An Econometric Investigation of the Determinants of Fossil Fuel Consumption: A Multivariate Approach for Ghana

The study examines the long run and short run determinants of fossil fuel consumption in Ghana for 1970-2011 period by using Autoregressive distributed lad model (ARDL). The bound test for cointegration produced no evidence of cointegration among the variables. There are no statistical significant long run and short run parameters for the fossil fuel consumption function for Ghana. The results suggest macro variables such as income, price, trade openness, investment, money supply, and government expenditure do not play observable role in fossil fuel consumption. As such, they could not be relied on as a policy tool to manage fossil fuel consumption. Future study should consider the issue of structural breaks and the direction of causality

Fresh University Students and Phone Use Preferences: The Perception of a Public University in Ghana

The current study was a case study in one of the public universities in Ghana to ascertain phone acquisition and use tendencies of first year university students in their first semester of university education. A sample size of 300 was used for the study. The findings indicated that all the 300 (100%) students had phones whilst 223 (74.3%) of them had smartphones with internet functionality. It was found out that there was a significant difference between first year university students’ time spent on phones, based on age. Again, there was a significant negative correlation between first year university students’ time spent on phones based on their age. Further, the study revealed that first year university students were more likely to spend one semester (four months) on their phones in a four-year programme. The implications for practice have been discussed. Keywords: cell phones use, classroom, phone acquisition, time, first year students

An Econometric Investigation of the Determinants of Fossil Fuel Consumption: A Multivariate Approach for Ghana

The study examines the long run and short run determinants of fossil fuel consumption in Ghana for 1970-2011 period by using Autoregressive distributed lad model (ARDL). The bound test for cointegration produced no evidence of cointegration among the variables. There are no statistical significant long run and short run parameters for the fossil fuel consumption function for Ghana. The results suggest macro variables such as income, price, trade openness, investment, money supply, and government expenditure do not play observable role in fossil fuel consumption. As such, they could not be relied on as a policy tool to manage fossil fuel consumption. Future study should consider the issue of structural breaks and the direction of causality

Analytic Study Of The Trend Of Ghanas GDP Before And After Re-basing

The fourth republican constitution came into force in 1993. Ghana statistical Service also re-based Ghanas GDP in the same year. From 1993 to 2005, the average GDP growth rate was about 4.3%. Within the period of 1993 and 2005, Ghana was still below the lower middle income level. Another re-basing took place in 2006. It is now believed that we are in the lower middle income level. The study was conducted to develop mathematical models to predict the trend of Ghanas GDP before re-basing and after re-basing in 2006, use the models before and after re-basing to predict the future trend in Ghanas GDP growth, compare our GDP growth before re-basing and after re-basing, to determine whether or not, there are fluctuations in our GDP growth and predict Ghanas per capita income status in 2015. Data on Ghanas GDP were collected from the Statistical Service Department. The GDP figures from 1993-1995 and from 1996-2010 were plotted separately on graphs. A function whose graph best fits each trend was found using regression analysis. It was observed that Ghanas GDP trends before and after re-basing was exponential. There were also no fluctuations in the growth of the economy. Ghana may still be in the lower middle income status by 2015

An Econometric Investigation of Forecasting Premium Fuel

For a sustainable economic development, premium fuel forecasting is becoming increasingly relevant to policy makers and consumers. The current paper develops a structural econometric model of premium fuel using the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) to analyse and forecast premium demand. The results show that the ARIMA models (1, 1, 0); (0, 1, 1) and (1, 1, 1) are the appropriate identified order. The estimated models included a constant term. All the coefficients of the variables in the model except the constant term were significant. The diagnostic checking of the estimated model shows ARIMA (1, 1, 1) as the best fitted model since all the series were randomly distributed. The data for the forecast covers the period 2000:01 to 2011:12. The results indicated that the forecasted values fitted the actual consumption of the energy variables since the forecasted values insignificantly underestimate the actual consumption and thus indicate consistency of the results. The evaluation statistics indicate that the estimated models are suitable for forecasting. The model developed in the work is helpful to the energy sector and policy makers in making energy related decisions and investigating the changes in premium demand.  Keywords: Premium fuel; ARIMA; Forecasting JEL Classifications: C51; C52; C53; E17; Q4

A sero-epidemiological approach to explore transmission of Mycobacterium ulcerans

