Chiefs, changing trust relations and land use planning in Ghana

In Ghana, both statutes and customs designate chiefs as trustees of customary lands. Based on evidence from four case study areas, the study establishes that, some chiefs are redefining their roles as trustees and are increasingly becoming the principal beneficiaries of revenue that accrue from granting of community lands. This drives chiefs to alter land use plans or engage unqualified people to prepare defective ‘land use plans’, that become the basis for guiding the growth of human settlements. These practices contribute to the poor state of planning delivery. Based on the findings, the study recommends that strengthening the capacity of state planning institutions and empowering communities to demand accountability from chiefs are crucial in the quest to improve land use planning delivery in Ghana.Keywords: Accountability, customary land tenure, chiefs, trusteeship, land use plannin

Dry matter accumulation and nitrogen concentration in forage and grain maize in dryland areas under different soil amendments

ArticleSoil amendment plays significant role in improving soil fertility and increasing crop productivity in rain–fed agriculture. Understanding the grain yield associated with dry matter and N concentration is essential for improving maize production. A 3– year field study was conducted to determine dry matter accumulation, nitrogen concentration and grain yield of forage and grain maize under different soil amendments in the Western Loess Plateau of China. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with four treatments and three replicates per treatment. Results showed that dry matter accumulation and nitrogen concentration in the swine manure in combination with chemical fertilized (SC) crops was significantly higher (by ≈ 60% and 39%) than no amendment (NA) which therefore translated into increased grain yield ≈ 74%. The SC treatment also improved leaf area index and chlorophyll content (P < 0.05) by approximately 34% to 32% compared to NA, which supported the above results. The nitrogen concentration in the leaf was higher at jointing and lower at maturity. Grain yield positively correlated with dry matter accumulation and nitrogen concentration at jointing, flowering and milk stage. Dry matter accumulation and grain yield also increased in the sole swine manure (SM) and maize stover (MS) treatments, but to lesser extent than SC. Based on the improvement of dry matter accumulation, nitrogen concentration and grain yield, swine manure in combination with chemical fertilizer appears to be a better fertilization option under dryland cropping systems

Associations of body composition measures and C2, a marker for small artery elasticity: The MESA.

ObjectiveLower C2, a continuous blood pressure waveform characteristic asserted to represent small artery elasticity, predicts future cardiovascular disease events. It is hypothesized that the paradoxical positive association between body mass index (BMI) and C2 may reflect muscle instead of excess fat.MethodsIn a multi-ethnic, community-living cohort of 1,960 participants, computed tomography scans of the abdomen were used to measure visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and total abdominal muscle tissue (TAMT), and applanation tonometry of the radial arteries was used to assess C2. The period cross-sectional associations between BMI, TAMT, and VAT with C2 were ascertained.ResultsThe mean age was 62 ± 9 years and 51% were male. After adjustments for age, gender, ethnicity, pack years smoking cigarettes, diabetes, hypertension, and total and HDL cholesterol, higher BMI (standardized beta = 0.09, P-value &lt; 0.01) and more TAMT (standardized beta = 0.12, P-value &lt; 0.01) were significantly associated with higher C2. In contrast, more VAT (standardized beta = -0.09, P-value &lt; 0.01) was associated with lower C2.ConclusionsIn multivariable analysis, VAT, in contrast to TAMT and BMI, was associated with less compliant small arteries. Visceral fat may be a better marker for detrimental excess body fat than BMI

Pedagogies for critical thinking at universities in Kenya, Ghana and Botswana: the importance of a collective 'teaching culture'

While critical thinking is widely regarded as a key outcome of higher education, research has shown that in practice it is only developed when certain conditions are in place, relating to the pedagogical approach, the nature of the curriculum and the level of challenge, amongst other factors. This article reports on findings from a four-year mixed methods study in Botswana, Ghana and Kenya, aiming to investigate the factors underpinning the successful development of critical thinking amongst undergraduate students. A two-stage critical thinking assessment was conducted with students in 15 sites, showing that only some of the institutions were ensuring significant gains in students’ critical thinking, even when endorsing learner-centred methods. The study points to the central importance of teaching orientations amongst lecturers, involving a deep shift in approaches to knowledge, and a facilitation rather than a transmission approach

An Open Label Clinical Study Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Cryptolepis sanguinolenta based Herbal Antimalarial Agent

Medicinal plants are key in the treatment of malaria in many developing countries. This study reports on the effectiveness of Mist Nibima, a Ghanaian herbal product from the Centre for Plant Medicine Research, Mampong-Akuapem. The product is a proprietary remedy prepared from the roots of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta. A non-comparative open label study was undertaken involving 33 subjects diagnosed with uncomplicated malaria. Mean parasitaemia at baseline was 3454 (± 2507) declining to 64.11 (± 66.16) after 7 days. In terms of the achievement of the primary outcome, 24 (72.72%) subjects had total parasite clearance with the other 9 (27.27%) attaining partial clearance by Day 7. No treatment failure and parasite recrudescence was also observed among the study subjects. The product Mist Nibima was also well tolerated and shown to safe as biochemical and haematological indices were normal post treatment. Cryptolepis sanguinolenta and herbal products formulated from the plant may therefore hold some potential for use as a first-line antimalarial agents

