Guide to the Dr. L.S. Dederick Papers, 1908-1956, undated

Louis Serle (L.S.) Dederick was born in Chicago in 1883. He received his Ph.D. in Mathematics from Harvard University in 1909. From 1909 – 1917 he was a professor at Princeton University. From 1917 – 1924 he was professor at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. In 1926 Dederick began working for the U.S. Army, Ordnance. During his time there he was the Associate Director of the Ballistic Research Laboratory at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Aberdeen, Maryland where he focused on ballistics research. While Dederick worked as a mathematician at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, he was involved with numerous projects. He worked in the fields of ballistics calculations, the development of computing methods for machines which included differential analyzers, the Bell Relay computer, oversaw the creation of the ENIAC computer (the world’s first digital computer), as well as its successors the EDVAC computer and the ORDVAC computer. These computers were designed with the goal of making ballistics calculations more quickly and efficiently. Some of his work on these projects included project management, administrative work, and search for personnel to add to project teams. His immediate supervisors while working at Aberdeen included Col. Leslie E. Simon and Col. Alden P. Taber. Dederick retired from this position in May 1953. After his retirement he was pulled into efforts of the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1954 to give statements on behalf of some of the workers he supervised who were being questioned about possible connections to communism. Dederick passed away in 1972. He is buried in Princeton Cemetery, located in Princeton, NJ. This Collection consists mostly of documents from L.S. Dederick’s time at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Maryland. This Includes his work with the Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer, better known as the ENIAC, the world’s first digital computer, as well as the Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer, known as the EDVAC. The ENIAC, completed in 1945, aided in allowing the United States Army’s Ballistic Research Laboratory to more easily perform ballistics calculations. It marks the beginning of the computer age

Non-Revenue Water Management in Ghana: The Opportunities and Challenges

Management of water resources has become a major challenge in Ghana. Efforts to address the situation through serious water sector reforms have provided some improvements, with some serious challenges still persisting globally. This paper takes a view of water management systems in Ghana by focusing on some specific issues such as water production, water sales, total cost and their relationship with the non-revenue water (NRW). The paper adopts “correlation theory” of observations from 2003 to 2009 using Ministry of Water Resources Works and Housing, Ghana data. The findings reveal that, one major problem confronting water resources management in Ghana among others is lack of proper institutional structures and enforcement agencies. The study also revealed that total revenue and total cost of water provision have negative but moderate correlation with NRW but does not give any indication of how good this relationship might be. Again, it was found that where there are aspects of institutional structures, there are limited enforcement agencies for monitoring to ensure compliance. Keywords: Non- revenue water, water management, opportunities, challenges, Ghan

Evaluation of acute and sub-chronic toxicities of ulcer fast®: a bi-herbal formula in male Wistar albino rats

The acute and sub-chronic toxicities of ulcer fast® (UF) - A commercial bi-herbal formula prepared with Alstonia boonei and Xylopia aethiopica in male Wistar albino rats was evaluated. There was no mortality in rats administered 2000 mg/kg body weight (BW) of UF in an acute toxicity study. A significant (p≤0.05) increase in daily consumption of feed and fluid intake in experimental rats after 28 days was recorded followed by a progressive increase in BW of rats administered 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg BW of UF in a dose-dependent manner. Alanine amino transferase, aspartate amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, triacylglycerides and creatinine increased significantly (p≤0.05) in rats treated with UF, whereas urea and fasting blood sugar decreased significantly (p≤0.05) in a dose-dependent manner when compared with control. There was a marginal decrease in serum calcium ion and phosphate ion following the administration of UF when compared with control. Packed cell volume and hemoglobin decreased significantly (p≤0.05) in rats treated with UF, whereas white blood cell increased significantly (p≤0.05) in a dose-dependent manner when compared with control. Histological examination of the liver, kidney, heart and lungs showed normal architecture in control group, whereas hepatocytes of rats treated with 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg BW of UF were characterized by slight periportal fatty change, marked change and ballooning degeneration. Heart muscle of rats treated with 200mg/kg BW of UF showed slight inflammation while histological examination of the lungs showed areas of interstitium damage and diffuse alveolar damage in rats treated with UF. In conclusion, indiscriminate administration of UF could be of public health concern and long-term exposure may cause a significant potential health risk

Household Non-Farm Income: Any Influence on Agricultural Productivity in Rural Ghana?

