School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
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Item Who is marginalized in energy justice? Amplifying community leader perspectives of energy transitions in Ghana(Energy Research & Social Science, 2021) Baker, E.; Atarah, S.A.; Afful-Dadzie, A.; et al.There is a divide in energy access studies, between technologically-focused modeling papers in engineering and economics, and energy justice frameworks and principles grounded in social sciences. Quantitative computational models are necessary when analyzing energy, and more specifically electricity, systems, as they are technologically complex systems that can diverge from intuitive patterns. To assure energy justice, these models must be reflective of, and informative to, a wide range of stakeholders, including households and communities alongside utilities, governments, and others. Yet, moving from a qualitative understanding of preferences to quantitative modeling is challenging. In this perspective piece, we pilot the use of the value-focused thinking framework to inform stakeholder engagement. The result is a strategic objective hierarchy that highlights the tradeoffs and the social, economic, and technological factors that need to be measured in models. We apply the process in Ghana, using a survey, stakeholder workshops, and follow-up interviews to uncover key tradeoffs and stakeholder-derived objectives. We discuss three key areas that have been rarely, if ever, well-represented in energy models: (1) the relationship between the dynamics of electricity end-use and the technology and economic structure of the system; (2) explicit tradeoffs between electricity access, cost, and reliability as defined by stakeholders; and (3) the definition of new objectives, such as minimizing hazards related to theft. We conclude that this model of engagement provides an opportunity to tie together rigorous qualitative analysis and stakeholder engagement with crucial quantitative models of the electricity system.Item Making North–South Collaborations Work: Facilitating Natural Product Drug Discovery in Africa(Springer link, 2019) Osei-Safo, D.; Kyeremeh, K.; Amewu, R.; et al.Many global North–South collaborations seek to address different aspects of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Africa . The role of the North in these collaborations is crucial from a funding point of view. However, the realisation of the SDG objectives for Africa will depend largely on strategies that are guided by the successes and challenges of previous and existing collaborative efforts. Globally, Africa has the highest disease burden with the leading causes of morbidity and mortality being malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS and more recently, cardiovascular diseases , diabetes and cancer. Neglected tropical diseases are also causing long-term detrimental health effects, resulting in huge social and economic losses. Ironically, the continent is endowed with a huge biodiversity resource that has the potential to provide novel and potent drug candidates but remains largely unexplored partly due to financial and infrastructural challenges. Developing the scientific research capabilities of African institutions towards drug discovery through global networks is, therefore, an important component of improving health systems on the continent. This chapter examines experiences from three North–South collaborations—the Royal Society’s Leverhulme Trust Africa Award (LTAA), Newton Advanced Fellowships (NAF) and Cambridge-Africa Partnership for Research Excellence (CAPREx)—and proposes the adoption of structures that extend the current focus on skill transfer to include the building and maintenance of sustainable infrastructure. It is believed that these thoughts and suggestions could promote sustainable collaborative research to provide good health and well-being (SDG3), quality education (SDG4), relevant infrastructure (SDG9) and reduced inequalities (SDG10) in Africa .Item Issues in mobile learning in Ghana(Innovative Techniques in Instruction Technology, E-Learning, E-Assessment, and Education, 2008) Millham, R.Ghana, a sub-Saharan country, faces a crisis in trying to keep its population in step with a technologically-changing world. With limited funding, a dispersed population, and a shortage of lecturers, the ability to manage lifelong learning, as required by a rapidly-changing technological world, for its populace is difficult. In this research-in-progress paper, we propose distance education, notably mobile learning, as a solution to the need of lifelong learning and to the constraints of the existing educational institutions. We also examine some of the issues surrounding distance education. A survey of Ghanaians as to their preferences for curriculum and training in this area is briefly presented. