CHARACTERISTICS OF GIRLS AND FATHERS’ INVOLVEMENT

The study examined the relationship between fathers’ involvement and girls’ characteristics. A sample of 106 families was engaged in the study consisting of 212 participants; 106 fathers and children. Self-reported data collected by questionnaires were used to examine the relationship between fathers’ involvement and girls’ characteristics. The study showed that the temperament of girls and schools they attended profoundly influenced fathers’ engagement, interaction, and involvement in their daughters. It also illustrated that within the temperament characteristics of girls, child surgency and effortful control affected how fathers managed their engagement, interaction, and involvement with their daughters amidst the temperament characteristics. It was however recommended that parental education programs should be established to sensitize fathers on fathers’ involvement hindrances and solutions and that child temperament characteristics should be carefully considered in all dealings with children among fathers.  Article visualizations

Evaluation of Groundwater Suitability for Irrigation in the Lambussie-Karni District of Ghana

The populace of the Lambussie-Karni District are mainly farmers who have resorted to the use of groundwater for irrigation during the dry season because of long drought and inadequate surface water bodies. The temporal variation of the groundwater quality for irrigation in the District was assessed using sixteen boreholes. Richard Plot indicates that groundwater in the study area is within the low salinity to low sodium hazard and medium salinity to low sodium hazard class. Wilcox Plot shows groundwater to be within excellent to good class in the catchment. Irrigation water quality index (IWQI) map was also developed to determine precisely the degree and areal extent of groundwater suitability for irrigation. ArcGIS 10.1 was used to generate thematic maps for sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), permeability index (PI), sodium percentage (Na %), HCO3-, pH and electrical conductivity. The results were compared to Food and Agricultural Organisations (FAO) standard guidelines. An IQWI map for the Lambussie- Karni District shows that groundwater is generally suitable for irrigation, about 24.57 % of the district will require crops which can tolerate high amount of salts. A percentage (39.82 %) of the catchment has groundwater, which is highly suitable for crops which are least resistant to salt. Keywords: Groundwater Suitability; Irrigation Water Quality; SAR; IWQI Map; Lambussie-Karni Distric

Effect of Gamma Irradiation on Chlorophyll Content in the Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp)

The experiment was conducted to study the mutagenic effect of gamma rays on chlorophyll content at three different physiological stages in the cowpea: pre-flowering, flowering and post-flowering. Five sets of cowpea seeds were subjected to individual doses of gamma rays: 400 Gy, 450 Gy, 500 Gy, 600 Gy and 0 Gy. The seeds were sown to raise the M1 generation. The M1 generation seeds were collected and sown in the next season to raise the M2 generation. Leaf chlorophyll content was measured for M2 generation plants. Mean chlorophyll content for pre-flowering stage ranged between 38.9 ± 8.17 (control) and 64.2 ± 6.16 (400 Gy). Flowering stage mean chlorophyll content ranged from 48.3 ± 14.4 (600 Gy) to 99.4 ± 6.22 (450 Gy). Post-harvest chlorophyll mean content ranged between 13.1 ±0.98 (600 Gy) and 38.0 ±1.90 (400 Gy). There were significant differences in treatment effects for pre-flowering (P = 0.021), flowering (P = 0.005) and harvest (P = 0.000). At pre-flowering treatment, treatment 400 Gy scored a significant increase of 64 percent (P = 0.02) above the control. The optimum dose for useful induced mutation for increases in chlorophyll concentration in the cowpea was 400 Gy

