ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Customer Relationship Marketing and Customer Retention: The Perspectives of Customer of Access Bank Ghana Limited

Following the acquisition of a seventy-five per cent interest in Intercontinental Bank Plc by Access Bank Plc in Nigeria, the Bank of Ghana in 2011 approved the merging of the local operations of Access Bank Ghana (ABG) and Intercontinental Bank Ghana (IBG). However, what is critical at this moment for the acquisition was the retention of the over 156,082 customers of the hitherto Intercontinental Bank Ghana. Acquiring and building relationship with new a customer takes time, but always easier to sustain the relationship with an existing customer. The research sought to find answers to how relationship marketing would affect customer retention at the Access Bank Ghana. The research utilised survey from 200 respondents who were customers of Access Bank. The findings of the research show that Access Bank appears to be doing quite well with their customers, more especially in the way they have related to them. The study also shows that the bank is receiving strong positive word of mouth from its clients to their friends and relations although other factors have a strong role to play to why people bank with Access Bank, since people who joined on their own and those who were contacted by the bank is very significant although not dominant. The bank is doing well by maintaining the relationship it initiates with its clients but must work on improving the number of contact time with them as relationship marketing provides them with the opportunity to do so. The bank’s level of adoption of relationship marketing is very high as the above tables indicate. Access Bank’s response to customer concerns is very impressive. The research finally recommended to management to look again in the area of bonding, since customers do not particularly feel so much bonded with Access Bank. Finally, Access Bank staff must be trained to be more responsive in the form of devoting time to help meet all the needs of clients, give fast and efficient service and give sincere and detail information on the solutions that will help solve the challenges of customers.

Source: KNUST
Customers usage behaviour of e-banking services: interplay of electronic and traditional banking

Banks across the world including Ghana are investing significantly into the provision of e-banking services in the hope that this will translate into higher returns and market penetration. Any strategy aimed at achieving widespread adoption and use of these ebanking services rests on solid understanding of factors that influence customers’ adoption and use of the services. This study is aimed at examining the multiple ways customers of adb, GCB, and Absa Bank in Obuasi use electronic banking services as compared to traditional banking services. By the use of questionnaire, a sample of three hundred (300) customers of three banking institutions based on convenient sampling was used to examine the multiple ways the banks used electronic banking services as compared to traditional banking services. The research employed SPSS and Microsoft Excel 2016 to analyze data obtained from the questionnaires. The research revealed that in spite of the existence of e-banking tools, customers still use cash for payment of transactions, withdrawing cash from branches of their banks, visit banks to make cash deposits and build personal contact with human tellers at the banks. These behaviours of customers towards the usage of e-banking services are largely influence by the existence of fraud in cash transactions, acceptance of cash as payment and deposits in banking transactions, interests/hidden charges, lack of security, frequent connection breakdown. The study recommended that management of banking institutions should improve the security and privacy of customers using e-banking services.

Source: KNUST
The customs excise and preventive service and cross border crimes management: a case study of the eastern frontier of Ghana

Ghana can boast of a vast sub-regional market of about 220 million people sharing cultural linkages across borders and having similar tastes. In order to benefit from such a huge market, the intensification of trade between Ghana and her neighbours is essential. At the community level, this commitment is seen in the persistent efforts by member states to ensure free movement of persons, goods and services across national borders. In Ghana, the institution responsible for the implementation of free movement and trade facilitation is the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS). Over the years, cross border criminal activities have become a hindrance to free movement and trade. This is especially so along the Eastern Frontier of Ghana, which stretches from the border with Togo at Aflao to the fringes of northern Volta at Tinjase. The porous border here however, continuous to engender cross border crime and instability in the country owing to the lack of appropriate mechanisms for monitoring illegal cross border activities. Consequently, violent Cross border criminal activities such as Drug trafficking, Arms trafficking, Human trafficking, Armed robbery and Vehicle theft as well as non-violent ones like Textile smuggling, Vehicle smuggling, Fuel/Cocoa smuggling, Cyber fraud, Money Laundering and Counterfeit/Piracy are on the rise in this area in spite of the efforts of CEPS a frontline agency in managing these activities. Open-ended interviews with Heads of border security agencies such as CEPS, Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), Police Service and the National Security Ministry working in this area revealed the enormity of the problem. The negative socio-political and economic impact of cross border criminal activities in Ghana call for effective mechanisms to manage them. Hence, adopting sub-regional and complementary national control strategies will help to reduce the impact of cross border crimes. Effective options lie in a concerted effort at the sub-regional level between governmental and non-governmental agencies to combat cross border crimes. Appropriate national legislative and regulatory actions, to upgrade skills in investigative and enforcement techniques, and addressing corruption within government security agencies in order to avoid complicit acts by government and security agencies.

