Evaluating the Effectiveness of Consultants’ Roles in Improving Value for Money in Public Infrastructure Projects in Ghana

Ghanaian construction projects encounter a number of challenges, including low health, safety, and environmental requirements, poor performance, and time and cost overruns. To provide value for money (VFM) on government infrastructure projects in Ghana, this research assesses the roles of project consultants, specifically architects and quantity surveyors, and highlights important obstacles. A cross-sectional survey design involving architects and quantity surveyors yielded a 96% response rate after 100 questionnaires were distributed. Consultants’ responsibilities also include monitoring standards compliance, providing advice on delays, controlling budgets, and advising on project completion dates. Difficulties encompass a lack of promptness in decision-making, unethical conduct, political pressure, and inadequate focus on contract administration and construction audits. Project urgency, longevity, political clout, timely decision-making, and team experience are important variables that impact VFM. Policy makers and construction management practitioners should take note of the implications for Ghana’s public infrastructure projects.

A TASTE OF LHASA IN THE SWEET TEA HOUSE

In Lhasa City,thereisa timehonored sweet tea house.Throughoutits47years of operation,it has never been abandonedbytimebut ratherhas grownmoreprosperous.Thisis theGuangming Gangqiong Sweet TeaHouse.Emptycupsareplaced ontables,andcashispreparedby customers.AnAJia(inTibetan,it refers to"sister"and heremeans"waitress")comestocollectmoney whilepouringteainto thecups.If customers order food,they receive aluminum meal cards from the cashier.This unique serving method sets this tea house apart from others in Lhasa.All these small details showcase the tea house's unique tea culture,a common memory for several generations.

The Protection of Right of Minors to Express Their Opinions in Family Litigations

The right of minors to express their opinions in family litigations refers to minors,who have a certain degree of mental capacity and assertiveness,having the right to express their opinions on the arrangements or decisions related to themselves when the courts handle familial litigation cases involving their interests,and to request the courts hear their opinions.In essence,the right of minors to express their opinions in family litigations belongs to the basic procedural rights of minors as well as judicial beneficiary rights.As for the protection of the right of minors to express their opinions in family litigations,recognizing the status of minors as independent subjects of rights is the logical premise,the procedural guarantee for the rights of the substantive parties involved is the direct cause,and ensuring the best interests of children is the fundamental reason.In order to protect the right of minors to express their opinions in family litigations,China should standardize the mechanisms for judges to hear the opinions of minors directly,improve the mechanisms for family investigators,and establish mechanisms for representing the interests of minors.

Single-cell RNA-sequencing and subcellular spatial transcriptomics facilitate the translation of liver microphysiological systems for regulatory application

Reducing the use of animal models in drug development and safety assessment has long been supported by the U.S.Food and Drug Administration(FDA).The report by Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals indicates that in 2020,experiments involved the use of over 100 million animals,with the United States leading the list by utilizing 20 million animals.Beyond ethical considerations associated with animal testing and the costs in terms of time and money,animal models are not always effective in predicting human reactions to drug exposure.While animal testing has been the traditional method for assessing the safety and efficacy of drugs.

The Man Who Organized Nature: The Life of Linnaeus by Gunnar Broberg

GunnarBroberg(1942–2022),a professor of history ideas and sciences at the Lund University in Sweden,has assembled and summarized virtually all of the contemporary documents relating to the life of Carl Linnaeus(1707–1778).This is therefore a fact-laden and definitive personal biography of the founder of our systems of plant and animal taxonomy.Linnaeus’childhood included much time in nature that forever provided him an experience background for the huge amount of plant and animal species he would encounter.In his early days,his country was in an era of poverty where“hordes of starving,homeless people drifted along the roads in the years when the harvest failed.”Linnaeus himself“...could lie awake all night as he lacked the money for evening meals when he was a student.”He inserted paper into his shoes to cover the holes on which he walked.

