Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme in the Context of the Health MDGs – An Empirical Evaluation Using Propensity Score Matching

In 2003 the Government of Ghana established a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to improve health care access for Ghanaians and eventually replace the cashand- carry system. This study evaluates the NHIS to determine whether it is fulfi lling its purpose in the context of the Millennium Development Goals #4 and #5 which deal with the health of women and children. We use Propensity Score Matching techniques to balance the relevant background characteristics in our survey data and compare health outcomes of recent mothers who are enrolled in the NHIS with those who are not. Our fi ndings suggest that NHIS women are more likely to receive prenatal care, deliver at a hospital, have their deliveries attended by trained health professionals, and experience less birth complications. We conclude that NHIS is an eff ective tool for increasing health care access, and improving health outcomes.Health insurance, prenatal care, Millennium Development Goals, Propensity Score Matching

Genetic Diversity of Wild Rice (Oryza longistaminata) in Ghana

Oryza longistaminata is a wild rice taxon and an excellent source of genetic variation that remains largely unexploited. This study was conducted to understand the genetic diversity between and within O. longistaminata populations, collected from different geographic locations in Ghana. In this study, SSR markers were used to determine the intra-specific variability in O. longistaminata, and how the variation is partitioned within and between different populations. Analysis of molecular variance revealed high levels of polymorphism (95.9%) within the populations. The overall genetic diversity for all the loci in the six populations was high (Shannon's Information Index I = 0.579, Nei's unbiased expected heterozygosity, He = 0.405). Hierarchical partitioning also indicated a high genetic diversity between and within populations, with some level of relatedness between samples taken from the Savannah agroecological area. The high genetic diversity observed in this study offer a great opportunity for screening useful traits among the populations of O. longistaminata in Ghana for rice breeding programs

Colour and Architecture: An Empirical Study of a New Paradigm of Painting of Residential Buildings and Ownership in Kumasi

Colours have been classically used to inspire taste in architecture from antiquity. Colours provide ‘joie de vivre’ (joy of life). However, a cursory observation reveals a noticeable trend in Ghana where residential buildings are receiving paints and colour notations of multinational companies. This paper presents empirical research on colour through multiple methodological approaches and tactics. The research findings presented in this paper used Kumasi, the Capital of the Ashanti Region of Ghana as main case study area. The data analysis of findings revealed that about seventy-five percent of the houses painted in multinational companies’ colours along major arterial roads in Kumasi were approached for advertisement purposes. In addition, the owners of the sampled houses chose to paint with a particular colour for a mark of distinction and monetary reasons. This paper concludes that the companies’ objectives were adhoc and were not guided by any planned scheme as required to enhance the sensibility and aesthetic appeals through the use of colour for buildings and their genus loci in an urban environment. The paper recommends revisions to the current Ghana National Building Regulations of 1996 – The Legislative Instruments 1630 to recognize the importance of colour aesthetics in city environments. Keywords: Company colour and paint, Architecture, Incentivization, Building regulations, Kumasi-Ashant

Donkey-Cart Transport, a Source of Livelihood for Farmers in the Kassena Nankana Municipality in Upper East Region of Ghana

Even through donkeys have been extensively used by people in many areas in the world, their use has been synonymous with backwardness, underdevelopment and low status. In a qualitative and quantitative study of 120 households located within the Kassena-Nankana district, this study sought to provide an overview of the consequences of ‘development’ for donkey use and management. The study also tried to show how the use of donkeys had enabled these people to withstand some of the threats to their lives and livelihoods.   The paper provides several examples of how these different uses ensured the survival of women and men in hostile environments and enables them to integrate into the social and economic processes from which they are often excluded. Both primary and secondary data sources were used to gather relevant information for analysis and discussions. Purposive sampling was used to select four communities in the Kasena-Nankana East District. A hybrid sampling method was used to arrive at the sample population. Close and open ended questionnaire were used to collect data from the interviewees. In addition to the questionnaire, empirical verification was done via observation on attitudes and behaviors of farmers. Focused group discussions were held involving opinion leaders, farmer-group organizations, agric extension officers, and the 31st December Women’s Movement (DWM) chiefs. Data obtained was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel. The results of the study revealed that majority of the respondents were in 32- 50 year group. Most of the respondents, 93 (58 %) had no formal education. Majority (75.5 %, 124), were married with 47% (74) having household sizes between six and ten. The study revealed that, donkeys were used in agricultural production, mainly to transport manure to the fields and the harvest from the fields to the homes and to the market centres; the youth in agriculture production had realized the importance of donkey transportation and farm traction, which had a very significant impact on food security development. Keywords: Attitude, Donkey-Cart, Farmers, Gender, Households, Livelihood, Transpor

