Assessment of the Ecological Health Status of River Pra Estuary (Ghana) and Adjoining Wetland using Physico-chemical Conditions and Macroinvertebrate Bioindicators

The Pra River Estuary, which is the second largest estuary in Ghana, has been under severe threat of siltation from illegal alluvial gold mining activities over a decade. To advocate the need for its conservation, the study assessed the ecological health status of the estuary and its connecting wetland using inhabitant benthic macroinvertebrates and prevailing physicochemical conditions as indicators. Physicochemical factors and macrozoobenthic fauna were sampled February 2012 to December 2013, and the macrozoobenthos were analysed for composition, richness, diversity and density. Results indicated low densities (<300 individuals/m2) of pollution tolerant benthic macroinvertebrates such as Capitella spp., Nereis spp., Tubifex spp. and Chironomus spp. in the estuary and wetland, suggesting a possibly low organic pollution. However, high water turbidities close to 1000 NTU remains an environmental stressor of serious concern in the estuary with possible multiplicity of repercussions on the system and its biota. A broader rehabilitation program that incorporates efforts to combat upstream illegal mining activities is therefore crucially needed to decrease turbidity levels and facilitate restoration of the estuarine ecosystem

Assessment of nutrients status of areas supporting optimum oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq. L) cultivation in Ghana

In Ghana, information on the fertility status to support oil palm growth and productivity and possible fertilizer recommendation is not common. The objective of this study was to assess the nutrition-related limitations to production of oil palm across areas climatically delineated as optimum for sustainable oil palm production. Based on Ghana Interim Soil Classification System, benchmark soils identified in these areas were: Temang (Lixisols), Akroso (Acrisol), Kokofu (Alisols), Basitia (Acrislos), Firam (Acrisols) and Nkwanta (Acrisols). Results indicated generally strongly acidic soil and exchangeable acidity values obtained were high and consistent with very acidic soil conditions. There were generally- high C: N ratios (>20) except some few sites, thus supplementary nitrogen is required to reduce C: N ratio and improve N availability. The Total Exchangeable Bases (TEB), Effective Cation Exchange Capacity (ECEC) and available P values were less than the optimum values for sustainable oil palm production. Both soil and foliar analysis indicated that soils in areas assessed have low soil fertility with relatively good soil physical conditions. It is recommended that instead of superphosphate fertilizer application, rock phosphate should be administered due to high acidity. Raising the low ECEC levels of the soil calls for composted empty fruit bunches incorporation

A Survey of the Benthic Macrofauna and Fish Species Assemblages in a Mangrove Habitat in Ghana

In order to enhance ecological knowledge for coastal and mangrove  ecosystem conservation in Ghana, the study documents the taxonomic groups of benthic macrofauna and fish assemblages in an urban mangrove swamp as its fundamental objective with emphasis on their composition, richness and diversity. This is because benthic and fish fauna of mangrove habitats are amongst the least studied biota in Ghana. Fish and benthos sampling was undertaken from five randomly selected pools within a mangrove stand during the wet and dry seasons using pole-seine net (7 m long and 1.5 m depth, with stretched mesh size of 5 mm) and an Ekman grab (15 cm × 15 cm dimensions), respectively. All samples were  preserved in 10% formalin for laboratory analysis. The results indicated a more diverse macrozoobenthic community in the wet (H¹ = 1.8) than dry season (H¹ = 1.5) . Overall, five out of a total of 13 genera found are intolerant to pollution and four moderately tolerant, while four comprising polychaetes and the midge Chironomus, are pollution tolerant. This suggests that the mangrove habitat is less polluted. A grand total of 917 fish specimens, belonging to 15 species and nine families, were encountered for both seasons (371 and 546 specimens for wet and dry seasons, respectively). The black-chinned tilapia, Sarotherodon  melanotheron, was the dominant fish species in the wet season, accounting for 54.2% of the total fish caught, whilst the grey mullets, Mugil babanensis and Mugil curema, were the dominant species in the dry season, with a combined total of 51.4% of the fish population. However, over 70% of these dominant fish species from both seasons were juveniles providing a strong justification for the observation that the mangrove habitats are nursery grounds for fish inhabiting adjacent riverine, estuarine and inshore marine habitats. Considering this relevance of mangroves and the ongoing conversion attempts of mangrove habitats to other land uses, a concerted mangroves conservation effort is strongly advocated

Stratospheric impacts on dust transport and air pollution in West Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean

