FDI and Environmental Sustainability Nexus: Testing the Pollution Haven Hypothesis in the Presence of Regulatory Quality

In this study, we examine the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and environmental pollution within the context of the pollution haven hypothesis (PHH) in Ghana. We also investigate the role of regulatory quality in the FDI-pollution linkage. The study employs quarterly data spanning the period 2000Q1-2017Q4 and applies the fully modified least squares (FMOLS) technique. The empirical results show that FDI inflows significantly and positively drive environmental pollution. This result holds in the presence of regulatory quality. Accordingly, we confirm the validity of the pollution haven hypothesis in Ghana. The study also finds that industrialization increases pollution given its significant positive relationship with ecological footprint. We discuss relevant policy implications

Adsorption Kinetics and Isotherm Models: A Review

Adsorption Kinetics describes the rate at which solute is adsorbed and the resident time of the adsorbates on the solid-liquid interface. Adsorption isotherms play important role in determining the interaction between adsorbate and adsorbent and the optimum adsorption capacity of adsorbent. This article considered selected adsorption kinetics and isotherms models. Pseudo first order, Pseudo second order, Elovich, Bhattacharya and Venkobachar, and Natarajan and Khalaf were adsorption kinetics reviewed on the assumption that the process behaves as heterogeneous reaction at solid-liquid interface. Adsorption kinetics equation presented takes the form of straight line, the slopes and intercepts of the plots are used to determine adsorption capacity of adsorbent, rate constant, rate of adsorption and intraparticle diffusion. Value of correlation coefficient obtained is used in determining the adsorption kinetics model that best describe the adsorption process. Langmuir, Freundlich, Radlich-Peterson, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevic adsorption isotherms were presented. Their slopes and intercepts provide insight on adsorption affinity, mean free energy, whether the adsorption is physisorption or chemisorptions, single or multilayer. Adsorption kinetics and isotherms reviewed provide essential information required for understanding adsorption process. Keywords:   Adsorption; kinetics; isotherms; pseudo first order; Langmui

Financial Literacy: A Peep into the Literature and Note for Policy

This paper provides a review of the financial literacy literature mostly on definitional issues and some determinants. The paper also explores an emerging genre of research into financial literacy that emphasizes interconnectedness with society and financial systems, in general. The authors employ a literature review to examine the extant literature on the conceptual framework of financial literacy as well as empirical evidence on the causal relationship between financial literacy and efficient financial decision making. We argue that whilst the literature on financial literacy is growing it is far from being exhaustive, with substantial research outputs in other climes other than Africa. There is almost a tidy conclusion from the literature that young people and women are less likely to grasp basic financial concepts. The paper concludes by calling for a reconfiguration of research efforts in financial literacy to reflect context, and for policymakers to properly align the design of financial literacy programmes to meet the needs of key demographic segments in the short term, and to contribute to financial stability in the medium to long term

Assessing the impacts of various street-level characteristics on the burden of urban burglary in Kaduna, Nigeria

Evidence suggests that crimes committed in urban environments are geographically concentrated across a range of scales, and that the variation in rates of crime within an urban space is significantly dependent on the physical environment as well as the situation in which the crime takes place. However, these assertions are typically drawn from environmental criminological studies that have focussed on Euro-American cities and western intellectual perspectives. We seek to move beyond these by focussing on a second-tier city in sub-Saharan Africa (Kaduna, Nigeria), a context for which very little literature exists. This paper therefore examines the association between a range of street characteristics and the risk of residential burglary in Kaduna for the first time. It describes a methodology for conducting a household crime victimisation survey in Nigeria, and then aggregating the information to a street-level to perform a population-based ecological study. It integrates street network analysis and statistical modelling techniques in order to provide novel estimates for factors that may increase the risk of burglary such as street accessibility metrics (e.g. connectivity, betweenness and closeness centrality), segment length, socioeconomic status and business activities. Finally, the article provides a discussion on the plausibility and implication of findings within the sub-Saharan African context

The effect of board characteristics and life-cycle on corporate performance

This research investigates the effect of board characteristics and corporate life-cycle on the performance of listed firms in Ghana covering the period 2009–2018. The paper adopts the approach propounded by Dickinson (2011) to cater to proxy measures of firms’ life cycle stages. Using the pooled estimated generalized least squares (EGLS), the findings reveal that chief executive officer (CEO) tenure has a positive significant effect on performance. The presence of inside directors negatively and significantly influences performance. The results further indicate that at different levels of statistical significance, the various stages of the firm’s life cycle have a negative impact on the main dependent variable (ROA). With the alternative firm performance proxy (ROE), the results report that aside from the decline stage which negatively drives performance, the rest of the stages (i.e., introduction, growth, and maturity) have a positive influence on performance. However, only the growth and maturity stages exert a significant effect on performance. As part of the suggestions, the study proposes that firms should reduce the proportion of executive directors and appoint more non-executive directors to the board to boost performance. Also, firms should endeavor to increase investment in research and development at every stage of their production to ensure steady profit growth

Survival trends among people living with human immunodeficiency virus on antiretroviral treatment in two rural districts in Ghana

