ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Flexibility and adaptability in Hospital designs (Creating universal spaces)

Over the years, there has been increasing demand on hospital facilities and this has called for a lot of expansion and change of use of space for most hospital buildings. Some of these changes and expansions have been found to be very expensive. This thesis focuses on the overall adaptability of the hospital building by looking at properties that describe the physical and technical infrastructure, areas reserved, expansion possibilities and extra capacity of construction (load capacity, floor height) and technical supply. Here, we use the concept of adaptability to mean the building’s capacity to handle changes; its flexibility and elasticity. A series of case studies and review of other literature was carried out to find out in line with this study. It has been observed that hospitals deal with changes more than any other category of buildings and this has necessitated a lot of renovations and additions to existing structures. It is difficult to add another structure to an existing structure in most hospitals today whiles renovations and change of use have been seen to be very expensive. The essence of this thesis is to give the kind of actions which need to be taken in order to give birth to high physical adaptability and flexibility of the building structure, creating universal spaces which can easily adapt to technological, operational and diagnostic changes. The author found out that due to this difficulty in construction coupled with the high cost of construction, several financiers have in times past and still now proposed the construction of an entirely new facility instead of renovating an old one. It is sad to say that an entirely new one is built only to realise after ten years or more that, it also needs a lot of changes due to technological, operational and diagnostic changes. The author also observed that the issue of adaptability and expansion is usually not high on the agenda during the design stages. In order to arrest this problem, the author recommends that flexibility, adaptability and expansion should be given very high consideration during hospital designs.

Source: KNUST
Flipcharts of selected Akan proverbs for moral education of adolescents

This study is in response to the grave concern about the fallen moral values of children within the ages of ten and fifteen. One of the measures required to address the problem is to turn to our time- honoured proverbs which teach a lot about moral values. While this is possible, the reality of the situation however is that many people do not seem to understand these proverbs neither can they meaningfully and effectively interprete or draw out the relevant moral lessons that they teach for the benefit of the children and society. To ensure an easier and a more meaningful interpretation and understanding of these proverbs and the attendant lessons thereof, this study provides graphic illustrations of selected Akan proverbs to serve as visual images and tools for moral education in the country’s educational institutions.

Source: KNUST
Flood control and assessment of Accra using the weap hydrological model

The increase in the frequency and intensity of flood in some parts of Greater Accra Region is becoming a matter of great concern to the entire nation due to its negative effects on the development of the region. These floods have over the years been attributed to numerous factors including; climate change, urbanization, poor drainage systems, sea level rise and over population. The study used Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) hydrological model to estimate the surface runoffs for the sub-basins and also to find the correlation between Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the historical flood events in Greater Accra. The study also determined the surface runoffs generated within each sub-basin. The WEAP model was used to generate surface runoff from 1990 to 2040 taking 1990 as the base year. ArcGIS 10.3 was used to delineate eight sub-basins and thereafter deter mined the characteristics of the sub-basins. Rainfall normalization was performed using the Standardized Precipitation Index and the results were verified against historical flood events for the basin over the study period. The model output was compared to observed stream flow measurement. In general a good correlation of 0.81 and 0.71 were obtained for correlation coefficient and coefficient of determination respectively. The study re vealed that, a minimum rainfall of about 60 mm would cause flood across all the eight (8) sub-basins. Also, extreme rainfall with SPI of 1.5 or more would cause flood in Greater Accra. The month of June was found to produce the highest volumes of surface runoff while December generated the least volumes of surface runoff with average runoffs of 2.4 ii× 106 m3 and 1.0 × 106 m3 respectively. It was confirmed from the research that, higher volumes of rainfalls in the sub-basins generates higher surface runoffs and therefore there are higher tendencies for floods to occur when rainfalls are high.

Source: KNUST
Floodplain modelling assessment: case study of Weija catchment, Ga West District

Many regions throughout the world have experienced severe river flooding during the recent years. The Weija catchment, which is located in the Ga West District of Ghana in West Africa, is no exception with over 5,000 people affected every year by floods in the area. When land development encroachments into river floodplains are permitted, the magnitude of flood peak discharge increases due to removal of floodplain storage. This study approached the problem of flood modelling using HEC-RAS, which is a flexible 1-dimensional hydraulic model. The analyses made in this study provide indications of the effects of encroachments on flood characteristics; however, the problem is such that each individual case of the left and right channel distance are analysed separately to determine the land which must be allocated in the event of flood. The results from this study revealed that removal of structures in the flood plain and hence subsequent widening of the existing narrow flood bank of the channels will help reduce the devastating effects of the floods whenever the spillways of the dams are opened.

