotavirus strains, 2003–2017

The main research focus of the Electron Microscopy and Histopathology Department in the past 20 years has been in the areas of enteric diarrhoeas with special emphasis on rotavirus. Through its diarrhoea surveillance studies, the Department has helped to firmly establish rotaviruses as a major cause of diarrhoea in children, and document the circulation of unusual rotavirus genotypes in Ghana. The Department has also recently expanded its diagnostic repertoire to include the identification and characterization of noroviruses, astroviruses, and other enteric viruses.

Source: UG
Evolutionary dynamics and temporal/geographical correlates of recombination in the human enterovirus echovirus types 9, 11, and 30

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
Evolutionary Trends for the Auriferous Hydrothermal Fluids Inclusions: A Microstructural Study of the Emplacement of Banded Quartz Veins in the Birimian Rocks in Southern Ghana

Using polarizing microscope, the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and the LINKAM THM 600, techniques, genetic connections between opening of space, the filling with mobile hydrothermal fluid phase, of banded gold quartz veins from the Birimian rocks were studied. The internal structure and the filling along the vein-wall contact suggest a crack-seal mechanism of emplacement. Observations of inhomogeneous extinction of bands under crossed polars, show the opening direction across the vein. The ion content of the fluid inclusion that find their way into the interstice are controlled by low frequency and temperature. Microthermometric data on primary inclusions indicate that there are two main types of fluids: partly aqueous (CO2-rich ) fluid, and aqueous (H2O- rich,) fluid. The limited range of the degree of fill (0.5 to 0.7) for the CO2 – rich and H2O – rich inclusions indicates the original homogeneous fluid. The CO2-rich fluids homogenize at a higher temperatures (350 – 400°C) than the H2O-rich fluids (310 – 370°C) and had salinity ≈5 wt % NaCl equiv. while H2O-rich fluid had salinity ≈16 wt % equiv. Dominant trace gases in both fluids are CH4 and N2. Observations suggest that the geometric peculiarities of macroscopic growth mechanism may account for capillary effects. Based on this consideration, a simple quantitative model of quartz vein formation is proposed. This model provides a possible origin for the enhancement and maintenance of a diffusional mass transfer from the matrix to the position of the crack. The study of the development of such veins and dikes with discontinuities, is a vital tool to the discovery of hydrothermal gold and other economic minerals. It can also helps to understand crystal growth in localized weak planes within massive blocks of quartz, which in time and space may preferentially accommodate further brittle deformation; a phenomena which often affects long term sustainability of engineering projects such as hydro-dams and tunnels.

Source: UG
The evolving demographic and health transition in four low- and middle-income countries: Evidence from four sites in the INDEPTH Network of longitudinal health and demographic surveillance systems

This paper contributes evidence documenting the continued decline in all-cause mortality and changes in the cause of death distribution over time in four developing country populations in Africa and Asia. We present levels and trends in age-specific mortality (all-cause and cause-specific) from four demographic surveillance sites: Agincourt (South Africa), Navrongo (Ghana) in Africa; Filabavi (Vietnam), Matlab (Bangladesh) in Asia. We model mortality using discrete time event history analysis. This study illustrates how data from INDEPTH Network centers can provide a comparative, longitudinal examination of mortality patterns and the epidemiological transition. Health care systems need to be reconfigured to deal simultaneously with continuing challenges of communicable disease and increasing incidence of non-communicable diseases that require long-term care. In populations with endemic HIV, long-term care of HIV patients on ART will add to the chronic care needs of the community.

Source: UG