ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Assessment of quality of parboiled Jasmine and Togo marshall rice grown in the Hohoe Municipality of Volta Region

This study was conducted to determine the perception and acceptability of parboiling by stakeholders in the production of rice in Hohoe Municipality of Volta Region, Ghana. It also sought to assess the effect of parboiling on physical, functional as well as cooking characteristics of Jasmine and Togo Marshall Rice. A survey and laboratory work was carried out during this study. Standard procedures were used in the study. Moisture content and broken grains reduced from 12.44% to 12.07% and 82% to 47% respectively as a result of parboiling. On the other hand weight of 1000 grains, whole grains and head rice yield increased from 15.66%, 28%, 52.84% to 18%, 63% and 74.4%, respectively. Swelling power and solubility also increased from 0.58% and 15.46% to 0.64% and 20.21% respectively with parboiling. Water and oil absorption capacities also increased from 1.36% and 1.59% to 1.42% and 1.78% respectively through parboiling. Generally, Togo Marshall rice had superior physical qualities than Jasmine, however the functional qualities were similar in both varieties of rice. As far as physical properties were concern, Togo Marshall rice should be the variety of choice. It is recommended that parboiling should be incorporated into the processing techniques for farmers and processors in the production chain in the Hohoe Municipality to improve rice quality.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of quantities and composition of corn stover in Ghana and their conversion into bioethanol

Corn stover (CS) has currently received great attention worldwide as a potential feedstock for the production of bioethanol as alternative renewable fuel or additive to gasoline. This work evaluates the quantities and chemical characteristics of the CS available in Ghana and their conversion into bioethanol. The average quantity of CS production in Ghana per year was estimated to be 1.77 × 106 t. The cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents of CS obtained from Pioneer 30 W 40, a local maize variety, were found to be 37.72 %, 20.62 %, and 30.50 %, respectively. Alkali pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of the CS yielded a reducing sugar concentration of 157.96 mg/ml within 24 h and an ethanol yield of 0.045 l/kg. It was estimated that 40 % of the average annual CS production has the potential of yielding 140.855 × 106 l of bioethanol.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of records management practices among the administrative staff of University of Education, Winneba – Kumasi (UEW-K) and Mampong (UEW-M) Campuses

Records management seeks to efficiently and systematically control the lifecycle of records that are routinely generated as a result of activities and transactions. Most universities are continuously deploying integrated records management as a means of improving the decision making as well as service delivery quality. It is also generally recognized that at the core of the numerous complex university problems, is a poor capacity for records management. This research thus, attempted to fill this gap by using two satellite campuses (Kumasi and Mampong) of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) as study-survey institution. The study reviewed literature on the concepts of records, their forms as well as the life-cycle of records. It further outlined the benefits and challenges of records management. The study purposely sampled 80 administrative staff comprising senior members, senior staff and junior staff from the two satellite campuses. Flowing from the quantitative nature of the research strategy, structured questionnaires were used as the sole data collection instrument and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. The major findings of the study revealed that the administrative documents are stored in both manual and electronic forms. This leads to quick decision making, saves office space and promotes good corporate governance. It was further indicated that there were insufficient resources in terms of professionally trained records managers, training-starved administrative staff and office space. Therefore, it was recommended that management of UEW should embrace the records management function to ensure its effectiveness, and also professionally trained records managers should be employed.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of radionuclides activities and heavy metals contamination in sediments, water and fish in Lake Bosomtwi and Bui dam

