Private Sector Participation in the Provision of Quality Drinking Water in Ghana's Urban Areas: Are People Willing to Pay?

Access to clean drinking water is not only a fundamental human right, but also claims a big stake in economic growth, poverty reduction and sustainable development. With an increase in population, rapid urbanization and increasing income levels, the demand for water outstrips public water supply in developing countries. As a result, private water production has been promoted in developing countries to achieve greater efficiency and expansion in order to supplement public water supply. This study used the contingent valuation method to survey households in three cities in Ghana to estimate their willingness to pay in a bid to evaluate a policy of better water supply for urban areas in Ghana. It was found that more than 80% of the respondents favour some form of private sector engagement in water quality improvement. Also, the mean willingness to pay for water quality improvement is about GH¢13.42 (US$12) per month. Given the mean household monthly water bill of GH¢10.82, these results indicate that there is demand for water quality improvement and the general view is that private sector engagement is likely to provide these services. However, the same policy measure will marginalize the poor in terms of access to water. Therefore, private sector participation in water delivery, with a corresponding complementary government programme to promote access to water among low income households, would deliver the double dividends of water quality and universal access, which characterize the debate on private sector engagement in water provision in Ghana

Inducible and combinatorial gene manipulation in mouse brain

We have deployed recombinant adeno-associated viruses equipped with tetracycline-controlled genetic switches to manipulate gene expression in mouse brain. Here, we show a combinatorial genetic approach for inducible, cell type-specific gene expression and Cre/loxP mediated gene recombination in different brain regions. Our chemical-genetic approach will help to investigate ‘when’, ‘where’, and ‘how’ gene(s) control neuronal circuit dynamics, and organize, for example, sensory signal processing, learning and memory, and behavior

Karakteristik Pantai Pulau Laut-sekatung (Salah Satu Pulau Terluar Nkri)

Pulau Laut-Sekatung adalah salah satu pulau terluar Negara Republik Indonesia yang berbatasan dengan perairan Malaysia Timur. Pulau ini terletak di laut Cina Selatan sebagai bagian dari Kepulauan Natuna dan secara administratif termasuk Provinsi Kepulauan Riau. Tujuan dari studi ini adalah untuk mengetahui karakteristik dan tipologi kawasan pantai berdasarkan metoda geologi dan geofisika kelautan seperti pemetaan geologi kawasan pantai, pengambilan contoh sedimen, serta data-data penunjang seperti pengamatan pasang surut, pengukuran arus dan batimetri. Berdasarkan metoda-metoda tersebut, kawasan pantai Pulau Laut dapat dibedakan 3 jenis yaitu, pantai berpasir, pantai berbatuan dan pantai berbakau. Pantai tipe I adalah pantai berpasir menempati bagian selatan dan timur daerah penelitian, merupakan pasir hasil metasedimen dan terumbu karang. Pantai tipe II adalah pantai berbakau, menempati bagian tenggara daerah penelitian dan merupakan endapan rawa dengan morfologi pedarataran. Pantai tipe III merupakan pantai berbatuan menempati bagian timur dan utara daerah penelitian, merupakan singkapan batuan metasedimen dan batuan beku berumur Kapur yang berasal dari Formasi Bunguran. Tipe pasang surut di perairan Pulau Laut-Sekatung adalah harian tunggal (diurnal tide). Morfologi dasar laut perairan pantai sebelah barat dan timur berbeda, dimana sebelah barat dari garis pantai morfologinya curam sedangkan sebelah timur morfologinya landai. Perubahan garis pantai dicirikan oleh erosi pantai dibagian barat dan akrasi dibagian timur. Kata kunci: Pulau Laut-Sekatung, pulau terluar, karakteristik pantai The Sekatung-Laut Island is one of the outer island of the Republic Indonesia which bordered with the East of Malaysia waters. This island is located in the South China Sea as part of Natuna island and administratively within the Province of Riau islands. The purpose of this study is to know the characteristic and typology of coastal area. To support this purpose, the geology and geophysical survey method such as coastal mapping, sediment sampling, tide, current and bathymetry measurement have been done. Based on these method, the coastal area of Sekatung-Sea island can be distinguished in to 3 type. Coastal type I is a sand coast which is located in the south and east of the island where sand material is derived from meta-sediment rock and coral reef. Coastal type II is a mangrove coast which is located in the south east of study area. This coast is characterized by swamp deposits, mangrove plantation and plain area. Coastal type III is a rocky coast. This coast is characterized by the steep cliff of Cretaceous meta-sediment and volcanic rock of Bungaran Formation. Tide characteristic of study area is diurnal tide and the maximum current velocity is about 1.6 meter/second and is dominated by north direction. The morphology of water coast at west coast is very steep and in the eastern part is very flat. The coast line change is characterized by the erosion in the eastern part and akrasi to sable coast in the western part. Key words: Laut-Sekatung island, outer island, coastal characteristi

Determinants of Tanzania and Kenya Trade in the East African Community: A Gravity Model Approach

