ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
A non-destructive method for fish freshness determination with electronic tongue combined with linear and non-linear multivariate algorithms

Electronic tongue coupled with linear and non-linear multivariate algorithms was attempted to address the drawbacks of fish freshness detection. Parabramis pekinensis fish samples stored at 4°C were used. Total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) and total viable count (TVC) of the samples were measured. Fisher liner discriminant analysis (Fisher LDA) and support vector machine (SVM) were applied comparatively to classify the samples stored at different days. The results revealed that SVM model was better than Fisher LDA model with a higher identification rate of 97.22% in the prediction set. Partial least square (PLS) and support vector regression (SVR) were applied comparatively to predict the TVB-N and TVC values. The quantitative models were evaluated by the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and the correlation coefficient in the prediction set (R pre ). The results revealed that SVR model was superior to PLS model with RMSEP = 5.65 mg/100 g, R pre = 0.9491 for TVB-N prediction and RMSEP = 0.73 log CFU/g, R pre = 0.904 for TVC prediction. This study demonstrated that the electronic tongue together with SVM and SVR has a great potential for a convenient and nondestructive detection of fish freshness

Source: UCC
Non-farm livelihood diversification in selected rural and peri-urban communities in the Sunyani west district

Non-farm activities are widespread and thought of as an important source of income and employment for some rural and peri-urban dwellers. This study sought to investigate rural non-farm livelihood diversification among farmers in the Sunyani West District. Cross-sectional survey design was used and data were collected from 251 farmers for the purpose of analysis. An interview schedule and FGD guide were used for collection of the data. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, independent sample t-test, Chisquare test and one-way analysis of variance. The study pointed out that the nonfarm sector was heterogeneous and involved several activities with trading being the most prominent. Although farmers predominantly pursue agriculture as their livelihood strategy, they also pursue non-farm livelihood activities due to push rather than pull factors. Age, membership of association, farm income and market access significantly influences non-farm livelihood diversification. There was higher share of income for farmers who diversified into non-farm livelihood activities. In addition, income from this sector was mainly used for consumption and payment of bills. Non-farm activities are a major source of self-employment but not paid-employment. Inadequate access to credit and low business opportunities were major constraints that impede the development of the non-farm sector in the district. In view of this, it is recommended that the District Assembly must make budgetary allocations to support programmes that facilitate the nonfarm sector and also give rural and peri-urban entrepreneurs tax rebate to support their businesses. Besides, the study recommends that banking and micro-finance institutions must design special credit programmes for rural entrepreneurs.

Source: UCC
Non-Farm Livelihood Strategies Among Farmers in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem Municipality

Globally, agriculture remains a primary source of livelihood for many rural residents. With reduced agricultural productivity among rural households, residents are increasingly vulnerable to livelihood shocks and seasonality. Non-farm diversification is considered a leading alternative in sustaining livelihoods among rural farm households. However, how engaging in non-farm activities impacts rural farmers' livelihoods is less explored. The sequential explanatory design was used to investigate non-farm livelihood strategies among farmers in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem Municipality. The Asset and Insurance Based Theories constituted the theoretical basis for the study. Out of the population of 2,108 farmers drawn from four selected communities, a sample of 332 was used using a multi-stage sampling procedure. Data was collected through a questionnaire and interview guide and analysed using means, standard deviation, and linear regressions. Results portray non-farm diversification among farm households as a norm. Findings further showed that farmers who had taken up various activities in the non-farm sector were more resilient to shocks and seasonality and had steady incomes with increased farm or agricultural output. However, poor rural infrastructure, lack of finance and skills were key factors that limited the effective take-up of non-farm activities. The study recommends that local government agencies and development-based NGOs expose farmers to opportunities that come with engaging in non-farm livelihoods through training and capacity building. Rural inafrastructure such as roads and electricity as well as markets needs to be expanded to enable farmers take up opportunities in the non-farm sector.

Source: UCC
Non-Financial Incentives and Employee Commitment at Ayo Intermediaries Ghana Limited

The study aimed at analyzing non-financial incentives and employee commitment at aYo Intermediary Ghana Limited (A subsidiary of MTN). The specific objectives were to find out how non-financial incentives factors affect affective commitment, examine the effects of non-financial incentives on continuance commitment and assess the consequence of non-financial incentives on normative commitment. Due to the study's quantitative nature, a descriptive survey research design was chosen. The target population of the study was the employees of aYo Intermediary Ghana Limited numbering 280. The 162 participants in the study were chosen using a simple random selection procedure. In order to gather data, a well-structured questionnaire was developed to retrieve primary data through self-administration. Data was analysed through the computation of frequency counts, percentages and multiple linear regression. The findings of the study showed a statistically significant effect of non-financial incentives on affective, continuance, and normative commitments. It is therefore recommended to management that, promotion and career advancement, training and development, and job security should be given special attention and consideration among the non-financial incentive packages, because when these independent factors are pooled, the three incentives exhibited a positive effect in the dependent variable.

