The Multiplicity of Ahonhom (Spirits) in the Akan Spiritual Cosmology

African tradition and thought consider spirits to be elements of power, force, authority, and vital energy underlying all existence. There is therefore this huge fear of what goes on in the unseen world since spirits are known to operate in this realm. Invisible though this power may be, Africans perceive it directly. This has led to the adoption of all manner of strategies in order to get closer to Onyankopɔn, ‘the Supreme Being’ so that the necessary support and protection may be received. Without the spirits, the Akan feels that there is no way to reach God. In this paper I will discuss the role of Onyankopɔn, ‘the Supreme Being’ and some other spirit beings in the Akan spiritual cosmology and the various roles they play in the affairs of human. Key words: Onyankopɔn, ahonhom, Akan, ancestors, deities, spirits, aboso

Amounts of NPK removed from soil in harvested coffee berries as guiding baseline for planning fertilizer requirements of coffee in Ghana

Monthly samples of ripened improved robusta coffee berries from compact and large growth forms from three locations, which are representative of the main ecological zones where coffee is grown in Ghana, were taken for 3 years. The pulp and parchment and beans were analysed for N, P and K contents. The amounts of N, P and K removed from the soil in the harvested coffee berries were estimated from the concentrations of the nutrients in the pulp and parchment and beans, and the yield of coffee at each location. The mean NPK contents of the berries were 2.18, 0.08, 2.56 and 2.07, 0.08, 2.52 per cent for compact and large growth forms, respectively. The N and P concentrations in the pulp and parchment were lower than in the bean, while the K content was higher in the pulp and parchment than in the bean across the locations. The N, P and K concentrations of the coffee berries were not significantly different among the growth forms. Coffee berries from suitable and moderately suitable sites removed significantly (P<0.05) higher amounts of N and K than the berries from the marginally suitable site, while the P contents of the berries were significantly (P<0.05) lower than N and K across the locations. Regardless of the coffee growth forms, the demand for N and K may be higher than P. A fertilizer rate of 30 kg N, 1 kg P, and 33 kg K ha-1 may serve as a basis for planning fertilizer requirements of mature coffee in Ghana

The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae): Trapping and culturing of wild colonies in Ghana

The larvae of the black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), are promising candidates to be utilized in alternative organic waste management and for fish and livestock feed production. The scalability of this technology in Ghana will depend on a steady source of large numbers of BSF larvae. The objectives of this study were to identify the most attractive organic manure dumps or heaps in the study area for trapping wild BSF egg clutches and assess the effect of local environmental conditions on the trapping and laboratory rearing of BSF. The study compared the number of egg clutch trapped at different microhabitats including piggery, chicken and sheep waste dumps and on a compost heap. The piggery dump waste was the most suitable site for trapping BSF egg clutches. No egg clutch was deposited nearby poultry and sheep waste microhabitats. Results showed no differences in temperature between microhabitats during egg trapping but relative humidity differed between poultry, sheep and compost, however this did not have any effect on egg clutch trapping. No significant differences in temperature and humidity were observed during larval rearing. Significant differences in weight and length of larvae from both piggery and compost sites were observed on days 5 and 10 after egg hatch. A small scale laboratory colony rearing has been successfully established in Ghana. The design of the larval breeding system appears to be suitable for respective up-scaling that could provide sufficient larval quantities for composting organic waste and producing feed components for livestock and fish

Early selection for yield in robusta coffee based on juvenile growth traits

Variety development, particularly for tree crops is a long-term exercise requiring significant resource investments, over many years of evaluation. Identification of traits at early growth stages that are predictive of future performance would facilitate the breeding process. The objective of this study was to assess the value of juvenile trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA) and number of laterals for selecting high-yielding Robusta coffee ( Coffea canephora ) genotypes, early in a breeding programme. Seventy-two Robusta coffee clones developed by either ortet selection, from previous progeny trials/clonal trials carried out at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), were planted in 2011 in a randomised complete-block design with five replications, at CRIG\u2019s experimental fields. Juvenile TCSA and number of laterals were effective predictors of yield. Genotypes that combined small TCSA and less number of laterals at the juvenile growth phase had the lowest cumulative yields, and vice versa. TCSA was significantly associated with yearly yields (2015: r = 0.49, P < 0.001; 2017: r = 0.35, P < 0.001) and cumulative yield (r = 0.41, P < 0.001). Similarly, a significant (P < 0.001) correlation was observed between juvenile number of laterals and yearly yields (2015: r = 0.58, 2016: r = 0.24; 2017: r = 0.48), and cumulative yield (r = 0.57, P < 0.001). A selection index that combines large juvenile TCSA and many number of laterals has the potential of identifying productive genotypes early in a Robusta coffee breeding programme.Le d\ue9veloppement des vari\ue9t\ue9s, en particulier pour les cultures arboricoles, est un exercice \ue0 long terme qui n\ue9cessite des ressources importantes investissements, au cours de nombreuses ann\ue9es d\u2019\ue9valuation. Identification des traits aux premiers stades de croissance qui sont une pr\ue9vision des performances futures faciliterait le processus de s\ue9lection. L\u2019objectif de cette \ue9tude \ue9tait d\u2019\ue9valuer la valeur de la section transversale du tronc juv\ue9nile (TCSA) et le nombre de travers\ue9es pour s\ue9lection de g\ue9notypes de caf\ue9 Robusta ( Coffea canephora ) \ue0 haut rendement, au d\ue9but d\u2019un programme de s\ue9lection. Soixante-douze clones de caf\ue9 Robusta ont \ue9t\ue9 mis au point soit par s\ue9lection, soit \ue0 partir d\u2019essais ant\ue9rieurs sur la descendance / essais clonaux r\ue9alis\ue9s \ue0 l\u2019Institut de recherche sur le cacao du Ghana (CRIG) ont \ue9t\ue9 plant\ue9s en 2011 dans un conception de blocs complets randomis\ue9s avec cinq r\ue9p\ue9titions, sur les champs exp\ue9rimentaux de CRIG. TCSA juv\ue9nile et le nombre de lat\ue9raux \ue9taient des pr\ue9dicteurs efficaces du rendement. Des g\ue9notypes combinant de petites TCSA et un nombre moins \ue9lev\ue9 de plantes lat\ue9rales \ue0 la phase de croissance juv\ue9nile pr\ue9sentait les rendements cumulatifs les plus bas, et inversement. Le TCSA \ue9tait associ\ue9 de mani\ue8re significative aux rendements annuels (2015: r = 0,49, P <0,001; 2017: r = 0,35, P <0,001) et rendement cumul\ue9 (r = 0,41, P <0,001). De m\ueame, une corr\ue9lation significative (P <0,001) a \ue9t\ue9 observ\ue9e entre le nombre de lat\ue9rales juv\ue9niles et les rendements annuels (2015: r = 0,58, 2016: r = 0,24; 2017: r = 0,48), et rendement cumul\ue9 (r = 0,57, P <0,001). Un index de s\ue9lection associant une grande TCSA juv\ue9nile et de nombreuses nombre de produits lat\ue9raux a le potentiel d\u2019identifier des g\ue9notypes productifs t\uf4t dans un caf\ue9 Robusta programme d\u2019\ue9levage

