ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Appropriate water supply scheme for some communities in the West Coast of Benin

Studies were conducted to recommend the appropriate water supply scheme for some communities in the west coast of Benin. Fifteen villages were assessed. The study sought information on the various sources used for domestic water supply, the water-borne diseases that affect the population and the different water technologies that can be used to supply people with potable water. Information was obtained through literature review, questionnaire, interviews and field observations studies. The various sources of water supply in the study area were identified. These are shallow wells, rainwater storage tanks, ponds and some few standpipes. The results of water sample analyses revealed that water from the wells are contaminated with faecal coliforms, some with nitrate and chloride especially during dry season Also 10% of the population suffered from water-borne diseases (bacillary dysentery, diarrhoeal diseases, other gastro-intestinal infections, skin and eye infections). The seawater freshwater interface is situated in the continent; therefore drilling borehole rarely ensures potable water due to the risk of seawater intrusion or it may require sophisticated equipments that will not be cost effective for small communities. The coastal lagoon and the lake Aheme, because of the pollution level require at least a conventional treatment; it is not also cost effective for small communities. Rainfall harvesting is not suitable for the project area because houses have thatched roofs and the high water demand from tourist activity that is developing are the constraints. The only alternative appropriate for now is to extend SBEE (Benin Electricity and Water Company) distribution networks from Ouidah. The design of the distribution network shows that the capital cost of installing the network is $316866 with a per capita cost of $ 27.4.

Source: KNUST
Approximating fixed points of weak contractions using the Picard iterations

This thesis is a review and extension of the paper “Approximating fixed points of weak contractions using the picard iteration” by Vasile Berinde. In the paper, the author introduced the concept of weak contractions and compared them to some well-known metrical contractive-type mappings. Furthermore, he proved two fixed point theorems for this class of weak contractions in metric spaces. A special class of contractive-type mappings is the class of quasi contractions introduced by Ciric. Berinde demonstrated that the class of quasi contractions intersect, but is not a subset of, weak contractions. The novel contribution in this thesis is the demonstration that for complete ultrametric spaces, the class of quasi contractions is a proper subset of the class of weak contractions. The thesis begins with a general introduction to metric fixed point theory as well as some preliminary results needed to give a detailed review of the thesis. My contribution to this review is deferred to the latter part of the main results after the detailed review has been undertaken.

Source: KNUST
Approximating the solution of an SDE model for cancer cell growth with a PDE using the Feynman-Kac Theorem

In this work the Feynman-Kac theorem was used to derive a Partial Differential Equation (Kolmogorov Equation) from an SDE model for cancer cell growth.Two Numerical schemes specifically for Stochastic Differential Equations were used to solve for the time it takes for the cancerous cells to be extinct (Persistence Time) and the resulting deterministic PDE so derived was solved using the Finite Difference approach.Tabular and Graphical results are presented and discussed. The results obtained showed that the Stochastic Numerical schemes; the Euler Maruyama and the Milstein Method employed for the SDE gave fairly consistent results while the Finite difference method employed for the deterministic PDE gave a very close approximate results to that of the SDEs.

Source: KNUST
Approximation of Fixed Point of Pseudocontractive Map in a Real Banach Pace

