Gendered mourning: A perspective of Akan death culture in Ghana.

Death is the commonest, incomprehensible, and inescapable reality confronting humanity in all nations and cultures. However, cultures vary in their conceptions of death, grieving and mourning rituals. Among the Akan of Ghana, mourning and funeral obsequies are essential cultural and spiritual practices. In this article, we draw insights from our reflective lived experiences and critical literature review to explore mourning and death rituals among the Akan as a stratified cultural system that reflects and reproduces broader gender patterns of masculinity and femininity in Ghana. We discuss the concept and cultural significance of mourning and bereavement practices, and further examine how socio-cultural notions of gender shape mourning and death rituals in Ghana. We argue that, as in many social and economic spaces in Ghana, funeral obsequies and bereavement practices represent sites for enacting and reproducing masculinity and femininity. The deleterious health and psychological consequences for men and women are further discussed.

Quality of acute ischemic stroke care at a tertiary Hospital in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Information on the quality of acute ischemic stroke care provided in lower-to-middle income countries is limited. OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to examine the quality of acute ischemic stroke care provided at Tamale Teaching Hospital in Ghana. METHODS: The medical records of patients admitted into the medical ward of the hospital between January to October 2021 were reviewed retrospectively. Extent of compliance to 15 stroke performance indicators were determined. RESULTS: Under the study period, 105 patients were admitted at the hospital with acute ischemic stroke. The mean (±SD) age was 65 ± 12 years; 38.1% were males; 65.7% had National Health Insurance Scheme coverage. Glasgow Coma Scale was the only functional stroke rating scale used by physicians to rate stroke severity. About a quarter of the patients had CT scan performed within 24 h of admission. Less than a quarter of the patients had a last known well time documented. Rate of thrombolytic administration was 0%. Less than a quarter of the patients were prescribed venous thromboembolism prophylaxis on the day of admission or day after. Only 13.8% of patients had documented reasons for not being prescribed venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. Antiplatelet therapy was prescribed to 33.3% of the patients by the end of day 2 of admission. Anticoagulation was prescribed to all patients who had comorbid condition of atrial fibrillation as part of the discharge medications. More than half of the patients were discharged to go home with statin medications. Documented stroke education was provided to 31.4% caretakers or patients. Slightly less than half of the patients were assessed for or received rehabilitation. Less than a quarter had documented dysphagia screening within 24 h of admission. None of the patient had their stroke severity rated with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale on arrival. No patient obtained carotid imaging assessment by end of day 2. CONCLUSION: There were several gaps in the quality of acute ischemic stroke care provided to patients at the Tamale Teaching Hospital. With the exception of discharging patients on statin medications, there was poor adherence to all other stroke performance indicators.

Foamed Cement Applications in Oil Industry Based on Field Experience: A Comprehensive Review.

Foam cement is a versatile cementing material that has found numerous applications in the oil and gas industry. As research continues to advance and improve the properties of foam cement, it is likely that we will see an increased use of this material in the years to come. This review aims to summarize the current state of the art and the latest developments in the utilization of foam cement in oil fields. The study focuses on the key benefits of foam cement, including its light weight, excellent flow properties, ability to maintain its structural integrity over time, and high compressive strength. It also examines its various applications in oil field operations, such as cementing against fragile formations, well abandonment, zonal isolation, cementing offshore wells, and well remedial cementing. Furthermore, the paper evaluates the various factors that influence the performance of foam cement, such as the mixing design, foam structure, and stability. In addition, the methods for evaluating the foamed cementing job and the integrity of the formed cement sheath are also presented. The review also highlights the current challenges and limitations of foam cement technology that should be considered when using foamed cement in oil field applications and discusses the future directions for its development and optimization. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the applications of foam cement in oil fields and will be of great interest to engineers, researchers, and practitioners in the oil and gas industry.

Mental health problems, interpersonal trust, and socio-cultural correlates of corruption perception in Ghana.