Source: KNUST
Cutting resistance assessment for three varieties of cassava roots

In this study, a model has been developed to assess the peel and root resistance to cutting. The evaluation was done with knife thicknesses of 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm and 2.0 mm using Duade kpakpa, Dudze and Sika bankye cassava varieties as experimental samples for three postharvest delays. The knife penetrated the tuber at 50 mm, 100 mm and 150 mm away from the proximal end. An average peel thickness obtained was in the range of 1.81 mm – 3.01 mm. The average diameters recorded ranged from 52.52 mm to 60.40 mm. The cutting resistance assessed for the Duade kpakpa, Sika bankye and Dudze cassava peels were 44.85 N, 50.01 N and 53.53 N, respectively with no significant differences (p < 0.05). The penetration resistance of the tuber decreased with increasing postharvest delay and increased with increasing knife thickness. The effect of the treatments on the response variables evaluated by factorial analysis showed that significant differences generally decrease with increasing interaction. Comparing the results, cutting resistances of 229.02 N, 223.09 N and 204.43 N in maximum were obtained for the Dudze, Sika bankye and Duade kpakpa cassava roots, respectively. The quantitative assessment by the PLSR model under the knife thicknesses (R2 = 0.9689; RMSE = 2.1020) was significantly better than the PLSR model under postharvest delay (R2 = 0.7845; RMSE = 4.0183). The technique employed in assessing the cutting resistance emphasized the cultivar differences and provided a measuring sequence and outstanding quantitative analysis.

Source: KNUST
Customer service within the public sector organization: a case study of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), pension house.

The main objective of the study examined customer service practices at SSNIT; Pension House. The study followed a survey design and employed evaluative quantitative analysis method. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used. The data collection instruments used were questionnaire and interview. The study will assist the management of SSNIT to design and structure customer service practices to meet the expectations of contributors/ customers. Time and resource constraints limited the study. One major finding of the study was that the provision of mobile customer service clinics is a customer service practice at SSNIT, Pension House. When members of staff were asked whether the provision of mobile customer service clinics is a customer service practice at SSNIT Pension House, 56% of members of staff used for the study said that SSNIT most of the time organizes mobile customer service clinics for customers /contributors. Another finding of the study was that the mood of employees is a challenge to good customer service delivery. 72% of members of staff used for the study agreed that the mood swings of employees can affect customer service delivery. They were of the view that employees with terrible mood swings will not be able to provide good customer service since their feelings and expressions will negatively affect their interactions with customers. In concluding the research, drawing from various kinds of literature, there was a general suggestion that good customer service practices can improve customer service delivery. The study recommends that the existing customer service mechanisms and strategies at SSNIT, Pension House should strengthen the capacity to follow-up on cases of unfair customer treatment and give customers the opportunity to comment on services provided by employees.

Source: KNUST
Cystatin C and Beta-2-microglobulin in diabetic and hypertensive nephropathy and their effect on chronic kidney disease

