ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Female Pre-Service Teachers’ Perception and Attitudes Towards Mathematics

The study focused on female teacher trainees’ perceptions and attitudes towards mathematics in some selected colleges of education in Ghana's Western and Central regions. A descriptive research design was used in this study. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 293 female students to participate in the study. The questionnaire was used to collect data from the research participants. The data was analysed using inferential statistics such as the Pearson Moment Product Correlation Coefficient test, t-test and descriptive statistics involving means and standard deviations. Data sources from the open ended items in the questionnaire were analysed using thematic analysis and presented as narrative descriptions with some illustrative examples. The findings from the study showed that female teacher trainees had a favourable perception of cohesiveness, tutor support, involvement, co-operation, and equity as far as the teaching and learning of mathematics at the college level of education. Again, the result indicated a positive disposition towards the affect, behaviour and cognition of female teacher trainees in learning mathematics. Consequently, a significant positive correlation between perception and attitude was revealed in the current study. Finally, the perception and attitude of students from mixed CoEs were more favourable than those in single-sex CoEs. It is recommended that GTEC consider reorienting mathematics curriculum planners to emphasise a sense of equity, inclusivity, equal treatment, cohesiveness, and cooperation to create a positive and supportive mathematics learning environment. Implications of the study for policy, practice and further research have been discussed.

Source: UCC
Female socio-economic status, fertility decision-making and fertility behaviour in the Akuapem South District

The study was an exploratory and non-interventional design focusing on the socio-economic status, fertility decision-making and fertility behaviour of females in the Akuapem South District of the Eastern Region of Ghana. The multistage sampling procedure was used in selecting Nsawam and Obodan/Fotobi from the Akuapem South District to serve as the study area. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. Additionally, the chi-square statistic and the difference between two means tests, and the Pearson correlation coefficient were applied to infer specific relations in order to reduce the chances of presenting a merely descriptive work. The study revealed that education and residence were significantly related to fertility behaviour. There was also a significant relationship between fertility decision-making and socio- economic status. The analysis further revealed that there was an inverse relationship between high socio-economic status and the mean number of children born. However, the analysis did not reveal any significant difference between high socio-economic status and fertility behaviour. Based on the findings of the study it was recommended that, in order to raise their socio-economic status, females should pursue education to the post - secondary level. Also, it was recommended that females should delay marriage until they gain employable skills. To reduce the number of children ever born, it was recommended that husbands should communicate with their wives about the benefits of giving birth to a fewer number of children.

Source: UCC
Female students' preferences for physics courses at University of Cape Coast and senoir secondary schools

The main aim of the study was to investigate what accounts for the low proportion of female participation in the study of physics at University Cape Coast (UCC) compared to biology and chemistry. The study also identified practical methods or ways that could be employed to make physics more appealing to female students in order to encourage greater female participation in the subject beyond Senior Secondary School (SSS) level. The target population [or the study comprised 208 female undergraduate students offering biology, chemistry and physics at UCC; 201 SSS female final year science students selected from four SSS in Cape Coast Metropolis and 11 physics lecturers and teachers. A cross-sectional survey was used for the study. The main instruments used in gathering data for the study were questionnaire on low female participation in physics (QLFPP). interview protocol for female students (lPFS) and interview protocol for physics lecturers and teachers (lPPLT). The model of analysis of data invol ved the use of frequency and percentage tables and Independent Samples t-test as yvell as explanatory information on students and teachers' reasons about the low [emale participation in physics at the university. The study showed that several reasons account for females' preferences for biology and chemistry courses to physics course at the university. Among them arc: abstract nature of physics; difficulty level of the subject (physics) and limited career opportunities in physics. It was recommended among other things that, in order to encourage greater female participation in the study of physics, serious efforts must be made by physics lecturers and tcachers as wcll as physics departments to create awareness of career opportunities in the study of physics.

Source: UCC
Female Students’ Participation in Mathematics Education at the University Level in Ghana

For more than three decades now, a great body of research studies have been conducted to address the issue of gender disparities in mathematics education across the globe as a result of the minimal participation of females in mathematics education in higher levels of education. The primary purpose of this study, however, was to investigate female students’ participation in mathematics education at the university level. It considered 99 female students’ studying mathematics education from the University of Cape Coast and the University of Education, Winneba. The study used descriptive survey design to analyse both qualitative and quantitative data gathered from respondents. The study revealed among other things that the trend of enrolment of female students’ in mathematics education is on the decline. Also, the study revealed that enjoyment derived from studying mathematics education, career opportunities in mathematics education, desire to study mathematics education, interest in mathematics education, were some of the reasons why female students participate in mathematics education. The assertion that mathematics is a male domain subject was not a perception of female mathematics education students who participated in this study. Conclusions, implications and recommendations are further discussed in the work.

