Book Chapters
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Book Chapters: A scholarly introduction of chapter length to an edited volume, where the content of the introduction reports research and makes a substantial contribution to a defined area of knowledge.
On the other hand, Review books or articles provide a critical and constructive analysis of existing published literature in a field, through summary, analysis, and comparison, often identifying specific gaps or problems and providing recommendations for future research. These are considered as secondary literature since they generally do not present new data from the author's experimental work. Review articles can be of three types, broadly speaking: literature reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses.
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Item Targeted gene panel sequencing of liquid and tissue biopsies reveals actionable genomic alterations in Ghanaian metastatic breast cancer cases(Translational Oncology, 2024-08-11) Amoako,E.; Amuzu,S.; Ofori,E.O.; Akligoh,S.H.; Tackie,R.; Ibrahim,B.A.; Quaye,E.K.; Akakpo,P.K.; Aniakwo,L.A; Jimah,B.; Appiah,K.U.; Hutchful,D.; Manu,A.; Ngoi,M.J.; Paemka,L.; Alhassan,Y.; Obeng,A.E.; Lim,N.; Rajah,L.; Pek,P.; Challis,J.; Adebisi,G.R.; Tan,H.M.; Bediako,Y.Purpose: Breast cancer is a major cause of cancer-related mortality among African women. The adoption of molecular genomic technologies in the management of cancer cases is limited in Africa. To provide much-needed insights on the feasibility and utility of such precision medicine paradigms in Africa, we conducted a prospective, non-interventional study involving combined tissue and plasma Next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based testing in cancer patients in Ghana. Methods: We recruited 20 newly diagnosed, histologically confirmed, treatment-naïve women with metastatic breast cancer at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital in Ghana. Tissue (NGS) and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) liquid biopsy analysis were ordered on all 20 patients. Results: All 20/20 (100 %) liquid biopsy samples were acceptable for analysis, whereas only 6/20 (30 %) passed quality control for tissue NGS testing. Liquid biopsy detected 42 cfDNA mutations in 17/20 patients. Of the 17 patients, 3 (17.6 %) had mutations previously associated with African ancestry, including BRCA1 p.K719E, ARAF p.S262I and GATA3 p.G125dup. Eight potentially actionable alterations specific to breast cancer were found in 6/17 (35.3 %) liquid biopsy samples, while potentially actionable mutations non-specific to breast cancer were detected in 12/17 (70.6 %). Tissue biopsy analysis detected mutations in all 6 patients tested, with 3/6 (50 %) patients presenting potentially actionable mutations relevant to breast cancer. Conclusion: Liquid biopsy detected multiple additional actionable variants in Ghanaian women with breast cancer. Plasma cfDNA analysis featured fewer variations in sample preparation which is a key consideration in resource-limited settings. Liquid biopsy presents a great opportunity to improve cancer care in AfricaItem Charting sustainable waters: Governance challenges and opportunities for fisheries and coastal beach resources in a West African country(Marine Policy, 2024) Takyi,R.; Nunoo,F.K.E.; Mahrad,B.E.; Addo,C.; Essandoh,J.Marine fisheries and beaches (i.e., backshore, foreshore and shoreface) are essential for providing ecosystem services globally, with coastal states being at the forefront of this benefit. Consequently, several policies, legislations, and governance processes must be formulated to ensure their sustainable use due to the impact of anthropogenic and natural pressures. This study aims to analyse the legal and institutional frameworks for the management of marine fisheries and beach resources (such as flora (coconut), fauna (ghost crabs), dunes, and rocky components) under key international laws and conventions, using Ghana as a case study. The study identifies the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) within resource management, as well as their impact on the country’s progress in the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa Union Agenda 2063. Data was collected through interviews with fishers, coastal residents, and other relevant stakeholders, as well as a review of secondary data. The results unveil a distinctive contrast in the regulatory landscape between fisheries and beach resources. While numerous policies have been formulated to ensure the sustainable management of fisheries, the same level of attention and commitment has not been extended to beach resources. The SWOT analysis revealed that some of the strengths in the governance of marine fisheries and beach resources rest on the availability of institutions and laws. The weakness lies in inadequate enforcement and data gathering and analyses to inform decision making. This study provides as an illuminating exploration into the legal and institutional underpinnings of marine fisheries and beach resource management in Ghana, shedding light on the critical junctures where improvements are needed.Item Microfinance With Education In Rural Ghana: Men’s Perception Of Household Level Impact(African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 2012) Hagan, L.L.; Aryeetey, R.; Colecraft, E.K.; et al.Microcredit schemes have been shown to enhance women’s Income Generation Activities (IGA), household food