Diabetic and hypertensive nephropathies are the major cause of chronic kidney disease and the number one cause of cardiovascular deaths worldwide. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is an important indicator of kidney function, essential for diagnosing, evaluating and managing chronic kidney disease (CKD). GFR can be estimated using creatinine and serum cystatin C. However, the estimation of GFR by using serum creatinine is documented to be affected by various factors such as age, sex and mass in the muscle and has led to the misclassification of CKD patients. The study therefore sought to evaluate the value and possible clinical applications of cystatin C and Beta 2 microglobulin as biomarkers for changes in GFR. The study adopted a cross-sectional design which involved 182 patients who had diabetes and or hypertension. The area under the curve (AUC) for Cystatin C for DM was 0.861, HTN was 0.731 and DM+HTN was 0. 758.The area under curve (AUC) for B2M for DM was 1.00, HTN was 0.8373 and DM+HTN was 0. 896.. The area under curve (AUC) for Cys C/B2M for DM was 0.765, HTN was 0.614 and DM+HTN was 0.757. There was a significant negative correlation (r= -0.947; p=0.004) between eGFR and age among participants with DM. Significant negative correlation was observed between eGFR and urea (r= -0.624; p=0.04), Total protein (r= -0.692; p=0.018), uric acid (r= -0.792; p=0.004) and Beta 2 Microglobulin (r= -0.743; p=0.009) among participants with HTN. There was a significant negative correlation between eGFR and age (r= -0.525; p=0.010), urea (r= -0.786; p<0.0001), uric acid (r= -0.464; p=0.026), cystatin C (r= -0.761; p<0.0001) and Beta 2 Microglobulin (r= -0.901; p<0.0001) among participants with both DM+HTN. Among diabetic (DM) participants without CKD, eGFR correlated negatively with age (r= -0.705; p=0.0002), and cystatin C (r= -0.587; p=0.003). Among hypertensives (HTN) participants without CKD, eGFR correlated negatively with age (r= -0.337; p=0.025), total protein (r= -0.361; p=0.016), cystatin C (r= -0.339; p=0.025) and Beta 2 Microglobulin (r= -0.429; p=0.004). eGFR negatively correlated with age (r= -0.505; p<0.0001), urea (r= -0.264; p=0.0214), uric acid (r= -0.264; p=0.021), cystatin C (r= -0.520; p= <0.0001) and Beta 2 Microglobulin (p= -0.500; p<0.0001). Serum Cystatin C and Beta 2 microglobulin have acceptable and significant sensitivities and therefore can be used as markers for renal impairment.

Source: KNUST
Cytokine mRNA Expression in Mycobacteriam ulcerans-Infected Human Skin and Correlation with Local Inflammatory Response

Cytokine mRNA expression in biopsies of Mycobacterium ulcerans-infected human tissue was investigated using real-time PCR, and the findings were correlated with the clinical stages of disease and histopathologies. A broad range of cytokine mRNAs were detected in 16 early nodules and 28 late-stage ulcers, including those for the Th1 cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF- ) and gamma interferon (IFN- ) and the Th2 cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10). IFN- was strongly expressed in both nodules and ulcers, suggesting that a Th1 response begins early in the disease. There was a significantly higher expression of IL-8 and other proinflammatory cytokines in results from 32 biopsies with neutrophilia than in those from 12 biopsies without acute inflammation. Ten tissue samples containing granulomas showed high mRNA expression for IFN- , IL-1 , IL-12p35, IL-12p40, IL-15, and TNF- relative to 34 tissue samples without granulomas. These results suggest that the human immune response to M. ulcerans is similar to that seen with some other mycobacteria despite the presence of the toxin mycolactone in the tissues.

Source: KNUST
Cytokine Response to Antigen Stimulation of Whole Blood from Patients with Mycobacterium ulcerans Disease Compared to That from Patients with Tuberculosis

Mycobacterium ulcerans disease (Buruli ulcer) is a skin-ulcerating infection common in some parts of the tropics. We have investigated cytokine secretion after stimulation of whole blood from Buruli ulcer (BU) patients in a region of endemicity in Ghana with M. ulcerans sonicate or culture filtrate antigens to investigate the development of the response over time and its specificity by comparison with the response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis sonicate in human immunodeficiency virus-negative tuberculosis patients. Significant gamma interferon (IFN- ) production in response to whole-blood stimulation with M. ulcerans sonicate was detected in patients with ulcers, which was higher than that in patients with nodules but similar to subjects with healed BU. The mean IFN- response in household contacts of BU patients was not significantly different from that in healthy control subjects from an area of nonendemicity. Results in patients with untreated, smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis and tuberculosis patients on treatment for more than 2 weeks showed that BU patients responded better to M. ulcerans antigens than tuberculosis patients. In contrast, interleukin-10 results were higher in patients with active M. ulcerans disease than in those with healed lesions, but the pattern of response was similar to that seen in tuberculosis. A similar pattern of cytokine secretion was found using M. tuberculosis sonicate as an antigen. Neither of the two culture filtrate antigens of M. ulcerans appeared to be more specific than M. ulcerans sonicate. In the early stages of M. ulcerans disease there was a mixed Th1 and Th2 cytokine response, but the Th1 response emerged as the dominant type.

Source: KNUST
Cytokine responses to Toxoplasma Gondii in immune-competent and immune-compromised individuals at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana.

