ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Board gender diversity, corporate governance and bank efficiency in Ghana: a two stage data envelope analysis (DEA) approach

Purpose This study aims to analyze the efficiency of banks under board gender diversity and to examine the determinants of bank efficiency. Design/methodology/approach Data for analysis were sourced from annual reports of 21 banks for the period from 2009 to 2017. A two-step framework was used: first, an examination of efficiency scores with and without board gender diversity computed using data envelopment analysis; and second, a regression of board gender diversity as a determinant of bank efficiency using panel estimation on an unbalanced panel data. Findings The results reveal that gender diversity promotes bank efficiency up to a maximum of two female directors on a nine-member board of directors, suggesting a threshold effect on bank efficiency. Board size improves bank efficiency. Board independence is negatively related to bank efficiency. Also, powerful chief executive officers are detrimental for bank efficiency. Finally, the authors find that ownership structure, bank size, bank age and loan-to-deposit ratio are important factors affecting bank efficiency. Research limitations/implications All bank-year observations with no female representation on the board were excluded. As such, this paper is limited to 21 banks. Future research should look at a larger data set and account for dynamic endogeneity. Practical implications The paper contributes to bank governance structure, namely, gender composition of boards, and provides an insight for regulators and shareholders to estimate the role of men and women on boards. Originality/value The novel feature of the efficiency model used is that it incorporates board gender diversity as an additional input variable, in line with the preposition of proponent of resource dependency theory.

Source: UG
Boards and governance of state-owned enterprises

Purpose – This study aims to examine the structure, attributes, and performance of boards of directors of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) within the broader context of public sector governance. This is informed by the less attention given to the concept among public sector organizations despite efforts to make state enterprises more effective and efficient, especially in developing and middle income countries. Design/methodology/approach – Data was collected through questionnaires self-administered in 2010 to all 25 SOEs in Accra, Ghana, out of the 29 nationwide. Some key officials were interviewed and documentary evidence analyzed to achieve triangulation of data and results. Findings – Results show that state-owned enterprises have boards and comply with the minimal governance issues outlined the legal frameworks establishing them. However, they exhibit significant weaknesses in the areas of board performance evaluation, criteria for board appointment, the balance of executive directors and non-executive directors, and other board characteristics, indicating a departure from general practices. Practical implications – Findings suggest the need for a tailored corporate governance framework or code for state-owned enterprises in developing countries. Originality/value – Compared to the literature, this study provides insight on boards from the perspective of state enterprises in ensuring good corporate governance, particularly in the context of a middle income country (Ghana).

Source: UG
Body composition is related to cognitive function among young adults in Ghana

Background A growing body of evidence suggests that obesity can affect cognitive function. However, it is unclear whether this effect is independent of obesity-related comorbidities. This study thus sought to determine the association between body composition and cognitive function of young adults in Ghana with less predisposition to obesityrelated comorbidities. Methods A cross-sectional study design was employed, involving 381 participants recruited by simple random sampling. After consenting, participants completed questionnaires that assessed sociodemographic characteristics, along with assessments for anthropometric measures and cognitive function. Analyses for associations were conducted by either Pearson’s correlation test or chi-Square test of independence. Results Over half (60%) of participants were females and 69.6% were in the first year with a mean age of 20.18 ± 2.52 years. Based on Pearson’s correlation test, no significant association was found between Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR), and Trail Making Test-A and B (TMT-A and TMT-B). Nonetheless, a chisquare test showed a significant association, between BMI and TMT-A (p = 0.01), and WHR and both TMT-A (p = 0.001) and TMT-B (p = 0.02). Weak direct correlations were found between body fat percentage and TMT-A (r = 0.120, p = 0.019) and TMT-B (r = 0.133, p = 0.009). Further, a weak inverse correlation was found between muscle mass and TMT-A (r = − 0.141, p = 0.006) and TMT-B (r = − 0.144, p = 0.005). Conclusion High body fat, low muscle mass and body fat distribution may have a significant association with cognitive functions and must be considered in obesity interventions. This study provided more insight on the association between BMI and cognitive function and would be helpful in designing new weight management interventions or modifying existing interventions to consider the influence of obesity on cognitive function.

