ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
PERIPHERAL INTRAVENOUS CANNULATION AND PHLEBITIS RISK AT CAPE COAST TEACHING HOSPITAL

Introduction: Intravenous (IV) cannulation is the commonest invasive procedure among hospitalised patients. It is however associated with risks and complications that can have an adverse impact on the clinical outcome of the patient. Aim: To assess the incidence of and risk factors for development of phlebitis following peripheral IV cannulation at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH), and establish the optimal day for routine replacement of IV cannulas in our setting. Method: A prospective observational study was conducted over a period of three months from September 2013 to December 2013 at the Medical and Surgical Wards at CCTH. Patients were assessed using the Visual Infusion Phlebitis (VIP) Score. Results were analysed and chi square was used to test associations and significance level set at p value ≤ 0.05. Results: A total of 224 patients were assessed. The incidence rate of phlebitis was 52.2%. Phlebitis was higher among patients who had cannulas in situ beyond day four (66.3%) compared to those who had cannulas for up to four days (44.4%)(p=0.002). Phlebitis was also higher among patients with ongoing infections (69%) (p=0.023). Conclusion: Over half of cannulated patients studied developed phlebitis. Phlebitis rates were significantly increased four days post-cannulation and in patients with ongoing infections. Routine replacement of cannulas by day four is therefore recommended.

Source: UCC
Periplasmic expression optimization of VEGFR2 D3 adopting response surface methodology: Antiangiogenic activity study

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the most signiﬁcant mediators of angiogenesis, which interacts with a speciﬁc membrane receptor: VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2). Studies elsewhere have shown that, a VEGF-blocker can regulate several vital processes of tumor promotion. However, there is no liter- ature evidence of investigation on antiangiogenic ability of single domain 3 of VEGFR-2 (VEGFR2 D3), as the key domain in signal transduction of VEGF. In this article, we aimed at developing an efﬁcient method for producing soluble form of this receptor as therapeutic applications. The optimization of the produc- tion of soluble VEGFR2 D3 in Escherichia coli was ﬁrstly done by testing the periplasmic expression in dif- ferent expression systems using three osmotic shock methods. To enhance the yield, vital factors were selected from nine factors by Plackett–Burman design and the level of each viral factor was optimized via a response surface methodology based central composite design. After puriﬁcation and identiﬁcation of the protein, the bioactivity assays: quantitative ELISA, VEGF-induced proliferation and in vivo chick chorioallantoic membrane assay were employed in our study. The outcome showed that, E. coli Rosetta-gami (DE3)/pET22b-VEGFR2 D3 was the most effective expression system. Furthermore, the inducing time, peptone and glycerol concentration affected the periplasmic expression of VEGFR2 D3 sig- niﬁcantly. The corresponding level was also optimized. The bioactivity assay studies showed VEGFR2 D3 could suppress both VEGF stimulated cell proliferation in vitro and neovascularization in vivo. We have therefore provided a novel antiangiogenic drug candidate relating to VEGF-VEGFR2 pathway.

Source: UCC
Persistence and fate of soil applied c- lindane in a maize ecosystem

C-lindane applied to soil surface in a maize ecosystem (one month after planting) was taken up by the plant. Within the first 25 days of treatment, 14C-lindane or its metabolites were found within the entire plant with the greatest concentration in lower leaves (from the ground level); and a sharp buildup of lindane concentration towards the tip of each leaf. Radioactivity and hence pesticide concentration was uniformly distributed in the plant with time; to the extent that measurable levels of uC-compounds were detected in the tussel cob and the grain. This indicated that soil applied lindane was available to the maize plant. The persistence of l4C-lindane in soils of variable organic matter content was also studied. Evidence is presented to show that l4 C-lindane dissipated faster in soils of lower organic matter content. Levels of surface applied pesticides that became bound in the soil increased with time after application and also with increasing organic matter content. 14 C-activity was mainly associated with the top soil layer (0-30 mm)

Source: UCC
Persistent exposure to wood smoke is associated with variations in biochemical and hematological indices among regular wood burners in the Cape Coast metropolis, Ghana

