ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Fragmentation instabilities of a drop as it falls in a miscible fluid

We review here a series of experiments on the fragmentation instabilities that a liquid drop undergoes it falls inside a fluid with which it is miscible, so called the solvent. Motivated by the original experiments initiated by Thomson and Newall in 1885, we started to investigate this subject more than one decade ago, encountering up to date a number of challenging problems in hydrodynamical instabilities, complicated by the presence of transient interfaces between the drop and the solvent. In particular, we have shown that when a drop of liquid is deposited over the surface of the same liquid, it falls down inside the solvent because the energy associated to its surface tension against air is instantaneously converted into kinetic energy. As a consequence, a very fast fluid injection takes place as the drop touches the free surface of the solvent and the drop enters inside the solvent. Due to the hydrodynamical instabilities related to the large velocity gradients, it develops into a ring that expands radially. The ring continues to go downwards inside the solvent until it stops at a certain height due to viscous dissipation. In the first stages of the ring expansion, a fluid membrane remains attached to the ring, so-called “turban” for its shape, which is concave or convex depending on the sign of the density difference between the drop and the solvent. When a small density difference is introduced between the drop and the solvent, the ring becomes unstable because of density gradients and it fragments into smaller droplets. On their turn, the secondary droplets may undergo the same instability and may fragment again, so that a cascade of fragmentation takes place. If the density difference is positive, that is, the drop is heavier than the solvent, the secondary droplets continue to go down deeper inside the solvent, until the whole process is washed out by the slow diffusion of the concentration gradients. When the density difference between the drop and the solvent is negative, then the secondary droplets rise up to the free surface of the solvent, where they are distorted by the equivalent of an impact with a rigid wall. Universal scaling laws for the cascade of fragmentation and for the dynamical behavior of the drop have been derived and accompany the experimental observations

Source: UCC
Fragmentation instabilities of a liquid drop falling in a miscible fluid

We report a set of experimental investigations on the break-up of a liquid drop when falling in a miscible solvent, with the density difference being positive, or negative, or zero. Non-dimensional numbers, derived from the characteristic times of the drop evolution, account for the hydrodynamic instabilities and the self-similar character of the fragmentation process. The role of the initial surface tension at the air-drop interface is explored, leading to scaling laws for the drop volume V and the various height h reached by the drop before it fragments into smaller droplets. From the first break-up to the onset of diffusion, the fragmentation process is shown to have a fractal structure, which is associated to universal power laws for h and V during the dynamical processes associated to the break-up phenomena

Source: UCC
Fragmentation of a drop as it falls in a lighter miscible fluid

We report an experimental investigation of the fragmentation process of a heavy drop falling in a lighter miscible fluid. For fixed liquid composition and for different drop sizes, we observe that the fragmentation cascade stops after a few breakups, once each individual droplet has reduced below a critical volume for further splitting. Since each fragmentation is the outcome of a hydrodynamic instability, we expect fluctuations in the size of the fragmented droplets. The main experimental outcomes are the following: ~1! the first breakup time scales with the size separation from the critical volume in a universal way independent of the fluid composition; ~2! in the region intermediate between the first and the last fragmentation, the droplet sizes display multifractal properties, with the average dimension D0 decreasing to a minimum and then increasing again once diffusion prevails; and ~3! the droplet height scales with time with an exponent independent of the drop volume and composition

Source: UCC
A FRAMEWORK AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN RADIOLOGY SERVICES

The aim of this framework is to allow the radiology departments of health services achieve their objectives when attempting to implement their information and communication technologies (ICT). It provides a flexible and adaptable way of relating the objectives to the business process. This will enable the radiology department to be capable of developing the necessary deliverables that are consistent with management information system. The framework is made up of elements, processes and tools. The elements are the expected deliverables; the processes are the activities that go on within the radiology department whereas the tools help implement the model.

Source: UCC
Framework for ensuring quality assurance in the university libraries of Ghana

The study examines the existing internal and external frameworks for quality assurance and management in university libraries. It also discusses the standards required by the external quality assurance agency, the National Accreditation Board (NAB) of Ghana to ensure high quality library services in the universities and other tertiary institutions. The study also recommends some measures that could be put in place under tile core operations or functions of the library to enable them meet continuous quality assurance targets.