Translating Faith: Field Narratives as a Means of Dialogue in Collaborative Ethnographic Research

This article presents research from a collaborative ethnography in four faith settings in London, UK. In particular, we show how a group of researchers from diverse cultures teach and learn from each other through the use of field narratives. After outlining a sociocultural approach to learning and discussing how faith situates itself within this frame, we show ways in which field narratives provide a bridge between the past, present and future of cultural events and practices and allow a polyphonic gaze by different researchers describing the same setting. We show how researchers learn to reflect upon their own research site, compare it with those of others, and, ultimately, become more aware of their own. This process is iterative and dialogic, which enriches not only the knowledge of the researchers themselves but also provides a mosaic of different interpretations to a wider interested audience

Translating Faith: Field Narratives as a Means of Dialogue in Collaborative Ethnographic Research

This article presents research from a collaborative ethnography in four faith settings in London, UK. In particular, we show how a group of researchers from diverse cultures teach and learn from each other through the use of field narratives. After outlining a sociocultural approach to learning and discussing how faith situates itself within this frame, we show ways in which field narratives provide a bridge between the past, present and future of cultural events and practices and allow a polyphonic gaze by different researchers describing the same setting. We show how researchers learn to reflect upon their own research site, compare it with those of others, and, ultimately, become more aware of their own. This process is iterative and dialogic, which enriches not only the knowledge of the researchers themselves but also provides a mosaic of different interpretations to a wider interested audience

Association of Depression and Poor Mental Health With Cardiovascular Disease and Suboptimal Cardiovascular Health Among Young Adults in the United States.

Background Depression is a nontraditional risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Data on the association of depression and poor mental health with CVD and suboptimal cardiovascular health (CVH) among young adults are limited. Methods and Results We used data from 593 616 young adults (aged 18-49 years) from the 2017 to 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a nationally representative survey of noninstitutionalized US adults. Exposures were self-reported depression and poor mental health days (PMHDs; categorized as 0, 1-13, and 14-30 days of poor mental health in the past 30 days). Outcomes were self-reported CVD (composite of myocardial infarction, angina, or stroke) and suboptimal CVH (≥2 cardiovascular risk factors: hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, overweight/obesity, smoking, diabetes, physical inactivity, and inadequate fruit and vegetable intake). Using logistic regression, we investigated the association of depression and PMHDs with CVD and suboptimal CVH, adjusting for sociodemographic factors (and cardiovascular risk factors for the CVD outcome). Of the 593 616 participants (mean age, 34.7±9.0 years), the weighted prevalence of depression was 19.6% (95% CI, 19.4-19.8), and the weighted prevalence of CVD was 2.5% (95% CI, 2.4-2.6). People with depression had higher odds of CVD than those without depression (odds ratio [OR], 2.32 [95% CI, 2.13-2.51]). There was a graded association of PMHDs with CVD. Compared with individuals with 0 PMHDs, the odds of CVD in those with 1 to 13 PMHDs and 14 to 30 PHMDs were 1.48 (95% CI, 1.34-1.62) and 2.29 (95% CI, 2.08-2.51), respectively, after adjusting for sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors. The associations did not differ significantly by sex or urban/rural status. Individuals with depression had higher odds of suboptimal CVH (OR, 1.79 [95% CI, 1.65-1.95]) compared with those without depression, with a similar graded relationship between PMHDs and suboptimal CVH. Conclusions Depression and poor mental health are associated with premature CVD and suboptimal CVH among young adults. Although this association is likely bidirectional, prioritizing mental health may help reduce CVD risk and improve CVH in young adults