ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT): A Comparative Analysis of Male and Female Academics in Africa

This study aims to investigate or verify whether gender affects the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities among academics. The study used a survey approach that involved questionnaires to solicit data from 154 academics. For the past few years, an assortment of ICT facilities such as computers, laptops, projectors, printers and many others have been available to academics for accessibility and use in collaboration, teacher-student communication, online assignment, research, teaching and learning. Using the t-test analysis, access rates and use of ICT among male and female academics was observed to be insignificant. Again, the findings revealed a significant difference between male and female academics on ‘ICT increasing collaboration with other tertiary faculty members’, ‘performing information/data management activities’ and ‘accomplishing tasks more quickly’. Strategies have been suggested to utilize ICT in educational institutions include improving on ICT infrastructure, provision of a policy environment, increasing Internet bandwidth, providing alternative power supply, improving on ICT infrastructure, enhancing ICT training programs, recruiting more ICT personnel and collaboration between academics and industry.

Source: UG
Application of ISO 22000 in comparison with HACCP on industrial processing of milk chocolate

Hazard analysis was conducted to identify critical control points (CCPs) during cocoa processing and milk chocolate manufacture and applied into a hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) plan. During the process, the different biological, physical and chemical hazards identified at each processing stage in the hazard analysis worksheet were incorporated into the HACCP plan to assess the risks associated with the processes. Physical hazards such as metals, stones, fibres, plastics and papers; chemical hazards such as pesticide residues, mycotoxins and heavy metals; and microbiological hazards such as Staphyloccous aureus, coliforms, Salmonella, Aspergillus and Penicillium were identified. ISO 22000 analysis was conducted for the determination of some pre-requisite programmes (PrPs) during the chocolate processing and compared with the HACCP system. The ISO 22000 Analysis worksheet reduced the CCPs for both cocoa processing and chocolate manufacture due to the elimination of the pre-requisite programmes (PrPs). Monitoring systems were established for the CCPs identified and these included preventive measures, critical limits, corrective actions, assignment of responsibilities and verification procedures. The incorporation of PrPs in the ISO 22000 made the system simple, more manageable and effective since a smaller number of CCPs were obtained. © All Rights Reserved.

Source: UG
Application of livelihood vulnerability index in assessing smallholder maize farming households' vulnerability to climate change in Brong-Ahafo region of Ghana

Climate change is adversely affecting smallholder farming households in Africa and in particular in Ghana because their activity depends on climate-regulated water resources. This study examined the vulnerability of smallholder maize farming households to climate change in the Brong-Ahafo region of Ghana by employing the Livelihood Vulnerability Index with particular emphasis on access to and utilization of water resources. The primary data were based on 150 maize farming households, complemented by secondary data on rainfall and temperature over the period 1983e2013. To assess the climate change effects and related vulnerability, a comparative analysis was performed for theWenchi and Techiman municipalities in the Brong-Ahafo region. The empirical results revealed that farming households in Wenchi municipality were more vulnerable to climate change and weather variability in terms of food, water, and health than those in Techiman municipality. Furthermore, farming households in Wenchi municipality were more vulnerable in terms of adaptive capacity, taking into account the socio-demographic aspects, social networks, and livelihoods of households in the municipality than those in Techiman municipality. These results have implications for the initiation and implementation of climate change adaptation and household resilience projects by the government, donor agencies, and other related organizations in the two municipalities in the region.

Source: UG
Application of Local knowledge in land degradation Assessment in the Bakwu East Municipality.

A number of scientific methodologies have been used in assessing land degradation globally. However, the use of local knowledge in eliciting indicators of land degradation has seen little application by scientists and policy makers. Researchers believe the two approaches could complement each other to provide a holistic assessment of land degradation. The objective of the study was to find out local approaches used in assessing land degradation by farmers of the Bawku Municipality. Secondly, we investigated farmers’ perception of the causes of the problem and their coping strategies. The study was conducted using questionnaire interviews and focus group discussions. Farmers perceived degradation in the soil and vegetation which is explained by population growth, bush burning, overgrazing, fuel wood harvesting, expansion of farm land and drought. Degradation in the soil and vegetation took the form of soil erosion, soil compaction, loss in soil fertility and deforestation. The lack of proper coordination among stakeholders (farmers, Non-governmental Organizations and Local authorities) in the locality has resulted in poor planning and implementation of land degradation intervention measures. Also, some intervention measures are instituted without public consultations, hence the unwillingness of the people to implement them. The primary effect of land degradation include scarcity of wood products for building and domestic energy supply, less pasture for animals and low crop yield which worsens the poverty and hunger amongst the people. The strategies for coping with this environmental challenge include inorganic fertilizer application, organic manure application, diversification of crops, planting of early maturing/drought tolerant crops, dry season gardening/irrigation and mixed cropping

