Search Results (2,860)

In Ghana’s political landscape, actors from both ruling and opposition parties deploy a range of linguistic and rhetorical strategies in their pursuit of political power. Prominent among these is political labeling, a discursive practice used to construct favorable self-images while delegitimizing opponents through derogatory and face-threatening expressions. This study examines how political labeling functions as a strategic tool for identity construction and power negotiation in Ghana’s electoral landscape. Situated within the fields of political discourse and communication studies, the study demonstrates how labeling operates simultaneously as a rhetorical and framing device that reflects and reinforces underlying sociopolitical power dynamics. Drawing on empirical data from major Ghanaian news portals, the study adopts an integrated analytical framework combining Framing Theory and the Theory of Impoliteness. It analyzes public labeling directed at three prominent political figures across three election cycles (2016, 2020, and 2024). The findings show that politicians, activists, and their supporters strategically deploy labels to reconstruct rivals’ identities, inflict reputational damage, and provoke ridicule, thereby undermining their perceived competence and public credibility. Focusing on derogatory labels, we argue that political labeling serves primarily to generate emotional responses, shape public perception, and mobilize collective action, ultimately influencing the trajectory of national political discourse. By examining the interplay between language, identity construction, and power, this research offers a nuanced account of how political labeling shapes individual attitudes, group dynamics, and the broader political culture in Ghana. Full article

Since the 1960s, research on sea-level rise (SLR) and land subsidence has grown significantly; however, comprehensive syntheses remain limited. This study presents a systematic review of 2171 publications spanning 1964–2025, combining a global perspective with a regional focus on the Gulf of Guinea, a critically underrepresented region within the African continent. The results show a steady increase in publications, exceeding 80 per year since 2015. A combined bibliometric and content analysis approach was adopted, integrating large-scale metadata analysis with an in-depth evaluation of 166 full-text studies corresponding to 311 study sites. Bibliometric analyses highlight four main themes: (1) factors driving SLR and subsidence, including climate, geophysical, and human effects; (2) monitoring methods such as tide gauges, GPS, and InSAR-based land motion tracking; (3) impacts on coastal communities, and ecosystems; and (4) strategies for adaptation and mitigation. A comparative assessment of global research output and Low-Elevation Coastal Zone (LECZ) exposure reveals a marked spatial mismatch, with critically vulnerable regions, such as the Gulf of Guinea, remaining significantly underrepresented (44 studies). The synthesis identifies key conceptual, methodological, and practical research gaps. Addressing these gaps requires holistic frameworks that integrate SLR and subsidence, long-term monitoring networks, advanced modeling, and evidence-based adaptation strategies. By linking bibliometric evidence with the interpretation of research trends and gaps, this study provides an analytical basis for supporting monitoring strategies, coastal planning, and adaptive responses. Additionally, the results highlight priority directions for future research directions in the Gulf of Guinea region. Full article

Background/Objectives: Aging is associated with physiological, biochemical, and psychosocial changes that can significantly affect nutritional status and overall health. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), older adults face unique age-related challenges that may compromise healthy aging, yet evidence remains fragmented. This systematic review synthesized the existing literature on the nutritional status, age-related challenges, and strategies to promote healthy aging of older adults in SSA. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library to identify relevant studies published up to 10 December 2025. Results: Fifty-five studies met the inclusion criteria, with most of the studies coming from South Africa, Ghana, and Nigeria. Amongst community-dwelling populations, approximately 30–65% of the older adults were either malnourished or at risk of malnutrition, while hospital-based studies reported markedly higher burdens, with malnutrition prevalence exceeding 70% in some settings. Undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and the coexistence of overweight and obesity were frequently observed, reflecting the region’s ongoing nutrition transition. Frailty emerged as the predominant age-related challenge, with prevalence ranging around 10–60%. Other common challenges included sarcopenia, reduced muscle strength, functional disability, cognitive impairment, and dysphagia, all of which were closely related to poor nutritional status, food insecurity, multimorbidity, and reduced quality of life. Few studies reported on healthy aging strategies, with the limited evidence suggesting that nutrition education, physical activity, and psychosocial interventions may enhance nutritional and functional outcomes. Conclusions: The need for context-specific, nutrition-sensitive interventions, and stronger health and social support systems is warranted to promote healthy aging in SSA older adults. Full article

