The capsid, black pod and swollen shoot cacao diseases in Ghana, 1910-1966

It is the thesis of this study, that the colonial and post-colonial state in Ghana used research results in agronomy, mycology, entomology and the earth sciences to protect the country\u27s cacao economy from plant pathogens. Without such initiatives, the world\u27s largest cacao plantations which evolved in Ghana would have floundered when the Swollen Shoot plant virus epidemic unleashed its destructive force in the mid-1930s and beyond. This thesis has challenged the widely held misconception that Ghana\u27s cacao plantation system developed without technical support from the state. This latter view is held to be simplistic and altogether untenable

IMPACT OF EFFECTIVE EVALUATION OF STUDENTS ON THEIR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN SELECTED SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN ASSIN NORTH MUNICIPAL IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF GHANA

The general objective of the study is to critically examine the evaluation practices employed by teachers and their impact on students.   The study type is a case study, undertaken within the Assin North Municipal in three senior high schools in the Central Region of Ghana.   Using a purposive sampling method, I selected six English teachers and 100 students for the study.  The result accruing from the investigative study conducted by the researchers revealed that most of the teachers are adept and highly competent in their profession using appropriate evaluation techniques such as objective questions, group assignment, and provision of ample feedback for students and evaluation of students’ understanding more than three times in a term.  The study also revealed that most of the students are well informed to make English their career path, possess the basic knowledge and communicative skills.  The investigative study also indicated that teachers assess students on various fronts, such as the objective of the lesson, profile dimensions of the English syllabus, and what WAEC often uses for assessment.  These approaches employed by the selected teachers had a positive impact on students so that there was an improvement in their performance in English.  Without a doubt, the study shows that students’ academic performance improved due to the teachers’ approach to evaluation practices as influenced by the supervisor in those selected schools.  Approach to evaluation, as shown by the findings of the study, was proactive, result-oriented, and didactic.  However, there is room for improvement on the part of the teachers, it is recommended that teachers should strive to furnish students with feedback on time and provide ample comments on students’ papers so as to facilitate understanding of core issues in the English language so as to ensure the continued development of the students in communicating effectively in the king of languages – English.  

Cocoa Farming in Ghana: Emic Experience, Etic Interpretation

This paper develops the tension between emic and etic analysis, recounting the experience of life on a cocoa farm in Ghana, from the perspective of an urban youth with familial connections to the rural community. The dual perspective of living in the city along with frequent visits to and summer sojourns on the farm provided an “outsider’s” perceptions of the rural culture. Yet even these dual emic perspectives were insufficient to bring recognition of the underlying economic realities of cocoa bean production that depended partly on migrant labor. That etic insight came later in the United Kingdom, when studying similar economic systems in Southeast Asia. The story vividly illustrates the necessity of both an emic, insider’s understanding of culture and etic, cross-cultural, scientific insight. Both perspectives are required to have a complete recognition of how the encapsulated beliefs and mores of one’s upbringing depend on the underlying forces of production that drive society. Similarly, the shifting and multilayered levels of what is emic and what is etic in a particular context are addressed in the explication of these personal experiences

Harnessing Useful Rhizosphere Microorganisms for Nematode Control

Nematodes are very diverse and parasitize various plants including vegetables, and their management is of concern. Biological control of nematodes provides an environmentally friendly management option and there are various micro‐soil‐borne organisms which can be considered for this purpose. The primary goal of this chapter is to provide a review on the progress made so far, in application of biological control agents in nematode management in vegetables, cereals, and root and tuber crops. This chapter will be divided into five (5) sections: (1) herbivore‐induced plant volatiles, (2) root exudates and nematode control, (3) inhibitory metabolites in bacteria for nematode management, (4) fungi and symbiotic reprogramming in host cells, and (5) fungi antagonists of nematodes

Antimicrobial Agents: Antibacterial Agents, Anti-biofilm Agents, Antibacterial Natural Compounds, and Antibacterial Chemicals

The surge in antimicrobial resistance coupled with the decline in the antimicrobial drug pipeline calls for the discovery and development of new agents to tackle antibiotic resistance and prevent a return to a post-antibiotic era. Several factors account for resistance of microbes; some are natural and others are acquired. Natural selection, presence of efflux pumps, impermeable cell wall, biofilm formation and quorum sensing are some of the factors. Though it is difficult to outwit the pathogens, the discovery and development of compounds with pleiotropic modes or mechanisms of action different from the conventional drugs currently being used can help us tackle antimicrobial resistance. Natural products have been known to be a rich source of bioactive compounds with diverse structures and functional group chirality. Various reports indicate medicinal plants with antibacterial, anti-biofilm, efflux pump inhibition, wound healing effects or properties and others used for upper respiratory and urinary tract infections. There is an urgent need to research into natural products particularly plants for antimicrobial agents including antibacterial agents, anti-biofilm agents, antibacterial natural compounds and antibacterial chemicals. This chapter throws more light on such antimicrobials

Institutional voids, international learning effort and internationalization of emerging market new ventures

Much of the existing scholarly works portray institutional voids (IVs) in emerging economies as impeding forces against the development of new ventures. However, little attention has been paid to how such voids generate positive outcomes in emerging market new ventures. Drawing on the institutional theory, we propose IVs as crucial enablers of new venture internationalization. In addition, we investigate both how and when IVs enhance the degree to which new ventures internationalize by examining international learning effort (ILE) as a mediator and two domestic market environmental factors (i.e., environmental dynamism and competitive intensity) as important contingencies. We test our moderated mediation model using primary data gathered from 211 new ventures from Ghana. We found that ILE mediates the relationship between IVs and new venture internationalization and that both environmental dynamism and competitive intensity moderate the indirect relationship between home-country IVs and new venture internationalization. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of this study