Source: UCC
Femtosecond laser structuring of materials: A review

In this review the interaction between femtosecond laser and matter with emphasis on silicon and some metals have been appraised. For silicon, spikes are produced as a result of interaction in the presence of background gas such as SF6, or H2S with an appropriate background pressure, but spikes are not formed in the presence N2 or air. The formation of the spikes increases the infrared light absorption of silicon to near unity. Interaction of femtosecond laser with metals form periodic surface structures that make the metals exhibit many different morphological characteristics. This processing technique allows the creation of a variety of colors on a metal that ultimately lead to control of its optical properties from UV to terahertz. From the assessment made, the potential of femtosecond laser structuring of materials for cost-effective nano-manufacturing is high

Source: UCC
Fertilizer produced from abattoir waste can contribute to phosphorus sustainability, and biofortify crops with minerals

Our food security depends on finding a sustainable alternative to rock phosphate for fertilizer production. Furthermore, over 2 billion people worldwide are currently affected by micronutrient deficiencies, and crop concentrations of essential minerals are declining. This paper examines whether a novel multi-element fertilizer, Thallo®, can produce crop yields comparable to conventional rock phosphate derived fertilizers, and have an additional benefit of increasing essential mineral concentrations. Thallo®, produced from abattoir and recycled industrial by-products, was tested against conventional mineral fertilizers in a pot trial with wheat and grass. In soil, yields were comparable between the fertilizer types, but, in a lownutrient substrate, Thallo® showed a yield benefit. Elemental concentrations in the plant material typically reflected the relative concentrations in the fertilizer, and Thallo® fertilized plants contained significantly more of some essential elements, such as selenium and zinc. Furthermore, concentrations of the toxic element cadmium were significantly lower in Thallo® fertilized crops. Among the fertilizers, manganese concentrations were greatest in the Thallo®, but within the fertilized plants, they were greatest under the mineral fertilizer, showing the complexity of assessing whether nutrients will be taken up by crops. In summary, fertilizers from livestock waste have the potential to improve wheat and grass concentrations of essential elements while maintaining yields

Source: UCC
Fetus in Fetu: A Rare Presentation in an Adult Female

A report of Fetus in fetu (FIF) by Murtaza et al.1 in Oman Medical Journal 25 (2010) was an interesting presentation. One must congratulate the authors for a good presentation. There are however some areas to be highlighted for the benefit of the scientific world. The patient presented by Murtaza A at al.1 is not the oldest patient in the literature to date. Hoeffel at al.2 review shows that only four of 88 reported cases (4.5%) have been described in patients 10 years of age or older, with the oldest reported case occurring in a 47year old man.3 The patient presented by Murtaza A et al.1 was 30 years old. Various authors up to 2007 have quoted less than 100 reported cases as aftermath of Hoeffel at al.2 extensive review published in 2000, which documented 88 cases. A similar but more recent review of reported FIF from 1806 to 2007 by Rahman GA et al.4 isolated one hundred and sixty (161) cases with the ages of diagnosis ranging from 16 Weeks in utero to the oldest of 47 years. Braimoh et al.5 in 2008, described comprehensively the distribution of the 170 published cases of FIF by site of occurrence (1806 to July 2008) and found the occurrence of abdominal location in 80.3%. Unlike the Hoeffel et al with 4.5% above the age of 10 years, Rahman GA et al.’s review had twelve of the 160 reported cases (7.5%) described in patients 10 years of age and above.4 Interestingly the patient reported by Murtaza A et al.1 is from Nagpur, India. In the 2007,4 review 25.6% of cases were from Asia with 37.5% of cases from Asian Countries coming from India. It was found to be rare in Africa, where only three cases were reported before 2007 (all from South Africa). However, two cases were reported from Nigeria in 2008.5,6 The West African sub region with largest population of blacks and the largest twinning rate in the world had no documented case before 2007.4 The size of cases excised weighed between 13 grams and 2000 grams,4 the case reported by Murtaza A et al.1 is one of the largest. We agree with Murtaza A et al1 that computer tomography (CT) is a very useful imaging modality but may not be the most reliable. Although there has been limited report on the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of FIF probably due to the rarity of the entity, MRI, which has major advantages of allowing imaging in the saggital and coronal planes and capability to identify insufficiently calcified vertebrae and vertebral axis7 seems to be the ideal technique for demonstrating the wide range of tissue within such lesion. In reviewing the literature, most case reports up to 1980 showed that the preoperative diagnosis of FIF was made only in 16.7% of cases and in fact up to mid-1990s, fewer than a quarter of the cases were diagnosed prior to surgery2 because CT and MRI scans were not performed. Both of which, have enhanced the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis.

