Oil yields for Allanblackia parviflora (tallow tree) in Ghana: the effects of oil extraction methods, tree morphology and environmental characteristics

This study provided understanding of the oil yields from Allanblackia parviflora fruits in Ghana. The study sought patterns of variations in oil yield between 157 trees, 16 communities and 3 ecological zones. Ecological zone and soil properties were considered as surrogates for growing conditions associated with tree and fruit morphology. Kernel and seed oil yields were determined using the manual screw press ranged from 31.3 to 61.8% and 0.2 to 36.8%, respectively. Large variations were observed between individual trees, and significant oil yield differences were observed between the 16 communities. There were no relationships between oil yields and soil properties, even though tree-to-tree differences were observed. The farmers’ estimated ages of the trees predicted kernel oil yields: very young and very old trees revealed medium and low kernel oil yields, respectively. Kernel oil yields were also seen to be influenced by ecological zone. Most of the low kernel oil yielding trees were identified in the semi deciduous forest zone (SD), and more trees in wet evergreen forest zone (W) were identified as very high kernel oil yielding trees. Trees selection for domestication can be based on tree phenotype and providing environmental conditions similar to the wet evergreen forest zone

Actualising women’s participation in politics and governance in Africa: the case of Kenya and Ghana

ABSTRACT: Almost two decades into the 21st century, women are still not accorded a place of prominence in politics and governance, particularly in Africa. Using the examples of Kenya and Ghana, this article undertakes a critical analysis of the implementation of women’s right to participation in political and decision-making processes in Africa with a view to highlighting progress made, challenges faced and possible solutions to these challenges. Women’s right to participation in political life is enshrined in article 9 of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (African Women’s Rights Protocol). The article argues that while some progress has been made towards implementing the above right, much more still needs to be done to achieve effective and transformative participation by women. The progress revealed is mainly in the domestication by national laws of the relevant international obligations. However, the article also notes a significant disconnect between the normative framework and actual participation of women. The two case studies expose an unimpressive lack of political will and persistent societal perceptions, together contributing to the failure to move beyond codification of laws to improvements in actual practice. With lessons learnt from these two countries, this article argues for collaborative effort among African countries to promote genuine intra-Africa learning allowing African states to share experiences, consolidate gains and innovate around common challenges. By so doing, African states can consolidate efforts towards breaking the current inertia and accelerate the actual implementation of article 9 of the African Women’s Rights Protocol. Overall, the article cast a spotlight on the need to refocus debates from standard-setting to actual implementation necessary to achieve transformative equality.   TITRE ET RÉSUMÉ EN FRANÇAIS: Actualiser la participation des femmes à la vie politique et à la gouvernance en Afrique: le cas du Kenya et du Ghana RÉSUMÉ: Presque deux décennies après le début du XXIe siècle, les femmes ne se voient toujours pas accorder une place prépondérante dans la vie politique et dans la gouvernance, en particulier en Afrique. En prenant les exemples du Kenya et du Ghana, le présent article entreprend une analyse critique de la mise en œuvre du droit des femmes à participer aux processus politiques et décisionnels en Afrique afin de souligner les progrès réalisés, les défis rencontrés et les solutions possibles à ces défis. Le droit des femmes à participer à la vie politique est prévu par l’article 9 du Protocole à la Charte africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples relatif aux droits des femmes en Afrique (Protocole relatif aux droits des femmes en Afrique). L’article fait valoir que si certains progrès ont été enregistrés dans la mise en œuvre de ce droit, il reste encore beaucoup à faire pour que les femmes puissent participer de manière efficace et transformatrice. Les progrès réalisés concernent principalement l’incorporation dans les législations nationales des obligations internationales pertinentes. Cependant, l’article note également un décalage important entre le cadre normatif et la participation effective des femmes. Les deux études de cas révèlent un manque de volonté politique et des perceptions sociétales persistantes qui contribuent à l’incapacité d’aller au-delà de la codification des lois pour améliorer la pratique réelle. Sur la base de leçons tirées de ces deux pays, l’article plaide en faveur d’un effort collaboratif entre les pays africains pour promouvoir un véritable apprentissage intraafricain permettant aux Etats de partager leurs expériences, de consolider leurs acquis et d’innover concernant les défis communs. Ce faisant, les États africains peuvent consolider leurs efforts pour mettre un terme à l’inertie actuelle et accélérer la mise en œuvre effective de l’article 9 du Protocole relatif aux droits des femmes en afrique. En somme, l’article a mis en lumière la nécessité de recentrer les débats sur le movement necéssaire de la normalisation à la mise en œuvre effective pour parvenir à l’égalité transformative