Investigation of litigation in trauma orthopaedic surgery

BACKGROUND It has been said that the number of orthopaedic claims has increased in the last few years. Investigation through the most prevalent cause would help to prevent further cases.AIM To review the cases of medical complaints in orthopedic patients who had been involved in a traumatic accident.METHODS A retrospective multi-center review of trauma orthopaedic-related malpractice lawsuits from 2010 to 2021 was conducted utilizing the regional medicolegal database. Defendant and plaintiff characteristics along with fracture location, allegations, and litigation outcomes were investigated.RESULTS A total of 228 claims referred to trauma-related conditions with a mean age of 31.29 ± 12.56 were enrolled. The most common injuries were at hand, thigh, elbow, and forearm, respectively.Likewise, the most common alleged complication was related to malunion or nonunion. In 47% of the cases, the main problem that led to the complaint was the inappropriate or insufficient explanation to the patient, and in 53%, there was a problem in the surgery. Eventually, 76% of the complaints resulted in a defense verdict, and 24% resulted in a plaintiff verdict.CONCLUSION Surgical treatment of hand injuries and surgery in non-educational hospitals received the most complaints. The majority of litigation outcomes were caused by a physician’s failure to fully explain and educate the traumatic orthopedic patients and technological errors.

Quantitative Easing: Money Supply and Commodity Prices of Oil, Gold, and Cocoa in Ghana

This study investigates the dynamic relationships between the money supply (M2) and key commodity prices (Cocoa, Gold, and Crude) in the context of Ghana. Utilizing Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) analysis, we analyze the short-term and long-term Granger causality relationships among these variables, aiming to shed light on the potential linkages between monetary policy and commodity markets. The analysis covers the period from December 1999 to April 2023, using lag structures of 1 and 8 to capture both short-term and more enduring effects. Our findings reveal significant Granger causality relationships between the money supply and various commodities, with nuanced patterns emerging across different lags. In the short-run, our results suggest bidirectional causal relationships between COCOA and M2, CRUDE and M2, and GOLD and M2. Additionally, M2 Granger causes changes in COCOA, CRUDE, and GOLD. However, the causal relationship between COCOA and GOLD appears to be unidirectional, with COCOA not significantly Granger causing changes in GOLD. The short-term findings highlight the intricate interplay between monetary policy and commodity markets. In the long-run (lag 8), our analysis unveils robust Granger causality relationships between the variables. Past values of COCOA, CRUDE, and GOLD Granger cause changes in M2, indicating a notable influence of commodity markets on the money supply. Similarly, M2 Granger causes changes in CRUDE and GOLD. Notably, the findings underscore a more comprehensive and intertwined relationship between monetary policy and commodity prices in the long-run. Based on these results, we derive several policy implications. Policymakers should carefully consider the potential impact of monetary policy decisions, such as quantitative easing, on commodity markets and price dynamics. Measures to stabilize commodity prices, promote export diversification, manage inflation expectations, and enhance economic resilience are recommended. Additionally, effective data monitoring, international collaboration, and proactive risk management strategies are essential components for navigating the complex interactions between monetary policy and commodity markets. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the intricate connections between monetary policy and commodity prices in Ghana, offering insights for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders seeking to promote sustainable economic growth and stability. Further research can delve into the mechanisms underlying these relationships and explore their broader implications for trade balances, economic performance, and policy formulation.

Time is Not Money!——It Is a Providence of Opportunities

The essay discusses the interrelations between Time and Money and the right ways for managing them.Additionally it discusses other aspects of life and time,such as:definition of time,smart use of time,use of time as distincting between men and animals,time,age and responsibility,time and the“meaning of life”,quality and quantity of lifetime,social aspects of time and science,technology and time.The author clearly expresses his opinion,that Time is a neutral abstract entity,exists in free democratic regimes and in less-liberatated autocracies.It is the explicit responsibility of every man and woman,anywhere,and everywhere,to prepare and train themselves for a smart use of the time awarded to them.On the other hand,Time is available for everyone and everything.The busy diligent hard-working person always seeks more challenging missions,while the less-energetic idle person,is always busy and tire of doing nothing.The author also claims that Time is an opportunity.It is available and inviting every active person,a thinker,a doer,and an entrepreneur to use and have it to achieve their goals.The author advises:Do not complain I have no time-dare to make the first step and“the other will come,tumbling after”.Active individuals have time for every challenging initiative;passive ones have no time for anything.

