ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Deforestation in forest-savannah transition zone of Ghana: Boabeng-Fiema monkey sanctuary

Forests provide many resources, ecosystem services and absorb carbon dioxide, which helps in climate regulation. In spite of the enormous benefits of forests, the issue of deforestation is still ongoing. There has been a continuous decline in forests globally and the forest area of Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (BFMS) in Ghana is facing a similar threat. The aim of the study is to determine the different forest cover types and changes in the forest of BFMS. Satellite images for the years 1992, 1998, 2004, 2010, 2016 and 2018 were downloaded. Unsupervised and supervised classification were performed to determine the different forest cover types and remote sensing software was used to detect the changes in the forest cover. The forest cover was classified into six classes; closed forest, open forest, savannah woodland, savannah, farmlands and built-up area. Available data suggests that between 1992 and 2018, closed forest decreased by 242.19ha, open forest increased by 122.85 ha, savannah woodland increased by 7.47ha, savannah increased by 6.48 ha, farmland increased by 39.39ha and built-up area increased by 65.7ha. The changes in closed forest, open forest, farmland and built-up were all significant. Decreasing forest cover of BFMS is a threat to sustainable ecotourism since the forest serves as a habitat and food source to the monkeys. This research serves as guide to other researches aiming at determining forest cover changes in forest-savannah transition zones. In addition, the results have produced an inventory of the forest, which will help forest resource managers sustainably manage the forest.

Source: KNUST
Default rate modelling of a bank in Ghana using Cox Regression Model.

The subject of non-performing loans which in e ect a ect all banks including small market enterprises' ability to prevent ultimate ruin. \For a credit bureau to function e ectively, however, it must be possible to uniquely identify individuals with reasonable certainty. Identi cation is necessary in order to retrieve a current loan applicant's past credit history from a credit database" (Gine et al., 2011). There arises a fundamental need to device an easy strategy to reduce the oc- currences of non-performing which would be widely accepted. Cox proportional- hazard model with time-varying covariates was used to evaluate certain nancial sensors that would de nitively predict the bank's loan failures during the years of 2012 to 2015 of Zenith Bank Ahodwo branch. The Breslow approximation to the partial likelihood of the overall cox relations of client is used to estimate the correlation coe cient parameter, betas through di erentiation. The models resultant outputs were compared to the actual defaults and it is worthy to note that the model presents a well above average predictor quality. The signi cance of each covariate is tested statistically and the 4th covariate (the number of de- pendents) was found to be signi cant there were insu cient data reject the null hypothesis for all the other covariates. A new way of coarse-classifying of covari- ates enlisting the help of survival analysis methods is proposed. Also, a good number of diagnostic methods (Cox-Snell, Martingale amongst other residuals) are used to check the aptitude of the model's tness for applicability to any loan data. These results can be extended to a general case of bank failures under the volatile economic environments.

Source: KNUST
Delays in claims payment to credentialed healthcare providers; the financial implication on national health insurance scheme of Ghana

The issue of Delays in Claims payment to credentialed healthcare providers by the National Health Insurance Authority since inception has always been a major concern. Healthcare providers have time on ends claimed that the delays affect their financial schedules and often have threatened opting out. The larger scope that however precipitated this study was how this delays in payments is financially implicating on all the 3 major stakeholders; the regulator, the policyholder and the credentialed healthcare provider. Descriptive Research design was employed and both primary data in the form of questionnaires and secondary data from the NHIA featured. It was found that policyholders suffer financially through out of pocket payment at point of service, credentialed healthcare providers receives payment ‘twice’ for services rendered by charging members at their facilities and then submitting claims on these same members to NHIA for payment This implied that the provider shortchange the Regulator financially. There is the need to critically assess the recommendations outlined in the study to ameliorate the financial implication the study has underscored.