Concentration of heavy metals and natural radioactivity were measured in water, sediment and fish samples from Lake Bosomtwi and Bui dam. The concentrations of the heavy metals in sediments were found to decrease in the sequence, Fe > Mn > Ni > Zn > Cr > Cu > Co > As > Hg for Lake Bosomtwi and Fe > Mn > Ni > As > Cr > Zn > Cd > Cu for Bui dam. Heavy metal concentration in water was in the order: Fe > Pb > Mn > Zn = As > Cd = Cr in Lake Bosomtwi and Fe > As > Pb > Mn > Cd = Zn > Cr for Bui dam whilst metal concentration in fish samples was in the order: Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cr > Cd > Hg for Lake Bosomtwi and Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cr > Cd > Hg for Bui dam. The study indicated a general absence of serious pollution in the two reservoirs with respect to heavy metals. The activity concentration due to 238U, 232Th and 40K determined with the - spectrometer indicated that the surface water radioactivity concentration of 238U, 232Th and 40K were ranging from 0.20±0.07 to 0.98±0.24, 0.03±0.08 to 0.82±0.13 and 0.02±0.67 to 3.32±0.77 Bq/L respectively for Lake Bosomtwi and from 0.13±0.08 to 0.42±0.01, 0.07±0.14 to 0.82±0.14 and 0.78±0.73 to 2.42±0.75 Bq/L respectively for Bui Dam. The average annual effective dose due to ingestion of radionuclide in water ranged from 20.5 to 156 and 26.5 to 162 μSv/year for Lake Bosomtwi and Bui Dam respectively. The average activity concentration of 238U, 232Th and 40K in the sediment from the two reservoirs was 7.90, 7.83 and 169.73 Bq/kg respectively for Lake Bosomtwi and 7.56, 8.11 and 49.0 Bq/kg respectively for Bui Dam which is lower than world averages. The determined absorbed dose rate and annual effective dose for the sediments ranged from 12.41 to 18.74 nGy/year and 15.2 to 23.0 S/year respectively for Lake Bosomtwi and 8.68 to 11.47 nGy/year and 10.6 to 14.1S/year respectively for Bui Dam which are within worldwide recommended average of 59 nGy/year and 100 S/year. None of the radioactivity is expected to cause significant health problems to human beings through ingestion of water, consumption of fish or use of sediments for building purposes. Keywords: Lake Bosomtwi; Bui dam; Heavy metals; Radioactivity; Hazard indices; Absorbed dose rate; Annual effective dose.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of rainfall and temperature as climate variability indicators and their impact on maize (zea mays l.) yield in the Ejura Sekyedumase District: farmers' perception, meteorological data.

This study assessed the perception of farmers in the Ejura Sekyedumase District on Climate variability and how it has affected agriculture from 1993 to 2006. Opinions from 150 respondents selected through a stratified simple random sampling were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Meteorological data was analyzed using INSTAT PLUS v3.33 e whilst grain yield and perception data were analyzed using and Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS) and the results showed that most of the farmers were within the age groups of 31-40 years (34.7%) and 41-50 (30.0%) and most (84.0%) fanners had had formal education. Except for temperature changes which had been noticed by only 9 -14% of the farmers, over 75% had noticed changes in rainfall and drought. Lack of access to jvater was the main factor inhibiting adapting to other methods of watering crops. Lack of access to credit, information on weather and alternative farming practices were the others. Analysis of the areas meteorological data did not strongly support the farmers' perception. The suitable planting time from the analysis of precipitation data in the area is 8th April for the major season and 31st August for the minor season. The mean dates for end of rains were 10th July and 2nd November for the major and minor seasons respectively. Out of the considered meteorological elements, only annual precipitation was found to have considerable influence on the grain yield,

Source: KNUST
An assessment of recruitment and selection practices among Banks in Ghana. A case study of Asokore Rural Bank Limited and Zenith Bank in the Kumasi Metropolis.

Recruiting employees is one of the most important decisions taken at the management level, particularly the HRM department of banking institutions. A strong appointment adds huge value to the organisation and furthers the achievement of its objectives. However, a poor appointment can negatively impact on customers, work teams and organisational effectiveness; and cost a great deal of money. This study concentrates on assessing the recruitment and selection practices; and how it affects performance. A descriptive survey method was adopted where questionnaire was employed to source for primary data. The sample size consisted of fifty (50) senior management personnel and all HR department staff, from Zenith Bank plc and Asokore Rural Bank Limited. From the results, it is evident that the HR department plays a key role in developing and implementing policies and procedures to manage employees, spanning across entry to exit. The HR department is thus, an inseparable entity to the functioning of the banks, as it manages the single most important resource of the organization. It was also revealed that the factors that influence employee selection in the two selected banks are candidates’ personality, educational qualification, work experience, previous projects handled and their computer, communication, aptitude, negotiation and team working skills. The selected banks basically engage two types of recruitment; major recruitment is done by the HR department at the head office while the minor recruitment is done by the HR department of the local branch to cover emergencies using the laid down procedures. Furthermore, commitment to work, low turnover rate, good job performance and employee engagement was found to influence the choice between internal and external applicants. The researcher thus encourages the banks to consider other alternatives such as casual application and recruitment consultants in recruiting employees; this saving time and cost. Foundation training for planning and conducting effective recruitment is recommended to help recruiters to select the right candidate for the requisite vacant position.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of risk factors for hypertension in Dormaa Municipality (Ghana)