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008.Item Hydrogeology and groundwater resources of Ghana: A review of the hydrogeology and hydrochemistry of Ghana(Potable Water and Sanitation, 2010-01) Banoeng-Yakubo, B.; Yidana, S.M.; Ajayi, J.O.; Loh, Y.; Asiedu, D.This paper surveys the aquifers and the groundwater resources landscape in Ghana to identify the critical resource issues constraining the development and management of groundwater throughout the country. The research is based on a collation of the recent data on the hydrogeological properties of the different geological terrains in the country. This study finds that there are five main hydrogeological provinces distinguished by their well yields, lithology, and groundwater quality. This latest hydrogeological zonation, which is an improvement over previous works consists of the Birimian Province, the Crystalline Basement Granitoid Complex Province, the Voltaian Province, the Pan African Province, and Coastal Sedimentary Province. The hydrogeological properties of each province are discussed. The most prolific aquifers in the country have been identified among the fractured and weathered zones within the Togo Series, Buem Formation, Birimian and Tarkwaian System rocks. Aquifers of these rock formations also offer groundwater of the best quality for most uses in the country. Hydrochemical data gathered from wells drilled through all the hydrogeological terrains in the country for this study suggest that groundwater hydrochemistry is controlled principally by the weathering of silicate minerals and cation exchange activity. These processes are pervasive throughout the country. In isolated areas, groundwater contamination due to domestic waste discharge and agricultural activities has been noted. Four groundwater types have been identified based on Q-mode hierarchical cluster analysis and conventional graphical methods. In the coastal areas such as the Keta basin, seawater intrusion has been identified as one of the major influences on hydrochemistry of groundwater in the shallow unconfined aquifers. On the basis of the hydrochemistry, groundwater suitability for irrigation purposes is copiously discussed. The aquifer management problems can be posed as follows. There is inadequate knowledge base of the aquifer geometry and safe yield characteristics of most of the aquifers in the country. There is also inadequate information to address the status and trends in groundwater quality for most areas of the country. The following emerging issues have been identified: anthropogenic effects on groundwater quality; salt-water intrusion in coastal aquifers, groundwater depletion or inadequate supplies from groundwater to meet human needs; uncertainties about recharge and sustainability due to increased abstraction; as well as lack of institutional capacity to respond adequately to sustainable groundwater use. Recommendations to ameliorate these problems include the strengthening of institutional capacity for comprehensive national evaluation of groundwater resources, including aquifer delineation and pro-active strategies to reduce groundwater abstraction to safe yield levels and adoption of aquifer protection strategies for overall protection of groundwater quality. © 2011 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.Item Factor Analysis of Customer Preference for Mobile Phone Network (A Case Study of Cape Coast Polytechnic(University of Ghana, 2015-09) Mensah, C.This research tries to determine the “hidden” factors which ultimately influence the choice of mobile phone network in Cape Coast Polytechnic (study area). Principal Component method of Factor analysis is used to achieve the set objectives. There are six mobile phone network providers (MTN, Vodafone, Tigo, Airtel, Globacom and Expresso) in Ghana. All these operators try to improve their marketing strategies in order to attract more customers or subscribers to increase their market share. A total of 500 respondents were drawn from students, teaching staff and administrative staff in Cape Coast Polytechnic by proportional allocation. There is no restriction in age and gender but it is required that a respondent belongs to one of these three groups. The study made use of research instrument in order to measure attributes of the networks. A 14 item likert scale was used with 5 levels of agreement in the questionnaire. The study shows that more male respondents participated in the study mostly are in the age group of 18-24 years old. Cronbach‟s alpha shows that the data collected is consistent (reliable), while the Kaiser Meyer Olkin test and Bartlett‟s test of sphericity show significant results that factor analysis is appropriate in the data gathered. Therefore, factor analysis is applicable. It is found that “long time usage” is the most important attribute followed by “wider coverage” and “good advert”. Surprisingly, “lower tariff” and “games of chance” happened to be the less important attributes. The most regularly used mobile phone network in Cape Coast Polytechnic is MTN followed by Tigo. Vodafone is the third most regularly used network, while Expresso is the least patronized network. Three factors were extracted, factor one is social responsibility factor (or customer care factor), factor two is reception benefit factor and factor three is relationship benefit factor. These three (3) factors identified, best summarizes the people‟s choice of mobile phone network in Cape Coast Polytechnic Department of PhysicsCollection Department of StatisticsCollection Department of Computer ScienceCollection Department of Earth ScienceCollection Department of MathematicsCollection