Women’s Work: Labor Market Outcomes and Female Entrepreneurship in Ghana

This paper is an investigation of female entrepreneurship in Ghana. It seeks to answer the following question: Why are Ghanaian women so heavily concentrated in microenterprise in the informal economy? The literature review explores labor market trends for women on three different scales including an overview of developing countries, Sub-Saharan Africa regional, and Ghana-specific analysis. After exploring issues women face in formal employment, the study delves into business operations of informal, urban-based market participants by analyzing data pertaining to Ghanaian microenterprise. Additionally, the paper details the experiences and views of female entrepreneurs through in-depth interviews and participant observations with thirty female textile traders conducted in Makola Market in Accra, Ghana during the summers of 2012 and 2014. This study will contribute to the growing body of work on female entrepreneurship in the West African region

An Exploratory Study of Black Male College Athletes' Perceptions on Race and Athlete Activism

The authors conducted a quantitative study of six black male athletes at American universities. Using the intellectual paradigm of critical race theory, they analyze the athletes' views on race and the role of athlete activism in their generation

Effects of Poor Practices on Engine Oil Change by Filling Station Attendants and Local Garages Mechanics

Engine lubrication cannot be overlooked in the automobile industry since it is the life blood of vehicle engines. In Ghana about 80% of oil service is carried out by fuel filling stations attendants and mechanics in local garages. Most of them lack the necessary skills needed to go about their work.  It has therefore become necessary to investigate the effects of poor practices offered by filling station attendants and local garages mechanics during servicing of an engine. This research was undertaken to ascertain the level of knowledge of filling station attendants and local garages mechanics on engine lubrication and also ascertain the various equipment and tools used during oil service.  Assessment was carried out in Accra and its environs. In all, one hundred questionnaires were distributed and ninety three were received. Analysis of the results indicated that even though some of the respondents had had some form of training they still need to be retrained to upgrade their knowledge and the training received should be standardized in the nation. Keywords: engine oil change, filling station attendants, local garages mechanics, automobile industr

Effects of Poor Engine Repairs and Maintenance by Mechanics Operating in Local Garages

The automobile industry is growing so fast in Ghana and with its new sophisticated models on the Ghanaian market; it has become necessary to find out whether those who repair and maintain these vehicles in the local garages have the technical know-how to take up the challenges. A research was therefore conducted to determine the level of their technical know-how and also to ascertain the various methods used in carrying out basic repair and maintenance works of automobile engines. An assessment was carried out by means of questionnaire and interviews. One hundred questionnaires were distributed and eighty seven were received. Analysis of the results revealed that there is an urgent need for the respondents to undergo retraining in order to raise the level of their technical know-how. Even though some of their practices were right, most of them could lead to frequent break down of the engines. Keywords: poor engine repairs and maintenance, mechanics, local garages, automobile industry

Tick Tock, Tick Tock, Tick Tock

My Project is a more of a stopwatch. During this process, I’m supposed to keep pressing the button and then the numbers will be displayed on the seven-segment display

Determinants of obesity in Ghana

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonBackground There is a limited understanding of factors determining obesity in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Ghana. This thesis, therefore, aimed to contribute to knowledge on obesity determinants in Ghana to guide evidence-informed obesity policies. Methods Multiple approaches were used in this study. These approaches included a literature review, two stakeholder engagements, a survey, Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) techniques and regression analyses. First, a literature review was conducted to identify literature gaps on determinants of obesity to direct this study. Then, key stakeholders were engaged to prioritise the literature gaps whose exploration was critical for obesity policies in Ghana. After, a multi-stage sampling approach was used to generate a current obesity dataset to address the stakeholder-prioritised research questions. Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) techniques and regression analyses were then conducted to identify single and multi-level determinants of obesity in Ghana. Finally, the stakeholders were engaged again to explore interventions to tackle the identified obesity determinants. Results The literature review showed gaps in multi-level determinants of obesity, the interrelationship between obesity and other lifestyle behaviours and the relationship between religion, culture, and obesity. The analysis of these gaps showed that a unit increase in the number of fast-food joints and supermarkets within a shorter radius (2km & 5km) increases the odds of obesity in Ghana. Additionally, being a Muslim (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.45) or Ga (r = 0.39) is associated with a 11% and 9% increased risk of obesity, respectively. Diet and physical activity are also interconnected lifestyle determinants of obesity. These lifestyle factors are determined by factors like sex, income status and perceptions. For example, individuals who perceive obesity as an inherited condition are less likely to consume a healthy diet (r = -0.24 and engage in physical activity (r = -0.29). However, those earning 2,000 Ghana cedis and above are more likely to eat healthily (r = 0.46) and exercise (r = 0.49). Additionally, men are 16% more likely to engage in physical activity and 5% less likely to consume a healthy diet, indicating that the predictors of the lifestyle determinants are comparable but dissimilar in some instances. Finally, the thesis also showed that obesity is prevalent in Ghana (53%), and about 45% of the population are neither physically active nor consume healthy diets. Conclusion Obesity is determined by religion, ethnicity, physical activity & diet, and the local food environment. These determinants could be mitigated by a trade-off between awareness campaigns and economic regulations, like taxation and food subsidies. Therefore, the government of Ghana and other relevant agencies should factor in these determinants and interventions when reviewing and implementing obesity policies in Ghana

Carnosine, a therapeutic potential for critical limb ischemic.

Critical Limb ischemia (CLI) is a serious manifestation of peripheral artery disease. Advanced CLI patients are poor candidates for vascular surgeries. Numerous studies have shown that hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF1-α) plays an important role in recovery from murine hindlimb ischemia (HLI). HIF1-α is regulated by oxygen dependent prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs). Previous studies have shown that inhibition of PHDs by metal quenchers and viral delivery of HIF1-α improves blood flow to the ischemic limb. However, clinical trials with these therapies are largely negative partly because they do not address the underlying chronic oxidative stress. Based on recent observations that endogenous histidyl dipeptides such as carnosine can chelate metals and quench reactive carbonyls, we hypothesize that supplementation of carnosine can promote revascularization to enhance wound healing through aldehyde quenching and metal chelation. C57BL/6 mice were subjected to hindlimb ischemia (HLI) surgery by ligating the femoral artery and vein and supplemented with carnosine (1g/L) for 21 days. Laser Doppler analysis showed that blood flow in carnosine treated mice was significantly increased (31±2%) compared with the non-treated mice (20±2%) after 14 and 21 days (carnosine 50±6% vs non-treated 28±4%;

Shear Wave Models in Linear and Nonlinear Elastic Materials

Nonlinear shear wave models are of significant importance in a large number of areas, including engineering and seismology. The study of such wave propagation models has helped in the prediction and exploration of hidden resources in the Earth. Also, the frequent occurrences of earthquakes and the damage they cause to lives and properties are of more significant concern to the society. Augustus Edward Hough Love studied horizontally polarized shear waves (Love surface waves) in homogeneous elastic media. In the current thesis, after presenting some basic concepts of linear and nonlinear elasticity, we discuss linear Love waves in both isotropic and anisotropic elastic media, and consider extended linear and nonlinear wave propagation models in elastic media, including models of nonlinear Love-type surface waves. A new general partial differential equation model describing the propagation of one- and two-dimensional Love-type shear waves in incompressible hyperelastic materials is derived, holding for an arbitrary form of the stored energy function. The results can be further generalized to include an arbitrary viscoelastic contribution. We also discuss aspects of Hamiltonian mechanics in finite- and infinite-dimensional systems and present Hamiltonian formulations of some nonlinear wave models discussed in this thesis