ABSTRACT The process and product characteristics of the traditional palm kernel technology were studied. The study was in two phases. Firstly, a survey on the technology in some selected areas in the Eastern and Greater Accra regions was done, to collate information on processors, processing methods, equipment used, raw materials, marketing of products and some other aspects of the technology. Then the processing methods encountered were replicated in the laboratory and investigated to assess...
ABSTRACT Advances in several key communication and information technologies are worth tracking for their impact on interactive health communication and ability to meet .customers' demands. One of these technologies is the inte1net. It is based on this that this research work is cal1'ied out to dete1mine the level at which the internet has been able to improve the delivery of healthcare services in the healthcare delivery system in Nigeria. An explanatory research methodology was adopted in th...
ABSTRACT Functional foods are foods that possess other health benefits apart from their regular nutritional benefits. A functional food may contain nutraceutical properties, which have components, responsible for curing or preventing a disease or disorder. There are several indigenous foods in Ghana that have been purported to possess functional properties. The claim to functionality of some of these indigenous foods are based on folklore but the scientific backing to these claims may not be ...
ABSTRACT A study was made of the effect on pepper quality of the traditional method of processing the "Balancotta" variety of Piper nigrum (black pepper). The study comparatively considered the microbiological quality, drying method, drying rate, colour and appearance, washing or cleaning method, prior to fermentation or heaping as well as an alternative method - heat treatment processing of the commodity. Using a solar dryer as a drying apparatus resulted in 9.8% moisture content of the samp...
ABSTRACT Background: Tinnitus is the perception of sound or noise without any external stimulation. It is a common problem worldwide affecting about 15% of the general population and approximately 19.3% of Ghanaians experience tinnitus. Tinnitus is found to be more prevalent in people with hearing loss of various degrees and types. However, there are tinnitus patients with normal hearing. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the auditory status, tinnitus severity and the existence of any s...
ABSTRACT Globally, there have been increasing demands for water by increasing populations. Demands however outstrip supply in most regions creating water shortage situation. Water shortage is noted to have effects on the socio-economic livelihood development of households. This study assessed the effects of water shortage and coping strategies of households as well as the role of stakeholders in addressing the situation in Kumawu. Using the mixed method, 200 household questionnaires were admi...
ABSTRACT Introduction: The major organisms that cause septicaemia in children have been established in different geographic locations. However, these causative organisms of paediatric septicaemia and their antibiogram change over time, within and across settings. In addition, increased antimicrobial drug resistance among the organisms has been observed over the last decades. Study of the aetiological agents and their antibiogram is therefore imperative for designing community- based managemen...
ABSTRACT This work shows the increase in surface dose caused by thermoplastic immobilizing masks used for positioning and immobilization of patients. Thermoplastics are organic materials which soften when they are heated. They can be formed after softening and retain their final shape when cooled. The use of these thermoplastic masks are relevant during patient treatment. However, it can lead to an increased skin dose. Measurements were done at source-to-suface distance of 80 cm for external ...
SUMMARY A parasitological, clinical, periodicity and entomological study of lymphatic filariasis was earned out at Gomoa Okyereko, an irrigation project community in Southern Ghana to provide baseline information on the infection and its transmission in the community. Out of a total of 636 inhabitants, fifty percent of the residents were selected from the compiled demographic data using computer generated random numbers to constitute the study population. Quantitative examination of night blo...
ABSTRACT Background: Babesia/Theileria species are intra-erythrocytic protozoa of the phylum apicomplexa. The merozoite stage of Babesia/Theileria have diagnostic significance and are found as intracellular inclusions of infected red blood cells. The trophozoite stages appear as ring forms which measure about 1.0 to 5.0µm. These parasites are transmitted by hard ticks and can cause a zoonotic disease known as babesiosis/theileriosis. Human babesiosis/theileriosis are usually asymptomatic exc...
ABSTRACT As part of the malaria control measures in Ghana, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is used as an Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPTp) among pregnant women and now as a seasonal chemoprophylaxis (SMC) in children on pilot basis. However, parasite resistance to the drug has been reported in the country and this has been linked to point mutations in the dhps (dihydroptoreate synthase) and dhfr (dihydrofolate reductase) genes, the targets of SP. There is also an evidence of amplificati...
ABSTRACT Background: Malaria continues to be a major public health concern with majority of deaths occurring in the tropical regions. Control strategies within the human host have been through drug administration either as treatment of infected persons or prophylaxis. The challenge to effective malaria control is partly due to the emergence and the spread of resistant Plasmodia, especially in endemic countries. Confirmed antimalarial drug resistance is the combination of microscopic analysi...
ABSTRACT The main aim of this dissertation was to identify pathfinder elements for gold and generate new gold targets for further exploration at Chirano Gold Mining Area. A geochemical data was generated from 521 soil samples which were analysed for 51 elements and evaluated using multivariate statistical methods. Principal Components and Factor Analyses were used to reduce the data into two groups and Cluster Analysis conducted to find element associations hence pathfinders for gold. Ano...
ABSTRACT The natural Radial and axial variations in the resistance of the wood of Termihalia ivorensis A* Chev, against damage by subterranean termites were investigated for two trees from the same locality- The damage was studied in relation to specific gravity, the modulus of elasticity, the cross-sectional area of vessels in the wood,, and the water soluble extractives. The correlation between termite damage and these physical, mechanical and anatomical properties have been reported. It wa...
ABSTRACT The devolution of political administration, planning and the decision-making process from over burdened central governments to the local level has been borne out of one basic fact - that community participation in governance, planning and decision-making will make the process of development more self-sustaining. The assumption being that bringing policy decisions that reflect local conditions closer to the people will lead to a fuller participation in programmes that will bring abou...