CSO and Media Contributions to the Fight Against Corruption in Ghana’s Extractive Sector: A Political Economy Analysis

Estimates show that Ghana losses approximately 30 percent of domestic revenue to corruption. Although losses due to corruption in Ghana’s extractive sector have not yet been quantified, the sector is plagued with incidents of corruption despite the country's commitment to international conventions, transparency mechanisms and best practices. A concerted efforts by state and non-actors is key to ease this canker. Understanding the role of CSOs and media in exposing corruption, promoting oversight and identifying the enablers and obstacles to their work is key to informing practise in the development space. This study examines the role of CSOs and media in the fight against extractive sector corruption. It identifies political economy factors that enable or hinder them in exposing corruption. Lastly, it identifies practical suggestions for surmounting the identified adverse political and economic factors. The research examines two cases of corruption, based on a desktop review and a survey of 11 state and non-state actors. A direct association between the role of CSOs and media and the level of corruption were established. Coalition building, using legal suits, sustaining advocacy, collaborations between media and CSOs are some enabling political economy factors identified. Inadequate resources to sustain advocacy, excessive duplicity of roles amongst oversight institutions, vested interests in extractive sector, inadequate prosecution of offenders by the legal system, inadequate evidence-based policy solutions by government, inadequate political will, limited access to information; little or no funding for legal action, increasing CSO and media employee turnover rates, are identified as some key political economy factors militating against efforts towards stemming corruption in Ghana’s extractive sector. These findings provide reliable information for CSOs and media in development practice, informs advocacy design, evaluates and improves media and CSO effectiveness in ridding the extractive sector of corruption.

Dynamic changes in mRNA nucleocytoplasmic localization in the nitrate response of Arabidopsis roots

Nitrate is a signaling molecule that regulates gene expression in plants. The nitrate response has been extensively characterized at the transcriptome level. However, we know little about RNA nucleocytoplasmic dynamics during nitrate response. To understand the role of mRNA localization during the nitrate response, we isolated mRNA from the nucleus, cytoplasm, and whole-cells from nitrate-treated Arabidopsis roots and performed RNA-seq. We identified 402 differentially localized transcripts (DLTs) in response to nitrate. DLTs were enriched in GO-terms related to metabolism, response to stimulus, and transport. DLTs showed five localization patterns: nuclear reduction, cytoplasmic reduction, nuclear accumulation, cytoplasmic accumulation, or delayed-cytoplasmic accumulation in response to nitrate. DLTs exhibited large changes in RNA polymerase II occupancy of cognate genes and high mRNA turnover rates, indicating these are rapidly replaced mRNAs. The NITRATE REDUCTASE 1 (NIA1) transcript exhibited the largest changes in synthesis and decay. Using single-molecule RNA FISH, we showed that NIA1 nuclear accumulation occurs mainly at transcription sites. The decay profiles for NIA1 showed a higher half-life when the transcript accumulated in the nucleus than in the cytoplasm. We propose that regulating nucleocytoplasmic mRNA distribution allows tuning transcript availability of fastly replaced mRNAs, controlling plants' adaptive response to nitrogen nutrient signals.

Social-Emotional Learning, Awareness, and Strategies for Teachers

It is no secret that education systems across the country are experiencing a dramatic teacher shortage and that burnout and turnover rates for educational professionals is at an all-time high. In addition to every state suffering from a teacher shortage, teacher preparation programs have also seen critical decline in enrollment. Currently in the United States, teacher retention rates are extremely low nationally, with only 50% of new teachers remaining in classrooms after five years. While there are many external factors such as low starting salaries, lack of adequate resources, and negative working conditions that contribute to teacher mobility or people leaving the profession altogether. This chapter explores how fostering emotional resilience in novice educators can help to increase skilled coping strategies when faced with challenging situations, enhance career satisfaction, and translate into greater teacher retention.

