Diversification of the Tourist Landscape on Ghana’s Atlantic Coast: Forts, Castles and Beach Hotel/Resort Operations in the Tourism Industry

European settlements, trans-Atlantic trade in commodities and slaves, and colonization are indispensable components of Ghana’s political history, heritage, and tourism industry. European forts and castles built as far back as 1482 still characterize the Atlantic coast of Ghana. Since March 6, 1957 when Ghana became the first sub-Sahara African country to gain political independence from European colonial rule, the country has faced many socio-economic and political challenges. Tourism did not receive significant political attention until the late 1990s. In more recent years, the industry has experienced remarkable growth and increasing operations of beach hotels and resorts on the Atlantic coast of the country. The beach hotels/resorts benefit economically from the forts and castles which are European ‘blackspots’ and destination-based cultural capital in the tourism industry. The degree of dependency of the tourism industry, in general, and the beach hotel/resort operations, in particular, on international tourists is overwhelming and highly susceptible to changes in the global tourism industry

A Farewell to Africa Rising, and other grand narratives on Africa

LSE’s Atta Addo discusses the impact of Ebola on the grand narrative on Africa

Maturation control of fresh fruits stored in modified atmosphere packages

Thesis (Ph. D. in Agriculture)--University of Tsukuba, (A), no. 2799, 2002.3.25Includes bibliographical reference

A 2-Question Summative Score Correlates with the Maslach Burnout Inventory

Introduction: There is a high prevalence of burnout among emergency medicine (EM) residents. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) is a widely used tool to measure burnout. The objective of this study was to compare the MBI-HSS and a two-question tool to determine burnout in the EM resident population.Methods: Based on data from the 2017 National Emergency Medicine Resident Wellness Survey study, we determined the correlation between two single-item questions with their respective MBI subscales and the full MBI-HSS. We then compared a 2-Question Summative Score to the full MBI-HSS with respect to primary, more restrictive, and more inclusive definitions of burnout previously reported in the literature.Results: Of 1,522 residents who completed the survey 37.0% reported “I feel burned out from my work,” and 47.1% reported “I have become more callous toward people since I took this job” once a week or more (each item >3 on a scale of 0-6). A 2-Question Summative Score totaling >3 correlated most closely with the primary definition of burnout (Spearman’s rho 0.65 [95% confidence interval 0.62-0.68]). Using the summative score, 77.7% of residents were identified as burned out, compared to 76.1% using the full MBI-HSS, with a sensitivity and specificity of 93.6% and 73.0%, respectively.Conclusion: An abbreviated 2-Question Summative Score correlates well with the full MBI-HSS tool in assessing EM resident physician burnout and could be considered a rapid screening tool to identify at-risk residents experiencing burnout

Insights to the European debt crisis using recurrence quantification and network analysis

URL des Documents de travail : http://centredeconomiesorbonne.univ-paris1.fr/documents-de-travail/Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne 2015.35 - ISSN : 1955-611XThe turmoil in the sovereign debt markets in Europe has raised concerns on the usefulness of sovereign credit default swaps and government bond yields in periods of distress. In addressing this issue, we introduce a novel nonlinear approach for the analysis of non-stationary multivariate data based on complex networks and recurrence analysis. We show the relevance of the approach in studying joint risk connections, extracting hidden spatial information, time dependence, detection of regime changes and providing early warning indicators. The feasibility and relevance of the approach in studying systemic risk is discussed. Finally, we share more light on possible extensions and applications of the approach to systemic risk.Les turbulences sur les marchés de la dette souveraine en Europe ont suscité les intérêts sur l'utilité des contrats d'échange sur risque de crédits (CDS) et des rendements sur les obligations d'État dans les périodes de crise. En examinant cette question, nous introduisons une nouvelle approche non linéaire pour l'analyse des données à variables multiples non-stationnaires, basée sur les réseaux complexes et l'analyse de récurrence. Nous montrons la pertinence de l'approche en étudiant les risques communs, en extrayant les informations spatiales cachées et la dépendance par rapport au temps, en détectant des changements de régime et en fournissant des indicateurs d'alerte précoce. La faisabilité et la pertinence de l'approche dans l'étude du risque systémique est discutée. Enfin, la lumière est faite sur d'éventuelles extensions et applications de l'approche du risque systémique

Performance and Perceptions of Pharmacy Students using Team-based Learning (TBL) within a Global Health Course