Background: Acute and chronic exposure to wood smoke is associated with adverse health effects. This study investigated the potential effect of persistent exposure to woodsmoke on hematological and biochemical indices among regular wood burners in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana. Methodology: A total of 101 consenting participants were recruited into the study. Serum lipids (total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein, very low-density lipoprotein and non-HDL), renal function (urea, creatinine), liver enzymes (AST and ALT) were measured using an automated analyzer. The full blood count of participants was also measured with an FBC automated analyzer. Demographic and lifestyle data of the participants were obtained with the help of questionnaires. Results: Individuals exposed to wood smoke were older (47.21±1.583), smoked ﬁsh [36(47.4%)] and were predominantly females. Female preponderance [75(98.7%), P = 0.046], low haemoglobin (HGB) [OR= 6.553 (95%CI=1.431 to 30.01), P = 0.0094], low MCV [OR=12.43(95%CI=0.7133 to 216.5), P = 0.018], low MCH [OR=4.145(95%CI=1.284 to 13.38), P = 0.0151], low MCHC [OR=9.844(95%CI=3.029 to 31.99), P<0.0 0 01], low granulocyte [OR=12.88(95%CI=4.382 to 37.84), P<0.0 0 01] and high lympho- cyte [OR=21.86(95%CI=6.991 to 68.34), P<0.0 0 01] were signiﬁcantly associated with exposure to wood smoke. High cholesterol [OR=20.44(95%CI=2.610 to 160.2), P = 0.0 0 02], triglyceride [OR=17.60(95%CI=1.022 to 303.2), P = 0.0052], non-HDL cholesterol [OR=22.15(95%CI=5.490 to 89.38), P<0.0 0 01] and low HDL cholesterol [OR=96(95%CI=12.0 0 to 767.9), P<0.0 0 01] were signiﬁcantly associated with exposure to wood smoke and are at increased risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) [OR=474.7(95%CI=25.75 to 8750), P<0.0 0 01]. Age and duration of exposure signiﬁcantly correlated with cholesterol (r = 0.27, P = 0.02; r = 0.25, P = 0.03), LDL cholesterol (r = 0.31, P = 0.01; r = 0.28, P = 0.01) and non-HDL (r = 0.31, P = 0.01; r = 0.24, P = 0.03). AST levels among individuals exposed to wood smoke were also elevated [OR=69.83(95%CI=4.097 to 1190), P<0.0 0 01]).

Source: UCC
Person-Environment Fit and Turnover Intentions of Senior High School Teachers in Ghana

The government of Ghana spends a considerable amount of the national budget on training and recruiting teachers every year, but reports indicate that about 10,000 teachers leave the classroom annually for various reasons. Retention of qualified teachers has therefore become a challenge in schools to ensure quality teaching and learning. The current study investigated the extent to which teachers’ person-environment fit predicts their turnover intentions through their career commitment. The study employed the cross-sectional survey design with a sample of 919, comprising 705 males and 214 females. This consisted of 243 teachers in the rural setting, 282 in the peri-urban and 394 in the urban setting. The Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling was used for the analysis. The results indicated that career commitment had a strong negative relationship with turnover intentions. Also, the person-job fit and person-organisation fit dimensions of the person-environment fit measure significantly predicted career commitment and turnover intentions such that higher scores on these person-fit dimensions could lead to higher commitment, and reduced intention to leave the teaching service. The findings were discussed and practical implications and recommendations were made. Among others, the authors recommend that the selection process for recruiting teachers should consider using job screening psychological tests to hire individuals who fit the teaching profession and the academic environment.

Source: UCC
Person-Environment Fit and Turnover Intentions of Senior High School Teachers in Ghana

The government of Ghana spends a considerable amount of the national budget on training and recruiting teachers every year, but reports indicate that about 10,000 teachers leave the classroom annually for various reasons. Retention of qualified teachers has therefore become a challenge in schools to ensure quality teaching and learning. The current study investigated the extent to which teachers’ person-environment fit predicts their turnover intentions through their career commitment. The study employed the cross-sectional survey design with a sample of 919, comprising 705 males and 214 females. This consisted of 243 teachers in the rural setting, 282 in the peri-urban and 394 in the urban setting. The Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling was used for the analysis. The results indicated that career commitment had a strong negative relationship with turnover intentions. Also, the person-job fit and person-organisation fit dimensions of the person-environment fit measure significantly predicted career commitment and turnover intentions such that higher scores on these person-fit dimensions could lead to higher commitment, and reduced intention to leave the teaching service. The findings were discussed and practical implications and recommendations were made. Among others, the authors recommend that the selection process for recruiting teachers should consider using job screening psychological tests to hire individuals who fit the teaching profession and the academic environment

Source: UCC
Personal Finance Behaviour among Formal Sector Workers in Ghana

In order to improve our understanding of personal finance behaviour among formal sector workers, this study sought to examine the impact of Financial Knowledge, Financial Attitude, Locus of Control, Descriptive Norm and Financial Self-Efficacy on Financial behaviour. Additionally, the study observed the effects of Income, Age and Family Support as moderators on the relationship between Financial Behaviour intention and Actual Financial Behaviour. The research employed the reasoned action approach framework by Fishbein and Ajzen (2010). A total of 406 respondents working within the formal sector organisations in three districts of Ghana was analysed using PLS SEM. Questionnaires were used in the data collection. The study results revealed that Financial Knowledge, both perceived and actual, exhibit different impacts on Financial Attitude and Financial Self-Efficacy of formal sector workers. Additionally, it was observed that Perceived Financial Knowledge, Financial Attitude, and Locus of Control had a significant positive relationship with Financial Behaviour Intention. The assertion that Actual Financial Knowledge and Income influence Financial Behaviour was not supported. However, Income moderated the Intention-Actual Financial Behaviour relationship significantly. Family Support as a moderator also depicted a negative effect on the relationship between Intention and Actual Financial Behaviour. It was recommended that financial education must focus on developing good financial attitudes and beliefs to enhance the needed behavioural change.