This paper analyzes the effect of household non-farm income on agricultural productivity in rural Ghana using a nationwide household survey data. Key features of the analysis are the problem of endogeneity and selection bias which are addressed using the Heckman two-step procedure. The first stage probit regression revealed that the coefficients of availability of telecommunication infrastructure, availability of banks, availability of motorable roads, forest and savannah zones are significant in explaining non-farm income. The second stage OLS regression showed a significantly negative relationship between non-farm income and per-capita farm income given the other control variables. Keywords: Non-farm income, Productivity, Ghana, Endogeneity and Probi

Applying the Mandala of Health in the Anthropocene

Issue addressed: The Anthropocene is a new era in which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment. The negative impact humans have on the earth\u27s systems pose significant threats to human health. Health promotion is a discipline well placed to respond to planetary health challenges of the Anthropocene. The overarching aim of this paper is to describe the elements of 21st century socio‐ecological health and apply them in a revised socio‐ecological framework for health promotion.Methods: A qualitative description study design was employed to explore the significance of ecological and cultural determinants of health and review models in contemporary health promotion to inform the development of a revised Mandala of Health. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit ten experts from across Australia including academics and practitioners working at the nexus of health promotion, environmental management and sustainability. Data were analysed thematically, using deductive and inductive methods.Results: A revised Mandala of Health could address existing gaps in health promotion theory and practice. Ecological and cultural determinants of health were considered essential components of health promotion that is often lacking in socio‐ecological frameworks. Indigenous Knowledge Systems were considered immensely important when addressing ecological and cultural determinants of health.Conclusions: A revised Mandala of Health could encourage development of contemporary health models, assisting health promotion to evolve with the health and environmental issues of the Anthropocene. This study highlights the need for more theoretical development and empirical research regarding ecological and cultural determinants of health in a health promotion context.So what?: In the context of the Anthropocene, this study highlights the potential gaps in health promotion theory and practice in terms of the natural environment and health and emphasises the need of a paradigm shift to embed ecological and cultural determinants with other determinants of health

Where are the gaps? Constructively Aligning Higher Education in an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

This working paper is part of developmental research conducted in 2021 for the EntreUnity (Entrepreneurial University Network) project, an Initiative for Innovation Capacity Building in Higher Education. The project involved a series of scanning and mapping exercises to support the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Based on this preliminary work, it became evident that the combined tools used in the study could potentially form a framework. This framework could help HEIs identify gaps in their entrepreneurial ecosystems, including both internal structures and alignment with the local and regional ecosystems they are part of. This paper outlines the methodology adopted in this project and discusses the insights that emerged. These insights have since been used to strengthen the University of the West of Scotland's (UWS) place within the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Importantly, we are not suggesting universal applicability. What worked at UWS may not work for other HEIs. Instead, we propose a context-neutral model that allows visualisation and discussion of an ecosystem within its immediate regional and broader contexts, facilitating a constructive comparison with other ecosystems. Based on this, this working paper sets out plans for further research and development to produce a replicable model for broader application in mapping these ecosystems elsewhere.<br/

Hepatoprotective effects of methanolic extract and fractions of African mistletoe Tapinanthus bangwensis (Engl. & K. Krause) from Nigeria

