ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
A Study of the Scrap Metal Trade in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area

The scrap metal trade is growing steadily in Kumasi. To assess the impact of the trade on stakeholders and Ghana in general, there is the need to consider the economic, social and environmental ramifications. Indicators were selected based on the Millenium Development Goals (MDG 1 and 2) and International Labour Organisation’s definition of decent work. Structured questionnaires were used to gather qualitative and quantitative data from scrap metal collectors, scrap dealers, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Environmental Protection Agency, Western Steel, Tema Steel and Special Steel companies. The results were analysed through frequencies and percentages of responses to specific questions. The results indicated that the average incomes generated by scrap metal collectors and scrap dealers were above the minimum wage of labourers in government institutions in Ghana. Nevertheless, the income levels were average figures and are highly variable. The revenue generated from the trade was somewhat sufficient to cater for the social needs of the scrap collectors and dealers. In spite of the significant economic benefits, the scrap trade has the potential to hamper progress towards achieving the MDG 2 which seeks to achieve universal primary education for all by 2015. The EPA is currently not able to keep up with the activities of small scale operators in the scrap trade at the expense of the environment. They were, however, in control of the situation when it comes to steel companies. The KMA has no specialised system for harnessing scraps that come with municipal solid waste in Kumasi and does not regard the menace of stolen scraps from the built environment as a major concern presently. Scrap dealers appeared to be indifferent in the proper disposal of oil spills which were associated with their operations increasing the possibility of polluting underground water. Scrap metal collectors also contribute to environmental pollution by burning plastic coated metals to recover copper.

Source: KNUST
A study of the traditional method of processing shea fruit into shea kernel: effect of some initial processing parameters on quality of the shea kernel

The objective of the study was to determine the effect of certain inlet processing parameters like blanching temperature, blanching time, drying method and drying time on the quality of shea kernel produced from shea nut. The Dagomba traditional shea nut processing method was used. Freshly harvested shea nut was blanched at 70°C for 30 mm and then dried using two different drying methods: solar tent drying and sun drying. Blanching reduced the moisture content of the kernel by 20.58% and moreover, enhanced drying. Solar drying method dries the kernel faster than the sun drying method. The free fatty acid content of the kernel reduced by 86.12% after blanching. There was respective decrease of 72.12% and 74. 04% in free fatty acid content of the solar-dried blanched and sun-dried blanched kernel after 336 hr of drying. The free fatty acid content of the unbianched shea kernel decreased by 20.96% at the end of the solar drying. The peroxide value of the kernel increased by 2.52% after blanching. The peroxide value of the unbianched kernel decreased by 3 9.62% after it had been solar-dried for 336 hr. There was 3.95% decrease in the total tocopherol content of the kernel after blanching. The drying times had significant effect (P<0.05) on the tocopherol content of the kernel over the 336 hr drying period. The compressive strength of the kernel improved after it had been blanched and dried using the solar tent dryer. The compression stress was inversely proportional to the moisture content up to critical moisture content. Below the critical moisture content, as the moisture content further decreased, the force required to let the kernel fail decreased and consequently the stress also decreased. The respective required compression stress for 10% and 1% deformation followed similar trend. Temperature was found out to have influence on enzymatic browning of the kernel. The brownish color of the solar-dried unblanched kernel was the most vivid (a* = 13.97), followed by that of the solar-dried blanched and then sun-dried blanched shea kernel.

Source: KNUST
Study of Trace Elements Levels and Oxidative Stress in Ghanaian Psychiatric Patients Receiving Medication and Treatment Naive Patients