Purpose: Team-based learning (TBL) has been shown to be a very useful active learning tool in a variety of disciplines and educational settings. The objectives of this study in a Global Health elective course within a PharmD curriculum were to (1) determine whether TBL contributes to performance (as measured by iRAT scores, tRAT scores, and grades); and (2) evaluate students’ perceptions of TBL as an instructional strategy. Case Study: TBL sessions were incorporated into a new elective course in Global Health along with other teaching methodologies. Student performance was evaluated during the TBL sessions and course team projects, among others. An anonymous student qualitative survey explored their perceptions of and experiences with TBL at the end of the course. Students’ performance in the TBL sessions improved as reflected in the comparison of individual Readiness Assurance Tests (iRATs) and the team Readiness Assurance Tests (tRATs) scores. Overall students’ performance in the course resulted in over 88% earning the letter grade A. Students’ performance in the TBL sessions, especially their iRATs, was reflected in their overall course grades. Over 75% of the students believed that TBL increased their analytical skills and nearly 50% believed that learning utilizing TBL would have the most lasting effect on their careers. Conclusion: TBL was successfully implemented in a Global Health elective course in a PharmD curriculum and students perceived it as a beneficial instructional strategy. This study adds to the TBL literature by providing some evidence of the applicability of TBL in a course not traditionally taught in the PharmD curriculum (i.e., Global Health). Future research and intervention(s) leading to the development and growth of TBL in pharmacy education are recommended

The influence of fillers on theophylline release from clay matrices

Abstract: The objectives of this study were to investigate the suitability of magnesium aluminium silicate (MAS) (Veegum®) to control drug release of a model drug, theophylline, from tablet matrices. To this end, the performance of three commonly used fillers namely: lactose, microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel PH102; MCC), and pre-gelatinized starch, Starch 1500 PGS), were evaluated against Veegum®. The physico-mechanical properties of the tablet matrices were studied along with dissolution studies to determine the effect of single or binary mixtures of the excipients on the drug release pattern. A DSC hydration methodology was also employed to characterize the states of water present in the tablet matrices and to determine any impact on drug release. Formulations containing MAS alone produced compacts with the lowest hardness (4.5 kp) whereas formulations containing MCC alone produced the hardest tablets (17.2 kp). Dissolution studies suggested that matrices containing MAS alone released the theophylline quickest as compared to lactose, MCC or PGS. It was difficult to establish a trend of the bound and free water states in the tablet matrices; however the formulation containing only MAS had the highest bound water at 29 %. The results therefore show that theophylline does not interact with MAS. As such the dominant factor in controlling drug release using MAS requires interaction or intercalation with a cationic drug. In the absence of this however, other excipients can play a role in controlling drug release. Keywords: Veegum, clay matrices, DSC hydration, Magnesium aluminium silicate, filler

Optimizing human pulmonary perfusion measurement using an in silico model of arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging.

Arterial spin labeling (ASL) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an imaging methodology that uses blood as an endogenous contrast agent to quantify flow. One limitation of this method of capillary blood quantification when applied in the lung is the contribution of signals from non-capillary blood. Intensity thresholding is one approach that has been proposed for minimizing the non-capillary blood signal. This method has been tested in previous in silico modeling studies; however, it has only been tested under a restricted set of physiological conditions (supine posture and a cardiac output of 5 L/min). This study presents an in silico approach that extends previous intensity thresholding analysis to estimate the optimal "per-slice" intensity threshold value using the individual components of the simulated ASL signal (signal arising independently from capillary blood as well as pulmonary arterial and pulmonary venous blood). The aim of this study was to assess whether the threshold value should vary with slice location, posture, or cardiac output. We applied an in silico modeling approach to predict the blood flow distribution and the corresponding ASL quantification of pulmonary perfusion in multiple sagittal imaging slices. There was a significant increase in ASL signal and heterogeneity (COV = 0.90 to COV = 1.65) of ASL signals when slice location changed from lateral to medial. Heterogeneity of the ASL signal within a slice was significantly lower (P = 0.03) in prone (COV = 1.08) compared to in the supine posture (COV = 1.17). Increasing stroke volume resulted in an increase in ASL signal and conversely an increase in heart rate resulted in a decrease in ASL signal. However, when cardiac output was increased via an increase in both stroke volume and heart rate, ASL signal remained relatively constant. Despite these differences, we conclude that a threshold value of 35% provides optimal removal of large vessel signal independent of slice location, posture, and cardiac output

Steaming between the Islands: Nineteenth-Century Maritime Networks and the Caribbean Archipelago

Recent scholarship, particularly in “new” imperial studies, has underscored the role of networks in shaping imperial projects. A networked approach offers a useful lens through which to analyse nineteenth-century steamship services, and in this paper I draw on such a perspective to focus on the operations of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (RMSPC). Importantly the RMSPC, unlike some of the other British Government mail-contract holding lines, operated across an archipelago as well as an ocean. In probing the significance of the RMSPC’s archipelagic context for the maritime network, this paper draws on a theoretical intersection between networked approaches to empire and island studies. I suggest that an examination of the maritime network through an archipelagic lens brings to the fore colonial priorities, imperatives and hierarchies that can appear flattened out through a networked approach alone. I argue for an archipelagic framing of analysis in order to heighten the local and regional significance of this transportation infrastructure, in effect foregrounding the relationship between the maritime service and mobilities in the Caribbean