The nodal cubic is a quantum homogeneous space

The cusp was recently shown to admit the structure of a quantum homogeneous space, that is, its coordinate ring B can be embedded as a right coideal subalgebra into a Hopf algebra A such that A is faithfully flat as a B-module. In the present article such a Hopf algebra A is constructed for the coordinate ring B of the nodal cubic, thus further motivating the question which affine varieties are quantum homogeneous spaces

A theory of revolution and a case study of the Haitian Revolution.

During the course of the study, an adequate method of theory construction was both identified and clarified. Moreover, the Systems' mode of theory construction was selected for use in this study, mainly because of its close approximation to social movement phenomena through the use of functional, feedback and feedback loop relationships. The Systems' mode of theory construction was seen as having the most potential for producing the desired result, which was the flexibility and comprehensiveness to allow the construction of a theory which can explain anti-colonial revolutions in particular and "all" revolutions in general.The basic point of view taken in this study is that before an investigator can adequately confront such complex theoretical issues as the explanation of the causal origins of revolution, it is imperative that systematic procedures be developed for doing so. Thus the major goal of this study is theory construction; it is not the verification or testing of theory in any rigorous, experimental, or statistical sense.The major concerns in this study are (1) the development of a general theory about the causal origins of anti-colonial revolution; and (2) the development of this theory from an intensive case study of the Haitian Revolution, perhaps the first "successful, " slave revolution in modern history if not all of history.In the course of accomplishing these tasks, the following minor purposes or exploratory attempts to answer the following questions are accomplished, as well. (1) Why is it that a "successful" slave revolution occurred in Haiti and did not occur among slaves in other French, colonial possessions in the Caribbean? More specifically, why is it that a "successful" slave and anti-colonial revolution occurred in Haiti at this time (1791-1820) and not in such comparable places as the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadaloupe? (2) Can the theory once derived be validly generalized to other cases of anti-colonial revolution in another place and another time. For example, can the theory be generalized to the case of the Algerian Revolution of the twentieth century in North Africa? It, too, was an anti-colonial revolution in the French Colonial Empire but it occurred in North Africa in the second half of the 20th century, 1954-1978. (3) How will the theory have to be modified to better fit the cases examined above--Martinique, Guadaloupe, and Algeria--to serve as a general theory of all anti-colonial revolutions? And finally (4) to what degree can this theory be generalized to fit all types of revolutions? In addition, this study also presented some special insight on the ability of the theory to be generalized to all social movements

IMPACT OF EFFECTIVE EVALUATION OF STUDENTS ON THEIR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN SELECTED SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN ASSIN NORTH MUNICIPAL IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF GHANA

The general objective of the study is to critically examine the evaluation practices employed by teachers and their impact on students.   The study type is a case study, undertaken within the Assin North Municipal in three senior high schools in the Central Region of Ghana.   Using a purposive sampling method, I selected six English teachers and 100 students for the study.  The result accruing from the investigative study conducted by the researchers revealed that most of the teachers are adept and highly competent in their profession using appropriate evaluation techniques such as objective questions, group assignment, and provision of ample feedback for students and evaluation of students’ understanding more than three times in a term.  The study also revealed that most of the students are well informed to make English their career path, possess the basic knowledge and communicative skills.  The investigative study also indicated that teachers assess students on various fronts, such as the objective of the lesson, profile dimensions of the English syllabus, and what WAEC often uses for assessment.  These approaches employed by the selected teachers had a positive impact on students so that there was an improvement in their performance in English.  Without a doubt, the study shows that students’ academic performance improved due to the teachers’ approach to evaluation practices as influenced by the supervisor in those selected schools.  Approach to evaluation, as shown by the findings of the study, was proactive, result-oriented, and didactic.  However, there is room for improvement on the part of the teachers, it is recommended that teachers should strive to furnish students with feedback on time and provide ample comments on students’ papers so as to facilitate understanding of core issues in the English language so as to ensure the continued development of the students in communicating effectively in the king of languages – English.  

An Analysis of the Writing Problems of Ghanaian ESL Students: A Focus on Textual Dimension

Reading becomes interesting and enjoyable when texts are organized or structured in relation to progression in the ordering of utterance themes and their rhemes. It appears, therefore, that ESL students have problems with this aspect of writing as the intricacies and complexities of writing have been noted (Adas & Bakir, 2013), but previous studies seem to focus largely on the problems below the clause level. Therefore, focusing on 15 compositions written by form three students in the Sunyani Senior High School, the study examines ESL students’ problems in the organization of lexico-grammatical resources in text creation. Results show that ESL students face problem of proper thematic progression, which results in disunity in the development of a paragraph and incoherent sentences within paragraphs. This comes as a result of the introduction of a brand new theme and a misplaced theme. The study also shows, in terms of proper structuring of sentences that ESL students’ sentences are rather in fragment, run-on and phrases. It is suggested that teachers of English language should sensitize students to read extensively and engage students in a lot of practical exercises in writing in order to help students to improve upon their writing skills. Keywords: Essay, Writing Problems, Thematic Progression, Rheme DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/9-20-02 Publication date:October 31st 201