Source: UCC
Personal Finance Behaviour Among Formal Sector Workers in Ghana

hi order to improve our understanding of personal finance behaviour among formal sector workers, this study sought to examine the impact of Financial Knowledge, Financial Attitude, Locus of Control, Descriptive Norm and Financial Self-Efficacy on Financial behaviour. Additionally, the study observed the effects of Income, Age and Family Support as moderators on the relationship between Financial Behaviour intention and Actual Financial Behaviour. The research employed the reasoned action approach framework by Fishbein and Ajzen (2010). A total of 406 respondents working within the formal sector organisations in three districts of Ghana was analysed using PLS SEM. Questionnaires were used in the data collection. The study results revealed that Financial Knowledge, both perceived and actual, exhibit different impacts on Financial Attitude and Financial Self-Efficacy of formal sector workers. Additionally, it was observed that Perceived Financial Knowledge, Financial Attitude, and Locus of Control had a significant positive relationship with Financial Behaviour Intention. The assertion that Actual Financial Knowledge and Income influence Financial Behaviour was not supported. However, Income moderated the Intention-Actual Financial Behaviour relationship significantly. Family Support as a moderator also depicted a negative effect on the relationship between Intention and Actual Financial Behaviour. It was recommended that financial education must focus on developing good financial attitudes and beliefs to enhance the needed behavioural change.

Source: UCC
Personal selling strategy and market share

Personal selling is a marketing strategy which contrary to classical promotion such as advertising with one-way communication, permits communicative interchanges between the seller and buyer. It is of primary importance in the marketing of commodities which due to their complexity require some form of explanation or demonstration to the buyer. Its usefulness as argued in the literature is said to be more pronounced in industrial marketing and services compared to products in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) markets where little time and effort is spent to obtain the product by the consumer. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between personal selling strategy and market share in the water producing industry in Ghana. A sample of 25 firms made up of 5 companies and 20 small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) was drawn from the population of water producers in the Accra-Tema industrial hub with the administration of a five-point Likert scale questionnaire based on six constructs of personal selling strategies. The strategies include adapted selling strategy, customer-oriented selling strategy, sincerity salespeople strategy, commitment salespeople strategy, liquidity salespeople strategy, and relational selling strategy. These variables were regressed over sales performance as a proxy for market share. The results indicate that all the six strategies except sincerity salespeople strategy have positive impact on sales performance suggesting that personal selling strategies can influence sales performance and hence market share in the water producing industry

Source: UCC
Personality Traits of Teachers and Desired Leadership Styles

The study investigated the relationship between teachers’ personality traits and their desired leadership styles in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana. The descriptive survey design was used for the study with a total of 417 employees randomly selected from five secondary schools in the metropolis. Results indicate that all the five personality traits had significant positive relationship with transformational leadership style, with conscientiousness having the strongest relationship and neuroticism the weakest. Thus conscientious teachers have higher preference fortransformational leadership than employees of the other personality traits. Neuroticism had the strongest positive relationship with transactional leadership style among the other traits. Agreeableness and openness also had significant (weak) positive relationship with transactional leadership style. Conscientiousness however did not have significant relationship, with extraversion relating negatively with transactional leadership style. It was recommended that school managers should endeavour to know the traits of their subordinates and apply the appropriate leadership styles when dealing with them to bring about good interpersonal relationship and satisfaction at the workplace.

Source: UCC
Personhood, human rights and health among the Akan and Igbo of West Africa

Many African countries are now abreast with the need to link healthcare and human rights, but the individual factor to ensure this is missing. It has become imperative that health policy-makers reflect on the health of individuals within the community in order to achieve a holistic healthcare delivery. Thus, the patients’ inputs and their cultural values are invaluable for community health. This essay attempts to identify and examine the relationship between healthcare and human rights based on the Akan and Igbo (African societies) concepts of personhood. The main argument of this essay is that the concept of personhood, as exists in the aforementioned indigenous societies, provides the framework for understanding human rights and healthcare based on cultural relativism. The essay identifies some of the discourses associated with human rights and healthcare in the western world and those of the Akan and Igbo

Source: UCC
Persons with Disabilities (PWD) and Employment Opportunities in the Accra Business District

