ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Technical efficiency: the pathway to credit union cost efficiency in Ghana

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that tend to influence credit union efficiency, specifically examining cost efficiency (CE) and technical efficiency. Design/methodology/approach Using a two-stage method, the authors first estimate CE using Tones’ SBM data envelopment analysis method and technical efficiency in a variable returns to scale setting during the period 2008–2014. The authors estimate a mixed-effects and two-limit Tobit regression to examine the effect of credit union specific characteristics, banking industry and macroeconomic conditions, on efficiency. Findings Credit unions’ CE averaged 38.9 percent compared to 54.4 percent for technical efficiency. The authors find that technical efficiency does not translate into CE and vice versa. Practical implications The authors suggest that when targeting CE, credit union managers would have to make technical efficiency a priority. A monopolized and inefficient banking sector does not challenge efficiency improvement in the credit unions industry. Originality/value This study employs data from a frontier market.

Source: UG
Techno-functional attribute and antioxidative capacity of edible insect protein preparations and hydrolysates thereof: Effect of multiple mode sonochemical action

Hermetia illucens (edible insect) larvae protein, and hydrolysates were prepared using three pretreatment modes (conventional, fixed-frequency ultrasonic, and sweep-frequency). Protein subunit scores, microstructure, antioxidative activity, and techno-functional property of the respective isolates and hydrolysates were investigated. Alkaline protease hydrolysis significantly enhanced protein solubility, but impaired the emulsifying property and foaming stability. Isolates and hydrolysates treated by ultrasound exhibited highest antioxidative effect, and showed excellent solubility and foam expansion over wide (2–12) pH, likened the conventional. Ultrasonic, particularly sweep-frequency, treated hydrolysates overall showed superior solubility, foam, and antioxidative (ABTS, Superoxide scavenging, and Ferric-reducing) capacity than the remaining modes and isolates (p < 0.05). Treatment type influenced microstructure, functional attributes and antioxidative capacity of hydrolysates and isolates. Thus, functional/antioxidative property could be improved or modified for different food applications based on elected treatment. H. illucens isolate and hydrolysate preparations thereof could suitably be used in development of novel food formulations. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.

Source: UG
Technological and Financial Assessment of Small Scale Palm Oil Production in Kwaebibrem District, Ghana

A study was carried out in the Kwaebibrim District of the Eastern Region of Ghana to study the production practices and the profitability of palm oil production among small scale processors using focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews and participant observations. Three categories of processing equipment namely digester screw press combined, digester with separate hand operated hydraulic press and digester with separate hand operated screw press were found in the district with the latter constituting about 80% of the processing equipment used by the processors. The major activities involved in the processing of fruits into oil are removal of the fruit containing spikelets from the fresh fruit bunches, fruit loosening and storage, boiling and digestion of fruits and pressing and clarifying of the oil produced. Fruits are usually stored for a period ranging from one to four weeks before processing leading often to high levels of free fatty acids in the oil produced. Due to scarcity of firewood in the district, waste lorry tyres and mesocarp fibres are used in place of firewood generating a lot of smoke with serious health risk to processors and other mill workers and the environment. Constraints in the small scale processing industry include inaccessibility to remunerative market especially during the peak fruit production period of February to May, lack of credit and skills and knowledge in good processing practices. The financial appraisal of palm oil production shows that in the peak fruit production period of April-May, processors make a loss of 38% of every cedi in sale in their operations and that the production of palm oil can be a profitable venture only during the lean fruit production season (from September – December) when oil is relatively scarce. The study suggests that to improve the income of small scale processors, there is the need to help the processors change their practices through research but at the same time it also requires work to create entry into the existing value chains through policy (e.g. bye-laws).

Source: UG
Technological Innovations and Realism in Cinema: The Case of Steadicam and André Bazin’s Theory of Realism

The art of cinema is dependent on a dynamic interplay between theory and technology. Theories about cinema inspire technological innovations which in turn expand the potential for the creation and application of more theories. This intimate relationship between theory and technology has shaped the cinema-making industry over the years. There are numerous examples of the way that theory has impacted upon technology, and in return technology has influenced theory. But for the purpose of this essay I will focus on one particular instance, namely André Bazin’s influential theory of realism, and its relationship with one particular technological innovation, that is, Steadicam. Although, Steadicam technology was innovated sometime after Bazin’s death, it provides a valuable point from which to examine questions of technological change in cinema, and their relationship to thinking about realism.

