GIS Application to Support Land Administration Services in Ghana: Institutional Factors and Software Developments

In June 1999, the Ghanaian Government launched a new land policy document that sought to address some fundamental problems associated with land administration and management in the country. The document identified the weak land administration system as a particular problem and recommended the introduction of computer-aided information systems in the ‘lands sector’. In 2001, the Government made further proposals to prepare and implement a Land Administration Programme (LAP) to provide a better platform for evolving an efficient land administration that would translate the ‘National Land Policy’ into action. Thus, an up-to-date land information system (LIS), supporting efficient management of land records, is to be constructed, which provides a context for the research reported in this paper. We document two aspects of our research on the adoption of GIS by the Lands Commission Secretariat (LCS) which form part of a pilot project in GIS diffusion. Part one of the paper mainly outlines the empirical results arising from fieldwork undertaken during 2001 to determine the information and GIS requirements of the LCS in relation to their routine administrative processes and to identify the critical factors that are required to ensure that any new GIS applications are successfully embraced. Part two explains the prototype software system developed using ArcView 3.2 and Access that provides the LCS with a means to automate some of the routine administrative tasks that they are required to fulfil. The software has been modified and upgraded following an initial evaluation by LCS employees also conducted as part of the fieldwork in Accra

The C291R Tau variant forms different types of protofibrils

Mutations in the MAPT gene can lead to disease-associated variants of tau. However, the pathological mechanisms behind these genetic tauopathies are poorly understood. Here, we characterized the aggregation stages and conformational changes of tau C291R, a recently described MAPT mutation with potential pathogenic functions. The C291R variant of the tau four-repeat domain (tau-K18; a functional fragment with increased aggregation propensity compared with the full-length protein), aggregated into a mix of granular oligomers, amorphous and annular pore-like aggregates, in native-state and heparin-treated reactions as observed using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and negative-stained electron microscopy. On extended incubation in the native-state, tau-K18 C291R oligomers, unlike wild type (WT) tau-K18, aggregated to form protofibrils of four different phenotypes: (1) spherical annular; (2) spherical annular encapsulating granular oligomers; (3) ring-like annular but non-spherical; and (4) linear protofibrils. The ring-like tau-K18 C291R aggregates shared key properties of annular protofibrils previously described for other amyloidogenic proteins, in addition to two unique features: irregular/non-spherical-shaped annular protofibrils, and spherical protofibrils encapsulating granular oligomers. Tau-K18 C291R monomers had a circular dichroism (CD) peak at ~210 nm compared with ~199 nm for tau-K18 WT. These data suggest mutation-enhanced β-sheet propensity. Together, we describe the characterization of tau-K18 C291R, the first genetic mutation substituting a cysteine residue. The aggregation mechanism of tau-K18 C291R appears to involve β-sheet-rich granular oligomers which rearrange to form unique protofibrillar structures

Independent broadcasting in Ghana: implications and challenges

Proceedings of the National Conference on the Promotion andPrivatization of Radio and Television Broadcasting in Ghana, held at GIMPA, Greenhill, Achimota, March 1-3, 1993

African Postcolonial Leadership: The Contribution of African Student Leaders in the United States

This qualitative study which is a contribution to literature on postcolonialism in Africa emphasizes the work of leaders in African student organizations in the US. The study seeks to investigate if the agenda in African student organizations align with those of postcolonial leaders like Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, and Julius Nyerere. There were four male and three female leaders interviewed for the study. The leaders, who came from universities in the Midwest, Northwest and the South, talked about their leadership styles, organizational vision, and knowledge of African colonial history in the context of postcolonial leadership on the continent. The study employed techniques in grounded theory and thematic analysis to analyze participants\u27 sensemaking of their own leadership. The study found that all seven participants engage in postcolonial leadership strategies as evidenced by their leadership styles and qualities, organizational vision, and their knowledge of African colonial history. Most of the leaders had an organizational vision centered on ideological and cultural liberation. An implication of the study includes the fact that the process of sensemaking is a natural human process which applies to organizational members regardless of context. Another implication is that mimicry and hybridity significantly complicate the discourse of organizational sensemaking for colonial/neocolonial subjects

Negotiating Culture in Africa: A Critical Analysis of Organizational Discourse in Ghana

