The Disabled and Art: Selected Artifacts of Ghanaian Physically Disabled Artists as a Resource For Teaching And Learning

Some disabled artists in Ghana exhibit a lot of rich knowledge and practical skills which are potential materials for teaching and learning. These should be documented otherwise the rich concepts and philosophies inherent in them which, among others, are perceived to depict societal problems may be lost after their death. It is the aim of this paper to identify and document the unique artistic qualities in some of the art works of selected physically disabled artists. It was the pursuit of the writers to contribute to the documentation of these works to serve as resource material for Art Education and Special Education. Through qualitative research, an enquiry was made into the artifacts of six (6) selected disabled artists in Ashanti Region. Description of ten (10) works comprising textiles, sculpture, painting, three dimensional (3-D) design, and basketry was done. These physically disabled artists were interviewed using the face-to-face method as data collection instrument. The results of the research largely confirm  that the selected artifacts depict problems of the society. Also, a few of the works portray their emotions, personal nature, ideas and philosophy. It is recommended that more physically disabled persons should find life in art since art provides varying types of employment for disabled persons.Keywords: Artifacts, art education, philosophy, disability art

The influence of shade and organic fertilizer treatments on the physiology and establishment of Theobroma cacao clones

Aims: This experiment aimed to determine whether the soil application of organic fertilizers can help the establishment of cacao and whether shade alters its response to fertilizers. Study Design: The 1.6 ha experiment was conducted over a period of one crop year (between April 2007 and March 2008) at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana. It involved four cacao genotypes (T 79/501, PA 150, P 30 [POS] and SCA 6), three shade levels (‘light’, ‘medium’ and ‘heavy’) and two fertilizer treatments (‘no fertilizer’, and ‘140 kg/ha of cacao pod husk ash (CPHA) plus poultry manure at 1,800 kg/ha). The experiment was designed as a split-plot with the cacao genotypes as the main plot factor and shade x fertilizer combinations as the sub-plots. Methodology: Gliricidia sepium and plantains (Musa sapientum) were planted in different arrangements to create the three temporary shade regimes for the cacao. Data were collected on temperature and relative humidity of the shade environments, initial soil nutrients, soil moisture, leaf N, P and K+ contents, survival, photo synthesis and growth of test plants. Results: The genotypes P 30 [POS] and SCA 6 showed lower stomatal conductance under non-limiting conditions. In the rainy seasons, plants under light shade had the highest CO2 assimilation rates. However, in the dry season, plants under increased shade recorded greater photosynthetic rates (P = .03). A significant shade x fertilizer interaction (P = .001) on photosynthesis in the dry season showed that heavier shade increases the benefits that young cacao gets from fertilizer application in that season. Conversely, shade should be reduced during the wet seasons to minimize light limitation to assimilation. Conclusion: Under ideal weather conditions young cacao exhibits genetic variability on stomatal conductance. Also, to optimize plant response to fertilizer application shade must be adjusted taking the prevailing weather condition into account

Experiences of shared sanitation – towards a better understanding of access, exclusion and ‘toilet mobility’ in low-income urban areas

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 6.2 calls for ‘adequate and equitable sanitation for all’. In dense, rapidly urbanising cities, the challenge of providing household sanitation means that many countries include shared, community and public toilets in their national strategies to meet global goals. However, shared sanitation is associated with several problems including poor management and exclusion. This study examines shared sanitation access and use by using innovative mapping methods in compound house units in Fante New Town, Kumasi, Ghana. This study reveals that 56% of house units have at least one toilet. Of the 47% of people living in these house units, almost a third were excluded from using the toilet. Tenure status was the main driver for exclusion, with nearly half of people reporting non-usage ‘not allowed’ to use the toilet by the landlord. This study outlines key policy interventions to address broader institutional and regulatory barriers to shared sanitation. At the settlement level, this includes the provision of safe, well-managed public toilets and engagement with landlords to improve house unit toilet access. At the national and global level, this study calls for nuanced indicators to assess the quality of access and to ensure shared sanitation works for everyone

