Welcome to UGSpace
UGSpace is the institutional repository of the University of Ghana. UGSpace is an open access electronic archive for the collection, preservation and distribution of digital materials.
- facilitate the deposit of digital content of a scholarly or heritage nature
- and ultimately share, preserve and promote the intellectual output of the University in a managed environment.
Communities in UGSpace
Select a community to browse its collections.
- Review books or articles provide a critical and constructive analysis of existing published literature in a field, through summary, analysis, and comparison, often identifying specific gaps or problems and providing recommendations for future research. These are considered as secondary literature since they generally do not present new data from the author's experimental work. Review articles can be of three types, broadly speaking: literature reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. It also the researcher to stay abreast of new literature in the field.
- The content include public lectures and inaugural lectures within University of Ghana.
- A working paper is a scientific or technical paper produced by researchers to share ideas or obtain feedback from a selected readership. Working papers can be in various stages of completion and are not peer reviewed or published in a journal.
Recent Submissions
Defining ‘Smart Rural’ in the Framework of Regional Digitalisation
(IST-Africa 2021 Conference Proceedings, 2021) Lindblom, P.; Kolog , E.A.; Nygren, E.; Sutinen, E.
In this paper, we explored how a smart development framework could be
harnessed for enhancing small and medium enterprise (SME) activities in rural
communities. With this aim, this study considered and compared the landscape of the
SME ecosystems in Ghana and Finland. Alongside the deprived countryside or
remote work context, it has become clear that contemporary digital platforms and
collaborative media represent an integral part of smart development. In addition,
remote working possibilities help tackle challenging times or even a state of
emergency, such as the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. We created our Smart rural
development model (SRDm) to facilitate the digital transformation of SMEs and
strategies in peripheral settings. Our SRDm was developed from the exploration of
smart development literature in regional settings, and filtering numerous initiatives
utilutilizedhin digitalization SME development context. The key target groups
who can benefit from our research endeavor are the various strategic development
organizations, financing authorities, and of course regional stakeholders,
policymakers, business clusters, SMEs, and individuals.
Institutions and African Economic Development
(Working Paper, 2022) Fosu, A.K.
In light of the increasing importance of institutions in economic development and Africa’s desire
to catch up, the present paper provides an account of this crucial subject, ‘Institutions and African
Economic Development. First, adopting the usual definition of ‘institutions’ as ‘rules of the game’,
the paper shows that improvements in economic institutions, such as economic freedom, had
begun by the early 1990s, and accelerated about the mid-1990s, consistent with observed
improvements in economic and development outcomes. Also improved are measures of political
institutions: an index of electoral competitiveness, constraint on the executive branch of
government, and polity 2 as an indicator of the level of democracy, beginning in the late 1980s or
early 1990s. Second, based primarily on a review of the extant literature, the paper observes that
these improvements in the measures of economic and political institutions are positively associated
with the increasing economic development in Africa. Third, indicators of institutional instability,
measured by the frequency of civil wars and the incidence of coups d’etat, have been diminishing
since the early 1990s, with implications for improved growth and human development. Fourth,
some evidence is provided in support of the notion that African countries with better performance
on institutional quality during the period of growth resurgence have also exhibited greater progress
in poverty reduction. Finally, the paper concludes by flagging the potential risk of African countries
backtracking on their respective trajectories toward achieving the democratic consolidation required
to sustain the gains in growth and development.
Ensemble learning prediction of transmittance at different wavenumbers in natural hydroxyapatite
(Scientific African, 2020) Okafor, E.; Dodoo-Arhin, D.; Obada, D.O.
Material engineering-based research has often relied so much on tedious human exper iments for generating specific engineering properties with a major draw-back of high
time demand that can span between an hour and days. Hence to deviate from the usual
paradigm, we provide an alternative approach which employs artificial intelligence (AI)
based ensemble learning methods for predicting the degree of transmittance for a range
of wavenumbers of infrared radiation through hydroxyapatite (HAp) samples. The effective
samples (transmittance and wavenumber) were passed as input to the predictive systems.
For this, we trained two ensemble learning methods: Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost)
and Random Forest on variants of HAp (density and time variations), while considering a
fixed amount of 10,000 base estimators. The results show that Random Forest marginally
outperforms the XGBoost in the testing phase but requires a much longer computing time.
However, XGBoost is much faster than the Random Forest. Furthermore, the examined en semble learning models yielded a coefficient of determination (R2 > 0.997): which are
in close agreement with experimental data, depicting an excellent generalization capacity.
Additionally, the examined ensemble learning models showed a significant ≥ 99.83% de crease in computational complexity relative to the time spent when generating the exper imental data. Overall, the use of ensemble learning models is very important for validating
material engineering properties
Photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine dyes using zinc oxide nanoparticles
(Materials Today: Proceedings, 2020) Dodoo-Arhin, D.; Asiedu, T.; Agyei-Tuffour, B.; et al.