Socioeconomic inequalities in maternal health care utilization in Ghana

BACKGROUND: Improving maternal and child health remains a public health priority in Ghana. Despite efforts made towards universal coverage, there are still challenges with access to and utilization of maternal health care. This study examined socioeconomic inequalities in maternal health care utilization related to pregnancy and identified factors that account for these inequalities. METHODS: We used data from three rounds of the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys (2003, 2008 and 2014). Two health care utilization measures were used; (i) four or more antenatal care (ANC) visits and (ii) delivery by trained attendants (DTA). We first constructed the concentration curve (CC) and estimated concentration indices (CI) to examine the trend in inequality. Secondly, the CI was decomposed to estimate the contribution of various factors to inequality in these outcomes. RESULTS: The CCs show that utilization of at least four ANC visits and DTA were concentrated among women from wealthier households. However, the trends show the levels of inequality decreased in 2014. The CI of at least four ANC visits was 0.30 in 2003 and 0.18 in 2014. Similarly, the CIs for DTA was 0.60 in 2003 and 0.42 in 2014. The decomposition results show that access to National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and women's education levels were the most important contributors to the reduction in inequality in maternal health care utilization. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the importance of the NHIS and formal education in bridging the socioeconomic gap in maternal health care utilization

Irradiation of ready meals for microbiological safety and shelf-life extension. 1. Microbiological quality of waakye and other ready-to-eat meals

Waakye bought from the open market and 14 meals prepared under the hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) plan were microbiologically investigated. The aerobic mesophilic count (AMC) (107 - 108 CFU g-1) and coliform count (106 - 107 CFU g-1) ) for complete waakye meals, including macaroni, fried fish, sauce and vegetable salad, exceeded the microbiological standards for such ready-to-eat meals. The AMC (101 - 104 CFU g-1) ) and coliform count (101- 102 CFU g-1) ) for all the ready meals prepared under HACCP and stored (-5 to 0 oC) for up to 5 days were within the standards. Potential pathogens isolated from waakye and the meals prepared under HACCP plan included Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Serratia spp., and Enterobacter spp. Subsequent studies will exploit the potential of irradiation to eliminate pathogens and ensure the microbiological safety of ready-to-eat mealsWaakye (riz et haricot cuisinés ensemble) acheté de la vente libre ainsi que quatorze repas préparés sous le critique (ARPCC) étaient enquetés par la méthode microbiologique. Le compte d'aerobic mésophilique (107 - 108 CFU g-1) et le compte coliforme (106 - 107 CFU g-1) ) pour le repas de Waakye complet qui comprenait le macaroni, le poisson frit, la sauce et la salade de légumes dépassaient les normes microbiologiqes pour tels repas cuisinés. Le compte d'aerobic mésophilique (101 - 104 CFU g-1) ) et le compte coliforme (101 - 102 CFU g-1) ) pour tous les plats cuisinés préparés sous ARPCC et conservés au froid (-5 à 0 oC) pour 5 jours étaient aux niveaux requis. Les agents pathogènes potentiels isolés de waakye et des repas préparés sous le plan d'ARPCC comprenaient Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Serratia spp., and Enterobacter spp. Les études à venir vont exploiter l'utilisation d'irradiation pour éliminer les agents pathogènes et assurer la sécurité microbiologique des repas cuisinés. Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science Vol. 39 (1) 2006: pp. 19-2

The impact of delays on the outcomes of emergency abdominal surgeries in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana

Emergency abdominal surgery is the most appropriate intervention for patients who suffer traumatic abdominal injuries, acute surgically-related disease processes, or surgical complications. The greater burden of difficulty in accessing surgical care falls on those living in low and middle income countries (LMICs). The situation is often associated with undue delays for surgical intervention for emergency admission. A descriptive cross-sectional and quantitative research design was used to sample 109 participants using a convenience sampling technique with well-defined inclusion criteria. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire, using an electronic data-collecting tool and extracted onto STATA 13 for analysis. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out, taking into consideration odd ratios where statistical significance was derived with p<0.05. Sixty-eight (62.4%) of the participants were males and 41 (37.6%) females. A delay of more than 24 hours from the onset of symptoms was found in 58.7%. Delays in the decision to go to the hospital (pre-hospital delay) and waiting time in the theatre bay (in-hospital delay) were significantly associated with long stay in hospital