Methanolic extract and fractions, ethylacetate (EtF) and butanol (BuF) of leaves of African mistletoe (Tapinanthus bangwensis, Engl. & K. Krause) were evaluated for their hepatoprotective potential using CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar albino rats. The activities of the marker enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bilirubin were highest in rats treated with CCl4 alone. Oral administration at a fixed dose of 400 mg/kg body weight (BW) of the extract and fractions of T. bangwensis for seven days significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decreased the activity of marker enzymes and bilirubin. Total protein concentration increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05). These extracts also decreased the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) which indicated a reduction in lipid peroxidation. Histopathological examination of hepatocytes of rats administered methanolic extract (MeE) and fractions (EtF and BuF) showed normal architecture whereas rats treated with CCl4 alone was characterized by necrosis of the liver. Generally, among the three extracts, the BuF and EtF showed more hepatoprotective effect. The crude methanolic extract did not show any mortality up to a dose of 2000 g/kg BW. These findings suggest that T. bangwensis possesses strong antioxidant properties and hepatoprotective potentials against CCl4–induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Examining the Perceptions of Ghanaian Basic School (K-9) Teachers Towards Continuous Professional Development

This study examined the perceptions of Basic School (K-9) Teachers in Greater Accra towards continuous professional development programs. In carrying out this research, a descriptive survey design was applied. A survey was designed with Google Forms, and the link was posted to a WhatsApp group of 141 teachers from 63 basic schools in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana who were purposively sampled to participate in the study. All 141 teachers responded to the survey questions.The findings revealed mixed reactions from teachers towards continuous professional development programs/activities in Ghana. Some professional development programs, for instance, “Cluster/School Based INSET, ICT Integration in Teaching and Learning, Peer Class Observation, Classroom Management, and Subject Content and Methodology Professional Development” activities geared toward the needs of teachers therefore effective, whereas “Educational Leadership and School Management, Education of persons with Special Needs, Micro Teaching, and Social Dialogue” activities were not geared towards teachers needs therefore ineffective. The findings of this study provide valuable information to policymakers, Educational Administrators, and all stakeholders in Education. Considering the study's findings, conclusions and suggestions were provided. Keywords: continuous professional development, teachers’ perception, basic education (K-9) DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-30-05 Publication date:October 31st 202

Financial sector development and Investment in selected countries of the Economic Community of West African States: empirical evidence using heterogeneous panel data method

Abstract This study investigated the impact of financial sector development on domestic investment in selected countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for the years 1985–2017. The study employed the augmented mean group procedure, which accounts for country-specific heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence, and the Granger non-causality test to test for causality in the presence of cross-sectional dependence. The results show that (1) The impact of financial sector development on domestic investment depends on the measure of financial sector development utilised; (2) Domestic credit to the private sector has a positive but insignificant impact on domestic investment in ECOWAS, whereas banking intermediation efficiency (i.e., ability of the banks to transform deposits into credit) and broad money supply negatively and significant influence domestic investment; (3) Cross-country differences exist in the impact of financial sector development on domestic investment in the selected ECOWAS countries; and (4) Domestic credit to the private sector Granger causes domestic investment in ECOWAS. The study recommends careful consideration in the measure of financial development that is utilised as a policy instrument to foster domestic investment. We also highlight the importance of employing country-specific domestic investment policies to avoid blanket policy measures. Domestic credit to the private sector should be given priority when forecasting domestic investment into the future

The Increasing Financial Impact of Chronic Kidney Disease in Australia

The aim of this investigation was to determine and compare current and projected expenditure associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD), renal replacement therapy (RRT), and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Australia. Data published by Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and World Bank were used to compare CKD-, RRT-, and CVD-related expenditure and prevalence rates. Prevalence and expenditure predictions were made using a linear regression model. Direct statistical comparisons of rates of annual increase utilised indicator variables in combined regressions. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. Dollar amounts were adjusted for inflation prior to analysis. Between 2012 and 2020, prevalence, per-patient expenditure, and total disease expenditure associated with CKD and RRT are estimated to increase significantly more rapidly than CVD. RRT prevalence is estimated to increase by 29%, compared to 7% in CVD. Average annual RRT per-patient expenditure is estimated to increase by 16%, compared to 8% in CVD. Total CKD- and RRT-related expenditure had been estimated to increase by 37%, compared to 14% in CVD. Per-patient, CKD produces a considerably greater financial impact on Australia’s healthcare system, compared to CVD. Research focusing on novel preventative/therapeutic interventions is warranted