Textual Analysis of Conflict and Political Songs of the Dentsefo and Tuafo Asafo Companies of Effutu, Winneba

Despite the global recognition of political messages in music, it is evident that such expressions often lead to friction and disagreement among the warrior groups. This study aims to investigate the political expressions and conflicts within the music of the Asafo companies in Winneba. The research utilizes participant observation and semi-structured interviews as its primary methods, drawing inspiration from existing literature. The perspectives of 10 Asafo company leaders are examined to discern the factors contributing to conflicts in their songs. The data collected through participant observation and interviews is subjected to textual analysis. The study’s findings reveal a consistent theme across all Effutu songs emphasizing conflicts and wars. These musical expressions are characterized by explicit elements of rivalry, provocation, and challenge. The study suggests that stakeholders should redirect their efforts towards using music as a means to foster peace and harmony among the Asafo groups in Winneba, rather than allowing them to serve as tools for conflict. This implies a need to rethink and restructure the current approach to musical expressions within these communities, emphasizing their potential for promoting unity rather than discord

Patterns of Land Use Activities in Ghana’s Secondary Cities

Ghana is rapidly urbanizing. This urbanization has resulted in villages growing into towns and towns into urbanized areas. Theories and models have been employed to explain the internal structure of urban areas, especially, with respect to land use variations. These models started with the classical urban land use models in America. Urban scholars in Africa have struggled to fit the development of the African cities into these classical models. They have therefore called for African scholars to develop models for urban land use in Africa. This paper sought to identify the common patterns of land use activities which shape the internal structure of Ghana’s secondary cities. The study employed Geographic Information System (GIS) as a major tool of analysis in explaining the patterns in urban areas. This is augmented with in-depth ground observations of the study areas. The findings of the study showed the absence of homogeneity in most of the sectors and undefined industrial zones as contradictions to the classical models. The study further revealed that residential zones were not fully occupied by either lower income, middle income, or higher income residence. The income groups may only dominate in a given sector. Based on the findings, a common pattern is proposed to represent the land uses within the selected secondary cities in Ghana

Nanomaterials in 2 dimensions for flexible solar cell applications a review

This review presents the progress, challenges and prospects of ultrathin flexible photovoltaic devices based on 2 dimensional 2D nanomaterials. These devices have shown very high performance in bending stabilities for up to 90 of their power conversion efficiencies PCEs after multiple bending deformations. They are thin film PVs with lightweight and mechanically robust structures that allow use in the continual advancing solar cell applications. In this paper, comprehensive assessments of 2D nanomaterials, their syntheses methods, performance, degradation, mechanical and opto electronic characterization in flexible photovoltaic PV cells are highlighted. Semi conductor materials such as conjugated donor and acceptor polymers, small donor acceptor molecules and organometal halide perovskites for use as active layers in such flexible solar cell structures are reviewed. The challenges and prospects associated with the adoption of 2D nanomaterials in flexible solar cells are presented. The review highlights the need to transition laboratory results on 2D nanomaterials based flexible solar cells into scale up and commercialized products despite the existing and also opens research areas for researchers to explore and achieve robust and high efficient solar device

Interpenetrated Magnesium–Tricalcium Phosphate Composite: Manufacture, Characterization and In Vitro Degradation Test

Magnesium and calcium phosphates composites are promising biomaterials to create biodegradable load-bearing implants for bone regeneration. The present investigation is focused on the design of an interpenetrated magnesium–tricalcium phosphate (Mg–TCP) composite and its evaluation under immersion test. In the study, TCP porous preforms were fabricated by robocasting to have a prefect control of porosity and pore size and later infiltrated with pure commercial Mg through current-assisted metal infiltration (CAMI) technique. The microstructure, composition, distribution of phases and degradation of the composite under physiological simulated conditions were analysed by scanning electron microscopy, elemental chemical analysis and X-ray diffraction. The results revealed that robocast TCP preforms were full infiltrated by magnesium through CAMI, even small pores below 2 lm have been filled with Mg, giving to the composite a good interpenetration. The degradation rate of the Mg–TCP composite displays lower value compared to the one of pure Mg during the first 24 h of immersion test.Magnesium and calcium phosphates composites are promising biomaterials to create biodegradable load-bearing implants for bone regeneration. The present investigation is focused on the design of an interpenetrated magnesium–tricalcium phosphate (Mg–TCP) composite and its evaluation under immersion test. In the study, TCP porous preforms were fabricated by robocasting to have a prefect control of porosity and pore size and later infiltrated with pure commercial Mg through current-assisted metal infiltration (CAMI) technique. The microstructure, composition, distribution of phases and degradation of the composite under physiological simulated conditions were analysed by scanning electron microscopy, elemental chemical analysis and X-ray diffraction. The results revealed that robocast TCP preforms were full infiltrated by magnesium through CAMI, even small pores below 2 lm have been filled with Mg, giving to the composite a good interpenetration. The degradation rate of the Mg–TCP composite displays lower value compared to the one of pure Mg during the first 24 h of immersion test

Recent Advancements in Chalcogenides for Electrochemical Energy Storage Applications