Source: KNUST
Fitting Finite Mixture Model (FMM) to Frequency Data

One of the main variables needed in analyzing quantitative growth, mortality, and stock assessment models in fishery has been age data. Unfortunately, age as the biological measure of time is not readily available in Ghana and other tropical countries. Also, the graphical based methods used by most fishery scientists to dissect and estimate demographic parameters from fishery length frequency data (a viable substitute for the age data) makes statistical inference unreliable. In this work, the computational method of FMM is used to decompose the 2014 yellowfin tuna population into components (age-groups) and the estimates of each component obtained by the Maximum Likelihood (ML) method via Expectation Maximization (EM) and Newton Raphson (NR) algorithms. Based on the size selection in this fishery, it could be infered that the yellowfin tuna population consists of five subpopulations. The mixing proportions for successive age groups increase continuously until at least the fourth component. The difference in the continuous increment in the mean-lengths is at least twice the standard deviations. For efficient decomposition and estimation of the mixture parameters, the study recommeds the FMM and ML method via EM and NR algorithms over traditional graphical methods.

Source: KNUST
Flowering Induction and Cross Compatibility Studies for Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas, L.) Breeding

Lack of flowering in some sweetpotato genotypes, and the existence of incompatibilities among them, do present challenges to sweetpotato breeding programmes. To address these in the breeding programmes at CSIR-CRI, flowering induction and cross compatibility studies for sweetpotato breeding were undertaken. Eight sweetpotato varieties; Faara, Sauti, Ogyefo, Apomuden, Hi-Starch, Otoo, Santom Pona, Okumkom and CIP 440390 were used in reciprocal crosses in the first study to determine cross compatibility groups in the Ghanaian crossing block. The varieties Ogyefo,Sauti, Faara,Ipomoea nil-cv. Kidachi Asagao and Ipomoea setosa Ker. Gawl.were used in the second study of flowering induction, where in Faara, Ipomoea nil and Ipomoea setosawere used as rootstocks.Ogyefo and Sauti were used as scions in the grafting. The first study was conducted in the field and the second study was conducted in both the screenhouse and field. Data to evaluate the success rate of crosses based on the different cross combinations, on time of day, and month of the year the crosses were made, were obtained from crossing to seed production for all the cross combination groups in the compatibility study and data were obtained from graft establishment to flowering for all graft combinations in the flower induction study. All cross combinations made among the Ghanaian sweetpotato cultivars were compatible. Assessment of the number of seeds produced per cross suggests that the crosses;Faara x Apomuden, Apomuden x Faara, Faara x Otoo, Otoo x Faara and Santom Pona x Faara were the most compatible among the seed parents. And the best time of day for hybridization was between 6-7a.m. and 7-8a.m. Seed set was highest in August perhaps due to favourable weather condition for hybridization when; the average minimum temperature was 24.0˚C, maximum temperature, 26.7˚C and relative humidity 86.7%. In the flower induction experiment graft combinations in the field performed far better in flower production thanthose in the screenhouse. Among the rootstocks, I.nil proved to be the most effective in flower induction, followed byI.setosa,while Sauti was the best scion plant in the study. Flowering from the different graft combinations started slowly and increased as the time advanced from the first day to the thirty-fourth day of flowering. Afterwards, all the graft combinations in the field were dead and those in the screenhouse stopped flowering, perhaps due to the harsh weather conditions.

Source: KNUST
Flora divesity of Asokore and Osabene wetlands in the New Juaben Municipality, Ghana

Ghana as a country has developed many policy frame work and strategies to manage its wetlands. But one limitation in wetland management in Ghana is that the Ghana forest and wildlife policy covers only those wetlands designated Ramsar sites with no consideration to the minor wetlands. This study generally focused on the state of non-Ramsar recognized wetlands in the new Juaben Municipality with special reference to the floral diversity of such wetlands. The objectives of the research were to determine the species richness of flora in the Asokore and Osabene wetlands in with respect to species composition, species evenness and population density. Stratified sampling was used to select specific locations of 200m by 20m (400m2) within the study sites to carry out the study. The tools or materials used in the study were ecological tools such as 1m2 quadrant, line transect and point frame were used in sampling the plant species in the determination of species richness, species composition, and abundance. The sampled plant species were identified at the herbarium of the Department of Botany at the University of Ghana using reference for regional manual of flora. The data were analyzed using chi-square and Fisher’s exact test and t-test analysis where possible. Forty four (44) individual plant species belonging to twenty (20) families were sampled and identified at the two study sites each with Asokore having 31 of the species and 13 being observed at Osabene. The study has shown that there is correlation between species diversity and human interaction within the wetland since the Asokore with relative less degree of abuse was found to be more diverse than the Osabene wetland with quite higher degree of abuse.

Source: KNUST
Folktale: A tool for the promotion of artistic and social values among the youth in the Sunyani Municipality.