Henipaviruses (HNVs), including Nipah virus (NiV) and Hendra virus (HeV), are highly pathogenic and often lethal zoonotic viruses with broad species tropism and no approved human vaccines. The emergence of genetically divergent HNVs—including Ghana virus (GhV), Langya virus (LayV), and Mojiang virus (MojV)—emphasizes the need for broadly protective countermeasures. Here, we evaluated the antibody (Ab) responses to sequential mRNA vaccines encoding the membrane-bound attachment glycoprotein (gG) from NiV, GhV, and/or LayV in a pilot study with Indian rhesus macaques. Serum binding Ab responses were quantified by ELISA against five soluble gG antigens (NiV, HeV, GhV, LayV, MojV). Functional activity was assessed by neutralization assays using NiV, HeV, and GhV pseudoviruses, and by receptor-blocking ELISA. Sequential vaccination induced high-titer IgG binding against all five HNV gGs with increasing breadth after each dose. Pan-genus regimens elicited moderate neutralizing Ab titers against NiV, HeV, and GhV, whereas the NiV-only regimen elicited potent but narrow neutralization against NiV and HeV. Conversely, the GhV-LayV-GhV regimen elicited strong binding to GhV, LayV, and MojV gG and robust neutralization of GhV pseudovirus, but limited cross-reactivity to NiV and HeV. In this pilot study, we demonstrated that mRNA vaccination can elicit broadly reactive binding and neutralizing Ab responses across phylogenetically distant HNVs. Additionally, we show GhV pseudovirus neutralization for the first time. Collectively, these data provide a foundation for the development of next-generation pan-genus HNV vaccines capable of mitigating future HNV outbreaks. Full article

Gifted education is gaining traction in many non-Western contexts, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has developed many policies to develop giftedness. However, the identification of giftedness relies heavily on instruments developed in Western contexts, which have the potential to derail efforts toward promoting gifted education in the UAE. This study aimed to present data on 999 grade 4 to 12 students who completed the UAE’s national gifted identification test, known as the Hamdan Gifted test. Guided by the Cattell–Horn–Carroll theory, this study reports data on ability tests (verbal ability, nonverbal ability and preknowledge of mathematics and science) completed by students across the UAE between 2018 and 2023. The results revealed that 53% of the participants demonstrated superior ability in science, whereas 19% reported superior ability in mathematics. The percentage of students who demonstrated superior ability in other domains was as follows: verbal ability (52%; word crossing), verbal ability (14; true/false) and nonverbal ability (29%). The study concludes with recommendations for teacher development to enhance the teaching of mathematics to gifted students in schools in the UAE and beyond. Full article

Nigeria entered the 2020 COVID-19-related oil price downturn without the fiscal buffers that numerous resource-rich economies had built over time. Despite heavy dependence on petroleum revenues, the country has made limited use of stabilization tools such as structured hedging programs, sovereign savings mechanisms, or strategic reserves, leaving public finances exposed to external shocks. Drawing on political choice theory and the resource governance literature, this study examines how institutional conditions shaped crisis management during the 2020 oil price collapse and the COVID-19 pandemic. The study combines qualitative institutional analysis with a stochastic counterfactual simulation. It compares Nigeria’s policy approach with those of oil-producing countries including Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Angola, and Ghana, using data from the IMF, World Bank, Afreximbank, and peer-reviewed sources. The counterfactual simulation is calibrated to Nigeria’s 2019 federal budget oil benchmark of US $60 per barrel, with the IMF’s 2019 petroleum price assumption used as a robustness check. The model treats hedging as a form of partial fiscal insurance rather than full stabilization. Results suggest that hedging sufficient to offset 10%, 20%, and 30% of the shock would have improved 2020 GDP decline from −1.80% to approximately −1.62%, −1.44%, and −1.26%, respectively. The analysis identifies institutional gaps in Nigeria’s use of hedging, sovereign savings, and reserve infrastructure. The counterfactual results indicate that even modest oil hedging could have meaningfully softened the 2020 downturn, with the 20% scenario reducing GDP contraction by an estimated 0.36 percentage points. These findings suggest that governance constraints contributed materially to fiscal vulnerability. The study proposes a four-pillar framework centered on risk hedging, revenue savings, strategic investment, and institutional reform to strengthen fiscal stability and resilience to external shocks. Full article

Face recognition technology implemented on blockchain platforms enhances the security and integrity of face embeddings (the numerical representations extracted from facial images). However, it encounters unique privacy challenges due to the transparent and immutable nature of blockchains. Face embeddings hold sensitive biometric data that, once compromised, cannot be changed like conventional passwords. This study offers a new framework for using the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP), a decentralized blockchain platform, to implement CosPEEPChain (blockchain-secured privacy-preserving face recognition using eigenface perturbation and CosFace). CosPEEPChain integrates eigenface decomposition with local differential privacy (LDP) to ensure the privacy of face embeddings, CosFace for cosine margin learning’s discriminative ability on perturbed eigenface representations, and blockchain to ensure transparent and tamper-proof storage of face recognition models. We present CosPEEP (privacy-preserving face recognition using eigenface perturbation and CosFace), which shows substantial improvements and maintains consistent performance over baseline PEEP (privacy using eigenface perturbation), with a mean accuracy of 96.77 ± 0.85% and stability (std = 0.31–1.28%) across a range of privacy budgets ($ϵ\in [0.5,8.0]$) on the LFW dataset. Statistical significance testing confirms CosPEEP surpasses PEEP in 11/16 privacy budgets (p < 0.05) with a mean improvement of +1.92%. We also present ArcPEEP, which uses additive angular margin loss (ArcFace) to compare margin-based improvements. We verify the attributes of the models on the chain. In total, CosPEEPChain uses fewer cycles compared to the baseline ICP face recognition. Full article