Fixed point theory has been one of most outstanding fields that contributes immensely to the growth of mathematics. This thesis seeks to answer a question that was a consequence of a research undertaken in this field. Recently, Zhou and Jin proved the following result: let E be a real Banach sf)ace with / a uniformly convex dual E*, and let K be a non-empty closed convex and bounded subset of E. Assume that T: K K is a continuous and strong pseudocontraction, the Ishikwa iteration sequence {x„ converges strongly to the unique fixed point of T. However, when T is continuous strongly pseudocontractive mapping, one question arises naturally: if T neither is lipschitzian nor has the bounded range, whether or not the Ishikawa iterative sequence {xn generated converges strongly to the unique fixed point of T. It is therefore the purpose of this thesis to solve the above question. This thesis is arranged in four chapters. The first chapter which is the introductory chapter gives a broad overview of the history and the significance of the study of the fixed point theory. The chapter emphasizes on the spaces, operators and iterative sequences involved in the study of fixed point theory. The second chapter discusses the basic concepts involved in the study of fixed point theory. These concepts include sets, maps, operators and iterative sequences. This chapter gives explicit definitions of terminologies, states theorems and lemmas along with their vivid proofs, which are related to these concepts. The discussion in this chapter would be useful in the analysis of the main work of the thesis. The third chapter provides an explicit analysis on how the Ishikawa iterative sequence strongly converges to the unique fixed point of pseudocontractive operator defined in a uniformly smooth Banach space. This operator is defined such that it is neither lipschitzian nor has the bounded range. The concluding chapter draws a number of special cases of the main work of this thesis from the analysis in the third chapter and ends by advocating for more research to be undertaken in fixed point theory.

Source: KNUST
Aqueous ethanolic extract of Acalypha inferno accelerates the clearance of glucose in normoglycaemic rats

Glucose tolerance refers to the body’s ability to metabolise glucose within a stipulated time interval. Failure of the body to use glucose results in hyperglycaemia and progressively to diabetes. Acalypha inferno (family Euphorbiaceae) is an ornamental plant found widely in the tropics of Africa and known for its phytoremediating properties. The study was aimed at investigating the effects of aqueous ethanolic extract of Acalypha inferno on oral glucose tolerance in normoglycaemic rats. A 50% hydro-ethanolic extract of the leaves was prepared, and the oral glucose tolerance effect of the plant assessed for 14 days in normoglycaemic rats at doses of 100mg, 250mg and 500mg/kg body weight. Glibenclamide (10mg/kg) was used as a standard drug. The effect of treatment on body weight, OGTT at day 7 and 14, lipid profile and kidney function were assessed. On day 7, FBG level increased from 4.93±0.29mmol/l to 25.03±0.93mmol/l after 1 hour and 17.53±4.50mmol/l after 3 hours in normal group. Extract and drug treated groups prevented such increases at all doses (p<0.001). FBG levels were restored to basal levels after 8 hours. Total cholesterol increased in the 250 mg group with a significant increase in LDL levels in the 100mg, 250mg and 500mg group compared to the normal. There was no significant difference in relative kidney weight, urea and creatinine levels. The hydro-ethanolic extract of Acalypha inferno possesses glucose tolerance abilities in normoglycaemic rats.

Source: KNUST
AQUEOUS ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF ACALYPHA INFERNO LEAVES IS SAFE IN ANIMALS

Acalypha inferno(AI) is a well-known ornamental plant, presently with no known documentation concerning its therapeutic use and safety profile. However, other plants of the same genus, Acalypha, have been reported to have various uses ranging from food to medicine with their related adverse effects. This study therefore focused on the acute and subchronic toxicity effects of aqueous ethanolic leaf extract of Acalypha inferno leaves (AIE) in animals. The acute toxicity study was performed using the fixed dose method. In the subchronic assessment, both male and female rats were separately administered with AIE at doses of 100 mg/kg, 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg twice daily for 28 days. Change in body weight, relative organ weight, haematological parameters and biochemical parameters were recorded and analysed. In the acute toxicity study, no deleterious effect was observed up to 5000 mg/kg, hence the LD50≥5000 mg/kg. In the subchronic toxicity study, significant increase in weight was observed at all doses in male rats whilst a significant decrease was observed only at 500 mg/kg in female rats. A significant increase in weight of uterus was also observed at 100 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg. Decreased levels of ALT, AST, creatinine, WBC and P-LCR were observed, whereas increasing levels of FBG, platelet count and total bilirubin were observed in male rats at high doses. AIE produced no significant adverse effects and could therefore be considered safe with controlled use.

