Browsing by Author "Osei, B."
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Item Characterization of Ghana Research Reactor-1 Low Enriched Uranium Core Irradiation Sites Using a Theoretical Method(University Of Ghana, 2017-07) Osei, B.The GHARR-1 is in the final stages of converting its HEU (90.2 %) fuel to LEU (13 %) fuel. Due to the differences if the LEU core design as compared to that of the HEU; fuel density, dummy arrnagement, number of fuel elements, this study was carried out characterize the neutron spectrum at the irradiation sites of GHARR-1 to ascertain the impact of the conversion on the neutron spectrum. This was done theoretically using the MCNP5 code. The neutron spectrum parameters (a and f ), neutron fluxes and their axial variation were determined. Average results of a for the LEU (inner sites, -0.096; outer sites, -0.031) as compared to the HEU (inner sites, -0.103; outer sites, -0.034) indicate a further deviation from the ideal 1/E epithermal spectrum distribution for the HEU as compared to the LEU. Results of f for the HEU (inner sites, 18.76; outer sites, 48.75) and LEU (inner sites, 17.77; outer sites, 45.08) indicate some levels of neutron flux trade off in the LEU as compared to the HEU. This is attributed to the increased inventory of 238U in the LEU as compared to the HEU. The neutron flux distribution showed high levels of uniformity at the irradiation sites (2 % to 10 % variation), with the thermal neutron flux showing the highest level of uniformity. The flux distribution for GHARR-1 with HEU and LEU both followed similar patterns.Item Government health expenditure and child health: empirical evidence from Wes(International Journal of Social Economics, 2023) Osei, B.; Kulu, E.; Appiah-Konadu, P.Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of government health expenditure on the health of children (under-five mortality rate and prevalence rate of stunting) among West African countries. Design/methodology/approach –The study utilizes heterogeneous panel from the period 1990 to 2018 among 16 West African countries for the analysis. The effect of government health expenditure on under-five mortality rate is measured in per 1,000 live births while that of stunting is measured in percentage. The study employs Pooled Mean Group (PMG) estimation technique and Impulse Response Functions (IRFs) for the analysis. Findings – The results indicate that government health expenditure has negative effect on under-five mortality rate and prevalence rate of stunting in the long-run but not significant in the short-run. In addition, the IRFs result indicates that under-five mortality rate and prevalence rate of stunting both respond negatively to shocks in government health expenditure. Practical implications – Governments should ensure that inefficiencies in the public health sector are reduced by licensing the health workers of this sector and allowing independent bodies to appoint the heads of health institutions. This will improve the delivering of health services for the health of children. Originality/value – Previous studies carried out have not examined the short-run and long-run effects of the relationship under study among West African countriesItem Measures for achieving sustainable environment to mitigate climate change in Africa(International Journal of Social Economics, 2023) Osei, B.; Kunawotor, M.E.; Appiah-Konadu, P.Purpose – This study examines the appropriate measures that need to be intensified among African countries to achieve sustainable environment to mitigate climate change. Design/methodology/approach –The study employs panel data covering the period 2000 to 2020 among 54 African countries and Cox proportional hazard model for the analysis. Findings – Estimates indicate that the practice of carbon farming, the development of rooftop gardens, renewable energy production and consumption contribute positively toward achieving sustainable environment, while governance adversely affects this objective of achieving sustainable environment. Practical implications – The study recommends that governments should enforce the constant practice of carbon farming among these countries through passing laws to enforce its application among farmers and allocate 2% of ministry of agriculture’s budget toward financing carbon farming for poor farmers. Originality/value – Empirical studies have been carried out exploring measures to deal with climate change. Nonetheless, the appropriate measures of achieving sustainable environment to mitigate climate change have less been explored in literature on Africa. Hence, this study fills the gap in existing empirical studies.Item Mortality rate and life expectancy in Africa: the role of flood occurrence(International Journal of Social Economics, 2022) Osei, B.; Kunawotor, M.E.; Appiah-Konadu, P.Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of flood occurrence on mortality rate and life expectancy amongst 53 African countries. Design/methodology/approach – The study utilizes panel data from the period 2000–2018 on 53 African countries and system generalized method of moments (system GMM) for the analysis. Findings – The result indicates that flood occurrence causes the destruction of health facilities and the spread of diseases which reduces life expectancy. In addition, flood occurrence increases mortality rate amongst 53 African countries. Research limitations/implications – Practical implications – The study recommends that governments amongst African countries should implement strategies being enshrined in Conference of Parties (COP, 2021) on climate change. This will help to reduce the level of climate change and flood occurrence. Originality/value – Previous studies focused on the adverse effect of flood occurrence without considering the issue of life expectancy amongst African countries. This study contributes to existing empirical studies by examining the effect of flood occurrence on mortality rate and life expectancy amongst African countries.Item Neutron Activation Analysis of Soils(University of Ghana, 200-06) Osei, B.; Osae, E.K.; Agyei, G.K.A.; University of Ghana, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Department of PhysicsInstrumental Neutron Activation Analysis has been applied in the multi-element analysis of five soils from three agro-ecological zones in Ghana, using the Single Relative Standardization Method. The analysis was carried out at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission Research Reactor-1 (GHARR-1) Centre. Concentrations of 34 elements in deciduous forest, forest and Coastal Savanna soils were obtained. Elemental compositions and their levels in the five soils; Oda ,Bekwai, Toje, Akuse and Ankasa series are related to the nature of parent materials and the degree to which these materials have been altered by weathering. The low isotopic abundance, low thermal and epithermal cross-section together with the low sensitivity of 0.07 counts/pg for the 30Si nuclide with energy 1266KeV made detection of silicon in the five soils impossible. Validation of the analytical technique which was done using a Standard Reference Material SOIL-7 supplied by the International Atomic Energy Agency showed a maximum deviation of 23.9%.