Toxoplasmosis is a widely distributed zoonosis caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Infection during pregnancy is a major public health concern due to its potential impact on both maternal health and fetal development. Early detection of maternal infection is critical to prevent adverse outcomes; however, maternal signs are often subtle, non-specific or absent, complicating timely diagnosis. This scoping review aimed to map and synthesise existing evidence on early maternal signs, pregnancy and foetal outcomes, frequently assessed risk factors, and diagnostic approaches of toxoplasmosis in expectant mothers in Africa. The review was done in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A literature search of PubMed, Scopus, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar was performed to identify studies published between 2000 and 2025. Retrieved records were managed using Zotero (version 8.0.4) for deduplication and screening. Only English-language studies conducted in Africa and reporting relevant maternal or clinical data were included. A total of 28 cross-sectional studies were included. Lymphadenopathy (25.0%) was the most frequently reported maternal early sign, followed by flu-like illness, asymptomatic infection, low-grade or mild fever, and fatigue or malaise (each 10.7%). Congenital anomalies (50.0%) and miscarriage or spontaneous abortion (42.9%) were the most commonly reported foetal and pregnancy outcomes. Frequently reported risk factors were exposure to cat faeces (57.1%) and ingestion of undercooked or raw meat (42.9%). Diagnostic approaches were commonly enzyme-based immunoassays (78.6%), with limited use of RDTs and molecular methods. These findings suggest the need for improved early detection and prevention strategies in high-risk, low-resource African settings. Enhancing routine screening, health education, and access to appropriate diagnostics are considered. Future studies should consider adopting standardised reporting and integrating sensitive, affordable, rapid diagnostic approaches to enhance early detection and reduce the burden of congenital toxoplasmosis. Full article

The development of high-performance flame-retardant (FR) polypropylene (PP) with high mechanical integrity remains a challenge. Herein, we demonstrate a synergistic flame retardancy system for PP achieved via partial substitution of piperazine pyrophosphate (PAPP) with 1 wt.% magnesium borate whiskers (MBW) for improved flame retardancy, and thermal and mechanical properties. The optimized PP/24PAPP/1MBW exhibits exceptional FR performance, driven by the formation of a highly ordered, continuous phosphorus–boron hybrid char in the condensed phase. Cone calorimetry test results reveal an 80% reduction in peak heat release rate, a 54% reduction in total heat release, and a 33% reduction in total smoke production compared to neat PP, while the UL-94 test confirms a V-0 rating with complete suppression of flaming drips. Morphological study of the char residue using Raman spectroscopy and SEM attributes this performance to enhanced char graphitization and structural coherence enabled by boron-mediated cross-linking. More importantly, this transformative flame retardancy performance is achieved without severe compromise to mechanical properties, retaining over 89% of the original tensile strength. This work confirms the PAPP/MBW system as a highly efficient, low-additive approach to creating advanced fire-safe polymer composites for engineering applications. Full article

The construction industry is a significant source of waste generation in any economy. The advancement in construction technologies and methods has brought about the concept of modular construction. Modular construction is considered as a preferred construction method over conventional construction methods mainly due to improved environmental performance and less waste generation. Nonetheless, processes involved in the use of modular construction generate a significant amount of waste though minimal as compared to the traditional mode of construction. Therefore, it is imperative to perform a comprehensive assessment of the factors that lead to waste generation in modular construction. This study aims to identify these factors as outlined in the existing literature and highlight their implications on the benefits of modular construction with an interest in the context of developing countries. A quantitative study was conducted to assess the views of construction professionals on identified factors that lead to waste generation in modular construction. The study targeted construction professionals with major emphasis on professionals with direct roles in the modular construction process. Fifteen factors were identified from the previous literature which were tested to evaluate their significance using the one-sample t-test. All factors proved significant and as such a principal component analysis was carried out to group the factors, evaluate the factor loadings and correlation patterns among the factors. The results specified “Non-conformance to building codes leading to demolition or rework”, “Incorrect assembly leading to module rework or disposal” and “Breakage or deformation of modules in transit” as the top three factors that lead to waste generation in modular construction. The findings of the study are useful to construction stakeholders by developing strategies to mitigate waste generation in modular construction. This study adds to the body of knowledge on modular construction, particularly in a developing-country context where modular construction projects are fewer. Full article