A modern baseline for the paired isotopic analysis of skin and bone in terrestrial mammals

We present the isotopic discrimination between paired skin and bone collagen from animals of known life history, providing a modern baseline for the interpretation of archaeological isotopic data. At present, the interpretation of inter-tissue variation (Δ (skin–bone) ) in mummified remains is based on comparisons with other archaeological material, which have attributed divergence to their contrasting turnover rates, with rapidly remodelling skin collagen incorporating alterations in environmental, cultural and physiological conditions in the months prior to death. While plausible, the lack of baseline data from individuals with known life histories has hindered evaluation of the explanations presented. Our analysis of a range of animals raised under a variety of management practices showed a population-wide trend for skin collagen to be depleted in 13 C by –0.7‰ and enriched in 15 N by +1.0‰ relative to bone collagen, even in stillborn animals. These results are intriguing and difficult to explain using current knowledge; however, on the basis of the findings reported here, we caution any results which interpret simply on differing turnover rates. We hypothesize that there may be a consistent difference in the routing of dietary protein and lipids between skin and bone, with potentially on-site synthesis of non-essential amino acids using carbon and nitrogen that have been sourced via different biochemical pathways.

Who Leads Turnaround Schools? Characteristics of Principals in Tennessee's Achievement School District and Innovation Zones

Purpose: While previous research has examined the impact of school turnaround models, less is known about the principals who lead these turnaround schools. This study examines the personal demographics, experience, educational background, prior school performance, salaries, and turnover of principals who led two turnaround models in Tennessee's lowest performing schools: a state-run Achievement School District (ASD) that has not yielded positive nor negative effects and local Innovation Zones (iZones) that averaged positive effects on student achievement over six years. Methods: We analyze longitudinal, administrative data from the Tennessee Department of Education from 2006–2007 to 2017–2018 to compare pre- and post-reform means and trends in principal characteristics between ASD, iZone, and similarly low-performing comparison schools. Results: ASD schools had higher principal turnover rates and lost principals whose schools performed higher while iZone schools retained more principals and lost principals whose schools performed lower. Moreover, iZone schools employed more experienced principals, more Black principals, and principals with higher graduate degree attainment and paid their principals more than ASD schools. Salary differences between ASD and iZone schools were not explained by principals’ characteristics, such as years of experience. Implications: Our findings reveal differences in leadership characteristics between iZone and ASD schools that were consistent with differences in the effectiveness of the two turnaround approaches.

Efek Kepuasan Kerja Dalam Mempengaruhi Komitmen Organisasi Karyawan

Karyawan sebagai sumber daya satu-satunya yang memiliki pengetahuan, kreativitas, dan logika, menjadikan karyawan sebagai sumber daya yang memiliki peran utama dalam menjalankan suatu perusahaan serta mengelola organisasi tersebut agar dapat mencapai tujuan-tujuannya. Sayangnya, di masa ini jika dihitung secara kuantitas maka karyawan dengan tingkat komitmen organisasi yang rendah masih banyak. Hal ini dapat mengakibatkan berbagai kerugian terhadap perusahaan seperti kurangnya motivasi kerja, sering absen serta tingkat turnover yang tinggi. Salah satu faktor yang dapat memberi pengaruh atau influence terhadap tingkat komitmen organisasi adalah dengan meningkatkan kepuasan kerja karyawan. Untuk membuktikan sendiri korelasi antara kedua variabel tersebut, penelitian ini mengandalkan data yang didapatkan dari 102 karyawan PT. Leomas Anugerah Bersaudara dengan metodologi kuantitatif. Penelitian ini bertekad untuk mengetahui hubungan dan sebesar apakah dampak dari kepuasan kerja dalam mempengaruhi komitmen organisasi. Data yang didapatkan dari skala, kemudian dites dengan memanfaatkan korelasi Pearson Product Moment yang dibarengi dengan bantuan dari IBM SPSS Statistics 23 sebagai akomodasi pengujian hipotesis dimana hasil membuktikan terdapat korelasi yang positif antara kepuasan kerja terhadap komitmen organisasi. Employees as the only resources equipped with knowledge, creativity, and logic, make employees had a major role in running a company and managing the organization in ordered to achieve its goals. Unfortunately, many employees had low organizational commitment. This could result in various losses to the company such as lack of motivation, absent and high turnover rates. There were several factors that could affect organizational commitment, one of which was by increasing employee job satisfaction. To attest the correlation between the two variables, this study relied on data obtained from 102 employees of PT. Leomas Anugerah Bersaudara with quantitative methodology. This study was determined to prove the relationship and how big the impact of job satisfaction in influencing organizational commitment. The data acquired from the scale, then tested using the Pearson Product Moment correlation accompanied by assistance from IBM SPSS Statistics 23 as an accommodation for hypothesis testing where the results prove that there was a positive correlation between job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

Harmonizing labeling and analytical strategies to obtain protein turnover rates in intact adult animals.