Source: UG
Application of Local Knowledge in Land Degradation Assessment in the Bawku East Municipality

A number of scientific methodologies have been used in assessing land degradation globally. However, the use of local knowledge in eliciting indicators of land degradation has seen little application by scientists and policy makers. Researchers believe the two approaches could complement each other to provide a holistic assessment of land degradation. The objective of the study was to find out local approaches used in assessing land degradation by farmers of the Bawku Municipality. Secondly, we investigated farmers' perception of the causes of the problem and their coping strategies. The study was conducted using questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions. Farmers perceived degradation in the soil and vegetation which is explained by population growth, bush burning, overgrazing, fuel wood harvesting, expansion of farmlands and drought. Degradation in soil and vegetation took the form of soil erosion, soil compaction, loss in soil fertility and deforestation. The lack of proper coordination among stakeholders (farmers, Non-governmental Organizations and local authorities) in the locality has resulted in p oor planning and implementation of land degradation intervention measures. Also, some intervention measures are instituted without public consultation, hence the uliwillingness of the people to implement them. The primary ~/feels of land degradation include scarcity of wood products for building and domestic energy supply, less p asture for animals and low crop yield which ·worsens poverty and hunger amongst the people. The strategies for coping with this environmental challenge include inorganic fertilizer application, organic manure application., diversification of crops, planting of early maturing/drought tolerant crops, dry season gardening/irrigation and mixed cropping.

Source: UG
Application of Markov Chain Techniques for Selecting Efficient Financial Stocks for Investment Portfolio Construction

In this paper, we apply Markov chain techniques to select the best financial stocks listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange based on the mean recurrent times and steady-state distribution for investment and portfolio construction. Weekly stock prices from Ghana Stock Exchange spanning January 2017 to December 2020 was used for the study. A three-state Markov chain was used to estimate the transition matrix, long-run probabilities, and mean recurrent times for stock price movements from one state to another. Generally, the results revealed that the long-run distribution of the stock prices showed that the constant state recorded the highest probabilities as compared to the point loss and point gain states. However, the results showed that the mean recurrent time to the point gain state ranges from three weeks to thirty-five weeks approximately. Finally, Standard Chartered Bank, GCB, Ecobank, and Cal Bank emerged as the top best performing stocks with respect to the mean recurrent times and steady-state distribution, and therefore, these equities should be considered when constructing asset portfolios for higher returns.

Source: UG
Application of Markov process modelling to health status switching behaviour of infants

Background. This study is an attempt to apply Markov process modelling to health status switching behaviour of infants. The data for the study consist of monthly records of diagnosed illnesses for 1152 children, each observed from the month of first contact with Kasangati Health Centre, Kampala, Uganda, until age 18 months. Methods. Only two states of health are considered in the study, a 'Health' state, denoted by W: (for Well), and an 'Illness' state denoted by S: (for Sick). The data are thus reduced to monthly records (W or S) of the states of health of the study sample. The simplest model of dependence of current health state on the past is one that links the current state to the immediately preceding month only; that is a Markov model. The starting point of this study was therefore to determine the proportions of children making the transitions W→W, W→S, S→W, S→S, from one month to the next, for each month from birth (month 0) to 18 months of age (month 18). These were used as estimates of the probabilities of making these transitions for each month from birth. This paper discusses the main features emerging from the study of these transition probabilities. Results. In the first 5 months after birth, the probabilities of making the transitions W→W, W→S, S→W, S→S from one month to the next, showed some dependence on the age of the child. From the sixth month on, however, the dependence on age seemed to wear off. The transition probabilities remained the same from then on, suggesting that the switching pattern between health states behaves, eventually, like a time-homogeneous Markov Chain. This time-homogeneous chain attained a steady state distribution at about 12 months from birth. Conclusions. The study has shown that the transitions between Health and Illness for infants, from month to month, can be modelled by a Markov Chain for which the (single-step) transition probabilities are generally time-dependent or age-dependent. After the first few months of life the dependence on age may wear off, as in this study, leading to a time-homogeneous Markov Chain, which eventually attains a steady state distribution in about 12 months. Interpretations of the transition probabilities as measures of disease prevalence are discussed.

