ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Oil revenues and economic growth in oil-producing countries: The role of domestic financial markets

The study estimates the effects of oil revenues on economic growth through financial markets development channel. Using a Panel VAR framework, we determine the proportional contribution of government oil revenue investment and private oil revenue investment among a sample of 83 oil-producing countries during the period, 1990–2015. Also, a two-step system GMM is used to estimate the effect of oil revenues on economic growth conditional on financial markets development. We find that government investment of oil revenues positively affects economic growth conditional on banking sector development but has no effect in the case of the stock market development except via turnover ratio. The findings further indicate that private investment of oil rev enues negatively impacts economic growth conditional on banking sector development. In the case of stock market development, in general, we find no effect. The policy recommendation is that oil-producing countries should pay more attention to share of the oil rent that goes to the government and the development of their banking sector since this can have a positive spill over effect on the development of the economy by government investment of oil revenue.

Source: UG
Oil, politics, and Ghana's democracy

Africa's natural resource-rich countries tend to combine mismanagement of their "windfall" with poor record of democratic governance. However, for Ghana, which has recently become an oil producer, the prospect of escaping the "resource curse" is decent - largely on account of its current status as an electoral democracy. While the prevailing democratic political environment has contributed positively to the crafting of policy governing the new oil sector, and legislation and nascent institutions partially justify such optimism, severe deficiencies in contemporary Ghanaian politics, together with the new resource's aggravation of the country's patronage-fuelled democracy and acrimonious political competition, give cause for caution. © 2012 National Endowment for Democracy and The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Source: UG
The Okada War in Urban Ghana: A polemic issue or policy mismatch?

In recent years the government of Ghana and a section of civil society have clashed over whether motorcycle taxis, christened okada, which are fast becoming a major public transport mode, should be encouraged or not. In an apparent submission to public pressure and in pursuance of sustainable urban development, the government eventually enacted landmark legislation banning the use of motorcycles for commercial purposes. Using stakeholders' perspectives, this paper assesses the synergies and tensions between the respective claims and counterclaims. Among the issues raised against okada are traffic congestion, danger to public safety, and worsening environmental impact. Proponents of okada extol the virtues of maneuverability, compatibility with bad roads, and demand-responsiveness. This study does not discount these claims but rather posits that, fundamentally, substantial allocative and technical inefficiencies have generated large public transit deficits and severe highway congestion, thus creating a market niche for okada. Our study highlights three major outcomes. First, it reaffirms the importance of evidence-based policy making as a solution for sustainable development initiatives. Second, it identifies the human security risks associated with a short-term vision and how reactive regulations can prepare the ground for segregation and fragmented access to the urban landscape. Third, it highlights the role of pressure groups and policy makers in shaping and re-defining urban transportation landscapes in an isolated manner. Rather than taking a systematic approach, such groups and policy makers react with little consideration for their clients: the commuters. The findings corroborate our earlier empirical studies, which revealed okada as an unofficial but thriving mobility option. © University of Florida Board of Trustees, a public corporation of the State of Florida.

Source: UG
The Okada War in Urban Ghana: A Polemic Issue or Policy Mismatch? African Studies Quarterly.

In recent years the government of Ghana and a section of civil society have clashed over whether motorcycle taxis, christened okada, which are fast becoming a major public transport mode, should be encouraged or not. In an apparent submission to public pressure and in pursuance of sustainable urban development, the government eventually enacted landmark legislation banning the use of motorcycles for commercial purposes. Using stakeholders’ perspectives, this paper assesses the synergies and tensions between the respective claims and counterclaims. Among the issues raised against okada are traffic congestion, danger to public safety, and worsening environmental impact. Proponents of okada extol the virtues of maneuverability, compatibility with bad roads, and demandresponsiveness. This study does not discount these claims but rather posits that, fundamentally, substantial allocative and technical inefficiencies have generated large public transit deficits and severe highway congestion, thus creating a market niche for okada. Our study highlights three major outcomes. First, it reaffirms the importance of evidence-based policy making as a solution for sustainable development initiatives. Second, it identifies the human security risks associated with a short-term vision and how reactive regulations can prepare the ground for segregation and fragmented access to the urban landscape. Third, it highlights the role of pressure groups and policy makers in shaping and re-defining urban transportation landscapes in an isolated manner. Rather than taking a systematic approach, such groups and policy makers react with little consideration for their clients: the commuters. The findings corroborate our earlier empirical studies, which revealed okada as an unofficial but thriving mobility option.

