ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Variation in thyroid hormone levels is associated with elevated blood mercury levels among artisanal small-scale miners in Ghana

Mercury can be very toxic to human health even at low dose of exposure. Artisanal small- scale miners (ASGMs) use mercury in gold production, hence are at risk of mercury-induced organ dysfunction. Aim We determined the association between mercury exposure, thyroid function and work- related factors among artisanal small-scale gold miners in Bibiani- Ghana. Method We conveniently recruited 137 consenting male gold miners at their work site in Bibiani- Ghana, in a comparative cross-sectional study. Occupational activities and socio-demo- graphic data of participants were collected using a questionnaire. Blood sample was ana- lysed for total mercury and thyroid hormones. Results Overall, 58.4% (80/137) of the participants had blood mercury exceeding the occupational exposure threshold (blood mercury 5μg/L). T3(P<0.0001) and T4(P<0.0001) were signifi- cantly reduced among the exposed group compared to the non-exposed. TSH showed no significant variation between the exposed and non-exposed groups. Longer work duration ( 5years), gold amalgamation, gold smelting and sucking of excess mercury with the mouth were associated with increased odds of mercury exposure. Blood mercury showed negative correlation with T3(r = -0.29, P<0.0001), and T4(r = -0.69, P<0.0001) and positive correlation with work duration (r = 0.88, P<0.001). Even though a positive trend of associa- tion between blood mercury and TSH levels was recorded, it was not significant (r = 0.07, P = 0.4121) Conclusion Small scale miners in Bibiani are exposed to mercury above the occupational threshold which may affect thyroid hormone levels.

Source: UCC
Variation in Total and Differential Haemocyte Count of Busseola fusca (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Parasitized by Two Biotypes of Cotesia sesamiae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and Larval Growth Responses

Cotesia sesamiae (Cameron) is an indigenous larval endoparasitoid that attacks mid- to late-stage gramineous stem borer larvae in Africa. Two biotypes ofC.sesamiae have been reported with differential abilities to suppress the immune system of Busseola fusca Fuller. Eggs of a C. sesamiae population from Mombasa were encapsulated, whereas eggs of a population from Kitale were not. Total and differential hemocytes were counted in larvae of B. fusca at six times (2 h, 14 h, 24 h, 72 h, 120h, 168 h) after being exposed to parasitoids from Kitale and Mombasa. The total numbers of hemocytes in a larva parasitized by theC.sesamiae population from Mombasa were higher as compared with larvae parasitized by the C. sesamiae population from Kitale. Plasmatocytes, in particular, were reduced in larvae parasitized by C. sesamiae from western Kenya from 72 to 168 h after oviposition. Our results suggest that plasmatocytes probably play an important role in the immune response of B. fusca. SigniÞcant proportions of the host larvae were still at the larval stage for those parasitized by C. sesamiae from Mombasa and another species of Cotesia, Cotesia flavipes Cameron at day 12. A reduction of B. fusca larval weight was observed on day 12 after oviposition by C. sesamiae from Kitale.

Source: UCC
A variational Bayes approach to a semiparametric regression using Gaussian process priors

This paper presents a vibrational Bayes approach to a semi-parametric regression model that consists of parametric and nonparametric components. The assumed univariate nonparametric component is represented with a cosine series based on a spectral analysis of Gaussian process priors. Here, we develop fast variational methods for fitting the semi parametric regression model that reduce the computation time by an order of magnitude over Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. Further, we explore the possible use of the variational lower bound and variational information criteria for model choice of a parametric regression model against a semi parametric alternative. In addition, variational methods are developed for estimating univariate shape-restricted regression functions that are monotonic, monotonic convex or monotonic concave. Since these variational methods are approximate, we explore some of the trade-ofs involved in using them in terms of speed, accuracy and automation of the implementation in comparison with Markov chain Monte Carlo methods and discuss their potential and limitations

Source: UCC
Variations in ways of refusing requests in english among members of a College Community in Ghana

This paper discusses the ways by which members of the Berekum Training College, Ghana refuse requests in English, and how age and socio-economic status affect those refusal forms. Employing the ethnographic research design together with the theories of face and politeness, the study reveals that there are two major ways of making refusals in English among the group, namely: direct and, more frequently, indirect refusals. The direct refusals mostly come from elder and higher-status interlocutors to younger and lower-status interlocutors – direct refusals are vertical. On the other hand, indirect refusals are inter- and intra-age and status based – they are both vertical and horizontal. These findings have implications for understanding cross-, inter-, intra-, and socio-cultural communication

