ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Levels of zinc, copper, iron and manganese in soils of abandoned mine pits around the Tarkwa gold mining area of Ghana

Abandoned mine pits have been a health threat to the inhabitants of many mining communities in Ghana. In this paper, the concentrations of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) in sand and clay soil samples from seven of such abandoned open mine pits in the Tarkwa gold mining district of Ghana, were examined. The mean Cu concentrations in the sand soil samples ranged from 6.5±0.50 µg/g to 56.17±1.61 µg/g. Abandoned mine pits 5, 6 and 7 recorded mean Cu concentrations slightly higher than the background concentrations. However the mean Cu concentrations in the clay soil samples were all less than the background levels. The mean Zn concentrations in the sand soil samples were between 4.17±1.23 µg/g and 43.17±4.75 µg/g. Similar pattern of this metal was registered in the clay soil samples. The mean Fe levels in the sand soil samples ranged between 8133±292 µg/g and 119166±135 µg/g. sampling site 5, 6 and 7 recorded mean Fe concentrations higher than the background levels. These elevated Fe concentrations in the sand soil samples may be due to the mining activities which took place in these pits. The mean Mn concentrations in the sand soil samples ranged between 26.67±1.44 µg/g and 1595±157.16 µg/g. These high levels may also be attributed to the mining activities in the area. The results of the quantification of the metal contamination of the soil samples using contamination factors and pollution load index (PLI) indicated that some of the studied pits are significantly polluted with Cu, Fe and Mn

Source: UCC
The librarian as a manager: What you need to know

As a practising Librarian for the past 12 years, I have observed at first-hand the growing need for Librarians, Heads of Institutions and Organizations, and various library user communities 10 understand library operations and what is involved in managing modern libraries. I have attempted to focus on management skills or qualities that are required for the successful management of libraries. Those who do not understand Librarianship will discover from this book that library management involves many activities and functions. It certainly goes beyond acquisitions and safe keeping of library materials. It is hoped that the book will help Librarians of all kinds to adapt 10 strategic management approach in managing their libraries. Thus, libraries will become effective and productive to user communities. The book will also help Heads of Institutions and Organizations as well as user communities to understand and appreciate that libraries need maximum support and cooperation to enable them provide the requisite information services.

Source: UCC
Library services and user satisfaction for the sandwich student: The case of University of Cape Coast

Sandwich education has made it possible for people with peculiar time constraint to attain education hither to impossible through conventional means. The significant advantage of this module of education has led to many Universities and Colleges of Education in Ghana adopting this concept. Having heeded to this global trend of flexibility of university education, and with 6,010 students currently on admission, the University of Cape Coast is credited to be one of the few public universities in Ghana to run a successful sandwich programme over time. The compressed nature of the sandwich academic calendar implies that library services need to be fashioned out extraordinarily to meet the information needs of such students. It is in the spirit of gauging the propriety of library services rendered in support of the sandwich programme that the satisfaction of sandwich students was assessed in a survey. To this end, the study examined the perception of library users on the quality of academic library services and its impact on their academic work. This study employed the descriptive survey research design to engage 200 Sandwich students who patronize the library. Self-administered questionnaire containing 37 open and close-ended items based on SERVQUAL as a tool for quality service measurement was used to elicit information from respondents, and analyzed using SPSS version 20. It emerged that an overwhelming majority of the sandwich students knew about the library and its services from persons other than library staff, with still a majority using the library for reference or library searches. Respondents also considered print library resources to be very relevant but considered internet access not so adequate to access the few academic databases that the library subscribes to. It is quite refreshing to realize that nearly a ninth of respondents (89%) claimed library staff were welcoming and courteous and 81% indicated that there was willingness on the part of staff to readily help. Respondents were of the view that the library should increase the opening hours, if not more, at least to the level of what the regular students enjoy, a suggestion the author concurs. Also, accessibility to resources outside of the library should be improved while Web 2.0 tools should be employed in the delivery of library services. More importantly, an efficient orientation or user education programme should be run for sandwich students.

