Studies on concave Young-functions

We succeeded to isolate a special class of concave Young-functions enjoying the so-called \emph{density-level property}. In this class there is a proper subset whose members have each the so-called degree of contraction denoted by $c^{\ast}$, and map bijectively the interval $[ c^{\ast}, \infty)$ onto itself. We constructed the fixed point of each of these functions. Later we proved that every positive number $b$ is the fixed point of a concave Young-function having $b$ as degree of contraction. We showed that every concave Young-function is square integrable with respect to a specific Lebesgue measure. We also proved that the concave Young-functions possessing the density-level property constitute a dense set in the space of concave Young-functions with respect to the distance induced by the $L^{2}$-norm

A generalization of the Hyers -Ulam-Aoki type stability of some Banach lattice -valued functional equation

We obtained a generalization of the stability of some Banach lattice-valued functional equation with the addition replaced in the Cauchy functional equation by lattice operations and their combinations.Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and OTKA Grant PD124875peerReviewe

Self-disclosure in young people: A study of social undergraduate students in a Ghanaian university

The internet seems to have changed the way young people interact and have changed the way people view privacy and self-disclosure on social networks. This study surveyed a total of 146 young people from various backgrounds and sought to throw some light on online privacy culture of Ghanaian young people and the types of information shared. The study found that young people are generally heavy users of social networking sites and they have large groups of friends online. This indicated shallow relationships. This finding was consistent with another finding that though they shared personal information online, they were careful not to share intimate personal information. It also found that young people are quite competent in managing their privacy though they seemed to be neutral when it came to posting explicit materials online.

Seasonal variation in food preference and feeding ecology of two juvenile marine fishes, Pseudotolithus senegalensis (Sciaenidae) and Brachydeuterus auritus (Haemulidae) off Cape Coast, Ghana

Aspects of the feeding habits and diet of juveniles of the cassava croaker Pseudotolithus senegalensis (Valenciennes, 1833) (Sciaenidae) and bigeye grunt Brachydeuterus auritus (Valenciennes, 1831) (Haemulidae) in the inshore waters of Cape Coast, Ghana are reported in the study. Both species had a similar diet consisting of larvae of fish, shrimps and cuttlefish. The croaker ingested prey up to 77% of its total length while the bigeye grunt consumed prey up to 70% of its total length. Analysis of the stomach contents, based on the frequency of occurrence, and numerical and gravimetric compositions of these food items indicated that shrimps were the main food of P. senegalensis while B. auritus fed mainly on fish. While shrimps constituted the predominant food of the croakers all-year-round, the bigeye grunts appeared to shift their preference for fish to shrimps from June to September. The results of the study are compared with those on croakers from other parts of the Gulf of Guinea. The study, however, appears to be the first to give a detailed account of the food preference and feeding ecology of the bigeye grunt

Science Tutors’ Knowledge of Differentiated Instruction in Colleges of Education in Volta Region, Ghana

The purpose of the study was to explore science tutors’ knowledge of differentiated instruction in the Colleges of Education in the Volta Region of Ghana. The study employed sequential explanatory design. The participants were 32 science tutors from Colleges of Education in the Volta Region of Ghana, who were purposively selected on the basis of having direct instructional contacts with students all the time and their teaching experiences within and outside colleges. Questionnaire, Rating Scale and Interview were used to collect data. It was found that science tutors have different knowledge on content, learning style, learner interest, learner diversity, process, product and lesson planning. The findings also revealed that majority (80%) of science tutors who did not differentiate instruction in their classrooms have the knowledge of differentiated instruction but their failure to make use of DI was due to scarcity of time, complex nature of DI, high level of workload. The results also revealed that, majority (80%) of the science tutors did not use their assessment feedback to guide their instruction. These science tutors said marking schemes were always given to the students for self-correction. The results from classroom observation showed that these tutors do not teach to meet the diverse needs of learners. Majority of the participants still hold to traditional classroom teaching strategies based on one size-fits-all approach which proved to be ineffective. The study recommended that mentoring universities should organize workshops on the differentiated instructional for tutors and mount course in DI for student teachers

An exploration of why women with breast cancer symptoms present late in seeking treatment at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ghana

INTRODUCTION: In line with most developing African countries about 85% of breast cancer patients who attend Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Ghana, present with stage III/IV disease. This study aimed at understanding what factors influence health seeking behaviour and the decision to seek help in women with breast cancer symptoms. METHOD: Women presenting for the first time with clinical stage III/IV breast cancer symptoms to KATH breast clinic were purposively selected for the study between May 2015 and March 2016. In-depth interviews were conducted to explore the women’s symptom appraisal process and the events that prompted health seeking. The Andersen behavioural model for health service use was the conceptual basis for the thematic analysis, with a critical realist perspective. Interpretation of how the identified factors interacted with each other and how they ultimately evolved to influence decision making was done. RESULTS: Fifteen women were interviewed. They were aged between 24 – 79 years. Ten of them had symptoms consistent with clinical stage III and 5 had clinical stage IV breast cancer. Time from symptom identification to attending KATH was 4 - 24 months. The first symptom identified was a breast lump or breast swelling. These were initially appraised as “normal/not serious” because they did not affect the woman’s daily functioning. The trigger to seek medical help was worsening of their symptom such that daily function was affected. At this stage, the women were willing to do whatever was required to access healthcare. Misunderstanding of the investigations required and the referral process also contributed to their late presentation to KATH. CONCLUSION: Women appraise their breast symptoms as not needing medical attention until they worsen. Opportunities at first hospital presentation to educate women with breast symptoms on the value of investigations and the need to follow through with referrals could potentially influence health seeking behaviour of women with breast cancer symptoms positively

Kinematic design of lift-tipping mechanism for small solid waste collection truck

A number of small waste collection trucks such as tricycles are in use in a number of developing countries. The use of such technology has been popular in a country like Ghana. This paper presents a design of lift-tipping mechanism for small solid waste collection trucks. A five bar mechanism is developed with one degree of freedom. The mechanism is modelled and tested using Solid Edge software. Results of the system show that a height of 70% of the length of the lifting bar can be attained and a tilt angle more than 40o could be achieved. The actuation of the mechanism could be achieved by employing power screw, hydraulic or pneumatic actuators, and rack and pinion combinations. This mechanism will improve the operation of the collectiontruck