ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Daily Cycle of Mitotis in Root Tips of Hydrocleis nymphoides (Willd). Buchenau

Mitosis in the root-tips of Hydrocleis nymphoides occurs throughout day and night with interphase and prophase always predominating and showing a negative correlation with each other. Except for interphase, all the stages are generally more frequent during the day. High temperatures appear to boost interphase and prophase stages whilst low temperatures boost metaphase, anaphase and telophase. © 1975, Japan Mendel Society, International Society of Cytology. All rights reserved.

Source: UCC
Daily Intake and Sources of Trace Elements in Sarotherodon melanotheron from the Benya Lagoon, KEEA, Ghana, Using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis

Consuming fish meal may have health benefits and also contain contaminants. The mean concentrations of ten trace elements (TE) in Sarotherodon melanotheron (Blackchin tilapia) obtained from the Benya Lagoon at Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem Municipality (KEEA) in the Central Region of Ghana were determined. Since this fish is consumed as a whole, the parts of the fish investigated were the bones, muscles and gills. The health index was also determined. The concentrations were determined using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and the standard reference materials used were the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)-336; IAEA- 407, IAEA-350 and National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST) USA SRM 1577b. The Relative standardization method was used in the quantification of all the elements. The estimated health risk calculated showed that the concentrations of Ca, I, K and Al were high in the order Ca > I > K > Al with all exceeding the Maximum Upper Limit (UL) of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for all life stage groups investigated. Cu also exceeded the RDA, for the age group between 1- 13 years and Mn for children between 1-3 years. Cl and Na registered concentration values below their RDA. Analysis showed that all the elements except Ca and K which had the highest concentrations in all the parts of the fish, the same amounts of concentrations of the elements is derived irrespective of the date one eats the fish. And anyone who ate some of the fish was likely to derive more Ca and K nutrients. Using Pearson correlation coefficients calculation, the probable sources of the ten trace elements were determined. This knowledge may also be useful for designing the best management plans for the Benya Lagoon’s ecosystems restoration and protection efforts.

Source: UCC
Dance Movements Of Children: A Case Study Of Preschoolers In Wlnneba

Over the years much of the literature available all around the world, has focused on using dance as a tool to correct some mobility issues in the development of children and the benefits of music and dance to the growing child. In Ghana, limited research has been done on the dance movements of children. The present study adds to the growing body of literature on children's movement to music by investigating the dance movements of Ghanaian preschoolers. It is believed that, dancing not only allows for creativity in children and may also require little or no supervision from caregivers. The study employed a two-phase exploratory mixed method design. The first phase, which was qualitative in nature, employed content analysis and observation to develop a protocol guide that was used in the second phase to investigate the dance movements of the selected participants. The population was drawn from Ghanaian preschoolers in the Effutu Municipality of the Central Region of Ghana. The sample was taken from two (2) public and four (4) private kindergarten schools within the capital of this municipality, Winneba. The second phase was quantitative iri nature where 120 participants from the six (6) schools were recorded dancing in the classroom to some selected Ghanaian popular music excerpts. The study revealed that the older children had improved dance movement responses than younger children; that there was no statistically significant differences between the two genders and finally children in private schools had more interesting dance movements than those in public schools.

Source: UCC
The dangerous couple: illegal mining and water pollution—A case study in Fena River in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

The threat posed by illegal mining to the quality of water resources in Ghana has become a major public concern due to the closing down of some water treatment plants in the country. This study aimed to investigate heavy metal pollution in Fena River due to the illegal mining activities. The study was based on 72 samples from six sampling points for a period of 12 months (January–December). Six heavy metals such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) in water were investigated from Fena River in the Amansie Central District in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The ranges of the heavy metals in water were BDL–1.041, 0.01–0.703, BDL–0.24, 0.17–16.43, 0.46–1.02, and BDL for Pb, Cd, Cu, Fe, Zn, and Hg. 'ree metals exceeded the safe drinking water guidelines making water generally unsafe for drinking and domestic purposes. According to Nemerow’s pollution index results, three metals, namely, Cd, Pb, and Fe, were the principal metal pollutants in the study area, whereas Hg, Cu, and Zn were found not to contribute to the pollution effect. However, of the polluting metals, only Cd polluted all the six sampling sites, whereas Pb polluted five out of the six sampling sites. 'e most striking of the results is the absence of mercury in all the sites studied. The findings from the water quality index confirm that only two of the sites recorded marginal water quality, whereas the remaining four sites recorded poor water quality. 'e high levels of heavy metals polluting water and the deteriorating water quality are due to the illegal mining activities occurring within and around Fena River