Survey: Results of the 18th ITMF Global Textile Industry

The business situation is at a new low point since ITMF started the Global Textile Industry Survey in 2021.High inflation and rising interest rates are the main current drivers of the global economy,but the core problem of the textile supply chain in 2023 are high inventories at the brand and retail level.With the opening of economies around the world after the COVID crisis,consumers had the opportunity to spend the money they could not during 2020 and in the first half of 2021.Consequently,demand soared,and brands and retailers increased orders to meet this pent-up demand.

The Role of Medical Literature, Clinical Trials and Experimental Research in Drug Product-Injury Litigation: A Primer with Two Examples

When any type of product has been ordered to be removed from the marketplace by a governmental regulatory body, that action is a powerful indicator that the product has been determined to be unsafe for further use, thereby branding the product as defective and opening up the possibility of product liability litigation. When the product is a drug or medical device, it is especially serious since the possibility of personal injury (acute and/or chronic) or death may occur. Needless to say, in these situations, product injury litigation will almost surely follow. We review the definition and requisite claims needed to establish drug product liability, and the role that the medical literature, clinical trial data, and even experimental research data can play in product (drug)-injury litigation. We show how each of these resources played a significant role in two well-known cases: Fen-Phen and thimerosal. The ultimate goal of such knowledge is to make better informed decisions about drug safety.

National Environmental Policy Act of the United States and Its Application in Climate Litigation——Evaluating Litigation Case by Friends of the Earth on Export-Import Bank of the United States and Overseas Private Investment Corporation

Because that American government and congress hold a negative attitude on responding to climate change issue, people transfer the battle stage of climate change to the court,and hope to promote government and large energy companies actively responding to climate change issue via litigation form. A large amount of related litigation appears,and a kind of special litigation type is gradually formed, namely climate change litigation. National Environmental Policy Act of the United States is one of important legal weapons used by prosecutor in climate change litigation. In National Environmental Policy Act, it stipulates environmental impact evaluation system which has close relationship with climate change litigation. The system requires that federal agency ＂ should compile detailed environmental impact report （EIS） on major federal action which significantly affects human survival environment quality＂. Litigation case of Export - Import Bank of the United States and Overseas Private Investment Corporation by Fdends of the Earth, Green Peace, Boulder City, etc. is typical one related to the act. We try to evaluate and analyze text and case of the act.

Corporate Litigation,Reputation and Top Executive Turnover-Considering the Moderating Roles of Political and Legal Conditions

With the rapid development of China's economy,more and more listed companies have to face frequent corporate litigation.As corporate lawsuits are on the rise,it is necessary to study the measures taken by the company when a corporate litigation occurs.Some scholars'research indicates that top executive turnover may be one of the countermeasures,but few scholars have discussed this issue in the Chinese market.Our research uses 13435 samples of Chinese market,takes the company's reputation as an observing point,and studies the relationship between corporate litigation and top executive turnover.In addition,due to the special political environment and the large differences in the legal environment between different provinces in China,we have further explored the moderating role of political conditions and legal conditions.It is worth mentioning that our empirical research method is the propensity score matching(PSM),and by this way we can easily avoid sample selectivity bias.Finally,a robust experimental conclusion is obtained:corporate litigation and top executive turnover are significantly positively correlated,and this correlation will be adjusted by political and legal conditions.Our research enriches the field of corporate litigation and also have certain guiding significance for the social construction of the rule of law in China.

The Research of an Incremental Conceptive Clustering Algorithm and Its Application in Detecting Money Laundering

Considering the constantly increasing of data in large databases such as wire transfer database, incremental clustering algorithms play a more and more important role in Data Mining （DM）. However, Few of the traditional clustering algorithms can not only handle the categorical data, but also explain its output clearly. Based on the idea of dynamic clustering, an incremental conceptive clustering algorithm is proposed in this paper. Which introduces the Semantic Core Tree （SCT） to deal with large volume of categorical wire transfer data for the detecting money laundering. In addition, the rule generation algorithm is presented here to express the clustering result by the format of knowledge. When we apply this idea in financial data mining, the efficiency of searching the characters of money laundering data will be improved.