Source: UCC
A Framework for Quality K-12 Engineering Education: Research and Development

Recent U.S. national documents have laid the foundation for highlighting the connection between science, technology, engineering and mathematics at the K-12 level. However, there is not a clear definition or a well-established tradition of what constitutes a quality engineering education at the K-12 level. The purpose of the current work has been the development of a framework for describing what constitutes a quality K-12 engineering education. The framework presented in this paper is the result of a research project focused on understanding and identifying the ways in which teachers and schools implement engineering and engineering design in their classrooms. The development of the key indicators that are included in the framework were determined based on an extensive review of the literature, established criteria for undergraduate and professional organizations, document content analysis of state academic content standards in science, mathematics, and technology, and in consultation with experts in the fields of engineering and engineering education. The framework is designed to be used as a tool for evaluating the degree to which academic standards, curricula, and teaching practices address the important components of a quality K-12 engineering education. Additionally, this framework can be used to inform the development and structure of future K-12 engineering and STEM education standards and initiatives.

Source: UCC
Framing and conflict: the case of the Asante Akyem North district’s farmer-herder conflict in Ghana

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how framing of conflict in different phases is constructed and how the specific framing affects the development of the conflict and its management in the farmer–herder conflict in the Asante Akyem North District ofGhana. Design/methodology/approach – The study area is Agogo which falls within the Asante Akyem North District inGhana. The study used a qualitative approach whose philosophical ontology and epistemology believe that meaning is constructed (interpretivism). It further used a case study design using in-depth interviews, focus group discussion and observation guide. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to select the respondents. The data were analysed using the thematic analysis approach. Ethical considerations such as informed consent, willingness and anonymity of respondents were duly respected. Findings – The findings highlighted that the conflict actors formed frames such as identity-relational, affective-intellectual and negotiation-win frames as the drivers of the conflict. In this conflict, the farmers who are indigenes and custodians of the land feel more potent over the transnational migrants who are pastoralists and argue that the herdsmen be flushed out without negotiation. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the papers that bring to light the psychological dimension of the causes of the farmer–herder conflict in Ghana

Source: UCC
Free maternal delivery policy and maternal mortality: evidence from Bolgatanga Municipality in the Upper East region of Ghana

The study was conducted on the premise that despite the introduction of free maternal delivery policy geared at reducing maternal mortality, the incidence of maternal mortality is still on the high side. The objectives of the study were to examine the causes and effects of maternal mortality, examine the challenges of the free maternal delivery policy, investigate the potentials of the free maternal delivery policy and also assess the effect of the free maternal delivery policy on maternal mortality. The study made use of both exploratory and causal research design. Purposive sampling and simple random sampling methods were adopted. These were used to sample pregnant women who attended hospital for anti natal and delivery, midwives, medical doctors and personnel of the NHIS. One hundred and fifty (150) respondents were sampled for the study. Questionnaires and structured interviews were used to solicit the information. The study employed histograms, bar chart, pie chart and tables in analyzing the data. The study revealed that haemorrhage, anemia, infections, eclampsia among others were the causes of maternal mortality while motherless babies, malnourished babies, are among the effects of maternal mortality in Bolgatanga Municipality. Free Maternal Delivery Policy in the Bolgatanga Municipality is bedeviled with a number of challenges which is hindering it from achieving its objective of reducing maternal mortality. It is therefore recommended that prompt postpartum care to pregnant women, regular antenatal attendance and adhering to doctors’ advice among others would address these challenges.

Source: UCC
Free Radicals in Oxidative Stress, Aging, and Neurodegenerative Disorders

Free radicals are intricately woven into the fabric of oxidative stress and are significant in the development of neurodegenerative disorders (NDs). This chapter examines free radicals in the context of neurodegeneration and provides overview of the multiple roles they play in the pathophysiology and clinical progression of varying NDs including Pick’s disease (PiD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), prion diseases (PrD), traumatic brain injury, and aging. The molecular mechanisms of degeneration in Huntington’s disease (HD) are also examined with respect to free radicals. Different antioxidant systems and their mechanisms of action are briefly reviewed in addition to the role of diet in aging. The effectiveness of selected synthetic drugs and natural products used in oxidative stress is also reviewed. Lastly, the chapter examines challenges associated with the use of antioxidants and how promising future directions like the endocannabinoid system is being pursued in the race to effectively manage NDs.

Source: UCC
Free Trade Agreements and Sustainable Enterprise Development in Ghana

More than two decades after Ghana has become a party to several Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), the country is yet to fully benefit from its anticipated economic development outcomes. Very little has changed, and many have dashed their high hopes as enterprises continue to struggle in SSA. Even the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could not renew hopes of sceptics. This study, therefore, delved into the issues that are preventing enterprises in Ghana from becoming sustainable and internationally competitive. The study was approached qualitatively using phenomenological research design. Research participants include major stakeholders in the international trade and sustainable enterprise development ecosystem in Ghana and beyond. The study found that there are several challenges that continue to bedevil sustainable enterprise development in Ghana and by extension, SSA. These challenges emanate from several sources including the enterprises themselves, inadequate support services, poor quality of products, and financing challenges of enterprises in Ghana and other SSA countries. The study recommends new financing strategies, increase in technical and operational capacities of enterprises, restructuring of support services, increase in compliance levels, and changing the “goal of the firm” to sustainable enterprise development as key interventions for developing sustainable and internationally competitive enterprises in Ghana, as well as in other SSA countries.

