Beyond the Boundary of Race: The Abolition of Race as the Radical Theological Disruption of Racialized Relationships

The author invites the reader to think critically and creatively about what the abolition of race might mean, and where this might leave us as social and spiritual beings in this very provocative essay

Binding of Oxovanadium(IV) Complexes to Blood Serum Albumins

In this work the binding of VIVO2+ and VIVO-complexes to serum albumins {human serum albumin (HSA), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and porcine serum albumin (PSA)} are studied using circular dichroism (CD), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and visible absorption spectroscopy. The results confirm previous findings that VIVO2+ occupies at least two types of binding sites on albumin: ‘the strong vanadium binding site’ (designated by VBS1) and ‘the weak vanadium binding sites’ (designated by VBS2). VBS1 binds 1 mol equivalent of VIVO2+. On the other hand VBS2 correspond to binding of several mol equivalents of VIVO, and studies done with PSA in the presence of excess ZnII ions indicate that VSB2 corresponds to two distinct types of sites. The hyperfine coupling constant Az for VIVO2+ binding at VBS2 on HSA and BSA are all very similar (~168 × 10-4 cm-1) but differ slightly on PSA (~166 × 10-4 cm-1) due to differences in the binding sets. When (VIVO)-HSA systems are titrated with maltol ternary species of (maltol)m(VIVO)mHSA and (maltol)2m(VIVO)mHSA stoichiometry form which are clearly distinguishable from the binary (VIVO)-HSA system by the type and intensity of the CD spectra recorded. Changes are also observable in the intensity of the X-band EPR spectra, but not much in the hyperfine coupling constants Az, which are all in the range 166-167 × 10-4 cm-1. The results further demonstrate that the presence of maltol may enhance the binding of VIVO to albumin

Radiation-related eye diseases among welders of Suame ‘magazine’ in the Kumasi metropolis

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of radiations on the ocular health of welders and to determine the prevalence of ocular diseases among them in the Kumasi metropolis. In this study, 470 welders (test group) and 450 non-welders (control group) at Suame “Magazine” in the Kumasi metropolis were enrolled for the study. Methods employed in the examination were the administration of a questionnaire seeking clinical and ocular history, visual acuity measurements, external eye examination and ophthalmoscopy. Where necessary, referrals were written for patients to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) for further examinationand treatment. Two hundred and forty two welders, (51.1%) had worked for a period of over ten years. The chief ocular complaints found amongst the respondents were gritty sensation (65.1%) and excessive tearing (56.0%). The commonest radiation-related ocular diseases were pterygium (56.6%), photoconjunctivitis (22.6%) and cataract (5.1%) whereas in the controlgroup the commonest conditions were pterygium (6.2%), pinguecula (2.2%) and cataract (1.3%). There was a small number of retinopathies associated with radiation (4.0%). Most (60.0%) of the welders used electricity (arc welding) and the remaining (40.0%) used carbide (oxy-acetylene flame). A total of 308 ( 65.5%) welders and 76 (16.9%) non-welders (control group) had one or more ocular conditions. The prevalence of eye diseases among the welders and control group isthus 65.5% and 16.9% respectively. In conclusion, it was seen that the ocular symptoms and ailments prevalent among the welders were most likely due to the radiations they are exposed to in their work environment

Synthesis of Insecticides from Selected Plant Materials

The quest on sustainable development has called for eco-friendly anthropogenic activities. Consequently, this research work looked into the synthesis of biodegradable fumigants from plant materials. With simple technologies, formulations with insecticidal properties were produced from Neem seeds, Garlic bulbs, Orange peels and Penny royal leaves. The formulations were prepared with the following combinations; Neem oil + Garlic extract (‘A’), Neem oil + Orange oil (‘B’), Neem oil + Penny royal (‘C’), Neem oil + Garlic extract + Orange oil + Penny royal (‘D’) and Garlic extract + Orange oil + Penny royal (‘E’). Mosquitoes (Culex spp. and Anopheles spp.), houseflies (Musca domestica) and black ants (Lasius niger) were used as test specimens for the formulations prepared. Formulation ‘A’ yielded the best insecticidal property killing mosquitoes in an average time of 1.78 ± 0.45 seconds, houseflies in 5.18 ± 0.43 seconds and black ants in 23.52 ± 0.54 seconds. The rest of the formulations produced varying results. A non-uniform performance pattern was realized when further studies were conducted on the effects of dose and distance on the potency of the formulations. A comparative study between formulation ‘A’ and a chemical insecticide revealed that, formulation ‘A’ was more potent that the chemical insecticide in killing tes