The use of free autogenous rib grafts in maxillofacial reconstruction

Background: Hard tissue defects in the maxillofacial region due to trauma or ablative surgery result in functional and cosmetic problems. State-of-theart methods for reconstruction include the use of vascularised tissue. Objective: To review our results with the use of non-vascularised rib grafts for maxillofacial reconstruction. Method: Patients who underwent maxillofacial reconstruction using rib at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital during 1996-2004 were studied. The technique for rib harvest and implantation of the graft was standardized. Clindamycin was administered peri-operatively and the harvested rib was temporarily stored in clindamycin/saline before implantation. The graft was successful if it survived beyond 6 months after placement. Follow- up was for at least 12months postoperatively. Results: A total of 29 patients were studied. The indications for grafting included ameloblastoma, malignant disease, cyst, ankylosis, and trauma. Either rib bone only or with cartilage were used. In 90% of patients (26/29) the graft healed uneventfully. Two patients had dehiscence of the wound with exposure of the graft intraorally within two weeks of surgery and were successfully managed with antibiotics. Conclusion: Free autogenous rib was successfully used to reconstruct defects in the maxillofacial region. Further stabilization of the graft by intermaxillary fixation and the prophylactic use of clindamycin may have helped to minimize complications

Input Supply Structure for Yam Production in Ghana

Yam is an extremely important crop for at least 60 million rural poor producers, processors and consumers in West Africa providing multiple opportunities for poverty reduction and nourishment of poor people in the sub-region. Despite the importance of this crop, its production is stagnating, thus threatening rural livelihoods and urban food security. Input supply dealers to the yam sub-sector are quite scanty and rather focused on general agro inputs. Literature on the structure of yam input supply systems is  scanty and non-existing. This creates inefficiencies in supplying the necessary inputs for production affecting productivity of the production process. The objective of this paper is therefore to provide a structural analysis of the input supply system and the role input dealers play in providing products and services to the  production process. Through the use of stakeholder analysis and structured interviews, results revealed that 50% of agro input dealers interviewed provided herbicides to farmers. Information on input on high demand was through extension (43%) indicating the relevance of the extension services in information delivery. The most common form of assistance was training (42.86%) followed by advisory services (28.57%) with limited access to credit (4.29 %). Gross margins were quite faviourable such that seed yam had gross margin of GHC 30 per 100 tubers, agro chemicals was GHC 5/litre and fertilizer GHC 2.67/Bag. Strengthening the capital base of input dealers will make them more efficient to serve the production system effectively and productively. Keywords: Input dealer,  yam production, labour , seed yam, agro input

5α-reductase 1 mRNA levels are positively correlated with TRAMP mouse prostate most severe lesion scores

Citation: Opoku-Acheampong, A. B., Henningson, J. N., Beck, A. P., & Lindshield, B. L. (2017). 5α-reductase 1 mRNA levels are positively correlated with TRAMP mouse prostate most severe lesion scores. Plos One, 12(5). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0175874Background The contribution of 5α-reductase 1 and 5α-reductase 2 to prostate cancer development and progression is not clearly understood. TRAMP mice are a common prostate cancer model, in which 5α-reductase 1 and 5α-reductase 2 expression levels, along with prostate lesions scores, have not been investigated at different time points to further understand prostate carcinogenesis. Method/Principal findings To this end, 8-, 12-, 16-, and 20-week-old male C57BL/6TRAMP x FVB mice prostate most severe and most common lesion scores, 5α-reductase 1 and 5α-reductase 2 in situ hybridization expression, and Ki-67, androgen receptor, and apoptosis immunohistochemistry levels were measured. Levels of these markers were quantified in prostate epithelium, hyperplasia, and tumors sections. Mice developed low- to high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia at 8 weeks as the most severe and most common lesions, and moderate- and high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia at 12 and 16 weeks as the most severe lesion in all lobes. Moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma was observed at 20 weeks in all lobes. Poorly differentiated carcinoma was not observed in any lobe until 12-weeks-old. 5α- reductase 1 and 5α-reductase 2 were not significantly decreased in tumors compared to prostate epithelium and hyperplasia in all groups, while proliferation, apoptosis, and androgen receptor were either notably or significantly decreased in tumors compared with prostate epithelium and hyperplasia in most or all groups. Prostate 5αR1 levels were positively correlated with adjusted prostate most severe lesion scores. Conclusion Downregulation of androgen receptor and 5α-reductase 2, along with upregulation of 5α- reductase 1 in tumors may promote prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and prostate cancer development in TRAMP mice. © 2017 Opoku-Acheampong et al.This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

