ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Rheological and microstructural investigation of oat -glucan isolates varying in molecular weight

The rheological properties and microstructure of aqueous oat -glucan solutions varying in molecular weight were investigated. The structural features and molecular weights (MW) were characterized by 13C NMR spectroscopy and high performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC), respectively. The microstructure of the -glucans dispersions was also examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The samples with -glucan content between 78 and 86% on a dry weight basis had MW, intrinsic viscosity ([ ]) and critical concentration (c*) in the range of 142–2800 × 103 g/mol, 1.7–7.2 dl/g and 0.25–1.10 g/dl, respectively. The flow and viscoelastic behaviour was highly dependent on MW and on the concentration of the -glucans dispersions. Pseudoplastic behaviour was exhibited at high concentrations and Newtonian behaviour was evident at low concentrations. At the same concentration,the viscosity was higher for higher MW samples. The Cox–Merz rule was applicable for the lower molecular weight samples at higher concentrations whereas the high molecular weight sample deviated at concentrations greater than 1.0%, w/v. The mechanical spectra with variation of both MW and concentration were typical of entangled biopolymer solutions. AFM images revealed the formation of clusters or aggregates linked via individual polymer chains scattered heterogeneously throughout the system. The aggregate size increased with the molecular weight of the samples investigated and has been linked to the rheological behaviour of the samples

Source: KNUST
Rheological Model for Generalized Energy and Mass Transfer through Hybrid Nanofluid Flow Comprised of Magnetized Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles

The goal of the current research is to evaluate a 3D stagnation point flow of Darcy Forchheimer’s hybrid nanofluid (NF) through a heated wavy flexible cylinder under the influence of slip conditions and varying thickness. A numerical model is developed for the purpose to magnify the energy and mass transmission rate and maximize the efficiency and performance of thermal energy conduction for a variety of commercial and biological purposes through methanol-based hybrid NF flow consisting of cobalt ferrite and copper nanoparticles. Due to their inclusive range of applications, copper and cobalt iron oxide nanoparticles are gaining a lot of attention in medical and technical research. The model has been articulated in the form of a set of PDEs, which are reduced by the resemblance substitutions to the system of ODEs. The obtained 1st-order differential equations are further processed by the computational strategy PCM. For the sake of accuracy and credibility, the values are verified with the bvp4c package. The findings are physically exhibited and analyzed. It has been observed that the induced magnetic field lessens with the upshot of the magnetic term and enhances under the action of magnetic Prandtl number M. The energy profile declines due to the variation of thermal jump constraint and boosts with the absorption and generation term.

Source: KNUST
Ridge park development, Kumasi

In searching for variety in leisure facilities in Kumasi today, one would have to search for ever. That is existing facilities for leisure in Kumasi offer very little by way of choice and. quality. Although Kumasi has a rich cultural history and high potential tourism value, these have not been well developed. The Ridge Park Development, Kumasi, is the solution to the increasing demand by local residents for variety and change in leisure activities. The objective of this thesis is to develop an urban leisure park in Kumasi which will appeal to all members of the community. The clients, the Ghana Tourist Board., also hope to boost domestic and. international tourism by the development of this scenic out-door park. The site is in the Ridge Residential Area; east of Government Road, north of Pine Avenue and. duo south of the Catering Rest House. It actually includes part of the present Military Barracks - the swimming pool and the Magazine. The Military is due to move out of this area. The bulk of its land and. buildings will go to the Central Hospital, but this piece of land has been zoned (by the Town and Country Planning Committee of Kumasi) for recreation. The above mentioned site has romantic and. historic appeal, It lies close to the Ghana Armed Forces Military Museum (Fort George), The Old Poser Houses Kumasi Club and St. George Chapel. There are underground springs on the site. It is crossed by a river. A well was sunk on the site in the last century. (It still provides water).

Source: KNUST
Rhizoremediation of Hydrocarbon Contaminated Soils: A Case Study at Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL), Ahafo- Kenyasi

