ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Distribution of Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin accumulation in stored maize grains across three agro-ecologies in Ghana

Aflatoxins are carcinogenic secondary metabolites produced mainly by two species of Aspergillus fungi, (A. flavus and A. parasiticus). The toxin contaminates maize grains during the developmental stage as well as in storage. Grains with contamination levels above 20 ng/g are usually destroyed in the USA while the European Union and Japan allow 2–4 ng/g and nil respectively. Ghana lacks regulatory infrastructure for monitoring fungal contamination and detection of aflatoxin in grains prior to market. Therefore, this study assessed the extent of A. flavus contamination together with other mould on maize and total aflatoxin accumulation among stored maize grains across 34 towns and villages under three agro-ecologies in Ghana during the minor crop season of 2015–2016. A. flavus, was identified as the most predominant contaminant and recorded average percentage contamination of 56.7%, 30.6%, 53.5% and 45.6% on grains sampled across four communities (Fumesua, Wenchi, Ejura and Akomadan), respectively. Total aflatoxins recorded in the samples per community were in the range of below limit of detection (LOD)to 692 ng/g, 23 ng/g, 945 ng/g and 112 ng/g for Fumesua, Wenchi, Ejura and Akomadan, respectively. These dangerous upper limits demand urgent attention in the area of aflatoxin resistance breeding in maize to help address the aflatoxin menace in Ghana. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd

Source: UG
Distribution of Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin accumulation in stored maize grains across three agro-ecologies in Ghana

Aflatoxins are carcinogenic secondary metabolites produced mainly by two species of Aspergillus fungi, (A. flavus and A. parasiticus). The toxin contaminates maize grains during the developmental stage as well as in storage. Grains with contamination levels above 20 ng/g are usually destroyed in the USA while the European Union and Japan allow 2–4 ng/g and nil respectively. Ghana lacks regulatory infrastructure for monitoring fungal contamination and detection of aflatoxin in grains prior to market. Therefore, this study assessed the extent of A. flavus contamination together with other mould on maize and total aflatoxin accumulation among stored maize grains across 34 towns and villages under three agro-ecologies in Ghana during the minor crop season of 2015–2016. A. flavus, was identified as the most predominant contaminant and recorded average percentage contamination of 56.7%, 30.6%, 53.5% and 45.6% on grains sampled across four communities (Fumesua, Wenchi, Ejura and Akomadan), respectively. Total aflatoxins recorded in the samples per community were in the range of below limit of detection (LOD) to 692 ng/g, 23 ng/g, 945 ng/g and 112 ng/g for Fumesua, Wenchi, Ejura and Akomadan, respectively. These dangerous upper limits demand urgent attention in the area of aflatoxin resistance breeding in maize to help address the aflatoxin menace in Ghana.

Source: UG
Distribution of candida species among HIV-positive patients with oropharyngeal candidiasis in Accra, Ghana

INTRODUCTION: Oropharyngeal candidiasis is a common occurrence in the course of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease progression. Changes in the clinical severity of oropharyngeal candidiasis and type of Candida species profile may be a reflection of immunological changes in patients. The aim of this study was to undertake a baseline Candida species identification for future reference. METHODOLOGY: Oral swabs of 267 HIV-infected patients with oropharyngeal candidiasis were cultured and Candida species were identified by API 32 C. RESULTS: A total of 201 (75.3%) Candida species and 10 (3.7%) non candida fungi were identified. Twenty different Candida species were isolated. Candida albicans was the most prevalent species (68.5%) followed by C. tropicalis (7.4%), C. krusei (6.4%), C. parapsilosis (3.0%) and C. sake (2.5%). Other species ranged from 0.5% to 1.5%. Positive culture was independent of whether patients were on anti-retroviral therapy or not. CONCLUSION: Of all Candida isolates, 68.5% were identified as C. albicans. Since other uncommon species were also isolated, it may be necessary in this group of patients to identify Candida species causing severe infections.

