ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Chest radiography patterns of COVID-19 pneumonia in Kumasi, Ghana

Objectives: To document the pattern of chest radiographic findings in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pa tients with moderate to severe disease. Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Setting: The study site was Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) located at Bantama in Kumasi, the capital town of the Ashanti Region. It is the second largest hospital in the country and the major referral site for Ashanti region and the northern part of the country. The hospital hosts a highly infectious isolation unit (HIIU) for COVID 19 patients with moderate to severe infections and receives referred cases from the region and within the hospital. Participants: The study involved 27 patients admitted to the HIIU at KATH with COVID-19 infection who under went chest X-ray as part of their investigations. Results: The study enrolled 12 males and 15 females. The common comorbidities were hypertension and diabetes. Chest x-ray findings in most of the patients (81.5%) revealed ground-glass opacities while a few of them (18.5%) had lung consolidations without ground-glass opacities. For those with ground-glass opacities, eight (29.6%) had superimposed consolidation. All the participants had positive chest x-ray findings. Conclusion: The chest x-ray findings in the 27 COVID-19 positive patients with moderate to severe disease on ad mission at the KATH HIIU enrolled in this study showed significant pulmonary abnormalities. The predominant pulmonary abnormalities were bilateral peripheral ground-glass opacities with the lower lung zones being mostly affected.

Source: KNUST
Chiefs palaces of Kotoku

Akim Kotoku was one of the three military organizations – Akim Abuakwa, Akim kotoku and Akim Bosome, each known as ‘oman’ or native state, which were formed in order to counteract the raids of the Ashantis. Each of them was ruled by Omanhene. An ‘oman’ is a confederation or groups of people attached to stools – Thus Oda is a member of ‘oman’, Akim Kotoku. The organisation of the akim kotoku oman was as follows – Every town or stool joining an oman was allotted a position in or other of the five groups of battle formation (i) Nifahene – commander of the right wing of the army and political head of those towns whose warriors fought in that wing. (ii) Benkumhene – commander of the left wing and political head of the towns fighting in that wing. (iii) Adontehene – commander of the central body of the army and political head of the towns in that section. Also head of the civil affairs of Oda town as district from oman affairs of which omanhene is head. (iv) Gyasehene – commander of that section of the army which includes the omanhene and his stool. Political head of the towns fighting in that section. The Gyase had three sections; the Gyase proper, Ankobea or out-post guards and Kyidom on rear-guard. The above ‘Ahenfo’ are of equal rank. Twafohene – commander of the Twafo, an advance guard of scouts forming a sub division of the Adonten; Political head of those towns fighting in the Twafo. Those towns approach the Adontenhene through the Twafohene. Political head of those towns fighting in the Ankobea. Those towns approach the Gyasehene through Ankobeahene. Kyidomhene – commander of Kyidom, one of the three sub-divisions of Gyase section. Those towns approach the Gyasehene only through Kyidomhene. Dabehene – Lord of the Omanhene’s sleeping room and leader of sub-division of the fighting force. Political head of some of the towns serving in the Ankobea sub-division of the Gyase section. These approach the Gyasehene through the Dabehene.

Source: KNUST
The chemistry of three indigenous seeds, and the extraction, nutritional and industrial potentials of their oils

This thesis describes the chemistry of the seeds of Carapa procera (Monkey cola), Pentadesma butyracea (Tallow tree) and Telfaira occidentalis (fluted pumpkin), the extraction, nutritional and industrial potentials of their seed oils0 The oil content of the seeds ranged from 46.45% to 66.19% and protein, from 6.34% to 22.54%. Ash values ranged from 2.78% to 3.93% whilst seeds of butyracea contained the highest fibre and carbohydrate values of 13.73% and 22.44% respectively. Chemical composition of defatted seeds showed protein values to be from 8.01% to 54.68%. Fibre contents ranged from 6.40% 15.22%. Ash and carbohydrate values ranged from 3.53% to 10.91% and from 2469% to 64.56% respectively. Amino acid composition analysis revealed that the seeds were low in sulphur containing amino acids. The predominant fatty acids in all the seed oils were palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids. The iodine and saponification values ranges were 51.59% to 99.45% and 194.42% to 214.37% respectively. All the oils had low unsaponifiable matter and acid values. Optimization of aqueous extraction parameters showed that more than 50% of the oils were extractable. Both C. procera and P. butyracea oils could be optimally extracted for 20 mins using a meal: water ratio of 1:7 when the seeds were roasted at 100°C, for 30mm and at 120°C for 45mins respectively. With T. occidentalis however, seed roasting at 100°C for 30 mins., using a na1 : water ratio of 1:6 and an extraction time of 30 mins. ware required to achieve optimuu extraction. Nutritionally, only P. butyracea oil was comparable to palm oil, however all the oils had a good potential for soap making.