This study investigated the rate of degradation of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) and Oil and Grease in Hydrocarbon contaminated soil samples obtained from a mine site (Newmont Ghana Gold Limited) using Rhizoremediation technology with different levels of nutrient amendments for a native species. The levels of N (nitrogen) used were; in Compost (0.2%, 0.5% and 0.8%), Urea (0.2%, 0.5% and 0.8%) and Topsoil (0.2%, 0.5% and 0.8%). A Ghanaian native grass species Paspalum Spp from the (Poaceae) family was selected following the development of essential and desirable growth criteria. Vegetative parts of the species were subjected to ten (10) treatments in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in three replicates. The plant-associated microbial community was examined in Paspalum Spp. The assessment of the influence of grass on the abundance and activity of microorganisms in the rhizosphere revealed a buildup of microbial communities over the period. This was assessed using the Freidman‟s test which showed that at p value of 5% rhizospheric samples from the different treatments were significantly different. Multiple comparisons showed how microbial populations built up in the rhizosphere for the different treatments.Treatments G(0.2% compost+ 3kg HCS) , H(0.5% compost+3kg HCS) and I( 0.8% compost+3kg HCS) showed no significant difference with regards to rhizospheric TPH and Oil and grease degradation levels whiles treatments E( 0.5% topsoil+ 3kg HCS) and F(0.8% topsoil+ 3kg HCS) also showed no significant difference in performance. Furthermore treatment A (0.2% urea+ 3kg HCS), B (0.5% urea+ 3kg HCS), C (0.8% urea+ 3kg HCS) and D (0.2% topsoil+ 3kg HCS) also showed no significant difference in terms of rhizospheric TPH and oil and grease degradation patterns. The presence of a single species successfully enhanced the removal of hydrocarbons from soil. Paspalum Spp subjected to compost levels( 0.5% and 0.8%) and topsoil levels (0.5% and 0.8%) showed significantly lower residual hydrocarbon concentrations than those treated with Urea after 80days (p< 0.00). A strong relationship between abundance of hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms in the rhizosphere and hydrocarbon biodegradation was demonstrated for rhizospheric samples with treatment G (0.2% compost+3kg HCS), H (0.5% compost+ 3kg HCS) and I (0.8% compost+ 3kg HCS) (p < 0.001). This study showed that Paspalum a native Ghanaian grass species could be a possible candidate for in situ rhizoremediation potential at field scale and that some level of amendment with 0.8% compost (N-level) can improve the effectiveness of the application.

Source: KNUST
Ridge Precinct Development, Accra

In 1894, the colonial government acquired the ambassador Hotel area from the Osu stool; a piece of land, bordering Victoriaborg, that became known as Ridge, stretching from the Ministries area to Kojo Thompson Road, It was part of the European Quarter, used for administrative and residential purposes and included Ridge Hospital, then known as the European Hospital. With the advent of Independence, ownership passed to the national government where it began to assume its present profile, slowly changing from a residential to a civic area. The Town and Country Planning department undertook to create a viable institutional environment partial to business promotion, high- level retail and business services. The construction of the Bank of Ghana mastif on Liberia Road lends the high upbeat image required to project values and uses. This will be enhanced by the construction of the S.S.I’ block, the SIC block sad the Valco Fund Headquarters. A cultural taint has been provided by the presence of the British Council and the U.S.I.S. developments, and the adjacent Ridge Park creates optimum working environment conditions. Other points are the proximity to the present CBD and central city functions and accessibility to a high-capacity transportation network. Full market values of land are realized when intense vertical concentration is organised with a mid variety of big and small retail and office opportunities that give vitality and more intense use of the land. Letting of office space to private and public business services also creates robustness in functions. The precinct in question is part of a larger civic-commercial proposal that stretches from Liberia Road to Sankara Circle, so the consequent planning and design must take into account continuity and feature as an initial multiplier coefficient of future trends Fundamentally, the intention will be to review specifications in a general design plan of public spaces and building bulks, where builders will fill a prescribed development envelope complimenting the use and elements of each other. Intrinsic to this will be the relationships.

Source: KNUST
Risk and uncertainty effects on mineral project evaluation in Ghana

Ghana as a developing country abounds in a lot of mineral resources that need to be exploited for the benefit of its citizens. Hence legislations are in place to attract the necessary foreign and local investment in the mineral industry. However, for any meaningful investment there are bound to be some problems associated with it. Risk is one such problem. In this dissertation, a study is made of the various types of risk and uncertainties affecting the mining industry in Ghana. By evaluating the financial situation of a hypothetical mine, the expected NPV and IRR from the cash flow is determined. Monte Carlo simulation techniques are employed with frequency distributions for the various risk parameters. After a number of iterations, the value of the risk parameters has been derived for the mine. These were used to evaluate the NPV and the IRR. The final result indicates that despite the high risk factors associated with a developing country like Ghana, mineral projects in Ghana are viable. It gives an insight into the likely situation of a mineral venture in the country taking all risk parameters into consideration.

Source: KNUST
Risk assessment of banking institutions - a case study of Cal Bank Limited

The subject of risk is a thorny issue for banks and CAL Bank is no exception. It is imperative therefore for banks to assess risk elements inherent in their activities, especially in the area of credits or lending. The study seeks to answer the question as to whether every risky venture fails and also to answer whether once a credit request passes the Risk Departments test, it will turn out as a good credit and not suffer any default. The objective is to assess the risks financial institutions suffer or are confronted with and to look at how these are identified and managed. The methodology applied to the study was face-to-face interviews with key staff of the Risk Department, Retail Banking Department and the Corporate Banking Department of CAL Bank. Account Relationship Officers from some of the branches of CAL Bank were also interviewed. Random sampling was applied to aid data collection and when it came to analyzing the data descriptive and qualitative tools were applied. The study found out that the vigilance and diligence of the Risk Department helps to reduce the default rate of credit requests. Thus if it were not for risk assessment and management, a lot of credit requests would suffer default and go bad It was thus recommended that CAL Bank strengthens its risk identification and assessment mechanism.