Hypertension is an important public health challenge worldwide and is the single most important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. As life expectancy rates improve in Ghana and prevalence of risk factors increase, the burden of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension are also expected to increase. However, little is known about the specific factors that dispose Ghanaians to greater risk of hypertension. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Dormaa municipality using the WHO STEPwise approach to investigate risk factors for hypertension. Study participants were recruited by probability proportional sampling techniques. In all, 202 males and 198 females participated in this study. The mean age of the participants was 50.06 years (95% CI: 48.46-51.66). In all, 40% of all participants in this study had an elevated BP (BP ≥ 140/90mmHg). Further, the rate of isolated systolic hypertension was 11.2% among the study population (12.9% in males and 9.6% among females). Risk factors as measured in the population were advancing age above 45 years (OR = 2.745, CI 1.20 – 6.30, P = 0.017), gender (44.6% males versus 35.4% females with elevated BP, male OR = 0.492, CI 0.28 – 0.86, P = 0.012) and tobacco use (OR = 2.66, CI 1.41 – 5.04, P = 0.003).Males reported a higher mean number of fruit (P = 0.036) and vegetable servings than females (P = 0.009) and spend more time each day on physical activities compared to females (P = 0.000). The results of the present study provide useful data on hypertension prevalence and associated risk factors in Dormaa and the Brong Ahafo region. To be able to control hypertension in the Municipality, health practitioners and policy makers should focus on these modifiable risk factors if any success is to be achieved.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of rehabilitated surface mine lands using geospatial technology a case study: Anglogold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine, Tarkwa, W/R - Ghana

Increased awareness of the importance of environmental sustainability has put pressure on mine reclamation projects, as stakeholders demand close monitoring and detailed reporting. Non-compliance with standard acceptable practices and regulatory requirements can result in the levying of huge fines and loss of social license and legal right to operate a mine. Existing ground-based monitoring techniques such as the Ecological Function Analysis (EFA) and Landscape Function Analysis (LFA) are time and labor intensive when utilized for monitoring vegetation change with periodic assessments. Airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) and Landsat spaceborne remote sensing technologies offer a quick, less demanding alternative in monitoring post-mining reclamation projects. To demonstrate the utility and effectiveness of LIDAR and Landsat in reclamation monitoring, the technologies were applied in the assessment and monitoring of reclaimed disturbed mine-lands at the AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem mine in the Tarkwa area of the Western Region of Ghana. Digital surface and elevation models were extracted from LiDAR dataset and used to estimate vegetation canopy height as well as percentage canopy cover. Derived canopy heights were validated with field measurements. Stepwise regression analysis yielded a linear model with a strong correlation of R2 = 0.913 with RMSE = 1.961. The study also utilized Landsat 4 Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) Imagery for the monitoring of land reclamation projects within the study area, using vegetation cover as proxy for ecosystem health. Spectral vegetation indices were employed to monitor temporal changes of vegetation productivity from 1991 to 2014 of the ecosystem. LiDAR analysis shows mean tree height of 11.59 meters for 10 years old reclaimed site, which compares well with 17.88 metres mean height recorded for adjacent undisturbed natural forest. A Canopy cover percentage, nearing 100% depicting a dense canopy for the reclaimed sites was also recorded. Normalized difference vegetation indices computed shows an average of 0.473 in 1991, -0.005 in 2000 and 0.681 in 2014 with a standard deviation of 0.054, 0.154 and 0.057 respectively. It is demonstrated that LIDAR and Landsat can be effective and relatively precise for monitoring and assessment of reclaimed mined out lands to help take up remedial measures required for environmental sustainability.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of Rehabilitated Surface Mine Lands in Anglogold Ashanti, Obuasi

