ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Application Of Euler’s Phi-Function In Abstract Algebra

Euler’s phi – function ϕ(n) is defined for every positive integer n as follows: ϕ(1)=1 and whenn≥2then ϕ(n) is the number of distinct integers k∈{1,2,…,n-1}such that k and n are relatively prime. This thesis seeks to examine the application of Euler’s phi-function in the study of cyclic groups, field extensions and cyclotomic polynomials of a finite field. Euler’s phi – function ϕ(n) is defined for every positive integer n as follows: ϕ(1)=1 and whenn≥2then ϕ(n) is the number of distinct integers k∈{1,2,…,n-1}such that k and n are relatively prime. This thesis seeks to examine the application of Euler’s phi-function in the study of cyclic groups, field extensions and cyclotomic polynomials of a finite field.

Source: KNUST
Application of granular activated carbon and iron oxide coated sand for the removal of iron and manganese from ground water point sources

Groundwater remained the most important source of water supply for rural communities in Ghana. Currently, over 95% of the domestic water needs of rural communities are obtained from this resource. The occurrence of high concentrations of minerals, in particular iron and manganese above acceptable levels is a limiting factor in the choice of this resource. In the Eastern Region of Ghana, drilling records have shown that about 30 percent of all boreholes drilled for domestic water supplies to rural communities contain iron, manganese or both metals in concentrations above World Health Organization (WHO) acceptable limits for drinking water. Although new techniques are available for the removal of these metals, the operation, management and maintenance procedures are complex and capital intensive, and are thus more suitable for conventional systems rather than for point systems in rural communities. In Ghana sand filters installed on wells to reduce the levels of these metals have not been successful. These filters (plants) have been designed to operate under aerobic conditions, using aeration processes to transform soluble compounds of iron and manganese to the insoluble forms through oxidation (gas transfer). The experience has been that the rate of transformation of the soluble metal compounds into the insoluble forms is slow and thus affects the filtered water quality. Similarly, the iron and manganese oxide flocs formed clogs the filter media, thus resulting into short filter run. This study has revealed that the communities soon become overburdened with the frequency of rejuvenation of the filter media, leading to the system either being abandoned or the community going back to the untreated surface water sources. This study focus mainly on investigating the performance of the existing sand filters installed for iron and manganese removal on point sources in the Eastern Region, and also determining the suitability of applying granular activated carbon (prepared from charcoal), and iron oxide coated sand as filter media in the removal of these metals from groundwater point sources. Results of the study show that, the application of the combined effect of granular activated carbon and iron oxide coated sand as filter media in separate treatment chambers in a new plant developed, named Mwacafe is effective in removing over 98 percent of iron and 80 percent of manganese from groundwater point sources, and with longer filter run in excess of four (4) months. The plant has provided high removal efficiency of not only iron and manganese, but also other minerals such as nitrates and fluorides, which are difficult to remove even in conventional water treatment plants. This new knowledge would be very useful in reducing the resources that would have been lost when wells are abandoned because of their excess mineral content.

Source: KNUST
Application of Geographic Information System (GIS) to road safety auditing as an option to road accident management

Road Safety Auditing exercise was conducted within the Bomso-UST section of the Kumasi-Accra highway as a case study. It examined the success of Road safety Auditing in a GIS environment as an option for determining the risk posing factors influencing the occurrence of road accidents within the study area. Inventory was taken of the highway and its furniture, traffic characteristics, commercial activities interfering with road safety and the general behavior of motorist and pedestrians toward to use of the road facilities. Data obtained was analyzed and the extent to which they conformed to standards investigated. As many as 4 130 vehicles on the average traverse the study area during the morning peak hours at the rate of 2065 vehicles per hour as compared to the 3752 (ADT) from records. 5450 vehicles including turning movements traverse the Bomso junction at the rate of 2725 vehicles per hour. About 93% of the vehicles traverse the section with an average speed of 70km/h instead of the 50km/h. Relatively, large volumes of pedestrians often run to cross the highway at various places with as many as 6828 pedestrians crossing at the UST junction, 51% of them at unauthorized places. Generally, the study area is characterized by poor illumination at night and inadequate traffic control devices. Reckless driving, inexperience, carelessness, loss of vehicular control are some of the driving errors responsible for the observed accidents within the area. According to accident records a total of 34 accidents occurred within the section between 1996 and 1998. The Bomso intersection recorded the highest making it the most accident-prone spot. Recommendations have been made for appropriate measures to enhance safety on the highway within the study area