Source: UG
Distribution of Mycobacterium ulcerans in Buruli ulcer endemic and non-endemic aquatic sites in Ghana

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
Distribution of Plasmodium falciparum K13 gene polymorphisms across transmission settings in Ghana

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
Distribution of Serogroups and Serotypes of Multiple Drug Resistant Shigella Isolates

Background: The distribution of Shigella sero-types is of epidemiological importance and antim-icrobial therapy for shigellosis can prevent poten-tial complications of shigellosis. Studies done fifty years ago in Ghana indicated the predominance of Shigella flexneri. Objectives: To describe the distribution of Shig-ella serogroups and serotypes and their anti-biogram profiles. Study design: A prospective descriptive study. Setting: The Microbiology Department of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. Methods: Consecutive stool specimens from pa-tients with diarrhoea submitted between February 2004 and June 2005 were cultured for Shigella and the isolates typed with commercial anti-sera. The susceptibilities of the isolates were also tested against eleven antimicrobial agents by the disc diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentra-tions (MIC) of isolates to ciprofloxacin were also determined by the E-test. Results: Five hundred and ninety four diarrhoea stool specimens yielded 24 Shigella isolates with the following serogroup distribution: S. flexneri 70.8%, S. dysenteriae 16.7%, S. sonnei 8.3% and S. boydii 4.2%. Approximately 96% of the isolates were multi-drug resistant but all twenty four were susceptible to nalidixic acid and the fluoroqui-nolones (ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin). The MICs of twenty one of the isolates to ciprofloxacin were ≤ 0.064 μg ml-1. Conclusions: The predominance of S. flexneri was confirmed and Shigella isolates from Accra are susceptible to nalidixic acid and the fluoroqui-nolones. Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance particularly to monitor the emergence of Shigella strains resistant to nalidixic acid and the fluoro-quiolones is important

Source: UG
The distributional effects of fiscal and monetary policies in Africa

Income inequality has been persistent and indeed high in Africa over decades. Accordingly, a lot of empirical drivers have been identified to address it, albeit to a large extent of fiscal and monetary policies in Africa. This paper provides empirical evidence on the distributional effects of both fiscal and monetary policies in Africa over the period 1990– 2017. We employ a two-step dynamic system, GMM, a simultaneous quantile regression, and also use variants of fscal and monetary indicators, including fscal redistribution. Our results show that fscal redistribution has been quite effective in Africa, as refected in the role played by income taxes and transfers in reducing Gini coefficients, albeit to a relatively little extent. In particular, we find that direct tax is progressive and a potent tool in redistributing income in favour of the have-nots. Indirect tax, unsurprisingly, is regressive and income unequalizing. Similarly, we find property taxes to have income-unequalizing effects in Africa. The results of the expenditure indicators reveal that government spending on basic and primary education narrows net income inequality, while government spending on secondary and tertiary education rather widens net income inequality. Lastly, we find that contractionary monetary policy has unintended distributional effects in Africa. We suggest that governments should broaden the tax net, increase the share of direct tax, and property tax and spend more on basic education to improve income distribution in Africa

Source: UG
The divergence between acceptability of municipal services and urbanization in developing countries: insights from Accra and Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana

In most developing countries, the provision of municipal services and infrastructure invariably fails to match the pace and demands of urbanization. The outcome is often increased informality due to improper planning, official bureaucratic barriers and perhaps insufficient and shrinking public resources, which then makes leveraging private capital for public service provision imperative. Drawing on in-depth qualitative fieldwork in two Ghanaian cities, this paper aims to extend literature on the divergence between service provision and urbanization in developing countries. More specifically, it attempts to qualify recent macro-level data indicating that access to water, sanitation and electricity services in Accra and Sekondi-Takoradi is improving substantively. Contrary to dominant policy narratives circulating in Ghana, we illustrate how the acceptability of key municipal services within urban settings is often inadequate, and how acceptability is tied to spatial and temporal factors. We then identify and examine the reasons underpinning these variations. Through exploring residents’ perceptions of key services, and examining critically the possibility and feasibility of meeting urban service needs through leveraging private resources, this paper contributes to broader academic debates over urban service provision, while also feeding into contemporary policy discussions concerning how to achieve several of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. © 2017 The Royal Danish Geographical Society.