Source: UCC
Life Course and Retirement Planning of Healthcare Workers in Public Hospitals in the Accra Metropolis, Ghana

The research examined the effect of life course on retirement planning of healthcare workers in public hospitals in the Accra metropolis, Ghana. The rational choice, life cycle and life course theories were used in explaining the study, which also employed the mixed method research. The study design was cross-sectional survey. A sample size of 660 healthcare workers were selected using stratified and simple random sampling. Quantitative primary data were collected from the workers using questionnaire. Frequencies, means, chi-square tests, and structural equation modelling were employed to analyse the quantitative data. Qualitative primary data were also collected from purposively sampled key informants in the pension industry using interview guides. Thematic analysis was performed by identifying patterns and themes in the qualitative data gathered. The study found that less than half of healthcare workers have individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Among those with IRAs, frequent withdrawals were made on their accounts. Healthcare workers who have higher level of education and earn high incomes planned their retirement. Healthcare workers have made adequate retirement plans over the life course, but these plans are not linked to their statutory retirement ages. The more pension schemes are transparent, the more healthcare workers are willing to plan their retirement. It is recommended that healthcare workers should collaborate with their associations to engage with pension fund administrators to design retirement educational programmes that link their retirement plans to the statutory retirement age. The NPRA should also implement strategies that enhance transparency through the disclosure of investment information to healthcare workers.

Source: UCC
Life Roles and College Life: Exploring Experiences of International Female Students in Higher Education

Studies have identified that women enter higher learning institutions for personal enrichment and lifelong education. In spite of these benefits, societal perception and traditional roles affect women’s participation in formal education. This qualitative study sought to explore the experiences of female students on how they deal with their lifecycle roles as they access higher education outside their home countries. The study was conducted in a Kenyan university using seven graduate international female students. These participants were purposively selected for face-to-face interviews. Content analysis was used to analyse data based on similarities and differences. It was revealed that the female faced challenges such as psychological stress, financial problems and time constraints. They managed these roles through support from family and friends as well as the use of self-motivation strategies. It was therefore recommended that interventions geared towards the needs of these female students are developed by institutions who admit international students.

Source: UCC
Life Satisfaction Among the Aged: the Role of Physical Activity and Religiosity

Physical activity has benefits on the physical and psychological health of the aged. The purpose of this study was to examine the role physical activity (PA) has on the relationship between religiosity (R) and life satisfaction (LS) among the aged in the Mfantseman Municipality. The descriptive cross-sectional survey design was employed and convenient sampling and snowballing were used to locate three hundred and fifteen (315) participants. Participants answered questions on their physical activity, religiosity and life satisfaction. The study found moderate PA levels and a high level of religiosity and life satisfaction among the aged. Pearson’s correlations revealed a significant relationship between religiosity and life satisfaction, however, (physical activity and life satisfaction) and (physical activity and religiosity) were non-significant. Also, physical activity did not mediate the relationship between religiosity and life satisfaction. Again, there were significant differences in age with regard to physical activity, religiosity and life satisfaction. Finally, findings from independent samples t-test found no gender difference among religiosity and life satisfaction, however, gender differences exist among physical activity. It was concluded that physical activity, religiosity and life satisfaction remains an integral component in the survival of the aged. It was recommended that health care providers, religious institutions and the Municipal Assembly should intensify public education to increase the participation of the aged in physical activity in order to prolong their lives

Source: UCC
The lifeboat ethics and traditional Akan ethics: A critical comparative study

The “Lifeboat ethics” as propounded by Garrett Hardin has gained currency in contemporary world. This is in view of some form of pragmatic truth and how Hardin theorises to explain the relationships that exist between the rich and the poor in society. One may probe to comprehend whether the principles of the lifeboat ethics have any bearing on Traditional Akan cultural values. This paper sets out to critique the theory. By so doing, some of its principles would be pointed out and explained and further compared with Traditional Akan ethical values. The paper asserts that the principles of the theory share some common grounds with Traditional Akan ethics. However, the paper concludes that the principles of the theory are not entirely the case as far as the latter is Concerned

Source: UCC
Lifecourse factors and likelihood of rural practice and emigration: a survey of Ghanaian medical students