Source: KNUST
Risk Assessment of Radon Gas Concentration for Some Selected Offices on KNUST Campus, Kumasi

Radon (222Rn) has been identified as an important factor that could result in a health hazard by studies all around the world. The health risks can be minimised by preventive measures where radon is highly concentrated as in some mines or homes or o ces. A study in the buildup concentration of the inert gas, will give us a better understanding of its possible pathways through soil into the air surrounding an o ce where the radon releases can become hazardous. Measuring the radon concentrations on Campus, can help to deduce the radon flux to identify the problem areas for rehabilitation. An active method incorporating Trace level radon gas detection and continuous monitoring method was used in this study to determine the radon concentration of the selected o ces. Concentrations ranging from 0.010 to 0.498 pCi/l were detected, with the head of Optometry and Visual Science recording the heighest concentration of o.498 pCi/l, while the head of Agricultural Engineering department o ce with the least concentration of 0.010 pCi/l. Although these concentrations are generally low as compared with the EPA guidelines of an action level of 4 pCi/l, but no amount of radiation is said to be safe.

Source: KNUST
The rights of Muslim women in marriage relationship within the Kumasi Metropolitan Area

The main purpose for the study was to find out the truth in the belief held by many non-Muslims that Muslims married women do not freely enjoy their basic marital rights, as their rights are believed to be dictated by their male counterparts. This research investigated whether the Muslim married woman is entitled to basic marital rights in Islam. If they have the basic marital rights, what do the Qur'an and the Sunna of the prophet say about these rights? Are the women aware of their basic marital rights prescribed by Islam? Are their husbands aware of these rights? Do the husbands allow their wives to freely enjoy these rights if they are aware of them? The sources of information for the research are the Qur'an, the Sunna of the prophet and other Islamic laws. Face-to-face interviews were conducted in three Muslim dominated areas in Kumasi namely Suame, Tafo and Asawasi to solicit the views of members of four Islamic religious groups on the topic. The religious groups were Tijaniyya Brotherhood, Ahlus Sunna Wal-Jama'a, Ghana Muslim Mission and Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission. It was realized that Islam has given Muslim married women some basic rights and it has provided enough safeguards to protect the rights. It was also found that Muslim women had knowledge of their marital rights. The challenge however, was due to cultural infiltration from various tribal groups, poverty and the gross abandonment of Islamic laws. The following recommendations have been made by the researcher: the Aimah(Imams) and Ulma (Mallams) must educate Muslims to differentiate between culture and religion, Muslim preachers must preach more on Muslim marital rights and more publications on Muslim women’s rights should be made available.

Source: KNUST
Risk factors associated with stillbirth: a case study of the Hohoe Municipality, Ghana.

Stillbirth is a silent traumatic canker which is a major concern of various individuals, health institutions and the country as a whole. All over the world researchers are fighting tooth and nail to unravel the mystery surrounding the high prevalence of stillbirths. A lot of resources are committed to this area of research because of its alarming rate. This project was carried out in Hohoe Municipality with the aim of finding the risk factors associated with stillbirth through designed questionnaires. Various descriptive analyses were employed on the data obtained. Logistic model was used to identify which independent variables explain the incidence of stillbirth in Hohoe Municipality. The model was based on 250 clients’ birth records of mothers who delivered at Hohoe Municipal Hospital from 1st Jan 2011 to 30th June 2011.The predictors of stillbirth were obstetric problem with p-value of 0.002 and odds ratio of 8.540 (95 % C.I. =2.253 – 32.365), place of residence had p-value of 0.044 and odds ratio of 1.178 (95% C.I. = 0.366 – 3.787) alcohol intake recorded p-value of 0.012 and odds ratio 2.064 (95% C.I. = 0. 730 – 5.836), self-medication had p-value of 0.032 and odds ratio of 1.291 (95% C.I. = 0.413 – 4.031). Collinearity diagnostic test conducted showed that the tolerance value of each independent variable was less than 1, signifying that there was no interaction between the variables. Hosmer and Lemshow test of goodness of fit recorded a p-value of 0.542; hence the null hypothesis that the model fits the data well could not be rejected.