Organizational culture is a concept that is theoretically contested, particularly within critical approaches to communication. However, it is a highly crucial area of research which has symbolic and material implications for individuals, organizations and communities. This study contributes to the conversation about how organizational culture is constituted by interrogating the forces at play in this constitution. One of such forces is neoliberalism, which operates by subsuming all organizational practices under the umbrella of market value. The study takes a cultural materialist approach to organizational culture through the analysis of discourse at the National Communications Authority (NCA) in Ghana. The NCA is the state-sanctioned regulator of the communications industry in Ghana. Its unique position as regulator exposes it to several localized and globalized discourses which shapes how its employees conceptualize organizational cultural practices. This study seeks to 1) analyze how organizational communication is constituted at NCA through the discursive practices of participants; 2) examine the strategies participants use in responding to neoliberal discourses; 3) show how organizational culture influences the making of communications regulations and policies; and 4) explain the role of colonialism in the negotiation of culture at NCA. The results reveal that organizational culture is shaped by interrelated tensions among several often-contradictory concepts such as global/local, structure/agency, subjective/objective, and public/private. For instance, the tension between structure and agency means organizational culture is the product of both the discursive closure facilitated by dominant discourses and the interpretive agency of participants

Analyzing a Listed Firm in Ghana for Early Warning Signs of Bankruptcy and Financial Statement Fraud: An Empirical Investigation of AngloGold Ashanti

This research moves beyond traditional ratio analysis to find out the possibility of bankruptcy and financial statement fraud at AngloGold Ashanti (AGA). An examination of the financial statements of the company for the years 2010 to 2012 was made with the use of Modified Altman and Beneish models. The modified Altman model is a predictor of bankruptcy. To discover the possibility of financial statement fraud, this research used the Beneish model. The examination of AGA’s financial reports with the Beneish model revealed the company was not engaged in financial statement fraud. The Altman model on the other hand, brought to the fore the financial distress the firm went through in the years under review. Keywords: Altman Z Score, Beneish M-Score, Fraud, Bankruptcy, Internal Control System

DIFFERENTIATION-INDUCED CHANGES IN ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY AND ANTIOXIDANT RESPONSE IN SH-SY5Y CELLS: ROLE OF NRF2

Organisms are exposed to reactive oxygen species from internal metabolism and environmental toxicant exposure, which have been linked to the initiation and progression of many neuronal diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Exposure to reactive oxygen species are counterbalanced by antioxidant defense systems such as the Nrf2-ARE pathway, the primary regulator of endogenous antioxidant response. Whereas neuronal cells are post-mitotic and are particularly susceptible to oxidative stress because of high oxygen consumption, astrocytes are mitotic and rely more on glycolytic metabolism. In this study, the difference in antioxidant response and capacity in mitotic and post-mitotic cells were investigated using undifferentiated and differentiated SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. The investigations of this study focused on the induction of antioxidant enzymes in SH-SY5Y cells by Nrf2 using tert-Butylhydroquinone (tBHQ). The levels of GSH, Mn-SOD, HO and OGG1 which are all induced by Nrf2 were determined. The results of the experiment showed that differentiated (post-mitotic) and undifferentiated (mitotic) cells responded similarly to Nrf2 induction as was observed in the higher levels of GSH, HO, Mn-SOD and OGG1 compared to the control group. As compared to undifferentiated cells, differentiated cells had relatively lower antioxidant levels except in the case of Mn-SOD. This suggests that post-mitotic and mitotic cells respond to antioxidant induction similarly but differ in their antioxidant capacities. The study also compared DTNB and HPLC methods in determining GSH levels in these cells. The outcome of the experiments showed that HPLC offers a selective method in determining GSH levels

A simplified model to enhance SMEs’ investment in renewable energy sources in Ghana

Although the Renewable Energy Act 2011 (Act, 832) was enacted to facilitate development and investment in the Renewable Energy sources in Ghana as part of the efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7, the actual impacts of the policy are yet to be felt as manifested in the amendment Act 2020 (Act, 1045). There is a need to develop an alternative model to enhance investment in the renewable energy sector. Drawing from the Resources Based View (RBV) and Porter’s Five Forces this paper is aimed to develop a simplified model to explain Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)investment determinants in the renewable energy sources in Ghana. We argued that the simplified integrated model provides robust predictability and wider generalization. Our paper is anchored on the positivists’ epistemology and quantitative methodology. Our hypotheses have been tested using cross-sectional data from the Ghanaian SMEs. Variance Based Partial Least Squares (PLS) method has been used to analyze the survey data. Our results indicate that entrepreneurial competency, financial resource, marketing capability, and technological usage significantly relate to investment in renewable energy. Moreover, the results have shown that competitive rivalry, the threat of entry, and bargaining power of customers significantly relate to investment in renewable energy. These results substantiate the well-known argument that industry forces and resource competitive strategies are significant determinants of a firm’s competitiveness and behavioral intentions. Overall, these results have theoretical and practical implications to facilitate the capacity of SMEs and create enabling renewable energy local content policy to enhance SMEs ’ participation in the sector.         &nbsp