Source: UCC
Vers L'enseignement Strategique De La Productionc Ecrite Dans Les Lycees De La Metropole De Cape Coast au Ghana

The focus of this study was on the teaching of French in ten (to) Senior High Schools (SHS's) in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana. Captioned 'Towards strategic leaching of written expression', it sought to find out the classroom practices of leaching Written Expression to identify what really goes on. The main objective was to propose practical steps of teaching written expression which would enhance students' understanding and restore their confidence in writing. From 22 French teachers in the SHS's in the Cape Coast Metropolis quantitative and qualitative data were obtained through questionnaire, class lesson observation and interviews to find out the practices of teaching written expression in the schools. The cognitivists' theory of process writing proposed by Hayes and Flower (1980) which is widely accepted as a key measure of teaching of written expression was adopted for the basis of the analysis. The results revealed that most teachers did not use appropriate processes of teaching the written expression that could give their students the autonomy to effectively engage in the task of writing. At the end of the study, the teachers were urged to adopt appropriate process writing approaches and promote regular formative evaluation practices to enhance their students' competence and autonomy to deal with the task of written expression in French.

Source: UCC
VERS LA CONCEPTION D’UN PROGRAMME DE FORMATION SPÉCIFIQUE EN FRANÇAIS POUR LES SERVEURS/SERVEUSES DE L’HÔTELLERIE-RESTAURATION À ACCRA AU GHANA

This study emanates from observations made during an initial survey we conducted in the restaurants of some hotels in Accra, Ghana. It was observed that waiters/waitresses encounter language barriers while attending to customers who speak only French. The linguistic barrier prevents them from serving these customers very well. The study therefore seeks to analyse the specific language needs of waiters/waitresses already working in restaurants in order to design a training programme in French solely for them as the existing training programmes are too general and target students in school. Using three data collection instruments (questionnaire, interview and non-participant observation), we collected data from 31 waiters and waitresses and three restaurant supervisors working in the restaurants of three hotels in Accra. The instruments were designed based on the framework for target situation analysis and learning needs analysis of Hutchinson and Waters (1987). The findings from the analysis present the waiters/waitresses in question as a group of Ghanaian adults who are professionals and have, on the average, completed Senior High School level. They have a high interest in learning French but do not have the time to take part in an in-person training programme. After identifying nine situations within which the waiters/waitresses communicate with their customers and the tasks they accomplish during those times, the specific needs of waiters/waitresses were analysed. A French training programme was then designed for them. We recommend that the training programme for waiters/waitresses should be implemented in a hybrid mode with most of the sessions online either synchronous or asynchronous.

Source: UCC
Victory Bible Church International: Its origin, development and contributions to pentecostal charismatic ministry in Ghana

The researcher was confronted with the question of the development of Victory Bible Church International. It became necessary therefore to find out how the church began and developed and its contributions to Pentecostal-Charismatic Ministry in Ghana. The history of Victory Bible Church International is crucial because it was among the first few charismatic churches that started the Neo-Pentecostal Movement in Ghana and introduced certain activities into the fraternity. Documents and books were consulted with regard to the development of Victory Bible Church International. Various schools of thought were presented by people. Since the founder and a good number of the founding members are available, they were interviewed to present the authentic story of the origin of the church. This studied ironed out all misconception that Victory Bible Church International broke away not on amicable terms. Victory Bible Church International started after the founder of the church left Christian Evangelical Ministry after he was willfully released by leadership. It is recommended that history is a crucial area of study and that the Ministry of Education must motivate students who have the interest to read history through advertisements and seminars and provide well-stocked history sections in libraries and in tertiary institutions and sponsor their members interested in reading historical studies. The history of the development of Charismatic Churches could be made known to the public within Ghana and beyond.

Source: UCC
Views of clients on post abortion care in the Volta Regional Hospital

The danger of dying from an unsafe abortion in Africa was almost three times higher than that in the Asia, and more than 15 times higher than that in the Latin America. However, reporting complications resulting from abortion remains difficult for some women. This study therefore examined post abortion care at the Volta Regional Hospital. Specifically, the study reviewed reported abortion complications, assessed the post abortion care services rendered to clients, examined the abortion experiences of clients, as well as clients’ views on post abortion services at the Volta Regional Hospital. A conceptual framework was developed based on Health Belief Model and Health System Responsiveness Model to guide the study. An in-depth interview guide was used to collect data from 20 post abortion care clients at the Hospital. Data was analysed manually using qualitative content analysis technique. The study found that medical abortion was the major method of abortion among the women. It was also observed that women reported at the hospital due to incomplete abortion and haemorrhage. The study also revealed that, the post abortion care services provided at the hospital rarely included, family planning, and counseling. On the attitude of service providers and satisfaction with post abortion care services at the hospital, it was observed that clients were generally satisfied with the services rendered to them. Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health should intensify campaign programs on post abortion complications and the need to seek early treatment and in formal health facilities.