Source: UG
Bolstering Maternity Insurance to Support Family Health of Ethnic-Minority Women under Universal Two-Child Policy: Empirical Evidence from China’s Ningxia-Hui Autonomous Region

Background Despite the overwhelming feeling of great happiness, joyful excitement and rituals that heralds the arrival of a child, for too many women (especially in developing countries), child bearing is associated with suffering, ill health and even death. The need to consolidate and support women to procreate in tranquillity has inspired international and domestic agencies to harness the resources at their disposal to protect the health of women especially during pregnancy, child birth and the post-partum period. Methods The study applied a systems dynamic model to selected data to establish the influence of the universal two-child policy in China on maternity insurance fund income. The study also established sensitivity analysis of the appropriate rate of contribution to keep the fund active. Results The study revealed that increases in utilisation rate as results of increase in number of births under the universal two-child policy increased the accumulated deficit of the maternity insurance fund income in the Ningxia-Hui Autonomous Region. At the current rate, the entire fund will be depleted by the end of 2021 unless the contribution rate is increased from 0.5% to 0.75%. Conclusions Maternal health is a “sentinel event” requiring an unprecedented global resource mobilisation to safeguard the future of humanity. Thus maternity insurance schemes in China require new methods of fund raising to keep a sustainable maternity insurance fund in the region. Study also reveals that population reform is not done in isolation but require changes in the fundamental social structures to ensure its sustainability.

Source: UG
Bond strength of luting cements to core foundation materials

PURPOSE: The purpose was to compare the shear bond strength of luting cements to foundation materials and to determine the effect of storage in lactate buffer solution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Disks that were 8 mm in diameter and 2-mm thick were fabricated from foundation substrates: amalgam, composite resin, resin-modified glass ionomer, and glass ionomer (n = 20). Cylinders that were 2 mm in diameter and 4 mm in length of resin luting cement, resin-modified glass ionomer luting cement, and a glass ionomer luting cement were bonded to the foundation substrate materials. Shear bond strength of each foundation substrate material/cement pair was determined with a universal testing machine after 24 hours. A second set of specimens was tested after storage in a 0.01M lactate buffer solution for 24 hours. A three-way analysis of variance followed by pair-wise comparisons was performed to compare bond strengths (P < .05). RESULTS: The resin cement provided the highest (P < .05) bond strengths to amalgam, composite resin, and resin-modified glass ionomer foundation materials while the glass ionomer cement showed the lowest bond strength (P < .05) to composite resin and glass ionomer foundation restoration materials. After immersion in a 0.01M lactate buffer solution, the shear bond strength of all the material combinations was significantly lower (P < .05) than nonimmersed specimens, except the bonds between composite resin foundation and resin luting cement, which significantly increased (P < .05) in strength. CONCLUSION: The resin cement had the highest bond strength to most foundation substrates investigated. The highest bond was observed between the composite resin foundation and resin cement. This bond was also the most durable on immersion in lactic acid.

Source: UG
Bone marrow in sickle cell anaemia at time of anaemic crisis.

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
Bone marrow suppression and severe anaemia associated with persistent plasmodium falciparum infection in african children with microscopically undetectable parasitaemia

Background Severe anaemia can develop in the aftermath of Plasmodium falciparum malaria because of protracted bone marrow suppression, possibly due to residual subpatent parasites. Materials and methods Blood was collected from patients with recent malaria and negative malaria microscopy. Detection of the Plasmodium antigens, lactate dehydrogenase (Optimal®), aldolase and histidine rich protein 2 (Now malaria®) were used to differentiate between patients with (1) no malaria, (2) recent cleared malaria, (3) persistent P. falciparum infection. Red cell distribution width (RDW), plasma levels of soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and erythropoietin (EPO) were measured as markers of erythropoiesis. Interleukin (IL) 10 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)α were used as inflammation markers. Results EPO was correlated with haemoglobin, irrespective of malaria (R = -0.36, P < 0.001). Persistent P. falciparum infection, but not recent malaria without residual parasites, was associated with bone marrow suppression i.e., low RDW (P < 0.001 vs. P = 0.56) and sTfR (P = 0.02 vs. P = 0.36). TNF-α and IL-10 levels were not associated with bone marrow suppression. Conclusion In the treatment of malaria, complete eradication of parasites may prevent subsequent development of anaemia. Severely anaemic children may benefit from antimalarial treatment if antigen tests are positive, even when no parasites can be demonstrated by microscopy.

Source: UG
Book Review on Language, Literacy and Learning in STEM Education

Language, Literacy, and Learning in STEM Education is a comprehensive examination of the role of language and literacy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. The book provides an in-depth look at the ways in which language and literacy skills impact student learning and achievement in STEM subjects, and offers practical strategies for addressing the linguistic and literate demands of STEM education. Through a combination of research, case studies, and practical examples, the book offers a valuable resource for educators looking to support the linguistic and literate development of their STEM students.

