Brown Envelopes Research Articles

Impact of ‘brown envelope journalism’ on news coverage in Ghana

The study looked at how ‘Brown Envelope Journalism’ affects news coverage in Ghana. It also determined whether journalists in Ghana have the necessary ethics training to fend off the allure of brown envelopes and how the presence of brown envelope journalism impacts the public's confidence in Ghana's media. A questionnaire with 17 data-collection items was distributed randomly to 300 journalists in the Sunyani Municipality in Ghana’s Bono Region. The majority of journalists (i.e., 83%) said ‘Brown Envelope Journalism’ causes the underreporting of some important issues or the overemphasis of others, while 17% of them, the minority respondents, said ‘Brown Envelope Journalism’ does not cause the underreporting of important issues or the overemphasis of others. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among other things that to eradicate ‘Brown Envelope Journalism’ from Ghana's media landscape, Ghanaian media organizations should pay their journalists well.

Prediksi Persediaan Barang Menggunakan Metode Weighted Moving Average, Exponential Smoothing dan Simple Moving Average

Inventory of goods is one of the very important sales activities, because it indirectly has an impact on customer satisfaction, it is possible that customers will feel disappointed if the goods they are looking for are not available because the stock is out of stock, if this happens it is very possible even until the customer loses. To avoid customer disappointment and maintain stock of goods so that they are always available when needed, it is important necessary to predict the inventory of goods in this case are brown envelopes at photocopy shops and office stationery F2. To be able to predict the inventory of these goods, research is carried out so that the stock of brown envelopes can always be available. In this study, the authors conducted a research on the estimated supply of brown envelopes which until now were sought after by customers at the store where we did research, namely the F2 photocopy and office stationery shop. In calculating inventory estimates, the author uses three methods, namely Weighted Moving Average, Exponential Smoothing and Simple Moving Average. Data processing using the Python programming language with Jupyter Notebook, from the prediction results using the three methods, it can be seen that the best method for photocopy shops and office stationery F2 is using the Exponential Smoothing method with α=0.1. The author hopes that the results of this study can provide input to shop owners in making decisions when they will add stock of brown envelopes in the next period. If this can be known before the stock runs out, the shop owner will be better prepared in deciding how much stock should be prepared to meet customer needs, and it is also not excessive to provide stock because if there is too much stock and it is not sold for a very long time, it can reduce the value of an item that can cause loss.

Unethical but not illegal: Revisiting brown envelope journalism practice in Kuwait

Ethical journalism repudiates the practice of brown envelope solicitation or the acceptance of any form of gifts that might influence news sourcing, production and publication. The authors of the present study therefore revisited their earlier inquiry (2014) on brown envelope journalism practice in Kuwait to determine if the situation has changed or relatively remained the same. Results from the present study mirror the findings in the previous inquiry in the conceptualization of ethics by journalists in Kuwait, the use of part-time journalists in the country, the lack of measures by editors and supervisors to stamp out this form of journalism and discipline erring reporters, and the journalists’ view that it was up to individual reporters to accept or reject brown envelopes in the course of duty. The authors contend that primary responsibility to curtail this behaviour falls on editors and supervisors in media houses as well as the journalists themselves and their association. Survey and interview instruments were used in this study.

Effect of information fields from written texts on cell growth and mitochondrial functions in-vitro: An exploratory study

ObjectiveMitochondria are considered a portal to receive, process and integrate external energy and information to maintain cellular homeostasis. We examined the effect of Chinese texts with positive and negative meaning on the growth and mitochondrial functions using a mouse kidney collecting duct cell line called M1 cells. MethodsTo avoid skewing the results due to differential handling of the cells or analyzing the results, we conducted experiments by keeping the texts and blanks covered in brown opaque envelopes, exposed the cells to randomly selected envelopes and examined the differences over time. All operators involved in the experiments did not know the contents of the envelopes until the end of the experiments, and all data are expressed relative to the controls. ResultsCell growth rate was not affected for the group treated with positive information but was significantly reduced by 18% when treated with negative information. At the biochemical level, positive texts significantly increased whole cell adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and glutathione (GSH) by 22% and 21% respectively. ConclusionsThis study for the first time demonstrated the effect of written words on specific biochemical measures in cultured mammalian cells.