Source: KNUST
Delineation of gold mineralization zone at Ahafo Apensu South concession, Newmont Ghana Gold Limited, using cross borehole induced polarization and electrical resistivity methods

Hole-to-hole IP/resistivity method was used to explore the zone of gold mineralization at depth on the Newmont Apensu-South Concession to improve the dependability and quality of the subsurface data which led o effective utilization of the drill holes and provide...

Source: KNUST
Delineation of graves and other subsurface features using electrical resistivity tomography

In response to rumours that the study area (a relatively at ground) used to be a royal cemetery and for future developmental purposes, this study aimed at delineating graves and other subsurface features so that informed decisions can be made about the place if the need arises. The survey was conducted on a 10000 m2 plot of land using the electri- cal resistivity method. The multi-electrode or CVES was combined with the roll along technique for data collection. With inter pro le separation of 2 m, 51 pro le lines were obtained. The data were acquired in 2D with a minimum electrode separation of 1 m and later collated to 3D. The gradient array was used taking the Grad4L8 and Grad4S8 pro- tocols into consideration. Data processing with the RES2DINV and RES3DINV software indicated wide resistivity variations in the near subsurface suggesting a disturbance of the soil at this level. This might have been caused by digging (probably graves) and re lling activities . High and low resistivity anomalies relative to their backgrounds were identi- ed within the rst 4 m of the subsurface. These were suspected to be tombs because of their rectangular geometries, dimensions and resistivity contrast with the background materials. The linear arrangement of these anomalies similar to the arrangement of tombs in cemeteries heightened this suspicion. Other subsurface features observed were also as- sociated with dykes, unweathered granite, cracks, voids etc. Consequently, the study area could have been a cemetery but can still support infrastructural development since the entire place was not covered by the anomalies. A weak zone spotted between 26 and 58 m in the S-N direction and between 30 and 70 m in the E-W direction must however be taken into consideration when carrying out constructional projects in the study area.

Source: KNUST
Delineation of water table using the ground penetrating radar

This research work is aimed at investigating, determining and delineating the depth to water table and the water saturation level from the surface using the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technique. The survey was conducted at the 55.5 hectare oil palm and citrus plantation portion of the Agriculture Research Station located in the town of Anwomaso which is under the Faculty of Agricultural Science – KNUST. The MALA GPR equipment with 25 MHz Rough Terrain Antenna (RTA) frequency was used for the data collection. GPR data were collected on thirty five profiles of different lengths (100-500 m) at 18 m inter profile spacing in the common offset mode. Results from the survey successfully revealed the average depth to the water table from the land surface to be 30.3 m. The implication of this is that boreholes must be sunk beyond this depth in the saturated zone in order to pump groundwater. It was further revealed that the water table in all cases traced the geometry or topography of the land at various elevations above mean sea level. Subsurface reflectors such as buried objects were also brought to fore. The water table data conform to hydro-geological data within the survey metropolis where most of the boreholes have an average depth of about 35 m.

Source: KNUST
Demographic factors associated with myopia knowledge, attitude and preventive practices among adults in Ghana: a population-based cross-sectional survey