Source: UG
Diversity and Composition of Gastrointestinal Helminths and Gram-Negative Bacteria of the West African Rainbow Lizard (Agama picticauda) in a Human-Modified Landscape: Implications for Conservation and Zoonosis

Emerging infectious diseases are negatively impacting herpetofaunal populations globally, posing a major conservation threat. Anthropogenic perturbations of natural habitats may infuence wildlife disease dynamics and spillover events. Although viral and fungal diseases of vertebrates have received considerable studies, there is scant information on the enteric bacteria and helminths of herpetofauna. Here, we assessed the gastrointestinal helminths and Gram-negative bacteria of the West African rainbow lizard (Agama picticauda) in a human-dominated landscape in Accra, Ghana. We used the fotation method and standard cultural, morphological, and biochemical methods, for helminths and bacteria, respectively. Four helminth species, Ascaris spp., Enterobius spp., Pharyngodon spp., and Oxyurid spp., were identifed, with overall high (71.9%) prevalence. Ascaris spp. (χ2 = 33.33, p < 0.001) and Pharyngodon spp. (χ2 = 14.5, p < 0.001) were more prevalent in suburban lizards during the wet season than dry season. Te prevalence of Ascaris spp. and Enterobius spp. was signifcantly higher (χ2 = 12.34, p < 0.001) in urban than suburban lizards, while Oxyurid spp. was more prevalent (χ2 = 4.75, p 0.03) in the suburban lizards during the wet season. Te gut bacteria identifed (prevalence) were Escherichia spp. (86.5%), Enterobacter spp. (75.7%), Proteus spp. (67.6%), Shigella spp. (40.5%), Klebsiella spp. (21.6%), and Salmonella spp. (16.2%). Te prevalence of Escherichia spp. and Proteus spp. was signifcantly higher (χ2 = 5.77–7.34, p 0.01–0.02) in suburban lizards than urban lizards during the wet season. Some Ascaris spp., Enterobius spp., Escherichia spp., Enterobacter spp., Shigella spp., and Salmonella spp. are found in humans. Our data can serve as baseline information for long term monitoring studies of reptile-parasites-environment interactions in the Accra plains of Ghana. Further studies using molecular techniques are needed to ascertain the zoonotic helminths and bacteria of A. picticauda

Source: UG
Diversity and Composition of Gastrointestinal Helminths and Gram-Negative Bacteria of the West African Rainbow Lizard (Agama picticauda) in a Human-Modified Landscape: Implications for Conservation and Zoonosis

Emerging infectious diseases are negatively impacting herpetofaunal populations globally, posing a major conservation threat. Anthropogenic perturbations of natural habitats may infuence wildlife disease dynamics and spillover events. Although viral and fungal diseases of vertebrates have received considerable studies, there is scant information on the enteric bacteria and helminths of herpetofauna. Here, we assessed the gastrointestinal helminths and Gram-negative bacteria of the West African rainbow lizard (Agama picticauda) in a human-dominated landscape in Accra, Ghana. We used the fotation method and standard cultural, morphological, and biochemical methods, for helminths and bacteria, respectively. Four helminth species, Ascaris spp., Enterobius spp., Pharyngodon spp., and Oxyurid spp., were identifed, with overall high (71.9%) prevalence. Ascaris spp. (χ2 = 33.33, p < 0.001) and Pharyngodon spp. (χ2 = 14.5, p < 0.001) were more prevalent in suburban lizards during the wet season than dry season. Te prevalence of Ascaris spp. and Enterobius spp. was signifcantly higher (χ2 = 12.34, p < 0.001) in urban than suburban lizards, while Oxyurid spp. was more prevalent (χ2 = 4.75, p � 0.03) in the suburban lizards during the wet season. Te gut bacteria identifed (prevalence) were Escherichia spp. (86.5%), Enterobacter spp. (75.7%), Proteus spp. (67.6%), Shigella spp. (40.5%), Klebsiella spp. (21.6%), and Salmonella spp. (16.2%). Te prevalence of Escherichia spp. and Proteus spp. was signifcantly higher (χ2 = 5.77–7.34, p � 0.01–0.02) in suburban lizards than urban lizards during the wet season. Some Ascaris spp., Enterobius spp., Escherichia spp., Enterobacter spp., Shigella spp., and Salmonella spp. are found in humans. Our data can serve as baseline information for long term monitoring studies of reptile-parasites-environment interactions in the Accra plains of Ghana. Further studies using molecular techniques are needed to ascertain the zoonotic helminths and bacteria of A. picticauda.

