Department of Nuclear Agriculture and Radiation Processing
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Item The evolution of media reportage on GMOs in Ghana following approval of first GM crop(https://doi.org/10.1080/21645698.2024.2365481, 2024) Gakpo , J,O.; Baffour - Awuah, D.Ghana’s parliament in 2011 passed the Biosafety Act to allow for the application of genetically modified organism (GMO) technology in the country’s agriculture. In a vibrant democracy, there have been extensive media discussions on whether GM crops will benefit or harm citizens. In June 2022, the state GMO regulator, the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), approved the country’s first GM crop (Bt cowpea) for environmental release, declaring the crop does not present an altered environmental risk or a food/feed safety concern. This study identified 3 of the country’s most vibrant digital news outlets and did a content analysis of all GMO stories reported 18 months pre and post-approval to assess whether the approval changed the focus of GMO issues the media reports on. 91 articles were identified. The results show media reports on the likely impact of GMOs on the country’s food security shot up after the approval. However, media reports on the possible health, sociocultural, and environmental impact of GMOs declined. We observe the media and the public appear interested in deliberations on how the technology could address or worsen food insecurity and urge agricultural biotechnology actors in Ghana to focus on that in their sensitization activitiesItem Colchicine-sensitivity Test in Cassava Leaf Lobes and its Effect on Callus and Somatic Embryo Formation(Indian Journal of Agricultural Research, 2024) Dzimega, D.A.; Amenorpe, G.; Danso, K.E.; et al.Background: Colchicine acts as a polyploidy inducer but at high concentrations, it causes high cell mortality. To improve the efficiency of colchicine polyploidization in cassava, leaf lobe colchicine-sensitivity tests were carried out and LD50 determined at 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.20 and 0.25 g/l colchicine concentrations in the varieties Ankrah, Dagati, Tomfa and Tuaka. Methods: Colchicine-treated leaf lobes were regenerated into callus on either 8 mg/l, 4-D or Picloram. The calli were subsequently regenerated into somatic embryos by NAA. LD50 of 0.09, 0.11, 0.13 and 0.09 mg/L colchicine concentration were determined for Ankrah, Dagati, Tomfa and Tuaka respectively, are in 2, 4, and 5. Similarly, LD50 of 0.12, 0.10, 0.14 and 0.10 mg/L were respectively obtained in Picloram. Result: In 2, 4-D, Ankrah and Tuaka were more sensitive to colchicine than Dagati and Tomfa, whereas in picloram, Dagati and Tuaka showed more sensitivity. Callus proliferation differed significantly among varieties and influenced by the concentration of colchicineItem Africa’s readiness for artificial intelligence in clinical radiotherapy delivery: Medical physicists to lead the way(Physica Medica, 2023) Manson, E.N.; Hasford, F.; Sosu, E.K.; et al.Background: There have been several proposals by researchers for the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology due to its promising role in radiotherapy practice. However, prior to the introduction of the tech nology, there are certain general recommendations that must be achieved. Also, the current challenges of AI must be addressed. In this review, we assess how Africa is prepared for the integration of AI technology into radio therapy service delivery. Methods: To assess the readiness of Africa for integration of AI in radiotherapy services delivery, a narrative review of the available literature from PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Scopus was conducted in the English language using search terms such as Artificial Intelligence, Radiotherapy in Africa, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Quality Assurance. Results: We identified a number of issues that could limit the successful integration of AI technology into radiotherapy practice. The major issues include insufficient data for training and validation of AI models, lack of educational curriculum for AI radiotherapy-related courses, no/limited AI teaching professionals, funding, and lack of AI technology and resources. Solutions identified to facilitate smooth implementation of the technology into radiotherapy practices within the region include: creating an accessible national data bank, integrating AI radiotherapy training programs into Africa’s educational curriculum, investing in AI technology and resources such as electronic health records and cloud storage, and creation of legal laws and policies to support the use of the technology. These identified solutions