Source: KNUST
Application of knapsack to site selection problem for solid waste disposal: a case study of Lekzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA)

The knapsack problem is a Classical combinational problem used to model many industrial situations. In this thesis, we modeled landfill sites selection and management challenges in Lekma as binary integer programming problem. The general objective is to determine how the landfill sites in Lekma municipal are selected. Since the problem was modeled as a binary integer programming problem, the branch-and-bound algorithm of the Horowitz-Sahni was used to solve our proposed problem. First, the algorithm was presented along with relevant examples. Data on site, from LEKMA was analyzed from the perspective of the said algorithm. It was observed that the solution that gave optimum achievable value was (1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, and 1). This means that the Metropolitan Assembly should spend a total cost of fifty thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢50,000) to obtain an optimal site development of one hundred and five thousand (GH¢105,000) tones per week, consisting of selecting Site 1, Site 2, Site 6, and Site 7. The use of a well-structured procedure in computation gives a systematic and transparent solution as compared with an arbitrary method. Using the more scientific Knapsack problem model for the landfill site development of LEKMA refuse disposal management gives a better result. We therefore recommend our proposed solution to LEKMA.

Source: KNUST
Application of Ground Penetrating Radar in Delineating Zones of Gold Mineralization at the Subenso-North Concession of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey was conducted over the Subenso-north gold deposit a property of Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd. (NGGL) to delineate fractures which are possible gold hosting structures. The Mala GPR equipment with 25 and 50 MHz rough terrain antennae frequencies were used to conduct the survey. The Maximum exploration depth of approximately 925 ns corresponding to 50 m was probed. The survey was conducted over a 1 km square block with a total of 21 profiles with a 50 m profile interval. The profiles were in the direction of north-west - south-east. The common offset data collection mode was used. This technique allowed the collection of useful geologic data, for example the upper duracrust which overlain the thick saprolite was imaged with an average thickness between 0 m and 8 m. Different radar responses were also obtained from the saprolite indicating the presence of highly weathered zones where complete oxidation includes all of the saprolite. Two sets of inferred structural patterns were established. The structural patterns were S1 and S2 . The S1 inferred structures were found between the depth range of (12 m and 42 m) and the S2 also between (31 m and 48 m) for 25 MHz RTA. 50 MHz RTA also recorded S1 structures at the depth range of (14 m and 34 m) and that of the S2 at the depth range of (27m and 38 m). These sets of inferred structures are potential zones of gold mineralization

Source: KNUST
Application of Linear Programming to Optimal Credit Portfolio: The Case of Akuapem Rural Bank Ltd.

Efficient credit portfolio management is a key success factor of bank management. The effective management of credit risk is an essential component of a comprehensive technique to risk management and critical to the long-term success of all banking institutions. This thesis seeks to formulate and solve a linear programming model to maximize expected credit yield subject to capacity and demand, develop risk related scenarios and interpret results in the light of credit management issues. Data was obtained from the credit and finance section of Akuapem Rural Bank Limited, Mamfe Akuapem, Ghana and was analyzed using the management scientist software to ascertain the performance of its portfolio in achieving targets been set in the contest of the LP model. The research revealed a positive relationship between risk and the expected return on each facility of the Bank as the expected return on an asset increases as the risk on the asset also increases. The study showed that an increment in the interest rate of the bank’s products yielded high values and exhibited low risk.

Source: KNUST
Application of Linear Scheduling to Road Works in Ghana

Project progress and monitoring reporting is an integral part of any construction endeavour and as such the road sector is no exception. For a sector that covers a field of activities varying from one project to another in terms of the scope of work, requires a system capable of adequately reporting the actual work executed on the field. The aim of this study was to develop a system of reporting and monitoring for road construction projects. This study adopted the qualitative research strategy because, the study reviewed road project documents to arrive at the reporting system developed. Moreover, the study employed semi structured interviews with persons with over ten years of experience and top officials in the road sector. It was found that the developed system is a best fit for road construction monitoring and reporting. The multiplicity of work and the associated complexity which is becoming the main feature of road projects, coupled with the fact that top level management needs to be abreast of the day to day running of major projects going on across the length and breadth of the country is an added advantage of the developed system. It is therefore recommended, further study may be done on how to automate the system and generate the diagrams as the actual works are done when quantity of works are keyed in. The system will also work better when pictures of various sections of the works are added up to stage completion, section by, and also the probability of importing from other scheduling software’s.