This paper presents the synthesis of nanocrystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) particles via the sol-gel method
using zinc acetate as a precursor. The calcination temperature of the ZnO was varied to determine its effect
on particle size. The resultant samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier
Transform Infrared (FTIR), UltraViolet–visible Spectroscopy (UV–Vis) and Scanning Electron
Microscopy (SEM). Nanocrystalline wurtzite ZnO particles with crystallite sizes ranging
from 16 nm to 30 nm were produced. The Energy Band gap of the synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles decreased with
increasing calcination temperature and crystallite size. SEM Micrographs showed rice-like microstructure
morphology of ZnO nanoparticles. The usage of the ZnO nanoparticles as a photocatalyst was also
explored in the degradation of Rhodamine B dye using UV light, with particular attention paid to the effect
of particle size and catalyst load on the degradation efficiency of the dyes. The nanoparticles calcined at
400 C with a crystallite size of 16 nm resulted in the highest degradation efficiency of 95.41% when 0.2 g
catalyst loading was applied.
2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer review under the responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Symposium on Nanostructured, Nanoengineered, and Advanced Materials
The physico-mechanical influence of dehydroxylized activated local kaolin: A supplementary cementitious material for construction applications
(Case Studies in Construction Materials, 2019) Marfo, K.K.; Dodoo-Arhin, D.; Agyei-Tuffou, B.; et al.
This work presents the effect of partially replacing metakaolin with Portland limestone
cement to produce mortars for construction. Teleku Bokazo kaolin was explored as an SCM for
the production of mortars. The hydration product between Portland limestone and
metakaolin was studied. The kaolin was heat treated to form metakaolin and partially used
to replace Portland limestone cement (PLC) in mortars to explore the optimum
replacement and its mechanical and durability effect. The samples were characterized
using X-ray diffraction (XRD) for phases and crystallinity of the kaolin. Fourier transform
infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) gave information on
the functional groups formed during the hydration and structure and surface morphology
respectively. The pastes and mortars produced were subjected to setting time, water
absorption, flexure, and compression strength tests. The mechanical properties were
observed to increase with increasing metakaolin replacements. Therefore, from the results
obtained, it is suggested that a 20 % replacement of Portland limestone cement with Teleku
Bokazzo metakaolin can be very suitable for construction applications.
Hydroxyapatite ceramics prepared from two natural sources by direct thermal conversion: From material processing to mechanical measurements
(Materials Today: Proceedings, 2020) Akpan, E.S.; Dodoo-Arhin, D.; Dauda, M.; et al.
In this study, hydroxyapatite (HAp) was extracted from catfish bones (CB) and non-separated animal
bones (NB). The bioceramic samples were prepared by a facile synthesis route and the representative
scaffolds were prepared by cold compaction and sintered at 900 C, 1000 C, and 1100 C. To evaluate
the properties of the produced HAp, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (FT IR) analyses were carried out. The evaluation of the hardness of the representative bio-derived scaffolds
was experimentally conducted while the fracture toughness and brittleness index were obtained by calculation using the hardness test parameters. The experimental data showed that as temperature
increased up to 1000 C for CB, there was a consequential increase in hardness, while for NB, hardness
values reduced throughout the sintering regimes. These gradients in mechanical measurements are
ascribed to phase changes during heat treatment.
2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by nc-nd/4.0). Selection and Review under the responsibility of the scientific committee of the International
Conference & Exposition on Mechanical, Material and Manufacturing Technology
Modified nanostructured titania photocatalysts for aquatic disinfection applications
(Materials Today: Proceedings, 2020) Dodoo-Arhin, D.; Bowen-Dodoo, E.; Agyei-Tuffour, B.; et al.
According to SDG 6, everyone on earth should have access to safe and affordable drinking
water. In sharing water-treatment technologies that lead to accomplishing this goal, it is imperative to devise ways of removing microbial contaminants such as E. coli from drinking water, especially in resource-limited settings that lack centralized water supply systems. One of the
approaches is bacterial disinfection of water at the point of use. In this study, the bactericidal
effects of the photocatalysis of titanium dioxide-based nanoparticles under UV and visible light
are explored.