This study investigates the role of naming practices as cultural repositories that preserve family, lineage, and community identity. It explores how anthroponymy encodes histories of ancestry, migration, settlement, and sociopolitical organisation in two West African societies, Dàgáárè-speaking communities and Yorùbá communities. Adopting a comparative onomastic ethnographic approach, this research analyses names among the two selected cultures. Data is drawn from interviews, school registers, attendance sheets, and cultural practices, with emphasis on how names record genealogical descent, settlement histories, occupational roles, spiritual affiliations, and ethical expectations. In Dàgáárè and Yorùbá culture, bal/baloo yoe (clan names) and lineage names identify descent from founding ancestors, document migration and settlement, mark ritual responsibilities, memorialise historical events, and regulate kinship and marriage through totemic and spiritual identities. This study argues that names in Dàgáárè- and Yorùbá-speaking societies operate as cultural texts that preserve and transmit heritage across generations. The significant implications extend to linguistics, anthropology, and heritage studies, where names can be leveraged as tools for cultural preservation and historical analysis. Full article

The influence of growing site conditions on the chromatic properties of heartwood in black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) cultivar ‘Nyírségi’ sampled from five regions of Hungary was investigated in this study. A total of 23 boards (average age of trees: 34.5 years) representing four site types were analyzed by instrumental colorimetry using the CIE Lab system. The overall average color coordinates were L* = 69.9 ± 4.0, a* = 4.0 ± 0.8, and b* = 27.4 ± 2.3. Significant chromatic differences were observed among site types proven by statistical analysis; however, no single site type consistently increased within-site color variability. Average total color differences (ΔE*) ranged from 3.94 to 6.31 across site types, corresponding to “noticeable” to “large” visual differences. Regionally, 89.1% of 55 specimen pairs exhibited clearly perceptible color variation (ΔE* > 2), with 61.8% classified as “large” (ΔE* > 5). Within-tree comparisons revealed ΔE* values of 3.72–3.75 under poor site conditions but <2.0 on good growing sites. The a* and b* components appear with measurable variations across all sites, while the characteristic yellow hue remains distinct and stable independent of site origin due to the high b* value. Full article

This study introduces a deterministic fractional-penalty refinement of Vogel’s Approximation Method (VAM) for generating high-quality initial basic feasible solutions (IBFS) in classical transportation problems. Unlike the traditional additive regret measure employed in VAM, the proposed method uses a multiplicative contrast ratio between the two smallest admissible costs in each row and column. This modification preserves the allocation structure of VAM while introducing scale-invariant prioritization that improves sensitivity to relative cost differences.The method was evaluated on thirty-four benchmark transportation problems drawn from the literature and self-constructed large-scale instances (up to $10\times 20$). Performance was assessed using percentage optimality gaps relative to optimal solutions obtained via the Stepping–Stone and MODI procedures. Across all instances, the proposed approach achieved a mean optimality gap of $2.78\%$, compared to $5.22\%$ for classical VAM, $14.97\%$ for the Least Cost Method (LCM), and $45.78\%$ for the Northwest Corner Method (NWCM). Dispersion of deviations was also reduced, indicating improved robustness across heterogeneous cost structures Statistical validation confirms the improvement over VAM: the paired t-test yielded $t=-3.17$ ($p=0.00163$, one-sided), and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test produced $p=6.10\times {10}^{-5}$. Computational experiments further show that the refinement does not increase runtime relative to classical IBFS procedures.The proposed method therefore constitutes a structured enhancement of VAM that improves initial solution quality while maintaining computational simplicity. Full article

The study examines the adoption of drought-tolerant maize (DTM) as a climate adaptation measure among smallholder farmers in northern Ghana, using data from 500 households and probit model analysis to determine key adoption drivers. The findings reveal that only 28% of the sampled farmers have adopted DTM, with maize yield, awareness of DTM, access to extension services, and geographical location being significant influencing factors. Among these, maize yield and awareness of DTM have the strongest association with adoption decisions. Additionally, 29% of smallholder farmers employ early planting as a climate adaptation measure. Seed sourcing patterns show that 66% rely on saved seeds, while 33% obtain seeds from input dealers. Encouragingly, 96% of farmers expressed willingness to adopt improved maize varieties. Despite the relatively low adoption rate, targeted policy interventions, such as strengthening agricultural extension services, promoting climate-smart practices, and ensuring continuous research on DTM varieties, can enhance adoption and improve farmers’ resilience to climate change. These findings provide crucial insights for policymakers and agricultural stakeholders aiming to promote sustainable maize production in northern Ghana. Full article