Source: UG
: Books-a-fright': technology and space changes in university libraries: a case of the University of Ghana Library System

Emerging technologies are rapidly changing and transforming spaces within academic libraries, giving rise to the implementation of distinctive services. The study sought to identify technology and space changes and the distinctive services introduced in university libraries. Interviews were conducted with heads of libraries coupled with document analysis of primary information sources to identify technology and space changes. The study revealed that most spaces in academic libraries have been converted into discussion areas, computer labs, lounges, and information commons. Computers with internet connectivity, printers, photocopiers, and telephones were available in these spaces. However, academic libraries faced technological, personnel, and financial challenges in implementing technology and space changes. The study recommended the investment in information and communication technology devices such as teleconferencing and video-conferencing devices and regular ICT-based training for librarians to be abreast of emerging technologies in providing academic library services.

Source: UG
Bookselling and the library: a partnership for enhancing the book trade in Ghana

This paper first describes the types of booksellers in Ghana: the street hawkers, the small or one-man booksellers, the giant booksellers, and the university booksellers. It gives attention to their problems, in the first place the low level of literacy in the country, but also the poor reading habits of the educated minority, the lack of means of students, and lack of funds for acquisition in libraries. Yet the future of bookselling in Ghana does not appear gloomy. An effective partnership between booksellers and libraries can help in promoting the book trade

Source: UG
Boosting antenatal care attendance and number of hospital deliveries among pregnant women in rural communities: A community initiative in Ghana based on mobile phones applications and portable ultrasound scans

Background: The World Health Organization has recommended at least four antenatal care (ANC) visits and skilled attendants at birth. Most pregnant women in rural communities in low-income countries do not achieve the minimum recommended visits and deliver without skilled attendants. With the aim of increasing number of ANC visits, reducing home deliveries, and supplementing care given by ANC clinics, a proposed system based on low-cost mobile phones and portable ultrasound scan machines was piloted. Methods: A sample of 323 pregnant women from four rural communities in the Central Region of Ghana were followed within a 11-month project. In each community, at least one health worker was trained and equipped with a mobile phone to promote ANC and hospital deliveries in her own community. If women cannot attend ANC, technicians acquired scans by using portable ultrasound machines in her community directly and sent them almost in real time to be analyzed by a gynecologist in an urban hospital. A preliminary survey to assess ANC status preceding the pilot study was conducted. During this, one hundred women who had had pregnancies within five years prior to the study were interviewed. Results: The preliminary survey showed that women who attended ANC were less likely to have a miscarriage and more likely to have delivery at hospital or clinic than those who did not, and women who attained at least four ANC visits were less likely to practice self-medication. Among the women involved in the project, 40 gave birth during the period of observation. The proposed prenatal care approach showed that 62.5 % of pregnant women who gave birth during the observation period included in the project (n=40) had their labor attended in clinics or hospitals as against 37.5 % among the cases reported in the pre-survey. One case of ectopic and two cases of breech pregnancies were detected during the pilot through the proposed approach, and appropriate medical interventions were sought. Conclusion: Our results show that the proposed prenatal care approach can make quality ANC accessible in rural communities where pregnant women have not been able to access proper ANC.

Source: UG
Boron Nitride Nanotubes for Curcumin Delivery as an Anticancer Drug: A DFT Investigation

The electrical properties and characteristics of the armchair boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) that interacts with the curcumin molecule as an anticancer drug were studied using ab initio calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). In this study, a (5,5) armchair BNNT was employed, and two different interactions were investigated, including the interaction of the curcumin molecule with the outer and inner surfaces of the BNNT. The adsorption of curcumin molecules on the investigated BNNT inside the surface is a more favorable process than adsorption on the outside surface, and the more persistent and stronger connection correlates with curcumin molecule adsorption in this case. Furthermore, analysis of the HOMO–LUMO gap after the adsorption process showed that the HOMO value increased marginally while the LUMO value decreased dramatically in the curcumin-BNNT complexes. As a result, the energy gaps between HOMO and LUMO (Eg) are narrowed, emphasizing the stronger intermolecular bonds. As a result, BNNTs can be employed as a drug carrier in biological systems to transport curcumin, an anticancer medication, and thereby improve its bioavailability

Source: UG
Bosumtwi impact structure, Ghana: Evidence for fluidized emplacement of the ejecta

The about 10.5 km diameter Bosumtwi impact crater is one of the youngest large impact structures on Earth. The crater rim is readily noticed on topographic maps or in satellite imagery. It defines a circular basin filled by water (Lake Bosumtwi) and lacustrine sediments. The morphology of this impact structure is also characterized by a circular plateau extending beyond the rim and up to 9–10 km from the center of the crater (about 2 crater radii). This feature comprises a shallow ring depression, also described as an annular moat, and a subdued circular ridge at its outer edge. The origin of this outermost feature could so far not be elucidated based on remote sensing data only. Our approach combines detailed topographic analysis, including roughness mapping, with airborne radiometric surveys (mapping near‐surface K, Th, U concentrations) and field observations. This provides evidence that the moat and outer ring are features inherited from the impact event and represent the partially eroded ejecta layer of the Bosumtwi impact structure. The characteristics of the outer ridge indicate that ejecta emplacement was not purely ballistic but requires ejecta fluidization and surface flow. The setting of Bosumtwi ejecta can therefore be considered as a terrestrial analog for rampart craters, which are common on Mars and Venus, and also found on icy bodies of the outer solar system (e.g., Ganymede, Europa, Dione, Tethys, and Charon). Future studies at Bosumtwi may therefore help to elucidate the mechanism of formation of rampart craters.