Introduction: This study examines the overall levels and effects of corruption perception on mental health while controlling for the effect of interpersonal trust as a routine covariate in studies of corruption. Methods: Participants (N = 730; 60.8% Men; Mean age = 22.13, SD = 3.66) were invited to answer a cross-sectional survey. Group mean difference tests and network analysis were performed. Results: Women, urban dwellers, and those who showed moderate religiosity, and lower nationality reported the highest levels of corruption perception, but the effect on mental health problems was stronger for higher religiosity. The perception that politicians and government officials are corrupt emerged as the most influential to link other corruption perceptions (e.g., state institutions are corrupt). Witnessing corruption among state institutions and government officials and the perception that the rich in society can influence any state institutions and actors showed the strongest and broadest links to depression and anxiety symptoms. Discussion: The findings suggest that there may be substantial effect of corruption on mental health problems than trust in interpersonal relationships. The relatively high poverty rate in Ghana may explain why those who do not have the financial means or personal connections to meet the demands of bribery and corruption experience a sense of helplessness associated with mental health problems when they perceive that the rich in society can influence state institutions and actors for personal gains. Furthermore, the tendency to remain silent to protect others from being exposed in corruption in order to maintain relationships, or to expose them to ruin relationships, or conform to a culture of corruption either in solidarity or fear of victimisation, may create a psychological burden that may be associated with mental health problems. The implications for reconceptualising corruption as a key social determinant of public mental health are discussed.

Analysis of the Impact of Vermiculite on Hematite-Based Cement Systems.

Heavyweight oil-well cement systems are designed for isolating intervals and supporting the casing at deeper depths where high temperatures and pressures are encountered. The cement slurry should have adequate rheology to ensure efficient placement. Additionally, the hardened cement sheath should be homogeneous with lower porosity and permeability, higher strength, and sufficient flexibility. The effect of vermiculite on hematite-based cement samples has been investigated. The methodology and testing were based on the American Petroleum Institute standards and other recognized recommendations. Fluid properties were characterized by their rheology, while petrophysical and mechanical properties were used to analyze the properties of hardened cement specimens. The vermiculite was used in concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2% by weight of cement (BWOC). The slurries were cured at 3000 psi and 292 °F in cubic and cylindrical molds for 24 h. The results indicate that using 1% BWOC of vermiculite yields the best cement properties. It minimizes the settling of hematite particles to a very low value compared to the base cement as shown by the method of density variation and confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance. Compared to the base cement slurry, the slurry of 1% BWOC of vermiculite has desirable rheology in terms of plastic viscosity and gel strength. The incorporation of 1% BWOC improves the strength of the cement sheath by 50.7% for the compressive strength and 65% for the tensile strength. Adding 1% vermiculite reduces the permeability and porosity of the cement by 45.8 and 43.5% compared to the control cement. In addition, the 0.7% vermiculite cement is more flexible than the control cement in terms of the elastic properties represented by lower Young's modulus (a reduction of 33%) and higher Poisson's ratio (an increase of 2%).

"I Have Since Repented": Discursive Analysis of the Role of Religion in Husband-to-Wife Abuse in Ghana.

Religion has long been recognized as a powerful tool capable of shaping the lives of people in many societies. In this study, we draw insights from discursive psychology to explore the influence of religious beliefs and practices on the perpetration of husband-to-wife abuse and the entrapment of victims in Ghana. Semi-structured focus group discussions and in-depth individual interviews were conducted with 40 participants, comprising 16 (60%) perpetrators (men), 16 (60%) victims (women), and eight (20%) key informants from rural and urban Ghana. Participants' discursive accounts suggest that both perpetrators and victims invoke religious instructions on gender norms to legitimize male authority over women in marriage. While perpetrators construct husbands' conjugal authority over their wives in terms of prescriptive religious norms, victims construct their entrapment in abusive relationships in terms of proscriptive theology of divorce in the bible. The double-edged role of religion in providing both motivational and inhibitory support for wife abusers is also discussed.

A Social-Ecological Study of Perceptions and Determinants of Sexual Enhancement Drug Use among Men and Women in Ghana.