Appraisal of some methods of weed control during initial establishment of cocoa in a semi-deciduous forest zone of Ghana

In appraising the effects of the quantum and quality of weed control required in establishment of young cocoa, six manual methods of controlling weeds were compared with chemical weed control at two stations of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana. Growth of cocoa seedlings after 2 years in the field was superior (P < 0.05) in plots which were clean-weeded two or four times per year or treated with paraquat four times per year than when plots were slashed two or four times per year. There was strong evidence to suggest that treatments which ensured a weed-free environment to the cocoa over a long period were favourable to girth increments in the seedlings. Death of seedlings during establishment was generally lower in plots which were either clean-weeded or treated with paraquat. Labour requirement for controlling weeds with paraquat was considerably lower than that required for the other treatments. Considering the equipment and chemical input, paraquat application was expensive compared to high slashing with or without clean-line weeding two times a year, or clean weeding two times a year; but by virtue of its efficacy, it is recommended for cocoa establishment. En évaluant les effets du quatum et de la qualité de désherbage exigé dans la culture de jeune cacao, six méthodes de désherbage manuel étaient comparées avec le désherbage chimique à deux stations de l'Institut de Recherche en cacao du Ghana. La croissance de semis de cacao, après deux années, dans le champ était supérieure (P £ 0.05 ) dans les lots qui étaient complètement désherbés 2 ou 4 fois/an ou traités avec le paraquat 4 fois/an que dans les lots qui étaient entaillés 2 ou 4 fois/an. Il y avait de nombreuses preuves qui laissent penser que les traitements qui assuraient un environnement sans mauvaise herbe pour le cacao sur une longue période étaient favorables aux augmentations de circonférence des semis. La mort de semis pendant la culture était dans l'ensemble plus faible dans les lots, qui étaient soit complètement désherbés soit traités avec le paraquat. L'exigence de main-d'oeuvre pour maîtriser les mauvaises herbes avec le paraquat était considérablement plus faible que celle exigée pour les autres traitements. En ce qui concerne les matériels et les intrants chimiques, l'application de paraquat était chère que les entailles élevées avec ou sans le désherbage complet en ligne deux fois par an ou le désherbage complet deux fois par an mais en vertu de son efficacité il est recommandé pour la culture de cacao. Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science Vol. 40 (1) 2007: pp. 67-7

Der Kocherpunkt - Richtige Zielrichtung für die drainierende Ventrikulostomie?

Die Ventrikulostomie zur Anlage einer EVD oder eines Shunts ist ein neurochirurgisches Routineverfahren. Heutzutage ist dabei die Ausrichtung am Kocherpunkt  anhand von anthropologischen Landmarken ueblich. Wir ueberprueften die Zielgenauigkeit des Kocherpunktes und seiner anthropologischen Landmarken am digitalen Model und testeten in einem zweiten Schritt fotographisch, ob mit der Anwendung eines Zielgeraetes, eine Verbesserung der Zielgenauigkeit zu erreichen waere. Es wurden insgesamt 102 Schaedel-CTs in 3D-Modelle umgerechnet und mittels eines hierfuer geschriebenen Programms ausgewertet. Obwohl die Zielgenauigkeit in unserem Versuch hoeher ausfiel als in Studien mit freihaendiger Anlage, zeigte sich dennoch eine breite Streuung; bei Ausrichtung an anthropologischen Landmarken ist individuell mit einer recht grossen Varianz zu rechnen.<br