need to be implemented on the background of creating awareness among health workers within the radiotherapy space. Conclusion: The challenges identified in this review are common among all the geographical regions in the Af rican continent. Therefore, all institutions offering radiotherapy education and training programs, management of the medical centers for radiotherapy and oncology, national and regional professional bodies for medical physics, ministries of health, governments, and relevant stakeholders must take keen interest and work together to achieve this goal.Item Three-dimensional image quality test phantom for planar X-ray imaging(Volume 119, 2023) Noonoo, J.B.; Sosu, E.; Hasford, F.We aimed to produce a simple, inexpensive 3D printed phantom as a prototype for image quality assessment of contrast, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and resolution in planar X-ray imaging systems. The test phantom was designed using SOLIDWORKS software, printed with a polylactic acid material and filled with paraffin wax. Circular aluminium sheets were used as inserts for contrast evaluation. A planar X-ray system was used for imaging and DICOM images were evaluated using ImageJ software. We evaluated spatial resolution, contrast, CNR and SNR. For resolution, full width at half maximum (FWHM) was measured on different grid sizes. For contrast, intensity of grey values and standard deviation were calculated on the different grid sizes. For CNR and SNR, difference in greyscale of investigated tissue and background per standard deviation of noise in the background was calculated. Resolution of the system was evaluated to be 1.57 and 1.80 lp/mm on grids A and B respectively. Contrast showed differential attenuation per variation in thickness. CNR increased from −13.7 for a thickness of 0.00 mm to 24.90 for a thickness of 28 mm. CNR did not change for a thickness greater than 16.0 mm. The SNR of the system fell in the acceptable range of ≥ 5. The results from the analyses performed indicate that the test phantom has great potential to be a good substitute for the commercially available phantoms on the market, especially for low-resource settings. Significance: This study highlights the emergence of 3D printing technology and its suitability within radiology and medical physics for the production of cost-effective phantoms which can serve as substitutes for commercial phantoms in low-resourced medical facilities in low- and middle-income countries.Item Assessment of natural radioactivity and associated radiological risks from soils of Hakim Gara quarry sites in Ethiopia(Heliyon, 2023) Regassa, T.N.; Raba, G.A.; Chekol, B.M.; Kpeglo, D.O.One of the ways of minimizing radiation risks to workers and the public is assessing potential sites that are suspected of producing radiation. Among such locations, quarry sites stand out because areas of granite and other rocks, especially those of uranium family potentially have high con centrations of radiation. This study was aimed to assess one such quarry sites (Hakim Gara site), located near Harar town, Harari region-Ethiopia. To assess the radiological impact of natural radioactivity of quarry activities in the study area, activity concentrations of natural radionu clides 238U, 232Th, 226Ra and 40K in the soil samples were investigated by collecting twenty composite soil samples from different sites of the area. Measurements were carried out using high purity germanium (HPGe) Gamma Spectrometry detecting system for acquisition of data and making analysis using Genie 2000 software. From the result, mean Activity concentration of 238U, 232Th and 40K obtained were 51.9 ± 15 Bq/kg, 68.32 ± 9.75 Bq/kg and 220.0 ± 2.0 Bq/kg, respectively. Average Activity concentration of the 226Ra was 32.71 ± 2.02 Bq/kg. These values were used to calculate and estimate the radiological risks due to environmental radiation expo sure contributed from the quarrying activities. The average external and internal hazard indices were 0.45 ± 0.09 mSv/y and 0.49 ± 0.23 mSv/y both of which were below the permissible limit of unity. The results obtained for 238U and 232Th were higher and significant from the world average which need further regulatory monitoring. The level of 40K was below the world average. Hence, this research provided a foundation for future studies on subsequent investigations and to aid realistic regulatory and policy decisions.Item Yellow Maize Breeding For Higher Beta-Carotene: Farmers’ Perceptions Of Vitamin-A Deficiency Consequences And Readiness To Grow Improved Varieties In Ghana(Afr. J. Food Agric. Nutr. Dev, 2023) Ansah, G.; Amoatey, H.M.; Amiteye, S.; et alVitamin A deficiency poses serious health concerns among the