Source: KNUST
Architectural design defects and their impact on housing in the private sector: case study of Aboabo residential area, Kumasi

The government of Ghana has over the decades made attempts to improve the housing delivery system through the setting up of the framework of rules and regulations. The public sector provides less than 20 per cent of the housing stock of Ghana. The contribution of the private sector in making up for the average annual housing deficit of 70,000 housing units is therefore significant. In a bid to complement the efforts of government by the private sector, aspects such as development control by planning authorities are overlooked and in the process building regulations are also not followed. These situations result in defects in the architectural design of housing units. In Aboabo, a suburb of Kumasi, 131 housing units were selected using random sampling out of 830 of the 2000 Population and Housing Census. The compound was found to be the predominant type, which constitutes 62 per cent of the housing units studied. Over 60 per cent of landlords were above 60 years while over 70 per cent of them had either never had formal education or had only attained basic level of education. Architectural design defects in the housing units were identified under the classification of climate control and the floor plan. Only 17.6 per cent of the housing units studied were designed by professional architects. The limited influence of the architect had exacerbated the difficulties faced by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) in the promotion and the enforcement of planning laws. Among the recommendations provided is the need for the planning authorities to be conversant with the annual list of registered architects from the Architects Registration Council (A.R.C.). This action will place the authorities in a better position, to recommend them to landlords as part of periodic and sustained educational campaigns.

Source: KNUST
Architecture for the terminally ill: A proposed hospice facility design for Ghana.

The concept of Hospice care is rooted in the centuries-old idea of offering a place of shelter and rest, or "hospitality" to weary and sick travellers on a long journey. Today, hospice provides humane and compassionate care for the terminally ill so that their last days on this earth may be comfortable. It concentrates on reducing the severity of disease symptoms, rather than providing a cure. The goal is to prevent and relieve suffering and to improve quality of life for people facing serious and complex illness. Ghana lacks hospice facility apart from the hospital units to cater for the dying from terminal diseases such as HIV/AIDS and various types of cancer such as leukaemia, cancer of the colon, liver and lungs etcetera. The objective of the research is to provide a climate and culturally responsive hospice design for Ghana. The research is able to utilize the concepts of courtyards, landscape and congregational open spaces throughout the whole facility, to create a hospice design that that is suitable for Ghana culturally.

Source: KNUST
Architecture, Mural Decoration and Pottery in Sirigu Culture

Sirigu, with its extraordinary traditional architecture, mural decorations and pottery, genuinely is one of the most artistic communities in the Upper East Region of Ghana. These splendid art forms have inspired and attracted many admirers over the years. However, very little is known about the nature of the above art forms in the Sirigu society. The central focus of the study therefore was to examine the raw materials, motifs and techniques used in creating the above mentioned art forms, as well as to ascertain their cultural and philosophical significances to the people of Sirigu. The study was carried out with the aid of interview guides, photographs, illustrations, participant and non-participant observational techniques, note taking, voice recordings, as well as review of relevant literature. The research revealed that architecture, mural decoration and pottery in Sirigu culture, was evolved to meet the needs of the people. The art forms possessed a large volume of the cultural beliefs and history of the people of the society. The study also explicitly exposes the raw materials used in producing the art forms are obtained from the immediate environment, and are organic in nature. The research underpinned the fact that the above mentioned art forms have important tourism potentials, and if properly harnessed, could be of great benefit to the Sirigu people. The major recommendation is to sustain the art forms as well as assist in boosting tourist inflow to the community to improve the standard of living of the people.