Source: UG
Old tractors, new policies and induced technological transformation: agricultural mechanisation, class formation, and market liberalisation in Ghana

This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.

Source: UG
The Older Adult Migrant and Support Systems: A Focus on Haatso and Agbogbloshie Yam Markets’ Communities in Ghana

Social support is an important resource in old age. However, recent research shows that familial support, which used to be the primary source of care for older adults in Ghana has weakened. Using a qualitative descriptive approach and semistructured interviews, this study explored the nature and sources of social support available to 21 older adults who migrated from the northern part of Ghana to live in Haatso and Agbogbloshie Yam Markets. Findings show that the nature of familial support was mainly material and unstructured, irregular, inadequate, conditional, seasonal, and sometimes completely unavailable. External support systems from the community, religious organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and the government were unavailable, inadequate, or seasonal. The findings underscore the need for families to be educated about the needs of older adults and be empowered to help care for their older relatives.

Source: UG
Older Adults’ Expectations and Experiences With Health care Professionals in Ghana

By the year 2050, over 6 million of Ghana’s population will be people aged 60 years and above. Because of increased health challenges that accompany aging, older Ghanaians have health needs to address communicable and chronic non communicable diseases. This suggests that now into the future, older adults in Ghana will have increased contact with health care professionals. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore older adults’ expectations and experiences with health care professionals to generate information that will shape health care policy and service delivery. Interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 23 persons aged 60 years and above from the North and South of Ghana. The transcribed data were imported to NVivo software to aid with analysis of the data. An inductive approach ta data analysis was used, drawing from thematic analyses procedures. Three key findings emerged from the study. These include (a) noncompassionate care—health professionals were neglectful, inattentive, discriminatory, and stigmatizing toward participants; (b) disrespectful attitude— professionals showed disrespect by shouting or yelling, making participants feel invisible, or not distinguishing participants from younger patients; and (c) a better way to treat us—participants called for compassion, patience, respect, honesty, and priority attention from health care professionals. The study contributes to literature on older adults’ experiences with health care professionals and suggests to health policy makers and health care professionals to consider older adults’ care expectations to make health care services elder-friendly.

Source: UG
Older Women in Accra, Ghana: Assessing Their General Health Condition

In the context of increased rural-urban migration, social exclusion of some of the recent urban arrivals and the sharp change in life style in urban communities, some of the most critical health problems of older people may be found in cities. This paper attempts to characterize the general health condition of older women (50 years and over) in Accra, Ghana’s capital city. It employs secondary analysis of data from the Accra Women’s Survey, 2004. The findings broadly suggest that an overwhelming majority of older women lack basic education, are not in any form of paid employment, and are widowed, separated or divorced. 3% the women rate their general health condition as excellent, 18% as very good, 41 % as good. 35 % believe there health condition has worsened in the last 12 months. Such perception of deterioration in health status is associated with increasing age. Almost 4 in 5 older women have difficulty climbing stairs and have pains in their joints; 53 % have malaria, 42 % have high blood pressure, and 8% have diabetes. Thus, older women in urban Ghana are experiencing a double burden of disease. They are afflicted with the common tropical diseases such as malaria, while simultaneously experiencing chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes. Older persons’ concerns have remained marginal to the major social and economic debates in the country. Health services need to be oriented to responding to chronic as well as infectious diseases among ageing individuals.

Source: UG
The Oleaceae family: A source of secoiridoids with multiple biological activities

In the quest to search and discover bioactive compounds from nature, terpenoids have emerged as one of the most interesting and researched classes of compounds. Secoiridoid, a type of the terpenoid, has also been extensively studied, especially their chemical structures and pharmacological effects. Oleaceae is a family of woody dicotyledonous plants with broad economic and medicinal values. This family contains a large number of flavonoids, monoterpenoids, iridoids, secoiridoids and phenylethyl alcohols, of which the secoiridoids have various biological activities. The purpose of this review is to summarize the phytochemical and pharmacological of the secoiridoids (glycosides, aglycones, derivatives and dimers) in the Oleaceae family from 1987 to 2018. This review will also serve as a reference for further studies.

Source: UG
Oligopolistic competition and new technology adoption under uncertainty

The paper examines the adoption of a new technology in oligopoly, where there is ex ante uncertainty about variable costs of the new technology. Each firm can either adopt the new process by bearing some up-front investment or may continue to use the old one, after which firms play a Cournot market game. If in equilibrium both technologies are employed, more uncertainty about the new technology increases (decreases) the number of innovating firms and decreases (increases) the product price if the up-front investment is large (small). Our model applies readily to vertical integration if integrated firms neither buy nor sell the intermediate good on the market. However, if buying and selling is allowed, the number of integrated firms is independent of input price uncertainty.