Induction of Isochromanones by Co-Cultivation of the Marine Fungus Cosmospora sp. and the Phytopathogen Magnaporthe oryzae

Microbial co-cultivation is a promising approach for the activation of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that remain transcriptionally silent under artificial culture conditions. As part of our project aiming at the discovery of marine-derived fungal agrochemicals, we previously used four phytopathogens as model competitors in the co-cultivation of 21 marine fungal strains. Based on comparative untargeted metabolomics analyses and anti-phytopathogenic activities of the co-cultures, we selected the co-culture of marine Cosmospora sp. with the phytopathogen Magnaporthe oryzae for in-depth chemical studies. UPLC-MS/MS-based molecular networking (MN) of the co-culture extract revealed an enhanced diversity of compounds in several molecular families, including isochromanones, specifically induced in the co-culture. Large scale co-cultivation of Cosmospora sp. and M. oryzae resulted in the isolation of five isochromanones from the whole co-culture extract, namely the known soudanones A, E, D (1-3) and their two new derivatives, soudanones H-I (4-5), the known isochromans, pseudoanguillosporins A and B (6, 7), naphtho-γ-pyrones, cephalochromin and ustilaginoidin G (8, 9), and ergosterol (10). Their structures were established by NMR, HR-ESIMS, FT-IR, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy, polarimetry ([α]D), and Mosher’s ester reaction. Bioactivity assays revealed antimicrobial activity of compounds 2 and 3 against the phytopathogens M. oryzae and Phytophthora infestans, while pseudoanguillosporin A (6) showed the broadest and strongest anti-phytopathogenic activity against Pseudomonas syringae, Xanthomonas campestris, M. oryzae and P. infestans. This is the first study assessing the anti-phytopathogenic activities of soudanones

IMPACT OF CROP PRODUCTIVITY ON POVERTY AMONG FARM HOUSEHOLDS IN GHANA

Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy I &amp; II sought to increase crop productivity to reduce high poverty incidence in farm sector, but the magnitude of impact of the productivity on poverty is not present in all agro-ecological zones in Ghana. The aim of the study is to estimate poverty headcount ratio, poverty gap and poverty severity, and link crop productivity to poverty according to agroecology subject to a two-step instrumental variable regression technique using Pseudo Panel data from the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS rounds 5 &amp; 6). Farmers’ poverty headcount ratio, poverty gap, and poverty severity reduced from 57%, 25%, and 14% in 2005 to 37%, 14%, and 7% in 2013 respectively. The result further indicates that 1% growth in crop productivity reduces the probability of poverty headcount ratio, poverty gap and poverty severity by 0.28%, 0.38% and 0.75% respectively in all agro-ecological zones. Additionally, the paper shows that education, livestock and remittance income reduces poverty, while household size and great distance to access water increase poverty differently from agro-ecology. The study recommends rapid crop productivity growth by prioritizing technology adoption and institutional coordination to suit agro-ecological conditions among the poor, illiterate and non-partisan

THE ROLE OF HR DEPARTMENT IN THE ORGANZATION-A CASE STUDY OF ASN FINANCIAL SERVICES LIMITED, TEMA

The study examined the role of human resource department in organization, a case of ASN financial services limited. The issues studied included effectiveness of HR departments in contributing to the goals of organizations, evaluating the contributions of HR departments to the development of ASN financial services limited, the challenges faced by the HR department of ASN financial services in carrying out its duties. Both primary and secondary data were used in conducting the research. The population of the study included the entire senior staff of ASN financial services. A survey method was the statistical techniques used for the study and a purposive sampling technique was used in selecting 37 staff for the study. Majority of the respondents agreed that the HR department plays an essential role in the recruitment of staff, managing employee performance, analyzing the training needs of staff and organizing training and development programs for them and having a reward policy among others. Keywords: Organization, Financial Services, Employee Performance. Training and Development.

University Scholars Day

This paper discusses dissolved lithium concentrations and the spatial distribution of suicide mortality rates in Texas counties from 1980 to 1998