Source: UCC
The frequency of hypertension and pre-hypertension among adults in the Hohoe Municipality of Ghana

Background: Hypertension is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and is increasingly becoming an important medical and public health issue. This study assessed the frequency of hypertension and pre-hypertension among adults 18 years and above in the Hohoe Municipality. Method: A population-based cross-sectional study involving 350 adults was used. Information was obtained on background characteristics and risk factors of HPT defined as a systolic BP≥140 mmHg and/or a diastolic BP≥ 90 mmHg. Anthropometric indices and blood pressure were measured following standard procedures. Chi-square and binary logistic regression were used to determine associations between independent variables and hypertension. Results: Of the 350 adults surveyed, the prevalence of hypertension was 39.4% including those on treatment and pre-hypertension was 25.4%. Respondents aged 40-49, 50-59 and 60 years and above were 3.20, 5.68 and 4.88 times more likely to have hypertension as compared to those aged 40 years or less, (AOR=3.20, p=0.002), AOR=5.68, p<0.001) and (AOR=4.88, p<0.001) respectively. Traditionalists were also 9.40 times more likely to have hypertension as compared to Christians [AOR=9.40, P=0.038]. Conclusions: The prevalence of hypertension was high in the Hohoe Municipality. Four out of 10 adults had hypertension and one out of 4 adults had pre-hypertension. Age and religious affiliation were associated with hypertension. There is the need to intensify education and create awareness about hypertension among the adult population. Periodic screening programs would be required to identify those with hypertension and pre-hypertension for counselling and referral for treatment and management

Source: UCC
The friuts of Apatampa

In trying to expand the modern post-tonal music practices and techniques, using traditional idioms, this work is focused on Apatampa dance music (a recreational dance of the Fante people in the Central Region of Ghana) in an original composition named ‘The Fruits of Apatampa.’ The study seeks to explore the rhythmic resources of Apatampa dance music in a contemporary art composition. It blends new trends in contemporary art compositions with traditional drum idioms found in Apatampa dance music to generate a post-tonal music. Considering the nature of the study, participant observation, interviews, video recording, modern musical composition techniques and documentary search are included in the data collection

Source: UCC
From cultural visits to intercultural learning: Experiences of North–South–South collaboration

This chapter analyses the collaboration occurring within a network of five universities in Finland, Ghana, Tanzania and South Africa from 2012 to 2016. The members of this network, called the Culturally Responsive Education network, engaged in joint teaching, research, conferences, and exchange programmes for students and faculty. The network is analysed as a space for intercultural learning through collaboration across contexts and among junior and senior education scholars sharing an interest in qualitative research methods and culturally responsive education. The data are drawn from the network participants’ group discussions, qualitative project reports submitted to the funding agency and evaluative member check interviews. The analyses focus on identifying significant intercultural learning experiences in network activities at both the individual and the institutional levels. The network activities are analysed as dynamic contexts for the development of the participants’ intercultural competences and their translation to successful network activities benefiting all participating institutions. These network activities supported the joint construction of an enabling intercultural context for individual and institutional learning. However, issues of power, access and continuity must be considered in all aspects of North–South–South partnerships to enable meaningful participation and learning by student teachers and teacher educators

Source: UCC
From David to Solomon, a study of throne succession disputes: An exegetical study of 1 Kings 1-2

This study examines the phenomenon of succession problems in ancient Israel during the transfer of power from David to Solomon. The study is an exegetical study and thus focuses on the text I Kings 1-2. The exegetical method used in the study is the reader-response criticism, specifically the text centred approach. This approach recommends that the reader oscillates within the world of the text and that of the reader. The world of the text is an insight into the historical and sociocultural elements in the narration. The world of the reader is the reader’s present contextual make up. The world of the text and the world of the reader merge to produce a meaning through the reader’s encounter with the text. The study shows that ancient Israel at the time of David’s last days had not clearly dealt with the issue of the transfer of power and the question of who to succeed David was an open one. Solomon’s ascension to the throne epitomizes this problem. Solomon ascended the Davidic throne because he was fortunate to have clever personalities who were able to outsmart the camp of Adonijah to place him on the throne. The study concludes that the phenomenon of throne succession problems during the united monarchy was due to factors such as the rudimentary nature of the procedure for succession, the personality of David and the clash between the old and new political systems.

