• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.71-79
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• 2017

Climate change phenomenon is posing a serious threat to sustainable corn production in Ghana. This study investigated the impacts of climate change on the rain-fed corn yield in the Dangme East district, Ghana by using Aquacrop model with a daily weather data set of 22-year from 1992 to 2013. Analysis of the weather data showed that the area is facing a warming trend as the numbers of years hotter and drier than the normal seemed to be increasing. Aquacrop model was assessed using the limited observed data to verify model's sufficiency, and showed credible results of $R^2$ and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE). In order to simulate the corn yield response to climate variability four climate change scenarios were designed by varying long-term average temperature in the range of ${\pm}1^{\circ}C{\sim}{\pm}3^{\circ}C$ and average annual rainfall to ${\pm}5%{\sim}{\pm}30%$, respectively. Generally, the corn yield was negatively correlated to temperature rise and rainfall reduction. Rainfall variations showed more prominent impacts on the corn yield than that of temperature variations. The reduction in average rainfall would instantly limit the crop growth rate and the corn yield irrespective of the temperature variations.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2016.05a
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• pp.518-518
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• 2016

Agriculture is the lifeblood of the economy in Ghana, employs about 42% of the population work force and accounts for 30% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Corn (maize) is the major cereal crop grown as staple food under rain fed conditions, covers over 92% of the total agricultural area, and contributes 54% of the caloric intake. Issues of hunger and food insecurity for the entire nation are associated with corn scarcity and low production. The climate changes are expected to affect corn production in Ghana. This study evaluated variations of corn yields based on different climate conditions of rain-fed area in the Dangbe East District of Ghana. AquaCrop model has been used to simulate corn growing cycles in study area for this purpose. The main goal for this study was to predict yield of corn using selected climatic parameters from 1992 to 2013 using different climate scenarios. The Model was calibrated and validated using observed field data, and the simulated grain yields matched well with observed values for the season under production giving an R squared (R2)of 0.93 and Nash-Sutcliff Error(NSE) of 0.21. Study results showed that rainfall reduction in the range of -5% to -20% would reduce the yield from 1.315ton/ha to 0.421ton/ha (-21. 3%) whereas increasing temperature from 1% to 7% would result in the maximum yield reduction of -20.6% (1.315 to 1.09 ton/ha.). On the other hand, increasing rainfall from 5-20% resulted in yield increment of 68% (1.315-2.209 ton/ha) and decreasing temperature produce 7% increase in yield ( 1.315 to 1.401ton/ha). These results provide useful information to adopt strategies by the Government of Ghana and farmers for improving national food security under climate change.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.72-76
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• 2017

Background: Workplace victimization is considered a major social stressor with significant implications for the wellbeing of employees and organizations. The aim of this study was to examine the influences of employees' personality traits and organizational politics on workplace victimization among Ghanaian employees. Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 631 employees selected from diverse occupations through convenience sampling. Data collection tools were standardized questionnaires that measured experiences of negative acts at work (victimization), the Big Five personality traits, and organizational politics. Results: The results from hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that among the personality traits neuroticism and conscientiousness had significant, albeit weak relationships with victimization. Organizational politics had a significant positive relationship with workplace victimization beyond employees' personality. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that compared with personal characteristics such as personality traits, work environment factors such as organizational politics have a stronger influence on the occurrence of workplace victimization.

• The monthly packaging world
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• s.131
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• pp.86-89
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• 2004

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.143-184
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to explore the present and future agricultural extension system and international cooperation systems for agricultural technologies in Ghana. The role of agricultural extension in the next decade should be quite different from what it was 10 years ago or even now. Its role as a facilitator of agricultural knowledge system would only increase as more participants from private sector would get involved in extension. The public sector extension would still continue to be the major extension provider in most parts of the country as the private sector alone would not be able to meet even partially the varied needs of farmers. Internal reforms are thus going to be the greatest challenge for the Ghana Extension System. The cooperation systems work in partnership with other stakeholder to provide agricultural extension and advisory services to farmers. Innovations (information/knowledge) emerging from the seed industry may be seen as dynamic and systemic process which can emerge from many sources. KAFECI's interventions must be flexible to accommodate such changes if the need arises in subsequent years (year 2 & 3). The framework and tools for technology transfer and dissemination is developed on "innovation platform" where a group of stakeholders/collaborators with diverse social and economic backgrounds, work towards a common objective or challenge.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.279-289
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• 2012

This study conducted a comparative analysis of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in the Fosu and Benya lagoons in Ghana, based on the anthropogenic effect on the two lagoons. Salinity, oxygen, temperature, conductivity, turbidity and pH were measured, invertebrate richness and species densities were determined. The AZTI Marine Biotic Index (AMBI) and multivariate statistics were used to determine the different responses of fauna to pollution. The fauna were categorized into five ecological groups based on the degree of tolerance of the different species to pollution: disturbance-sensitive species; disturbance-indifferent species, disturbance-tolerant species, second-order opportunistic species; and first-order opportunistic species. The Fosu Lagoon supported more pollution tolerant species, whereas the Benya Lagoon had more species that were sensitive to organic enrichment under relatively unpolluted conditions. Chironomus sp., which is adapted to virtually anoxic conditions, was the most abundant in the Fosu Lagoon whereas Nemertea sp. was the most abundant in the Benya Lagoon. The numerical and relative abundance (%) of all 7 taxa in the Fosu Lagoon was 1,359 and 92.35%, respectively. The numerical and relative abundance (%) of all 34 taxa in the Benya Lagoon was 2,459 and 87.52%, respectively. Expectedly, the level of dissolved oxygen in the less saline Fosu Lagoon was higher than that in the more saline Benya Lagoon. The reduced photoperiod and photosynthetic activities of aquatic plants might account for this trend. There is a need to implement comprehensive monitoring and management initiatives for sustaining the ecological health of coastal lagoons in Ghana in order to support the many people that depend upon these ecosystems for their livelihood.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.172-186
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• 2017