Source: UG
Olivine compositional mapping of mafic-ultramafic complexes in eastern Xinjiang (NW China): Implications for Cu-Ni mineralization and tectonic dynamics

Early Permian mafic-ultramafic complexes in eastern Xinjiang (Chinese source) are mainly distributed in the Beishan (Chinese source) area, Mid-Tianshan (Chinese source) massif and Jueluotage (Chinese source) belt. Systematic compositional mapping of olivines from these Early Permian mafic-ultramafic complexes demonstrates that an apparently spatial distribution and heterogeneous partial melting in the mantle source exists from the Beishan area, across the Mid-Tianshan massif, to the Jueluotage belt from the south to the north. This is probably consistent with the spatial evolutional differences and tectonic features of these three belts. The decreasing degree of partial melting, as revealed by decreasing Fo contents of olivines, from south to north and from east to west reflects the southward subduction of the Paleo-Asian Ocean and the south location of the indistinct mantle plume in the Permian. Simultaneously, NiO and Fo-mapping in olivine also indicates that sulfide segregation before olivine crystallization played an important role in Ni-Cu mineralization in the mafic-ultramafic complexes. Olivines with the compositional range of Fo (77-86) and NiO (less than 0.22 wt.%) are more favorable for Ni-Cu sulfide mineralization. © 2012 China University of Geosciences and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Source: UG
OMNIgene SPUTUM: A good transport and decontaminating reagent for tuberculosis testing

The Bacteriology Department aims to improve the quality of life first for Ghanaians and the world at large by conducting research into bacterial diseases of public health importance to Ghana and globally. In addition to working on enteric pathogens and sexually transmitted diseases, the department’s current main focus is on the two most important mycobacterial diseases of public health importance to Ghana, namely Buruli ulcer (BU) and tuberculosis (TB).

Source: UG
On agreed actions without agreed notions

In his plea for consensual democracy in Africa, Kwasi Wiredu recommends unanimity about what is to be done, not what ought to be done, or unanimity on action rather than unanimity of values, beliefs and opinion. I caution the use of this procedural instrument by showing that some issues are so value-laden that a group decision cannot be value-neutral. It may sometimes be more productive to entertain value differences to keep them from going underground and becoming dangerous. However, the ability to locate some common interest or ground seems to be crucial for such value confrontation. © 2014 South African Journal of Philosophy.

Source: UG
On being gay in Ghana - Young men's life experiences

In Ghana, individuals who are gay or homosexuals are not likely to disclose their status because of the generally negative attitudes toward homosexual behavior. This general negative attitude has been well documented in the scientific literature. In Ghana, there has been a raging debate on the subject of morality of homosexuality in the mass media for quite a long time. Despite this negative attitude, there are some individuals who have disclosed their status, largely in secret. This paper seeks to discuss the life experiences of nine (9) male university students and the challenges they face due to their sexual orientation. We examine four themes derived from analyses of transcripts of in-depth interviews. The discussion centers on what they believe to have caused their homosexuality, their openness about their sexual orientation, reactions by society and fellow students towards them and the vulnerability they feel due to these reactions. The paper concludes with the thoughts of these gay students on what the university as an entity and Ghana as a whole should do to protect the rights of homosexuals as human beings.

Source: UG
On Clean Energy Use: The Role Of Health Care Facilities In Improving Clean Cooking Energy Adoption In Ghana.

The quest towards a low carbon economy and to achieve the SDG 7 of access to a clean, affordable and modern energy for all has led to numerous studies that seek to examine the determinants of clean energy adoption. Despite the numer ous studies previously conducted that have sought to explain the clean energy transition, the role that health facilities play in promoting clean energy use at the household level remains to be explored. This study investigates the effect of health care facilities on households’ energy adoption using survey data from Ghana and ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation techniques. The study further examines the different effects of different types of health facilities on clean energy adoption. The results show that the presence of a health facility in a community has positive effects on the likelihood of choosing cleaner energy sources for cooking at the household level. Furthermore, lower-level health facilities tend to have a bigger effect on clean energy adoption compared to higher level facilities such as hospitals and clinics. Robustness analyses confirm these findings. The pathways through which this relationship potentially occurs and the implications for increasing adoption of clean energy fuels are discussed.