Pristine and silver doped nanostructured mesoporous titanium dioxide (Ag-TiO2, TiO2) particles
with high specific surface area and average crystallite domain size of 7.0–7.5 nm were prepared
using the simple and cost-effective sol-gel technique followed by thermal treatment. The addition
of Ag+ ions during the hydrolysis/condensation of the Ti(IV) molecular precursor led to the homogeneous dispersion of the Ag+ cations on the titania matrix. The As-prepared nanoparticles were
characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis,
Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetry,
Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR), and Raman Spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction, FTIR, and Raman
spectroscopy confirmed that the crystalline structure of the TiO2 matrix corresponds to the anatase
polymorph; however, the presence of the dopant led to an increase in the system disorder due to
the rise in the concentration of oxygen vacancies. The As-prepared nanoparticles were used for
Escherichia coli (E. coli) inactivation under dark and UV–visible light conditions. Under dark conditions, Ag-doped titania and pristine titania resulted in 95% and 64% E. coli population inactivity
while under light conditions, 99% and 97% degradation respectively were observed. Taken
together, these results demonstrate that, the synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles have promising applications in the light-mediated point-of-use inactivation of bacterial contaminants in water.
2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer review under the responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Symposium on Nanostructured, Nanoengineered, and Advanced Materials.
What influences cancer treatment service access in Ghana? A critical interpretive synthesis
(BMJ Open, 2022) Tuck, C.Z.; Aryeetey, R.N.O.; Akparibo, R.; et al.
Objectives Multiple social-cultural and contextual factors
influence access to and acceptance of cancer treatment
in Ghana. This research aimed to assess the existing
literature on how these factors interplay and could be
susceptible to local and national policy changes.
Design This study uses a critical interpretive synthesis
approach to review qualitative and quantitative evidence
about access to adult cancer treatment services in
Ghana, applying the socioecological model and candidacy
framework.
Results Our findings highlighted barriers to accessing
cancer services within each level of the socioecological
model (intrapersonal, interpersonal community,
organizational and policy levels), which are dynamic
and interacting, for example, community-level factors
influenced individual perceptions and how they managed
financial barriers. Evidence was lacking about
determinants of treatment non-acceptance across all
cancers and in the most vulnerable societal groups due to
methodological limitations.
Conclusions Future policy should prioritize multilevel
approaches, for example, improving the quality and
affordability of medical care while also providing
collaboration with traditional and complementary care
systems to refer patients. Research should seek to
overcome methodological limitations to understand
the determinants of accessing treatment in the most
vulnerable populations.
Seed quality and relative lignan profiles of sesame prospected from northern Ghana
(Heliyon, 2024) Sintim, H.O.
The sesame seed contains oil, protein, dietary fibre, and several minerals and it is also a store of
lignans. Lignans are key selection factors for sesame quality due to their health, nutritive and
market value. In Ghana sesame growers rely on wild or undocumented planting seeds which are
of mixed colouration and its lignan content is ambiguous. The objective of this study was to
segregate street sesame seeds into component colour fractions and subsequently evaluate the
consistency of lignans in the seed fractions. Sesame seeds were collected from street vendors in
northern Ghana and were segregated into seed fractions based on the pericarp colour. The
viability of seed fractions stored at different temperatures (ambient, 5 ◦C, 0 ◦C) over time and
lignan contents of single or bulk mixed seeds were verified. The collected seeds were of mixed
colouration with approximately 4 % debris, 40 % white, 36 % cream, and 20 % dark coloured
seeds by weight. The viability of the seeds was 67–85 % depending on pericarp colour. White seed
fractions which had the highest proportion by weight had a significantly (p = 0.0275) higher
viability (85 %) than the dark seeds which had the least viability (67 %). The seeds lost viability
over time. However, seeds stored at 0 ◦C maintained a viability of 77 % at the fourth year. There
were differences in the relative abundance of lignans for both bulk seeds and, single seeds with
different pericarp colours. The most abundant occurring lignans in the seeds were sesamin, ses
amolin and sesaminol and its downstream glucosides. The source of seed or pericarp colour was
not predictive of seed viability or lignan composition. These findings provide baseline data on
seed quality including an improved storability under cold environments. It also gives an insight
into how mixed seeds of variable pericarp colours can have distinct characteristics. Although the
mixed coloured seeds had no implications for varied quality including lignan content, the in
ternational market for sesame requires that seeds are of consistent colour.
Land Governance and Conflict in West Africa through Interdisciplinary Empirical Lenses
(Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA), 2024-09) Narh, P.; Doumbia, L.; Tounkara, A.; Ablo, A.D.
This working paper addresses the following central questions: (i) How does the commodification of land challenge distinctions between rural and urban spaces? (ii) What new forms of differentiation emerge from commodification, for example the alienation of land markets from land governance regimes? (iii) How does commodification help our understanding of the resilience of custom and egalitarianism? (iv) How useful are property rights frameworks, whether customary, statutory or new forms of tenure, for land management and sustainability? Four authors, members of the MIASA Interdisciplinary Fellow Group (IFG 6) on Land Governance, applied ethnographic and cross-sectional research methods to examine case studies in Ghana, Mali and Senegal. This research contributes to an understanding of the perceptions, discourses and practices relating to land commodification and conflicts, as well as the way in which endogenous perceptions of access to land in West Africa are expressed and adapt to changing circumstances.