The study was conducted in Accra central and it used descriptive study which adopted qualitative data collection methods. A sample size of twenty (20) respondents was used under this study and a questionnaire. The questionnaire was coded into relationships and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 16. The results of the study revealed that most of the respondents’ area of disability was lower limb of 80% and others of upper limb of 20%. The type of disability was mostly deformity of 60% with few being amputation of 40%. Concerning the period of disability, it was generally below 10 years. The results revealed that majority of the respondents wanted to work purposely to be financially active and independent, Results from the study further indicated that majority of the respondents indicated that family members and friends were worried about them since they do not have job. whilst others indicated that family members and friends do not care whether they do have job or not. Of those who were not employed, most of the respondents indicated that they are not satisfied with their present state of unemployment. Majority of the respondents indicated that, the purpose of getting jobs to them was for economic empowerment, self-esteem, to avoid dependency on other, and taking care of the family. Challenges faced by PWDs were stigmatisation and illiteracy and resource constraints. The study recommends that there should be a follow up of government incentives to encourage employers to employ people with disabilities, public awareness creation to sensitise the general public on the need to accept and involve PWDs. Also, it is it is imperative for the government and all stakeholders to address attitudinal, informational, physical and institutional barriers that may challenge PWDs in getting employment

Source: UCC
Persons With Disability And Leadership: Exploring Notions, Norms, Customs And Practices In Ghana

Disability ordinarily connotes negativity. The reviewed literature showed that persons with disability experience discrimination and exclusion. Yet, there are persons with disability who have defied both their disability and its social construction into leadership positions whose narratives remain less documented. Most studies on disability had been done with a little historical cultural perspective. This work sought to explore the construction of disability along leadership of two illustrative cultures in Ghana and document the life stories of the persons with disability in leadership. The study also assessed the PWD Act, 2006 (Act 715). The Life Course, Modernisation, Social Constructionist and Human Capabilities theories undergirded the study. Critical ethnography, narrative and document review designs from a qualitative research approach were adopted for the study. A purposive sampling procedure was used to select 11 participants for the study. Indepth-interviews and key informant interview guides were employed as methods and instruments respectively for data collection. Data were analysed by content (critical discourse) analysis, life and document reviews. The study found; ambivalent cultural constructions of disability in the measure of war-like leadership requirements; disability is not a taboo but a competitive disadvantage; real impediments for defiant PWD leaders who rejected sympathy but demanded respect into leadership; gains despite failings of Act 715. It is recommended that Parliament and the Executive review the Act with cultural inputs while ensuring enforcement and the creation of a Disability Fund. The study offers a conceptual framework, ethnographic and empirical contributions from deep-seated cultural misconceptions in Africa within the development discourse for the inclusion of persons with disability.

Source: UCC
Perspectives of Ghanaian headteachers on their role and professional development: The case of KEEA district primary schools

School effectiveness and improvement research has increasingly accepted that the success of a school is to a large extent influenced by the manner in which a headteacher perceives and performs his/her work in the school. Consequently, what school leaders do and how they are prepared for their work have, in recent times, become crucial. This study sought to explore, through an interpretive approach, how primary school headteachers within one district of Ghana - the Komenda-EguafoEdina- Agona-Abrem (KEEA) district, perceive their role as heads and their professional development. The study, which was based on semi-structured interviews, observation and focus group discussion, suggests that tradition, culture and the political geography of Ghana are crucial factors in understanding what primary school headteachers in the KEEA district do and how they conceptualise headship. Headteachers' understanding of headship is skewed towards the exercise of 'power and authority'. The country's urban-rural dichotomies are characterised by teacher shortages and female headteacher under-representation in rural schools; thereby causing rural headteachers to lead the school and at the same time manage a full-time teaching load. These are compounded by frequent interactions with visitors, attending to incidents in school, collecting fees and keeping financial records and, in some cases, inspecting building projects, which meant pupils being left on their own in the classroom while the head attended to other matters. It is further suggested that the range and complexity of the tasks undertaken by the headteachers and how they construed their visions are to a large extent shaped by expectations which significant others (the Ministry of Education, the School Management Committees, parents, the local community, teachers and pupils) hold of them. Coping with the challenges posed by public demands requires that headteachers develop the appropriate 'competences' and 'competencies'. Yet the data suggest that the headteachers, among other things, lacked competence in managing people, managing time and keeping financial records confidently. This implies a need not simply for more careful selection but for a more sophisticated approach to recruitment and sustained professional development of headteachers in the district. Two major questions emerge from my study, which require further investigation: (i). To what extent does the under-representation of female headteachers affect the attitude of girls towards learning in rural schools, (ii). To what extent does the indigenous language influence the understanding of contemporary school leadership issues among headteachers in Ghana?

Source: UCC