Toxoplasmosis, a disease known to impart a significant burden to public health, is caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. An understanding of the relationship between the cellular immune response and pathology of the disease is needed to control this disease. The study thus sought to characterize the cellular immune responses to T. gondii in immune-competent and immune-compromised persons in Ghana. Venous blood was collected from 54 blood donors (HIV sero-negative) and 38 HIV seropositive (ART naïve) participants and transported to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. Laboratory analysis was performed for the presence or absence and further genotyping of T. gondii using PCR. ELISA was done to obtain levels of cytokines in supernatants of stimulated PBMCs. Socio-demographic data and information on risk factors were obtained from the participants through questionnaires and hospital folders. The results did not show any statistically significant associations between Toxoplasma gondii positivity and exposure to any known risk factors such as cat ownership (p<0.05). The overall prevalence of T. gondii DNA was 26.3% and 14.8% in the HIV seropositive and blood donor participants; respectively. Levels of cytokines IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ, TGF-β were found to be significantly higher (p <0.05) in HIV seropositive participants than blood donor participants, however, differences in the cytokine levels of T. gondii positive, HIV-seropositive individuals compared against T. gondii positive, blood donor individuals, showed no statistical significance indicating that other pathogens may play contributing roles to the cytokine levels in the HIV seropositive participants. TGF-β levels for T. gondii positive persons differed significantly (p<0.05) suggesting that TGF-β may influence the immune status of T. gondii-infected persons. The patterns of the cytokine profiles in T. gondii-positive and P. falciparum-positive individuals were found to be comparable indicating a similar mechanism of action of these parasites.

Source: KNUST
Cytotoxic T Cell-Derived Granzyme B Is Increased in Severe Plasmodium Falciparum Malaria

In Plasmodium falciparum malaria, CD8+ T cells play a double-edged role. Liver-stage specific CD8+ T cells can confer protection, as has been shown in several vaccine studies. Blood-stage specific CD8+ T cells, on the other hand, contribute to the development of cerebral malaria in murine models of malaria. The role of CD8+ T cells in humans during the blood-stage of P. falciparum remains unclear. As part of a cross-sectional malaria study in Ghana, granzyme B levels and CD8+ T cells phenotypes were compared in the peripheral blood of children with complicated malaria, uncomplicated malaria, afebrile but asymptomatically infected children and non-infected children. Granzyme B levels in the plasma were significantly higher in children with febrile malaria than in afebrile children. CD8+ T cells were the main T cell subset expressing granzyme B. The proportion of granzyme B+ CD8+ T cells was significantly higher in children with complicated malaria than in uncomplicated malaria, whereas the activation marker CD38 on CD8+ T cells showed similar expression levels. This suggests a pathogenic role of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells in the development of malaria complications in humans.

Source: KNUST
Data Mining and Visualisation of Basic Educational Resources for Quality Education

With an increase in educational resources for the growing population, data for Basic Education (BE) is becoming larger, requiring technical data tools to analyze and interpret. This research uses classification and clustering techniques to analyze the data from public schools in Ghana to identify the challenges. Nine (9) data mining algorithms in rapid miner studio 9.10 were used for the analysis to know the most efficient algorithm suitable for the data. These are; Generalized Linear Module (GLM), Naïve Bayes (NB), Logistic Regression (LR), Deep Learning (DL), Decision Tree (DT), Fast Large Margins (FLM), Gradient Boosted Tree (GBT), Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machines (SVM). The performance of GBT was seen as more appropriate, and this algorithm's results were presented. Excerpts from the reports are also included in the form of qualitative data. A diagrammatic representation of the interoperability among levels of education for quality education has also been presented. A proposed Neural Network model has been designed for the challenges and solutions. The conclusions draw that addressing the challenges of BE requires educational policy stability and enforcement to maximize resources and minimize the challenges in schools at all levels of education.

Source: KNUST
Day Centre for the Aged - Osu

All the world’s a stage And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. - . At first the infant Mewling and Puking in the nurse’s arms: Then the whining school—boy, with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school: and then the Lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress’ eyebrow: then a soldier, Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon’s mouth: and then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon Lined, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances, And so he plays his part . . The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slippered pantaloons, With spectacles on nose and pouch on side, His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound - . Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness, and mere oblivion, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything. AS YOU LIKE IT - Shakespeare The objective of this Thesis is to develop a Day Centre for the aged who on the other hand cannot obtain the requisite care and companionship that they might have enjoyed during their younger periods. A Day Centres is: - a place where people can meet to extend their social and cultural activities. - a working environment for people unable to gain access conventional environments. - One from which people can travel to other places and events The problem of the aged has been of utmost concern not only in Ghana but also on the global level due to the fact that they have virtually been relegated to the background. To this end, the United Nations earmarked 1993 at the international year of the Elderly

Source: KNUST