Evaluation of the performance of IND/Zn and DFO on various porous substrates in Singapore context

Enhancement of latent fingermarks found at crime scenes can be crucial to criminal investigations. The performance of ninhydrin analogues 1,2-indanedione (IND/Zn) and 1,8-diazafluoren-9-one (DFO) used in laboratories for the enhancement of latent fingermarks on porous substrates were compared for operational use. The visualisation of enhanced latent fingermarks on seven substrates commonly encountered in local crimes - plain A4 paper, glossy magazine, paper magazine, brown envelopes, white envelopes, cardboard, and joss paper were assessed using fingermarks deposits from seven donors. Fingermarks were aged under both indoor and outdoor conditions as well as over different periods of time. Our results show that IND/Zn consistently produced fingermarks of superior quality and contrast to DFO across the different donors, substrates and time periods. IND/Zn also appears to be more sensitive compared to DFO.

‘Stretch and Split’ Journalism: A New Phrase in African Journalism Practices

This entry contributes to Journalism literature in sub-Saharan Africa, by significantly expanding its scope, and theoretically incorporating “Stretch and Split” Journalism as an emerging trend of reporting among journalists. The term refers to the tendency among journalists to accept more than one assignment happening concurrently so as to maximize all the ‘Brown Envelopes’ and ‘Checkbooks’. Central to this practice is the argument that, despite their ethical implications, ‘Brown Envelope’ Journalism (BEJ) and ‘Checkbook’ journalism (CJ) are simply creative strategies among journalists that have sustained low-paid journalists and allowed journalism to flourish. The same argument is used for the “Stretch and Split” journalism to which journalists see themselves as moonlighting within the same field, and therefore, dedicating more time to the practice.

Assessment of Trace Metal Contaminations in Vegetables Around Riparian Area of Ogbomoso

Different types of waste consisting of everyday items from different sources that are discarded by the public are commonly disposed at the bank of a river in which vegetables are planted. The vegetables planted are assumed to be polluted with some heavy metals as a result of municipal waste. These heavy metals accumulate in the body and enter through the food. The heavy metals sometimes are so much in the body that they pose a great hazard to human body. Four heavy metals Lead (Pb), Chromium, (Cr), Cadmium (Cd), and Zinc (Zn) were studied in comparison with FAO/WHO standard.The research was carried out in Ogbomoso at three different locations Arada, Ikose and Beulah. Vegetables sample were uprooted at the river bank of these locations at three varying distances (10m, 15m and 20m) away from the river. The vegetables samples were kept in a labeled brown envelopes and oven dried for 48 hours at 23 o C to remove moisture. The dried samples were then taken to the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training at Ibadan for analysis.The results showed that the level of concentration of Pb, Cr, Cd and Zn found in the vegetable planted in riparian area of Ogbomoso are safe for human consumption because the metals found were in conformation with FAO/WHO standard. DOI : 10.7176/JBAH/9-18-05 Publication date :September 30 th 2019

Let’s Talk: Communication in the Nursing Home

Let’s Talk: Communication in the Nursing Home

Sports Journalists and Corruption in Zimbabwean Football: Reflections on the Asiagate Scandal

Zimbabwe experienced a high-profile football match fixing scandal between 2007 and 2010, commonly known as the Asiagate scandal. The men’s senior national football team – the Warriors – reportedly fell victim to Asian betting syndicates. Three journalists from the statecontrolled media were sanctioned by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) for allegedly participating in the scandal. Burgeoning literature on “brown envelopes” and freebies in journalistic practice in Africa at large, and Zimbabwe in particular, has under-theorised this phenomenon in Zimbabwe’s sports journalism fraternity. Focusing on the Asiagate scandal, this article reports on a study that used the “brown envelope journalism” theoretical lens to examine the subject and its repercussions on sports journalism practice, from the view point of sports journalists. In-depth interviews were conducted with selected sports journalists both from the publicly owned and privately owned media in Zimbabwe. The article avers that due to the deteriorating socio-economic environment, some journalists were “seduced” by “brown envelopes” and “recruited” into a “patronage” corrupt network by match fixers. Consequently, “patronised” journalists became pliant tools in hands of match fixers and failed to “bark” at the malpractices masterminded by their “benefactors”.

