Causes and Effects of Overcrowding at Prisons: A Study at the Ho Central Prison, Ghana

This study aimed to examine the overcrowding situation at the Ho central prison. The causes, effects on officers and inmates, prevention and measures that could be adopted to address the causes and its adverse effect on the society. In this regards, it is found out that the prisoner’s population at the Ho central prison has been more triple than the official capacity for which it was meant to contain. This was brought  about by poor ventilation as the prison was built to accommodates 120 inmates now has a lock-up of almost 460 prisoners and others on remands.  Furthermore, the finding and their implications have been enumerated and discussed. Among them is the drawing of attention of the appropriate authorities to the overcrowding and its related problems and how to decongest the prison in Ho.On the basis of findings, useful suggestions were made for the rectification of the problems which the study revealed. This includes the implementation of non-custodial sentences in a form of community service sentences, strengthening of the criminal justice system for speedy trail of suspects and the improvement in the conditions of service to motivate serving officers and to attract more qualified professional into the service for efficiency. Keywords: Prison, Prisoner, Inmates and Overcrowdin

English Loanwords in Ewe: A Phonological Analysis

This paper examines the processes that words borrowed from English go through on the phonological level in their adaptation into Ewe - a Kwa language spoken in Ghana and Togo. The paper analyses the adaptation of English loanwords into Ewe at the level of phonemic adaptation, syllable structure adaptation and the adaptation of stress. In terms of phonemic adaptation, it was found out that certain sounds in the English words borrowed into Ewe are foreign to the speakers of Ewe. In the adaptation process, the speakers replace the foreign sounds with native ones which are acoustically closer to the foreign ones. The analysis reveals that two main operations: deletion and insertion are used to compel foreign syllable structures to conform to the phonotactic constraints of Ewe.  For the adaptation of stress into Ewe, it was realized that stressed syllables in English are generally realized as high tones and unstressed syllables are realized as low tones. The conclusion of this study is that English phonemes are mapped onto Ewe phonetic forms but phonotactic constraints that exist in Ewe result in the processes of deletion and insertion of segments into some English words borrowed into Ewe. Key words: syllable structure, nativization, loanwords, phonotactic constraint

Spatial and temporal complexities in forest productivity-climate relationships within northern temperate and boreal forests of eastern Canada

La productivité est influencée par des facteurs climatiques et non-climatiques temporaires ou permanents. Leurs effets varient dans le temps et dans l’espace et le fait d’assumer une sensibilité homogène de la productivité alors qu’elle est en fait hétérogène a des conséquences sur la capacité de prévision de la productivité forestière. Il existe des preuves des changements globaux, régionaux et locaux et la réponse en terme de croissance à ces variations dans la forêt boréale est diversifiée et dans certains cas contrastées. Il est donc nécessaire de surveiller constamment la croissance et la productivité et des études régionales sont donc nécessaires pour étudier les alternatives des procédures d'estimation de la productivité. Cette thèse a donc pour but de déterminer dans quelle mesure les changements dans le climat et les régimes de perturbations affecter la productivité du site dans les forêts boréales et tempérées septentrionales situées dans la province de Québec. Des données d’analyse de tiges ont été obtenues pour 32 peuplements dominés par le tremble dans un transect nord-sud couvrant 5 degrés de latitude, représentant un large gradient climatique avec différent dépôts du surface. La croissance en hauteur en temps réel y a été étudiée à l’aide du modèle de productivité de Plonski. Plus de 4000 placettes échantillons temporaires ont été obtenues dans des peuplements d'âges, de structures et de compositions différentes pour mesurer les effets rétroactifs de la végétation sur la productivité, qui résultent indirectement du climat et du sol. Le modèle de Pothier et Savard a ensuite été utilisé pour estimer l'indice de qualité de station du tremble dans des peuplements mélangés. Enfin, le dernier chapitre a utilisé le modèle aspécifique hauteur dominante-âge de Pothier et Auger. Les résultats du premier chapitre montrent que, dans les peuplements dominés par le tremble, la croissance en hauteur est surtout influencée par la somme annuelle des degrés-jours, avec un pouvoir prévisionnel aussi bon que celui obtenu avec des variables basées sur les processus. Un modèle qui suppose que certaines populations ont des réponses différentes au climat est meilleur, ce qui démontre que la sensibilité du tremble au climat n'est pas identique sur toute son aire de dispersion. Dans les peuplements mélangés, la structure du peuplement et la composition en espèces sont les principaux facteurs expliquant la productivité du tremble. Une interaction entre les facteurs du paysage et de la placette influence la productivité à l’échelle des placettes, suggérant qu'une approche de modélisation hiérarchique est plus appropriée. Enfin, puisque les changements de structure et de composition reflètent la dynamique de succession, il est déduit que les changements successionnels dominent la variabilité de la productivité dans les peuplements mélangés. Nos résultats semblent concorder avec l’idée fondamentale de l’existence d’une hétérogénéité (dans la productivité forestière) due aux interactions intra- et inter-specifiques qui produisent des structures capables de s’adapter dans le temps, comme le suggère le concept des systèmes adaptatifs complexes.Forest productivity is driven by direct climatic and non-climatic factors which are transient or permanent in nature. Their effects vary through time and along spatial scales, thus assuming equal sensitivities across time and space where heterogeneous growth responses exist has consequences for the prediction of forest productivity. There is growing evidence of global changes, associated by rather diverse and in some cases contrasting changes in growth. It is necessary to constantly monitor growth and productivity and regional studies are therefore necessary to consider alternative productivity estimation procedures. This thesis was therefore aimed at determining to what extent global, regional and local changes in climate and disturbance regimes affect forest site productivity within eastern Canadian boreal and northern temperate forests located within the province of Québec. Stem analysis data was first obtained from 32 aspen dominated stands that spanned a 5-degree of latitude-wide transect representing a large climate gradient with different surficial deposit types in order to study real-time height growth. Plonki’s site index model calibrated from stem analysis data was used in estimating a height growth index for these 32 stands. Over 4000 temporary sample plots were also obtained from stands of varying age, structure and species compositional gradients in order to determine feedback effects of vegetation on productivity, which are indirect effects of climate and soil. A site index model calibrated from temporary sample plots (and currently used in Québec for growth and yield estimation) was used in estimating site index for mixed aspen stands. Finally, the last chapter of this thesis used an aspecific height-age relationship. Results of the first chapter show that within aspen dominated stands, height growth is mainly driven by the annual cumulative sum of growing degree days with an explanatory capacity as good as that of more complex processed-based variables. Also, aspen productivity in pure stands is better explained with a model that assumes that specific populations have different response functions to climate, demonstrating that climate sensitivity is not stable across a species’ geographic range. Within mixed species stands, stand structure and species composition are the major drivers of aspen productivity. Variability in productivity is better explained at the level of landscapes than stand-level. An interaction between landscape- and stand-level drivers influence stand-level productivity, suggesting that a hierarchical modelling approach is more appropriate than a single-level model. Since stand structural and compositional changes are dynamics that characterize stand succession, it is inferred that successional changes and not climate drive productivity in mixed stands, when measured with site index. Our results seem to concur with the fundamental idea of the existence of heterogeneity (in forest productivity) due to intra- and inter-specific interactions in a way that produces structures capable of adapting through time, as suggested by the concept of complex adaptive systems

