ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
The effects of public sentiments and feelings on stock market behavior: Evidence from Australia

This paper investigates the empirical evidence of the effects of public sentiments on industry stock returns and volatility dynamics in Australia based on the states of the market that relates to the conditional quantiles of public sentiments and sectoral stocks, using the robust nonparametric causality-in-quantile test. We adopt the monthly overall consumer sentiments index and four of its components, including sentiments for rural Australia and the age groups 18–24, 25–44, and 45 and above. Our nine industry stocks include Health Care, Consumer Discretionary, Consumer Staples, utilities, financials, and real Estate, Industrials, Basic Materials and Energy, with data spanning from October 1974 to October 2020. The results from the nonlinear causality test show a directional and bidirectional causality between measures of consumer sentiments and returns of industry stocks. Interestingly, we note that the sentiments of individuals aged 45 and above cause the returns of all nine sectors. Next, we explore the predictive power of sentiments on industry stock returns using the nonparametric causality-in-quantile test. We find that the predictability between sentiments and industry stock returns is high in the normal market state but drops when consumers’ perceptions enter into the extreme bearish and bullish states. Additionally, the findings show a risk (volatility) transfer from sentiments to the industry's stock returns in some cases under different market conditions. We offer some implications based on our findings for the stakeholders and market participants who develop their strategies depending on market conditions and sentiments

Source: UG
The effects of revenue diversification and cross border banking on risk and return of banks in Africa

The paper analyses the implications of revenue diversification and cross-border banking for risk and return. We sample 320 banks across 29 African countries and employ System GMM estimator as a methodological approach to shed further light on the diversification-stability nexus by examining the complex interaction between three key variables: cross-border banking, diversification and bank stability. The results suggest that exploration risk reduces diversification as the level of capital increases when banks cross border to diversify across revenue generating activities. Our analyses further show that, banks in Africa derive absolute benefits from diversification if they cross border and diversify their revenue base concurrently. These results are robust to a range of controls including alternative variable specifications, regulatory environment that bank operate and methodology.

Source: UG
Effects of rising food and oil prices on rural households in Ghana: A case study of selected communities in the dangme west district using the CBMS approach

This study sought to examine the effects of rising food and oil prices on rural households in Ghana in relation to their food, access to healthcare and education, changes in their work situations, their financial management practices, and their recreational and leisure practices using three selected communities in the Dangme West district of the Greater Accra region - Dodowa, Ningo, and Prampram. A total of 300 households were interviewed. The households were divided concerning the issue of whether their standard of living was better, worse or had remained the same. In general, households that indicated they were worse off currently than they were last year slightly outnumbered those who had seen improvements in their lives. © 2010 De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines.

Source: UG
Effects of selective logging on tree diversity and some soil characteristics in a tropical forest in southwest Ghana

We investigated the effects of selective logging disturbances on tree diversity and soil characteristics in the Bia Conservation Area in southwest Ghana. The study was conducted in unlogged, 29-35 years post-logged and swamp forests using ten 25 m × 25 m plots. In total, we identified 310 individual trees belonging to 87 species. Mean Shannon-Weiner index was highest in the post-logged forest but there were no significant differences in tree density, dominance, or DBH size class distributions between these forests. Soil physical properties such as pH and bulk density up to 30 cm depth were similar in the two of forests In terms of soil nutrient status, available P, exchangeable K and total N contents were all similar in the unlogged and post-logged forests. Our findings suggest that the effects of logging on tree diversity are comparatively long-term, in contrast to its short-term effects on some top soil physical and chemical characteristics. © 2014 Northeast Forestry University and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Source: UG
Effects of socio-cultural norms on smallholder adaptation to climate change in Nkoranza South municipality, Ghana

Socio-cultural norms can potentially enhance the adaptive capacities of some groups while constraining the capacities of others. Using household surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews in four communities in the Nkoranza South municipality, Ghana, this article examines how socio-cultural norms influence the climate change adaptation of smallholder farmers. While socio-cultural norms fostered indigenes’ access to farmlands and other communal resources resulting in on-farm diversification, migrants/settlers could not take advantage of climate-resistant cash crops such as cashew due to their limited access to and control of land. Additionally, cultural expectations and roles enhanced women’s non-farm adaptive options compared to men.