Source: UG
Application of multiple component constraint mixture design for studying the effect of ingredient variations on the chemical composition and physico-chemical properties of soy-peanut-cow milk

Investigations were conducted employing a three-component constrained mixture design to formulate milk blends from soy milk, peanut milk and cow milk. Variations in chemical composition and physico-chemical properties of 10-soy-peanut-cow milk (SPCM) formulations were studied. Variations in soy-peanut-cow milk (SPCM) concentrations influenced to varying levels the chemical composition and physico-chemical properties of blends. SPCM formulations containing significant amounts of all three ingredients used (60-70% soy milk, 20-27% peanut milk and 7-20% cow milk) had high crude protein and fat values ranging from 2.20-2.51% and 5.00-6.35% respectively. Increasing soy concentrations caused relative increases in protein content while fat content increased with increasing peanut concentrations. SPCM formulations were high in the minerals Fe and Mn relative to cow milk which was high in Ca and Zn content. Trends in pH were contrary to titratable acidity and increased with increasing soy milk content but decreasing cow milk content. SPCM formulations demonstrated acceptable non-Newtonian behaviour and consistency indices.

Source: UG
Application of non-thermal pretreatment techniques on agricultural products prior to drying: a review

BACKGROUND: Most agricultural crops contain high moisture content (80–95% wet basis (wb)) which makes them very susceptible to microbial damage leading to shorter shelf-life and high postharvest losses. The high perishability of these agricultural products requires preservation techniques to prolong their shelf-lives. Drying remains an important component of processing in this regard. Therefore, any pretreatment methods for drying agricultural product that decreases the moisture content and minimizes drying time by conserving the quality of the crop product is of prime significance. This article is a comprehensive review of recent developments of non-thermal pretreatment (NTP) methods. A summary of their significance, emerging and innovative methods of this technology together with its applications and limitations are discussed. This article further examines the environmental impact of NTP techniques. RESULTS: NTP techniques, such as high pressure, ultrasound, pulsed electric field and osmotic dehydration methods are essential operations for pre-dehydration of agricultural products prior to drying. These techniques can avoid the deleterious effects of heat on nutritive value, colour and flavour of agricultural products compared to thermal pretreatments. They also enhance the inactivation of the enzymes, improve energy efficiency and mass transfer, reduce processing time, preserve bioactive compounds, improve drying kinetics and drying rate, minimize enzymatic browning, and enhance product quality. CONCLUSION: These findings will provide a better understanding of different NTP methods and also make available more information for selecting pretreatment techniques for drying of agricultural products.

Source: UG
Application of RADAR Corner Reflectors for the Detection of Small Vessels in Synthetic Aperture Radar

Detection of vessels from space-based synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data is an important area of research with many applications, including fisheries monitoring, counter-piracy, and maritime border security. The detection of vessels on the ocean surface in SAR imagery requires that the vessel has sufficiently high radar cross section (RCS). In general, the RCS of an object is a function of the object's material, size, and shape, as well as RADAR parameters such as center frequency. Even, two objects of the same size may have different RCSs based on construction materials (i.e., wood versus metal). In Ghana, as in much of the Gulf of Guinea, wooden canoes 6-25 m in length represent a significant percentage of maritime traffic. These canoes are not easy to detect and track in coastal RADAR, nor are they easily detected in SAR imagery. These vessels may represent a significant risk to maritime safety and security. Here, we describe one possible solution for the problem described-above based on inexpensive, versatile corner reflectors with high RCS. Specifically, we describe the design and construction of high RCS corner reflectors and results from a series of experiments in which corner reflectors were installed on wooden canoes. During the experiments, canoes were deployed to specific locations off the coast of Ghana at specific times, corresponding to the acquisition of space-based SAR imagery. We present results from these experiments, which indicate that wooden canoes with these corner reflectors can be detected in space-based SAR imagery. © 2008-2012 IEEE.

Source: UG
Application of real-time PCR in Ghana, a Buruli ulcer-endemic country, concerns the presence of Mycobacterium ulcerans in the environment

The main research focus of the Electron Microscopy and Histopathology Department in the past 20 years has been in the areas of enteric diarrhoeas with special emphasis on rotavirus. Through its diarrhoea surveillance studies, the Department has helped to firmly establish rotaviruses as a major cause of diarrhoea in children, and document the circulation of unusual rotavirus genotypes in Ghana. The Department has also recently expanded its diagnostic repertoire to include the identification and characterization of noroviruses, astroviruses, and other enteric viruses.