Source: UCC
Non-financial Rewards and Employees’ Job Satisfaction: Evidence From Selected Manufacturing Firms in Greater Accra Region

ABSTRACT This study was undertaken to examine the role of non-financial rewards on employees’ job satisfaction in some manufacturing firms in Greater Accra region. This study adopted the descriptive quantitative research approach using a sample of 206 employees from 57 selected manufacturing firms in the Greater Accra Region. The questionnaire was used as a data collection instrument and the SPSS (Version 21) was used for the data analysis. The study found that reward systems in the firms were performance-based and that the employees in the selected manufacturing firms in the Greater Accra region perceive such reward systems as attractive and equitable. The employees placed high value on performance appraisal feedback, promotion and recognition. In addition, the study found that non-financial rewards had a positive and strong significant effect on job satisfaction. It was recommended that the manufacturing firms should continually adopt a performance-based reward system and that feedback, good and fair promotion policies and recognition should be prioritized.

Source: UCC
Non-governmental organisations, community participation and rural drinking water supply in the Gushegu district of the Northern region

The impetus for this study arose from the concern, which has grown in recent times over the positive and possible negative impact of the activities of Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) on rural, community and national development. It was thus the overall aim of this study to examine the extent to which the activities of NGOs, in terms of the provision of water have been accepted by the communities in which they are working. Specifically, the study focused on the level of community participation and patronage of water supply systems, the socio- economic effect of the water system on their lives, and finally the extent to which the activities of the NGOs can be coordinated to improve services to the people in the Gushegu District. Through the adoption of a descriptive research approach, it came to light that the District has a problem with drinking water supply. However, there are good prospects for increased provision of water in the district. NGOs identified Community Life Improvement Programme (CLIP) and World Vision Ghana (WVG) was involved in the provision of hand-dug wells, boreholes, as well as education on sanitary issues in the district. In relation to the above findings, the study made a number of recommendations including sound investment strategy in this sector that calls for low-cost and maintainable solutions to achieve wide-scale coverage of the rural and peri-urban communities in developing countries.

Source: UCC
Non-Governmental Organizations’ Capability and Small Scale Shea Butter Processors’ Technical Efficiency and Poverty Outcomes in the Northern Region of Ghana

This study assessed the empirical linkages between Non-Governmental Organisations’ capability and small scale Shea butter processors’ technical efficiency and poverty outcomes in the Northern Region of Ghana. Using a cross-section survey design, the study adopted a quantitative approach to construct a capability index for the NGOs in the Shea industry. The study also estimated technical efficiency of the women small scale Shea butter processors using stochastic frontier production function. It also assessed poverty outcomes of the small scale Shea butter processors in the Northern Region and ascertains its determinants including empirical linkages with capability index of NGOs and technical efficiency of the women. The study found among other things that the NGOs in the Shea industry had slightly above average capability based on the computed capability index. They however lagged behind in terms of financial transparency and accountability and compliance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements. The women small scale Shea butter processors were also found to have varying levels of technical efficiency across the districts. The study found high level of consumption expenditure poverty among the women but less poverty using other indicators. The study recommends inter alia financial transparency and accountability of the NGOs, continuous training of the women small scale Shea butter processors and for government to subsidize the main inputs in Shea butter processing.

Source: UCC
Non-kinship address terms in Akan: A Sociolinguistic study of language use in Ghana

Following the study of Gilman and Ford on address terms, an increasing number of studies have been conducted in several sociocultural settings. In line with this trend, the present study attempts to describe and explain address terms among the Akans of postcolonial Ghana. Using observation as the main research tool corroborated by interview and introspection, the researcher noted nine principal terms of address, three (personal names, catch phrases and attention getters) of which are reported here. In particular, the influence of Westernism and modernism was reflected in the use of personal names and catch phrases. With differing levels of frequency and saliency, the use of these terms was dictated by sociocultural factors such as gender, status, age and relationship of interactants as well as pragmatic factors. These findings have implications for theory, intercultural communication and further research

Source: UCC
Non-linearities, structural breaks and fractional integration in the analysis of the Ghanaian and the South African CPI inflation rates