Source: UG
Effects of Spatial Characteristics on Non-Standard Employment for Canada’s Immigrant Population

Using microdata from Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Population Census, this paper explores how spatial characteristics are correlated with temporary employment outcomes for Canada’s immigrant population. Results from ordinary least square regression models suggest that census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations (CMAs/CAs) characterized by a high share of racialized immigrants, immigrants in low-income, young, aged immigrants, unemployed immigrants, and immigrants employed in health and service occupations were positively associated with an increase in temporary employment for immigrants. Furthermore, findings from principal component regression models revealed that a combination of spatial characteristics, namely CMAs/CAs characterized by both a high share of unemployed immigrants and immigrants in poverty, had a greater likelihood of immigrants being employed temporarily. The significance of this study lies in the spatial conceptualization of temporary employment for immigrants that could better inform spatially targeted employment policies, especially in the wake of the structural shift in the nature of work brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: UG
Effects of Stakeholder Conflicts on Community Development Projects in Kenyase

This article explores the effects of stakeholder conflicts on community development. In particular, it analyzes the negative repercussions these conflicts have on projects drawing on primary research in Kenyase, one of the major mining communities in Ghana where community development processes are more structured. Using qualitative research methods, the research sought evidence of the negative effects stakeholder conflicts have on projects. This study revealed that financial and technical investments without adequate social capital have the potential of retarding community development projects. It was therefore recommended that project managers pay attention to stakeholder relationships in project initiation, design, and implementation. © 2016, © The Author(s) 2016.

Source: UG
Effects of stocking density on growth and survival of young Gulf killifish in recirculating aquaculture systems

Gulf killifish, Fundulus grandis, is a hardy marine baitfish with established rearing techniques in ponds and static pools, but there is little information about the use of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) for growing killifish.The current trial investigated the effects of stocking density on growth and survival of young killifish in RAS. Young fish (28-day posthatch) of 51.6 ± 0.9 mg (mean ± SE) were stocked at 2, 5, 8, and 11 fish/L in 31 L tanks in RAS with triplicate groups for 16 weeks. Cannibalism was a major problem in the study, which increased with increasing initial stocking density, affecting survival negatively. Survival decreased (P < 0.03) with increasing initial stocking density and culture period. At the end of the trial, the 2, 5, 8 and 11 fish/L initial stocking density reduced to 1.66, 1.42, 0.86, and 0.74 fish/L respectively. A significant linear relationship existed between the initial stocking density and weight (y = 0.077x + 2.3; R2 = 0.8; P = 0.003), whereas an inverse relationship occurred between initial stocking density and survival parameters (y = −9.43x + 97.4; R2 = 0.89; P < 0.001). From the trial, the optimum density for culturing young of Gulf killifish in RAS appears to be around two fish/L.

Source: UG
Effects of substrates on the performance of optoelectronic devices: A review

This review discusses the effects of substrates on devices fabricated for optoelectronic applications. It includes the types and characteristics of substrates, synthesis and fabrication of substrates, and the influence of substrates on the optical properties, surface morphology and current-voltage behaviour of optoelectronic devices. The study showed that two main types of substrates: planar and textured are commonly used in the industry. Flexibility, semi-rigidity and rigidity are characteristics of the substrates and they vary in modulus, transparency and texture. Whereas glass and metal substrates can be produced via melt casting, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), etc are produced by crosslinking polymer base materials with curing agents. The mechanical and current-voltage characteristics are also shown for planar and textured substrate-based devices. The textured substrates showed ridges, wrinkles, buckled surface morphology whereas the planar showed uniform and largely flat morphology. Textured substrates also recorded higher optical absorbance and improved device efficiencies compared with planar substrates. The molecular configuration of the polymer chains are edged-on for planar substrates and both edge-on and face-on for textured substrates. The findings and their implications have been discussed to highlight the importance of substrates in the fabrication and performance of optoelectronic devices.

Source: UG
The effects of supplementing maternal and infant diets with lipid-based nutrient supplements on physical activity and sedentary behaviour at preschool age in Ghana

Evidence on whether nutritional supplementation affects physical activity (PA) during early childhood is limited. We examined the long-term effects of lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) on total PA, moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) of children at 4–6 years using an accelerometer for 1 week. Their mothers were enrolled in the International Lipid-based Nutrient Supplement-DYAD randomised controlled trial in Ghana, assigned to daily LNS or multiple micronutrients (MMN) during pregnancy through 6 months postpartum or Fe and folic acid (IFA) during pregnancy and placebo for 6 months postpartum. From 6 to 18 months, children in the LNS group received LNS; the other two groups received no supplements. Analysis was done with intention to treat comparing two groups: LNS v. non-LNS (MMNþ IFA). Of the sub-sample of 375 children fitted with accelerometers, 353 provided sufficient data. Median vector magnitude (VM) count was 1374 (interquartile range (IQR) 309), and percentages of time in MVPA and SB were 4·8 (IQR 2) and 31 (IQR 8) %, respectively. The LNS group (n 129) had lower VM (difference in mean −73 (95 % CI −20, −126), P = 0·007) and spent more time in SB (LNS v. non-LNS: 32·3 v. 30·5 %, P = 0·020) than the non-LNS group (n 224) but did not differ in MVPA (4·4 v. 4·7 %, P = 0·198). Contrary to expectations, provision of LNS in early life slightly reduced the total PA and increased the time in SB but did not affect time in MVPA. Given reduced social-emotional difficulties in the LNS group previously reported, including hyperactivity, one possible explanation is less restless movement in the LNS group