The use and sale of sexual enhancement drugs (particularly unapproved aphrodisiacs) have become a public health concern in Ghana and many other sub-Saharan African countries. While most studies have examined this phenomenon from the level of individual perspectives, this study investigates the multi-dimensional and multi-level factors (e.g., individual characteristics and behaviours, interpersonal factors, community norms and practices, institutional and public policy factors) that influence attitudes, perceptions, and use of aphrodisiacs among men and women in Ghana. Using a concurrent mixed-method design, we derived the data from a semi-structured interview and cross-sectional survey conducted across five administrative regions in Ghana. Interpretative phenomenological analysis and logistic regression techniques were used to analyse the qualitative and quantitative (survey) data, respectively. Approximately 12.6% of participants (17.6% among males and 7.2% among females) had used an aphrodisiac in the six months prior to the study. Approximately 23.4% of the participants had more than one partner during the same period. Among men, being religious (B = −0.238, p < 0.05) and having multiple sexual partners (B = 0.481, p < 0.01) were positively associated with the use of aphrodisiacs. For women, being employed (B = −1.539, p < 0.01), engaging in physical activities (exercising) (B = −0.658, p < 0.05), having good health (B = 0.869, p < 0.05), having multiple sexual partners (B = 1.191, p < 0.01), and taking alcohol (B = 1.041, p < 0.01) were associated with use of aphrodisiacs. Although many participants had used aphrodisiacs, women, in particular, held unfavourable views about the drugs due to perceived negative health implications for themselves and their partners. The findings also show that community-level factors (e.g., social norms and expectations), interpersonal factors (e.g., expectations of partners and friends), public policy (e.g., drug-related regulations), and organisational/institutional factors (e.g., health system arrangements about access and use of drugs) were critical to the sale and use of aphrodisiacs among both men and women in Ghana. A multi-level analysis of the use of sexual enhancement drugs among men and women is crucial to formulating social and public health policies that aim to improve public knowledge of these drugs, reduce uncontrolled production, and protect population health and well-being.

Effect of Elevated Temperature on the Microstructure of Metakaolin-Based Geopolymer.

Currently, geopolymer is being considered as a future oil-well cement. For wellbore applications, geopolymers are initially tested at specific temperature conditions. However, an oil-wellbore may experience a sudden increase in temperature which may adversely affect geopolymer systems designed for low to moderate temperature conditions. In this work, the effect of elevated temperatures on the microstructure of the geopolymer was simulated. Metakaolin-based geopolymer systems cured at 163 °F for 48 h were subjected to a temperature ramp of 194 °F and 248 °F for 24 h. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry analysis techniques were used to study the microstructural changes. The analytical techniques show the formation of new crystalline phases when the geopolymer cured at 163 °F was suddenly exposed to higher temperatures. These crystalline phases, for instance, gobbinsite and anorthite, observed in the microstructure have the potential to cause thermal stress, weaken the system, and ultimately affect the geopolymer's ability to effectively isolate the formation and support the casing.

Evaluation of Qusaiba Kaolinitic Shale as a Supplementary Cementitious Material in Lightweight Oil-Well Cement Formulation.

Metakaolin is a supplementary cementitious material produced through the calcination of kaolinitic rocks. The scarcity of high-grade and commercial quantities of kaolinitic-based rocks makes metakaolin expensive. The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of the kaolinitic shale obtained from the mud-rich Qusaiba Member of Saudi Arabia as a source of metakaolin. The rock was dried, ground, and passed through a 75 µm sieve to obtain a fine powder. The powder was calcined at 1202, 1292, 1382, 1472, and 1562 °F for 1 h. The optimum calcination temperature required to convert the material into metakaolin was found to be 1562 °F using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry analysis techniques. The analytical techniques indicated that the kaolinitic shale is of high grade and less ordered, which would make it an excellent source of a highly reactive metakaolin. Cement systems designed at 12.5 ppg (1.50 g/cm3) with the metakaolin produced from the Qusaiba kaolinitic shale as 30% cement replacement exhibits mechanical properties that would be ideal for downhole oil-wellbore applications.

Effect of Perlite Particles on Barite Cement Properties.

Conventional heavy-weight oil and gas well cement systems formulated with barite exhibit high viscosities. Additionally, the heavy-weight powder tends to settle, causing density variation and disruption in the porosity of the hardened cement cores. Studies have shown that such problems can be mitigated by controlling the particle size distribution of the cement system. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of perlite powder particles on the fluid and hardened properties of barite-based cement systems. Barite heavy-weight cement slurries containing 0, 1, 2, and 3% by weight of dry cement (BWOC) of perlite powder were prepared. The rheological study was performed at a bottomhole circulating temperature (BHCT) of 150 °F and ambient pressure. An ultrasonic cement analyzer (UCA) and a high-temperature-high-pressure (HTHP) curing chamber were used to cure samples for 24 h at a bottomhole static temperature (BHST) of 292 °F and pressure of 3000 psi. Porosity measurements were performed using the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique. The results indicate that the incorporation of perlite powder into conventional barite-based heavy-weight cement slurry causes modifications in the properties of the systems. In general, the plastic viscosity decreases, while the yield point and gel strength increase with increasing perlite concentration. The reduction in plastic viscosity also reduces the pump pressure, while the increase in yield point and gel strength reduces particle sedimentation. Additionally, the compressive strength and tensile strength of hardened cement increase, while the wait-on-cement time decreases. NMR studies indicate that perlite reduces the porosity variation that exists in conventional barite-based cement systems due to the formation of stable cement systems.