Source: KNUST
Application of Neural Network in Financial Market

To be successful in a competitive world, any organization must not only maintain a good understanding of the current conditions, but be able to forecast the future as accurately and precisely as possible. Analysis of historical trends in data, with a view to making predictions is therefore a key task, and one for which neural network technology is well suited. In general, application of neural network in financial market is discussed. Specifically, the prediction of foreign exchange rate using neural network called “feedforward” neural network with one hidden layer consisting of three neurons is considered in deriving the model for the forecasting. Statistical evaluation of the output from the implementation of the neural network model on the forecast values with the actual of Banks-Indicative Opening U.S. Dollar, Pound Sterling and Euro Rates – Selling, are discussed. Further comparison of the results obtained from the improved model and the existing model was considered. The results obtained suggest that neural network model produces better accurate predictions than other time series forecasting models. The use of the system in financial market and specifically on the prediction of exchange rates typically involves the utilization of other financial indicators and domain knowledge since real life data were used as input.

Source: KNUST
Application of magnetic and electrical geophysical methods in delineating auriferous structures in the Sefwi belt of Ghana

Gold is a very important economic commodity to the growth of Ghana‟s development. The prospecting and exploration stages of mining involve long periods of investment with a high risk of failure. Even before strenuous effort is put into the discovery of reserves, many exploration companies become cash-strapped to the extent of collapse and may find near mine development very challenging. For this reason prospecting for gold needs to be optimized and that calls to mind the attention of choosing the right techniques that will enhance the success of the exploration projects. Four indicative spatial features -shear (ductile) zones, favorable host rock units with fracture arrays, hydrothermal alterations and strongly deformed (brittle) or faults zone- were the driven force behind this research. Two geophysical methods namely ground magnetic and electrical tools were integrated with existing geological dataset to map out structures in the Sefwi belt of Southern Ghana. The magnetic data obtained were processed into grids with Geosoft. Data enhancement filters such as reduction to the pole, tilt-angle derivative, first and second vertical derivatives and continuation filters were further applied to Total Magnetic Intensity (TMI) grid to enhance magnetic anomalies. The induced polarization-chargeability data were measured in the time domain. The positive anomalies on the IP-chargeability map coincided with the shears margins alterations and contact zones. Two dipole–dipole sections were carried out in the study area and were inverted using the RES2DINV program. From the results obtained, an interpreted definitive geologic map of the study area consisting of the geology, structures and hydrothermally altered zones were produced with MapInfo (Discover). All recognizable features were mapped as major and inferred thrust fault, lineation and alteration. The result is a preliminary mineral potential map...

Source: KNUST
The application of nnsupa system and sea sand for the treatment of factory effluents and surface water

Samples of wastewater were analysed before and after filtration with, sea sand filter (SSF), Nnsupa filter (NF) and sea sand filter in tandem with the nnsupa filter (SSNF). The analyses were carried out using Atomic Absorption spectrophotometric technique for levels of copper, zinc, manganese, lead, nickel, iron, cadmium and chromium. Colorimetric, Titrimetric and Gravimetric methods were also used for the other physico-chemical parameters listed as follows pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, Biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, sulphate, nitrate, phosphate and bacteria. Also, particle size distribution test was done on the ceramic filter to ascertain the percentage composition of the ceramic materials as well as the sea sand used in the filter. The retention time and the flow rates of the filters were also determined. A summary of the percentage removal of the metals and the physico-chemical parameters revealed that the percentage removal in the SSNF and NF filter is better than in the SSF. This was based on the flow rate as well as the retention times of the filters.