Ghanaian populace, particularly children and pregnant women. The production and consumption of yellow maize, which contains pro-vitamin A carotenoids such as beta carotene, is therefore encouraged. Consequently, yellow maize consumption is fast gaining acceptance. However, in the near future comensurate increases in production must be achieved to ensure food security. In this regard, the aims of the study were to: evaluate farmer willingness to cultivate yellow maize varieties with enhanced beta carotene content, ascertain extent of farmers’ knowledge on production constraints and mitigation, and evaluate farmers’ perception on nutritional benefits of yellow maize and the effects of vitamin A deficiency. The survey was conducted between January and May 2018 and it covered four districts representing the forest and guinea savanna ecological zones in Ghana. In each district, five communities with 10 participants each were covered. Most yellow maize farmers (78 %) were between 15 and 55 years, 42.5 % of the farmers had no formal education, 29 % had secondary education and only 8 % had tertiary education. The main challenges facing yellow maize (YM) farmers were pest control and low yield due to erratic rainfall. Majority (70 %) of the farmers had heard about vitamin A deficiency and also noticed stunted growth, mental retardation and poor eye sight in their communities but did not link such symptoms to vitamin A deficiency. Most respondents (70 %) were not aware that yellow maize contains beta carotene. Majority (70 %) of the respondents opined that improvement in the beta carotene content of yellow maize will greatly help to drastically minimize vitamin A deficiency and enhance food security. The information elicited from farmers will guide future development of yellow maize varieties for improved production and nutrition.Item Microbial decontamination of dried cassava (Manihot esculenta) chips using gamma irradiation(Radiation Physics and Chemistry, 2023) Armah, J.O.; Ocloo, F.C.K.; Appiah, V.microbial quality of dried cassava chips. Thirteen (13) month old white-flesh cassava roots were purchased from an experimental farm of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI) at Pokuase in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The cassava roots were cleaned, peeled, washed and processed into chips, and then oven-dried. The dried cassava chips were gamma irradiated to target doses of 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 kGy at a dose rate of 0.75 kGy/h. Un-irradiated chips were used as controls. Total Viable Count (TVC), Total Coliform Count (TCC), Yeast and Mould Count (YMC), Staphylococcus aureus count (SAC), Bacillus species count (BSC) and Salmonella count (SC) of the dried cassava chips were determined using standard methods. Coliform, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus spp, yeast and moulds were detected in the dried cassava chips, except Salmonella. Gamma irradiation significantly reduced the microorganisms recorded on the surfaces of the dried cassava chips in dose-dependent manner. Radiation decontamination has the potential to improve microbial quality of dried cassava chips.Item Improvement in cowpea variety Videza for traits of extra earliness and higher seed yield(Heliyon, 2022) Amenorpe, G.; Dorvlo, I.K.; Amoatey, H.M.; Amiteye, S.; Kutufam, J.T.; Afutu, E.; Asare-Bediako, E.; Darkwa, A.A.The cowpea variety Videza, which was used as the control, matures early (70 days after planting), although it produces low yields. Gamma irradiation mutagenesis was used to induce Videza into extra-early maturing and higher yielding mutant genotypes. A single seed descend population was developed for radio-sensitivity test, and a Lethal Dose 50 (LD50) of 240.5 Gy was determined, and applied from a cobalt-60 (60Co) source, to acutely mass irradiate 1800 Videza seeds, at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission. The irradiated seeds (M1) were planted to produce M2 seeds bearing plants and subsequently advanced to M3 plants for selection of nine induced plants based on extra earliness and significantly higher seed yields than the parental control. It took 48 days after planting (DAP) for the genotype coded P1N02#1 to reach 50 % maturity followed by 52 DAP for genotypes with codes P4N03#3; P3N01#5; P5N05#6, P4N14#7, P5N07#8, P5N05#10 and 54 DAP for genotype P4N14#11. P1N06#9 had the highest yield (97.38 g/plant), followed by P5N05#10 (95.97 g/plant), P1N08#13 (81.24 g/ plant), P2N09#12 (73.94 g/plant), P6N10#19 (70.83 g/plant), P1N06#20 (65.36 kg/plant), P5N07#14 (61.23 g/plant), P4N14# (58.05 g/plant) and P1N08#17 (56.23 g/plant). M3 seeds were advanced to M4 plants for a Preliminary Yield Trial which