Source: UG
Technological properties and probiotic potential of Lactobacillus fermentum strains isolated from West African fermented millet dough

Abstract Background Throughout Africa, food fermentations are still driven by indigenous microorganisms which influence the nutritional, organoleptic and safety of the final products. However, for improved safety, consistent quality and beneficial health effects, a trend has emerged which involves the isolation of indigenous strains from traditional fermented products to be used as functional starter cultures. These functional starter cultures possess inherent functional characteristics and can contribute to food quality and safety by offering one or more organoleptic, nutritional, technological or health advantage (probiotics). With the aim of selecting potential probiotic starter cultures, Lactobacillus fermentum strains isolated from fermented millet dough were investigated for technological properties and probiotic traits in-vitro. Results A total of 176 L. fermentum strains were assessed for technological properties including rate of acidification, exopolysaccharide production and amylase activity. Following this, 48 strains showing desirable technological properties were first screened for acid resistance. Sixteen acid resistant strains were assessed for additional probiotic properties including resistance to bile salts, bile salt hydrolysis, antimicrobial property, haemolysis and antibiotics resistance. L. fermentum strains clustered into 3 groups represented by 36 %, 47 % and 17 % as fast, medium and slow acidifiers respectively. About 8 %, 78 % and 14 % of the strains showed strong, weak and no exopolysaccharides production respectively. Amylase activity was generally weak or not detected. After exposure of 48 L. fermentum strains to pH 2.5 for 4 h, 16 strains were considered to be acid resistant. All 16 strains were resistant to bile salt. Four strains demonstrated bile salt hydrolysis. Antimicrobial activity was observed towards Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus but not E. coli and Salmonella enteritidis. Lactobacillus fermentum strains were generally susceptible to antibiotics except 6 strains which showed resistance towards streptomycin, gentamicin and kanamycin. Conclusion In vitro determination of technological and probiotic properties have shown strain specific difference among L. fermentum strains isolated from fermented millet dough. Sixteen (16) L. fermentum strains have been shown to possess desirable technological and probiotic characteristics in vitro. These strains are therefore good candidates for further studies to elucidate their full potential and possible application as novel probiotic starter cultures.

Source: UG
Technological properties and probiotic potential of Lactobacillus fermentum strains isolated from West African fermented millet dough

Background Throughout Africa, food fermentations are still driven by indigenous microorganisms which influence the nutritional, organoleptic and safety of the final products. However, for improved safety, consistent quality and beneficial health effects, a trend has emerged which involves the isolation of indigenous strains from traditional fermented products to be used as functional starter cultures. These functional starter cultures possess inherent functional characteristics and can contribute to food quality and safety by offering one or more organoleptic, nutritional, technological or health advantage (probiotics). With the aim of selecting potential probiotic starter cultures, Lactobacillus fermentum strains isolated from fermented millet dough were investigated for technological properties and probiotic traits in-vitro. Results A total of 176 L. fermentum strains were assessed for technological properties including rate of acidification, exopolysaccharide production and amylase activity. Following this, 48 strains showing desirable technological properties were first screened for acid resistance. Sixteen acid resistant strains were assessed for additional probiotic properties including resistance to bile salts, bile salt hydrolysis, antimicrobial property, haemolysis and antibiotics resistance. L. fermentum strains clustered into 3 groups represented by 36 %, 47 % and 17 % as fast, medium and slow acidifiers respectively. About 8 %, 78 % and 14 % of the strains showed strong, weak and no exopolysaccharides production respectively. Amylase activity was generally weak or not detected. After exposure of 48 L. fermentum strains to pH 2.5 for 4 h, 16 strains were considered to be acid resistant. All 16 strains were resistant to bile salt. Four strains demonstrated bile salt hydrolysis. Antimicrobial activity was observed towards Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus but not E. coli and Salmonella enteritidis. Lactobacillus fermentum strains were generally susceptible to antibiotics except 6 strains which showed resistance towards streptomycin, gentamicin and kanamycin. Conclusion In vitro determination of technological and probiotic properties have shown strain specific difference among L. fermentum strains isolated from fermented millet dough. Sixteen (16) L. fermentum strains have been shown to possess desirable technological and probiotic characteristics in vitro. These strains are therefore good candidates for further studies to elucidate their full potential and possible application as novel probiotic starter cultures.

