The Public Procurement Act 663 (2003) Of Ghana: Compliance level in Selected Education District Offices

The Procurement of Act 663 (2003) of Ghana was promulgated to sanitize the procurement management process with the ultimate aim of ensuring value for money. Since its introduction in 2003, various evaluation reports have come up with a number of strategies to ensure full compliance in public organizations. The aim of the study was to establish the extent to which district education offices adhere to Act 663; to identify the weakness associated with the practice and to propose recommendations for high level of compliance. The study adopted both qualitative and quantitative research approaches in data collection involving five selected districts in Ashanti region namely Ashanti Akim Central, Asante Akim South, Bosome-Freho, Ejisu-Juaben and Sekyere East. Relative Importance Index (RII) was used to analyze data collected. The study revealed low compliance level of 42.42 percent implying a huge compliance deficit of 57.58 percent. The study further identified contract management, lack of procurement units, lack of proper procurements plans, inadequate use of standard tender documents and high propensity to use sole sourcing method without recourse to Section 40 of Act 663 were identified as weaknesses areas. These weaknesses have negative implications in procurement management practices. It is therefore recommended that procurement units should be established in all the district education offices in Ghana, more importantly, these units should be provided someone with technical expertise in procurement. Similarly, under the auspices the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), refresher courses in procurement management should be organized for district education officers involved in procurement duties. The on-going review of the Act 663 should conspicuously spell out the composition of the Tender Committee at the district education offices. It is anticipated that if these suggestions are enforced, the current level of compliance of the Act 663(2003) would be improved in the district education offices

Spatial Data Analysis for Traffic Safety Network Screening

Problem - The roadway system represents a major investment, both public and private, and a valuable resource that enables mobility and accessibility to users. Due to degradation of aging infrastructure and increasing traffic, transportation agencies are seeking to effectively update or improve the system. With rising costs, tight budgets, and limited land resources, agencies are seeking effective techniques for identifying critical mobility and safety concerns. Historically, assignment of crashes to portions of the network, whether segments or intersections, has been the primary manner to link crash and road elements. Purpose – The primary goal is to explore a potentially more efficient and effective means of developing roadway connected crash cluster identification results as an input to network screening and diagnostics. Beyond this, using the data linkages, we intend to explore crash typology (e.g., severity, collision type) distributions and clusters with respect to network (traffic and roadway) characteristics. Nuance – The research uses GIS and spatiotemporal analysis techniques relying on crash locations as a basis rather than elements of the road network (e.g., intersections, non-intersections). The intent of the analysis is to develop crash clusters that can be flagged for further analysis and potential mitigation. Data – Crash, roadway geometrics, and traffic data of 5 years (2015-2019) were collected for Story County of Iowa. These readily available data are being analyzed using Geospatial Information System (GIS) and some statistical models such as the Markov Switching Models (MSM). Existing methodologies will also be used to develop results that will be compared with the new methodology. Prior Studies – There have been many network screening methods since the 1970s and the more widespread inception of computing resources. Though these methods have some advantages, they do have several shortcomings as well as detailed in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM). Due to these shortcomings, the HSM and other sources promote methods that address these shortcomings such as the Empirical Bayesian (EB) and Hierarchical Bayesian (HB) methods. Historically, assignment of crashes to segments or intersections, has been the primary manner to connect crashes and road elements. The use of GIS and spatial and temporal analysis, alternative methods for connecting crashes to the roadway network have been developed to replace the older methods like screening with additional differentiating criteria. Impact – The primary outcome of this research is the development of a new method of generating distributions and clusters of crashes along a roadway network for use in traffic safety screening. Practitioners should be able to utilize the process to develop network screening related to their jurisdictions, given sufficient and appropriate input data. Keywords –Transportation Engineering, Network screening, Crash rate, Spatial analysis, GIS, Iowa Data, Markov switching models

Record of medicinal Jew’s (Auricularia auricula-judae (Bull.) Quél) ear mushroom growing in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana and its possible health values

Medicinal mushrooms are part of total health delivery system of a nation. A mushroom of recognised health benefits was seen for the first time on a pencil cactus (Euphorbia turicalli L.) in the Greater Accra Region (Adentan Municipal Assembly) in September- October 2021. The fruiting body was gelatinous with the shape of a human ear. The basidiomata were either solitary, densely rosette with caestipose habit either astipitate or with vestigial stipe. The general morphological features were akin to that of Auricularia auricula-judae. Anatomical and morphometric studies showed that the fruiting body had smooth hymenium with a layer of basidia which were cylindrical or club-shaped. The dimensions of the basidia (70.86±4.27 μm long; 9.54± 0.60 μm wide) closely agreed with the range reported for A. auricula-judae. The white/greyish basidiospores were generally sausage-shaped (allantoid) ranging in length (18.47±0.73μm) and width (7.49±0.3μm) closely to reported range. The economical and medicinal values of the mushroom are described and future commercial exploitation through biotechnological technique highlighted