Source: KNUST
Are non‑market benefits of soybean production significant? An extended economic analysis of smallholder soybean farming in Upper West region of northern Ghana

Background: Traditional cost–benefit analysis of soybean production tends to largely focus on financial benefits to farmers, and less so on non-market co-benefits in sustaining smallholder farming systems. Relying solely on the standard financial analysis undermines the actual benefit of soybean production, which often results in ineffectual policy designs. An economic analysis that incorporates key non-pecuniary co-benefits of soybean production provide vital insight that contributes to improving productivity and overall economic well-being of farmers. Cross-sectional data were collected from 271 farmers to estimate the overall economic benefit of soybean that captures both market and non-market attributes in three major producing districts (Sissala-West, Wa-East, and Dafiama-Busie-Issa (DBI)) of Ghana. Results: When non-market co-benefits were omitted, soybean production was not profitable (−Gh¢103.10/ha or −US$22.91) in DBI while Sissala-West and Wa-East had modest profit margins. However, the financial analysis changed dramatically when an average non-market value of Gh¢345.69 (US$76.82) was incorporated in the analysis. The soybean system was, therefore, financially viable for all the districts when the non-market attributes of the crop were considered. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate the importance of the non-pecuniary benefits of soybean in smallholder farming systems for policy decision-making. For instance, farmers’ motivation for soybean production is closely linked to those ancillary benefits like the biological nitrogen fixed in the soil for cultivation of other crops. Similarly, crop administrators and policy makers’ support for conservation agriculture and green environment is tied to these nonmarket co-benefits.

Source: KNUST
Approximation methods for common fixed points of non-expansive mappings in Hilbert spaces

This thesis is an extensive exposition and review of the paper "Approximation methods of common fixed point of non-expansive mappings in a Hilbert space" in which the author, Paul- Emile Mainge proposed two numerical approaches to solving this problem by implicit and explicit viscosity like-methods. The study as obtain in the thesis was the strong convergence results of the implicit anchor-like algorithm and the explicit procedure for approximating the common fixed point of countable infinite family of non-expansive self-mappings. This thesis basically details the proofs of the main theorem of Paul’s paper as well as detailed exposition of the mathematics involved in it. Detailed proofs of subsidiary results leading up to the proof of the main theorem of Paul’s paper are also discussed. Finally, the main theorem of the paper is also demonstrated in a series of lemmas.

Source: KNUST
Arsenic Levels In Borehole Water, Surface Water, Surface Water Sediment and Soil Within 100 M Radius of Boreholes from Buruli Ulcer Endemic Areas in the Sekyere South District of Ashanti Region, Ghana.

Buruli ulcer (BU) is a human skin disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans (MU). It is an emerging infectious disease for which there exists a great amount of uncertainty concerning its mode of infection. It is theorized that there may be a link between arsenic ingestion and incidence of MU infection. This study measured the levels of arsenic in river water, river sediment, borehole water and soil within 100 m radius of boreholes, and occurrence of BU in the Sekyere South District of the Ashanti Region, Ghana. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry analysis was used in the determination of the arsenic concentrations in the samples and data for BU occurrences were collected from the District Health Directorate and through surveys conducted. Of the 38 communities studied in the District 15 were BU endemic and BU occurrences were higher than what was officially recorded. Only 5.26% of the communities sampled had their borehole water samples having arsenic concentrations above 10.0 µg /l. There was also a strong positive correlation (r = 0.66) between mean arsenic concentrations in surface water samples and occurrences of BU for the 15 BU endemic communities in the District. It was also observed that the pH of some of the boreholes in some of the communities was very acidic (4.18) and could lead to high concentrations of ions of toxic metals such as iron and cupper. Results also indicated that the farmers in the Sekyere South District did not use protective clothing on their farms, even while applying agrochemicals.