The thesis is the researcher’s submission to help restore lost social values inherent in folktales. Folktale narrations are non-material aspects of culture; based on thoughts of wisdom or sets of ideas and beliefs of a particular people woven together and told as stories. Also, they are a means by which the people of Sunyani and other people elsewhere preserve, appreciate and pass on their cultural beliefs and values to their younger generations. Folktales imbue in children good and worthwhile attitudes of life such as respect for the aged, patriotism, obedience, humility, respect for rules and laws, kindness and empathy. Stories are told to help children make informed decisions and shun people associated with bad character traits. The narrations and present day dramatization make use of art elements such as costumes, songs, body paintings and other material art forms that promote the performances, bring much gaiety and interest for many to cherish. Unfortunately, cultural awareness and the pride of traditional heritage are fast declining in the atmosphere of urbanization and modernization. All these good cultural practices are being lost in the name of modernization with the electronic and print media taking the centre stage in reducing the time tested values in respect to our culture. This research therefore seeks to unearth to the fullest, the causes of decline in folktale activities among the youth, social values inherent in folktales, the art elements in folktale activities. Furthermore, it attempts to find lasting solutions to rejuvenate the youth’s interest in folktale activities and to make suggestions to resuscitate them among the youth of Sunyani in order to revive the lost values that accompanied the decline of the folktales; whiles playing an active role in the cultural education and awareness in the national reconstruction as an educator to promote socio-cultural ideas of his environment.

Source: KNUST
Folktales as source material for children stories - a retelling of some Northern tales

The objective of this research effort is to demonstrate the possibility of adapting existing oral tales for reading by children: A lot of folktales exist in the oral tradition in Ghana end these, we believe, can be converted into the written form for many children, both within and outside Ghana. Since the oral tradition, including the folktale, is found all over the world, this thesis starts with the Greeks and then narrows down to •the local scene in an attempt to show the universality of the art. The tendency for folktales to travel around the world changing forms and characters is also looked into. The research field chosen is the konkomba of Northern Ghana so we go a little into their socio-economic life, linking it up with their tale-telling as an art of entertainment and of great didactic import. Four tales are then selected from a wide range of knnkomba tales collected during the research, and these are modified into stories for children. A fifth tale is added as an example of the workability of creating new tales out of existing ones by mixing either the motifs or the tale types.

Source: KNUST
Food acquisition and consumption by NOVAfood classification and lived poverty index among rural and urban households in SouthAfrica and Ghana

Objective: This study aimed to determine differences in food consumption by the NOVA food categories in South Africa and Ghana and how they relate to poverty and food supply systems. Design: This study used a cross-sectional design to assess household food acquisition and lived poverty index. Setting: The study was conducted in Khayelitsha and Mount Frere, urban and rural communities in South Africa, respectively, and Ahodwo and Ejuratia, urban and rural communities in Ghana, respectively. Participant: An adult in charge of or knowledgeable about household food acquisition and consumption was selected to participate in the study. Results: A total of 1299 households participated in the study. Supermarkets were a prominent source of ultra-processed foods for households in South Africa, while informal outlets were an important source of ultra-processed foods in Ghana. Consumption of unprocessed foods was higher among South African households (58·2 %) than Ghanaian households (41·8 %). In South Africa, deprivation was associated with increased odds of infrequent consumption of both unprocessed foods (OR 3·431 P < 0·001) and ultra-processed foods (OR 2·656 P <0·001) compared with non-deprivation. In Ghana, no significant differences were observed between deprived households and non-deprived households in relation to the consumption of the NOVA food classes. Conclusion: Different food supply systems and poverty are associated with household acquisition of the different NOVA food classes. Policies should be geared towards formal shops in South Africa and informal shops in Ghana to reduce the consumption of key obesogenic foods.

Source: KNUST
Fond et esthetique verbale dans le mandat de sembene ousmane et le cercle des tropiques d’alioum fantoure

The aim of this study is twofold: (a) to highlight the main themes treated by the two authors (S. Ousmane and A. Fantouré) in the two works studied and (b) to examine the different language techniques that the authors of the two works under study use in presenting their messages to the readership. We chose as the research topic “FORME ET FOND” because (the themes) are topical in nature and constitute a major obstacle to development. Concerning the language used by the two authors, we adopted a combination of literary, stylistic and textual approaches. Our analysis of data revealed that the two authors use simile, metaphor, humour, irony, repetition and personification. Simile and metaphor are dominant in both works. Our investigation of the various text types led us to conclude that the combination of descriptive, narrative, argumentative and dialogue is meant to avoid monotony and arouse interest. On the question of thematic consent, we found that S. Ousmane denounces corruption, fraud, social inequality, bureaucracy and parasitism to mention a few while Fantouré A, criticizes torture, murder, arbitrary arrests, imprisonment, social injustices, oppression and exploitation of Blacks by Black leaders. To help solve some of these problems raised in the two works under study, we recommend that the concept of democracy, good governance and eradication of poverty are made to take centre stage in planning by our respective governments.