Purpose: Knowledge, positive attitude and good preventive practices are keys to successful myopia control, but information on these is lacking in Africa. This study determined the KAP on myopia in Ghana. Methods: This was a population-based cross-sectional survey conducted among adults (aged 18 years and older) living across 16 regions of Ghana between May and October 2021. Data on socio-demographic factors (sex, age, gender, level of education, working status, type of employment, monthly income, and region of residence), respondents’ awareness, and knowledge, attitude and preventive practices (KAP) about myopia were collected. Composite and mean scores were calculated from eleven knowledge (total score=61), eight attitude (48), and nine preventive practice items (33). Differences in mean scores were assessed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and standardized coefcients (β) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), using multiple linear regression to determine the associations between the dependent (KAP) and demographic variables. Results Of the 1,919 participants, mean age was 37.4±13.4 years, 42.3% were aged 18–30 years, 52.6% were men, 55.8% had completed tertiary education, and 49.2% had either heard about myopia, or accurately defend myopia as short sightedness. The mean KAP scores were 22.9±23.7, 33.9±5.4, and 22.3±2.8, respectively and varied significantly with many of the demographic variables particularly with age group, region, marital status, and type of employment. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed significant associations between region of residence and knowledge (β=—0.54, 95%CI:-0.87, -0.23, p<0.001), attitude (β=—0.24, 95%CI:-0.35,-0.14, p<0.001) and preventive practices (β=0.07, 95%CI: 0.01, 0.12, p=0.015). Preventive practices were also associated with type of employment (self-employed vs employee: β=0.25, 95%CI: 0.15, 4.91, p<0.05). Knowledge scores were significantly higher in those who lived in the Greater Accra (39.5±18.5) and Eastern regions (39.1±17.5) and lower among those who lived in the Upper West region (6.4±15.6). Government employees and those with tertiary education had significantly higher mean knowledge scores compared with non-government employees (β=4.56, 95%CI 1.22, 7.89, p=0.007),and those with primary/no education (β=18.35, 95%CI: 14.42, 22.27, p<0.001). Conclusion: Ghanaian participants had adequate knowledge of myopia but showed poor attitude and low preventive practices, which varied significantly between regions and were modified by sociodemographic factors. Further research into how education can be used to stimulate Ghanaians’ engagement in preventive practices is needed.

Source: KNUST
Delineation of Potential Ground Water Site in the Sene District of the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana Using Electrical Resistivity Technique

Delineation of potential groundwater points in the Sene District of the Brong-Ahafo region of Ghana has been undertaken using electrical resistivity survey. This was done with the use of ABEM Terrameter equipment employing the electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and the vertical electrical sounding (VES) techniques to map out the potential groundwater-bearing rocks within the subsurface. The ERT technique was use to investigate to a depth of about 75 m to 100 m on each traverse. The ERT data which were processed using the RES2Dinv software showed anomaly points on the 2-D resistivity pseudo-section and such point were selected for further investigation using the traditional VES technique. The schlumberger configuration was used. The VES data were also modelled using the geosoftware, RES1D to give one dimensional resisitivity results of the subsurface layers and their thicknesses. The results generally revealed three (3) to four (4) layers within the subsurface in the communities with the weathered zones having a mean resistivity value of 323 Ωm, mean layer thickness of 10.4 m occurring at a mean depth of 13.5 m. Therefore, the study area can be said to have a very good potential for groundwater occurrence.

Source: KNUST
The demand for sports lottery in Ghana (a case study of the Kumasi Metropolis)

Formalised sports lottery is fast becoming a craze in Ghana, especially amongst the male populace. There is however no documented research on the demand for this product as well as its effects on the population and economy of Ghana as a whole. This study sought to investigate the factors that influence the demand for sports lottery in Ghana. Based on the expected utility hypothesis, a model was constructed using a binary logistic regression to analyse the characteristics that influence the demand for sports lottery in Ghana. Four hundred respondents were employed in this study where it was realized that 92% out of the about 96% males engaged in sports lottery in Ghana were within the age bracket of 21 -40 years. Furthermore, 53.6% of those engaged in sports lottery were reported to be unemployed. Price, sex, age, employment status, monthly income and whether a person has won a bet before were discovered to be the factors that significantly influence the demand for sports lottery in Ghana. The study realized that BC1 and BC2 were the most patronized sports betting companies, whilst BC4 and NLA’s Soccer Cash were amongst the least patronized

Source: KNUST
A density functional theory study of the mechanisms of oxidation of ethylene by rhenium oxide complexes†