Source: KNUST
Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead content of rice sold in the Greater Accra Region

Rice is an excellent staple crop which contains vitamins and minerals such as vitamins E & B and potassium needed for human growth and wellbeing. In recent times, majority of Ghanaians consume a lot of rice as compared to other local staple. However, heavy metal contamination of rice and other crops is threatening the quality of these crops and the health of consumers. Due to industrialization and other human activities, environmental pollution with chemicals is increasing and this has led to the contamination of agricultural produce. Heavy metal contamination has been associated with adverse effects such as damages to the nervous system, kidneys, liver, lungs and other vital organs in humans and animals. With dietary intake as one of the major routes of heavy metal exposure to human, there is the need to investigate the levels of these metals in our foods. This study intended at determining the concentrations of three heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium and lead) in rice sold on the Ghanaian market. Thirty two samples (16 unpolished rice, 16 polished rice (8 foreign rice and 8 local rice) were purchased from some of the markets in Accra; the capital city of Ghana. Samples were homogenized and digested for analysis using a microwave digester. The concentrations of the 3 elements (As, Cd & Pb) were analysed using Graphite Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The method used was validated using a certified reference material. Results indicated that, for Arsenic concentration in rice samples, unpolished rice obtained concentrations which ranged from not detected to 0.2370 mg/kg with an average of 0.1212 mg/kg. Concentration of arsenic in polished rice ranged from 0.0531 to 0.1772 mg/kg with an average of 0.1032 mg/kg in foreign rice and 0.0297 to 0.1504 mg/kg with an average of 0.0843 mg/kg in local rice samples. Cadmium concentration ranged from not detected to 0.0628 mg/kg with an average of 0.0179 mg/kg in unpolished rice. Cadmium in polished rice ranged from 0.0012 to 0.0424 mg/kg with an average of 0.0128 mg/kg in foreign rice and 0.0025 to 0.0329 mg/kg with an average of 0.0099 mg/kg in local rice samples. Lead concentration in unpolished rice ranged from 0.0007 mg/kg to 0.1106 mg/kg with an average of 0.0239 mg/kg. Concentration of lead in polished rice samples ranged from 0.0027 to 0.1106 mg/kg with an average of 0.0308 mg/kg in local rice and 0.0007 to 0.0505 mg/kg with an average of 0.0171 mg/kg in foreign rice samples. It is recommended that agencies or institutions responsible for food regulation need to periodically determine the concentration of metals in both imported and local rice samples sold on our markets to elude the harmful effects of heavy metals on consumers.

Source: KNUST
Art and Chieftaincy in Ahwiaa Culture

The study, explored the role of Art and Chieftaincy in Ahwiaa Culture. The prime intention of the study stems from the fact that although a great deal of arts pervades the chieftaincy heritage of Ahwiaa, little recognition has been given to these arts in scholarly circles. Ahwiaa, a town that is predominantly a carving community, serves as a place where wooden artefacts are produced for the Asantehene (the King of Asante) and other prominent chiefs. In-depth observation and analysis of the chieftaincy heritage of Ahwiaa culture reveals that art, among the culture of the people, is the most significant phenomenon that makes the chieftaincy of the people xviii outstanding.Data were collected through observation, structured and unstructured interviews and also the administering of questionnaire. The stratified random sampling was used to divide the population into heterogeneous units since the population had much dissimilarity and thus lowered the variance of the population. The main findings of the study indicated that the arts are highly functional and symbolic to Ahwiaa chieftaincy and the latter can neither exist nor operate without its arts. Thearts pervade the other aspects of the culture of the people and therefore play economic, religious, social, political and medical roles in the Ahwiaa community. Chieftaincy of Ahwiaa will cease if the chief stops his carvers from carving stools and other needed wood products for the king and other chiefs of Asante because the chieftaincy system of Ahwiaa was created to carve stools for the said king and chiefs. Finally, the Ahwiaa chieftaincy system itself is predominantly artistic, and that, when the Ahwiaahene, his sub-chiefs and the Queenmother appear formally at a public function, they are fully decorated with artefacts. The study therefore recommends that the Ahwiaahene and his sub-chiefs should establish an institute that would research and document its arts and cultural activities and theAsanteman Council should also give all the necessary assistance to these people to enable them expand this profession to earn more foreign exchange for the region and the country asa whole to enhance its socio-cultural heritage.

Source: KNUST