Taking forward public procurement reforms in Ghana

The construction industry in Ghana, like many others worldwide, has had its fair share of damning independent reviews. Huge and unsustainable foreign debt, excessive budget deficits, huge contractual payment arrears, poor construction performance, corruption and pressure from international financial institutions, forced the government to commit to a reform of public procurement, which culminated in the passing of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663). The paper outlines the events leading to, and features of, the public procurement reform in Ghana and analyses its potential impact and the unique challenges it presents. Comparisons are also drawn from relevant scenarios in other countries. The paper concludes that while the Procurement Act sets out the legal, institutional and regulatory framework to secure fiscal transparency and public accountability, the sole reliance on traditional contracting and price-based selection limits the scope for the value for money achievable. Expanding the reforms to cover procurement and project delivery methods and strategies, with a focus on ‘best value’, will increase the potential and likelihood of achieving value for money in public construction in Ghana

X-ray crystallographic structure of 3-(Propan-2-ylidene) benzofuran-2(3H)-one

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Development of multiple disease resistant breeding parents through gene pyramiding with the aid of molecular markers

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plays an essential role in sustaining livelihoods of smallholder farmers and their families in Africa. At farm level, beans are attacked by a combination of fungal, bacterial and viral diseases leading to poor yields. Deploying multiple disease resistant (MDR) varieties is probably the cheapest alternative in managing this problem. The overall objective of this study is to contribute to the development of MDR varieties through developing multiple disease resistance parents (MDRP) by gene pyramiding key diseases resistance genes in a common background. Using MDRP could speed up the process of developing MDR varieties as compared to use of single disease resistance sources. Molecular markers linked to resistance genes of three fungal and one viral disease were utilized. The varieties MCM5001 as sources of I and bc‐ 3 genes for Bean Common Mosaic Virus (BCMV) and its necrotic strain Bean Common Mosaic Necrotic Virus (BCMNV); G2333 as sources of Co‐4, Co‐5 and Co‐7 for resistance to anthracnose; MLB‐49‐89A as source of the Pythium root rot resistance gene and MEX54 as source of phg for resistance to Angular leaf Spot∙ Single crosses between these parents were conducted and screening of up to 1500 F2 plants per cross done with markers. Plants positive for two ‐three combination were selected and double crosses conducted between plants of differing gene combinations. Over 3000 plants of the F2 progeny of the double cross are being screened to select at least 500 and maximum of 800 progeny of the root genotype with a seven gene combination of I, bc‐3, Co‐4, Co‐5, Co‐7, Prr, phg. Currently over 580 seeds of the four parent combination of F1[(MLB‐49‐89Ax MEX 54) x (MCM5001 x G2333)] have been obtained. We aim to develop ideotypes with fixed multiple resistance genes that can be utilized by our partners in the next stage

γ-Lactams and furan bispyrrolidines via iodine mediated cyclisation of homoallylamines

1,3,5-Substituted pyrrolidin-2-ones were synthesisedviaan iodine mediated cyclisation of 3-methyl substituted homoallylamines in good to excellent yield, as mixtures of diastereoisomers. Furan bispyrrolidines were formed as single diastereoisomers when 3-phenyl homoallylamines were employed in an analogous reaction.</p

The Transcription Factor E4BP4 Is Not Required for Extramedullary Pathways of NK Cell Development

NK cells contribute to antitumor and antiviral immunosurveillance. Their development in the bone marrow (BM) requires the transcription factor E4BP4/NFIL3, but requirements in other organs are less well defined. In this study, we show that CD3−NK1.1+NKp46+CD122+ NK cells of immature phenotype and expressing low eomesodermin levels are found in thymus, spleen, and liver of E4BP4-deficient mice, whereas numbers of mature, eomesoderminhigh conventional NK cells are drastically reduced. E4BP4-deficient CD44+CD25− double-negative 1 thymocytes efficiently develop in vitro into NK cells with kinetics, phenotype, and functionality similar to wild-type controls, whereas no NK cells develop from E4BP4-deficient BM precursors. In E4BP4/Rag-1 double-deficient (DKO) mice, NK cells resembling those in Rag-1–deficient controls are found in similar numbers in the thymus and liver. However, NK precursors are reduced in DKO BM, and no NK cells develop from DKO BM progenitors in vitro. DKO thymocyte precursors readily develop into NK cells, but DKO BM transfers into nude recipients and NK cells in E4BP4/Rag-1/IL-7 triple-KO mice indicated thymus-independent NK cell development. In the presence of T cells or E4BP4-sufficient NK cells, DKO NK cells have a selective disadvantage, and thymic and hepatic DKO NK cells show reduced survival when adoptively transferred into lymphopenic hosts. This correlates with higher apoptosis rates and lower responsiveness to IL-15 in vitro. In conclusion, we demonstrate E4BP4-independent development of NK cells of immature phenotype, reduced fitness, short t1/2, and potential extramedullary origin. Our data identify E4BP4-independent NK cell developmental pathways and a role for E4BP4 in NK cell homeostasis