Source: KNUST
Chieftaincy disputes in Akuapem Traditional Area: a search for solution

Ghana’s chieftaincy institution has been one of the best known and the most cherished for centuries. The Chief is traditionally, both the political head and the religious head. Before colonial era, most dispute in the Chieftaincy institutions were based on failure of Chiefs to consult the elders, and breaching of any of the taboos of the stool. However, in recent times issues like misappropriating of stool lands, government interference, and greed have also been cited as some of the causes of major disputes in the Chieftaincy institution. The thesis seeks to identify the major causes and effects of chieftaincy disputes in the Akuapem Traditional Area. Discussions went into some of the ways of finding solutions to chieftaincy disputes in the traditional area. Some Chiefs, Queens, Palace courtiers, and some Elderly statesmen were interviewed. Some of the causes of chieftaincy disputes identified in the traditional area centred on the differences in the Abotakyi and the Larteh Accords, succession to throne, demarcations of boundaries, government interference in the chieftaincy institution, etc. The research concludes by recommending that, the Traditional Council and the Regional House of Chiefs needs to be resourced adequately to enable them carry out their mandates effectively. When chiefs realise they can no more hold on to power due to old age or ill-health, they should try handing over to another person. Both the print and electronic media must be circumspect in their reportage of conflict issues.

Source: KNUST
Chlamydia trachomatis prevalence in the Greater Accra region and the Western region of Ghana

Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the most prevalent Sexually Transmitted infections (STIs) worldwide due to its frequent asymptomatic nature and is normally tested alongside Niesseria gonorrhoeae which is also a bacterial pathogen. It is known to cause infections which can lead to ectopic pregnancy and neonatal conjunctivitis among pregnant women and Pelvic Inflammatory diseases (PID) in women when left untreated. C. trachomatis can also lead to infertility among males. Five sites in two regions were selected for the study. These included the 37 Military hospital and Adabraka STI clinic, Accra (Greater Accra region) and the three clinics at Sekondi/Takoradi (2 Medical Reception Station (2MRS), the Naval Health Center and the Air Force Medical Center) in the Western region. Patients who met the eligibility criteria provided consent, filled out a questionnaire and were made to provide urine samples which were transported to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) at 4˚C for Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAAT).A total of 35 C. trachomatis positives out of 340 (151 males and 189 females) patients were detected during the study, giving a prevalence of 10.3%. The prevalence of chlamydia was higher (19.8%, 14/73) among the Takoradi clinics than the Greater Accra clinics (7.9%, 21/267). The males showed higher percentages in all the risk factors analyzed than the females. The risk factors included burning during urination, discharge and bleeding from penis/vagina, foul smell from urine, pain in penis/vagina, pain when having sex, ulcers and warts on genital parts. Burning during urination showed a relationship of a patient testing positive for the disease in both males and females. Most of the symptoms presented did not have any association in testing positive for C. trachomatis. It is recommended that more innovative ways be found to test sexually active young people, since the disease remain subclinical in many people. Health authorities and Clinicians should be encouraged to use NAATs as a diagnostic tool and in the absence of laboratory testing, syndromic approach could be used for diagnosis.

Source: KNUST
Child labour,child health and poverty in Ghana.

Although one of the sustainable development goals aim at eradicating poverty and child labour worldwide. However both are considerably remains high with 150 million of children under 14 years of age engaged in child labour worldwide (UNICEF,2016). From the Ghana living standard survey, poverty in the rural areas of Ghana is 41.8% with 38.3% of children engage in economic activities in the rural areas of Ghana. However in the urban areas poverty remain low with 13.1% of individuals living in poverty and also with 12.4% of children within 9-14 years engaged in child labour (GLSS,2014). Despite international and national efforts, the issue of poverty and child labour still remains a significant pandemic in Ghana. In the academic circle, studies on this topic have receive attention from several researchers. However, some of these studies overlook an endogeneity problem emanating from feedback and self selection. The research analyzed data on children age 5-19 through using both multinomial and 2SLS estimation technique. The result suggested a positive and statistically significant relationship between poverty and child labour. This means that children living in poor households are more likely to be sent to work. On the other hand, working children's health are more likely to affected wounds/cut and skin diseases. Meaning, there is a positive significant relationship between child labour and child health. We also found that children living in the rural areas of Ghana are more likely to be sent to work. This is because the incidence of poverty in rural areas of Ghana is very high. It is advocated that an approach to improving child labour is raising the minimum wage, creating new jobs to reduce unemployment and subsidizing the income of poor and venerable households.