Introduction: Health worker shortages and maldistribution have important implications for the capacity of health systems. Ghana has one of the highest physician emigration rates in the world, and over 75% of those who remain work in Ghana’s two largest cities. The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of experiential factors across Ghanaian medical students’ lifespans on intent to practice in a rural area and intent to emigrate. Methods: All fourth year medical students in Ghana were surveyed on demographics, rural and international experience, and future career plans. Key outcomes of interest were students’ stated likelihood of practicing in a deprived rural area or emigrating after graduation. Lifecourse predictors of interest were parental socioeconomic status, gender, relationship status, rural and international living experience, and school of study. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to estimate associations between predictors and outcomes of interest. Results: Of 310 eligible students, 307 (99%) participated in the survey. Of these, 228 were Ghanaian and the focus of this analysis. It was found that 131 (57.5%) were willing to work in a deprived area in Ghana and 148 (64.9%) had considered emigrating after graduation. In the multivariate regression models, willingness to work in a deprived area was predicted by male gender (OR: 2.31, 95%CI: 1.23-4.35), having lived in a rural area but never lived abroad (OR: 2.77, 95%CI: 1.08-7.13), and low parental professional and educational status (OR: 2.33, 95%CI: 1.23-4.43). Consideration of emigration was predicted by having lived abroad but never in a rural area (OR: 3.39, 95%CI: 1.15-9.97). A sub-set of 80 individuals (35%) reported that they were willing to work in a deprived area in Ghana but also considering emigration. These subjects were more likely to be male. Conclusions: Students with parents of a lower socioeconomic class, those with rural experience, and those without international experience are more likely to stay in Ghana and are also more likely to work in a deprived area after graduation. Selective admissions policies based on lifecourse factors combined with exposure to rural practice in medical school may have a role in increasing the number of rural physicians

Source: UCC
Ligaments associated with lumbar intervertebral foramina.

The intervertebral foramina, aptly described by Hadley (1949) as being at the crossroads between the peripheral nervous system and the movable skeletal support, transmit the spinal nerves, spinal arteries and veins, the recurrent meningeal nerves and lymphatics. Reports of studies of the aetiology of low back pain suggest that pressure on the emerging spinal nerve or other contents of the foramen in the lumbar region could be an important source of low back pain and sciatica. Adequacy of space within the foramen with respect to the foraminal contents is therefore of serious import. The intervertebral foramen differs from other osseous foramina in having as part of its boundaries two movable joints, namely the intervertebral joint anteriorly and the joint between the articular processes (zygapophyseal joint) posteriorly. Normal spinal movements therefore, cause changes in the size of the foramen. Evidence brought by Hadley (1949), Payne & Spillane (1957), Sunderland (1980), Rothman & Simeone (1982) and Crelin (1982) suggests that the foramen undergoes narrowing or widening depending on the movement performed.

Source: UCC
Light scattering investigation of amphiphile and polymer adsorption on the surface of colloidal particles with low optical contrast

We have exploited the peculiar optical properties of fluorinated polymer colloids, which have a very low refractive index and a partially crystalline internal structure, to obtain accurate adsorption isotherms by combining static and depolarized dynamic light scattering information. Due to the very weak optical contrast between perfluoro polymers and water, the intensity of the light scattered by suspensions of fluorinated colloids strongly depends on the presence of surface adsorbate At the same time, the depolarized scattering contribution arising from the particle internal optical anisotropy allows to measure the rotational diffusion constant which is strongly dependent on the particle hydrodynamic radius. We have applied such technique to measure the adsorption isotherms of both nonionic and ionic surfactants, and of long-chain block copolymers

Source: UCC
Likes and dislikes of local foods among young international volunteers in Ghana

Food continues to be a necessity and a source of concern to all people especially travellers. The paper examines the likes and dislikes for the local foods consumed by young volunteers in Ghana. The data used for the analysis were collected from stratified sample of 320 young international volunteers, who volunteered in Ghana between August and December, 2014. The results revealed that attributes in the local foods such as the sensory properties, quality and safety, the novelty of the food, cost and convenience were favoured by some of the young volunteers whiles others like the nutritional adequacy, quality and safety, variety and service delivery and frequency of contracting foodborne illness were frown on. Based on the findings, it was concluded that multiply factors influenced the young volunteers’ likes and dislikes for the local foods they were exposed to in Ghana

Source: UCC
LINAC Based Radiosurgery and Radiotherapy for Neurosurgical Diseases: What have we learnt so far

Background: Stereotactic radiosurgery uses a single fraction high dose radiation while stereotactic radiotherapy uses multifractionated lower dose focused radiation. Materials and Methods: Radiosurgery used rigid CRW head frame while stereotactic radiotherapy utilized GTC or HNL relocatable frames. Stereotactic planning and radiation involved Radionics X-plan and LINAC system. Results: Since December 2001, we have treated 83 lesions from 77 patients using either radiosurgery or fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy. Eighty six percent (86%) of our treated lesions showed favourable outcomes with median follow-up of 32 months (0-7 years). Conclusions: Our lessons from LINAC precision radiation therapy uphold its value as a promising and effective tool in treating a range of nervous system pathologies.