Modulating effect of a magnetic field on Saprolegnia parasitica, Coker, 1923 infecting trout (Salmo trutta, L.) eggs

The aim of study was to investigate the effects of static magnetic fields [1 mT (miliTesla), 5 and 10 mT] on Saprolegnia parasitica growth, development, and cytotoxicity in the infection of trout eggs in hatcheries under laboratory and industrial conditions. The egg envelope (SEM) structures resulting from infection with and development of S. parasitica are also presented. S. parasitica mycelium was cultured on a microbiological medium SDA in Petri dishes (4 ± 0.2°C, 97% humidity) exposed to a magnetic field and in a control, to assess the mycelium growth rate. Effects of the magnetic field on cytotoxicity of S. parasitica after a 21-day incubation on SDA medium were analyzed using the colorimetric cytotoxicity test MTT. Eggs of brown trout Salmo trutta were infected with S. parasitica by inoculum and incubated in glass vessels (4 ± 0.2°C) in a magnetic field and a control. The degree of mycelium invasion of the egg envelopes and the percentage of egg mortality were recorded daily thoughout the period of embrionic development. The magnetic field effects on brown trout eggs infected by wild strains of fungus-like organisms (FLO) in the hatchery (4°C ± 0.1) were also investigated. Changes in the structure of brown trout egg envelopes as a result of infection and development of S. parasitica were examined in a FIB/SEM. The effects of magnetic fields of 5 and 10 mT on slowing the growth of mycelium of S. parasitica in vitro were also observed. Determining biochemical properties of S. parasitica also showed the effects of the magnetic field in differentiating the cytotoxicity. All magnetic field values showed a distinct decrease from medium to low values of S. parasitica cytotoxicity; the most effective reduction was observed at 5 mT. Magnetic fields in all tested levels slowed development of the mycelium on the incubated trout eggs, resulting in a decrease in the number of eggs infected by S. parasitica and thus permitting a greater hatching success. Similar effects were observed in other hatching conditions where eggs were also exposed. No negative effects of magnetic field treatment on the condition of the newly-hatched larvae were observed. The SEM and FIB (Focused Ion Beam) analyses revealed penetration of S. parasitica via radial canals of the envelope. The magnetic field had no effect on the structure of hyphae or sporangia of S. parasitica, but did affect the growth rate of mycelium on the egg surface.

From brown envelopes to community benefits: The co-option of planning gain agreements under deepening neoliberalism

The provision of physical and social infrastructure in the form of roads, green spaces and community facilities has traditionally been provided for by the state through the general taxation system. However, as the state has been transformed along more neoliberal lines, the private sector is increasingly relied upon to deliver public goods and services. Planning gain agreements have flourished within this context by offering another vehicle through which local facilities are privately funded. Whilst these agreements reflect the broader dynamics of neoliberalism, they are commonly viewed as a tool which can be employed to challenge these very dynamics by empowering local communities to secure more just planning outcomes. This paper counters such claims. Based on evidence gathered from 80 interviews with planners, councillors, developers and community groups in Ireland, the paper demonstrates how planning gain agreements have been strategically redeployed by the holders of political and economic power to serve their own ends. In seeking to understand why and how this has occurred, specific consideration is given to the changing power dynamics between the state and private capital under neoliberalism. The paper highlights how institutional arrangements have enabled developers to infiltrate the political sphere in more subtle and implicit ways than ever before. We conclude by arguing that planning gain must be understood as a mechanism which has been manipulated in ways which essentially work to preserve and enhance, rather than redress, existing power imbalances in the planning system by facilitating large scale transfers of wealth upwards in society.

Quantifying uncertainty in Hoek–Brown intact strength envelopes

Uncertainty plays a critical role in geotechnical design projects. In addition to the natural variability of geomaterials, testing, transformation and modelling errors must also be considered to accurately characterize rockmass behaviour. By using statistical methods to quantify the intact rock strength and a measure of rockmass quality, a greater understanding of the variability in ground response and support performance can be achieved. This paper examines the issue of quantifying uncertainty in rockmass strength by using the generalized Hoek–Brown approach, which defines rockmass strength according to the intact strength envelope (based on test data) and the geological strength index (GSI). While uncertainty in GSI can be quantified through either a qualitative or quantitative approach, it is more difficult to assess the uncertainty in the intact strength envelope as it is defined by two correlated variables: the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and the Hoek–Brown material constant. A new set of linear and nonlinear regression approaches is proposed that can be used to accurately determine the mean intact strength envelope and quantify uncertainty from test data. A reliability-based design method is then presented that quantifies and utilizes uncertainty information at each stage of design to obtain a more complete understanding of rockmass behaviour. To demonstrate the usefulness of this approach, a reliability assessment is performed for a circular excavation under hydrostatic loading conditions.