Nutrient cycling in primary, secondary forests and cocoa plantation in the Ashanti Region, Ghana

Primary forest (reserved area), secondary forest and cocoa plantation land uses characterize uplands of Dwinyama watershed in Ghana within the dry semi-deciduous forest zone. The nutrients recycled in the land uses were studied through leaf litter fall, nutrient release, nutrient fluxes estimation and topsoil nutrient contents leading to the identification of appropriate land use in upland regions that may potentially influence lowland farming. Mean annual leaf litter produced by the primary and secondary forests was both 7.9 t ha-1 and that for cocoa plantation was 6.9 t ha-1. The primary forest leaf litter showed rapid decomposition than the secondary forest and the cocoa leaf litter. Nutrients released from the decomposing leaf litters were fast for N, P, K, Ca and Mg for the primary and secondary forests. Less leaf litter production and high rainfall regimes in South America and southeast Asia probably contributed to the lower annual nutrient fluxes recorded than that of the dry semi-deciduous tropical forest in Ghana. The soil under cocoa plantation was higher in Ca than in the secondary and primary forests soils. The primary forest recorded higher contents of top soil N, P. K, and Mg nutrients due to non-frequent removal of the vegetation, presence of organic matter that increases soil carbon content and cation exchange capacity. Generally, trends of nutrients released and the quantities of nutrient fluxes estimate in the land uses in Ghana suggested that nutrient cycling was better in the primary forest followed by the secondary forest and cocoa plantation. The trend in the land uses was primary > secondary > cocoa, suggesting that forests in uplands will protect watersheds, and, through leaching and erosion, nutrients may be transported to the lowlands for continuous and sustainable cropping with little or no inorganic fertilizer application

Distribution characteristics of mineral elements in tree Species from two contrasting secondary forests in Ghana

Tree species in two contrasting forests were evaluated on three plots of 0-19 ha (0.57 ha) in each secondary forest. Tree species populations were 44 in Akyaakrom (AS), 29 in Dopiri (DS), and families were 18 in AS and 16 in DS. Tree densities were 121 and 99 in AS and DS, respectively, in 0.57 ha. In terms of tree species population, diversity and density, AS was superior to DS. The distribution of major mineral elements in the leaves showed mean concentrations in decreasing order of K > Ca > Mg > P > N in AS and Ca > K > Mg > P > N for DS. The bark samples showed concentrations in decreasing order of Ca > K > Mg > N > P in both forests. Generally, concentrations of Ca in the tree species bark samples of both forests were about three times higher than they were in the leaves. Soil nutrients showed that Ca, Mg and N concentrations were higher in the DS than in AS within 0-60 cm soil depths. However, at 30-45 cm depth, Ca, Mg, K and N concentrations were higher in AS than in DS. The nutrient element concentrations were high at 0-15 cm than further down the soil depths for the two forests. The land quality indexes of the principal nutrients N, P, K, Ca and Mg were higher in AS than in DS. Thus, eight tree families in AS and five in DS, and tree species numbers 23 and 12 were peculiar to each site. This may suggest the higher tree population and diversity recorded for AS than for DS

Effect of entrepreneur, firm, and institutional characteristics on small-scale firm performance in Ghana