The oxo complexes of group VII B are of great interest for their potential toward epoxidation and dihy-droxylation. In this work, the mechanisms of oxidation of ethylene by rhenium-oxo complexes of thetype LReO3(L = O−, Cl, CH3, OCH3, Cp, NPH3) have been explored at the B3LYP/LACVP* level of theory.The activation barriers and reaction energies for the stepwise and concerted addition pathways involvingmultiple spin states have been computed. In the reaction of LReO3(L = O−, Cl, CH3, OCH3, Cp, NPH3) withethylene, it was found that the concerted [3 + 2] addition pathway on the singlet potential energy sur-faces leading to the formation of a dioxylate intermediate is favored over the [2 + 2] addition pathwayleading to the formation of a metallaoxetane intermediate and its re-arrangement to form the dioxylate.The activation barrier for the formation of the dioxylate on the singlet PES for the ligands studied isfound to follow the order O−>CH3> NPH3>CH3O−>Cl−> Cp and the reaction energies follow theorder CH3>O−> NPH3>CH3O−>Cl−> Cp. On the doublet PES, the [2 + 2] addition leading to the for-mation the metallaoxetane intermediate is favored over dioxylate formation for the ligands L = CH3,CH3O−,Cl−. The activation barriers for the formation of the metallaoxetane intermediate are found toincrease for the ligands in the order CH3<Cl−<CH3O−while the reaction energies follow the order Cl−<CH3O−<CH3. The subsequent re-arrangement of the metallaoxetane intermediate to the dioxylate isonly feasible in the case of ReO3(OCH3). Of all the complexes studied, the best dioxylating catalyst isReO3Cp (singlet surface); the best epoxidation catalyst is ReO3Cl (singlet surface); and the best metalla-oxetane formation catalyst is ReO3(NPH3) (triplet surface).

Source: KNUST
Density functional theory study of the gas phase decomposition of single-source precursors for the chemical vapour deposition of binary and ternary metal chalcogenides

Chemical vapour deposition (CVD) method has been widely exploited to grow high quality thin films of metal chalcogenides. However, in some processes the formation of thin films in the gas phase at higher temperature can be a major obstacle to decreasing the deposition rate, thus the thin films formation reaction can compete with the surface deposition reaction and consume the gas phase reactants, before the vapour reaches the heated substrate surface. A variety of single source precursors have been developed for the deposition of thin films. However, few single source precursors have deposited good quality thin films. Hence it is important to design and develop single source precursors with appropriate physico-chemical properties. In this work, a series of novel metal (Pb, Zn, Cd) complexes of diphenyl- and diisopropyl-thioselenophosphinate were studied. These organometallic complexes were employed as potential single source precursors for the deposition of metal chalcogenides thin films. Metal chalcogenides thin films have potential applications in photovoltaics, solar cells, microelectronics, displays and opto-electronic devices. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been shown to be valuable tools for elucidating the various decomposition processes of single source precursors and thus making their development more effective and less costly. The reaction mechanisms involved in the thermal decomposition of the precursors were explored by computing the activation barriers and reaction energies at the density functional theory MO6/LACVP * level of theory. This thesis is made up of the following chapters: 1. Chapter one presents a general introduction on metal chalcogenides, chemical vapour deposition process, single-source precursors and applications of metal chalcogenides. v Literature reports about thin films and their applications, and methods of fabrication of thin films are also presented. 2. Chapter two gives the general introduction on computational chemistry. The molecular mechanics method, semi empirical methods and ab initio methods are also discussed in addition to the hybrid methods and basis sets. 3. Chapters three to six describe the density functional theory at the MO6/LACVP * level of theory for the thermal decompositions of Pb[(C6H5)2PSSe]2, Pb[( i Pr)2PSSe]2, Zn[( i Pr)2PSSe]2 and Cd[( i Pr)2PSSe]2 single-source precursors for the chemical vapour deposition of binary and ternary metal chalcogenides. 4. Chapter seven gives a general conclusion and recommendation for future studies.