New Lightweight Cement Formulation for Shallow Oil and Gas Wells.

The use of lightweight pozzolanic aggregates as partial replacement of cement results in low-density cement systems. Such systems ensure effective zonal isolation in zones where low equivalent circulating densities are required. However, low pozzolanic materials, such as fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), have poor early-age strength development and long set times, especially when used in high volume, that is, exceeding 50% by weight of cement. The objective of this study is to develop a lightweight oil- and gas-well cement recipe with enhanced properties employing the synergism that exist among fly ash, GGBFS, and silica fume. The experimental work was per laboratory procedure outlined by American Petroleum Institute. Portland class G cement and the aluminosilicate materials were admixed in water to form a 13.5 ppg slurry. Chemical admixtures were used to facilitate the dissolution of reactive components in the pozzolanic materials and the hydration process. The experimental investigations were done at 150 °F and an ambient pressure of 1500 psi. The newly developed lightweight recipe exhibited excellent rheological and mechanical properties, having a wait-on-cement time for about 4 h and a 24 h sonic strength of 3116 psi, at 150 °F and 1500 psi. The thickening time was approximately 4 h (70 Bc). This slurry will be ideal in zones that would require a low hydrostatic slurry column and rapid gel strength development.

Influence of Weighting Materials on the Properties of Oil-Well Cement.

The integrity of oil and gas wells is largely dependent on the cement job. Maintaining the properties of the cement layer throughout the life of a well is a difficult task, particularly in high-temperature and -pressure conditions such as those in deep wells. Cementing deep wells require slurries with high densities. Heavyweight cement systems are those designed with weighting materials. These materials have a higher specific gravity in comparison to cement. The purpose of this work is to investigate the influence of weighting materials on the properties of Class G oil-well cement and to make necessary recommendations for their use. The rheology, fluid loss, gas migration, and dynamic elastic properties of three cement slurries containing different weighting materials, namely, hematite, barite, and ilmenite, were studied. The results indicate that cement slurry designed with barite exhibits the best rheological behavior that would provide a perfect solution for deep wells where cement placement is a concern. The barite slurry had the lowest plastic viscosity. The plastic viscosity of the hematite and ilmenite-weighted systems was higher by 11.5 and 12.4%, respectively. The barite-based slurry also had the highest yield point of 84.3 lbf/100 ft2, whereas the yield points of hematite and barite cement were 37.9 and 29.5 lbf/100 ft2, respectively. Furthermore, the gel strengths of barite cement were the highest, with 10 s and 10 min gel strengths of 11.5 and 39.5 lbf/100 ft2, respectively. Ilmenite had the most positive impact on fluid loss control, which would be appropriate in high permeable formations. It had a fluid loss of 66 mL/30 min, lower than those of the hematite (80 mL/30 min) and barite (82 mL/30 min) systems. Furthermore, the best dynamic elastic properties were exhibited by the ilmenite system, with the smallest Young's modulus (27.3 GPa) and the highest Poisson ratio (0.252). This would make the ilmenite to be very useful in developing heavyweight cement composites that could withstand severe external loads imposed on the casing and cement. The hematite cement was the most impermeable to gas migration, with a gas volume of 127.8 cm3, whereas the volume measured in the barite and ilmenite systems were 20.9 and 78% higher, respectively. This makes the hematite to be very useful in deep gas wells where gas migration control is important.

"Correcting an Erring Wife Is Normal": Moral Discourses of Spousal Violence in Ghana.