A case study of the development of science, technology and innovation policy at the higher education level in Ghana

It has been nearly fifty-four years since Ghana nursed the dream of rapid social and economic development through science, technology and innovation. Ghana is yet to experience technological transformation to the level of other countries with which she was at par at the time of her independence. Gaps in understanding still remain in the Ghanaian experience in the development of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policy. As such, a radical reform of the systems to help in the restructuring and transforming the economy is still lacking. In 2010 the government of Ghana developed an STI policy. The aim of this policy is to address all sectors of the economy in order to achieve growth and economic transformation. Analytically, the thesis takes a critical perspective to situate Ghana’s socio-economic and political history in the discourses of the dependency theory framework and to examine how the STI policy at the higher education level in Ghana was formulated and how this had privileged different interests and what the implications are for the country. Mindful of the gaps and historic policy flows, the study took advantage of the researcher’s insider position as an education expert and experience as the government policy developer. With this position and experience, the researcher orientation from the perspectives of policy-makers in Ghana was qualitative research methodology that focused on a case study approach, documentary analysis linked to a critical discourse analysis, observations, semi-structured and informal interviews and the use of a research diary to collect field data. The field data collected for the empirical analysis were documentary data, interview transcripts, interview notes, observation data and field notes. In a constructivist analysis, the interpretive paradigm approach, the notion of triangulation and reflexivity helped not only to privilege the multiple perspectives but to also illuminate the complexity and differences among the participants and other data sources to improve the quality of the data analysis. The research found that in Ghana’s trajectory to modernity through education, the country was marginalised in technology by the advanced capitalist nations to produce low-skilled personnel to be exploited by corporations. Further, the government subcontracted the World Bank and UNCTAD to produce the 2010 STI policy to the neglect of its established institutions. This makes it difficult for the country to pursue an independent reflationary STI policy. Moreover, the documentary analysis of the policy revealed that the government of Ghana had focused mostly on basic education to the detriment of higher education and STI policy to further marginalise the country in technology to produce a low-skilled Ghana to be exploited by corporations. The implication is Ghana to restructure the content of education to build a solid foundation for the development of the STI policy in the country. The study, therefore, provides a solid critique of the country’s economic policy and international commitments that perpetuate a dependent model of development to the neglect of STI policy in Ghana. In the wake of the new STI policy development paradigms, the study suggests the need for a shift in paradigm from poor interactive learning space to rich interactive learning space, an interactionist model approach underpinned by a rich interactive learning space as an analytical tool and a guide for STI policy formation in Ghana

Neuroscience-related research in Ghana : a systematic evaluation of direction and capacity

Neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases account for considerable healthcare, economic and social burdens in Ghana. In order to effectively address these burdens, appropriately-trained scientists who conduct high-impact neuroscience research will be needed. Additionally, research directions should be aligned with national research priorities. However, to provide information about current neuroscience research productivity and direction, the existing capacity and focus need to be identified. This would allow opportunities for collaborative research and training to be properly explored and developmental interventions to be better targeted. In this study, we sought to evaluate the existing capacity and direction of neuroscience-related research in Ghana. To do this, we examined publications reporting research investigations authored by scientists affiliated with Ghanaian institutions in specific areas of neuroscience over the last two decades (1995–2015). 127 articles that met our inclusion criteria were systematically evaluated in terms of research foci, annual publication trends and author affiliations. The most activelyresearched areas identified include neurocognitive impairments in non-nervous system disorders, depression and suicide, epilepsy and seizures, neurological impact of substance misuse, and neurological disorders. These studies were mostly hospital and community-based surveys. About 60 % of these articles were published in the last seven years, suggesting a recent increase in research productivity. However, data on experimental and clinical research outcomes were particularly lacking. We suggest that future investigations should focus on the following specific areas where information was lacking: large-scale disease epidemiology, effectiveness of diagnostic platforms and therapeutic treatments, and the genetic, genomic and molecular bases of diseases