Spatiotemporal co-existence of two Mycobacterium ulcerans clonal complexes in the Offin River Valley of Ghana

In recent years, comparative genome sequence analysis of African Mycobacterium ulcerans strains isolated from Buruli ulcer (BU) lesion specimen has revealed a very limited genetic diversity of closely related isolates and a striking association between genotype and geographical origin of the patients. Here, we compared whole genome sequences of five M. ulcerans strains isolated in 2004 or 2013 from BU lesions of four residents of the Offin river valley with 48 strains isolated between 2002 and 2005 from BU lesions of individuals residing in the Densu river valley of Ghana. While all M. ulcerans isolates from the Densu river valley belonged to the same clonal complex, members of two distinct clonal complexes were found in the Offin river valley over space and time. The Offin strains were closely related to genotypes from either the Densu region or from the Asante Akim North district of Ghana. These results point towards an occasional involvement of a mobile reservoir in the transmission of M. ulcerans, enabling the spread of bacteria across different regions

A Deep Learning Model to Predict Traumatic Brain Injury Severity and Outcome from MR Images

For Many Neurological Disorders, Including Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Neuroimaging Information Plays a Crucial Role Determining Diagnosis and Prognosis. TBI is a Heterogeneous Disorder that Can Result in Lasting Physical, Emotional and Cognitive Impairments. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a Non-Invasive Technique that Uses Radio Waves to Reveal Fine Details of Brain Anatomy and Pathology. Although MRIs Are Interpreted by Radiologists, Advances Are Being Made in the Use of Deep Learning for MRI Interpretation. This Work Evaluates a Deep Learning Model based on a Residual Learning Convolutional Neural Network that Predicts TBI Severity from MR Images. the Model Achieved a High Sensitivity and Specificity on the Test Sample of Subjects with Varying Levels of TBI Severity. Six Outcome Measures Were Available on TBI Subjects at 6 and 12 Months. Group Comparisons of Outcomes between Subjects Correctly Classified by the Model with Subjects Misclassified Suggested that the Neural Network May Be Able to Identify Latent Predictive Information from the MR Images Not Incorporated in the Ground Truth Labels. the Residual Learning Model Shows Promise in the Classification of MR Images from Subjects with TBI

Surgically correctable adrenal-dependent hypertension: a report of five cases

Although endocrine causes of secondary hypertension are relatively uncommon, medical practitioners must maintain a high index of suspicion for them in certain categories of patients. Such patientsinclude young individuals, those with difficult- to-treat hypertension and those presenting with symptoms, clinical signs and/or laboratoryparameters well-known to be associated with Cushing’s syndrome, Conn’s syndrome or phaeochromocytoma. This paper reports on 5 patients identified over a 2-year period with various hormonally-activeadrenal adenomas causing hypertension in an environment where, hitherto, the occurrence of these conditions was generally thought to be rare. Aspects of the patients’ histories, examination and laboratory findings that drew attention to the possibility of the diagnosis in each case are highlighted, as are the confirmatory investigationsand management methods used by a multidisciplinary team of medical practitioners. The clinical outcome with appropriate treatment of adrenalrelated hypertension is good and can result in significantcost savings in the long term

Financial performance and constraints in Gari Production in Kumasi, Ghana

Gari is a crisp and crunchy West African food made from grated cassava with the excess liquid dried out. It is a major food security product&nbsp; consumed by most households and students in second cycle institutions in West African. Gari production is an important source of livelihood for many women in the informal sector in Ghana. It serves as a vital avenue for value addition to cassava, thus helping to address the problem of post-harvest losses and generating income for producers. This study assessed the financial performance and constraints in gari production in Kumasi, Ghana. Primary data from a cross-sectional survey of 46 gari producers who were identified using snowball sampling technique was used. Descriptive statistics, profitability indicators, and a 5-point Likert scale were used to analyse the primary data. Results showed that gari production ispredominantly done by women 30-75 years old with a mean age of 50 years. Majority of producers had no formal education (57%) and had been in production for an average of 24 years. It was found that gari production in Kumasi is financially profitable, with all the profitability indicators employed showing positive returns on inputs employed in production, although the values were less competitive relative to other producers’ valueselsewhere. The profit margin was favourable at 22%, return on capital employed (ROCE) at 29% and operating expense ratio at 76%. The relatively low ROCE of 29% compared with the opportunity cost of capital (31%) by commercial banks in the study area indicates the underutilization of producers’ capital in gari production. Key constraints identified in the gari production business were seasonality and high cost of cassava. Adoption of cost-effective management strategies and release of all year round cassava varieties could help improve gari production and livelihoods of producers and other actors along the cassava value chain. Key words: Cassava, Gari, Production, Profitability, Constraints, Women, Livelihood, Kumasi-Ghan