security, and child nutrition. However, spouses or Male Household Heads (MHH) can influence how women’s loans are invested and how incomes ensuing from the investments are expended. This study describes how MHH perceived and experienced the participation of female caregivers from their household in the Enhancing Child Nutrition through Animal Source Food Management (ENAM) project. The ENAM project was designed as an integrated intervention providing microcredit, entrepreneurship, and nutrition education to women in rural communities in Ghana. Eighty-five MHH of ENAM project caregivers in two regions of Ghana were interviewed about their awareness of the microcredit and education intervention, their involvement in the IGA that the caregivers’ loans were invested in, and their perceptions of the impact of the project on the caregivers’ IGA as well as household and child nutrition. The majority of MHH indicated that they had been consulted by the caregivers about the decision to participate in the ENAM project. The most common reasons given for consenting to the caregivers’ decision to participate in the program were expectations that the caregiver would receive business capital (30.6%), education on optimal child feeding (36.5%), and income to enable caregivers to contribute more to household expenses (31.8%). Concerning the project’s impact, MHH perceived that the caregivers’ project participation had a positive impact on their business practices, particularly concerning improved customer relations. The MHH perceived that caregivers’ incomes increased because they participated in ENAM as evidenced by regular income savings and increased contributions to household food and non-food expenditures. However, MHH reported decreases in their contributions to almost all household expenditure categories in response to the perceived increase in caregivers’ incomes. The MHH also perceived improvements in home meal quality. In summary, MHH credited the ENAM project with improved caregiver’s incomes and increased share of household expenses. However, this outcome resulted in unanticipated declines in MHH contribution to household expenses. Further studies are needed to understand the impact of empowering women through social experiments on households.Item Corporate governance in banks: impact of board attributes on banks performance(African J. Accounting, Auditing and Finance, 2020) Nyuur, R.B.; Ofori, D.F.; Dedzo, B.Q.The study examines the impact of the board of directors’ composition on firm performance in the Ghanaian banking industry. Using the GMM, fixed and random effect econometric models, the presence of independent non-executive directors (INEDs) on boards are found to significantly and positively contribute to higher bank performance in terms of return on assets. Board size is also found to have significantly influenced banks' performance positively concerning both return on assets and return on equity, but negatively affects the net profit margins of banks. The study further establishes that board members political attachment has a profound adverse influence on firm performance particularly on net interest margin. These findings provide further insights into the impact of board attributes on firm performance in the banking industry, especially in a developing and under-researched context. Research and practical implications are discussed.Item Availability, acceptability, and utilization of micronutrient fortification for children 6-23 months in three districts in Ghana(World Nutrition, 2024) Donkor, W.E.S.; Boadu, I.; Babae, P.; et al.Background Micronutrient deficiencies result from multiple factors, including inadequate intake of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) from nutrient-rich diverse diets. Point-of-use fortification with a nutritional supplement powder is recommended to address micronutrient deficiencies and anemia among infants and young children (6-23 months), particularly, in low-income countries. In Ghana, about a quarter of children aged 6-59 months are anemic, or deficient in iron and vitamin A. World Vision Ghana (WVG) implemented the integrated Improved Feeding Practices (IFP) project between 2020 and 2023 in three districts in Ghana to improve diet quality and practices of women of reproductive age, and young children below age two years. One component of the project involved the distribution of a nutritional supplement powder (KOKO Plus). This is the second in a series of four papers that document the implementation and outcomes of the IFP project; the other papers are published in this journal. The current paper assessed the availability, acceptability, and utilization of KOKO Plus to households who participated in the IFP project as well as lessons learned from implementing the intervention. Methods A mixed-methods design was used, triangulating primary and secondary data. Secondary data originated from a review of IFP project documents, including project mid-year and annual reports, and implementation plans across the three interdependent components of the IFP project. Primary data were obtained from interviews in six purposively selected communities. Key informants included WVG staff, community volunteers, and local government agency staff from health and agriculture sector agencies, and beneficiaries of the intervention. Interview respondents answered questions on the project’s mechanism for KOKO Plus distribution, participant experiences of purchasing and using KOKO Plus, perceived