Empirical study of the dilemma regarding preliminary proof of causality and methods used by victims in China's environmental health litigation

Environmental health incidents have occurred frequently in recent years;in China,however,litigation has not been effective in protecting the rights and interests of victims due to their heavy burden of proof.In order to mitigate the burden of proof for victims,the environmental judicature in China introduced the rule of inversion of burden of proof;this means that the victim only assumes the preliminary burden of proof,but in practice it has not been sufficient.Victims in environmental health litigation still face many difficulties in proving causality.Based on the statistical analysis of judicial big data,this paper demonstrates three dilemmas faced by victims.First,the preliminary burden of proof of causality has a high standard.Second,the victim's ability to produce evidence is low.Third,the casual relationship between pollution behaviors and health damage is difficult to identify.When examining the possible legal instruments,there are three aspects to the causes of these dilemmas:theory,judicial practice,and society.The theoretical aspect manifests as the differences between the rule of inversion of burden of proof and the presumption of causality;the practical aspect manifests as the lack of an identification system for personal injury;and the social aspect manifests as the victim's lack of economic,scientific,technological,and information resources,as well as the absence of assistance from government sectors and social organizations.Combining Chinese law with judicial practice,this paper proposes a solution to the dilemma of victims needing to prove causality in environmental health litigation.On the basis of clarifying the theoretical differences between the inversion of burden of proof and the presumption of causality,China should adhere to the rule of inversion of burden of proof,establish an identification system for personal injuries caused by environmental pollution,and use methods such as epidemiological causality,indirect counterevidence,and prima facie bewies.Furthermore,the full functions of the government and social organizations must be brought into play.This will not only help victims demonstrate causality,it can also help victims achieve equitable relief.

Determinants of private sector credit in Uganda: the role of mobile money

Background:Mobile money services have been associated with unprecedented access to financial services,notably to under-banked and unbanked populations.Thus,mobile money opens a channel through which to examine the supply of private sector credit in Uganda.This study investigates how mobile money services influence private sector credit growth.Methods:We applied the vector error correction(VEC)model and Granger causality analysis to Ugandan data from March 2009 to February 2016,the period when mobile money services were introduced.Results:The VEC model reveals that mobile money has a significant positive longrun association with private sector credit growth.Granger causality analysis reveals long-run unidirectional causality from mobile money to private sector credit.Conclusions:Mobile money is critical for financial intermediation because it attracts resources from both the banked and the unbanked populations into the formal financial system,facilitating private sector credit growth.

A study of the factors affecting mobile money penetration rates in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) compared with East Africa

According to the 2017 Global Financial Inclusion(Global Findex)database,the average penetration rate of mobile money accounts in East Africa is higher than that of the WAEMU.This study attempts to understand the factors driving the adoption and the use of mobile financial services in the WAEMU compared to East Africa.To achieve this,micro-level data from the 2017 Global Findex database are used to perform probit and multinomial logit estimations.The findings reveal that the same determinants influence the adoption and use of mobile money accounts across the populations of both groups of countries,specifically those related to the least vulnerable social categories(i.e.,males,older,more educated,richer and part of the workforce).Therefore,in comparison to East Africa,the delay in the penetration of mobile money accounts observed in the WAEMU may be attributed to insufficient policies for increasing the awareness of the benefits of mobile financial services.The study recommends that governments in WAEMU countries promote the use of mobile money accounts among the working-age population(adults aged between 25 and 64)through the improvement of individual income level,and the introduction of incentives into the education system to encourage their population to attain higher levels of education.