Nonlocal Mind: A (Fairly) Brief History of the Term

Mitochondria are considered a portal to receive, process and integrate external energy and information to maintain cellular homeostasis. We examined the effect of Chinese texts with positive and negative meaning on the growth and mitochondrial functions using a mouse kidney collecting duct cell line called M1 cells.To avoid skewing the results due to differential handling of the cells or analyzing the results, we conducted experiments by keeping the texts and blanks covered in brown opaque envelopes, exposed the cells to randomly selected envelopes and examined the differences over time. All operators involved in the experiments did not know the contents of the envelopes until the end of the experiments, and all data are expressed relative to the controls.Cell growth rate was not affected for the group treated with positive information but was significantly reduced by 18% when treated with negative information. At the biochemical level, positive texts significantly increased whole cell adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and glutathione (GSH) by 22% and 21% respectively.This study for the first time demonstrated the effect of written words on specific biochemical measures in cultured mammalian cells.

Low and Zero Prevalence Rates of Anti-measles Virus Immunoglobulin G in Mothers and Their Infants Respectively in Health Centers in Osogbo, Nigeria

Aim: We undertook this study to determine the susceptibility of mother-infant pair participants to measles virus infection in two health centers in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Study Design: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional hospital-based study. Place and Duration of the Study: The study was carried out in Osogbo, southwestern, Nigeria between November, 2012 and February, 2013. Methodology: With ethical approval and participants’ consents, 83 mothers and their 84 infants were consecutively recruited; blood samples were aseptically collected from them by thumb puncture onto Whatman filter paper. The papers were appropriately labeled; air-dried and kept in brown envelopes which we kept in clean polythene bags and stored at 4oC until assayed. Freshly prepared PBS was used to elute serum from 5 to 6

Trace Metal Contents in the Leaves of Cassia occidentalis Linn from Some Selected Sites in Katsina, Nigeria

Representative samples of Cassia occidentalis were randomly collected from three selected sites in Katsina and Batagarawa local government areas of Katsina state. The samples were prepared using standard procedures. The concentrations of chromium, copper, nickel, cobalt, iron, manganese, zinc, and lead were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy(AAS) after ashing the samples in a muffle furnace at 550 0 C for 4 hours. The percentage moisture content was found to be 77.98%, 71.08%, and 75.45% in the samples collected from sites A, B and C respectively. The concentration of chromium ranged from 0.714±0.01 to 1.429±0.01mg/kg, copper(1.25±0.01 to3.75±0.04mg/kg), nickel(1.190±0.02 to 4.762 ±0.03 mg/kg), cobalt (4.032±0.04 to 7.258±0.06mg/kg), iron(10.417±0.37 to 41.667±6.07mg/kg), manganese(0.926±0.16 to1.852±0.65mg/kg), zinc (7.955±1.28 to 15.909±3.12mg/kg) and lead from 0.127±0.02 to 0.131±0.01mg/kg. All the values with the exception of nickel in site B and iron in site A were below the maximum permissible limit for medicinal plants. ANOVA indicated no significant difference P>0.05 in the concentration of metals in the different sites studied. It was concluded that the concentration of heavy metals in medicinal plants should be regularly monitored and checked before use for medication. In this study the levels of Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Co, Fe, Mn and Zn in the leaves of Cassia occidentalis from three selected sites in Katsina state were determined. Sample Collection Representative plant samples were randomly collected from three sites in Katsina and Batagarawa local governments of Katsina state. Site A is within a residential area in Katsina metropolis, site B is around a low activity area in Batagarawa local government and site C is within a densely populated school also in. Batagarawa local government. Six replicate samples were collected in each sampling location within an area of 4m 2 . The samples were mixed to form a composite and transported in labeled brown envelopes to the laboratory

Modeling of the thermo-hydro-mechanical–chemical response of sedimentary rocks to past glaciations

