Direct Writing Of Polymeric Coatings For Corrosion Control And Tunable Release Of Bioactive Materials

The interface between a medical device and its surrounding tissue can be critical to biocompatibility, performance and therapeutic effectiveness. Careful choice and application of materials at this interface is therefore a key to the success of any medical device. This research employed a novel direct-write inkjet printing technique for polymeric surface modification of bioresorbable AZ31 Mg alloy towards corrosion control and tunable release of bioactive agents. In the first phase of this research, the direct-write inkjet printing technique was successfully used to fabricate thin films of different blends of poly (ester-urethane) urea embedded with taxol coatings on mechanically polished AZ31 Mg coupons. A corrosion study was performed using the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique. The polarization resistance values obtained using the equivalent circuit model were analyzed using the ECHEM analyst commercial software developed by Gamry®. The polarization resistances obtained indicated that the corrosion resistance of the polymeric materials increases in this order: uncoated AZ31 \u3c PEUU-SB \u3c PEUU-PC \u3c PEUU-V

The changing face of Ghanaian towns

The paper argues that the face of Ghanaian towns has changed since the initial contact with the colonialists. Investments in infrastructure, urbanisation and enhanced economic activities have combined to change the face of Ghanaian towns. These changes in turn have affected the quality of urban life and the disparity in development between the north and the south as well as in various towns with marked spatial segregation of residential areas. Considering that the current face of several Ghanaian towns is characterised by overcrowding, cluttering of houses, insanitary conditions and poor environmental conditions; it is argued that the face of Ghanaian towns should increasingly reflect orderly development, adequate environmental sanitation, tolerable densities and effective local planning to create a more livable and sustainable environment. Keywords: Urbanisation, urban form, urban infrastructure, Ghanaian town

THE IMPACT OF ROLE STRESS ON JOB PERFORMANCE IN THE BANKING SECTOR IN GHANA: A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED BANKS IN THE SUNYANI MUNICIPALITY

In today's world, stress has become a global phenomenon, manifested in different forms in every workplace worldwide. For this study, role stress and its influence on job performance in selected banks in the Sunyani Municipality was assessed. A descriptive survey was conducted to identify the factors responsible for role stress in banks, effects of role-related stress on job performance, and stress coping strategies employed by bank employees in Sunyani municipality. Both secondary and primary data was used to gather information for the study. Questionnaire was used to collect data from 140 workers of five selected banks. The study revealed that workload, long working hours, reporting early to work, and lack of regular stress management practices were identified as the major factors contributing to role stress to the bank workers as affirmed by majority of the respondents. Again, the study found that there is a negative impact of role stress on job performance. Those workers who had high level of job stress exhibited low job performance. The study observed that management of the bank did not have established measures of managing stress among workers as affirmed by majority (85%) of the respondents. The study recommends that since the role-related stress from long working hours and workload were high among workers; the management of banks should pay attention to solving the issues of inadequate resources and equipment’s in order to prevent stress among staff and also improve upon performance.&nbsp

The determinants of demand for public transport services in Kumasi, Ghana

The objective of the study was to establish the major factors influencing demand as well as develop a demand model for urban passenger transport services in Kumasi, Ghana. Data for this study were obtained from 400 commuters grouped into strata with definite characteristics such as income levels and trip making characteristics using the framework defined by Department of Urban Roads during two main field surveys using the simple random sampling technique. The analysis of the data showed that key determinants such as employment status of commuters, trip duration, and population influence the demand for public transport services in Kumasi. In addition, it was found that Taxi is the dominant mode used in Kumasi,  carrying about 44% of respondents. This is mainly because it is the fastest mode in the city. The minibus is the next patronised mode carrying 32% of the respondents while Metro Mass Transit buses were the least patronised, even though they have the capacity to carry more passengers. This is mainly because of the long travel time these buses offer to passengers. The study therefore recommends among others, the use of large  occupancy vehicles by providing them with exclusive lanes to help reduce travel time to make them the preferred option of commuters.Keywords: Demand, Passenger Transport Services, Public Transport, Passenger-kilometre