Source: UCC
Fever Management in Children 0 – 5 Years: a Survey of the Knowledge, Beliefs and Practices Among Nurses in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana

Fever remains the commonest problem presented to hospitals in Ghana, and nurses are at the fore front of the care of children. Despite this, very little empirical evidence exists on fever management by nurses in Ghana. This study therefore sought to assess the knowledge level on fever, beliefs about fever and childhood fever management practices among nurses in the Cape Coast metropolis Employing a quantitative cross-sectional survey design, data on knowledge level on fever, beliefs about fever, presence of fever phobia and fever management practices of respondents was collected from a sample of 173 nurses, using a questionnaire. SPSS version 24 was used for data analysis. Frequencies and summary statistics were used for descriptive data, while inferentially, Chi Square test, Fisher’s Exact test, Phi and Cramer’s V, as well as binary Logistics regression were used to test for significant associations. Most respondents (66.5%) had poor fever knowledge. Almost all respondents (96.5%) were of the erroneous belief that fever is non-beneficial. Majority of respondents did not have fever phobia. Most nurses (80.9%) combined sponging with the administration of antipyretics in managing fever in children. Health authorities must prioritize Paediatric nursing specialty training, CPD trainings on childhood fever management practices. MOH should update, unify and simplify the fever management protocols in the country for health facilities and professionals.

Source: UCC
The fiaside institution among the Anlo-Ewes of Ghana

The Fiaside institution. with its accompanying beliefs and practices. has been with the Anlo-Ewes since time immemorial. It is a religio-cultural institution attached to deities of restitution - Troxoviwo. By this practice. young women are sent as wives of a deity, Fiasidewo, to serve in a shrine of a Troxovi to atone for sins committed by their relatives. The practice is popularly known in Ghana as the Trokosi system. Trakas; in reality is the name given to a variation of the practice among the Tongu-Ewes, The Trokosi practice has been given much publicity and condemned by the public as an outmoded religious system of cult-slavery and human rights abuses. A Bill was therefore passed in Parliament banning the activities of Troxovi institutions. Meanwhile, the Ghanaian public knows little about the phenomenon as it is practised among the Anlo-Ewes - the Fiaside Institution. This study is, therefore, undertaken to uncover the Fiaside institution to the Ghanaian public so that people could come to know more about the institution and be able to appreciate and criticise the institution meaningfully. The study is therefore tailored to answer among others the following research questions: - 1. What is the Fiaside institution? 2. How do women become Fiasidewo'l 3. Of what significance is the institution to the people? 4. How does the Fiaside institution illuminate and is illuminated by traditional Anlo beliefs and practices? 5. What is the future of the institution? The study is a case study and the methodology used in gathering data was basically through unwritten sources, because majority of the informants are non-literate. A few written sources were also consulted, notwithstanding. The findings of this study, inter alia, are that the institution is a religious one and is characterised by the performance of three main initiation rituals, and that some Anlo-Ewes feel the institution was and is still socially, religiously, economically, politically and morally relevant to their society. It has also been discovered that the Anlo-Ewes themselves have come to appreciate the fact that certain aspects of the institution need to be either abolished or transformed in order to stand the test of time.

Source: UCC
A fibre optical system for reflectance measurement of plane surfaces

A simple fibre optical design for reflectance measurements of plane surfaces has been developed and tested. The reflectance system was standardized with a PF10-03-P01-Plane mirror. Average reflectance from the plane mirror was 99.7%, 99.5% and 70.0% for the 1310 nm, 850 nm LED sources and 632.8 nm He-Ne laser respectively. Average reflectance decreased with decreasing wavelength. Steel and aluminium metal plates showed different trends in average reflectance values. The microscope slide and glass block depicted similar trends as compared to the plane mirror. Surface scans recorded showed variations in reflected intensity, which depicts irregularities on the surface. It was observed that reflectance of the Sony 700 MB CD-R was higher than the CD-WR samples and also it revealed that reflectance decreased abruptly at the boundary between a data recorded section and a non-data section on both CDs. Reflectance for new and expired pharmaceutical tablets showed great variance. The values for new tablets were on average, about 18% higher than for expired tablets. The general results also showed that light intensity depends on the varied longitudinal displacement of the samples as intensity falls off by 1/𝑒2. There is the suitability of the reflectance design to be used for quality control as reflectance is a unique property of any material. The optical design is reliable and versatile and can be adapted to quality controlled systems.