Source: KNUST
A density functional theory study of the mechanisms of oxidation of ethyleneby technetium oxo complexes

The mechanisms of oxidation of ethylene by transition metal-oxo complexes of the type LTcO3(L = O , Cl,CH3, OCH3, Cp, NPH3) have been explored by computing the activation barriers and reaction energies forthe concerted and stepwise addition pathways at the density functional theory B3LYP/LACVP level oftheory. The results indicate that in the reaction of LTcO3(L = O , Cl, CH3, OCH3, Cp, NPH3) with ethylene,the formation of the dioxylate intermediate through the concerted [3 + 2] addition pathway on the singletpotential energy surface is favored kinetically and thermodynamically over its formation through thetwo-step process via the metallaoxetane intermediate. The activation barrier for the formation of thedioxylate on the singlet PES for the ligands studied is found to follow the order: O >CH3> NPH3>CH3O >Cl > Cp while the reaction energies follow the order: Cl >O >CH3> NPH3>CH3O > Cp. Onthe doublet PES, the [2 + 2] addition leading to the formation of the four-membered metallacycle inter-mediate is favored kinetically and thermodynamically for the ligands when L = NPH3. The direct [2 + 1]addition of ethylene across the oxo- ligand of doublet TcO3(CH3) to form the epoxide precursor is favoredwhen L = CH3. The activation barriers for the formation of the dioxylate intermediate are found to followthe order: Cl <CH3O <CH3whiles the reaction energies follow the order Cl <CH3O <CH3. The re-arrangement of the metallaoxetane intermediate to the dioxylate is not a feasible pathway for the forma-tion of the dioxylate. The formation of the epoxide precursor will not result from the reaction of LTcO3(L = O , Cp) with ethylene on all the surfaces explored. There does not appear to be a spin-crossover inany of the pathways studied.

Source: KNUST
Department of economics determinants of private domestic savings in Ghana

The quest of Ghana as a Less Developed Country to obtain middle income status requires sustainable growth and development. Growth and Development of Ghana however depends on the ability of the country to mobilize domestic resources for capital formation. The risks of ‘foreign exchange and balance of payments crises make it imperative for enough domestic resources to be mobilized for growth and development. Capital formation requires sustainable domestic savings especially from the private sector. This research has sought to explore the determinants of private domestic savings as a basis for capital formation needed for Ghana’s accelerated growth and development. The research has mostly explored economic determinants of private domestic financial savings in Ghana. Econometric tools such as the test for unit root have been applied in the analysis of the determinants and the Johansen (1988) cointegration procedure have mainly been followed in exploring the long run relationships among the variables. The Engle and Granger theorem is invoked for the Error Correction representation where the error correction term indicates the speed of adjustment back to long run equilibrium in case of shocks to the system. Long run results indicate that financial liberalization, growth and government budget deficits impact positively on the private saving behaviour in Ghana. The positive coefficient of the government budget deficit notwithstanding, the Ricardian Equivalence Proposition is rejected in the Ghanaian case. In the long run, liberalization exerts the most significant impact on private savings in Ghana. The coefficient of the dependent population variable confirms the Life Cycle Hypothesis in the Ghanaian case though not statistically significant in the short run. Macroeconomic performance of Ghana over the period 1970-2002 has largely not improved our domestic savings mobilization as is indicated by the negative and significant long run signs of the Inflation, Real Interest Rate and Exchange Rate variables. The significant inertia exhibited by most short run saving behaviours was confirmed in the research as most of the variables failed to show robustness or significance. Growth showed positive significant result even in the short run though less robust. The most interesting result however is that of the per capita income variable which showed a significant rejection of the Keynesian Absolute Income Hypothesis. Significant negative coefficient was reported for both long and short term. The direction of causality was shown to be from growth to saving in the Ghanaian case as was reported by the Granger Causality Test. The model suffered no structural breaks and hence was stable for the study period. The chow test for structural breaks indicates this and is confirmed by the plots of the CUSUM and CUSUMQ.

Source: KNUST