Source: UCC
The views of district directors of education on distance education for teachers in the Upper West Region of Ghana

The purpose of this study is to investigate the views of District Directors of Education towards distance education programmes in the Upper West Region of Ghana. There are some common misgivings about the attitudes of District Directors of Education towards distance education programs for teachers in the region. The attitude is a matter of concern and needs to be investigated into. The study purposefully sampled all the eleven District Directors of Education in the Region. Questionnaires are issued out, and the data gathered were analyzed qualitatively. The study revealed that, District Directors of Education have full support for distance education for teachers in the region. However, they provided some suggestions on how to improve upon the programmes for teachers to merit its acceptability. It is crucial to note that, District Directors of Education need workshops and seminar to educate them on the role, and dynamisms of distance education in the 21st century

Source: UCC
Views Of Geography Students On The Role Of The Geography Curriculum In Promoting Environmental Education In Senior High Schools In The Cape Coast Metropolis

This study explored the views of geography students on the role of the geography curriculum in promoting environmental education in SHS in the Cape Coast Metropolis. The descriptive survey design was used for the study. Three hundred and fifty final year geography students were provided a questionnaire on environmental awareness and attitude and a teacher-made test which captured some environmental themes. The results revealed that students demonstrated average knowledge on environmental issues. The results also showed that students were highly aware of the environmental issues. Regarding the attitudes of students toward the environment, results showed that students’ emotions toward the environment were high but their behaviour and actions toward the environment were low. The relationship among environmental knowledge, awareness and attitude were all positive. In addition, it was revealed that environmental knowledge makes a statistically insignificant contribution to environmental attitude. The conclusion drawn from these findings is that environmental knowledge from the geography curriculum seems to be average yet it is not enough to affect students’ attitudes toward the environment. This points to a need for an experiential learning component that emphasizes more practical and connected activities based on the natural environment.

Source: UCC
Views of health workers in cape coast teaching hospital regarding continuous professional development opportunities available to them

This study is aimed at exploring the views of nurses and midwives at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital regarding Continuous Professional Development opportunities available to them. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. A sample size of 250 respondents was selected through the multi-stage sampling technique from a population of 478 nurses and midwives at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH). The underpinning theory for this study was the human capital theory advocated by Becker (1946). It also presents a conceptual framework showing the types of CPD programmes and their benefits to nurses and midwives. The findings of the study revealed workshops, refreshers courses and seminars as the main forms of CPD programmes attended by nurses and midwives at the CCTH. Similarly, it is evident from the study that nurses and midwives engage in CPD programmes to keep them abreast with modern trends in the health profession and also to serve as means for the renewal of their professional licence. However, the study revealed inconvenient workshop schedule and inappropriate date for the CPD programme as the main challenges nurses and midwives faced in accessing the CPD programme. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the hospital management should collaborate with the NMC to organise more CPD programmes frequently for nurses and midwives. Also, there is the need the NMC to actively involve nurses and midwives in the planning of CPD programmes. Finally, the hospital management and NMC should endeavour to invest in organising more CPD programmes for nurses and midwives.

Source: UCC
Views of Lecturers and Students on the Appropriate Ways of Incorporating Industrial Training into the B.Ed. Accounting Curriculum: The Case of University of Cape Coast

The study sought to examine the relevance of the Industrial Training program and its effective integration into the B.Ed. Accounting curriculum. A mixed-methods concurrent triangulation design was adopted to achieve this goal. The study population included final-year accounting education students from the Department of Business and Social Sciences Education at the University of Cape Coast. Using the census method, all 130 B.Ed. Accounting students were included for quantitative data collection, while 12 lecturers teaching B.Ed. Accounting students were conveniently selected for qualitative data. A multi-stage sampling approach, combining purposive, census, and convenience sampling techniques, was employed. Data collection tools consisted of a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire (ranging from strongly disagree [1] to strongly agree [5]) and an interview guide. Quantitative data were analyzed using means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages, while qualitative interview data were transcribed and thematically analyzed inductively. The findings emphasized the significance of Industrial Training and the necessity of incorporating it into the B.Ed. Accounting curriculum. Furthermore, the study highlighted the importance of strong collaboration between the department and industry for the successful implementation of the program. Based on these findings, the study recommended that key stakeholders, such as Deans and Heads of Department, take intentional steps to establish the required structures and measures to ensure the effective integration of Industrial Training into the B.Ed. Accounting curriculum.