This study draws insights from discursive psychology to explore moral discourses of spousal violence in Ghana. In particular, it investigates how sociocultural norms and practices are invoked in talk of perpetrators and victims as moral warrants for husband-to-wife abuse in Ghana. Semi-structured focus group and personal interviews were conducted with a total of 40 participants: 16 victims, 16 perpetrators, and eight key informants from rural and urban Ghana. Participants' discursive accounts suggest that husbands have implicit moral right and obligation to punish their wives for disobedience and other infractions against male authority in marriage. Both perpetrators and victims build their talk around familiar normative discourses and practices that provide tacit support for spousal violence in Ghana. While perpetrators mobilize culturally resonant and normative repertoires to justify abuse, blame their victims, and manage their moral accountability; victims position husband-to-wife abuse as normal, legitimate, disciplinary, and corrective. These moral discourses of spousal violence apparently serve to relieve perpetrators of moral agency; prime battered women to accept abuse; and devastate their agency to leave abusive marital relationships. The findings contribute to our understanding of how cultural and social norms of spousal violence are morally constituted, reproduced, and sustained in talk of perpetrators, victims, and other key members of society.

Entrapment of Victims of Spousal Abuse in Ghana: A Discursive Analysis of Family Identity and Agency of Battered Women.

Drawing on discursive psychology and positioning theory, this study explores the influence of cultural and familial value orientations on battered women's identity, agency, and decision to leave or stay in abusive conjugal relationship in Ghana. Two semi-structured focus group discussions and four in-depth personal interviews were conducted with 16 victims of husband-to-wife abuse from rural and urban Ghana. The findings indicate that entrapment of victims of spousal abuse in Ghana reflects their social embeddedness and that battered women's identities and agency are expressed in the context of familial and cultural value orientations. The primacy of family identity and victims' apparent implicit moral obligation to preserve the social image of their extended family influence their entrapment. Participants' discursive accounts further suggest that stay or leave decisions of battered women in Ghana reflect a joint product of negotiated agency between victims and their extended family. It is thus argued that the agency of battered women in Ghana is not constituted by individual psychological states or motives, but instead, viewed as a property of victims who exercise it in a given relational context, and partly constituted by familial relationships and identities. The study suggests that intervention initiatives in Ghana should focus on the phenomenon of conjugal violence beyond immediate victims to include families and the larger communities in which victims are embedded.

Mesothelioma associated with commercial use of vermiculite containing Libby amphibole.

OBJECTIVES: To describe asbestos-related mortality among manufacturing workers who expanded and processed Libby vermiculite that contained amphibole fiber. METHODS: Standardized mortality ratio was calculated for 465 white male workers 31 years after last Libby vermiculite exposure. RESULTS: Two workers died from mesothelioma, resulting in a significantly increased standardized mortality ratio of 10.5 (95% confidence interval, 1.3 to 38.0). These workers were in the upper 10th percentile of cumulative fiber exposure, that is, 43.80 and 47.23 fiber-years/cm, respectively. One additional worker with cumulative fiber exposure of 5.73 fiber-years/cm developed mesothelioma but is not deceased. There were no other significantly increased standardized mortality ratios. CONCLUSIONS: Workers expanding and processing Libby vermiculite in a manufacturing setting demonstrated an increased risk for the development of mesothelioma following exposure to the amphibole fiber contained within this vermiculite ore source.

Erionite in road gravel associated with interstitial and pleural changes--an occupational hazard in western United States.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the rate of chest radiographic abnormalities among residents of North Dakota potentially exposed to road gravel containing the fibrous mineral erionite. METHODS: Participants (n = 34) completed a questionnaire, chest radiograph, and high resolution computed tomography scan to assess the rate of interstitial and pleural changes consistent with fibrous mineral exposure. RESULTS: Interstitial, pleural, or both changes typically associated with asbestos exposure were observed by high resolution computed tomography in seven (21%) individuals. The primary exposure pathway for six of these was from gravel pits, road maintenance, or both. Three participants (8.8%) demonstrated bilateral localized pleural changes with calcification; two of these also had accompanying interstitial changes. All three reported extensive work in gravel pits, road maintenance, or both. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that occupational exposure to erionite contained within road gravel in the United States represents a potential health hazard. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study identifies chest radiographic changes among residents of North Dakota occupationally exposed to road gravel containing erionite. Public health officials and physicians in affected areas should be aware of the potential health effects of erionite exposure. Precautionary measures should be taken to limit occupational exposure to gravel containing erionite.