benefits of using KOKO Plus, and lessons learned about KOKO Plus from the IFP project. Beneficiaries also provided information on their perceptions of KOKO Plus acceptability and adverse outcomes. Results The project distributed KOKO Plus free of charge to almost 14,000 (13,942) children, more than its target (4,900). In addition, Village-Based Entrepreneurs (VBE) sold 192,092 sachets of KOKO Plus in the project communities. The KOKO Plus value chain involved WVG purchased the KOKO Plus from the Ghanaian manufacturer and supplied it to VBEs either in their respective communities or at distribution centers in their respective WVG district office. KOKO Plus promotion and marketing were led by trained VBEs, VBE supervisors, and Community-Based Organizations across multiple settings (homes, child welfare clinics, markets, community durbars, and religious gatherings). There was high acceptability of KOKO Plus. Mothers attributed their acceptance of KOKO Plus to its a Corresponding author: raryeetey@ug.edu.gh 33 potential health and nutrition benefits for children. They also attributed increased child weight, and less frequent illness, to feeding meals that included KOKO Plus to their young children. KOKO Plus was added to the diverse local meals fed to young children. Diarrhea was the only mentioned adverse report, albeit rarely. At the end of the IFP project, WVG established a fund to ensure the sustainable distribution of KOKO Plus in the project communities. Conclusions The IFP project established a KOKO Plus value chain, increasing the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and utilization of KOKO Plus in the project communities. VBE successfully distributed KOKO Plus with support from community volunteers and healthcare workers. This approach to KOKO Plus distribution is feasible and sustainable and is recommended for similar contexts.Item Who is marginalized in energy justice? Amplifying community leader perspectives of energy transitions in Ghana(Energy Research & Social Science, 2021) Baker, E.; Atarah, S.A.; Afful-Dadzie, A.; et al.There is a divide in energy access studies, between technologically-focused modeling papers in engineering and economics, and energy justice frameworks and principles grounded in social sciences. Quantitative computational models are necessary when analyzing energy, and more specifically electricity, systems, as they are technologically complex systems that can diverge from intuitive patterns. To assure energy justice, these models must be reflective of, and informative to, a wide range of stakeholders, including households and communities alongside utilities, governments, and others. Yet, moving from a qualitative understanding of preferences to quantitative modeling is challenging. In this perspective piece, we pilot the use of the value-focused thinking framework to inform stakeholder engagement. The result is a strategic objective hierarchy that highlights the tradeoffs and the social, economic, and technological factors that need to be measured in models. We apply the process in Ghana, using a survey, stakeholder workshops, and follow-up interviews to uncover key tradeoffs and stakeholder-derived objectives. We discuss three key areas that have been rarely, if ever, well-represented in energy models: (1) the relationship between the dynamics of electricity end-use and the technology and economic structure of the system; (2) explicit tradeoffs between electricity access, cost, and reliability as defined by stakeholders; and (3) the definition of new objectives, such as minimizing hazards related to theft. We conclude that this model of engagement provides an opportunity to tie together rigorous qualitative analysis and stakeholder engagement with crucial quantitative models of the electricity system.Item The influence of lean management and environmental practices on relative competitive quality advantage and performance(Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 2020) Agyabeng-Mensah, Y.; Owusu, D.; Ahenkorah, E.; Afum, E.Purpose – Firms are adopting strategies to advance product quality and environmental sustainability to achieve improved profitability and shareholders’ wealth. The study investigates strategies that create a superior quality performance to competitors and improve both environmental and business performances. This paper explores the direct and indirect influence of lean management and environmental practices on relative competitive quality advantage, environmental performance, and business performance. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses a quantitative method where data is gathered from 259 manufacturing firms in Ghana. The data is gathered through customized questionnaires. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (SmartPLS 3.2.8) is used to analyze the data. Firm size, industry type, and importance of environmental issues are used as control variables in this study. Findings – The findings of the study indicate that both lean management and environmental practices create relative competitive quality advantage and improve environmental performance and business performance. Environmental performance and relative competitive quality advantage mediate the influence of lean management and environmental practices on business performance. The results further indicate that lean management creates a higher relative competitive quality advantage than environmental practices, while environmental practices have more potential to enhance environmental performance than lean management. Originality/value – The study develops and proposes a comprehensive theoretical framework that examines the potency of environmental practices and lean management in creating a relative competitive quality advantage and improving environmental performance and business performance from a Ghanaian perspective, which is an emerging economy in Africa. Lean management and environmental practices may jointly help firms create relative competitive advantage and improve environmental performance to enhance business performance.Item COVID-19 is a trigger for transformation in pharmacy education for West Africa(Pharmacy Education, 2020) Duwiejua, M.The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has irreversibly disrupted key services including education. Terms like the ‘new normal’ reflect the lost hope of returning to pre-COVID times. This editorial describes the challenges and responses of educators and governments in West Africa to COVID-19. To avert further harm posed to pharmacy education and practice, the publication advocates for innovation. Pharmacy leaders in West Africa are challenged to look On the other side of the coin, avoid inefficient panic-driven solutions and seek opportunities for change in the challenges. The paper provides a direction for change and specifically identifies collaboration with partners within the region and beyond including quality continuous professional development programmes for leadership development, re-training of educators and practitioner development.Item Customer loyalty and value anticipation: does perceived competition matter?(African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, 2021) Christian, I.O.; Tackie, N.N.; Anning-Dorson, T.Purpose – Drawing on customer value theory and the demanding nature of today’s customers, this paper examines the moderating effects of competition, as perceived by customers, on the nexus between customer value anticipation (CVA), satisfaction, and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – Utilizing data from the Ghanaian banking sector, which has been going through some reforms that are changing the banking landscape, the study analyzes data from 587 customers. Respondents were drawn from a cluster of banks within an enclave with different types of customers and epitomized the competitive nature of Ghana’s banking sector. Findings – CVA drives customer satisfaction, attitudinal loyalty, and behavioral loyalty among bank customers. However, between attitudinal and behavioral loyalty, customers will be more behaviorally loyal to banks that successfully anticipate their needs than they would be in attitude. The relationships between CVA and satisfaction and loyalty are such that the level of competition among sector players does not alter the effect; thus, when a bank can anticipate customer value, customers are going to stay loyal to such a bank irrespective of the competitive offers. Originality/value – Although the impact CVA has on satisfaction and loyalty is justified in the existing literature, extant research has not systematically examined the influence of external boundaries and situational effects on the potency of anticipating customer value in detail. The current study shows the effect of competition on CVA and customer behavioral outcomes. The study further concludes that irrespective of competition, banks that are perceived to be high on CVA will have their customers being loyal. This is very important in the development of bank marketing and product innovation strategies.Item A (Re)turn to Older Conversations in African Studies(African Studies Review, 2021) Darkwah, A.K.; Lawrance, B.N.In an interdisciplinary journal such as the African Studies Review, we are all enriched by the unique perspectives that writers from different disciplines bring to the table. Historians, political scientists, economists, literary scholars, and sociologists can draw on their disciplinary perspectives as well as on the perspectives of other disciplines to gain insights into the continent, and we all are better off for it. What do we do, though, with disciplines that are considered ill-fitting for a study of Africa? Fifty years ago, the South African anthropologist Archie Mafeje remarked about how historically, on the continent, sociology had been viewed as a discipline best suited to making sense of the civilized European settler communities in the eastern and southern parts of the continent, while the rest of Africa could be left to anthropologists to study. He expressed the belief that these African sites, conceptualized as static and non-modernizing, lent themselves better to a discipline that had been developed to study the Other than one developed to study the metropole. Concepts such as modernity, civilization, and knowledge, as developed by sociologists, were perceived at the time as inappropriate for describing Africa, hence the decision to leave the study of the continent to those who worked with concepts such as kinship, “tribes,” and witchcraft beliefs. No wonder, then, that the early academics in many departments of sociology on the continent such as Kofi Abrefa Busia, Godwin Nukunya, and Max Assimeng, all of whom taught in the Department of Sociology at the University of Ghana in its early years, were trained primarily in the United Kingdom as social anthropologists. Even today, there are many more African and Africanist anthropologists than there are sociol ogists.