An analysis of persuasive elements in the English of advertisements in newspapers in Ghana

Text in EnglishAdvertising is a genre of mass media communication which unearths the exceptional qualities of products and services in a persuasive fashion. It is also a form of marketing communication through which business organizations inform the general public about new or improved commercial endeavors. Advertising in modern time comprises varied component parts (visual imagery, graphic and color designs, print and auditory techniques.); however, language plays an indispensable role in the transmission of the message. Language has an immense influence on human beings and the way they behave. The language of advertising influences the reasoning, thinking, feeling and the general attitude of the audience. Copywriters, like poets, choose their words carefully in order to achieve a particular rhetorical effect. They use language in such a way that they attract attention, arouse interest or desire and create need. Language forms an integral part of advertisements. The current study focused on persuasive elements in the English employed in advertisements in newspapers in Ghana. The study investigated the extent to which Aristotle’s three artistic proofs (logos, pathos and ethos), figures of speech and grammatical elements in the English of advertisements in the Ghanaian newspapers were employed by copywriters for persuasive effect. The current study was underpinned by three theories, namely, Aristotle’s Rhetorical Theory, Conventional Figurative Language Theory and the Standard Theory of Generative Grammar. These theories lent support to the three thematic trends of the study. The qualitative research design was employed given the interpretive nature of the analysis of the corpus. The current study did not involve human subjects as data sources because the corpus was from written documents. The purposive sampling method was employed owing to the subjective nature of the process of data collection. The qualitative content analysis approach was adopted as the analytical framework for the study. This made it possible for the coding of categories of the textual data based on the themes, patterns and trends that emerged. The findings of the research revealed that copywriters in the Ghanaian newspapers employed Aristotle’s three artistic proofs, figures of speech and grammatical elements in the English of advertisements for persuasive effect.Linguistics and Modern Language

Transient gene editing in Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) with CRISPR/Cas9 to knock-out F3H

With the continuous desire for crops with superior qualities, the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system seems to be a promising, cost-effective, efficient and a much faster method of developing new superior varieties compared to other gene editing and conventional breeding methods. The introduction of gene editing methods, where CRISPR is one of these, has proven to be a game changer in the discussions on GMOs’ around the world. The determination and optimization of the transformation methods with higher transformation efficiencies and precise transient gene expression without the addition of foreign genetic material can be compared to mutation breeding methods used for the past 100 years. However, mutation breeding induces random mutations whiles gene editing tools are relatively more precise. When no foreign DNA is added, these methods can be compared biologically, and this is vital for the consideration of whether the resulting plant should be considered a GMO or not. As a proof-of-concept for the use of CRISPR in potato, this projects aims at knocking-out the flavanone-3-hydroxylase (F3H) gene in the anthocyanin pathway of the new red-skin potato variety ‘Nansen’ for the possible outcome of a yellow-skinned coloured potato. The biolistic transformation techniques (using DNA plasmid and callus) and PEG-mediated transformation methods (using ribonucleoprotein (RNP) and protoplasts) were employed to determine the best method suited for further gene editing applications with ‘Nansen’. Dual guide DNA and RNP were used for gene knock-out in this project. Different polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentrations (25% and 40%) were tested to determine their effect on transformation efficiency. In the determination of the suitable induction and regeneration media to employ for the biolistic transformation, morphological variations were observed based on media composition as well as the condition of growth. The methods used could not be assessed to determine a suitable protocol for future transformations in ‘Nansen’ by the end of the project due to severe contaminations of the protoplast cultures and eventually the Corona pandemic with the close-down of the laboratory for students. However, based on previous published studies, both methods seem promising with more regenerated transgene-free plants when ribonucleoproteins with synthetically produced RNA guides (cr-RNP) are used compared to DNA.M-P

Adaptation Strategies of Poultry Farmers to Rising Temperature in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