Source: KNUST
Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer in Ghana

Background: The major burden of cervical cancer occurs in low- and middle-income countries. In Ghana, it is the second most common cancer among women. Infection with high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) has been established as the cause of cervical cancer. As such, it is important to identify risk factors that may affect progression from HPV infection to cancer. Aims: We assessed the risk factors assocaited with cervical cancer in Ghana. Methods: To identify the risk factors for cervical cancer, we conducted an unmatched case–control study in two hospitals in Ghana where most cervical cancer cases are diagnosed. Women with histologically confirmed cervical cancer were the cases, whereas women without cancer seeking care at the two hospitals were controls. A structured questionnaire was administered to the women, after which cervical samples were sent for HPV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing. Results: Overall, 206 cases and 230 controls were recruited. After adjusting for possible confounders, women with the highest educational level had a significantly lower risk of cervical cancer than those with no or little formal education. Parity was a major risk factor (odd ratio [OR] for five or more children=7.9; 95% CI: 2.3–27.6), with risk increasing with increasing parity (p for trend <0.001). Women reporting the use of a homemade sanitary towel during menstruation also had an increased risk of cervical cancer compared with women who used a pad (OR: 7.3; 95% CI: 2.5–22.0). Conclusion: In this Ghanaian population, high parity and poor personal hygienic conditions were the main contributing factors to the risk of cervical cancer after adjustment for the presence of high-risk HPV genotypes.

Source: KNUST
Risk factors influencing postpartum depression among women attending postnatal clinic at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana.

The postpartum as well as pregnancy periods are associated with profound physical and emotional changes, which are also associated with mental disorders and symptoms ranging from mild to psychotic. Postpartum depression is a major public health concern known to affect an estimated 13% of pregnant women. This study was conducted to assess the extent of postpartum depression as well as factors influencing postpartum depression among mothers in the Kumasi metropolis. The cross-sectional study, conducted in the Kumasi metropolis and involved 440 randomly selected mothers who have delivered and are within the first 6 weeks postpartum. A simple random sampling technique was employed and data were gathered with the use of questionnaires. The Edinburgh scale of postnatal depression was used to measure presence of symptoms of depressive illness. Data were analysed using STATA 11. A multivariable regression model was fitted to assess factors influencing postpartum depression among. Statistical significance was tested at p <0.05. 22.3% of respondents scored above 10 on the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale, suggestive of PPD. About 41% however had never heard of PPD. The most cited source of information among those who had heard was family and friends. Mood changes before, during and after pregnancy had significant influence on PPD. Women who had never experienced mood swings during pregnancy also had odds of suffering PPD that was lesser than their counterparts in the same category (OR=0.41; 95% CI=0.22 - 0.75). The known predictors of PPD in this study were age, mood changes, relationship with baby’s father and partner’s support. Women who suffered mood swings before and during pregnancy had increased tendencies of suggestive PPD. Special screening programmes for early detection of histories of PPD and mood swings before and during pregnancies should be instituted. Partners and husbands should also be encouraged to support expectant mothers throughout the entire pregnancy and postpartum periods.

Source: KNUST
The Risk Factors of Stroke and the Contribution of Metabolic Syndrome

Although stroke cause substantial morbidity and mortality, it is unclear how individuals are affected, or a group of risk factors contribute to stroke outcomes especially in developing countries. This study evaluated the risk factors of stroke and the contribution of metabolic syndrome the condition. This was a cross-sectional study of stroke patients from Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, compared to a control of healthy subjects. Adult enrolees who were eligible for inclusion were persons who have had stroke within twenty-four hours of onset without any medication. Questionnaires were used to gather information on medical history, demographic features and lifestyle. The lipid profile, fasting blood sugar and blood pressure were measured, likewise the determination of aminotransferases and gamma-glutamyltransferase. The National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III and WHO guidelines were used to determine which of the patients had metabolic syndrome. Out of 224 stroke patients, of mean age 65.64(8.75) SD years, used for the study, 56.7% of the patients had hyperglycaemia, whereas 47.2% were known diabetics. Hypertriglyceridaemiawas found in 55.8%, followed by 30.8% of the patients who had a reduced HDL-C and 17.95% of them with increased LDL-C. About 20% of the patients had raised AST, 7.1% raised ALT and 14.7% raised GGT above the normal levels. As high as 63% of stroke patients had high blood pressure. Based on the NCEP criteria, 46.88% of the stroke patients were classified to have metabolic syndrome, while the WHO criteria gave 10.27% of the stroke patients to have metabolic syndrome. None of the 100 healthy controls had the metabolic syndrome. There were a high prevalence of both hypertension and hyperglycaemia among the stroke patients. Stroke patients have all the risk factors of metabolic syndrome, and 46.88% of the patients had the metabolic syndrome, by NCEP guidelines, while none of the control group of healthy subjects had the syndrome. Based on this study, it is important to stress the need for educating the stroke patients and/or their caregivers, on the aetiology of stroke and the treatment options. The general population should also be educated on primary preventive measures for all age groups and both genders.

Source: KNUST