Source: UG
Botanicals for the management of insect pests in organic vegetable production

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacies of some botanical products on insect populations associated with two vegetables; Eggplant and Okra. Two field experiments were conducted on-station at the CSIR-Crops Research Institute, Kwadaso, Kumasi, and on-farm at Eatwell farm at Agona-Mampong all in the Ashanti region of Ghana from December 2009 to March 2010 and September to December 2010, respectively. Seven botanical treatments were applied viz; Ecogold (10 ml/l of water); Alata soap (5 g/l of water); Garlic (30 g/litre of water); Neem oil (3 ml/l of water); Papaya leaves (92 g/l of water); Wood ash (10 g/plant stand) and control (no botanical). The experimental set up was a Randomized Complete Block design (RCBD) with three replications. Parameters studied included insect pest numbers and their natural enemies, number of days to 50% flowering, plants height at flowering (cm), number of fruits per plant, fruit damage, and mean weight of fruits (g). Major insect pest recorded on the two vegetables included aphids (Aphis gossypii), flea beetles (Podagrica spp), whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci), fruit borers (Earias sp), cotton strainers (Dysdercus superstitiosus (F.)), variegated grasshoppers (Zonocerus variegatus L.), Urentius hysterricellus (Richter) and shoot and fruit borers (Leucinodes orbonalis Gn). The natural enemies of pests of the two vegetables identified were the ladybird beetles, (Cheilomenes sp) and predatory spiders (Araneae). There were significant percentage reductions in pests for all the botanicals applied (P< 0.05) on both the eggplant and okra plants compared to the control. Generally, plants to which the botanicals were applied produced the highest mean weight of fruits, translating into mean percentage increases in fruit weight ranging between 21 and 59% on both the eggplant and okra plants compared to the control in both growing periods. It is concluded that botanicals such as Ecogold, Alata soap, exotic garlic, neem oil, papaya leaves and wood ash could be effectively considered as pest management options to reduce insect pest populations and increase eggplant and okra productivity.

Source: UG
Bounded and Invertible Toeplitz Products on Vector Weighted Bergman Spaces of the Unit Polydisc

Fish and shellfish are regularly consumed and sold in Ghana, yet studies on arsenic pollution in Ghana are limited largely to ground water. This study evaluated arsenic concentrations in seven species of shellfish and 10 species of fish inhabiting the mouth of Ankobra, Densu and Volta basins in Ghana and assessed the public health implications. Arsenic levels varied from 0.2 to 2.2 mg L−1 in the three rivers and were higher than WHO recommended values of 10 μg L−1 for drinking water. Except for Periophthalmus sp. and Tympanotonus fuscatus from the Ankobra in which arsenic was not detected, concentrations in the organisms ranged from 0.2 to 2.8 mg kg−1. The maximum quantities of the organisms considered safe for consumption ranged from 375 to 5250 g per week. Caution however needs to be exercised as PTWI for arsenic needs revision, and some heavy metals such as mercury are more toxic than arsenic.

Source: UG
Bounded entrepreneurial vitality: The mixed embeddedness of female entrepreneurship

Despite the recent increased interest in female entrepreneurs, attention has tended to focus on dynamic individuals and generic incentives without considering the roles of gender and place in entrepreneurship. In this article, we draw on the notion of mixed embeddedness to explore how time‐and‐place–specific institutional contexts influence women's entrepreneurship. Drawing on primary data collected in Ghana, where exceptionally more women engage in entrepreneurial activities than men, we examine the scale and characteristics of female entrepreneurial activity, exploring the factors that account for this strong participation of women, and examine whether this high entrepreneurial rate is also reflected in their performance and growth aspirations. The findings reveal a disjuncture between, on the one hand, the vibrant entrepreneurial endeavors of Ghanaian women and positive societal attitudes toward female entrepreneurship and, on the other hand, female business activities characterized by vulnerability and relatively low achievement. The article shows how regulatory, normative, and cultural–cognitive institutional forces, which have been transformed over time by local and global processes and their interaction, are concomitantly propelling and impeding women's entrepreneurial activities. We propose that the study of female entrepreneurs within economic geography could be advanced by analyzing the differing effects of the complex, multiple, and shifting layers of institutional contexts in which they are embedded.

Source: UG