Abstract Small-scale firms are essential contributors to employment generation and growth of many economies. In recognition of their salient role, several policy interventions have been implemented to enhance job creation functions of small-scale firms. This study examined one of these interventions, that is, promotion of small-scale firms in Sunyani municipality of Ghana by analyzing the effect of entrepreneurs, firm, and institutional characteristics on the growth of small-scale firms. A cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 200 small-scale firm operators selected through multi-stage sampling. Both descriptive and inferential analytical tools were used to analyze the data. Descriptive techniques employed included means, frequencies, and cross-tabulations. The inferential analysis included the use of multivariate multiple regression techniques that estimate a single regression model with more than one dependent variable simultaneously. The findings show three types of small-scale enterprises viz. processing (dominated by females), artisans, and service sector (dominated by males) at Sunyani municipality of Ghana. The main findings show that demographic factors (sex of operator, completion of formal education at basic school level or junior high school), institutional variables (bank investment and training services), and firm characteristics (artisan and craft industry type) conjointly and significantly influence small-scale firm performance (number of employees and sales or monthly revenue). Consequent implications for developing economies (such as Ghana) include the need for the introduction of entrepreneurship education at basic level of education in addition to the current practice where entrepreneurship education is mostly limited to tertiary institutions or undergraduate levels, and linking provision of investment services with requisite skills training and backstopping in interventions targeting small-scale firms

PAH Quantification and Estimated Carcinogenic Risks at Selected Fuel Stations in Tamale Metropolis, Ghana

The research aim was to quantify PAHs levels and assess their associated carcinogenic health risks in fuel filling stations located in both high and low vehicular traffic areas in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana. Dust particles were collected from ten fuel filling stations and extracted using an Accelerated Solvent Extractor (ASE). PAH analysis was conducted using a GC-MS system. Cancer risk assessment was done using the Incremental Life-time Cancer Risk (ILCR) model. The average PAH concentration recorded in the high and low vehicular traffic areas were 158,080±102,650 μg/kg and 370,220±218,140 μg/kg respectively. Benzo(a)Anthra­cene was the most occurring PAH congener recorded in both traffic areas. Dermal contact as a route of PAH exposure recorded the highest potential cancer risk for both adults and children. Amongst the fuel filling stations, Gab Energy recorded the highest carcinogenic risks of 2.50 (adults) and 2.67 (children). In all, the average cancer risk values for adults (1.02) was slightly higher than that of the children (9.26E-01) with no significant difference. The mean ƩILCR val­ues for both populations indicated a high to very high potential carcinogenic risk to the people living or working in and around the study areas

Water Quality Assessment of the Bontanga Reservoir.

The water quality assessment of Bontanga reservoir in Northern Region of Ghana has been carried out and results obtained were based on samples collected from three sampling points monitored over a period of four years. Many of the parameters analysed were within the World Health Organisation’s (2008) permissible levels for drinking water, and the Ghana Water Resources Commission target raw water quality range for domestic water use, with an exception of microbiological quality. The physico-chemical parameters ranged from 6.77 to 8.52 (pH unit), 0.43 to 39.40 NTU (turbidity),  2.50 to 30.00 colour units (colour), 44.50 to 135.00µS/cm (electrical conductivity), 24.20 to 39.10 mg/l (total dissolved solids), 20.00 to 88.00 mg/l (total hardness), and dissolved oxygen levels of 9.32 to 10.36mg/l. The mean concentration of sulphate in the dry season was 4.33mg/l and 8.07mg/l in the wet season. Nitrate-N and phosphate ranged from 0.01 to 4.00mg/l and 0.015 to 0.024mg/l respectively. The heavy metals concentration ranged from 0.017 to 0.025mg/l (Cu); 0.15mg/l to 0.20mg/l (Fe), 0.01 to 0.03mg/l(Cr),  0.12 to 0.21mg/l(Mn), 0.010 to 0.014mg/l(Pb), 0.001 to 0.227mg/l (As) and 0.002 to 0.003 mg/l for Cd. The silica ranged 4.70mg/l to 23.90mg/l (SiO2). Total coliform counts ranged from 3,500 to 15,000 cfc/100ml with an overall mean of 9,250 cfc/100ml. The reservoir exhibited an overall ionic dominance pattern of Na > K > Ca > Mg and SO4 > HCO3 > Cl. Keywords: Bontanga Reservoir, Water quality, Physico-chemical analysis, Microbial analysis