Child Labour in Ghana: A Case Study of Fishing at Elmina in the Central Region of Ghana

Child labour has assumed alarming proportion in the world over and most especially in the developing countries. The literature indicates that child labour is the main obstacle of human resource development which is a necessary ingredient of national development.The survey examines child labour in Ghana: A case study of fishing at Elmina in the Central Region of Ghana. The case study method was used in the study because of its relevance in contemporary developmental issues like the child labour. The sample frame covers some of  the children in the selected community from which a sample size of 40 was determined through the use of the mathematical formula given by Miller and Brewer (2003). Systematic sampling was then used to select the children who were interviewed. The study relied on data gathered from the secondary sources and primary data from the field to do the analysis. The results of the survey show that all children in ages 5- 17 years at Elmina surveyed in the study area at least do household chores. In addressing the challenges the researcher suggested that government should provide the support for fisher folks such the provision of full complement of input for fishing to reduce child labour. The study recommends that there should be awareness creation, education and advocacy using the media. Also, District Assembly in consultation with the stakeholders should make a bye-law not to allow children to work at the fishing sites. Keywords: Child labour, Child work, harzadous work, Elmin

Development Of Reactions And Methods For Labeling Biomolecules In Cells

The complexity of cellular environments presents a challenge to efforts at studying and elucidating biomolecules in cells. Covalent ligation of biomolecules with fluorescent molecules that have a reactive functional group that can react with a complementary functional group on biomolecules is one way that has been utilized to study biomolecules. It enables visualization and tracking of ligation and transportation of molecules within the cell. However, the myriad of functional groups within the cell makes achieving selectivity difficult. To circumvent this problem, reactions that do not interfere with biology have been developed. These reactions, referred to as bioorthogonal reactions must be rapid, selective to the reactive species in the cellular environment and non-toxic to the cells. In Chapter 1 of this work, we discussed some of the key reactions developed to date and their applications in bioconjugation. In Chapter 2, we investigated the regioselectivity of secondary amine-catalyzed inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reaction (iDA) of unsymmetrical tetrazines with aldehyde or ketones. Only one regioisomer was observed for the reactions of the unsymmetrical tetrazines with aldehydes and ketones. In addition, fluorogenic dyes were developed with tetrazine as the “triggering group”. The reaction was amenable to aqueous environment and hence was used to label aldehydes in cells. In Chapter 3, a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM)-based sensor for detecting aldehydes was developed. By immobilizing graphene followed by 1,8-diaminonapthalene (DAN) on a QCM chip, a sensitive and facile aldehyde and ketone sensor was developed. The binding of the aldehydes to the DAN on the QCM chip resulted in a decrease in the fundamental resonant frequency of the functionalized QCM chips. The magnitude of the frequency change is directly proportional to the mass added. The utility of the probe for labeling biomolecules was demonstrated by using as a sensor for sialic acids pretreated with sodium periodate at mild conditions. In addition, the sensor was used to detect sialic acid on a sialoprotein and on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. In Chapter 4, pyrene-anchored boronic acids were designed, synthesized and subsequently used to label glycans on cells. The boronic acids bound to the diols of glycans whiles pyrenes allowed for fluorescence imaging and tracking of the molecule in the cell. We observed the binding of the boronic acids to the glycans allowed for transport of the pyrene-anchored boronic acids into the cytoplasm of the cell