The burgeoning impact of mining on the environment has created a lot of public concern in recent years. During surface mining the vegetation and the soil are removed causing disturbances to the entire ecosystem. These ecosystems are required to be rehabilitated through a variety of treatments in accordance with the Legislative Instrument 1652 and Act 490. The main objective of this study was to investigate the processes involved in ecological rehabilitation of land affected by surface mining and how successful these schemes have been in reducing the negative impacts and ensuring the sustainable use of the land at AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi. Persons involved with rehabilitation were interviewed to solicit information on the rehabilitation processes of the monitoring sites. The Landscape Function Analysis developed by the CSIRO was used as a monitoring tool to assess two surface mine sites T3 and Justice which were 1 and 20 year/s old respectively and compared with their natural ecotypes to determine their extent of success. On the rehabilitated sites the landscape organisation index, the infiltration, stability and nutrient cycling indices were generally lower than that of the undisturbed ecotypes. The stability, infiltration and nutrient cycling indices of T3 which were 20.6%, 16.7% and 16.2% were lower than their critical threshold values of 39.4%, 24.1%and 16.7% rendering T3 not self - sustainable. Justice was partially self - sustaining because its stability and nutrient cycling indices which were 64.6% and 26.8% exceeded their critical threshold values of 51.5% and 13.8% respectively except for its infiltration of 36.9% which was lower than that of the critical threshold of 40%. The standard errors of the various indices were calculated for statistical reliability. The results obtained suggested that within-site patchiness is more influential and it affects the stability, nutrient cycling and infiltration indices. It was recommended that more engineering features that serve as patches should be encouraged when rehabilitating surface mine sites.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of risk management techniques of construction companies in Ghana: A case study of the Pokuase interchange and local roads project

Risk management (RM) has become an important part of the management processes for any project. Project risk management is one of the nine most critical parts of project commissioning. This indicates a strong relationship between managing risks and a project success. While RM is described as the most difficult area within construction management, its application is promoted in all projects in order to avoid negative consequences. The circumstances within the construction industry has led to the adoption of risk management and analysis. Risk is one of the key factors that can positively affect working effectively inside the firm if it was practiced in the proper way. By doing such, an organization can achieve capital value of rareness and capital value of limitability through which the firm can build stronger competitive advantage by developing, maintaining and retaining core competencies. By gathering relevant research data, this study aims to assess risk management techniques of construction companies in Ghana. Three objectives were set for which literature review was conducted. it includes: key risk factors involved in construction projects, the methods of mitigating occurrence of risk in the Ghanaian construction companies, and the significance of risk management on construction project performance. Quantitative method was adopted in which survey questionnaires were administered to respondents to gather primary data. The analysis was carried out using mean scores and standard deviation. The findings of the research indicated that risk management is of numerous relevance to construction projects success. It was recommended that project stakeholders should engage in more detail planning of projects and also plan alternative approaches to counter uncertainties. Moreover, project stakeholders should ensure that there is adequate and comprehensive training and skills enhancement of project participants. Also there must be effective and appropriate quality assurance in all project activities and preventive maintenance in all construction processes.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of Risk Priority Number of 2.5 Mw Polycrystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Power Plant at Navrongo, Ghana in Sub-Sahara Africa

Understanding failures of photovoltaic (PV) modules is one key factor in enhancing the reliability and service lifetime of PV modules; and hence reducing the cost of PV systems and financial implications on investment. This study seeks to identify the field failures associated with installed PV modules in the Ghanaian climatic condition, which minimize the performance of modules, and pose reliability issues to the solar plants as well as financial implications to manufacturers and investors in the PV sector. Physical examination of the modules using visual inspection checklist and their corresponding electrical performance parameters (I-V characteristics) measurement using multimeter and I-V tracer were performed on two models of the five (5) year old 2.5 MW PV power plant at Navrongo. A MatLab program was used to evaluate the failures and degradation modes of 144 Polycrystalline silicon (Poly-Si) framed modules under the hot dry climate of Navrongo. The program is a statistical reliability tool that uses Risk Priority Number (RPN) to determine the dominant failures by means of ranking and prioritizing the failure modes. The visual inspection revealed front glass slightly soiled, junction box lid fell off, cell interconnect discoloration and backsheet crack between cells as the peculiar failure issues either affecting the performance of the modules and/ or posing safety concern to personnel and properties on site. Mean degradation rates of 1.11%/year and 1.23%/year were respectively computed for Model A (Jinko solar) and Model B (Suntech technologies) types of modules for the power plant studied. These degradation rates values are beyond the standard warranty limit of 1.0%/year reported in literature. In addition, short circuit current (Isc) and fill factor (FF) were determined as the dominant I-V parameters affecting the power degradation rates of the Model A and Model B modules respectively. The study also determined the total Global RPN value of 606 for the Model A type of modules for this plant, whereas that for Model B is 583. These RPN values fall within the reported values ranging from 500 to 755 in literature. With this information, investors can have an insight on the worth of a PV Plant and viability of their investment before making a decision. From this study, it can be concluded that, the five years old PV plant in operation is not performing very well and needs urgent attention to avoid loss based on the degradation rates of the fielded modules.

Source: KNUST