The pathogenesis of a number of diseases like Psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer has been associated with changes in the balance of certain trace elements. Many disorders of the body are related to the altered serum mineral and trace element levels. It is indicative that there is an association between increased oxidative stress and the majority of psychiatric disorders which correlate with the integration of fatty acids and antioxidants, whether from a dietary-habit point of view or from a therapeutic point of view. The question therefore arises whether treatment of psychiatric patients will lead to trace elements dysmetabolism and subsequently oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to estimate trace element (Cu, Zn, Se, Mn, Fe, As, Li, and Cd) levels, oxidative stress and risk factors associated with Psychiatric disorders. In all, one hundred hundred (100) subject were included in the study; fourty (40) treatment naïve, fourty (40) patients receiving medication and twenty (20) control group. The subjects were recruited from the Psychiatric Unit of the Komfo Anokye teaching hospital. Among the three studied population, there was a significant difference in their systolic blood pressure (p=0.0135). Treatment Naïve patients significantly weighed lesser (57.38±1.65) than patients on treatment (69.69±1.76) and the control group (65.80±2.25) (p<0.0001). The mean body mass index of treatment Naïve patient (22.99±0.71) was lower compare to the patient s on treatment (26.56±0.69) and control (23.00±1.08) (p=0.0016). The mean concentrations of copper levels among treatment naïve patient (0.39±0.03) were significantly lower than patients on treatment (0.44±0.03) and the control (0.56±0.05) with a p value of 0.003. Copper levels correlated negatively to a small size effect with zinc levels in treatment naïve patients.The mean concentrations of vitamin E in treatment naïve patient (7.67±0.31) were significantly lower than that of the patient receiving treatment (9.98±0.26) and the control group (11.98±0.28) (p< 0.0001). Malondialdehyde levels were also significantly higher in treatment naïve patient (0.77±0.02) than the patient on treatment (0.69±0.02) and the control (0.66±0.02) (p<0.0001). Selenium levels of treatment naïve patients did not show any correlations with the trace elements, except for zinc in large size effect and iron medium size effect but in patient receiving medication, selenium levels correlated positively with vitamin C in a medium size effect. It is clear from this study that during the progression of psychiatric disorders, there is a concomitant induction of cellular oxidative stress characterized by; an increase in Malodialdehyde (MDA), a product from lipid peroxidation and reduced scavenging activities of vitamin C and E. It is further recommended that studies are done to establish the relationship between Selenium Copper, Zinc and Cadmium among psychiatric patients.

Source: KNUST
Study of Vehicular Traffic Congestion in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis

Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, the Western Regional capital of Ghana, faces severe vehicular traffic congestion due to the influx of people into the Metropolis because of the recent discovery of crude oil in some environs of the Western Region. This has resulted in rapid and uncontrolled development by an unacceptable level of disparity in transportation demand and supply scenario. To assess the severity of the existing vehicular traffic system engulfed by tremendous vehicular traffic congestion in Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, a study was conducted. In the study, traffic volume count, survey of road geometry and calculation of flow capacity was performed. Relevant secondary data was also collected from the Department of Urban Roads Sekondi-Takoradi. The study revealed that Kwesimetim to Ajep link, the core link of the city was found as the busiest link, whereas, the Kwame Nkrumah circle ( Zone 5) was found to be the most congested zone depicting a maximum average traffic volume at a rate of 3138 Veh/h and 3985 Veh/h for the AM and PM peak periods respectively. Two vehicular traffic congestion peaks, first at 6:00AM to 9:00AM and 4:00PM to 7:00PM were identified in the study. Illegal occupations on the roadside by hawkers, mobile shops etc. were among the major causes of vehicular traffic congestion in the commercial hub of the Metropolis (Takoradi Market Circle). A traffic growth rate of 1.51% was identified. The Roadway Congestion Index (RCI) of 3.18 indicated the severity of traffic congestion in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis.

Source: KNUST
A study of the tradition of funeral dirges among the Tepa people of Ashanti

The requirements of social life often impose forms of linguistic behaviour on individuals or groups of individuals in given situations to which are attached values that appear to govern their continued practice. The study of verbal expressions in such situations is important not only for a clearer understanding of problems of meaning in a language, but also for a deeper understanding of a people’s life from which their meaning is ultimately derived. In the social life of the Tepa people, one such situation is the singing of funeral dirges. This genre isolated for study in this work, takes its place alongside other social expressions. in the study of the Tepa funeral dirges therefore, an eclectic method has been a guiding principle. The dirge’s context of situation and its meaning in social life, its performance, its themes, language, structure, style of presentation, scope for creativity, its links with other texts of Akan oral literature as well as the dirge’s future, form the framework within which this poetic expression is examined and discussed. In doing this only some examples of dirge pieces had been given from a huge field. I have had to omit details, which may be of interest to specialists who may point out the exceptions and omissions in the fields touched on. It is hoped that the broad outlines presented in this exploratory work will nevertheless be of general interest even to such people. Notably, this research is based only on the more obvious sources and it is not intended as a comprehensive account but rather as an introduction, presenting the Tepa funeral dirge as part of the people’s oral literature which is worthy of study and interest, and to provoke further research in this fascinating but often neglected field.

