Wrist Pain in a Non-Athletic Individual

Please refer to the pdf version of the abstract located adjacent to the title

The Importance of the Informal Sector of Ghana to Savings and Loans Companies

The informal sector plays a critical and controversial role. It provides jobs and reduces unemployment and underemployment, but in many cases the jobs are low-paid and the job security is poor. It bolsters entrepreneurial activity, but at the detriment of state regulations compliance, particularly regarding tax and labor regulations. In the mist of this controversy, a growing number of savings and loans companies have made the sector their primary target. It was therefore necessary to conduct a research to investigate the importance of the informal sector to savings and loans companies. The objectives of the research were to examine the risks of the informal sector to savings and loans companies, to examine the benefits of the informal sector to savings and loans companies and to assess relationship between the informal sector and savings and loans companies. The research adopted both probability and non-probability sampling methods. A quota of 15 respondents was given to each of the four companies namely Procredit, Ezi, Opportunity and Garden City Savings and Loans companies. Then the purposive and simple random techniques were used to select the 15 respondents of each company. The purposive technique was used to select accountants and marketers of the companies. This was due to the category involvement, knowledge and experience. The simple random technique ensured that each respondent stood an equal chance of being selected. The sample size for the study was 60. The research found out that the informal sector is highly important to savings and loans companies in Ghana as the benefits of doing business with them far out-weighs the associated costs. Key words: Informal sector, Savings and loan

The Importance of Supplier Segmentation to the Manufacturing Sector of Ghana

This study investigated the importance of Supplier Segmentation to the manufacturing sector of Ghana; using selected manufacturing companies the in Eastern and Volta regions of Ghana as case study. Managing relationships between a supplier and buyer can be a complex one. Each party seeks to maximize its time, resources, and cash investment; these may be competing priorities that can strain the relationship. While certain companies adopt a more collaborative approach in dealing with suppliers, others too adopt a take it or leave it approach. In the midst of this controversy, it became necessary to conduct a research to assess the importance of supplier segmentation which has been hailed as a key component of Supplier Relationship Management. The case studies for this study were the management of Volta Star Company Ltd, Akosombo Textiles and the Intravenous infusions Limited. Based on the simple random, purposive, and quota sampling techniques 60 managers from these companies were sampled. The study revealed that Supplier Segmentation is highly important to the Ghanaian manufacturing sector. Key words: Supplier Relationship Management, Supplier Segmentatio

Detection of viable Mycobacterium ulcerans in clinical samples by a novel combined 16S rRNA reverse transcriptase/IS2404 real-time qPCR assay.

Detection of Viable <em>Mycobacterium ulcerans</em> in Clinical Samples by a Novel Combined 16S rRNA Reverse Transcriptase/IS<em>2404</em> Real-Time qPCR Assa

Connecting DNA Origami Structures Using the Biotin-Streptavidin Specific Binding

This work made use of the strong interaction between biotin and streptavidin to connect designed DNA origami structures. The caDNAno software was used to design a 6 layer 3D origami cross-like structure. Selected DNA strands at the engineered attachment sites on the DNA origami structure were biotinylated. After folding of the origami structures, the biotinylated strands stick out of the attachment sites. Purified samples of origami structures were then mixed with streptavidin and the mixture purified. After characterization, we see that attachment only occurs at the biotinylated sites. Agarose gel electrophoresis, UV-vis spectroscopy and TEM were used to characterize the structure.Key words: DNA Origami, Interaction, Biotin-Streptavidin, Nanomaterials, TEMAbbreviation: EDTA, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; TEM, Transmission electron microscop

Mobility, education and livelihood trajectories for young people in rural Ghana: a gender perspective

This paper examines the gendered implications of Africa's transport gap (the lack of cheap, regular and reliable transport) for young people in rural Ghana, with particular reference to the linkages between restricted mobility, household work demands, access to education and livelihood potential. Our aim is to show how mobility constraints, especially as these interact with household labour demands, restrict young people's access to education and livelihood opportunities. Firstly, the paper considers the implications of the direct constraints on young people's mobility potential as they travel to school. Then it examines young people's (mostly unpaid) labour contributions, which are commonly crucial to family household production and reproduction, including those associated with the transport gap. This has especially important implications for girls, on whom the principal onus lies to help adult women carry the heavy burden of water, firewood, and agricultural products required for household use. Such work can impact significantly on their educational attendance and performance in school and thus has potential knock-on impacts for livelihoods. Distance from school, when coupled with a heavy workload at home will affect attendance, punctuality and performance at school: it may ultimately represent the tipping point resulting in a decision to withdraw from formal education. Moreover, the heavy burden of work and restricted mobility contributes to young people's negative attitudes to agriculture and rural life and encourages urban migration. Drawing on research from rural case study sites in two regions of Ghana, we discuss ethnographic material from recent interviews with children and young people, their parents, teachers and other key informants, supported by information from an associated survey with children ca. 9–18 years