Thermo-hydro-mechanical–chemical (THMC) coupled processes that have resulted from long term past climate changes and glaciation cycles in the sedimentry rocks of southern Ontario are investigated. A conceptual numerical model has been developed to solve four coupled partial differential equations (PDEs), which represent hydraulic, thermal, mechanical and chemical processes. The finite element method is used to solve the PDEs under transient surface boundary conditions imposed by past glaciation cycles to predict the hydraulic, mechanical, thermal and geochemical responses of the geological system. The results show that past glaciations have a significant impact on the hydraulic gradient and pressure, vertical effective stress and salinity profiles, and a limited effect on the permafrost depth. The predicted results show good agreement when compared with the field data for the total dissolved solid, rock strength and quality. The results show relatively good agreement with the anomalous pore water pressure profile in the field. The modeling results indicate that the infiltration depth of glacial melted water is less than 300m, and are consistent with the field observation of total dissolved solids. At the level of a deep geological repository (DGR) for low and intermediate level radioactive wastes being planned in these rock formations, a safety factor of 6.9 is predicted against failure by using Hoek–Brown failure envelopes, while a low safety factor of 0.83 is predicted at the shallower level of the Silurian (Salina) formation. It is found that solute transport at the middle and upper Ordovician formations are diffusion dominated at depths of 300m or more, and controlled by diffusion–advection above 300m. Based on the results obtained, the modeling of a past glaciation can be used with reasonable confidence in predicting the impact of future glaciations related to the long term safety and stability of the proposed DGR in the sedimentry formation. However, for site specific conditions, THMC modeling is very sensitive to material properties, and sensitivity analysis is required for future model development.

Looking Back and Moving Forward

Looking Back and Moving Forward

New empirical polyaxial criterion for rock strength

A new criterion is presented for prediction of intact rock and rock mass failure under polyaxial state of stresses. A comprehensive database of the results of uniaxial, triaxial, and polyaxial tests on intact rock was utilized for evaluation of the new criterion and comparison of its accuracy with the most accurate and frequently used criteria. Analysis of 195 individual data groups of brittle failure in the form of ( σ 3, σ 1) for twelve different rock types showed that the proposed criterion lead to determination coefficients higher than 0.99 in most cases. It also gave the lower values of root mean squared errors relative to Mohr–Coulomb and Hoek–Brown criteria in fitting the normalized strength data for each rock type. The criteria were used to fit a typical series of triaxial strength data including brittle and ductile behavior. It showed that the new criterion can maintain its accuracy over a wider range of stresses. In the absence of rock mass strength data, applicability of the new criterion for rock mass was verified by fitting it to typical Hoek–Brown failure envelopes. Regression analysis of the polyaxial strength data in the form of ( σ 3, σ 2, σ 1) for six rock types showed that the new criterion predict the strength more accurately than the Modified Wiebols–Cook and You criteria in all cases.

12 - Mr President, Here is Why Brown Envelopes are Dirty

12 - Mr President, Here is Why Brown Envelopes are Dirty

A controlled trial of envelope colour for increasing response rates in older women

Postal questionnaires are widely used in health research to provide measurable outcomes in areas such as quality of life. Participants who fail to return postal questionnaires can introduce non-response bias. Previous studies within populations over the age of 65 years have shown that response rates amongst older people can be 60% or less. The current study sought to investigate whether envelope colour affected response rates in a study about the effectiveness of screening older women for osteoporosis. A total of 2803 eligible female participants aged between 70 and 85 were sent an invitation pack from their GP practice. The invitation was either in a brown or white envelope and contained a matching pre-paid reply envelope. A study questionnaire was also sent out in brown or white envelopes 1 week after consenting to participate in the trial. The overall response rate was 78%. There was little evidence of an effect of envelope colour on response to the invitation to participate in the trial (OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.87-1.24). Similarly, there was no influence of envelope colour on the number of participants returning their questionnaires (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.60-1.63). There was weak evidence of an effect of envelope colour on the response rates of the consent process (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.74-1.00). When we updated a recent meta-analysis with the results of this study, there was a non-statistically- significant trend for greater response rates with brown envelopes compared with white envelopes (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.86-1.64, I2=92%). However, the results where influenced by one study and when this study was excluded the pooled estimate was 0.98 (95% CI 0.89-1.08, I2=0%). This study found no evidence to suggest envelope colour has an effect on response to participate in a trial or questionnaire returns. There is weak evidence to suggest envelope colour may affect consent into a trial.