Source: KNUST
A study of the supply Chain Management System in Ridge Hospital, Accra

Supply chain Management has assumed an important role in a firm's performance and has attracted serious research attention over the last few years. Companies especially those in the healthcare sector are challenged with finding ways to meet changing demand pattern of customers, to reduce operating cost and to maintain consistencies in data in order to deliver effective healthcare services. This has necessitated a study into the existing Supply Chain Management (SCM) system in the Ridge Hospital, Accra mainly because of the ongoing upgrade of the hospital into a regional hospital. The aim of this research was examine the existing Supply Chain Management System in the Hospital. In order to achieve the aim, the study sought to identify the existing supply chain management procedures and methods adopted by the Hospital, outline the challenges of the existing SCM system in the hospital and suggest measures of addressing these challenges. In the light of this, the scope of the study was focused on the Ridge Hospital, Accra only. The main research instrument used for the study was interviews. Using a convenience approach and purposive sampling technique, the target respondents were supplies m anagers, procurement officers, general stores and pharmacy stores officers. Using Microsoft excel, the data collected from the interviews were grouped together and were analyzed. The study revealed after the analysis that, the stages in the Hospital’s SCM procedures were Procurement Planning, Sourcing, Contracting, Inspection, Storing, Distribution and Evaluation. The study further revealed that the hospital encountered challenges in its operations such as lack of finance, inadequate qualified personnel, poorly integrated information system, and non-adherence to some statutory provisions of the Public Procurement Act, Act 663 . It was therefore recommended that the Hospital should adopt ICT, develop an annual training plan to build capacity of its SCM officia ls, employ a qualified SCM officers to coordinate rather than using national service personnel for most of their operations. Additionally, the new Regional Hospital under construction should take into consideration all the existing challenges of the Hospit al such as space, drainage and proper warehouse system in order to solve these challenges.

Source: KNUST
A study of works produced by metal products design students of Faculty of Industrial Art, KNUST.

This study aimed at investigating and appraising works produced by students of Metal Products Design of Faculty of Industrial Art, KNUST. The research was intended to find out about the strengths and weaknesses of works of students and the future direction of works to be produced by students of the section. The data for the study were collected from both primary and secondary sources. The primary sources of data were gathered through administration of questionnaires to students from year two to year four and the lecturers of the Metal Products Design Section. The secondary sources were from books, journals and internet. Selected works of students from the year 1999-2009 were purposefully sampled. Appraisal on the works were conducted. The study discovered the significance of Metal Products Design in our society. It identified what makes up the Metal Products Design and the type of works produced at the section. The research also found out whether the works were students produced works or commercial works. Again whether works were metal art or artisan works and to what extent were the works relevant to our country. The study recommended immediate introduction of industrial attachment and welding course for students, improving of equipment and tools, increasing lecturer per student ratio and immediate department status for the Metal Products Design Section were some of the major recommendation made.

Source: KNUST
Study on brittleness templates for shale gas reservoirs-A case study of Longmaxi shale in Sichuan Basin, southern China

Differentiating brittle zones from ductile zones in low permeability shale formations is imperative for efficient hydraulic fracturing stimulation. The brittleness index (BI) is used to describe the rock resistance to hydraulic fracture initiation and propagation and measures the ease at which complex fracture net works can be created. In this study, we constructed brittleness templates through the correlation of fundamental rock properties and geomechanical characterization. We then employed the templates to distinguish the brittle, ductile, and brittle-ductile transition zones in the Longmaxi shale gas reservoir, Sichuan Basin of southern China. The approach works in two steps. First, we suggest a new expression for the mineralogical BI by their respective weights based on the analysis of correlation coefficients between mechanical testing and XRD results. Second, we correlate TOC, porosity, pore fluid, natural fractures, and improved BI model with multiple elastic properties to define the brittle, ductile, and transitional zones in the Longmaxi shale gas reservoir of China. Compared with the traditional mineralogy-based BI definition, the improved BI model differentiates the brittle and ductile zones and provides a better sense of the most suitable fracturing regions. Our results show that the brittleness templates, which combine fundamental rock properties, improved BI model, and geomechanical characterization led to identifying favorable zones for hydraulic fracturing and enhanced shale characterization. The proposed brittleness templates’ effectiveness was verified using data from horizontal wells, offset wells, shale gas wells from different origins, laboratory core testing, and seismic inversion of BI across the studied wells.