Source: UCC
Fibroblast Growth Factor-21 ameliorates hepatic encephalopathy by activating the STAT3-SOCS3 pathway to inhibit activated hepatic stellate cells

Neurological dysfunction, one of the consequences of acute liver failure (ALF), and also referred to as hepatic encephalopathy (HE), contributes to mortality posing challenges for clinical management. FGF21 has been implicated in the inhibition of cognitive decline and fibrogenesis. However, the effects of FGF21 on the clinical and molecular presentations of HE has not been elucidated. HE was induced by fulminant hepatic failure using thioacetamide (TAA) in male C57BL/6J mice while controls were injected with saline. For two consecutive weeks, mice were treated intraperitoneally with FGF21 (3 mg/kg) while controls were treated with saline. Cognitive, neu- rological, and activity function scores were recorded. Serum, liver, and brain samples were taken for analysis of CCL5 and GABA by ELISA, and RT qPCR was used to measure the expressions of fibrotic and pro-inflammatory markers. We report significant improvement in both cognitive and neurological scores by FGF21 treatment after impairment by TAA. GABA and CCL5, key factors in the progression of HE were also significantly reduced in the treatment group. Furthermore, the expression of fibrotic markers such as TGFβ and Col1 were also significantly downregulated after FGF21 treatment. TNFα and IL-6 were significantly reduced in the liver while in the brain, TNFα and IL-1 were downregulated. However, both in the liver and the brain, IL-10 was significantly upregulated. FGF21 inhibits CXCR4/CCL5 activation and upregulates the production of IL-10 in the damaged liver stimulating the production pro-inflammatory cytokines and apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells through the STAT3-SOCS3 pathway terminating the underlying fibrosis in HE.

Source: UCC
Fibroblast Growth Factor–21 Ameliorates Hepatic Encephalopathy by activating the STAT3-SOCS3 Pathway to Inhibit activated Hepatic Stellate Cells

Neurological dysfunction, one of the consequences of acute liver failure (ALF), and also referred to as hepatic encephalopathy (HE), contributes to mortality posing challenges for clinical management. FGF21 has been implicated in the inhibition of cognitive decline and fibrogenesis. However, the effects of FGF21 on the clinical and molecular presentations of HE has not been elucidated. HE was induced by fulminant hepatic failure using thioacetamide (TAA) in male C57BL/6J mice while controls were injected with saline. For two consecutive weeks, mice were treated intraperitoneally with FGF21 (3 mg/kg) while controls were treated with saline. Cognitive, neurological, and activity function scores were recorded. Serum, liver, and brain samples were taken for analysis of CCL5 and GABA by ELISA, and RT qPCR was used to measure the expressions of fibrotic and pro-inflammatory markers. We report significant improvement in both cognitive and neurological scores by FGF21 treatment after impairment by TAA. GABA and CCL5, key factors in the progression of HE were also significantly reduced in the treatment group. Furthermore, the expression of fibrotic markers such as TGFβ and Col1 were also significantly downregulated after FGF21 treatment. TNFα and IL-6 were significantly reduced in the liver while in the brain, TNFα and IL-1 were downregulated. However, both in the liver and the brain, IL-10 was significantly upregulated. FGF21 inhibits CXCR4/CCL5 activation and upregulates the production of IL-10 in the damaged liver stimulating the production pro-inflammatory cytokines and apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells through the STAT3-SOCS3 pathway terminating the underlying fibrosis in HE.

Source: UCC
Fibroblast transdifferentiation promotes conversion of M1 macrophages and replenishment of cardiac resident macrophages following cardiac injury in mice

Resident cardiac macrophages play important roles in homeostasis, maintenance of cardiac function, and tissue repair. After cardiac injury, monocytes infiltrate the tissue, undergo phenotypic and functional changes, and are involved in inflammatory injury and functional remodeling. However, the fate of cardiac infiltrating/polarized macrophages and the relationship between these cells and resident cardiac macrophage replenishment following injury remain unclear. Our results showed that angiotensin II induces cardiac fibroblast transdifferentiation into cardiac myofibroblasts (MFBs). In cocultures with MFBs and murine macrophages, the MFBs promoted macrophage polarization to M1 phenotype, followed by selective apoptosis, which was associated with TNF/TNFR1 axis and independent of NO production. Surprisingly, after 36 h of coculture, the surviving macrophages were converted to M2 phenotype and settled in heart, which was dependent on leptin produced by MFBs or polarized macrophages ia the PI3K or Akt pathway. CCR2+CD45.2+ cells adoptively transferred into CD45.1+ mice with viral myocarditis, differentiated into CD45.2+CCR2+CX3CR1+ M2 cells during the resolution of inflammation and settled within the heart. Our data highlight a novel mechanism related to the renewal or replenishment of cardiac resident macrophages following cardiac injury; and suggest that trans differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts may promote the resolution of inflammation

Source: UCC