Source: UG
Effects of supplementing rice straw with two fodder tree leaves and their combinations on voluntary feed intake, growth, and nitrogen utilization in sheep

Abstract Fodder tree leaves (FTL) are limitless nutrient resources that provide high-quality feed, particularly during the dry season, improving animal diets, and reducing the use of concentrates in ruminant livestock farming. In order to determine the benefits of FTL, two experiments were conducted to measure the voluntary feed intake, growth performance, and nitrogen utilization of forest-type (FT) sheep fed rice straw (RS) and supplemented with either Leucaena leucocephala (LEU) or Samanea saman (SAM) or their equal combination (LS). For the growth trial (Experiment 1), 12 male FT sheep with mean initial body weight (BW) of 17.0 ± 1.0 kg (mean ± SD) were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments in a Completely Randomized Design. The diets were Urea-treated RS (UTS) (Control), RS + L (LEU), RS + S (SAM), and RS + 50% L + 50% S (LS). After 14 d of adjustment period, feed intakes and refusals were recorded daily, whereas BW was recorded bi-weekly for 12 wk. Four rams weighing 17.0 ± 1.0 kg BW were randomly assigned to the four treatments over a four period in a repeated (4 × 4) Latin square design to estimate the nitrogen (N) balance study (Experiment 2). Treatment diets were the same as that of Experiment 1. Dry matter intake of straw was highest (P = 0.0001) for sheep fed UTS. However, combining L with S increased (P = 0.0001) straw DM intake compared to feeding L or S alone. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in total feed intake between sheep offered UTS and LS, but both were significantly higher (P = 0.0001) than those offered LEU and SAM. Body weight gain (3.70 kg) and growth rate (196.15 g/d) were highest (P = 0.0001) for sheep offered LS compared to the other treatment groups. Values for N balance differed (P = 0.0001) among treatment diets. N balance for LUE and LS supplemented diets were higher than that of SAM but all were higher (P = 0.0001) than those offered UTS. Leucaena and Samanea leaves could, therefore, be utilized as supplement to poor-quality straws to improve the productivity of small ruminants especially during the long dry seasons in the tropics. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.

Source: UG
Effects of tea plantations on stream invertebrates in a global biodiversity hotspot in Africa

Tropical stream ecosystems in montane forest watersheds are important centers of endemism and diversity and provide essential ecosystem services. These habitats are subject to a variety of stressors, including the conversion of adjacent terrestrial habitats from forest to agriculture, but the impacts of these anthropogenic effects are largely unknown because of the paucity of studies in these systems. In montane habitats in the wet tropics, large-scale cultivation of tea is common and can represent an important source of income at local and national scales. However, little is known about how tea cultivation impacts adjacent stream ecosystems. In this study, we examine stream macroinvertebrate assemblages in a biodiversity hotspot the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. Specifically, we compare diversity of macroinvertebrate assemblages found on cobbles in stream riffles in watersheds dominated by forest with those surrounded by tea cultivation. We found that streams surrounded by tea were characterized by significantly lower dissolved oxygen and had lower total estimated species richness and number of families. Furthermore, the richness of invertebrate taxa known to be sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance were substantially reduced in tea streams and general assemblage-level analysis shows significant differences in the composition of macroinvertebrate assemblages between tea and forested streams. Our results suggest that tea cultivation may reduce stream habitat quality and biodiversity in the East Usambaras. Further research is needed to evaluate the effects of tea cultivation on streams over longer times scales and to address methods for minimizing negative effects of agriculture on montane stream communities. Abstracts in Portuguese and French are available at. © 2009 by The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation.

Source: UG
Effects of tempering and fat crystallisation behaviour on microstructure, mechanical properties and appearance in dark chocolate systems

Fat crystallisation behaviours in dark chocolates from varying particle size distribution (PSD) (D90 of 18, 25, 35 and 50 lm) was studied, yielding products from different temper regimes (optimal temper, over-temper and under-temper), and their effects on mechanical properties and appearance evaluated. Microstructures of derived products were determined using stereoscopic binocular microscopy. Wide variations in mechanical properties and appearance were noted in products from different particle size and temper regimes. Particle size (PS) was inversely related with texture and colour, with the greatest effects noted in hardness, stickiness and lightness at all temper regimes. Over-tempering caused significant increases in product hardness, stickiness with reduced gloss and darkening of product surfaces. Under-tempering induced fat bloom in products with consequential quality defects on texture, colour and surface gloss. Micrographs revealed variations in surface and internal crystal network structure and inter-particle interactions among tempered, over-tempered and under-tempered (bloomed) samples. Under-tempering caused whitening of both surface and internal periphery of products with effects on texture and appearance. Thus, attainment of optimal temper regime during pre-crystallisation of dark chocolate was central to the desired texture and appearance as both over-tempering and under-tempering resulted in quality defects affecting mechanical properties and appearance of products.