Saharan dust intrusions strongly impact Atlantic and Mediterranean coastal regions. Today, most operational dust forecasts extend only 2–5 days. Here we show that on timescales of weeks to months, North African dust emission and transport are impacted by sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs), which establish a negative North Atlantic Oscillation-like surface signal. Chemical transport models show a large-scale dipolar dust response to SSWs, with the burden in the Eastern Mediterranean enhanced up to 30% and a corresponding reduction in West Africa. Observations of inhalable particulate (PM(10)) concentrations and aerosol optical depth confirm this dipole. On average, a single SSW causes 680–2460 additional premature deaths in the Eastern Mediterranean and prevents 1180–2040 premature deaths in West Africa from exposure to dust-source fine particulate (PM(2.5)). Currently, SSWs are predictable 1–2 weeks in advance. Altogether, the stratosphere represents an important source of subseasonal predictability for air quality over West Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean

‘Like the stranger at a funeral who cries more than the bereaved’: ethical dilemmas in ethnographic research with children

This article contributes to debates on the practicality and utility of prior ethical review in ethnography and qualitative research using an ethnography of children’s involvement in artisanal gold mining work in Ghana as a case study. Reflecting on dilemmas and obstacles encountered in attempts to employ prescribed institutional ethical guidance modelled for childhood research in the UK during the fieldwork, the discussion brings to attention some of the problems that can arise when ethical guidance is not anchored in the lived realities or value systems of the setting in which fieldwork is conducted. The article seeks to rejuvenate calls for more flexible and socio-culturally responsive ethical review and practice as an alternative to the prescriptive ethical regimes

Global Prevalence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

1. Abstract 1.1. Background: Evidence suggests that diabetes in all forms are on the rise especially gesta-tional diabetes mellitus which increases the risk of maternal and neonatal morbidities; however global prevalence rates and geographical distribution of GDM remain uncertain. The aim of this study is to examine the global burden of gestational diabetes mellitus. 1.2. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting Randomised Clinical Trials (RCTs) in pregnant women who have GDM was conducted. Cochrane (Central), PubMed, Scopus, JBI, Medline, EMBASE and reference lists of retrieved studies were searched from inception to March 2019. Publications on prevalence of GDM irrespective of the baseline criteria used to diagnose GDM were included in the study. Studies were limited to English language, randomised control trials and women aged between 19-44 years inclusive. 1.3. Results: Eleven RCTs met the inclusion criteria for this review. The included studies collectively reported GDM rates of 13,450 pregnant women from 7 countries. The diagnostic criteria used in the studies were World Health Organisation (WHO) 1985 and 1999, International Association of Diabetes, Pregnancy Study Group (IADPSG), National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG), Carpenter-Coustan (C&C) and O'Sullivan's criteria. Seven RCTs screened for GDM in comparison with different diagnostic criteria in the same population while three studies used the same criteria for different groups. One study compared 100g, 3h OGTT to 75g, 2h OGTT for diagnosing GDM using Carpenter and Coustan criteria. All seven RCTs that compared different diagnostic criteria in the same population detected different prevalence rates of GDM. Three RCTs measured prevalence of GDM in the same population using WHO 1999 and IADPSG 2013 criteria. Using random effect model, data from three studies that compared IADPSG criteria to WHO 1999 showed an Odds Ratio (OR) of 0.52(0.15, 1.84), 95% Confidence Interval (CI) and high heterogeneity of 99%. In all three studies, prevalence of GDM measured by IADPSG criteria was higher than WHO 1999 criteria, although not significant (p= 0.31). Combining all the studies gave a global estimated prevalence of GDM to be 10.13% (95% CI, 7.33-12.94) with moderate heterogeneity of 27%. The highest prevalence of GDM wit

Knowledge Sharing Idiosyncrasies of University Students in Ghana

Part 6: Decision Making and Knowledge ManagementInternational audienceThis study explored the factors affecting knowledge sharing behaviour of students in a higher institution of learning. Using a model derived from the Social Cognitive Theory and the Theory of Reason Action, six hypotheses were tested from a cross-sectional data collected from 371 undergraduate students on a 4-year degree programme in the University of Ghana. Five out of the six hypotheses were supported. The results showed that the knowledge sharing behaviour (KSB) of the students was significantly related to five of the human and environmental factors (F=639.9, df=5, 290, p<0.05) with a co-efficient of variation of R2=0.917 (91.7%). The knowledge sharing behavior of the students was, however, not significantly dependent on their personal characteristics. The study makes a case for increased attention in understanding the human and environmental factors of knowledge sharing since knowledge sharing is largely a people activity shaped by culture