Source: UCC
Lindane and propoxur residues in cocoa from central region of Ghana

Lindane and propoxur residue levels in cocoa samples taken from the Central Region of Ghana were determined. Propoxur and Lindane residues in cocoa were extracted by continuous soxhlet extraction with a 1:1 v/v acetone-chloroform and acetone-hexane (20:80 v/v) mixture for propoxur and lindane respectively for 12 h. The extracts were passed through preconditioned octadecyl (C-18) columns to clean up. The pesticides were then analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography using Flame Ionization Detector (FID) and Electron Capture Detector (ECD) for propoxur and lindane respectively. The concentration range for lindane in cocoa was 0.055 - 3.318 mg/kg. The concentration range for propoxur was 0.001 – 0.991 mg/kg. The mean of lindane in cocoa beans were: 0.411 mg/kg, pod 1.113 mg/kg, testa 0.609 mg/kg , placenta 0.905 mg/kg, leaves 0.892 mg/kg and bark 1.332 mg/kg. The mean concentrations of propoxur in cocoa were: beans 0.235 mg/kg, pod 0.235 mg/kg, placenta 0.276 mg/kg, leaves 0.104 mg/kg, bark 0.491 mg/kg. From the studies it may be preferable to use propoxur for control of pests in cocoa

Source: UCC
A linguistic analysis of conference titles in applied linguistics

Over the past twenty-five years, researchers have expressed considerable interest in titles of academic publications. Unfortunately, conference paper titles (CPTs) have only recently begun to receive attention. The aim of this study, therefore, is to investigate the text length, syntactic structure, and lexicon of CPTs in Applied Linguistics. A data set of 698 titles was selected from the 2008 International Conference on Applied Linguistics held in Germany. The results from the analysis indicated that, first; the average text length of CPTs in Applied Linguistics is 10.4 words. Second, CPTs tended to be nominal, consistent with the finding in several titleology studies. Last, the lexical items of CPTs comprised a rich array of four main categories of lexicon (domain-specific words, research-related words, verbal expressions, and country/local references). These findings have implications for the scholarship on CPTs, academic writing pedagogy, and future research on academic titles

Source: UCC
The linguistic impact of parenthetical expressions: A study of the suns of independence of Ahmadou Kourouma

This paper examines the use and linguistic impact of parenthetical expressions in The Suns of Independence of Ahmadou Kourouma, a renowned francophone African writer from the Ivory Coast. One of the remarkable features in the writings of Kourouma is the rate at which he uses some forms of syntactic structures which are embedded in main clauses but do not contribute to their immediate meaning. These are the types of syntactic structures we refer to as parenthetical expressions. The study identifies and analyses the various forms of parenthetical expressions in use in the novel. The objective of this identification and analysis is to establish the linguistic impact of their use and relevance to social discourse. It also helps to determine their contribution to meaning in a bilingual or multilingual, polyphonic discourse situations such as what we find in this novel of Kourouma The study is conducted on the basis of data collected on the phenomenon from the novel and examined through the theoretical frameworks of critical discourse analysis and literary reflections. It establishes that much as parenthetical expressions do not partake in the truth-conditions of the sentences in which they appear, they contribute substantially to the global understanding and interpretation of their meanings. The paper consequently concludes that parenthetical expressions as used in The Suns of Independence are peculiarities of oral speech which have found their ways into written text. They help to create an atmosphere of linguistic reality as they reaffirm the conversational and humorous tone of the text. They also enhance the understanding of implied sociolinguistic and cultural meanings of the series of events that make the stories in the novel. As such, they contribute to the stylistic exploit of Kourouma as a renowned novelist in African literature

Source: UCC
The Link Between Poverty and Social Exclusion in Ghana: An Econometric Approach

Poverty and exclusion are two interrelated concepts and each one reinforces the other. Theoretically, it is postulated that there is a connection between social exclusion and poverty. In other words, exclusion affects poverty through several channels but this link has not been tested econometrically in Ghana. Therefore, this study examines the link between poverty and social exclusion using the Probit and 2SLS estimation technique with the view to isolating the relevant social exclusion factors that significantly account for poverty for policy purposes. The data used for the study were extracted from GLSS 5. The study reveals that education plays a major role in poverty reduction. Poverty is associated with age and household size in a non linear fashion. In other words, the effect of age on poverty follows a certain pattern. Individuals who are excluded from employment are more likely to be poor. The policy implications are that government should take human capital development seriously. Again, there must be efforts to address social exclusion since it affects poverty.

Source: UCC