Source: UCC
From Hebrew ‘slave’ to Arabian ‘sage’: Linking the Jewish and Muslim narratives in the story of Hagar, the African in Pre-Islamic Arab History

This article examines the place of Hagar, an African woman, in pre-Islamic Arab history. It examines the story as it is presented in both the Jewish Scripture and by Judeo-Christian scholars, on one hand, and in Muslim sources on the other. The Sarah-Hagar issue in the Abrahamic family-history mainly informs the Judeo-Christian interpretation of the generational deadlocks between the believers of the biblical message and Muslims. Thus, a new approach to the understanding of the Hagar-Narrative could facilitate mutual understanding in the interreligious dialogue. Both Jewish and Muslim sources, to a large extent, trace the ancestry of the present generation of the Arabs to Hagar, the former African “slave” of the mother of “Hebrew” Israel through her son, Ismā‘īl. The Judeo-Christian Hagar is presented as a sinner-slave who committed the sin of pride but who was welcome out of God’s infinite Mercy for sinners. Nevertheless, in the Muslim sources, God’s plan made this rejected African“slave” and her son the “sages” and pillars for a new nation and a fountain from which evolved “the greatest Prophet of humankind”,Muḥammad. The Story of Hagar is a neglected topic for interreligious dialogue between the Abrahamic faiths

Source: UCC
From minnow to leviathan: Transformation of the Athenian navy (499-480bc)

Several, if not many, scholars and historians have written about the exploits of the Athenian Navy during the 5th century BC, especially, during the Persian Wars, (480-479) the pentekontaetia period (478-432) through to the Peloponnesian War period (431-404), until the destruction of the Athenian fleet at Aegospotami (405 BC). This interest in the Athenian Navy and its achievements in the Classical period has led to the writing of several specialist works on that phenomenon; and we note that no general work on Greek history is deemed complete without an excursus on the Athenian Navy and how it helped save Greece from the tyranny of Persia. Our intention in this paper is not to trod the same path and recount the exploits of the Athenian navy, but rather to attempt to account for the transformation of the Athenian navy from a minnow to a leviathan within a twenty year period. We shall, through a critical examination of extant primary sources, primarily Herodotus and, to a lesser extent, Plutarch, argue, firstly, that in terms of naval strength and sea power, Athens was a minnow as at 499 BC, and secondly that it was through a recognition of this deficiency and at the urging of Themistocles that Athens commissioned a fleet to bolster its sea power and naval strength, and thus became a leviathan as at 480 BC when the Persian Wars broke out in earnest in main land Greece

Source: UCC
From polarity to reduplication in Gã

There seems to be an intricate connection between reduplication of indefinite DPs and clausal negation in Gã; the reduplication is only permitted in the presence of negation. Thus, such reduplicated DPs can be construed as negative polarity items (NPIs). In this paper, I provide a detailed description of the facts about this phenomenon following what has been reported for NPIs elsewhere. I show that the patterns we observe exhibit typical properties of strong and strict NPIs. Subsequently, I propose how such indefinite DPs can be accounted for both in frameworks which see NPIs as resulting from a negatively-valued polarity feature e.g. Giannakidou (2000), and also frameworks which treat NPIs as resulting from NEG-raising, particularly Collins & Postal (2014)

Source: UCC
From Process to Persuasion: A Transitivity Analysis of 2012 and 2016 Manifestos of the NDC Party.

The study analyzed how presidential candidates employed language in the education sections of the 2012 and 2016 NDC manifestos to convey their message and motivate voters to cast ballots. The study's primary focus was an examination of transitivity in the manifestos. As a theoretical framework, Systemic Functional Linguistics by Halliday was utilized, and the qualitative research design was utilized for the textual analysis. The current study employed interpretative textual analysis to explore the linguistic choices made by candidates in their manifestos. In total, 76 and 141 clauses were selected from the education sections of the 2012 and 2016 manifestos, respectively. Thus, 217 clauses served as the study's sample size. The analysis found that material processes have the highest frequencies and percentages (125, 86%); (245, 88.4%) in the education portion of the 2012/2016 manifestos, whereas existential process types are employed insignificantly with a total occurrence of 3.5%. The predominance of material processes suggests that the candidate and his administration have completed a lot of concrete projects in an effort to establish continuity in development and policy direction within the education sector. The study concludes that the material process is predominantly used in the education section to convince voters to cast ballots.

Source: UCC