The ‘silent pistol’ in Ghana’s local government system: presiding members vs. chief executives

Decentralisation and local governance aim at local economic development, but collaboration among key actors at the local level is essential in realising this objective. However, at district assembly level Ghana exhibits problematic conflicts between district chief executives (DCEs), who head the executive committee, and presiding members (PMs) who convene and preside over assembly deliberations, acting as speaker. This study aims to unpack the main causes of such unsavoury conflicts by using 13 case studies from the Ashanti Region. Both primary and secondary data were collected for the study. Primary data was gathered from a selection of 40 key informants drawn from three main groups including DCEs, PMs, and other stakeholders such as regional coordinating council members, assembly members and chiefs. The main research instrument was one-on-one in-depth interviews with participants. The study found deep-seated conflicts between DCEs and PMs, in some cases even transcending these two actors to involve a greater section of actors within the local government administration. The study noted that professional bureaucrats within the local government service are affected when allegations of affiliation are levelled against them. The study also found that the legal status of DCEs and PMs appears to be the main driver of potential conflict, although other context-specific issues were also prevalent

Anomalous viscosity of vortex hall states in graphene

We study temperature effect on anomalous viscosity of Graphene Hall fluid within quantum many-vortex hydrodynamics. The commonly observed filling fractions, $\nu$ in the range $0 < \nu < 2$ is considered. An expression for anomalous viscosity dependent on a geometric parameter-Hall expansion coefficient, is obtained at finite temperatures. It arises from strained induced pseudo-magnetic field in addition to an anomalous term in vortex velocity, which is responsible for re-normalization of vortex-vortex interactions. We observed that both terms greatly modify the anomalous viscosity as well as an enhancement of weakly observed v fractions. Finite values of the expansion coefficient produce a constant and an infinite viscosity at varying temperatures. The infinities are identified as energy gaps and suggest temperatures at which new stable quantum hall filling fractions could be seen. This phenomenon is used to estimate energy gaps of already measured fractional quantum Hall states in Graphene.Comment: 7 pages, 3 fihure

Mobilising internally generated funds to finance development projects in Ghana’s Northern Region

This paper assesses the effectiveness of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana’s Northern Region in mobilising internally generated funds (IGF) to finance development projects. The study gathered both primary and secondary data from three MMDAs: Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, Yendi Municipal Assembly and Saboba District Assembly. It employed a multi-stage sampling technique of questionnaires, interviews, focus groups and key informant interviews to collect data from respondents and obtain a snapshot of their situation in the 2013 fiscal year. It established that fines, property rates, licences, annual rates, investment income, permits, sales of tender documents, and business taxes were potential sources of revenue for the assemblies. Also, the study identified a range of strategies employed by assemblies to raise revenue: engagement of revenue collectors, use of a mobile revenue taskforce, registration of businesses, visits to markets and business centres, commission payments for revenue collectors, security checkpoints, incentivisation of revenue collectors, establishment of revenue collection points, and rotation of revenue collectors. Nevertheless, the study found that the MMDAs studied could not meet their IGF revenue targets for the 2013 fiscal year, with all three falling below 50%. This poor performance was attributed to: inadequate logistics to support effective IGF mobilisation; under-declaring of revenues; not enough revenue collectors; poor supervision and monitoring; poor compliance by ratepayers; corruption; political interference; inadequate knowledge and skills among revenue collectors; poor service delivery by the assemblies; ineffective collaboration; and lack of revenue data.

S ‐Aryl‐ l ‐cysteine sulphoxides and related organosulphur compounds alter oral biofilm development and AI ‐2‐based cell–cell communication

Aims To design and synthesize a library of structurally related, small molecules related to homologues of compounds produced by the plant Petiveria alliacea and determine their ability to interfere with AI ‐2 cell–cell communication and biofilm formation by oral bacteria. Many human diseases are associated with persistent bacterial biofilms. Oral biofilms (dental plaque) are problematic as they are often associated with tooth decay, periodontal disease and systemic disorders such as heart disease and diabetes. Methods and Results Using a microplate‐based approach, a bio‐inspired small molecule library was screened for anti‐biofilm activity against the oral species Streptococcus mutans UA 159 , Streptococcus sanguis 10556 and Actinomyces oris MG 1. To complement the static screen, a flow‐based BioFlux microfluidic system screen was also performed under conditions representative of the human oral cavity. Several compounds were found to display biofilm inhibitory activity in all three of the oral bacteria tested. These compounds were also shown to inhibit bioluminescence by Vibrio harveyi and were thus inferred to be quorum sensing ( QS ) inhibitors. Conclusion Due to the structural similarity of these compounds to each other, and to key molecules in AI ‐2 biosynthetic pathways, we propose that these molecules potentially reduce biofilm formation via antagonism of QS or QS ‐related pathways. Significance and Impact of the Study This study highlights the potential for a non‐antimicrobial‐based strategy, focused on AI ‐2 cell–cell signalling, to control the development of dental plaque. Considering that many bacterial species use AI ‐2 cell–cell signalling, as well as the increased concern of the use of antimicrobials in healthcare products, such an anti‐biofilm approach could also be used to control biofilms in environments beyond the human oral cavity.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109321/1/jam12616.pd

Cu2+ removal from aqueous solution by Platanus orientalis leaf powders

An investigation steeredto ascertain the adsorption potential of fallen Platanus orientalis leaf powder (FPOLP) ascost-effective adsorbentto removeCu2+from an aqueous solution. The FPOLP was physically activated in two different forms (oxidation) and (N2) flowconditions. Batch operations for Cu2+ adsorption were performed to ascertain adsorption characteristics of FPOLP and activated samples. The results indicated that the optimum activation temperature and time were 500 oC and 180 min, respectively, while the best Cu2+ removal was achieved when the solution was controlled at pH 3 and the adsorbent dosage at 3 g/L.Additionally, an evaluation of the mechanism of adsorption fitted very well intopseudo-second-order. FTIR, scanning electron microscopy and BETmeasurements suggested that the new functional groups and the increased surface area related to the porous structure played a critical role in Cu2+ removal by the activated leaf powder. FPOLP has a great potential to remove Cu2+ in an aqueous solution

Distribution of Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Epipelic and Benthic Sediments from Lagos Lagoon.

Epipelic and benthic sediment samples were collected from Agboyi Creek, Oworonshoki, Ajara, Ogogoro and Tarkwa Bay in Lagos Lagoon and analyzed for organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues using a gas chromatograph coupled with electron capture detector (GC-ECD). Sampling was conducted 4 times at the sites during the dry season months of December 2008, February 2009 and the wet season months of May, September 2009 to study the effects of seasonal variation on the samples. Sediment samples were subjected to cold extraction and clean-up. OCP residues were detected in all the samples though the levels did not show any particular pattern between the epipelic and benthic sediment during the dry and wet seasons. Detection limits of the OCPs ranged between 1.43 ng/g and 10.29 ng/g, indicating the sensitivity of the gas chromatograph at the operating conditions. The residue levels were higher in the lagoon than in the creek while a higher concentration of the residues was observed during the dry season due to reduced dilution effect. The mean recoveries of the residues ranged between 90.14 and 98.15% hence validating the methodology used in the study. Levels of OCPs residues in the sediment were within permissible residue limits