Source: UCC
The Views of People with Learning Disabilities with Epilepsy Communication with Carers and Healthcare Professionals

Effective communication plays a crucial role in the management of people with learning disabilities with epilepsy. The literature suggests that poor adherence to treatment is higher among people with learning disabilities. This is attributed to a range of factors including communication difficulties, poor information provision and cognitive impairments. Effective communication has both therapeutic and health promotion functions. This study aimed to solicit services users and carers experiences and perspectives regarding communication with health and social care professionals. Methodology: The study adopted qualitative exploratory approach using in depth interviews and communication diaries. It was a community-based study involving people with learning disabilities with epilepsy in the North-Eastern part of Scotland. Sample size consisted of 28 community-based adults aged 16-50. Informed consent was obtained from the participants and ethical clearance was given by the Grampian Research Ethics Committee. Analysis: Data-driven analysis was applied based on Systematic Text Condensation to produced descriptive findings Findings: Analysis revealed that services users and carers views and experiences of communication with healthcare professionals were largely negative. They reported that they were not being listened to by healthcare professionals although this report varied with individual healthcare professionals and also with the professional discipline. Service users reported that the quantity and quality of information obtained from healthcare professional were limited. Conclusion: The findings suggest that effective communication with people with learning disabilities with epilepsy requires that healthcare providers adopt a listening approach and involve service users as consumers of healthcare services with the rights to information which may improve quality of life.

Source: UCC
The Views of People with Learning Disabilities with Epilepsy Communication with Carers and Healthcare Professionals

Effective communication plays a crucial role in the management of people with learning disabilities with epilepsy. The literature suggests that poor adherence to treatment is higher among people with learning disabilities. This is attributed to a range of factors including communication difficulties, poor information provision and cognitive impairments. Effective communication has both therapeutic and health promotion functions. This study aimed to solicit services users and carers experiences and perspectives regarding communication with health and social care professionals. Methodology: The study adopted qualitative exploratory approach using indepth interviews and communication diaries. It was a community-based study involving people with learning disabilities with epilepsy in the North-Eastern part of Scotland. Sample size consisted of 28 community-based adults aged 16-50. Informed consent was obtained from the participants and ethical clearance was given by the Grampian Research Ethics Committee. Analysis: Data-driven analysis was applied based on Systematic Text Condensation to produced descriptive findings Findings: Analysis revealed that services users and carers views and experiences of communication with healthcare professionals were largely negative. They reported that they were not being listened to by healthcare professionals although this report varied with individual healthcare professionals and also with the professional discipline. Service users reported that the quantity and quality of information obtained from healthcare professional were limited. Conclusion: The findings suggest that effective communication with people with learning disabilities with epilepsy requires that healthcare providers adopt a listening approach and involve service users as consumers of healthcare services with the rights to information which may improve quality of life.

Source: UCC
Views of professional health workers on unsafe abortion in Accra metropolis, Ghana

This thesis seeks to appraise the views of professional health workers on unsafe abortion in the Accra Metropolis, Ghana. The main data for the study were obtained from 30 professional health workers with at least two years working experience in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, in three health facilities in the Accra Metropolis (La General Hospital, Ridge Hospital and Marie Stopes International). In-depth interviews were used to obtain data. Stigmatisation from friends, family, community and religious groups was the main barrier that affected women’s choice of access to safe abortion services. On the issue of methods used, women mostly used misoprostol (cytotec) to terminate unwanted pregnancies. The reason was that misoprostol presents fewer complications. Others resort to herbal mixtures and other concoctions made from several items. The most common complications that were usually presented to the facilities were incomplete abortions, severe bleeding and infections. The professional health workers interviewed knew about the abortion law and could mention at least one condition stipulated in the legal framework. Among the interventions suggested to address unsafe abortion was public education, particularly on the abortion laws of Ghana. The main reason was that people, including some professional health workers lack understanding and interpretation of the abortion. The findings show that there is the need to promote access to comprehensive abortion care. This would help prevent unwanted pregnancies and also manage complications associated with unsafe abortion.

Source: UCC