revealed that induced plants P5N05#10 (1235 kg/ha), P2N09#12 (1206 kg/ha), P5N07#14 (1185 kg/ha), P1N06#20 (1171 kg/ha), P1N06#9 (1051 kg/ha), P1N08#13 (1041 kg/ha), and P6N10#19 (999 kg/ha) outperformed the control (517 kg/ha) and two other commercial varieties. Overall, the two highest performing candidates for further evaluation for varietal release were P5N05#10 and P2N09#12.Item Participatory approach of preferred traits, production constraints and mitigation strategies: implications for soybean breeding in Guinea Savannah zone of Ghana(Heliyon, 2022) Addae-Frimpomaah, F.; Amenorpe, G.; Denwar, N.N.; Amiteye, S.; Adazebra, G.A.; Sossah, F.L.; Akaba, S.; Issah, A.R.; Amoatey, H.M.Soybean production is concentrated in the Guinea Savannah agro-ecological zone of Ghana. However, its cultivation is plagued with a number of constraints leading to low yields. A participatory approach was, therefore, used to identify farmers' and processors' preferred soybean traits and production constraints, climate change effects and strategies employed for mitigating these effects in three districts within the soybean growing areas in Northern Ghana. The study revealed that 72.0 % and 68.8 % of farmers in the Tolon and Savelugu districts, respectively, used improved soybean seeds for planting their fields. Over 13.0 % of farmers indicated late maturity as the most important constraint, followed by manual threshing difficulty and terminal drought which results in low grain yield and poor quality. About 70.0 % of farmers opined that climate change effects are causing obvious shifts in the rainfall pattern. Majority of the farmers (94.6 %) indicated that the onset of peak rainfall has changed in the past decade. Almost 44.0% of farmers also indicated that severe drought has affected pods filling in the past. A third (33.3%) of farmers indicated that drought usually sets in at pod initiation. The farmers enumerated some of the effects of early cessation of the rainfall in soybean production as drying up of immature and green seed (28.3%), low grain yield (27.1%) and poor seed quality (22.1%). Some of the mitigation strategies employed by the farmers include early planting (40.0%) and mulching (25.0%) to retain soil moisture for enhanced growth of crops. The order of farmers’ preferences new soybean varieties were shattering resistance (16.0%), high grain yield (14.0%), large seeds size (13.1%), and early maturity (11.8%), whereas processors preferred varieties with large seed size (30.6%), high protein content (28.7%), pest resistance (15.9%) and short cooking duration (12.7%). Both the farmers and processors indicated their willingness to pay more for seeds with the desired traits. These findings will aid soybean breeders in developing new varieties that possess desired traits preferred by both farmers and processors for increased soybean cultivation and utilization.Item Effect of gamma irradiation on shelf life of smoked guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) meat stored at refrigeration temperature(Radiation Physics and Chemistry, 2022) Otoo, E.A.; Ocloo, F.C.K.; Appiah, V.This study investigated the effect of gamma irradiation on shelf life of smoked guinea fowl meat stored at refrigerated temperature. Dressed guinea fowl meats were smoked, packaged and gamma irradiated at 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 kGy with a dose rate of 0.74 kGy h -1 and compared with a control (un-irradiated). Physicochemical, sensory and microbial properties of the treated meats were determined over refrigerated storage period using appropriate procedures. Titratable acidity (TA) and acid value (AV) decreased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) with gamma irradiation but increased with storage. pH of the meat samples were however within the neutral range which was numerically insignificant to affect quality characteristics of the processed meat. Bacterial isolates of natural microbiota identified on the basis of their mass spectra of protein profiles on the smoked guinea fowl meat were Staphylococcus aureus, Serratia marcescens and Enterobacter cloacae. The total bacterial counts (7.23 log10 cfu/g) decreased with increasing doses of gamma irradiation and storage (1.29 log10 cfu/g). Irradiation had highly significant effects (p ≤ 0.05) on the reduction of microbial population. Irradiation had no significant effects (p > 0.05) on the sensory attributes (aroma, colour, tenderness and taste) of the smoked guinea fowl meat; but the taste of the irradiated meat samples was influenced at the end of the seven weeks refrigerated storage period. Gamma irradiation has a potential to enhance shelf life of smoked guinea fowl meat at a refrigeration condition.