Engineering Characterisation of Aggregates from Some Selected Areas in Kumasi, Ghana

The increase in engineering projects translates to an increase in demand for construction materials, for example, aggregates which are a major component in concrete works. There are many quarries in the Kumasi area which produce aggregates for use in construction works. However, there is no readily available information on the geological and geotechnical properties of these aggregates for use by engineers during the planning, design and construction of projects. This project therefore sought to characterise the aggregate from selected areas (close to some major quarries) in Kumasi based on their geological and engineering properties for construction purposes. Results of the study indicate that Aggregates from sampling locations KP and CS passed the FI test with those from CS being the only ones to pass for EI, making them the best aggregates in terms of Flakiness and Elongation Indices. The aggregates from all the sampling locations passed for the Specific Gravity and Water Absorption tests with CS aggregates giving the best results indicating high strength and good rate of water absorption. Aggregate from sampling location NM gave the best result for the Aggregate Impact Value test indicating high resistance to sudden impacts and shocks. With the Ten Percent Fines Value and the Aggregate Crushing Value Tests, CS yet again produced the aggregates with the best results. The aggregate gave a very high result even under the wet/soaked condition when all the others were giving very low results. Aggregates from this sampling locations can withstand loading gradual compression better than the rest. Finally, the KP aggregates gave the best results for the Los Angeles Abrasion Value which suggests such materials to be the hardest and toughest to resist crushing, degradation and disintegration. Aggregates from the CS, however gave the second best results. From the study, it was concluded that the most suitable location to obtain good quality aggregates is around CS as its aggregates gave the best results in almost all the tests

Determination of the Concentration of Essential Elements in Pleurotus Ostreatus Cultivated on Valisneria Arthiopica as a Supplementary Substrate to Sawdust using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analyses

Abstract: Mushrooms are excellent nutritional and medicinal sources in the environment. This study has sought to conduct an analysis of the concentration of the essential elements in the mushroom sample that was cultivated on three supplementary substrate compositions (25% Vallisneria aethiopica and 75% Tripochton scleroxylon, 50% Vallisneria aethiopica and 50% Tripochton scleroxylon and 75% Vallisneria aethiopica and 25% Tripochton scleroxylon) using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) at the Ghana Research Reactor-1 facility(GHARR-1). The concentrations of the elements were detected in Pleurotus ostreatus cultivated on three different percentage substrate compositions of a mixture of Vallisneria aethiopica and Triplochiton scleroxylon. The mixture of 50% Vallisneria aethiopica and 50% Tripochton scleroxylon was best for most of the cultivation of oyster mushrooms since most of the elements detected in the samples attained the highest concentration in this substrate. The validity of the INAA technique for determination essential elements was checked by analyses of SRM 1566b (Oyster tisue) and Peach leaves 1547, respectively. The mean concentrations of the nutritional elements (Al, Cs, Ca, Cu, Cr, Cl, Zn, Br, Hg, Th, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na and V) were determined in mushrooms cultivated on three different substrate mixtures

Determination of the Concentration of Essential Elements in Pleurotus Ostreatus Cultivated on Valisneria Arthiopica as a Supplementary Substrate to Sawdust using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analyses

Abstract: Mushrooms are excellent nutritional and medicinal sources in the environment. This study has sought to conduct an analysis of the concentration of the essential elements in the mushroom sample that was cultivated on three supplementary substrate compositions (25% Vallisneria aethiopica and 75% Tripochton scleroxylon, 50% Vallisneria aethiopica and 50% Tripochton scleroxylon and 75% Vallisneria aethiopica and 25% Tripochton scleroxylon) using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) at the Ghana Research Reactor-1 facility(GHARR-1). The concentrations of the elements were detected in Pleurotus ostreatus cultivated on three different percentage substrate compositions of a mixture of Vallisneria aethiopica and Triplochiton scleroxylon. The mixture of 50% Vallisneria aethiopica and 50% Tripochton scleroxylon was best for most of the cultivation of oyster mushrooms since most of the elements detected in the samples attained the highest concentration in this substrate. The validity of the INAA technique for determination essential elements was checked by analyses of SRM 1566b (Oyster tisue) and Peach leaves 1547, respectively. The mean concentrations of the nutritional elements (Al, Cs, Ca, Cu, Cr, Cl, Zn, Br, Hg, Th, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na and V) were determined in mushrooms cultivated on three different substrate mixtures