Background The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has caused a lot of havoc since the early 1970s, affecting 37.6 million people worldwide. The 90-90-90 treatment policy was adopted in Ghana in 2015 with the overall aim to end new infections by 2030, and to improve the life expectancy of HIV seropositive individuals. With the scale-up of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, the lifespan of People Living with HIV (PLWH) on antiretrovirals (ARVs) is expected to improve. In rural districts in Ghana, little is known about the survival probabilities of PLWH on ARVs. Hence, this study was conducted to estimate the survival trends of PLWH on ARVs. Methods A retrospective evaluation of data gathered across ARV centres within Tatale and Zabzugu districts in Ghana from 2016 to 2020 among PLWH on ARVs. A total of 261 participants were recruited for the study. The data was analyzed using STATA software version 16.0. Lifetable analysis and Kaplan-Meier graph were used to assess the survival probabilities. “Stptime” per 1000 person-years and the competing risk regression were used to evaluate mortality rates and risk. Results The cumulative survival probability was 0.8847 (95% CI: 0.8334–0.9209). The overall mortality rate was 51.89 (95% CI: 36.89–72.97) per 1000 person-years. WHO stage III and IV [AHR: 4.25 (95%CI: 1.6–9.71) p = 0.001] as well as age group (50+ years) [AHR: 5.02 (95% CI: 1.78–14.13) p = 0.002] were associated with mortality. Conclusion Survival probabilities were high among the population of PLWH in Tatale and Zabzugu with declining mortality rates. Clinicians should provide critical attention and care to patients at HIV WHO stages III and IV and intensify HIV screening at all entry points since early diagnosis is associated with high survival probabilities

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

The Use of Different Modes of Transportation Affects the Chemical Qualities of Watermelon Fruits (Citrullus lanatus [Thunb]) Transported from the Farm Gates in the Hinterlands to the Urban Markets in the Tamale Metropolis in the Northern Region of Ghana

The perishable nature of fruits and vegetables are a major concern to post harvest scientist. Postharvest handling practices particularly, mode of transportation is contributing to loss of essential chemical qualities of watermelon fruits. This study sought to identify the means of transport responsible for chemical damage in watermelons and also to assess watermelon varieties affected by these modes of transport in the Tamale Metropolis in Ghana. It revealed that watermelon conveyed by Kia Mini Truck (0.80 t) mode of transportation experienced the highest chemical damages (13.82 %) while watermelon conveyed by Mini Pick-up Truck recorded the least chemical damage (13.3%). It also showed that Sugar baby variety encountered the highest chemical damages (13.82%) while Crimson sweet variety recorded the lowest value (13.2 %) Keywords: Chemical qualities, Total tartritable acidity, Total soluble solids, and moisture DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/13-4-05 Publication date:March 31st 202

Nurses’ knowledge and attitudes regarding malnutrition in children and its management in Ghana

Background: Malnutrition contributes significantly to child morbidity and mortality. Nurses require appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes to prevent and treat malnutrition in children using appropriate guidelines or protocols. Objectives: The aim of this article was to assess nurses’ knowledge, attitudes towards malnutrition and its management using the World Health Organization (WHO) or United Nations International Children’s Fund guidelines for the treatment of severely malnourished children and to evaluate factors associated with their knowledge and attitudes. Methods: Participants included 104 nurses working in the outpatient and paediatric units or departments of four hospitals in Tamale metropolis. An 88-item questionnaire was used to measure nurses’ socio-demographic characteristics as well as their knowledge and attitudes towards malnutrition in children and its management using the WHO guidelines for the inpatient treatment of severely malnourished children. Results: Nurses’ knowledge in malnutrition and its management was slightly above average (54.0%), but their attitudes were highly positive. Factors that were associated with nurses’ knowledge were number of nutrition courses undertaken in nursing school, number of years working as a nurse, receipt of a refresher course on nutrition after school and receipt of training on the guidelines. Nurses’ attitudes were associated with report of having awareness on the guidelines, number of years a nurse has been involved in the treatment of a severely malnourished child. Conclusion: Nurses’ knowledge levels in the inpatient treatment of severely malnourished children were not desirable. However, their attitudes were generally positive. Receipt of previous training, awareness of the WHO guidelines, practice experience and number of years as a nurse significantly affected knowledge and attitude scores in the positive direction

Impact of thermophoretic transport of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles on viscoelastic flow of oil-based nanofluid over a porous exponentially stretching surface with activation energy

CITATION: Etwire, C. J., et al. 2019. Impact of thermophoretic transport of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles on viscoelastic flow of oil-based nanofluid over a porous exponentially stretching surface with activation energy. Engineering Transactions, 67(3):387-410, doi:10.24423/EngTrans.954.20190725.The original publication is available at http://et.ippt.pan.plThe influence of thermophoretic transport of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles on heat and mass trans- fer in viscoelastic flow of oil-based nanofluid past porous exponentially stretching surface with activation energy has been examined. Similarity technique was employed to transform the gov- erning partial differential equations into a coupled fourth-order ordinary differential equations which were reduced to a system of first-order ordinary differential equations and then solved numerically using the fourth-order Runge-Kutta algorithm with a shooting method. The re- sults for various controlling parameters were tabulated and graphically illustrated. It was found that the thermophoretic transport of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles did not affect the rate of flow and heat transfer at the surface but it affected the rate of mass transfer of the nanofluid which decayed the solutal boundary layer thickness. This study also revealed that activation energy retards the rate of mass transfer which causes a thickening of the solutal boundary layer.http://et.ippt.pan.pl/index.php/et/article/view/954Publisher's versio