Energy storage has become increasingly important as a study area in recent decades. A growing number of academics are focusing their attention on developing and researching innovative materials for use in energy storage systems to promote sustainable development goals. This is due to the finite supply of traditional energy sources, such as oil, coal, and natural gas, and escalating regional tensions. Because of these issues, sustainable renewable energy sources have been touted as an alternative to nonrenewable fuels. Deployment of renewable energy sources requires efficient and reliable energy storage devices due to their intermittent nature. High-performance electrochemical energy storage technologies with high power and energy densities are heralded to be the next-generation storage devices. Transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) have sparked interest among electrode materials because of their intriguing electrochemical properties. Researchers have revealed a variety of modifications to improve their electrochemical performance in energy storage. However, a stronger link between the type of change and the resulting electrochemical performance is still desired. This review examines the synthesis of chalcogenides for electrochemical energy storage devices, their limitations, and the importance of the modification method, followed by a detailed discussion of several modification procedures and how they have helped to improve their electrochemical performance. We also discussed chalcogenides and their composites in batteries and supercapacitors applications. Furthermore, this review discusses the subject’s current challenges as well as potential future opportunities

Evaluation of Physico-chemical water quality treatment efficiency: A Case study of Jambussi Water Headworks in the Upper West Region of Ghana

Water is very important for the sustenance of life and has no substitute and therefore its quality cannot be compromised. This research is to examine the treatment efficiency and the physicochemical quality of drinking water from the Jambussi water headworks from the raw water source to the final consumer at the tap to establish the quality of the water being treated for drinking in the Wa West District and the Wa Municipality, Upper West Region of Ghana. Samples of water were taken from four stages of the treatment processes during the dry season (February-March) and at the onset of the rains in (May-June) 2019. 1.5L bottles properly rinsed, sterilized and labelled were used to take the samples at each point of the process. The samples were then stored in cold ice chest containing ice cubes and transported to the laboratory for analysis within 24 hours. The parameters considered were Temperature, pH, Total Hardness, Ca and Mg Hardness, Manganese, Alkalinity, Turbidity, Colour, Ca2+, Mg2+, NO3-, NO2-, Cl-, F-,Cu2+, K+, Al3+, SO42 and S-. The results showed that all the parameters analyzed including metals recorded were all below the WHO standards for drinking water at different stages of treatment to the final consumer. Some of the parameters were above the WHO standards at the raw water stage but fall within the standards after treatment. The efficiency of the system was observed to be very good and the quality of the water produced also meets the WHO standards for drinking and other purposes. The research was concluded with recommendations to improve and maintain the water quality for drinking including further research to examine the quality of water produced at other water treatment facilities across the country.

Idiopathic Scrotal Calcinosis: A Case Report and Review of Postoperative Outcomes

Idiopathic scrotal calcinosis is a rare condition, characterized by the idiopathic deposition of calcium in the scrotal dermis leading to the formation of a single nodule or multiple nodules of different sizes. Surgical excision of the nodules reduces symptoms and improves cosmesis. We present a case of idiopathic scrotal calcinosis that had an en bloc excision of scrotal skin nodules and primary closure of the scrotal skin. Handling each hemiscrotum as a separate entity and preserving the median raphe with its uninvolved skin improved the cosmesis. Reported outcomes of surgery were satisfactory with no postoperative complications. At 30 months of follow-up, the residual scrotal skin had regained its laxity and the scrotum its normal configuration. There is the risk of recurrence of the calcific nodules post excision, but these may be smaller in size and with regained scrotal configuration that could be amenable to excision with further preservation of the native scrotal skin

Graphene for Flexible Photovoltaic Devices

Flexible photovoltaic devices (FPD’s) are emerging as next-generation technology in photovoltaic research. FPD’s have attracted great research attention because of their broad potential applications especially in wearable devices, portable electronics, integrated textiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, transportation, and military etc. The existing technologies have evolved over the years, improving efficiency and performance of photovoltaic devices. However, these technologies mostly rely on rigid electrodes that are brittle, costly and chemically unstable. For FPD’s to become practical, new materials that offer inherent flexibility without compromising on mechanical and optical properties must be the focus. Researchers have made significant advances over the past decade towards developing various aspects of FPD’s to improve its optical transmittance, mechanical stability, chemical stability etc. Graphene is increasingly been recognized as an excellent material for flexible photovoltaic devices because of its unique optical, electrical and mechanical properties. The prospects of introducing an inexpensive and abundant carbon-based material such as graphene in making flexible, low-cost, transparent PV cells cannot be over emphasized. However, the method to synthesize graphene to achieve the best performance is still complicated. This paper presents a brief overview of recent developments made in flexible photovoltaic devices using graphene

Recent Advancements in Chalcogenides for Electrochemical Energy Storage Applications

Energy storage has become increasingly important as a study area in recent decades. A growing number of academics are focusing their attention on developing and researching innovative materials for use in energy storage systems to promote sustainable development goals. This is due to the finite supply of traditional energy sources, such as oil, coal, and natural gas, and escalating regional tensions. Because of these issues, sustainable renewable energy sources have been touted as an alternative to nonrenewable fuels. Deployment of renewable energy sources requires efficient and reliable energy storage devices due to their intermittent nature. High-performance electrochemical energy storage technologies with high power and energy densities are heralded to be the next-generation storage devices. Transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) have sparked interest among electrode materials because of their intriguing electrochemical properties. Researchers have revealed a variety of modifications to improve their electrochemical performance in energy storage. However, a stronger link between the type of change and the resulting electrochemical performance is still desired. This review examines the synthesis of chalcogenides for electrochemical energy storage devices, their limitations, and the importance of the modification method, followed by a detailed discussion of several modification procedures and how they have helped to improve their electrochemical performance. We also discussed chalcogenides and their composites in batteries and supercapacitors applications. Furthermore, this review discusses the subject’s current challenges as well as potential future opportunities