Source: UG
Technological Transfer and Democratization of Education in Africa: Reflections on the Educational Television in Côte d’Ivoire

At the historical threshold of African countries’ independence, the stakeholders of education subscribed to the idea of its critical importance for development. At the 1961 Addis Ababa Conference on “the development of education in Africa,” African states adopted a resolution to achieve universal primary enrollment, working towards increased access to secondary and expansion of the higher education by 1980. Countries across the continent adopted their respective national policies toward their common goal. In the case of Côte d’Ivoire, a highly publicized educational television program was adopted in the early 1970s. This program was conceived as an effective technological innovation for the implementation of the common goal. Despite the confidence of the Ivorian policymakers and the solid international support for this educational television program, ten years after the beginning of the first experimental schools, the program was discontinued. However, it left behind heavy debt acquired through loans obtained to pay for the imported technology and the labor of the consultants and technical assistants who designed and ran the program. Even more important, the program produced a new generation and category of primary school graduates and early school leavers with a different learning experience. The thrust of this presentation is to analyze this educational innovation, with a focus on the potential benefits and perverse effects of technology in its application to education. ​

Source: UG
Technology adoption intensity and technical efficiency of maize farmers in the Techiman municipality of Ghana

This paper analyses the determinants of the intensity of adoption of improved maize technology, technical efficiency and constraints farmers faced in the Techiman Municipality of Ghana. To achieve the objectives, cross-sectional data were collected from 407 maize farmers. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and econometric models such as the Poisson model and the stochastic frontier model. The study found a positive and significant influence of extension contact, formal training, land ownership, hired labour, farm size and mobile phone ownership on the intensity of adoption of improved technology. The stochastic frontier model estimates also found maize farmers to be on, average, 70% technically efficient with increasing returns to scale of 1.26. The intensity of adoption, age, land ownership, livestock ownership and perception of soil fertility by the farmers with household size were found to statistically contribute to the technical efficiency of farmers. The study concludes that intensity of adoption of improved maize technology package elements increases productivity, and, therefore, recommends that subsidy packages and credit should be made available to farmers through government and other financial institutions to increase adoption intensity. This study addresses the gap in the use of improved and multiple maize technology in Ghana

Source: UG
Technology and service quality in the banking industry in Ghana

Globally, retail banks are entering a new era. Sett ing out a clear strategy is becoming more difficult as regulatory and political intervention changes the market structure , and banks are under enormous pressure to restore public confidence in the role that they play in society. A s banks respond to these structural pressures acros s markets and strive to obtain a competitive advantage, the chall enge remains to keep the customer experience and wi der brand perceptions central to all strategic thinking; in t erms of technology and service quality. This resear ch is aimed at the analysis of technology and service quality in the b anking industry in Ghana. The research made use of both primary and secondary data instruments for data gathering; questionnaires were used for gathering primary data and the internet, organization’s website, Board minutes and brochures were means for secondary data collection . The population for the study was staff and customers of six Ghanaian Banks and the sample was restricted t o 500 respondents. Data was analyzed and presented in tab ular and graphical forms; tables, and bar graphs. T his research has reinforced that there are few global trends in retail banking, as customer perceptions are driven by a range of things, including many cultural differences, varyin g levels of overall market maturity and significant differentials in technology and service quality. It is vital to reco mmend that banks combine their knowledge of the cus tomer base with the technology available to improve their serv ice offerings to ensure quality.

Source: UG
Technology As A Predictor Of Students’ Virtual Learning Experiences In Post- Covid Era: Empirical Analysis From A Ghanaian Higher Education Institution

The devastating effect of the Covid pandemic negatively affect most economies while conspicuously changing the mode of interactions in the educational sector from the traditional face-to-face to a full online deployment or a blend of virtual and in-person interactions during the post-covid. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of technology on students’ virtual learning experiences after the peak of the covid pandemic. Three hundred and seventy-nine (N = 379) undergraduate students participated in the study. Findings showed that the use of technology significantly predicted student online teaching and learning also influenced student virtual learning experiences positively. These findings will help managers of higher education institutions invest into training and technology-driven interactions to enhance students’ engagement.

Source: UG
Technology Start-Up Firms’ Management of Data Security and Trust in Collaborative Work with Third-Parties in a Developing Economy

This study seeks to provide an understanding of how data security and trust is managed in the collaborative work between technology start-up firms in developing economies and third-party entities. Using qualitative data from Ghana which was analyzed thematically, it was found that the measures taken to ensure the security and privacy of client datasets vary in intensity among firms. Thus, in collaborating with third-parties, the firms largely depend on industry best practices, policies and service-level agreements, and thus do not attempt to integrate the policies of collaborators with their firm’s policies except in situations where the inclusion elimination of certain clauses are collaborative pre-requisites. The firms also have trust criteria which they use to pre-qualify third-party entities with whom they collaborate. It is concluded that technology start-ups possess attribute that show their core competencies and the quality of their deliveries, but might require a regulatory body to monitor their operations.