Spatial Data Analysis for the Development of Expected Adverse Weather Charts for Transportation Construction Projects

Problem - Seasonal and daily weather events impact construction projects across the various climate regions of South Dakota in differing fashions. Additionally, the impacts for similar weather events can impact grading, surfacing, and structural construction activities in various ways. Adverse weather conditions can cause major delays which may lead to time extensions and increase project cost. Purpose – To address these issues, South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) developed Working Day Weather Charts in 1998. However, advances in construction practices and weather prediction as well as climatic changes have occurred over the interim 25 years. This study is focused on developing updated zones, tables, charts, and recommendations for roads and bridges construction in South Dakota. Nuance – The tables and charts are planned to be developed on both weekly and monthly basis to determine the impact of adverse weather events on construction projects and for use in future contracts. Data - Weather, soil, and hydrographic data for South Dakota state are being considered for this study. The primary importance is on the weather data which is collected for 30 years (1991-2020) period from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The important weather data parameters are temperature, snow, rainfall, and wind. The soil data have been collected from the broad-based inventory of soils and non-soil areas of the United States namely State Soil Geographic (STATSGO2). The key focus is to analyze the soil parameters in combination with adverse weather events that affect the construction of roads and bridges. The hydrographic data is focused on the peak flow at major water bodies in South Dakota that may cause flooding or ponding which affects road and bridge construction. Additionally, interviews with SDDOT personnel and construction contractors were conducted to determine factors important to the industry. Starting with data exploration of all the available data, key parameters will be analyzed to develop updated expected adverse weather day chart and updated zones. Prior Studies – A considerable amount of work has been done on effects of weather on construction type categories and various Department of Transportation agencies evaluate the use of adverse weather in contract time calculations. The Virginia Department of Transportation place contract determination guidelines online. The VDOT document provides steps in determining contract time but contained little information on the impact of adverse weather on contract time calculations. Another document from the National Research Council of Canada on construction work protocols during winter in 1971. Beyond that, a recent (2022) publication from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) covers a systematic approach for determining construction contract time. However, in most papers, little information is documented on the impact of adverse weather and how to implement that in tables and charts for construction type activities across South Dakota. Impact – The results can directly help SDDOT engineers and contractors to estimate the appropriate contract time and warranted time extension due to unexpected adverse weather for variety of transportation construction projects across the diverse geographical terrains and climates of South Dakota. Keywords: Transportation, Adverse Weather, Construction, NOA

Molecular responce of Atlantic cod's (Gadus morhua L.) cypia, prolactin and Zona radiata genes upon exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls

A molecular response study was conducted to determine whether Polychlorinated Biphenyl or PCB (Clophen A40) had an effect on the induction of the zona radiata, prolactin and cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) mRNAs in matured Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). A total of 127 fishes were maintained under natural photoperiod in tanks and fed with wet pellets containing Clophen A40. RNA samples were taken from the gonads, pituitary and the liver from day 0, 48 and 105 after sacrificing the fish and stored at -20OC prior to analysis. Analysis of gene induction by Northern hybridization assay showed the induction of prolactin and CYP1A in the pituitary and the liver tissues respectively after PCB treatment. The induction was found to be sex, age and seasonal specific. Males had greater gene expression than the females. There was however, no observed differences between the controlled and exposed fishes in terms of zona radiata gene expression. Although the picture is far from complete, the findings demonstrate the potential of using gene induction as a biomarker of aquatic pollution.Keywords: Cytochrome P4501A, Biomarker, Gene expressio

Session D-2: Don’t overdose the patient: A unit conversion literacy project

General chemistry for non-science majors is often a prerequisite course for students pursuing degree programs in allied health fields, such as nursing. A core nursing skill is medicine management, which includes correctly calculating drug dosage volumes administered by I.V. or injection. Such calculations are nothing more than general chemistry problems involving concentration units and dilution. Our data show, however, that more than 90% of students lack this skill after taking a traditional general chemistry course. This presentation will focus on documenting this curricular gap and how we, as teachers, can address it

Development of an IT Balanced Scorecard

There is a generally acknowledged dearth of metrics for effectively measuring organizational performance. This is particularly true of the IT function, whose contribution to a firm’s “bottom line” has been frequently called to question. This paper describes the development of a performance measurement tool called the Balanced Scorecard, which can be used to assess IT performance within the context of overall corporate strategy and financial performance. Data for the scorecard was obtained via a survey of senior IT executives in various organizations. The paper concludes with a set of guidelines for successfully implementing an IT Balanced Scorecard, as well as potential pitfalls to avoid in the process