A GENRE ANALYSIS OF ELECTRONIC MANUALS

Manuals are very important documents so far as the use of electrical appliances is concerned. This paper focuses on the move analysis of manuals of electrical gadgets. The main focus of this type of genre is to provide a series of instructions to users of appliances to enable them to put the appliance to effective use. This paper presents an analysis of 20 manuals of different companies and different electrical gadgets. The findings of this study show that the rhetorical and discursive features of electronic manuals of different companies and appliances seem to have a systematized or a typified structure with no particular order in respect of the various sub-moves identified. Four moves were identified. Moves 1 to 3 were captured as core or obligatory moves whereas move 4 was captured as an optional move. The study also revealed that writers of electronic manuals write with the sole aim of directing users of the appliance on how to put the appliance to effective use. This was shown in the massive textual space given to move three (directive). It was realized in the study that simple imperative sentences which are mostly negatives were mostly found in the electronic manuals. Users of electrical gadgets must follow the instructional manual to the latter to ensure their safety as well as the effective use of the appliance. This will enable them to save energy and resources. Future research can pay attention to a particular company or a particular type of appliance or gadget or better still cross-cultural studies can be conducted on electronic manuals

Combating Biofilm and Quorum Sensing: A New Strategy to Fight Infections

Biofilms are structured aggregates of bacterial cells that are embedded in self-produced extracellular polymeric substances. Various pathogens initiate a disease process by creating organized biofilms that enhance their ability to adhere, replicate to accumulate, and express their virulence potential. Quorum sensing, which refers to the bacterial cell-to-cell communication resulting from production and response to N-acyl homoserine lactone signal molecules, also plays an important role in virulence and biofilm formation. Attenuation of microorganisms’ virulence such that they fail to adapt to the hosts’ environment could be a new strategic fight against pathogens. Thus, agents or products that possess anti-biofilm formation and/or anti-quorum sensing activities could go a long way to manage microbial infections. The incidence of microbial resistance can be reduced by the use of anti-biofilm formation and anti-quorum sensing agents

The Accuracy and Perception of Test-Based Management of Malaria at Private Licensed Chemical Shops in the Middle Belt of Ghana.

The sale of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) by private licensed chemical shops (LCS) without testing is contrary to current policy recommendations. This study assessed the accuracy and perception of test-based management of malaria using malaria rapid diagnostic test (mRDT) kits at private LCS in two predominantly rural areas in the middle part of Ghana. Clients presenting at LCS with fever or other signs and symptoms suspected to be malaria in the absence of signs of severe malaria were tested with mRDT by trained attendants and treated based on the national malaria treatment guidelines. Using structured questionnaires, exit interviews were conducted within 48 hours and a follow-up interview on day 7 (±3 days). Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were also conducted to assess stakeholders' perception on the use of mRDT at LCS. About 79.0% (N = 1,797) of clients reported with a fever. Sixty-six percent (947/1,426) of febrile clients had a positive mRDT result. Eighty-six percent (815/947) of clients with uncomplicated malaria were treated with the recommended ACT. About 97.8% (790/808) of clients with uncomplicated malaria treated with ACT were reported to be well by day 7. However, referral for those with negative mRDT results was very low (4.1%, 27/662). A high proportion of clients with a positive mRDT result received the recommended malaria treatment. Test-based management of malaria by LCS attendants was found to be feasible and acceptable by the community members and other stakeholders. Successful implementation will however require effective referral, supervision and quality control systems

Knowledge and perceptions of type 2 diabetes among Ghanaian migrants in three European countries and Ghanaians in rural and urban Ghana: The RODAM qualitative study.

African migrants in Europe and continental Africans are disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes (T2D). Both groups develop T2D at a younger age, and have higher morbidity and mortality from T2D and complications, compared to European populations. To reduce risk, and avoidable disability and premature deaths, culturally congruent and context specific interventions are required. This study aimed to: (a) assess perceptions and knowledge of T2D among Ghanaian migrants in Europe and their compatriots in Ghana and (b) identify specific perceptions and knowledge gaps that might predispose migrants to higher risk of diabetes. Data was gathered through 26 focus groups with 180 individuals, aged 21 to 70, from Amsterdam, Berlin and London and rural and urban Ashanti Region, Ghana. Thematic analysis of the data was informed by Social Representations Theory, which focuses on the sources, content and functions of social knowledge. Three key insights emerged from analysis. First, there was general awareness, across migrant and non-migrant groups, of T2D as a serious chronic condition with life threatening complications, and some knowledge of biomedical strategies to prevent diabetes (e.g healthy eating) and diabetes complications (e.g medication adherence). However, knowledge of T2D prevention and reduction of diabetes complications was not comprehensive. Secondly, knowledge of biomedical diabetes theories and interventions co-existed with theories about psychosocial and supernatural causes of diabetes and the efficacy of herbal and faith-based treatment of diabetes. Finally, migrants' knowledge was informed by both Ghanaian and European systems of T2D knowledge suggesting enculturation dynamics. We discuss the development of culturally congruent and context-specific T2D interventions for the research communities