Source: KNUST
Food variety, dietary diversity, and type 2 diabetes in a multi‑center cross‑sectional study among Ghanaian migrants in Europe and their compatriots in Ghana: the RODAM study

Purpose The importance of dietary diversifcation for type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk remains controversial. We investigated associations of between- and within-food group variety with T2D, and the role of dietary diversifcation for the relation ships between previously identifed dietary patterns (DPs) and T2D among Ghanaian adults. Methods In the multi-center cross-sectional Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants (RODAM) Study (n = 3810; Ghanaian residence, 56%; mean age, 46.2 years; women, 63%), we constructed the Food Variety Score (FVS; 0–20 points), the Dietary Diversity Score (DDS; 0–7 points), and the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I) variety component (0–20 points). The associations of these scores, of a “rice, pasta, meat and fsh” DP, of a “mixed” DP, and of a “roots, tubers and plantain” DP with T2D were calculated by logistic regression. Results The FVS was inversely associated with T2D, adjusted for socio-demographic, lifestyle, and anthropo metric factors [odds ratio (OR) for T2D per 1 standard deviation (SD) increase: 0.81; 95% confdence interval (CI) 0.71–0.93]. The DDS and the DQI-I variety component were not associated with T2D. There was no association of the “mixed” DP and the “roots, tubers and plantain” DP with T2D. Yet, the “rice, pasta, meat and fsh” DP is inversely

Source: KNUST
Food Handling Behaviour of Food Handlers and Associated Risk Modelling

Food safety is an issue of global concern therefore the activities of food handlers affect the level of safety of prepared foods, which require appropriate guidelines or measures to guide such activities. Various studies have been carried out over time, to guide such activities, and still the problem of safety persists. This study sought to use the fuzzy modeling approach to determine the level of risk food is exposed to due to various handling methods. This was done by determining microbial levels (Microbial Risk Index- output variable) in food samples from selected restaurants in relation to the food handling method such as personal hygiene (PH), facility sanitation (FS), cold holding of food (CHF), hot holding of food (HHF), prevention of cross contamination (PCC) and raw ingredient handling (RIH). Food handlers in the study were also interviewed for knowledge in food safety. Results showed that contamination was attributed to inadequate food safety knowledge and practices. Less than 50 % of food handlers practiced good (high) food temperature management, ≤ 30% exhibited good (high) practices in preventing cross contamination. Inappropriate food safety practices such as inappropriate dressing (82%) usage of jewelry (66%) inappropriate washing of hands (70%), lack of or inappropriate medical screening (82%) and not having requisite training (66%) were also implicated. Modeling of PCC and FS; PH and PCC; CHF and HHF; PCC and CHF; and HHF and RIH gave rapid and high risk with deteriorating conditions. Cold handling of food, CHF and RIH interaction on the other hand gave a gradual rise in risk of microbial contamination. It is thus suggested that, while further studies are required for authoritative conclusions, regulatory authorities should prioritize risk factors such as personal hygiene of food handlers, temperature control during food preparation among others. Also, monitoring of restaurants by regulatory authorities should focus more on those food handling methods that pose risk of higher contamination of food rather than treating all factors as same.

Source: KNUST
Food insecurity and mobility difficulty in middle-aged and older adults: The importance of bio-psychosocial factors

Objective: Food insecurity has been associated with mobility difficulty (MD) in old age. However, there is a scarcity of research on this topic from low- and middle-income countries, while the bio-psychological factors underlying this association are largely unknown. We investigated the food insecurity-MD link in Ghana and explored how sleep, anxiety, loneliness, and physical activity (PA) mediate the association. Methods: Community-based, representative cross-sectional data from the Aging, Health, Well-being, and Health seeking Behavior Study were analyzed (N = 1201; Mage = 66.5; women = 63%). MD was assessed with items from the SF-36 of the Medical Outcomes Study. We assessed food insecurity with items on hunger and breakfast skipping frequency due to lack of food and resources. Adjusted OLS and mediation models via bootstrapping technique evaluated the associations. Results: Results revealed the expected association between food insecurity and MD, such that greater food insecurity was significantly and positively associated with MD across paths (from β = 0.33 to β = 0.42, p < .001). Analyses of indirect effects showed that sleep problems (27.8%), anxiety (15.5%), loneliness (17.5%), and PA (18.0%) mediated the association between food insecurity and MD. Cross-level interactions revealed that food insecurity significantly modified the link between each mediator and MD. Conclusions: Our data provide novel evidence that bio-psychological mechanisms may underlie the food insecurity-MD link and should, therefore, be considered relevant targets for interventions to prevent/manage MD in later life.

Source: KNUST