The effects of application of fuel-reduction treatment in wildfire management has not been tested in dry forests of Ghana. Therefore, the short-term ecological effects of prescribed burning and hand thinning treatments followed by experimental wildfire were investigated in degraded forests and Tectona grandis forest plantations in two forest reserves of different levels of dryness in Ghana. The results showed that more trees were killed in prescribed burning (average of 41% in degraded forest and 18% in plantations) than hand thinning (7.2% in degraded forests and 8% in plantation). More tree seedlings were also killed in prescribed burning (72%) than hand thinning (47%). The mortality of trees and seedlings were greater in Worobong South forest, a less dry forest reserve than the Afram Headwaters forest, a drier forest reserve. Fuel treatment especially prescribed burning compared to the control reduced wildfire effects on forest canopy particularly in the less dry forest and tree mortality especially in the drier forest. Prescribed burning temporarily increased pH, exchangeable potassium (52%) and available phosphorus (82%) in the surface soils of the entire plots. The two fuel treatment methods did not have much influence on basal area, organic matter and total nitrogen. Nevertheless, they were able to reduce the adverse wildfire effects on soil pH, exchangeable potassium, available phosphorus, organic matter and total nitrogen concentrations. Fuel treatments therefore have potential application in dry forest management in Ghana due to their ability to retain important forest ecological traits after a wildfire incidence.

• International Journal of Knowledge Content Development & Technology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.65-84
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• 2021

Our understanding of how barriers to access systematically varies with the compositional and contextual characteristics of users is incomplete. Using a public university library in Ghana, this study assessed the heterogeneous barriers or constraints students encounter in accessing electronic resources based on their demographic and contextual attributes. A descriptive survey design was adopted and structured questionnaires were administered randomly to 558 students in the four constituent colleges of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Data were collected and analysed using SPSS and descriptive statistics were generated. The results revealed that students faced six key challenges in accessing electronic information resources in the library namely delays in download of information, poor internet connectivity, and limited accessibility of university portal, inadequate computers in the library, poor lighting and limited ancillary services (on the spot printing facilities), with differences based on gender, academic level, and college affiliation. Only 24% males and 26% females had no challenges or problems with delays in download of electronic information. About three-fourth of all users had poor internet connectivity and complained about inadequate computers associated with accessing electronic resources. 40% percent of undergraduate students in the Colleges of Education Studies, Agriculture and Natural Sciences, and Humanities and Legal Studies each encountered four to six simultaneous challenges. Irrespective of gender, first year undergraduate students in all the four colleges were the least likely to report multiple challenges. This suggests the need for targeted and context-specific interventions to address the identified challenges.

• International Journal of Knowledge Content Development & Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.7-34
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• 2021

The purpose of the study was to explore the uses and gratification of social media among first-year student groups at a satellite campus of a public university in Ghana. The study employed a descriptive survey design. The study involved all 1061 first-year university students in six academic departments of the College. A total of 680 (64%) participants returned validly completed copies of the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were employed for data analysis. The findings indicate that WhatsApp was the most popular application for social media groups, while a need for information-sharing, peer-tutoring and learning, and finding and keeping friends were the primary motivations for joining social media groups. First-year students are involved mainly in reactive activities, as most engage when solving an academic assignment through group discussions. Though challenges persist, such as posting of unwanted images, inadequate participation, and ineffective and irrelevant communication, most are willing to continue their social media groups' membership in the long term. This study provides valuable insight into transitioning students' lived experiences on social media from the group perspective. These insights are valuable conceptually and practically to academic counsellors, librarians and student affairs officers who are expected to provide on-going education on (social) media literacy to first-year students to enhance the adjustment process. The study is the first of its kind in Ghana that investigates social media group participants' exit intentions.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.432-437
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• 2021

Objectives: The mandible and other parts of the maxillofacial region suffer significant morbid injuries following road traffic accidents. Our study gives epidemiological description of mandibular fractures in Ghana and also evaluates the relevance of closed reduction and indirect fixation for managing mandibular fractures in low-resource health facilities in low-income countries like Ghana. Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective study involving 268 patients who reported to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the Sunyani Regional Hospital with mandibular fractures from January 2010 to December 2019. Patient medical records were assessed for information on age, sex, fracture etiology, anatomic location of fracture, time of day of road traffic accident, and other associated injuries. Results: A total of 268 patients were included in this study (males, 216 [80.6%]; females, 52 [19.4%]). Motor vehicular accident (MVA) was the leading cause of mandibular fractures (202 injuries, 75.4%). Other etiologies included assault (39, 14.6%), gunshot (13, 4.9%), falls (12, 4.5%), and industrial accidents (2, 0.7%). Of the 161 male cases caused by MVA, 121 (75.2%) occurred at night and in the evening while the remaining 40 (24.8%) occurred in the morning and afternoon. Among all managed 222 patients, 212 (79.1%) were treated with closed reduction and indirect fixation technique while 10 (3.7%) were treated with open reduction and direct fixation. Conclusion: Closed reduction with indirect fixation could successfully be used to manage mandibular fractures in low resourced health facilities, especially in low-income countries. The poor lightening system on roads in Ghana is a major contributory factor to motor vehicular accidents.