Keeping a low steady rate of inflation is one of the government’s most important responsibilities. Inflation is an important determinant of economic growth. Consequently, it has been one of the most examined areas in economics, from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. Indeed, economists have shown continued interest in this essential economic variable. The most important question related to inflation is: Does non-linearity exist in inflation? The answer to this question, which has important policy implications, can support or endanger the validity of several important economic models. Hence, a clear understanding of the changing aspects of inflation is crucial to any economy because it is regarded as a significant variable in a number of economic models, whose legitimacy critically relies on whether or not this variable is stationary. In practice, many economic time series models rely on linearity. Nonetheless, it has often been found that simple linear time series models regularly leave certain aspects of economic and financial data inexplicable. This paper proposes a model that combines fractional integration with non-linear deterministic terms based on the Chebyshev polynomials in time for the analysis of CPI inflation rates of Ghana and South Africa in Sub-Saharan Africa. Firstly, we tested for non-linear deterministic terms in the context of fractional integration. The estimates of the differencing parameter, d, were found to be 1.11 and 1.32, respectively for the Ghanaian and the South African inflation rates, but the non-linear trends were found to be statistically insignificant in the two series. A linear model was then investigated and the results indicated that the order of integration for the Ghanaian inflation series was slightly above 1. However, for the case of South Africa, a cyclical �(�) process was found to be more appropriate, with an order of integration below 1, thus showing mean reversion and a cyclical structure of approximately 80 periods (months) per cycle. The implication of these findings could assist in a decision-making process regarding adjusting monetary policy instruments such as inflation targeting (IT) or adopting different monetary policies, to achieve the desired target

Source: UCC
Non-performing loans and profitability - A case of some listed banks on Ghana stock exchange

The importance of loans to the banks’ profitability and for developing the economy cannot be ignored. The default of the loan repayment however, results in the banks losing profits and affecting the countries development. The aim of this research work is to examine the relationship between Non-Performing Loans and Profitability-A Case of Some Banks Listed on Ghanaian Stock Exchange. To achieve this aim, this research covered the trend of non-performing loans (NPL) and profitability of the banks and the determinants of non-performing loans, which specifically included factors related to the bank and macro-economic factors. Most importantly, how the banks’ profitability is impacted by non-performing loans were examined. To this end, the researcher selected seven listed banks found on the Ghanaian Stock Exchange. This current research employed secondary data which is in panel form covering the periods from 2006-2017. The financial report of the banks and the Bank of Ghana website served as the sources of the secondary data. Regression analysis was employed to assess the determinants and how it impacts on the banks’ profitability. The results revealed a downward trend for NPLs for the selected banks. Loan to Deposit ratio (LTD), Capital adequacy ratio (CAR), return on equity (ROE), inflation rate (INF) and gross domestic product (GDP) are significant determinants of nonperforming loan (NPL). ROA was impacted negatively and insignificantly by NPL, whilst NPL has significant and negative effect on ROE. The research concluded that for the banks to decrease their exposure to NPL there in the need to increase their ROE and ROA. The study recommended the use of moderate lending rates in order to decrease their nonperforming loan.

Source: UCC
Non-Performing Loans and Profitability of Commercial Banks in Ghana: A Study of Adb Bank – Nkwanta South

The thrust of this dissertation was to evaluate the causes and effect of non-performing loans (NPLs) on the profitability of commercial banks in Ghana focusing on ADB Bank. Primary data was elicited using a structured interview questionnaire through direct. Secondary data was used to estimate the econometric model and variables adopted were; inflation, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Return on Equity (ROE), lending rate and NPLs. Findings of the study revealed that, lending rate and economic growth (GDP) impacts positively on the profitability of ADB Bank while inflation rate and non-performing loans (NPLs) impacts negatively on profitability of ADB Bank. The study further found that, factors such as higher interest rate in ADB, late disbursement of loans, unfavourable loan sizes, lack of training for clients and after disbursement, poor appraisal, lack of proper monitoring, business failure, unforeseen contingencies, diversion of funds on the part of clients and unwillingness to clients to pay loans. Based on these findings, the study recommends that strong group should be encouraged should be encouraged by the ADB Bank to minimise loan default. Also, monetary and fiscal policy institutions in Ghana especially Bank of Ghana through its Monetary policy committee should adopt proactive and effective measures to tackle inflation in the country. The study further recommends that future studies be conducted into non-performing loans and profitability of commercial banks using cross-sectional data either within the country or the sub-region of West Africa.