PROPAGANDA AS A MEANS OF PERSUASION BY STUDENT LEADERS: A STUDY OF GRADUATE STUDENTS’ ELECTIONS IN TWO UNIVERSITIES IN GHANA

This study investigated the use and effect of propaganda as a political communication tool in students’ politics in two institutions in Ghana. The focus of the study was on elections of student leaders at the graduate level at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and University of Education, Winneba (UEW). With Political propaganda theory and Aristotle’s persuasion appeals as the theoretical framework, the manifestoes of candidates who contested the positions of President and Secretary were analysed to unearth the use of propaganda techniques in them. Questionnaires were used to collect data from student voters to determine the influence of propaganda techniques on their voting patterns. The findings revealed that candidates employed the propaganda techniques of name-calling, glittering generalities, transfer, bandwagon and card-stacking in their manifestoes. The desire to win power made student politicians employ these propaganda techniques as political communication tools in the graduate students’ elections in both institutions. Data collected from the student voters in the two institutions also indicated that the propaganda techniques of card-stacking and plain folks influenced some of the student voters but the majority of the student voters were not. The study concluded that although propaganda is used in students’ politics, it may not be very effective as it is in national politics. The study recommended that further studies are needed to detect the presence and effect of propaganda in elections in students’ associations at the national level.  Article visualizations

Attending to the Grammatical Errors of Students using Constructive Teaching and Learning Activities

This study was a classroom-based action research. In this study, constructive teaching and learning activities were used to help learners improve on their grammar and usage with a focus on how to help them internalize subject verb agreement rules. The purpose of the research was to assist learners to improve upon their performance in grammar and usage. This action research aims to explore how constructive teaching and learning activities which are learner-centered activities can help learners to overcome their subject verb agreement errors and to improve on their English grammar and usage. Seventy eight (78) Level 100 (first year) students from the Faculty of Science, University of Education, Winneba took part in the study The study started with a pre-test in grammar and usage. This was followed by two focus group discussions. The students were then taken through the intervention designed by the instructor. Constructivists’ activities were used to guide the students to correct errors in their sentences. After the intervention, the students were interviewed about their impressions. There was a post-test at the end of the intervention. The outcome of the study showed an improvement in students’ performance in grammar and usage. Keywords: action research, constructivist approach, grammar and usage, grammatical errors, learner-centered activitie

Effect of fertility levels on growth, yield and soil fertility status of maize (Zea mays L.) in vertisol of Maharashtra

A field experiment was conducted at the experimental farm, AICRP on Integrated Farming Systems, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani during 2014-15 to assess the nitrogen, phosphorus and zinc requirement for maize crop. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design using eight treatments with three replications. The main plot consists of three levels of Nitrogen i.e., 100 kg ha-1(N1), 125 kg ha-1(N2),150 kg ha-1(N3) with two Zinc levels viz.,25 kg ha-1(Z1), 35 kg ha-1(Z2) and sub plot comprised of three levels of 50 kg ha-1(P1), 75 kg ha-1(P2)and 100 kg ha-1(P3). Application of 150 kg N ha-1, 100 kg P ha-1 and 35 kg Zn ha-1 recorded significantly higher growth at 5% level of significance attributes viz., plant height (218.64), no. of functional leaves (11.30), leaf area plant-1 (65.07 cm2), total dry matter plant-1 (269.08) and grain yield (6705.8 kg ha-1), husk yield (1378.2 ha-1), spindle yield (1642.6 ha-1), stover yield (7161.0 ha-1) and biological yield (13866.8 ha-1). The nutrient status after harvest of maize was highest in the treatment combination of N3P3Z2 receiving 150 kg N ha-1, 75 kg P ha-1 and 35 kg ZnSO4 ha-1. But the result were at par with the treatment combination N2P2Z1 which received 125 kg N ha-1, 75 kg P ha-1 and 25 kg ZnSO4 ha-1. From the results, it was concluded that the maximum growth, yield, & post harvest nutrient status could be achieved by judicious application of chemical fertilizers (N, P & Zn)