Changes in the abundance of individual proteins in the proteome can be elicited by modulation of protein synthesis (the rate of input of newly synthesized proteins into the protein pool) or degradation (the rate of removal of protein molecules from the pool). A full understanding of proteome changes therefore requires a definition of the roles of these two processes in proteostasis, collectively known as protein turnover. Because protein turnover occurs even in the absence of overt changes in pool abundance, turnover measurements necessitate monitoring the flux of stable isotope labeled precursors through the protein pool such as labeled amino acids or metabolic precursors such as ammonium chloride or heavy water. In cells in culture, the ability to manipulate precursor pools by rapid medium changes is simple, but for more complex systems such as intact animals, the approach becomes more convoluted. Individual methods bring specific complications, and the suitability of different methods has not been comprehensively explored. In this study we compare the turnover rates of proteins across four mouse tissues, obtained from the same inbred mouse strain maintained under identical husbandry conditions, measured using either [13C6]lysine or [2H2]O as the labeling precursor. We show that for long-lived proteins, the two approaches yield essentially identical measures of the first order rate constant for degradation. For short-lived proteins, there is a need to compensate for the slower equilibration of lysine through the precursor pools. We evaluate different approaches to provide that compensation. We conclude that both labels are suitable, but careful determination of precursor enrichment kinetics in amino acid labeling is critical and has a considerable influence on the numerical values of the derived protein turnover rates.

Regulation of mitochondrial proteostasis by the proton gradient

Mitochondria adapt to different energetic demands reshaping their proteome. Mitochondrial proteases are emerging as key regulators of these adaptive processes. Here, we use a multi-proteomic approach to demonstrate regulation of the m-AAA protease AFG3L2 by the mitochondrial proton gradient, coupling mitochondrial protein turnover to the energetic status of mitochondria. We identify TMBIM5 (previously also known as GHITM or MICS1) as a Ca2+/H+ exchanger in the mitochondrial inner membrane, which binds to and inhibits the m-AAA protease. TMBIM5 ensures cell survival and respiration, allowing Ca2+ efflux from mitochondria and limiting mitochondrial hyperpolarization. Persistent hyperpolarization, however, triggers degradation of TMBIM5 and activation of the m-AAA protease. The m-AAA protease broadly remodels the mitochondrial proteome and mediates the proteolytic breakdown of respiratory complex I to confine ROS production and oxidative damage in hyperpolarized mitochondria. TMBIM5 thus integrates mitochondrial Ca2+ signaling and the energetic status of mitochondria with protein turnover rates to reshape the mitochondrial proteome and adjust the cellular metabolism.

Human pathogenic RNA viruses establish non-competing lineages by occupying independent niches

Many pathogenic viruses are endemic among human populations and can cause a broad variety of diseases, some potentially leading to devastating pandemics. How virus populations maintain diversity and what selective pressures drive population turnover, is not thoroughly understood. We conducted a large-scale phylodynamic analysis of 27 human pathogenic RNA viruses spanning diverse life history traits in search of unifying trends that shape virus evolution. For most virus species, we identify multiple, co-circulating lineages with low turnover rates. These lineages appear to be largely noncompeting and likely occupy semi-independent epidemiological niches that are not regionally or seasonally defined. Typically, intra-lineage mutational signatures are similar to inter-lineage signatures. The principal exception are members of the family Picornaviridae, for which mutations in capsid protein genes are primarily lineage-defining. The persistence of virus lineages appears to stem from limited outbreaks within small communities so that only a minor fraction of the global susceptible population is infected at any time. As disparate communities become increasingly connected through globalization, interaction and competition between lineages might increase as well, which could result in changing selective pressures and increased diversification and/or pathogenicity. Thus, in addition to zoonotic events, ongoing surveillance of familiar, endemic viruses appears to merit global attention with respect to the prevention or mitigation of future pandemics.SignificanceNumerous pathogenic viruses are endemic in humans and cause a broad variety of diseases, but what is their potential of causing new pandemics? We show that most human pathogenic RNA viruses form multiple, co-circulating lineages with low turnover rates. These lineages appear to be largely noncompeting and occupy distinct epidemiological niches that are not regionally or seasonally defined, and their persistence appears to stem from limited outbreaks in small communities so that a minor fraction of the global susceptible population is infected at any time. However, due to globalization, interaction and competition between lineages might increase, potentially leading to increased diversification and pathogenicity. Thus, endemic viruses appear to merit global attention with respect to the prevention of future pandemics.