Effects of farmers\' seed source on maize seed quality and crop productivity

Although farmer-saved seeds constitute about 90 per cent of maize seeds planted annually, their effects on crop performance are not well known. This study determined the seed quality and field performance of farmer-saved seeds of the most popular quality protein maize (QPM) variety, Obatanpa, compared to the certified seed of the same variety. Seed samples collected from four locations (Kwadaso, Ejura, Nkoranzah and Wenchi) showed higher percentage complete vital staining of embryos using 2, 3, 5 triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) and higher 1000-seed weight in certified seeds, indicating high vigour and complete seed development. Whereas germinating seedlings of the certified seeds did not show any fungal growth, farmersaved seeds showed profuse fungal development and stunting. Seedling counts showed 9 and 21 per cent reduction in certified and farmer-saved seeds, respectively; but plant counts before harvest showed 12 and 23 per cent reduction. Plants originating from certified seeds flowered at the predetermined date of 55 days, but the farmer-saved seeds flowered about a day or two later owing to reduced vigour. Lodging was less in plants originating from certified seeds, particularly in the trial planted at Ejura (transition zone) compared to Kwadaso (forest zone). The advantages of certified seeds reflected on increased grain yield, which was about 1.2 t ha-1, equal to ¢1,100,000.00 ($110) ha-1 or 47 per cent increases over the farmer-saved seeds. The study, therefore, showed the importance of certified seeds in increasing maize productivity and farmers' incomes. Bien que la semence gardée par l'agriculteur constitue environ 90 pour cent de graines de maïs semées annuellement, ses effets sur le rendement de culture ne sont pas bien connus. Une étude était entreprise pour déterminer la qualité de graine et le rendement sur le terrain de semence gardé par l'agriculteur de la variété la plus populaire du maïs protéique de qualité (MPQ), Obatanpa, comparé à la graine certifiée de la même variété. Les échantillons de graine recueillis de quatre emplacements (Wenchi, Nkoranzah, Ejura et Kwadaso) montraient un pourcentage plus élevé de tâches embryonnaires vitales et complétes, appliquant 2,3,5 chlorure triphényl tétrazolium (CTT), ainsi qu'un poids de 1000 graines plus élevées en semence certifiée, indiquant une vigueur élevée et un développement complet de graine. Tandis que les semis germant de semences certifiées n'ont pas montré aucune croissance fongique, les semences gardés par les agriculteurs montraient un développement fongique abondant et retardé. Les comptes de semis montraient 9 et 21 pour cent de réduction respectivement en semence certifiée et en semence gardée par l'agriculteur, tandis que les comptes de plante avant la moisson montraient 12 et 23 pour cent de réduction. Les plantes poussant de semences certifiées fleurissaient à la date déterminée de 55 jours, tandis que les semences gardées par l'agriculteur fleurissaient environ un ou deux jours plus tard à cause de vigueur réduite. Moins de la verse se produisaient chez les plantes poussant de semences certifiées, surtout dans les cultures d'essai plantées à Ejura (zone de transition) comparé à l'essai de Kwadaso (zone de forêt). Les avantages de semences certifiées se traduisaient dans l'augmentation de rendement de graine, qui étaient environ 1.2 t/ha, un équivalent de ¢1,100,000.00 ($110)/ha ou 47 pour cent d'augmentation par rapport aux semences gardées par l'agriculteur. L'étude, par conséquent, démontraient l'importance de semences certifiées à l'augmentation de la productivité de maïs et les revenus d'agriculteurs. Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science Vol. 40 (1) 2007: pp. 105-11

Comprehensive abortion care in the Tain District of Ghana: an analysis of DHIMS2 data for 2010-2016

Background: Access to safe abortion services reduces incidence of unsafe abortion. However, other studies have documented negative impacts such as rise in sexually transmitted infections in jurisdictions with liberal abortion laws. Objective: We assessed the impact of Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC) services on selected reproductive health indicators in the Tain district.  Method: Aggregated service data on abortion, contraception (family planning), and delivery antenatal Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) infection status of women age 10-49 years were extracted from the District Health Information Management System version 2 (DHIMS-2) database for the period 2010 to 2016. Data were converted to rates using projected population figures from the Ghana Statistical Service and presented as tables and graph for trend analysis.Results: The proportion of unsafe abortion increased from 2010 to 2012 and declined from 2013 onwards with increasing proportions of women opting for safe induced abortions; while spontaneous abortions followed an incremental trend from 2010 to 2013; leveling out from 2014. The family planning acceptor rates stayed above 38% over the period.  The total fertility rate (women age 10-14 inclusive) increased sequentially from 4.6/1000 women in 2010 to 89.4/1000 in 2016. The HIV infection prevalence were 2.2%, 3.7%, 3.4%, 3.8%, 2.5%, 2.3% and 2.7% for 2010 to 2016 respectively. Conclusion: Access to Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC) services reduces the incidence of unsafe abortions. Improved access to contraception may not necessarily lead to a decline in abortion or fertility rates. Liberalizing abortion does lead to a rise in the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (HIV). Funding: No external funding receivedKeywords: unsafe abortion, comprehensive abortion care, Tain District, DHIMS 2

Determinants of enrollment in the NHIS for women in Ghana

Background The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was introduced in 2005 to provide equitable access to healthcare. Furthermore, concessions were made for pregnant women, yet inequities in access continue to exist. This study explores whether dimensions of social exclusion explain why some groups of women are not benefitting from the scheme. Methods Data was collected from 4050 representative households in five districts. Logistic regression is used to examine the factors that determine enrolment of women under the NHIS. Results The study sample consists of a sub-sample of 3,173 women out of whom 58% were insured. The majority (64.9%) of the women were in the reproductive age (15-45 years). The results show that wealth status, age, health status, locality, perception about the quality of care at health facilities and perception of the NHIS, are the key factors that determine enrolment into the scheme. Conclusion With women dominating the informal sector of Ghana’s economy which is often characterised by relatively low incomes, these inequities in access need to be addressed