Developing digital twins of urban low‐income communities in Sub‐Saharan Africa: a case study in Ghana

Low-income urban and rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa are habitats for more than 556 million profoundly poor people, and the United Nations and the African Union are pessimistic that sustainable development goals will be met. The number of people falling into poverty is increasing, and policy initiatives to reduce poverty have been confounded by various economic, political, social, structural, and environmental issues. Despite a wealth of natural and human assets, there is no systematic approach to sustainable development for poverty alleviation in Sub-Saharan Africa. This case study of an urban community in Ghana, West Africa, investigates the potential role of digital twins in a systematic approach to sustainable development for poverty alleviation. Aerial and community surveys of the built environment and social and economic surveys of businesses and households were compiled to inform a virtual representation of the study area. A small e-commerce business intervention was introduced, and data was recorded for studies on the impact of the intervention. A 3D interactive view, extensive video, and fixed images provided a comprehensive view of the built environment. A limited view of the social and economic environment was obtained from a small population sample. It was observed that online transactions increased in the businesses receiving the e-commerce intervention, demonstrating a willingness of businesses and their customers to engage in e-commerce when incentives are provided. A single successful community-centric initiative has little value unless it can be generalized across the broader society. This limited case study focused on developing and testing virtual and physical constructs to enhance a deeper understanding of the community, community engagement, and pathways to sustainability. The scale of the intervention was too small to conclude generalizability. Future research will focus on improving the data collection processes, fidelity of virtual representations, visualization methods, and methodologies for constructing viable virtual interventions

Challenges to gaining informed consent in a low-income urban community in Ghana: A case study of Tetegu, Weija Gbawe

There is a lack of data describing the physical, social, economic, and environmental conditions of low-income communities in Sub-Saharan African cities. Research to obtain this data requires informed consent from business owners and heads of households. This case study focuses on a small enclave of approximately 150 households and associated businesses and community services in Tetegu, Accra, Ghana. Low-altitude aerial and terrestrial surveys were conducted to identify all structures, business types, and occupancy levels of households. A sample of businesses and households were purposively chosen as potential participants in the study. Interviews were conducted and informed consent procedures were followed in accordance with the ethics approval. Data was collected online using a computer tablet and informed consent was recorded electronically. Language and literacy barriers required considerable patience when presenting the scope of the research and participants’ roles and rights. Distrust of researchers, resentment, indifference, and aggressive behavior towards researchers were encountered. Other challenges included health and safety concerns and the quality of telecommunication services. Informed consent was obtained from more than 30% of households and 10% of businesses. The research outcomes may not represent other urban low-income communities in Accra or other cities in Ghana, West Africa, or Sub-Saharan Africa

Аудіовізуальні особливості пейзажистики ранніх балад Т. Шевченка

(uk) У статті осмислюються аудіовізуальні особливості пейзажотворення в ранній творчості Тараса Шевченка. На матеріалі балад «Причинна», «Тополя», «Утоплена» розглядається сугестивна майстерність поета, здатність до живописання словом, створення ілюзії присутності реципієнта в художньому світі твору.(en) Audiovisual features of the landscape descriptionin the early Shevchenko’s ballads. The paper interprets audiovisual features of the landscape description in the early works of Taras Shevchenko. Suggestive poetic skill, capability of word skill, creating the illusion of recipient’s presence in the worldof the art works are considered on the material of the ballads "The Girl under a Spell", "Poplar", "A Drowned Girl"

Actualising women’s participation in politics and governance in Africa: The case of Kenya and Ghana