Source: KNUST
The application of Nnsupa system and sea sand for the treatment of factory effluents and surface water

Samples of wastewater were analysed before and after filtration with, sea sand filter (SSF), Nnsupa filter (NP) and sea sand filter in tandem with the nnsupa filter (SSNF). The analyses were carried out using Atomic Absorption spectrophotometric technique for levels of copper, zinc, manganese, lead, nickel, iron, cadmium and chromium. Colorimetric, Titrimetric and Gravimetric methods were also used for the other physico-chemical parameters listed as follows pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, Biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, sulphate, nitrate, phosphate and bacteria. Also, particle size distribution test was done on the ceramic filter to ascertain the percentage composition of the ceramic materials as well as the sea sand used in the filter. The retention time and the flow rates of the filters were also determined. A summary of the percentage removal of the metals and the physico-chemical parameters revealed that the percentage removal in the SSNF and NP filter is better than in the SSF. This was based on the flow rate as well as the retention times of the filters.

Source: KNUST
The application of planning and management tools in project implementation: a case study of Tailings Dam Monitoring Project of Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC) Limited, Obuasi

Projects provide the means of achieving specific goals of organisations by translating policies into practice. However, the process involved in achieving these goals is complex. Project planning and Management techniques have therefore been developed over the years, to deal with a wide range of complex tasks to be performed in specified sequence and also to coordinate activities in which there are cost and time constraints. In spite of the application of project planning and management techniques in project implementation, many projects have not achieved their objectives because there were delays in project completion and cost overruns. The mining sector which undoubtedly plays significant role in Ghana’s economy has not been spared of this fate. Mining projects are characterised by high risks and huge capital outlay but the outcome of such projects do not commensurate with the resources invested. For instance, Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC) Limited, the largest mining company in Ghana, has invested billions of dollars in capital projects but the performance of such projects had not been very encouraging thereby reducing profit margins and earnings per share. The company recently implemented a Tailings Dam Monitoring (TDM) project to recover gold from the tailings located in the Boete area of Obuasi and indications are that the project was not planned arid managed effectively. This study therefore aims at reviewing the TDM project particularly with reference to project planning and management techniques and making proposals on the application of effective techniques in ensuring the successful implementation of projects by AGC Limited, The study revealed that both cost and schedule performance were very low and the project was almost six months behind schedule. Among the factors that accounted for the poor performance were inadequate data during project preparation, faulty planning, procurement problems, laxity in supervision and organisational inefficiencies. The resultant effect of these factors is increase in cash operating cost per ounce of gold. This is why the company is currently pursuing management restructuring to it bring under control. It would be beneficial if the company could improve upon the present project planning and management practices by making conscious efforts at adopting a structured approach in the application of project planning and management techniques and also restructuring the Project Department to be effective in the planning, implementation and management of the company’s projects.

Source: KNUST
Application of Magnetic Gradiometry, Magnetic Susceptibility and Electrical Resistivity Tomography in the Characterisation of the Sunyani Municipal Waste Disposal Site

Areas that surround unlined solid waste disposal sites depict high tendencies of being contaminated with leachate emanating from the waste deposits that in ltrate into the ground. For that reason, this research seeks to highlight and bring to the attention of city authorities and interest groups the alarming levels of the anthropogenic impact of dumped solid waste on the environment especially, when it pertains to the ground and its water resources using integrated geophysical methods. The integration of three geophysical methods comprising of magnetic gradiometry, magnetic susceptibility and electrical resistivity tomography has helped to characterise the SMA waste disposal site mainly due to the unlined and heterogeneous nature of the waste deposit. The results of both magnetic susceptibility and gradiometric methods displayed in anomaly maps clearly de ned the physical boundaries of the waste deposit with an approximate area extent of 82; 650 m2 which is characterised by high magnetic susceptibilities between 426 10􀀀5 SI and 9890 10􀀀5 SI. Also, an average magnetic intensity value of 32230:74 nT was recorded over the area with values generally greater than the average measured over the main waste body. They also revealed high magnetic anomalies sporadically distributed outside the main waste boundaries which are attributed to indiscriminate deposition and uncontrolled nature of the waste. Similarly, the ERT sections also revealed zones of leachate contamination and accumulation just beneath the waste body and migration pathways for leachate were also delineated with low resistivity signatures up to 43:9 :m. In spite of the success reported herein with the ERT, the research also revealed that the ERT is less e ective in estimating the thickness of the waste deposit due to leachate in ltration into the ground beneath it that masks the resistivities of the top level ground and makes it indistinguishable from the waste body. Having estimated an approximate waste thickness of about 5 m using ERT, the volume of waste expected to be reclaimed from the site for remediation purposes is estimated at 413; 250 m3.

Source: KNUST