Source: UG
Diversity and evolution of the highly polymorphic tandem repeat LEI0258 in the chicken MHC-B region

The chicken major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is located on the microchromosome 16 and is described as the most variable region in the genome. The genes of the MHC play a central role in the immune system. Particularly, genes encoding proteins involved in the antigen presentation to T cells. Therefore, describing the genetic polymorphism of this region is crucial in understanding host-pathogen interactions. The tandem repeat LEI0258 is located within the core area of the B region of the chicken MHC (MHC-B region) and its genotypes correlate with serology. This marker was used to provide a picture of the worldwide diversity of the chicken MHC-B region and to categorize chicken MHC haplotypes. More than 1,600 animals from 80 different populations or lines of chickens from Africa, Asia, and Europe, including wild fowl species, were genotyped at the LEI0258 locus. Fifty novel alleles were described after sequencing. The resulting 79 alleles were classified into 12 clusters, based on the SNPs and indels found within the sequences flanking the repeats. Furthermore, hypotheses were formulated on the evolutionary dynamics of the region. This study constitutes the largest variability report for the chicken MHC and establishes a framework for future diversity or association studies. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Source: UG
Diversity and immune responses against Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes in non-febrile school children living in Southern Ghana

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
Diversity and return: the impact of diversity of board members’ education on performance

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the impact of diversity of board members’ educational qualifications on the financial performance of banks in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – The present study applies system generalized methods of moments as an econometric model in carrying out the analysis. The study yielded a usable sample of 28 banks spanning from2001 to 2016. Findings – The paper concludes that the Ghanaian banking sector profit diverges and invalidates the convergence theory or ‘‘catch-up effect’’. Specifically, educational qualifications of board members are relevant to banks’ financial performance. Across all the models used, board members with a first degree have a significant positive impact on performance. The opposite is the case for board members with Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Research limitations/implications – Unobservable characteristics such as entrepreneurial skills and intellectual competence experiences are excluded from the study because of the difficulties in measuring these variables. Notwithstanding, the exclusion of these characteristics does not invalidate the general outcome of the study. Originality/value – The present study examines the impact of diversity of board members’ educational qualification on financial performance in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Ghana. It also extends the existing literature by decomposing the banking sector into listed, non-listed, foreign and domestic banks.

Source: UG
Diversity and transmission competence in lymphatic filariasis vectors in West Africa, and the implications for accelerated elimination of Anopheles-transmitted filariasis

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
Diversity in 113 cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp] accessions assessed with 458 SNP markers

Abstract Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers were used in characterization of 113 cowpea accessions comprising of 108 from Ghana and 5 from abroad. Leaf tissues from plants cultivated at the University of Ghana were genotyped at KBioscience in the United Kingdom. Data was generated for 477 SNPs, out of which 458 revealed polymorphism. The results were used to analyze genetic dissimilarity among the accessions using Darwin 5 software. The markers discriminated among all of the cowpea accessions and the dissimilarity values which ranged from 0.006 to 0.63 were used for factorial plot. Unexpected high levels of heterozygosity were observed on some of the accessions. Accessions known to be closely related clustered together in a dendrogram drawn with WPGMA method. A maximum length sub-tree which comprised of 48 core accessions was constructed. The software package structure was used to separate accessions into three groups, and the programme correctly identified varieties that were known hybrids. The hybrids were those accessions with numerous heterozygous loci. The structure plot showed closely related accessions with similar genome patterns. The SNP markers were more efficient in discriminating among the cowpea germplasm than morphological, seed protein polymorphism and simple sequence repeat studies reported earlier on the same collection.

Source: UG
Diversity in 113 cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp] accessions assessed with 458 SNP markers

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers were used in characterization of 113 cowpea accessions comprising of 108 from Ghana and 5 from abroad. Leaf tissues from plants cultivated at the University of Ghana were genotyped at KBioscience in the United Kingdom. Data was generated for 477 SNPs, out of which 458 revealed polymorphism. The results were used to analyze genetic dissimilarity among the accessions using Darwin 5 software. The markers discriminated among all of the cowpea accessions and the dissimilarity values which ranged from 0.006 to 0.63 were used for factorial plot. Unexpected high levels of heterozygosity were observed on some of the accessions. Accessions known to be closely related clustered together in a dendrogram drawn with WPGMA method. A maximum length sub-tree which comprised of 48 core accessions was constructed. The software package structure was used to separate accessions into three groups, and the programme correctly identified varieties that were known hybrids. The hybrids were those accessions with numerous heterozygous loci. The structure plot showed closely related accessions with similar genome patterns. The SNP markers were more efficient in discriminating among the cowpea germplasm than morphological, seed protein polymorphism and simple sequence repeat studies reported earlier on the same collection. © 2014, Egbadzor et al.; licensee Springer.

Source: UG
Diversity in disease vectors and pathogens: A climate change perspective

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