Almost two decades into the 21st century, women are still not accorded a place of prominence in politics and governance, particularly in Africa. Using the examples of Kenya and Ghana, this article undertakes a critical analysis of the implementation of women’s right to participation in political and decision-making processes in Africa with a view to highlighting progress made, challenges faced and possible solutions to these challenges. Women’s right to participation in political life is enshrined in article 9 of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (African Women’s Rights Protocol). The article argues that while some progress has been made towards implementing the above right, much more still needs to be done to achieve effective and transformative participation by women. The progress revealed is mainly in the domestication by national laws of the relevant international obligations. However, the article also notes a significant disconnect between the normative framework and actual participation of women. The two case studies expose an unimpressive lack of political will and persistent societal perceptions, together contributing to the failure to move beyond codification of laws to improvements in actual practice. With lessons learnt from these two countries, this article argues for collaborative effort among African countries to promote genuine intra-Africa learning allowing African states to share experiences, consolidate gains and innovate around common challenges. By so doing, African states can consolidate efforts towards breaking the current inertia and accelerate the actual implementation of article 9 of the African Women’s Rights Protocol. Overall, the article cast a spotlight on the need to refocus debates from standard-setting to actual implementation necessary to achieve transformative equality

DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF TUTORS ON THE INTEGRATION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION

The purpose of the study was to examine demographic characteristics of tutors on the integration of information and communication technology in teaching and learning in the Colleges of Education in Ghana. The descriptive survey design was used to conduct the study. The purposive sampling technique was used in the selection process. The sample size was 120 tutors. Independent sample t-test and One-way ANOVA were used to analyze the data. The findings showed that there is a significant difference between male and female tutors in their use of ICTs in teaching and learning in the public Colleges of Education in Ghana. The findings revealed that there is no significant difference between tutors with different age and their integration of ICT in teaching and learning. The findings again, indicated that there is no significant difference between the level of academic qualification and the use of ICTs among tutors. The results revealed that there is a significant difference between the use of ICTs among tutors based on their teaching experience. The study recommended that female tutors who could not effectively integrate ICT into the teaching and learning should be identified and supported to integrate ICT into the teaching of the subject. The study recommended that appropriate pedagogical models suitable for the integration of ICTs in teaching and learning should be developed by curriculum designers to assist tutors in their urge to employ them in the teaching and learning process. The study again, recommended that management of the public Colleges of Education in Ghana should seek sponsorship from internet service providers in Ghana to provide free or affordable and reliable internet connectivity in the colleges to facilitate effective use of ICTs in the teaching and learning in the Colleges of Education. Article visualizations

Aptamers as theranostic agents: modifications, serum stability and functionalisation

Aptamers, and the selection process known as Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) used to generate them, were first described more than twenty years ago. Since then, there have been numerous modifications to the selectionprocedures. This review discusses the use of modified bases as a means of enhancing serum stability and producing effective therapeutic tools, as well as functionalising these nucleic acids to be used as potential diagnostic agents

Academic Self-Concept and Academic Performance of College of Education Students

The study examined academic self-concepts (ASC) and academic performance of College of Education students in Ghana. The descriptive survey design was adopted using a sample of 229 students. An original ASC scale by Liu &Wang (2005) was adopted and used for the study. Independent sample T-test and multiple linear regression were the tools used in testing the hypotheses. The findings of the study showed that there is no statistically significant gender difference in ASC of College of Education students. The study further revealed that ASC did not predict academic performance of College of Education students. The study recommends that, stakeholders such as teachers and parents must consider a variety of factors that can influence the development of a healthy ASC and must also encourage, monitor, and supervise students to put in some effort in their studies because effort promotes academic performance. The study again, recommends that academicians should hold workshops and seminars to students in developing a stronger self-concept so that they can improve their abilities and lead a successful life in the future. Students with low ASC may benefit from counseling sessions in order to enhance their academic standing. It may be suggested that curriculum designers pay attention to the relevance of self-concept and create courses that will encourage students to think critically and thoroughly in order to improve their self-concept. Keywords: key words, academic self-concepts and academic performance DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-24-06 Publication date:August 31st 202

Study of the Molecular Recognition of Aptamers Selected through Ovarian Cancer Cell-SELEX

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy, and the ovarian clear cell carcinoma subtype (OCCA) demonstrates a particularly poor response to standard treatment. Improvements in ovarian cancer outcomes, especially for OCCA, could be expected from a clearer understanding of the molecular pathology that might guide strategies for earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment.Cell-SELEX technology was employed to develop new molecular probes for ovarian cancer cell surface markers. A total of thirteen aptamers with K(d)'s to ovarian cancer cells in the pico- to nanomolar range were obtained. Preliminary investigation of the targets of these aptamers and their binding characteristics was also performed.We have selected a series of aptamers that bind to different types of ovarian cancer, but not cervical cancer. Though binding to other cancer cell lines was observed, these aptamers could lead to identification of biomarkers that are related to cancer