The dissolution and solid-state behaviours of coground ibuprofen–glucosamine HCl

The cogrinding technique is one of most effective methods for improving the dissolution of poorly water-soluble drugs and it is superior to other approaches from an economical as well as an environmental standpoint, as the technique does not require any toxic organic solvents. Present work explores the role of d-glucosamine HCl (GL) as a potential excipient to improve dissolution of a low melting point drug, ibuprofen (Ibu), using physical mixtures and coground formulations. The dissolution of the poorly soluble drug has been improved by changing the ratio of Ibu:GL and also grinding time. The results also showed that although GL can enhance the solubility of Ibu, it also reduces pH around the Ibu particles which led to poor dissolution performance when the concentration of GL is high. The effect of GL on the solubility of Ibu could be misleading if the pH of the final solution was not measured. Grinding reduced the particle size of GL significantly but in case of Ibu it was less effective. Solid state analysis (XRPD, DSC, and FT-IR) showed that ibuprofen is stable under grinding conditions, but the presence of high concentration of GL in samples subjected to high grinding times caused changes in FT-IR spectrum of Ibu which could be due to intermolecular hydrogen bond or esterification between the carboxylic acid group in the ibuprofen and hydroxyl group in the GL

Growth and yield response of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrrill] to inoculation and starter N fertilizer applications in the Tolon District of the Northern Region of Ghana

An experiment was conducted at Nyankpala in the 2012 cropping season and repeated in the 2013 cropping season in the Tolon District of the Northern Region of Ghana. This was to ascertain the effect of N fertilizer and inoculant applications on the growth and grain yield of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merrill). It was a 3 × 5 factorial experiment laid in Randomized Complete Bock Design (RCBD) with four replications. The factors were three soybean varieties (Jenguma, Quarshie and Anidaso) and four levels of N fertilizer (urea), which were 0, 15, 30 and 45 kg N ha-1 and inoculant. The inoculant was applied at the rate of 5 g to 1 kg of soybean seed through the slurry method that was estimated to give 107 of viable rhizobia cells. Planting was done on 14th and 10th July, 2012 and 2013, respectively, by drilling. Thinning was later done to two plants hill-1 at 10 cm within rows and 50 cm between rows with an approximate plant population of 400 000 plants ha-1. The N fertilizer was applied to randomly assigned plots 2 weeks after planting (2 WAP) in drills 5 cm away from the plants and covered. Growth parameters measured were plant height, leaf area, number of primary branches, nodule and shoot dry weights. Grain yield was measured from 2 m × 2 m net plot and extrapolated to kg ha-1. Results showed that all the varieties nodulated following the inoculation. It also showed that there was promiscuous nodulation where inoculants were not applied. The inoculated treatment produced greater plant growth, grain yield and the amount of N fixed than the uninoculated control. Growth and yield were greatest in the 30 and 45 kg N ha-1 treatment compared with the other treatments. The results showed that for profitable soybean production in the study area, inoculation or 30-45 kg N ha-1 fertilizer should be applied

Toxicity comparison of water-accommodated fraction and chemically enhanced fraction of bonny light crude oil and dispersit SPC 1000 to mudskipper (Periophthalmus papilio) fish

This study assessed the physicochemical characteristics and toxicity of water-accommodated fraction (WAF) and chemically enhanced WAF (CEWAF) of Bonny Light Crude oil and Dispersit SPC 1000 (dispersant) to Mudskipper fish (Periophthalmus Papilio). There were variations in the levels of the physicochemical parameters. The coefficient of variation (CV) indicated that the temperature show the least variation of 2.24% and salinity the highest 98.12%.Hypothesis test for significant differences at p < 0.05 significance level however, showed that there were no significant differences in the levels of the measured parameters over the 96 hours. All the mudskippers fish samples exposed to the water accumulated water fraction of 10% bonny oil survived beyond 96 hours. An increase in toxicity of the oil was observed after 72-96 hour exposures of the mudskipper to the oil and dispersant CEWAF. For dispersant concentrations of 540 ml/L and 630 ml/L the survival of mudskippers was 80%. These mortalities might be due to the toxic effect of the dispersant, Dispersit SPC 1000.The Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) and the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) in the test media were respectively 7.66-63.18 ppm and 0.82-5.26 ppm.10% Bonny light crude oil WAF had no effects on mudskipper survival. Exposures to 540 ml/L and 630 ml/L Dispersit SPC 1000 dispersed oil WAF (CEWAF) resulted in 20 % mortality. The lethal dose concentration was 885.5 ml/L (88.55%). The lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) was found to be 540 ml/L.Keywords: Water-accommodated fraction, chemically enhanced fraction, Dispersant, Mudskipper fis