Source: UCC
Non-Selection of Physical Education as Elective Course: The Views of Colleges of Education Trainees in Ashanti Region

Since the beginning of its existence, physical education has been an essential component in the growth and maturation of students, chiefly those earliest on infancy. Physical Education has also addressed problems regarding obesity and inactivity of both children and adults. The goal aimed at thoroughly analyze the variables that prevent trainees from choosing PE as an elective in the Colleges of Education in Ghana's Ashanti Region the Social Cognitive career theory was the research's theoretic basis. The researcher used a qualitative research approach, and data was gathered from primary sources using scheduled interviews that targeted 20 trainees, 4 management members, and 8 PE tutors from the Ashanti's eight Colleges of Education, including; Agogo Presbyterian, Agona SDA, Akrokerri, Offinso, Mampong Technical, St. Monica’s, St. Louis’, and Wesley Colleges of Education. Further, the study adopted the phenomenological qualitative research design. The research found that Physical Education's non-selection by trainees was due to difficulty, lack of interest, absence from college curricula, poor information and understanding, and misconceptions. The study also revealed whether internal documents or policies that guide the selection or mounting of courses did not exist.as courses were mounted by external organizations. The study also showed schools inadequate PE tutors. It supported awareness, early education, hands-on knowledge, human resource improvement, and well-being as strategic strategies solutions to the problem of colleges of education not offering Physical Education as an elective subject.

Source: UCC
Non-timber forest products and human health in the context of environmental change

This paper discusses the nexus between non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and human health in the context of environmental change. Over the years, NTFPs have been noted to have a great potential role in improving nutrition and health, and for reducing poverty. More recently, there is increasing concern about the disappearance of several NTFPs as a result of unsustainable utilisation of these products and also because of environmental change. We highlight some of the key challenges to sustainable utilisation of NTFPs, and argue that such challenges are largely a result of the poor conceptualisation and operationalisation of NTFP projects. The role played by dysfunctional policies related to NTFPs, especially in developing countries, are discussed

Source: UCC
Nondestructive authentication of cocoa bean cultivars by ft-nir spectroscopy and multivariate techniques

Rapid identification of cocoa bean varieties is vital for the authentication in cocoa trade. Tis paper examines the use of Near Infrared (NIR) Spectroscopy for nondestructive identification of cocoa bean cultivars. Methods: In this study, five cocoa bean cultivars (IMC85 x IMC47, PA7 x PA150,PA150 x Pound7, Pd10 x Pd15 and T63/967 x T65/238) were scanned in the NIR range of 10000-4000 cm-1. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and Support vector machine (SVM) algorithms were performed comparatively to build discrimination models based on principal component analysis (PCA). The models were optimized by cross validation to ensure their stability. Results: The performance of SVM model was superior to LDA model. The optimal SVM model was achieved with five principal components (PCs) and an identification rate of 100% in both training set and prediction set. Conclusions: The results proved that NIR spectroscopy technology with SVM algorithm can provide quick and reliable nondestructive analytical tool for the identification of cocoa bean cultivars and this would aid in quality control of cocoa bean

Source: UCC
Nonlinear acoustoelectric effect in a semiconductor superlattice

The acoustoelectric effect in a semiconductor superlattice (SL) has been studied for a hypersound in the region ql 1 (where q is the acoustic wave number and l is the electron mean free path). A nonlinear dependence of the acoustoelectric current j ac on the constant electric field E is observed. It is noted that when the electric field is negative the current j ac rises, reaches a peak and falls off. On the other hand, when the electric field is positive the current decreases, reaches a minimum and then rises. A similar observation has been noted for an acoustoelectric interaction in a multilayered structure resulting from the analysis of Si/SiO2 structure. The dominant mechanism for such a behaviour is attributed to the periodicity of the energy spectrum along the SL axis

Source: UCC
Nonlinear acoustoelectric effect in a semiconductor superlattice

The acoustoelectric effect in a semiconductor superlattice (SL) has been studied for a hypersound in the region ql 1 (where q is the acoustic wave number and l is the electron mean free path). A nonlinear dependence of the acoustoelectric current j ac on the constant electric field E is observed. It is noted that when the electric field is negative the current jac rises, reaches a peak and falls off. On the other hand, when the electric field is positive the current decreases, reaches a minimum and then rises. A similar observation has been noted for an acoustoelectric interaction in a multilayered structure resulting from the analysis of Si/SiO2 structure. The dominant mechanism for such a behavior is attributed to the periodicity of the energy spectrum along the SL axis

Source: UCC
Nonlinear polarization effects in a birefringent single mode optical fiber

The nonlinear polarization effects in a birefringent single mode optical fiber are studied using Jacobi elliptic functions. We find that the polarization state of the propagating beam depends on the initial polarization as well as the intensity of the input light in a complicated way. The Stokes polarization parameters are either periodic or aperiodic depending on the value of the Jacobian modulus. Our calculations suggest that the effective beat length of the fiber can become infinite at a higher critical value of the input power when polarization dependent losses are considered

Source: UCC