Source: UCC
Data accuracy and completeness of midwifery returns indicators in Ejisu Juaben Health Directorate of Ghana

The broad range of activities contained in the provision of Primary Health Care (PHC) places a burden on providers to make optimal use of limited resources to achieve maximal health benefit to the population served. All too often, ad hoc decisions and personal preferences guide PHC resource allocations, making accountability for results impossible. Problems constraining Routine Health Information System (RHIS) performance in low-income countries include: poor data quality; limited use of available information; weaknesses in how data are analyzed and poor RHIS management practices. This study sought to investigate these constraints. A non- experimental before and after study involving baseline assessment of data accuracy and completeness, application of innovative strategies such as mentoring and coaching of Health Information Officers in data quality improvement process. Coincidentally, the intervention improved both data accuracy and completeness performance significantly among the participating facilities. The outstanding performance may be attributed to management’s new orientation and growing interest towards quality data. Engaging frontline staff in data quality improvement work and provision of regular feedback leads to improvement in data accuracy and completeness. This has implications for decision-making and resource allocation, especially in low-income countries, where the routine health information management system relies heavily on paper work.

Source: UCC
Data Quality Of Capture Fisheries Management In Developing Countries: A Case Study Of Ghana

Quality fisheries data is critical to sustainable fisheries management. Yet, gathering quality national fisheries data for fisheries management remains a huge challenge in many developing countries such as Ghana. This study assessed the quality of marine fisheries data, the methods used in generating the data, and how it influences Ghana‘s fishery‘s sustainability. The FAO standard protocol for national fisheries data collection was used to evaluate the kind of fisheries data collected and the sampling methods. The results indicated that different data sets were collected in different districts and regions of the country showing several discrepancies in the data sets used for developing management plans and policies. 50 landing sites were sampled out of 292 landing sites in Ghana, instead of 166 landing sites. For canoes, 290 were sampled out of 11,583 canoes instead of 372 canoes. Additionally, the results of bioeconomics analysis revealed the underestimation of catch potentials which has implications on the policy and management system. The situation eliminates potentially valuable data samples that could be crucial for the management process, which has an impact on the precision of the estimated catch and effort. This would thus make it more difficult to develop relevant regulations for the fisheries industry because the knowledge gained from this data might result in incorrect conclusions, unwise policy, and irresponsible fisheries management. It is suggested that, for the governance and sustainability of the fish stock, fisheries managers, and policymakers, including all pertinent stakeholders diligently collaborate to strike a balance between sampling techniques, needs, and the understanding of the data required. This should also give a balance collection by field and office staff, as this is essential to producing reliable statistics all year long.

Source: UCC
Data security and protection during the national sim card registration exercise, a study of the Cape Coast metropolis Data security and protection during the national sim card registration exercise, a study of the Cape Coast metropolis

This study sought to investigate data security and protection during the national SIM card registration exercise within the Cape Coast Metropolis in Ghana. The theory underpinning the study was the protection motivation theory. The study employed the multi-case study approach under the qualitative method. Data was collected from nine participants; 3 network provider officials and 6 SIM registration subscribers with an open-ended questionnaire and also from additional secondary sources. The data was analyzed using thematic and content analysis. The study found that the processes that the respondents narrated were largely consistent with the laid down SIM registration procedures, respondents had divergent concerns about data safety and security and it was also realized that the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) is responsible for storing and securing user data. The study recommends that the government and respective agencies involved in the SIM registration process do well to educate the public on the importance of the SIM registration exercise to ensure maximum cooperation and also launch a mobile application for which SIM registration can be completed in the comfort of user’s homes without any human interface to ensure maximum data privacy and security