The paper aims at studying the determinants of trade in the East African Community (EAC). The paper explains as to why despite having five members, the two countries Kenya and Tanzania dominates trade among EAC members.Using the aggregated gravity model, the study finds that, Tanzania and Kenya Trade are much determined by the economic size (GDP) of the EAC members rather than the Per capita GDPs of these countries. The coefficient of a distance variable has negative impact meaning the costs of trading, time related costs and costs related to market access are higher. In a disintegrated model, the economic size of the respective countries, Kenya and Tanzania,exerts a positive impact but Tanzania’s GDP have a higher value of coefficient than Kenya.  The Tanzania’s importers GDPs coefficient is positive but not significant for Tanzania, while it is positive and significant for Kenya’s export Trade. Importers population showed a remarkable contribution to bilateral trade between Tanzania, Kenya and the rest of EAC. However, per capita income coefficient explains that Kenya and Tanzania does not trade high income oriented products for the coefficient had a negative sign which is significant. The distance, representing the cost of trading, is affects Tanzania export negatively more than how it does for Kenya. The exchange rate coefficient shows that price competition is important because for Tanzania lowering her currency does not half the export as if Kenya would do. Openness variable shows trade liberalization, perhaps the formation of EAC bloc;measures have significantly improved trade flows between EAC countries. Keywords: Gravity model, export oriented economy; Regional or Free Trade Agreements; production’s specialization and competitivenes

Household Food Insecurity Predictive of Health Status in Early Adolescence? A Structural Analysis Using the 2002 NSAF Data Set

We used data from the 2002 National Survey of American Families to examine a structural model of the relations among food insecurity, poor nutritional status, parental mental health problems, quality of parenting, adolescents’ emotional distress, and poor health status for a national sample of 5366 12-to-14 year-olds. The results revealed that: first, food insecurity was associated with elevated levels of parental mental health problems, diminished quality of parenting, elevated levels of adolescents’ emotional problems, and higher incidence of poor nutritional and health statuses. Second, parental mental health problems were associated with diminished quality of parenting and higher incidence of poor health status; and quality of parenting had a negative effect on emotional distress, but not on health status. Finally, poor nutritional status was associated with elevated levels of emotional distress and higher incidence of poor health status; and emotional distress was predictive of poor health status. The findings of this study highlight the mediating role of nutritional status, parenting factors and adolescents’ emotional well-being in the link between food insecurity and health; and point to the complex interaction between food insecurity and health status

Children's Health Status: Examining the Associations among Income Poverty, Material Hardship, and Parental Factors

BACKGROUND: We examined a model of multiple mediating pathways of income poverty, material hardship, parenting factors, and child health status to understand how material hardship and parental factors mediate the effects of poverty on child health. We hypothesized that: (a) poverty will be directly associated with material hardship, parental depression, and health status, and indirectly with parenting behaviors through its effects on parental depression and material hardship; (b) material hardship will be associated with parental depression, parenting behaviors, and health status; and (c) parental depression will be correlated with parenting behaviors, and that both parental depression and parenting behaviors will predict child health. METHODS AND RESULTS: We used data from the 2002 National Survey of American Families for a sample of 9,645 6-to-11 year-olds to examine a 4-step structural equation model. The baseline model included covariates and income poverty. In the hardship model, food insufficiency and medical need were added to the baseline model. The parental model included parental depression and parenting behavior and baseline model. In the full model, all the constructs were included. First, income poverty had a direct effect on health status, and an indirect effect through its association with material hardship, parental depressive affect, and parenting behaviors. Medical need and food insufficiency had negative effects on child health, and indirect effects on health through their association with parental depression and parenting behaviors. Finally, parental depression and parenting behaviors were associated with child health, and part of the effect of parental depression on health was explained by its association with parenting behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Poverty has an independent effect on health, however, its effects are partially explained by material hardship, parental depression and parental behaviors. To improve children's health would require a multi-pronged approach involving income transfers, health insurance coverage, food and nutrition assistance, and parenting interventions

INFLUENCE OF ETHICAL AND PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF PRACTICING COUNSELLORS ON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN ADAMAWA STATE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS: IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNSELLOR EDUCATION PROGRAMMES AND CERTIFICATION

This study attempted to investigate the influence of ethical and personality characteristics of counselling practitioners on the growth and development of the counselling profession in Nigeria. Research questions were raised to identify the major ethical and personality characteristics exhibited by practicing counsellors in Adamawa state tertiary institutions of learning, while the hypotheses sought to find out if the respondents differ in their possession of the desirable ethical and personality characteristics. All students and Counsellors from Adamawa state citadel of higher learning constituted the population for the study. The sample comprised of 109 students and 25 practicing Counsellors in Adamawa state tertiary institutions. A modified four point Likert type scale instrument was used to collect data from the respondents. The instrument was validated and found to be reliable at 0.71 reliability coefficients. The data collected were analyzed using means, standard deviation, independent t-test, and two sample Kolmogorov Smirnov tests. The findings revealed that counselling practitioners in Adamawa state tertiary institutions possess the expected personality characteristics, but lack the basic knowledge and skills to effectively service students’ cases. The study also revealed that the counsellor education curriculum of most universities was defective. The products of such institutions may not possess the minimum requirement to be certificated as professional practicing Counsellors. It was therefore recommended among other things that the counsellor education curriculum be overhauled and new courses on current issues such as multi-culturalism in counselling be integrated into the curriculum in order to meet the minimum conditions for certification and licensure.  Article visualizations