Internal and External Factors of Future Returns in the Banking Business: Time Series Analysis of Interrelationship

The paper seeks to find the interrelationship between internal and external factors of future returns in the banking business. A multivariate time series regression models are fitted for the dependent variable: return on equity (ROE) against the lag one independent variables, namely: deposit, size, loan, capital, inflation, gross domestic product (GDP) and stock market capitalization (SMC), for ABSA bank; using secondary data, which span from 1998 to 2014 fiscal years. Logarithm transformation of the absolute value of the de-trended data and first differencing at lag one were the smoothing techniques applied to the data. Multivariate time series regression by the least square approach with special consideration of the stepwise method was used in fitting the models to the data. Results indicated that first, there is a positive linear relationship between ROE and loans, a negative linear relationship between ROE and inflation from the differencing techniques; and equally a negative log-linear relationship between ROE and capital as well as a positive log-linear relationship between ROE and ROA for the logarithm de-trend technique

Developing participatory hygiene education materials

Developing participatory hygiene education material

Misconceptions of undergraduate chemistry teachers about hybridisation

The research looked into the misconceptions held by prospective teachers about atomic orbitals and hybridization. A total of 88 undergraduate students were used in the study in the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana. The participants responded to multiple choice and constructed response questions on hybridization at the start of the research. They answered the same set of questions at the end of a three week treatment period. The responses were analyzed and response categories established on their misconceptions. The post-test was to assess their gain in conception at the end of the treatment period. Results indicated that pre-service teachers had gross misconceptions about atomic orbitals and hybridization. Suggestions have been made for more effective teaching approaches to ensure better understanding of the concept.Keywords: atomic orbitals, hybrid orbitals, hybridizatio

Social conscience and healthcare professionals: Where does one draw the line?

In this paper we hope to define social conscience and how it might apply in a healthcare context. We discuss how social problems affect one’s health. Where does one draw the line in bearing the responsibility of acting on their  social conscience and what level of engagement is appropriate or enough? Are healthcare professionals required to have a social conscience, and if so must they take action regarding the failures of the healthcare system and its social impact? Ethical issues seldom have a definitive answer. However, by exploring different opinions we begin to understand our own social conscience and those of others, which helps us identify common values, visions and goals, bringing us closer to initiating societal change

Simulating the Impact of the Global Economic Crisis and Policy Responses on Children in Ghana

Like many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana is experiencing the impact of the global crisis and the uncertain economic outlook. Indeed, as Ghana’s economy is among the most open in Africa, it is expected that the country has been and will continue to be severely affected by the crisis, although strong export prices of its main exports (gold and cocoa) may at least partially counteract the effects associated with the crisis. The main goal of this paper is to understand the potential impacts of the 2008/9 global crisis on different dimensions of child poverty (monetary, hunger, school participation, child labour and access to health services) in Ghana and to support the policy-maker in designing the most appropriate policy response to counteract the negative effects of the crisis. As timely data are not available, a combined macro-micro economic model to predict the impact of the global crisis on children was developed. Simulations suggest that the financial crisis would increase monetary poverty and hunger across all regions of Ghana, eroding many of the gains made over the past few years. Indeed, in comparison with the year preceding the crisis, instead of a reduction of four percentage points in child monetary poverty in 2011 predicted in the absence of crisis, the simulations indicate a 6.6 percentage point increase, with a continuous increasing pattern over the period of study. The global crisis is also predicted to severely deepen hunger among children, which is simulated to increase up to 6.6 percentage points in 2011 beginning with a sharp increase already in 2009. For both monetary poverty and hunger, the impact of the crisis differs across all regions, with the Eastern, Volta and Greater Accra regions predicted to be the most affected. Children’s participation in schooling and labour, as well as their access to health services, are forecast to be much less affected by the crisis, although it is found to reverse predicted increases in enrolment and health access (with substitution toward more modern types of health services) and forecasted reductions in child labour. Finally, alternative policy options have been simulated: a cash transfer programme targeted to poor children is found to be generally more effective in protecting children than food subsidies. Indeed, with a total budget equivalent to 1% of 2008 GDP, a cash transfer – equivalent to an individual annual amount of 19.8 Cedis – would cut the predicted increase in monetary poverty by over two percentage points in 2011. Although Ghana might be in a position to rapidly implement a cash transfer programme building on the existing Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty (LEAP) programme, other interventions (or mix of policies) might be more cost-effective in the short run. A combination of a universal or regionally targeted cash transfer programmes for children aged 0 to 5 years old, together with a school-feeding programme in poorer regions, might represent an effective way to intervene quickly to improve child well-being.Global economic crisis, child poverty, hunger, education, child labour, health, West and Central Africa, Ghana, social protection

Two cases of Pentalogy of Cantrell diagnosed antenatally at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra

Pentalogy of Cantrell is a rare congenital malformation syndrome that may be associated with other congenital anomalies. The syndrome is said to affect males and females in equal numbers and the prognosis is generally poor. We report two cases of Cantrell’s Pentalogy diagnosed antenatally at the Korle Bu teaching Hospital. The 2 cases described in this report demonstrate the complete and incomplete variant of the syndrome. The cases were referred as an omphalocoele and a detailed anomaly scan confirmed the diagnosis of Pentalogy of Cantrell. Both cases were females and neither survived beyond 24 hours. Although this condition is associated with a poor prognosis, there have been some reported cases of survival in the literature. Thus, accurate prenatal diagnosis and a multidisciplinary approach to the management may offer improved outcomes.Keywords: Foetal Anomaly, Ventral wall defect, Obstetric ultrasound, Prenatal diagnosis, Thoraco-abdominalsyndrom

Efficacy of extractives from parts of Ghanaian pawpaw, avocado and neem on the durability of alstonia

Conventional preservatives are not only toxic to wood bio-deteriorators, but also to humans and animals. In an effort to find preservatives that are non-toxic to humans and animals, efficacy of water extracts of heartwood of Azadirachta indica (Neem) and leaves of Persea americana (avocado) and Carica papaya (pawpaw) at 0.24%, was tested on the durability of wood of Alstonia boonei by pressure impregnation and buried in a termite-prone field for 5 weeks following a modified EN 252 and Gay et al. (1957). Efficacy was tested on the basis of visual durability ratings, percentage hardness and mass losses of impregnated alstonia wood after burial. Though alstonia wood retained pawpaw extract least, pawpaw extract improved the durability of alstonia wood most. Pawpaw extract could be used to improve the durability of alstonia wood better at 0.72% (3x0.24%) and on triple treatment. 83% of Anloga furniture makers who saw the efficacy of pawpaw extract at 0.72% and on triple treatment, showed a high sense of interest in preservative botanical extracts.Key words: Eco-friendly, termite, efficacy, standardization, percentage hardness loss, percentage mass loss, visual durability rating