Source: UG
Technology Transfer and human resource constraints and challenges: A note to the developing world

Technology transfer is not limited to supplying products and services to a client, who is then left with the challenge of having to use and maintain them. It embodies the adaptation of the products and services to the social and economic conditions of the recipient country and an appreciation of the country’s natural environment. In a macroeconomic sense, three factors must be taken into account when considering technology transfer: differences, similarities and compatibility. This paper examines the issues that affect skills development and acquisition and highlights the tools and policies needed to overcome human resource constraints and challenges in developing countries.

Source: UG
Technology Transfer and National Efficiency: Does Absorptive Capacity Matter?

This paper explores the moderating effects of absorptive capacity on the role of technology transfer in explaining cross-country differences in national efficiency. We used data from 18 sub-Saharan Africa countries over the period 1970–2010 and adopted a stochastic frontier approach. The empirical results show that the coefficients of the interaction terms for measures of technology transfer (trade and machinery imports) and absorptive capacity (relative R&D) are negative and statistically significant. This suggests that absorptive capacity positively influences the degree to which technology transfer affects the efficiency of countries in sub-Saharan Africa. © 2018 The Authors. African Development Review © 2018 African Development Bank

Source: UG
Technology transfer, adoption of technology and the efficiency of nations: Empirical evidence from sub Saharan Africa

In this paper, stochastic frontier analysis is employed to examine the role of technology transfer and absorption of technology, as well as the interaction between technology transfer and absorption in explaining cross country differences in efficiency of nations in sub Saharan Africa over the period 1970–2010. The findings of the study indicate that trade openness, machinery imports, human capital and relative research and development have no empirically apparent effect on efficiency of nations in sub Saharan Africa. However, the interaction term for trade openness and human capital, and that of machinery imports and relative research and development play a significant and quantitatively important role in explaining national efficiency in sub Saharan Africa. The findings imply that policy initiatives to boost national efficiency in sub Saharan Africa must focus on the development of domestic capacity to absorb technology. © 2017 Elsevier Inc.

Source: UG
Technology-Mediated Faculty-Student Interactions among Ghanaian University Students

Perceptions of students in Ghana about their interactions with instructors in Ghanaian university setting were explored. The study was based on the argument that, lack and very few available computers as well as poor students’ computer competences are among the prime reasons why instructors would avoid employing the use of information communication technology (ICT) in pursuance of teaching and learning in higher education in Africa. The success of computer-based learning would therefore require students’ input. We used a survey (sample size=77) and focus group discussion (sample size=6) to obtain students’ perception on student-instructor interactions in a graduate research methods class in Ghana. The mediums of interaction used in the course were (1) a learning management system (Sakai), (2) email, and (3) social media (Facebook). Results from a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the main constituents of students’ perception and preference on student-instructor interactions were (1) perceived utility of course management system and ease of use; (2) perceived importance of social media and convenient access to instructor; and (3) perceived efficacy of the role of course multi-media and timely receipt of course information.

Source: UG
Tectonic significance of carbonatite and ultrahigh-pressure rocks in the Pan-African Dahomeyide suture zone, southeastern Ghana

The association of carbonatite and ultrabigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks in the Dahomeyide suture zone of southeastern Ghana is unique among the Neoproterozoic orogens that surround the West African craton (WAC). Carbonatite occurs in an alkaline complex that decorates the sole thrust of the suture zone and is characterized by high concentrations of incompatible trace elements such as light rare earth elements (LREE), Sr and Ba. Within the suture zone deformed alkaline rocks, including carbonatite, together with mafic granulites form an imbricate stack of thrust panels that involve 2.1 Ga rocks of the WAC basement. The dominant rock unit of the suture zone is composed of mafic granulites in which garnet megacrysts preserve a diagnostic microstructure of UHP metamorphism; it consists of a crystallographically controlled array of exsolved rutile rods in garnet. Metamorphic pressures estimated from Ti concentrations in the inferred precursor garnet indicate P > 3 GPa, which requires subduction (and exhumation) of the suture zone rocks to and from mantle depths during collisional orogeny on the WAC margin. Available age constraints on carbonatite magmatism suggest that continental rifting, leading to the formation of the passive WAC margin c. 700 Ma, occurred c. 100 Ma before intrusion of carbonatite, which was preceded by HP and UHP metamorphism at 610 ± 5 Ma. © The Geological Society of London 2008.

Source: UG