Source: UG
Effects of the aqueous extract of fresh leaves of Calotropis procera on haematological and biochemical parameters in female rabbits

Calotropis procera has been reported to be medicinal and toxic in animals. A toxicological evaluation of the aqueous extract of its fresh leaves was conducted in female rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Low levels of phytochemicals (alkaloids, saponins, tannins, cardiac glycosides, and flavonoids) were found while 0.23, 0.03, 0.82 and 9.5 mg/g of iron, lead, sodium and potassium, respectively, were detected. Acute toxicity study was conducted with oral administration of 200, 400, 800 and 1600 mg/kg of the extract once to groups I, II, III and IV, respectively. Four rabbits died within 24 h and LD50 was estimated (940 mg/kg). 80, 40 and 20 mg/kg of the extract were administered daily to groups I, II, and III, respectively, during sub-acute toxicity study for 14 days. All controls were given water. Statistical analysis of aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), albumin and protein showed no significant changes at P&lt;0.05. Changes in packed cell volume, white blood cells, haemoglobin, platelets, and differential leucocyte count (lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, heterophils/neutrophils and basophils) were equally statistically not significant at P&lt;0.05. It is concluded that the extract had no statistical significance on blood parameters when administered orally at tolerable doses since the values were in the range of control values. © 2009 Academic Journals.

Source: UG
Effects of the Intake of Natural Cocoa Powder on Some Biochemical and Haematological Indices in the Rat

The Department of Immunology conducts research in the field of immunology of infectious and non-infectious diseases. The Department has the overall goal of contributing knowledge to better diagnosis, management, control and prevention of infectious and non-infectious diseases in Ghana and worldwide. This is consistent with the overall strategy of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and in line with the strategy of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana.

Source: UG
The effects of the structure of banking market and funding strategy on risk and return

This paper analyses the implications of bank market power and funding structure for risk and return. It employs a sample of 978 banks in 55 countries leading up to the 2008 financial crisis to test for two related hypotheses. First, competition reduces internal capital as the level of market power increases when banks use internal funding to diversify into non-interest income generating activities. Building on these results and employing various specifications of Lerner index and funding strategy, the second test suggests that the relatively low insolvency risk among banks in emerging and developing countries during 2000–2007 is attributed to the high degree of market power and the use of internally generated funds.

Source: UG
The Effects of Three Teacher Variables on the Choice and Use of Motivational Strategies in EFL Instruction in Oman

It is common knowledge among EFL professionals in Oman that generations of Omani students who attended government schools mostly lacked the ability to motivate themselves to learn English effectively, and that this is attributable to socio-cultural factors that are beyond the control of the individual. In order to find ways to negate this tendency, a modified replication of Cheng and Dörnyei’s (2007) survey of EFL teachers in Taiwan was undertaken in Oman in 2009 to determine how teacher variables influence the frequency of use of specific motivational strategies in EFL classrooms in Oman. The teacher variables focused on were gender, teaching experience, and academic qualifications. The most striking finding was that majority of EFL teachers, irrespective of gender, experience or qualifications agreed on one strategy as the most effective in the Omani classroom: showing students you care about them. This contradicts the finding in Cheng and Dörnyei’s (2007) study.

Source: UG
Effects of trade liberalization policy on the performance of small and medium-sized food processing industries in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

Trade liberalization policy was analyzed to examine its effects on performance of Small and Medium Scale (SMS) food processing enterprises located in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana from 1970- 2003. Thirty-three SMS food processing companies were purposively sampled, and the results show a U-shaped trend in the number of registered firms, overall growth rate of 4.3% in the number of food processors, a negative growth rate of 1.8% between 1970 and 1982 and a positive growth rate of 15.3% between 1983 and 2003. Processing of fruits and vegetables was the most common venture, with 49% being limited liability companies producing mainly for the domestic market. The majority of food processors (94%) were established after the introduction of trade liberalization policy in 1983, and about 67% sourced raw materials locally and 55% financed businesses from own savings and profits. The trade liberalization policy had a positive effect on the output growth of SMS food processing companies. Capital was identified as the major constraint affecting growth of food processors, but the provision of tax relief; lower import tariff and financial support would enhance competitiveness of the processors.

Source: UG