ABSTRACT Polyurethane is a non-easily degradable synthetic polymer used as packaging material. Its presence and durability in the environment pose global disposal and degradation problem. Polyurethane releases toxic substances with carcinogenic or mutagenic potential during burning in dumpsites. An alternative to burning of waste materials is the use of microorganisms to degrade them. However, little is known about microbial degradation of polyurethane. Therefore, microbial degradation of po...
ABSTRACT Background: Classroom acoustics is essential aspect of the learning environment. A poor acoustical environment can impede a child’s ability to listen and learn. Excessive reverberation and background noise can affect the educational performance and achievement of children with hearing loss and normal hearing. It can also lead to teacher fatigue, stress and increase their chances of acquiring voice and throat problems since they have to raise their voices to be heard by the child...
ABSTRACT Schistosoma haematobium infects school children in areas where the disease is endemic. This study was carried out to determine the reliability of IgG Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) as an immunodiagnostic tool, using whole antigen derived from Schistosoma eggs. Children of school going age living in Ipogun village, in south western Nigeria; a schistosomiasis endemic community; were used in this study. The sensitivity of the IgG ELISA in detecting positive cases was 68.0% an...
ABSTRACT The study was carried out from October to November 2013 in Jomoro district of the Western Region of Ghana to assess the prevalence of trypanosomes in pigs and tsetse flies. Besides, the study identifies tsetse fly species and their apparent density in the study area. The methods employed during the study were molecular technique and microscopy of stained blood smears for parasitological study. Entomological surveys were also conducted using a total of 16 un-baited biconical traps for...
ABSTRACT Using IVL PM2.5 and PM10 particle samplers, airborne particulate matter was sampled from Ashaiman, 30 km from Accra-capital of Ghana. The airborne particles were collected on Teflon filters for a period of three months. In addition to determination of particulate mass in the two fractions by gravimetrical method, aerosol filters were analyzed to determine black carbon (BC) concentration levels using the black smoke method. BC fractions in fine and coarse, together with PM2.5 to PM10 ...
ABSTRACT Field studies were performed to identify the vector species o f Dracunculus medinensis. From these studies, Mesocyclops kieferi was implicated as a maj'or vector. Other vector species identified were Mesocyclops aspericornis and Thermocyclops inopinus. Studies were also carried out in the endemic villages using a questionnaire to ascertain the pattern of disease incidence during the years 1994- 1996. The results revealed that the socio-cultural practices of the people assist in promo...
ABSTRACT The publication of the Fourth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ignited several debates, including the security implications of climate change. While some authors have pointed out some forms of relationship between climate change and conflict, others have had contradicting views. This current study sought to unravel this nexus and to contribute our understanding of the supposed association in the Bawku Area of Ghana. Guided by the Hydro-Climatic Chang...
ABSTRACT The study examined the effects of information and communication technology (ICT) tools used in teaching and learning, which is a case study of Presbyterian Boys‟ Senior High School in Greater Accra Region. The study is underpinned by Valsiner‟s (1997) zone theory. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research designs were chosen for this study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the senior high school teachers in Presbyterian Boys‟ Senior High School. In a...
ABSTRACT This research is based on the results of Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) released by the West African Examinations Council in elective and core subjects of study at Potsin T. I. Ahmadiyya Secondary School from 2000 to 2003. The elective programmes of study are General Arts, Business, Home Economics and Technical subjects. The data also includes the gender and religious affiliation of candidates. The main objective of the study is to identify variables that sig...
ABSTRACT Coastal areas around the world are increasingly facing devastating disasters due to land use and land cover changes. Same can be said of Keta Municipality which experiences series of challenges such as unplanned urbanisation, intensive agriculture, flooding and coastal erosions. To design better solutions to these recurring problems, there is the need to understand the landscape and its interaction with its inhabitants. To achieve this, this study employed remote sensing techniques...
ABSTRACT Optimization techniques are called into play everyday in decision making processes involving resource allocation in almost every discipline. However, the development and implementation of algorithm for solving optimization problems are fraught with many difficulties and frustrations. The aim of this thesis has been to examine and identify some of the problems associated with the development and implementation of a class of optimization algorithms and to develop a means of improving u...
ABSTRACT An experimental posttest-only control-group design was used to assess the influence of electronic text on the reading comprehension of junior high school students of Akosombo Volta River Authority Junior High School No. 1. A convenience sample of 140 randomly assigned students was used for this research. Half of the students used passages from text read on screens while the other half used traditional print text passages. Data was collected during one class period in which the readin...
ABSTRACT This study was conducted to assess the extent of Mercury (THg) contamination at four locations within the Shama-Mporhor Wassa catchment area of the Lower Pra River. Water, fish and sediment samples were taken twice with the longitudinal transect method at Daboase, Beposo, Bokorkope and Shama during the minor rainy season in October and at the apex of the dry season in March. Careful investigation of the Shama-Mporhor Wassa catchment area revealed that two of the locations Daboase a...
ABSTRACT The geographical distribution of different types and subtypes and the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) vary significantly. Identification of HCV genotypes has become increasingly important for the clinical management and prognosis of HCV infections. Available evidence shows that HCV is endemic in West Africa, but there is little data on HCV genotypes present in Ghana. This study therefore set out to identify circulating HCV genotypes in healthy Ghanaians and determine the rela...
ABSTRACT The incidence of the print and electronic media reports on violence and abuse in the domestic setting heightened the interest for this study and has therefore served as a major source of motivation for this research work. The work seeks to investigate the causes of domestic violence vis-à-vis the consequences of such acts. The major findings indicated that domestic violence in Ghana can best be described as violence against women and children. It was also discovered that domestic ...