Source: UCC
Dative alternation in Ghanaian and British varieties of English

Despite the many studies on Ghanaian English, the structure of the verb phrase and, particularly, the relationship between the verb and its arguments have not featured prominently in these kinds of studies. Meanwhile, researchers in probabilistic linguistics who have shown some interest in non-native varieties of English have indicated that studies in dative alternation are crucial in affirming the validity and viability of a variety of English, as well as hold the key to the determination of specific varieties of English (Bresnan et al. 2007). This study thus focuses on the use of the dative alternation in Ghanaian English to determine the differences between the native British and non-native Ghanaian varieties. It also examines the contextual features which influence the dative choices. The corpus-based methodology is used to examine the lemmas of the verb give in dative alternation patterns in the International Corpus of English-Ghana (ICE-GH), and the Lancaster-Oslo/Bergen Corpus of British English (FLOB). The study reveals that the dative alternation of the forms of the verb give are manifested in both corpora, and the Ghanaian English dative alternation choices and their predictor variables are not considerably different from those of the British English. The study observes a common grounds of significance with regard to complexity at the levels of both few and lengthy, pronominality at the level of pronoun, definiteness at the level of definite, animacy at the level of animate, person at the levels of both local and non-local, number at the level of plural, and concreteness at the level of concrete. The implications of the findings are that the Ghanaian variety shares many resemblances than differences with the British English.

Source: UCC
The debate on the use of genetic technology and production of gm foods in Ghana: Ethical perspectives

As has been the case in other parts of the world, recent attempts to pass a bill on the use of genetic technology for food production in Ghana have naturally led to intense debates between those who favour the technology and sceptics. This concept paper points out that both sides of the divide rely on arguments that have been used in other places without sufficiently considering how such arguments relate to the overall political aspirations of Ghana. Using a basic Aristotelian principle of the importance of applying appropriate means for the attainment of an end (phronesis), the paper attempts to contextualize the debate and concludes that gene technology can be used in Ghana, if it is purged of the “genomythology” on which it rests and, if the nation will engage in the search for alternatives

Source: UCC
A Decade of LMS Acceptance and Adoption Research in Sub-Sahara African Higher Education: A Systematic Review of Models, Methodologies, Milestones and Main Challenges

A decade has elapsed since the Learning Management System (LMS) technology permeated its way into higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), offering new paradigms of both blended and online mode e-learning delivery. Parallel to other continents, the introduction of LMS stimulated acceptance and adoption intentions among stakeholders in higher education. This necessitated research into faculty members’ and students’ LMS acceptance and adoption intentions. While some research has been conducted in this dimension, the evidential facts are scattered. There is a need to agglomerate these studies to project a better picture of study patterns and results, to be abreast of the current state of the literature and better direct future research. This study sought to bridge the gap by way of a systematic review of previous studies within a decade of LMS acceptance research in SSA, placing them in contextual paradigms of models, methodologies, milestones, subjects, countries, findings and challenges. Results from a systematic review of 31 studies, revealed key determinants of LMS acceptance/adoption to be Attitude and Perceived Usefulness; followed by Performance Expectancy and Perceived Ease of Use; then lastly Social Influence. Major challenges to LMS implementation identified were ICT infrastructure; LMS usage skills and training; LMS system quality, LMS use policy and management support. TAM1 was the dominant model employed and students were the main subject of studies. Moreover, quantitative approach was the preferred design with Regression as the main statistical tool used for data analysis. The study recommended among others that more UTAUT or TAM3 based studies employing mixed method design with instructors as subjects, using structural equation modelling analysis are needed in SSA LMS research. Leadership and top management of higher education institutions should focus more on ICT infrastructure, LMS usage skills/training, LMS quality related issues, support and ICT policy formulation.

Source: UCC
Decent Work, Work Engagement and Oranizational Performance at Ghana Immigration Service

ABSTRACT The main aim of this study is to examine the relationships between decent work, work engagement and organizational performance among employees at the Ghana Immigration Service. The study employed quantitative research approach and a descriptive research design. The study further utilized census and included all two hundred and thirty-seven (237) personnel of the Aflao division of the Ghana Immigration Services to complete the questionnaires used for the study. The questionnaires used was semi-structured, and it was self-administered. The analytical tools were one-sample t-test, and standard regression analysis. The study recorded that the sampled data perceived higher decent work at the Ghana Immigration Service. The study also found significant effect of decent work on organizational performance. Similarly, there was a significant and positive effect of work engagement on the organizational performance. The study recommends that there should be a systematic approach to enhancing decent work as well as work engagement at the Security Service

Source: UCC
Decentralisation and governance in Ghana: A case of the Kwahu North district