Source: UG
On Constant Metric Dimension of Some Generalized Convex Polytopes

Metric dimension is the extraction of the affine dimension (obtained from Euclidean space Ed) to the arbitrary metric space. A family F =(Gn) of connected graphs with n ≥ 3 is a family of constant metric dimension if dim(G) = k (some constant) for all graphs in the family. Family F has bounded metric dimension if dim(Gn) ≤ M, for all graphs in F. Metric dimension is used to locate the position in the Global Positioning System (GPS), optimization, network theory, and image processing. It is also used for the location of hospitals and other places in big cities to trace these places. In this paper, we analyzed the features and metric dimension of generalized convex polytopes and showed that this family belongs to the family of bounded metric dimension.

Source: UG
On Facial Expression Recognition Benchmarks

Facial expression is an important form of nonverbal communication, as it is noted that 55% of what humans communicate is expressed in facial expressions. *ere are several applications of facial expressions in diverse fields including medicine, security, gaming, and even business enterprises. *us, currently, automatic facial expression recognition is a hotbed research area that attracts lots of grants and therefore the need to understand the trends very well. *is study, as a result, aims to review selected published works in the domain of study and conduct valuable analysis to determine the most common and useful algorithms employed in the study. We selected published works from 2010 to 2021 and extracted, analyzed, and summarized the findings based on the most used techniques in feature extraction, feature selection, validation, databases, and classification. *e result of the study indicates strongly that local binary pattern (LBP), principal component analysis (PCA), saturated vector machine (SVM), CK+, and 10-fold cross-validation are the most widely used feature extraction, feature selection, classifier, database, and validation method used, respectively. *erefore, in line with our findings, this study provides recommendations for research specifically for new researchers with little or no background as to which methods they can employ and strive to improve.

Source: UG
On multiple imputation-based reconstruction of degraded faces and recognition in multiple constrained environments

Recognition of degraded frontal face images acquired under occlusion constraints remain challenging despite the plethora of reconstruction mechanisms. Though recent works have lever aged on some imputation mechanisms in this regard, their robustness in multiple constrained environments may not be guaranteed and may be affected by the choice of pre-processing mechanism. This paper proposes enhancement mechanisms that augment or complement the use of three (3) multiple imputation mechanisms for facial reconstruction in the presence of multiple constraints (10% and 20% occlusions and varying facial expressions). Specifically, we propose the use of a Discrete Cosine Transform-based (DCT) denoising or a Discrete Wavelet based denoising following Histogram Equalization (HE-DWT) of the reconstructed face images prior to recognition. Experimental results showed that the proposed augmented enhancements improved significantly the recognition rates (90.63% & 91.15% and 86.98% & 85.94% for DCT and HE-DWT at 10% and 20% occlusion levels respectively for Missforest de-occluded face images) as compared with DWT in recognizing degraded frontal face images under moderately low levels of occlusions and varying expressions.

Source: UG
On statistics of extremes under random censoring

In the field of statistics of extremes, the most common assumption is to consider that samples are independent and identically distributed or weakly dependent and stationary from a distribution function F. However, in most real life applications such as survival analysis and reliability data, observations are usually censored. For such data sets, the classical estimators in statistics of extremes need some modification to take into account censoring. Compared to the classical statistics of extremes, the case of censoring is fairly new and in its early stages of development. In this presentation, we propose some estimators of the Extreme Value Index and extreme quantiles when data is randomly censored. We compare the proposed estimators with an exhaustive list of estimators in the literature in a large simulation study. The results show that our estimators are more robust to censoring. In addition, the estimators provide better confidence intervals when there is heavy censoring and more intermediate observations are included in the estimation.

Source: UG
On the allocation puzzle and capital flows: Evidence from foreign direct investment and real sector growth in Africa

This paper takes a new dimension on the foreign direct investment (FDI)–growth nexus through the lens of the allocation puzzle. We examine how the influx of FDI affects the broader economy through its impact on real economic sectors in a panel of 42 Sub‐Saharan African (SSA) countries over 1980–2017. Using a dynamic panel model and decomposing the real sector into its parts, we test for the possibility of a two‐way bi‐directional relationship between growth in agriculture, manufacturing, industry and service value additions, and FDI. There is no evidence of an allocation puzzle at the level of the real sector and the components parts, which suggests that SSA countries with relatively high growth in the real sector will attract more FDI. While the effect of FDI on the real sector is positive at the disaggregated level, there is a positive bi‐directional effect between FDI and growths in manufacturing, industry and service value additions. The results are robust to key determinants of the growth–FDI nexus.

Source: UG