Increasing temperature is being observed in Ghana by about one degree Celsius since the 1970s and this is affecting poultry production due to the vulnerability of the bird to high temperature. This paper examines the awareness of increasing temperature on poultry farms and identifies the adaptation methods in response, by farmers in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. A systematic sampling approach was employed to gather data from thirty eight registered poultry farmers. Results indicate that, most poultry farmers are aware of the increasing temperature mainly through the news media but not from observations on their farms. The observed signs of heat stress in birds were birds spreading their wings, pecking the feathers of other birds in the form of cannibalism and gasping. These responses, as the farmers point out, negatively affect poultry production by decreasing their feed consumption which eventually leads to their low weight and delayed time of maturity. Most farmers also perceive that increasing temperature will increase the price of poultry products and cause a reduction in stock density. The findings further showed that since there is a limit to which birds can adapt to increasing temperatures, farmers are willing to invest in devices or strategies that can control the temperatures on their farms. One paramount practice is tree planting on the farm

Rainfall Modelling with a Transect View in Ghana

Rainfall variability is an inherent part of African climate. This variability has important implications for food production and general livelihoods in countries such as Ghana. 53 years of rainfall data for 15 stations were obtained from the Ghana Meteorological Agency and used to describe the variability in the pattern of rainfall in Ghana. The direct method was used to analyse the annual rainfall totals and the total number of rainy days. A Markov chain modelling approach, which involves the fitting of harmonic regression curves to model the probability of rain within the year was also used. The effects of the previous rainy day was obtained throughout the year. The first order Markov model for each station was significant with the probability of rain given dry being higher than the probability of rain given rain in the north, while the probability of rain given rain was higher than the probability of rain given dry in the south

Psychosocial factors influencing contraceptive use among adolescent mothers in the Volta Region of Ghana: application of the Health Belief Model

Background: Globally, complications arising from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among pregnant women aged 15 to 19 years. This study investigated the psychosocial factors influencing contraceptive use among adolescentmothers in the Volta Region using the Health Belief Model (HBM).Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 422 adolescent mothers. An interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the strength of association between the independent and the dependent variables at a p-value less than 0.05.Results: The prevalence of contraceptive use was 18.7%. Concerning perceived susceptibility, there was a significant association between contraceptive use and the perception of being at risk of pregnancy complications (p<0.001). Perceived barriers showed a significant association between fear of side-effects of contraceptives and contraceptive use (p=0.007). Concerning perceived self-efficacy, there was a significant association between contraceptive use and confidence to suggest to a partner to use contraceptives (p=0.003); confidence to ask for contraceptives from health facilities (p<0.001) and confidence to use contraceptives (p<0.001).Conclusion: Programmes to increase contraceptive use should aim at heightening the perception of risk of pregnancy complications, reduce barriers to contraceptive use and increase the skills in negotiating contraceptive use. Keywords: Contraceptive use; Adolescent mothers; Health Belief Model; Volta Region; Ghana

A multifactorial role for P. falciparum malaria in endemic Burkitt\u27s lymphoma pathogenesis

Endemic Burkitt\u27s lymphoma (eBL) arises from the germinal center (GC). It is a common tumor of young children in tropical Africa and its occurrence is closely linked geographically with the incidence of P. falciparum malaria. This association was noted more than 50 years ago. Since then we have learned that eBL contains the oncogenic herpes virus Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and a defining translocation that activates the c-myc oncogene. However the link to malaria has never been explained. Here we provide evidence for a mechanism arising in the GC to explain this association. Accumulated evidence suggests that eBL arises in the GC when deregulated expression of AID (Activation-induced cytidine deaminase) causes a c-myc translocation in a cell latently infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Here we show that P. falciparum targets GC B cells via multiple pathways to increase the risk of eBL. 1. It causes deregulated expression of AID, thereby increasing the risk of a c-myc translocation. 2. It increases the number of B cells transiting the GC. 3. It dramatically increases the frequency of these cells that are infected with EBV and therefore protected from c-myc induced apoptosis. We propose that these activities combine synergistically to dramatically increase the incidence of eBL in individuals infected with malaria