The debilitating skin disease Buruli ulcer (BU) is caused by infection with Mycobacterium ulcerans. While various hypotheses on potential reservoirs and vectors of M. ulcerans exist, the mode of transmission has remained unclear. Epidemiological studies have indicated that children below the age of four are less exposed to the pathogen and at lower risk of developing BU than older children. In the present study we compared the age at which children begin to develop antibody responses against M. ulcerans with the age pattern of responses to other pathogens transmitted by various mechanisms. A total of 1,352 sera from individuals living in the BU endemic Offin river valley of Ghana were included in the study. While first serological responses to the mosquito transmitted malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and to soil transmitted Strongyloides helminths emerged around the age of one and two years, sero-conversion for M. ulcerans and for the water transmitted trematode Schistosoma mansoni occurred at around four and five years, respectively. Our data suggest that exposure to M. ulcerans intensifies strongly at the age when children start to have more intense contact with the environment, outside the small movement range of young children. Further results from our serological investigations in the Offin river valley also indicate ongoing transmission of Treponema pallidum, the causative agent of yaws

Non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections-A neglected and emerging problem

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous dwellers of environmental niches and are an established cause of natural and nosocomial infections. The incidence of NTM infections is rising owing to a growing population of immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals, complex medical and surgical procedures, as well as increased awareness and diagnostic capabilities. The prevalence of different NTM varies between continents, regions, and countries. The true global burden of pulmonary and extrapulmonary disease is unknown and estimates are subject to under and/or over-estimation. Diagnosis requires confirmation by isolation of NTM along with clinical and radiological criteria, which may be suboptimal at all levels. Susceptibility testing is complex and clinical breakpoints are not available for many of the drugs. Frequently, NTM infections are not considered until late in the course of disease. Improved and rapid detection of tuberculosis cases in high-burden countries has, however, also brought NTM infections into the limelight, and has identified a need for research efforts towards rapid diagnostic tests and the identification of biomarkers to monitor the treatment response in patients with NTM infections

Spatiotemporal co-existence of two Mycobacterium ulcerans clonal complexes in the Offin River Valley of Ghana

In recent years, comparative genome sequence analysis of African Mycobacterium ulcerans strains isolated from Buruli ulcer (BU) lesion specimen has revealed a very limited genetic diversity of closely related isolates and a striking association between genotype and geographical origin of the patients. Here, we compared whole genome sequences of five M. ulcerans strains isolated in 2004 or 2013 from BU lesions of four residents of the Offin river valley with 48 strains isolated between 2002 and 2005 from BU lesions of individuals residing in the Densu river valley of Ghana. While all M. ulcerans isolates from the Densu river valley belonged to the same clonal complex, members of two distinct clonal complexes were found in the Offin river valley over space and time. The Offin strains were closely related to genotypes from either the Densu region or from the Asante Akim North district of Ghana. These results point towards an occasional involvement of a mobile reservoir in the transmission of M. ulcerans, enabling the spread of bacteria across different regions

Blue Skies research is essential for ending the Tuberculosis pandemic and advancing a personalized medicine approach for holistic management of Respiratory Tract infections

Objectives: Investments into ‘blue skies’ fundamental TB research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have not been forthcoming. We highlight why blue skies research will be essential for achieving global TB control and eradicating TB. // Methods: We review the historical background to early TB discovery research and give examples of where investments into basic science and fundamental ‘blue skies research’ are delivering novel data and approaches to advance diagnosis, management and holistic care for patients with active and latent TB infection. // Findings: The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that making available adequate funding for priority investments into ‘Blue skies research’ to delineate scientific understanding of a new infectious diseases threat to global health security can lead to rapid development and rollout of new diagnostic platforms, treatments, and vaccines. Several advances in new TB diagnostics, new treatments and vaccine development are underpinned by basic science research. // Conclusions: Basic science research focused can pave the way for a personalized medicine approach for management of TB and other Respiratory Tract Infections and preventing long-term functional disability. Transfer of skills and resources by wealthier nations is required to empower researchers in LMICs countries to engage in and lead basic science ‘blue skies research

Relevance of genomic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in Africa

BACKGROUND: The diversity in the lineages of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) was initially considered insignificant. However, comparative genomics analysis of MTBC have found genomic variation among the genotypes with potential phenotypic implications. OBJECTIVE: Therefore, this viewpoint seeks to discuss the impact of the identified genotypic diversity on the physiology of MTBC and the potential implications on TB control. RESULTS: Studies conducted in West Africa and other parts of Africa have unravelled the implications of the genomic diversity on phenotypes such as disease outcome, transmission dynamics and host immune response. The understanding of the phenotypic diversity among the different lineages of MTBC may be an important key to the fight against TB. CONCLUSION: The relevance of these differences has been observed in the design of new control tools such as diagnostics and anti-TB drugs/vaccines. This only points to the fact that the diversity in MTBC cannot be ignored in future studies especially clinical trials for new vaccines and new anti-TB drugs