The study set out to examine the impact of decentralisation in the governance of the Kwahu North District. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The data collection tools used were questionnaires and Focus Group Discussion guide. the study covered 136 respondents selected by means of purposive and simple random sampling techniques. The primary data collected were analysed using the Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) Version 15.0 This study revealed that decentralisation has had positive effects on agriculture, social and physical infrastructure in the district. With regard to poverty alleviation and environmental conservation, the effects have been negative. Perceptions of the sampled respondents of decentralisation, governance, indicators of good governance, achievements and challenges of decentralisation corroborated what most writers had said. Among others, the study recommends the capacity building of the various actors of decentralisation, election of government appointees to ensure more accountability and transparency, collaboration between traditional authorities and the District Assembly to protect the environment and minimised deductions from the District Assemblies’ Common Fund by management of the Fund as this deprives the local people of adequate development interventions.

Source: UCC
Decentralization and conflicts: A case study of the Kassena-Nankana West District of Ghana

In Ghana, decentralization has been adopted as a means of promoting democracy and local governance, but the outcomes have been problematic in some cases. This study, which assesses decentralization and conflict in the Kassena-Nankana West District, collected both quantitative and qualitative data from the District Assembly staff and community members through both purposive and stratified sampling techniques. From the study, conflicts result in heightened demand by the Kassena and Nankana for the creation of separate districts out of the existing district. Some of the causes of conflict between the District Assembly functionaries and citizens at the local level include low participation of citizens in decision making, poor dissemination of information from Assembly members to community members and inadequate financial resources for the District Assembly to undertake development projects needed by the people. District Assemblies need to mainstream peace-building and conflict management strategies into the Medium Term Development Plans to prevent conflicts between key stakeholders

Source: UCC
Deciphering the role of the cation in anionic cobaltabisdicarbollide clusters

The counter cation influence (H, Na, K and Li ) on the aggregates formation in aqueous solution of the salts of cobaltabisdicarbollide [1]- and its derivatives (monoiodinated [I-1] - and diiodinated [I2-1]- ) has been studied by means of 11 B{ 1 H} and 1 H{ 11 B} NMR spectroscopy. 11 B{1 H} NMR spectrum of M[1] (M= alkali or H + ) in water exhibits much wider signals than in an organic solvent because organic solvents (acetone) cause disaggregation. The wider resonances are found at concentrations larger than 10 mM while the sharpest signals are found below 10 mM, in which a large fraction of H[1] is in monomeric form and only a small fraction of H[1] participate in the formation of vesicles that has been visualized by CryoTEM. 11 B{ 1 H} NMR of H[1] at concentrations lower than 10 mM corresponds to the monomer and the phase transition that is observed is due to the monomer to micelles transformation. The 11 B-NMR is, therefore, an excellent probe to visualize the phase transition between vesicles/monomer and micelles/monomer that appears between 10 and 20mM, for all tested cations. The 1 H{ 11 B} NMR spectra contribute interesting complementary information to the one retrieved from the 11 B{ 1 H} NMR, particularly in what concerns to dihydrogen bonds formation, C-H•••H-B. These results have been compared with available crystal structures, which reveal the presence of such intermolecular dihydrogen bonds as responsible of the aggregates formation of [1] - in water. Computational analysis of the intermolecular interactions and self-assembly of the anions [1] - [I2-1] - are presented

Source: UCC
Decision making process of females seeking abortion at Ashiaman

Despite the amendment of Ghana’s abortion laws in 1985, aimed at increasing access to safe abortion services, abortion has consistently been an important contributor to maternal morbidity and mortality in the country. Within the current context, this study explored the decision making process of females seeking abortion. The study was undertaken in Ashiaman, located in the Greater Accra region. It was based on 28 in-depth interviews among females between the ages of 15 and 30 years. The data were analysed manually using Miles and Huberman’s framework and the social ecological model as guides. Among the factors influencing the decision to abort a pregnancy were economic difficulties, child spacing, fear of parental reaction, meeting career and educational objectives, attitude of partner, impregnated by someone other than the regular partner and health concerns. Only 7% of the participants were aware of Ghana’s abortion law. Sixty four percent of the participants decided with partners to abort and in 18% of the cases friends and other family members were involved. On the choice of facility, friends, family members, partners and health workers played diverse roles in the process. Based on the findings the study concluded that the abortion decision making process was a complex one involving various stake holders and that for the design and implementation of appropriate interventions there was a need to draw on the voices of all the stakeholders.

Source: UCC