Source: UG
Application of response surface methodology for studying the product characteristics of extruded rice-cowpea-groundnut blends

Response surface methodology (with central composite rotatable design for k = 3) was used to investigate the product properties of extruded rice-cowpea-groundnut blends in a single screw extruder. The combined effect of cowpea (0-20%), groundnut (0-10%), and feed moisture (14-48%) levels were used for formulation of the products. The product moisture, expansion ratio, bulk density and total colour change were studied using standard analytical methods. Well-expanded rice-legume blend extrudates of less bulk density and lower moisture content were produced at low feed moisture. Increasing legume addition affected the various shades of colour in the product. Models developed for the indices gave R2 values ranging from 52.8% (for the b-value) to 86.5% (for bulk density). The models developed suggested that the optimal process variables for the production of a puffed snack with an enhanced nutrition and spongy structure from a rice-cowpea-groundnut blend are low feed moisture of 14-20% and maximum additions of 20% cowpea and 10% groundnut. A lack-of-fit test showed no significance, indicating that the models adequately fitted the data. © 2004 Taylor &amp; Francis Ltd.

Source: UG
Application of response surface methodology for studying the quality characteristics of cowpea-fortified nixtamalized maize

Studies were conducted on the chemical and functional properties of fermented cowpea-fortified nixtamalized maize using response surface methodology. The central composite rotatable design for K = 3 was used to study the combined effect of lime concentration (0-1%), moisture content (55-65%) and cowpea level (0-30%) on pH, titratable acidity, water absorption, protein and viscosity of fermented nixtamalized maize. Regression models were developed to predict the variables. The presence of lime and cowpea influenced the pH, titratable acidity, water absorption, protein content and the cooked paste viscosity of the fermented cowpea-fortified maize. The presence of lime during fermentation generally decreased titratable acidity, water absorption and cooked paste viscosity while the addition of cowpea increased most of the studied indices. Cowpea fortification can therefore be used to increase the nutritive value of nixtamalized maize with acceptable product quality characteristics. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Source: UG
Application of shallow water equations to analyze runoff processes in hilly farmlands

Analysis of runoff processes in farmlands during storm events in particular is an important engineering topic. The shallow water equations describing the physical conservation laws are attractive tools for understanding motion of surface water. A numerical model is developed to reproduce surface water flows during storm events, using the finite element method and the finite volume method applied to the one-dimensional shallow water equations. The numerical model has the advantage of dealing with transcritical flows, wet, and dry processes, irregular channel bed slopes, and channel junctions involving multiply connected networks. Standard numerical tests demonstrated some of these features. Runoff processes from farmlands in a Japanese hilly area is analyzed with the numerical model coupled with another runoff model of black-box type. Parameters of the models are calibrated and validated using observed series of rainfall and runoff discharge data. Simulated results included submergence of hydraulic jumps and flood storage in farming plots, which are very informative in terms of assessing diverse functions of the farmlands.

Source: UG
Application of Shore-Based Video and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Drones): Complementary Tools for Beach Studies

Video camera systems have been used over nearly three decades to monitor coastal dynamics. They facilitate a high-frequency analysis of spatiotemporal shoreline mobility. Video camera usage to measure beach intertidal profile evolution has not been standardized globally and the capacity to obtain accurate results requires authentication using various techniques. Applications are mostly site specific due to di erences in installation. The present study examines the accuracy of intertidal topographic data derived from a video camera system compared to data acquired with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV, or drone) surveys of a reflective beach. Using one year of 15-min video data and one year of monthly UAV observations, the intertidal profile shows a good agreement. Underestimations of intertidal profile elevations by the camera-based method are possibly linked to the camera view angle, rectification and gaps in data. The resolution of the video-derived intertidal topographic profiles confirmed, however, the suitability of the method in providing beach mobility surveys matching those required for a quantitative analysis of nearshore changes. Beach slopes were found to vary between 0.1 and 0.7, with a steep slope in May to July 2018 and a gentle slope in December 2018. Large but short-scale beach variations occurred between August 2018 and October 2018 and corresponded to relatively high wave events. In one year, this dynamic beach lost 7 m. At this rate, and as also observed at other beaches nearby, important coastal facilities and infrastructure will be prone to erosion. The data suggest that a low-cost shore-based camera, particularly when used in a network along the coast, can produce profile data for e ective coastal management in West Africa and elsewhere.

Source: UG