Source: KNUST
Chiral Soliton Models and Nucleon Structure Functions

We outline and review the computations of polarized and unpolarized nucleon structure functions within the bosonized Nambu-Jona-Lasinio chiral soliton model. We focus on a consistent regularization prescription for the Dirac sea contribution and present numerical results from that formulation. We also reflect on previous calculations on quark distributions in chiral quark soliton models and attempt to put them into perspective.

Source: KNUST
Christian Convention Centre — Accra

Within the Christian community in Ghana, the past decade has seen a progressive increase in Christian conventions, meetings, workshops, seminars and crusades. Unfortunately however, after 28 years of Independence, a survey of ‘convention’ facilities in Ghana shows a disappointing inadequacy. The approach in tackling this dissertation was first, the initial data collection of available statistical data, an analysis of this information and the resultant deductions that gave birth to an appropriate design brief with the other related presentations. Feasibility studies show that the establishment of such a convention Centre will greatly help in the fulfilment of the Christian Great Commission in Ghana. This dissertation is thus one of the necessary tooling-up studies fox the development of such facilities in Ghana.

Source: KNUST
Churn Model in the Mobile Telecommunications Industry in Ghana: A Case Study of Vodafone Ghana

In this study, the purpose was to propose an approach to assist Telecom Churn Management, use Kaplan Meier estimator to estimate survival probabilities for each of the value bands High Value Customer (HVC), Medium Value Customer (MVC) and Low Value Customer (LVC), to test whether there is differences in the survival curves of the three value bands and to model the effect of usage (Total MOU, GPRS Usage, Total SMS and Top up Amount) on the risk of churning using Cox Proportional Hazard Model. Data on Prepaid customers was obtained from the start of SIM activation to date. The Kaplan Meier estimator and Cox Proportional Hazard model were the Statistical methods used in the analysis. From the result, we observed that the median churn time for High Value Customers (HVC) is approximately 20 months, Medium Value Customers have a median churn time of 25 months and the Low Value Customers have 11 months of churn median time. Generally, the Log-Rank test indicated significant differences among the survival function of the three value bands (HVC, MVC and LVC). From the Cox model total minute of use (Total MOU) and Top up Amount have significant effects on the survivorship. We conclude that customers who have high top up amount have low risk of churning and have longer survival times.

Source: KNUST
Circulating Levels Of Interferon-Gamma And Interleukin-10 In Hiv-Infected Patients Undergoing Herbal Therapy

This study evaluated the expression of IL-10 and IFN-γ in HIV-infected patients undergoing treatment with different herbal drugs. Four (4) HIV-infected patients were enrolled as study subjects and were placed on herbal therapies for an evaluation period of 6 months. Levels of IFN-γ and IL-10, CD4+ T-cell numbers, and plasma viral load levels were measured in the patients before initiation of the therapy and then monthly throughout the study period. Two (2) patients responded successfully to their treatments suggesting the potential potency of the herbal drug they had taken. However, the 2 remaining patients showed evidence of virological and immunological treatment failure. We also found that, both IFN-γ and IL-10 existed in all patients without any marked dominance of one cytokine over the other. These data suggest that HIV infection stimulates the production of both type 1 and type 2 cytokines but does not induce a polarized type 1 or 2 state. Also while IFN-γ and IL-10 may be involved in the pathogenesis of HIV, their profiles in this study are not clear to be used as an index of HIV treatment.

Source: KNUST
Chromosomal and plasmid-mediated fluoroquinolone resistance in human Salmonella enterica infection in Ghana

Background: Salmonella infection poses significant public health threat globally, especially in resource-limited countries. Emergence and spread of antibiotic resistant strains to fluoroquinolones have led to treatment failures and increased mortality in Salmonella infection. However, there is dearth of information regarding mechanisms of resistance to fluoroquinolones in Ghana. This study therefore sought to identify chromosomal mutations and plasmid-mediated resistance as possible mechanisms of fluoroquinolone resistance from clinical isolates in Ghana. Methods: This was a retrospective study of archived isolates biobanked at Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Ghana. Isolates were obtained from blood, stool and oropharynx samples at two hospitals, between May, 2016 and January, 2018. Salmonella identification was done using standard microbiological protocols and antibiotic susceptibility testing performed by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Isolates with intermediate susceptibility and/or resistance to nalidixic acid and/or ciprofloxacin were selected and examined for chromosomal mutations by Sanger sequencing and plasmid-mediated resistance by PCR. Results: Of 133 biobanked isolates cultured, 68 (51.1%) and 16 (12%) were identified as Salmonella Typhi and non typhoidal Salmonella (NTS), respectively. Sequence analysis of gyrA gene revealed the presence of 5 different nonsynonymous mutations, with the most frequent mutation (Ile203Ser) occurring in 12 out of 13 isolates tested. Gyrase B (gyrB) gene had 1 nonsynonymous mutation in 3 out of 13 isolates, substituting phenylalanine with leucine at codon 601 (Phe601Leu). No mutation was observed in parC and parE genes. Two NTS isolates were found to harbour qnrS plasmid-mediated resistant gene of molecular size 550 bp with high ciprofloxacin MIC of 0.5 μg/ml. Conclusion: This study reports for the first time in Ghana plasmid-mediated fluoroquinolone resistant gene qnrS in Salmonella clinical isolates. Nonsynonymous mutations of gyrA and gyrB genes likely to confer Salmonella reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin were also reported.