Urinary Lysosomal Enzyme Activities and Albuminuria in Ghanaian Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Renal tubular lysosomal enzyme activities like alanine aminopeptidase (AAP) and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) have been shown to increase in patients developing diabetic nephropathy and nephrosclerosis. This study aimed to determine the activities of N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase and alanine aminopeptidase and albumin concentration in urine samples of patients with type 2 diabetes. One hundred and thirty (65 type 2 diabetic and 65 nondiabetic) subjects participated in this study. Blood samples were drawn for measurements of fasting blood glucose, albumin (Alb), lipids, and creatinine (Cr). Early morning spot urine samples were also collected for activities of alanine aminopeptidase (AAP), N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), and concentration of albumin (U-Alb) and creatinine (U-Cr). Both NAG/Cr and AAP/Cr were significantly increased in diabetic subjects compared to controls (p < 0.001). There was positive correlation between NAG/Cr and Alb/Cr (r = 0.49, p < 0.001) and between NAG/Cr and serum creatinine (r = 0.441, p < 0.001). A negative correlation was found between NAG/Cr and eGFR (r = -0.432, p < 0.05). 9.3% and 12% of diabetics with normoalbuminuria had elevated levels of AAP/Cr and NAG/Cr, respectively. We conclude that measuring the urinary enzymes activities (NAG/Cr and AAP/Cr) could be useful as a biomarker of early renal involvement in diabetic complications

The spatial correlation structure of rainfall at the local scale over southern Ghana

Study region Ghana is located in west Africa by the coast with the majority of the annual rainfall coming from the west African monsoon. Study focus Thanks to a new dense, long-term dataset the spatial structure of rainfall for the different phases of the monsoon has been investigated. Previous studies have only considered a general decorrelation range whereas in this study a novel approach of estimating the decorrelation rate depending on the intensity of the rainfall event has been implemented. The anisotropic pattern at the subweekly and local scale was also modelled. New hydrological insights for the region The spatial correlation structure of rainfall varies greatly with the intensity of the rainfall event and the phase of the monsoon, with a much shorter range for low intensity rainfall compared to other intensities. At the very local scale (∼10 km), there is a much larger variation over the year at the lower intensities compared to the heavier, indicating a larger variation in the structure of the convective systems generating low amount rainfall compared to heavy rainfall systems. The westward propagation of convective systems can be seen even at short aggregation periods and local scale

Assessing the Potential of Sentinel-2 Derived Vegetation Indices to Retrieve Phenological Stages of Mango in Ghana

In 2020, mango (Mangifera indica) exports contributed over 40 million tons, worth around US$20 billion, to the global economy. Only 10% of this contribution was made from African countries including Ghana, largely due to lower investment in the sector and general paucity of research into the mango value chain, especially production, quality and volume. Considering the global economic importance of mango coupled with the gap in the use of the remote sensing technology in the sector, this study tested the hypothesis that phenological stages of mango can be retrieved from Sentinel-2 (S2) derived time series vegetation indices (VIs) data. The study was conducted on four mango farms in the Yilo Krobo Municipal Area of Ghana. Seasonal (temporal) growth curves using four VIs (NDVI, GNDVI, EVI and SAVI) for the period from 2017 to 2020 were derived for each of the selected orchards and then aligned with five known phenology stages: Flowering/Fruitset (F/FS), Fruit Development (FRD), Maturity/Harvesting (M/H), Flushing (FLU) and Dormancy (D). The significance of the variation "within" and "between" farms obtained from the VI metrics of the S2 data were tested using single-factor and two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA). Furthermore, to identify which specific variable pairs (phenology stages) were significantly different, a Tukey honest significant difference (HSD) post-hoc test was conducted, following the results of the ANOVA. Whilst it was possible to differentiate the phenological stages using all the four VIs, EVI was found to be the best related with

A narrative review on pressure ulcer (PU) studies relevant to medical imaging

Pressure ulcers (PUs) are defined as localised injuries to the skin and/or underlying tissue as a result of pressure or pressure together with shear. PUs present significant health implications to patients; costing billions to manage and/or treat. The burden of PU prevention in hospitals must be the concern of all healthcare professionals, including radiographers. The purpose of this narrative review article is to identify and critically evaluate relevant literature and research conducted into pressure ulcers (PUs) relevant to medical imaging. It is expected that this review article will increase the level of awareness about PUs amongst radiographers and help to develop appropriate interventions to minimise the risk of PUs. A literature search was conducted in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, CINAHL, and Google Scholar to retrieve relevant articles. Also, books, professional body guidelines, magazines, grey and unpublished literatures were also searched. The search was limited to English Language articles. Only five articles were retrieved and reviewed. There are limited studies on PUs relevant to medical imaging. Available studies provide some evidence that radiographic procedures and settings subject patients attending for radiographic procedures to the risk of PUs. Further studies are needed into PU risk assessment, minimisation and management in medical imaging to help raise awareness and address the problem of the potential for PU development