Intrinsic Contradictions of the Money Concept From Real Bill to Monetarism and Back Again

The Nobel laureate, Robert Lucas, declared 2003 in his presidential address to the American Economic Association, that the “central problem of depression-prevention has been solved, for all practical purposes, and has in fact been solved for many decades”. Today we stand in front of severe social unease in most OECD-countries and military conflicts are more severe than in many years. What do the economic scientists say？ What do they suggest？ Nothing! Are there any economic models for solving the problems？ Economics is a social science, but has forgotten this in the worshipping of “the market exchange” and the concept of equilibrium. This paper is a discourse of the economic theory in the light of the economic development after WW2. The focus is on the theoretical anomalies with respect to money in relation to the systemic changes of the financial sector from WW2 to the current structure. The globalized real development and ownership of capital imply that financial flows are less attached to real flows and furthermore that currencies and state securities became less secure. New financial technologies enforce new attitudes to money, finance, and financial control. The financial crises of 2008 showed the theoretical deficiencies of the ruling mainstream economic theory particularly in its attitude to the concept of money. The downgrading of the US 2011 by S＆P and the following turmoil showed the fragility and the chaotic structure of the apprehensions of the system. It is a bit ironic that the change of the global financial industry we experience today in its basic structure is similar to the system prevailing before 1810 and was advocated by Adam Smith, the so called Real Bill system. During the Napoleonic wars Britain’s financial system became exhausted not to say chaotic. It became the task of the two leading economists, Henry Thornton and David Ricardo to design a new system where Bank of England was the controller of the new system and the final design was taken as a law 1844 Bank Charter Act. This was actually the formal birth of the modern structure of monetarist theory. Because of the increased global financial integration, which developed organically outside the control of national authorities due to new communication systems and some other technical innovations, we now have had a development back to something like the Real Bill system of pre-1810. This structural change calls for a definitive departure from the Monetarist theory, not necessarily by theoretical reason but because it does not fit into the current economic and financial structure.

Identifying Money Laundering Process Using Indicators： The Case of Albania

The main purpose of this study is to develop a mathematical model for calculating the probability of money laundering process, by monitoring the behavior of the client using 70 indicators of money laundering. The scientific method used in this study （received from the Modern Criminology） has great investigative power and it is widely applicable. Hopefully the practical application of this study will increase greatly the probability of detection and punishment of the clients who are implicated in the process of money laundering. In particular, this study will be useful for banks, Financial Intelligence Unit （FIU） of Albania, Department of Economic Crime at the Ministry of Domestic Affairs and Albanian State Intelligence Service （SIS）. Also, the investigation of money laundering will be a useful tool to detect other crimes, such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal arms trade, etc. The prevention of money laundering is simultaneously a powerful strike against terrorism both on national and international levels.

Exchange Sex, the Perfect Job, Understanding the Exchange of Sex for Money: The Concept of Partial Happiness, Total Happiness and the New Concept of Supra-Happiness

According to Freud, Happiness is defined as the discharge of sexual drive (Orgasm); obtaining happiness usually costs a lot of energy for women and even more for men, but what happens when that happiness is obtained without energy expenditure, when happiness is obtained with gain of energy or money. Exchange sex is defined as the exchange of sex for energy (in this case money), nevertheless, the classic normal relationships between men and women in society function in general as an exchange of sex for energy (money). So it could be argued that relationships between men and women in our society function on the basis of exchange sex. However, the intrapsychic conflict of individuals complicates and makes it difficult to achieve that happiness. We will also analyze the way to obtain Partial Happiness (get orgasms with people you are not in love with), Total Happiness (get orgasms from the people you are in love with), and a new concept The Supra-Happiness (get orgasms from many attractive people simultaneously; even if you are fall in love with these people or not). That happiness is only temporary, the original dissatisfaction and lack of the human psyche has to be filled and constantly satisfied with that temporary happiness.

The Research on the Money Supply of Central Bank Digital Currency

Currently,the only central bank digital currencies(CBDC)in the world is Venezuela^currency^Petro.Nowadays,the IMF,BIS,and major countries have conducted a lot of research on CBDC.It's an urgent issue for the central bank to issue CBDC,determine and formulate the circulation of CBDC and the issuance speed,and supervise it.Therefore,establishing ARMA and VARs by sorting out literature,the paper uses the characteristics of CBDC—cash,and similarities with third-party payment in terms of payment to determine the circulation of CDBC by third-party payment users and currency in circulation.The model calculates and predicts the speed of circulation of digital currency.The issuance of CBDC will accelerate the circulation of money.In this regard,we will explore the impact of money supply on monetary policy and make relevant recommendations.