Source: KNUST
A Study on Performance of Contractors Selected Using the Lowest Bid Evaluation Method as Major Criteria for Government Projects in Ghana, a Kumasi Study

The aim of this study was to investigate Contractors’ performance on projects awarded using the lowest evaluated tender as the major criteria without comparing the figure with Consultant’s estimate as contained in the Public Procurement Act 663(2003), the regulating document for execution of government projects, with the view of identifying a more appropriate method of evaluating Contractors’ bids. The study involved sampling the views of Consultants (both government and private) on the performance of Contractors selected using the lowest evaluated bid method. The study investigated the performance of Contractors selected using lowest evaluated bid by the use of factors that were identified in the literature. It further identified factors that have strong impact on the performance of Contractors. The study also investigated the extent of usage of the Public Procurement in the selection of Contractors for execution of government projects. Out of 120 questionnaires distributed, 75 were retrieved. Fourteen of those returns were found to be poorly completed and were therefore discarded. This brought the responses effectively to 61, representing a response rate of 50.83%. The data was analysed using Stata 11.0 and Principal Component. Responses received revealed that six out of the ten factors identified have strong influence on performance of Contractors. These factors are rate of issuance of warning letters, rate of request to attend to warranty calls; compliance with instructions; compliance with specification; quality level and project completion time. Again among these factors the most influencing ones were quality and compliance with specifications. The study concluded that the performance of Contractors on projects awarded using the lowest evaluated bidder was not satisfactory. And that the unreasonably low tender submitted by the Contractors make it difficult for them to perform satisfactory. Again the major performance indicators that they were unable to achieve were time and contract sum, safety and quality levels. It was further identified that some shortfalls such as frequent variations, delay in payments, and delay in receiving instructions and approvals from Client and Consultants also contributed to the poor performance of the contractors. A key recommendation made from the study is the need to review the method of selecting Contractors spells out in the Procurement Act to possibly make provision for comparison of various bids to Consultants’ estimate so as to eliminate Contractors who quote unreasonably low rates and subsequently are unable to perform.

Source: KNUST
A study on mobile money and retail banking services in Kumasi Metropolis.

The study makes an analysis of mobile money and retail banking services in Kumasi Metropolis using a sample of 130 respondents. In order to conveniently interpret the data, the results are presented in tables and charts. A number of key findings emerged from the field survey where the study shows that the retail banking in Kumasi faces peculiar challenges in service quality, distribution, and cost. However, the challenges and perceptions of the retail banking in the lives of mobile money account users allow the adoption of mobile money services to thrive among the lower-income users. Based on the findings of the study, it was noted that the increasing use of mobile money services among the low earning income category is highly associated with decreases in retail bank users in a way that this tends to pose threat to the growth of retail banking. It is however recommended that banks should consider the possibility of Collaboration Model to involve mobile network operators in the mobile payments value chain that are user friendly and develop them so as to enable deposit/withdraw of money using mobile phone which will meet different customer requirements and capture market niches that expands on market share leading to improved financial performance.

Source: KNUST
A study on factors that contribute to pavement deterioration on the Mampong Arterial (Suame Roundabout – Pankrono Road)

Pavement deterioration is an outcome of structural fatigue and functional distresses. In Ghana, huge investments are made in the construction and maintenance of roads, as in 2008 alone, Government’s expenditure on major rehabilitation and construction was US$ 229 million while US$ 317 million was spent on road maintenance. The interactions of traffic, climate, materials, and time and roadway geometric features account for this distressing phenomenon. Recognizing defects and understanding their causes is essential in providing not only long-term performance but also in the choice of cost-effective maintenance management systems. The goal of this research was to investigate the factors that causes pavement distresses on the Mampong arterial (from Suame Roundabout - Pankrono Estate Junction) by considering traffic and other road related features. Having visually assessed and measured the surface defects on delineated road sections, a Roughometer was also employed to objectively measure the International Roughness Indices for the same sections. Traffic surveys were undertaken to profile the flow pattern and to determine the Equivalent Standard Axle Load (ESAL). Following the correlation analysis, it was found that vehicular traffic and especially ESAL had strong relationships with pavement surface distresses such as depressions, cracks, potholes and rutting. This was demonstrated by high Pearson Correlation coefficients estimated for the various relationships. The overloading of the heavy vehicles and its deteriorating impact on pavements should trigger appropriate responses from policy makers and Road Authorities to ensure strict compliance of axle load limits on our road networks to ensure their sustainability.

Source: KNUST