Large scale mining in Ghana: a review of the implications on the host communities

Following the implementation of the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) in 1983, Ghana’s mining sector has experienced significant growth, making Ghana one of the 10-leading producers of gold globally and the largest in Africa since 2018. To this end, the mining industry has been contributing significantly to the country’s total export earnings and the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Despite its contribution to the economy, mining in Ghana has been a subject of debate in the past few years due to its diverse impacts on the host communities. This study therefore conducted a review of the implications of large-scale mining in Ghana. Findings revealed that, mining activities gravely affect the quality of water in most mining communities due to the use of toxic substances such as mercury. Mining activities also destroy forest reserves and farmlands, cause respiratory diseases and death. The study therefore suggests an effective collaboration between all relevant stakeholders in monitoring mining activities to help mitigate the impacts on the host communities.

Trade Competition and Worker Compensation: Why Do Some Receive More than Others?

Dealing with the distributional consequences of trade liberalization has become one of the key challenges facing developed democracies. Governments have created compensation programs to ease labor market adjustment, but these resources tend to be distributed highly unevenly. What accounts for the variation? Looking at the largest trade adjustment program in existence, the US’ Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), we argue that petitions for compensation are largely driven by legislative attitudes. When legislators express negative views of TAA, individuals in their districts become less likely to petition for, and receive, compensation. This effect is especially pronounced in Republican districts. An underprovision of TAA, in turn, renders individuals more likely to demand other forms of government support, like in-kind medical benefits. We use roll-call votes, bill sponsorships, and floor speeches to measure elite attitudes, and we proxy for the demand for trade adjustment using economic shocks from Chinese import competition. In sum, we show how the individual beliefs of political elites can be self-fulfilling.

European Union’s Democratic Legitimacy after the MoUs: The Political Legacy of an Economic Crisis

This chapter focuses on two significant aspects of crisis management in the Eurozone: (a) its democratic legitimacy and (b) its socioeconomic consequences. The two issues are very important, since both the socioeconomic effects of an adjustment program and its democratic credentials determine to a large extent its “ownership” by local societies and consequently its chances of success. Effectively, these two aspects refer to the “input” and “output” side of democratic legitimacy, that is, to legitimation through democratic processes and representation, and policy outcomes respectively. The analysis evaluates the first aspect of the legitimacy equation using criteria derived from democratic theory and applying them to the governance structure of the bailout programs. On the second aspect of legitimacy, that of outcomes, the socioeconomic consequences of the crisis management are reviewed, and their distributive aspects discussed. The chapter demonstrates that the EU’s legitimacy has suffered along both aspects as a result of the crisis and the way it was handled. This leaves the EU in a particularly vulnerable state in the event of a future crisis.

How responsive is Trade Adjustment Assistance?

How responsive is the US’ Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) to the labor dislocation that results from trade integration? Recent findings suggest that the world's most ambitious trade adjustment program barely responds to import shocks, and that the shortfall is made up by disability insurance and early retirement. This holds considerable implications: TAA offers a lens onto the central question of whether developed democracies can effectively redistribute the gains from international economic integration. We take a closer look at these results. Using petition-level data over a 20-year period, we find that TAA is between 1.7 and 3.3 times more responsive than current estimates suggest. Yet the news is not all good. As we show, the responsiveness of TAA has decreased considerably since the 1990s, just as developed democracies started facing increasing pushback against liberalization. This shortfall, in turn, has political consequences: areas where TAA has been least responsive were also more likely to shift toward voting for Trump in the 2016 Presidential election. Our findings speak to the considerable challenge governments face in aiding workers “left behind” by liberalization.

Correlation Analysis of Refractive and Visual Quality after Wavefront-Optimized Laser In Situ Keratomileusis for 50% and 100% Angle Kappa Compensation

Purpose. To analyze the distribution of the offset between the pupil center and the coaxially sighted corneal light reflex (P-Dist), the effects of 50% and 100% angle kappa adjustments on refractive and visual quality in patients with moderate myopia were investigated. Methods. A randomly selected 254 patients (254 eyes) with moderate myopia who underwent femtosecond laser-combined LASIK were examined. During the operation, the P-Dist of the patients was recorded by the x- and y-axis eyeball-tracking adjustment program of the WaveLight Eagle Vision EX500 excimer laser system. Preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively, the WaveLight® ALLEGRO Topolyzer was used to measure the pupil size and center position, and the wavefront sensor was used to measure the wavefront aberrations. The visual function tester (OPTEC 6500) measured contrast sensitivity. Results. The average P-Dist was 0.220 ± 0.102 mm. When the P-Dist >0.220 mm, the postoperative residual cylinder was 0.29 ± 0.34 D in the group with the 50% adjustment and 0.40 ± 0.32 D in the 100% group, which was significantly higher than the 50% group P = 0.036 . The coma was 0.21 ± 0.17 μm in the 50% adjusted group and 0.34 ± 0.25 μm in the 100% group, which was significantly higher than that in the 50% group P = 0.021 . At the 1.5 c/d spatial frequency, contrast sensitivity in the adjusted 100% group was significantly lower than that in the 50% group under visual glare conditions P = 0.039 . Conclusion. The postoperative visual acuity and spherical equivalent were not affected in the two groups. However, when P-Dist >0.220 mm, the residual astigmatism and coma were lower in the 50% group. Individualized operations for those with moderate myopia and large-angle kappa in which 100% adjustment is chosen may not result in a better visual quality effect than 50%.

The effect of specific nutritional modification program on specific liver findings in children with chronic liver disease: A clinical trial

Background: Liver disease leads to complex pathophysiological injuries that affect digestion, absorption, distribution, storage and use of food. The effect that chronic liver disease has on the nutritional status and health of the child is determined by the cause and severity of liver disease and the age of onset of liver disease. As liver disease progresses, so do the symptoms and complications of the disease. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of specific nutrition adjustment program on specific liver findings in children with chronic liver disease.Methods: In this clinical trial study, 75 children with chronic liver disease were randomly divided into two groups (45 in the intervention group and 30 in the control group). At the beginning of the study, the necessary experiments were taken from two groups. The intervention group received a nutritional adjustment program during 6 sessions of the workshop. After 12 weeks of follow-up, bilirubin level (total, direct), albumin level, PT, INR, transaminases (AST, ALT) were measured in both groups. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 16 and Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests.Results: At the beginning of the study, both groups were homogeneous in terms of demographic variables. In the post-intervention stage compared to the pre-intervention stage in the intervention group, the mean scores of prothrombin time (P = 0/040), albumin (P = 0/007), aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase (p˂0/001)were statistically significant:. But the mean score of total bilirubin (P = 0/063) in the post-intervention stage compared to before the intervention in the intervention group was not statistically significant.Conclusion: Nutrition education and encouragement of patients with chronic liver disease to follow a special diet can be an important factor in feeling healthy and preventing the progression of the disease.Trial registration: Name of registry: Zahra NamjouIRCT registration number: IRCT2015091424019N1 Registration date: 2016-01-30 Registration timing: retrospective