A Study of the Publication pattern in CSIR- Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute

Plant genetic resources (PGR) are those resources that are of benefit to man. They are plant materials containing useful characters of actual or potential values. They are the basic raw mate­rials for crop improvement today and for the future. This paper analysed changes in publication trend by scientists from 1981 to 2015 at the CSIR-Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute. It investigated major commodities covered by the articles produced by scientists of the Institute. The main area of study included publication formats covered by the articles in the Plant Ge­netic Resources Research Institute Reference (PGRRIREF Directory) (1981-2015). The study also highlighted recent research and development activities in each publication discipline in the PGRRIREF Directory. It is believed that information gathered from the analysis of this research, would increase the utilization of the crop plants in Ghana and beyond. Content analysis method and interviews were used for the study of the Publication pattern in CSIR-Plant Genetic Re­sources Research Institute. The findings indicated among others that, socio-economic (27.2%), horticulture (21.5%), root and tubers (18.5%) recorded increasing publication disciplines. Tech­nologies developed in these publication disciplines could be put on-line for a wider audience to enhance efficient conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources materials. Keywords: CSIR-Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute; publication pattern; discipline; formats; research activitie

Transport Modelling During Preparation of General Plans in Big Cities: Reasons and Challenges

Rapidly growing mobility of people in European cities attaches greater importance to the sustainable developmentconcept. The dynamics of European cities are however different. Cites such as Lithuanian, Slovakian and Polishones will rapidly increase traffic flows and car ownership at fast pace. Also in most of Western Europe, even if at lowerrates, private mobility is increasing. In some cities, however, car use and car ownership are finally decreasing, alsothanks to policies implemented. Of course, an increase of traffic flows poses problems in terms of street space, pollutionand liveability of cities. Sustainable integration of all kinds of transport into the urban development process is one ofthe most effective actions in the hands of city planners. The coordination between the planning of residential and businessdevelopment areas and the expansion of public transport and its hierarchical integration is however a difficult butnecessary exercise. Transport modelling tools, in particular, need important advancements to integrate transport andland use in simulations. This article analyses the main challenges in the use of transport models to support the constructionof city plans by means of two case studies of Milan and Vilnius. The analysis deals both with traditional aspects,such as the proper simulation of multimodal choices, the level of detail of zoning, the issues associated to the simulationof traffic management policies. Then, we will focus on two aspects still open: the integration of transport modelling andeconomic assessment or ranking of actions, and the inclusion of land use changes in the modelling

Improving field establishment of cacao (Theobroma cacao) through mulching, irrigation and shading

Establishment of young cacao trees in West Africa can be severely impeded by the on-set of the dry season. To address this issue, a field experiment was conducted in Ghana to examine whether different mulch treatments and irrigation applied during the dry season combined with over-head shade could improve survival, early growth and yield of cacao. The mulch treatments used were polyethylene film and coffee husks placed around the young plants. Irrigation was used as a positive control and no mulching or irrigation was a negative control. Three shade regimes were provided through different arrangements of Gliricidia sepium and plantains. Four different cacao clones were used in the study in a replicated split-plot design. Early growth of cacao was stimulated under the irrigation and plastic mulch treatments. Higher rates of photosynthesis during the dry season appeared to underlie these increases. Significantly higher early yields were also observed under the irrigation and coffee mulch treatments compared to the control. Plant survival varied significantly between treatments; irrigation was associated with the highest plant survival (94%), followed by the plastic mulch treatment (91%), coffee husk (82%) and the control (70%). There was also an increase in survival when more intense shading was used. Under zero mulch conditions, differences in survival were observed between clones. The clones P 30 [POS] and SCA 6 were more sensitive to drought (in terms of survival) than PA 150 and T 79/501. It is concluded that relatively simple mulching techniques or controlled irrigation in conjunction with appropriate shade management can significantly improve early establishment and cropping of cacao