Formalin-induced behavioural hypersensitivity and neuronal hyperexcitability are mediated by rapid protein synthesis at the spinal level

Background: The mammalian target of rapamycin ( mTOR) is a key regulator of mRNA translation whose action can be inhibited by the drug rapamycin. Forms of long-term plasticity require protein synthesis and evidence indicates that mRNA in dendrites, axon terminals and cell bodies is essential for long-term synaptic plasticity. Specific to pain, shifts in pain thresholds and responsiveness are an expression of neuronal plasticity and this likely contributes to persistent pain. We investigated this by inhibiting the activity of mTOR with rapamycin at the spinal level, of rats that were subjected to the formalin test, using both behavioural and electrophysiological techniques.Results: For in vivo electrophysiology, Sprague Dawley rats were fully anaesthetised and single-unit extracellular recordings were obtained from lamina V wide dynamic range (WDR) dorsal horn spinal neurones at the region where input is received from the hind paw. Neuronal responses from naive rats showed that rapamycin-sensitive pathways were important in nociceptive-specific C-fibre mediated transmission onto WDR neurones as well mechanically-evoked responses since rapamycin was effective in attenuating these measures. Formalin solution was injected into the hind paw prior to which, rapamycin or vehicle was applied directly onto the exposed spinal cord. When rapamycin was applied to the spinal cord prior to hind paw formalin injection, there was a significant attenuation of the prolonged second phase of the formalin test, which comprises continuing afferent input to the spinal cord, neuronal hyperexcitability and an activated descending facilitatory drive from the brainstem acting on spinal neurones. In accordance with electrophysiological data, behavioural studies showed that rapamycin attenuated behavioural hypersensitivity elicited by formalin injection into the hind paw.Conclusion: We conclude that mTOR has a role in maintaining persistent pain states via mRNA translation and thus protein synthesis. We hypothesise that mTOR may be activated by excitatory neurotransmitter release acting on sensory afferent terminals as well as dorsal horn spinal neurones, which may be further amplified by descending facilitatory systems originating from higher centres in the brain

Equitable access to health insurance for socially excluded children? The case of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Ghana

To help reduce child mortality and reach universal health coverage, Ghana extended free membership of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to children (under-18s) in 2008. However, despite the introduction of premium waivers, a substantial proportion of children remain uninsured. Thus far, few studies have explored why enrolment of children in NHIS may remain low, despite the absence of significant financial barriers to membership. In this paper we therefore look beyond economic explanations of access to health insurance to explore additional wider determinants of enrolment in the NHIS. In particular, we investigate whether social exclusion, as measured through a sociocultural, political and economic lens, can explain poor enrolment rates of children. Data were collected from a cross-sectional survey of 4050 representative households conducted in Ghana in 2012. Household indices were created to measure sociocultural, political and economic exclusion, and logistic regressions were conducted to study determinants of enrolment at the individual and household levels. Our results indicate that socioculturally, economically and politically excluded children are less likely to enrol in the NHIS. Furthermore, households excluded in all dimensions were more likely to be non-enrolled or partially-enrolled (i.e. not all children enrolled within the household) than fully-enrolled. These results suggest that equity in access for socially excluded children has not yet been achieved. Efforts should be taken to improve coverage by removing the remaining small, annually renewable registration fee, implementing and publicising the new clause that de-links premium waivers from parental membership, establishing additional scheme administrative offices in remote areas, holding regular registration sessions in schools and conducting outreach sessions and providing registration support to female guardians of children. Ensuring equitable access to NHIS will contribute substantially to improving child health and reducing child mortality in Ghana

SSR-Based Genetic Structure Study of Seventy-Eight Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) Genotypes

Seventy-eight cowpea accessions were studied using short sequence repeats (SSR) technique. Genetic structure of these accessions was studied using three SSR polymorphic primers, SSR-6206, SSR-6218 and SSR-6219. A total of eight loci were scored for the three primers with a total of ten alleles. Bayesian clustering method grouped the cowpea genotypes into 4 sub-populations. Ancestral allele frequencies ranged between 0.128 and 0.802, while allele frequencies within sub-populations ranged from 0.001 and 0.997. Allele frequency divergence among sub-populations ranged from 0.145 to 0.406. Expected heterozygosity between individuals in the same sub-population ranged from 0.084 and 0.26, Mean genetic differentiation among sub-populations ranged from 0.374 and 0.687, with a mean geneflow ranging from 0.228 and 0.837. There was relative uniformity within the sub-populations which can be accounted for by independent random genetic drift