Source: KNUST
Christianity and African Traditional Religion in Kumasi: A Comparative Study.

This thesis, Christianity and African Traditional Religion in Kumasi - A Comparative Study, sought to study the differences and similarities of both religions, whether there was the existence of peaceful co-habitation and their collective influence on their host communities. The research findings outlined the differences and similarities in the host communities. The study also established the fact that there was peaceful co-existence of both religions and that their collective influence on their host communities were praise-worthy in terms of the promotion of social cohesiveness and the provision of certain social amenities Primary data collection on the field, extensive interviews and observations were done. The descriptive, narrative, analytical and interpretative methods were applied in describing, analyzing, and interpreting the data collected. Recommendations were given to basically enhance the maintenance and entrenchment of the respect of freedom of worship and possible mechanisms of resolution to be applied in any religious conflict that may arise in the communities under consideration.

Source: KNUST
Cire perdue casting in the production of sculpture: combining traditional Asante and modern casting and forming methods

Traditional Asante cire perdue casting, is usually documented and commented upon from a historical or archaeological point of view. This study looks at the formal and technical aspects of the craft from a contemporary artistic point of view. Techniques are explored for their potential as a creative basis for the production of modern studio art. The three study objectives were: to learn the techniques of traditional Asante cire perdue casting; to explore the use and adaptation of those techniques within a modern studio; and to articulate the expression which resulted from the production of art during the course of the study. The content of the thesis chapters is described as follows: Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: The history and development of the casting craft in Ghana as a historical background for the study. Chapter Three: Describes the present day casting techniques learned during the traditional casting apprenticeship which was undertaken in order to fulfill the first study objective. Techniques learned are compared to techniques written about in the literature. Chapter Four: Pertinent issues which arose from the experience of taking part in a traditional apprenticeship are explored from the artist’s perspective. Chapter Five: Describes a series of independent studio experiments undertaken to find a combination of traditional and modern techniques which would allow the manifestation of artistic ideas into metal. Chapter Six: The Conclusions and results of the study in the form of an artist’s statement and documentation of the art which was created during the study. The statement details the motivations and mental processes for the production of art during this course of study.

Source: KNUST
Circular Economy Capability and Supply Chain Sustainability: The Mediating effect of Green Orientation and the Moderating role of Technology Orientation

The main goal of the study is to examine how well the circular economy works and how sustainable the supply chain is: the role of green orientation as a mediator and the role of technology orientation as a moderator. This study was conducted using a quantitative research approach. A sample size of 180 senior managers was determined from the manufacturing firms selected in Ghana using a purposive sampling technique. A structured questionnaire guide is used as the primary data collection tool. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Smart PL-SEM were used to analyze the data. Descriptive and inferential research methodologies were used to analyze the data. The result shows that circular economy capability significantly predicts economic, environmental, and social sustainability positively. "Green" orientation significantly relates economic, environmental, and social sustainability. The mediating role of green orientation shows a significant impact on economic, environmental, and social sustainability. The result further showed that technology orientation does moderate the influence of circular economy capability on supply chain sustainability (economic, environmental, and social). The study, therefore, highlighted some managerial contributions based on the findings. The model of the study gives a clearer understanding of the core factors that relates supply chain sustainability in the context of multinational firms in Ghana. The outcome of the study also provided insight for practice by identifying individual factors that contribute to social, economic, and environmental sustainability in the supply chain. These factors can be used by multinational firms to develop strategies to deal with challenges regarding specific sustainability issues in the supply chain in Ghana. It is important to understand that, holistically, CEC, GO, and TO have a role to play in ensuring supply chain sustainability. So, it's important for the people who matter to come up with policies and good plans to help CEC, GO, and TO in Ghana deal with the problems they face.

Source: KNUST