Simultaneous Optimization of Vertical Electrical Sounding and Magnetotelluric Data Using a Genetic Algorithm

There are many research studies that highlight the benefit of combining more than one geophysical method to delineate the subsurface. However, only a small number of studies discuss the use of genetic algorithm to simultaneously invert magnetotelluric (MT) and vertical electrical sounding (VES) data. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the efficacy of using the genetic algorithm technique to simultaneously optimize and invert MT and VES data. For this study, a GA inversion code was written in MATLAB, consisting of two parts: a forward program and an inverse program. The inverse program has an inherent forward model, which it uses to produce an apparent resistivity (from the corresponding input model parameter). The goal of GA inversion is to generate the best model parameter (that is, thickness and resistivity) whose apparent resistivity curve matches the field data’s apparent resistivity curve or the synthetic data’s apparent resistivity curve. The forward and GA inversion programs were tested on synthetic and real MT and VES datasets. A total of 34 MT and 15 VES soundings were acquired from different geothermal fields in Tuscany, Italy. The theoretical apparent resistivity values of the model parameter are extremely similar to the measured (experimental) apparent resistivity values, according to analysis of the inversion data. This is indicated by the low root mean square error. Results from the simultaneous inversion of the synthetic MT and VES models revealed negligible (less than 0.4 percent) errors in resistivity and thickness for each layer. In both cases, the error recorded by the application on field VES data and field MT data was less than 5 percent and less than 19 percent, respectively. This shows that the GA inverse technique produces accurate estimations of subsurface characteristics. Keywords:Simultaneous Inversion, Genetic Algorithm, Vertical Electrical Sounding, Magnetotelluric, Optimization method DOI: 10.7176/JEES/13-7-05 Publication date:September 30th 202

MAXIMIZING TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL (TAM) IN ASSESSING THE USE OF ICT TO PROMOTE DISTANCE EDUCATION IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN THE ASHANTI REGION, GHANA

The study investigated maximizing Technology Acceptance Model in accessing the attitude of rural farmers using ICT tools in farming to enhance productivity. Using a positivist philosophical perspective, this study adopted the survey research design to respectively 210 registered level 300 distance education students of both universities pursuing Business Administration from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED). The study employed questionnaires as a data collection tool. Findings revealed that ICTs were useful for both institutions giving them some sort of autonomy for students in their education, inducing presentation, demonstration, interaction, and collaboration. Some of the challenges the distance students faced were the limited ICT facilities and services, and technical hitches, among others. The study recommended that these universities should invest in contemporary ICT infrastructure to aid the new generation of distance students

Impact of Remittances on Economic Growth: Evidence from Selected West African Countries (Cameroon, Cape Verde, Nigeria and Senegal)

Abstract Remittances from abroad play a key role in the development of man

The countercyclical nature of remittances: A case study of the 2009 global financial crisis in Cameroon, Cape Verde, Nigeria and Senegal

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS)Remittances inflows have gradually become one of the major sources of external financial inflows to developing countries. As a result, research abounds on the developmental effects of remittances in the home countries of migrants. At the micro level, recipients of remittances are more likely to have better access to quality health care, education as well as start-up fund for their own businesses. On the other hand at the macro level, remittances inflows can help increase the credit worthiness of countries by enabling them to use future remittances inflows as collateral for loans. Additionally, remittances inflows as a source of foreign exchange can be used by countries to fund import bills. Although there has been a surge of scholarship on remittances, this scholarship seems to be concentrated on the economic study of migration instead of the macroeconomic aspects of remittances. Furthermore, comparative studies on these macroeconomic aspects of remittances especially on African countries are underresearched and remains at the backwaters of academic study. Using quantitative time series data, this research seeks to do a comparative study on the countercyclical nature of remittances in four selected West African countries (Cameroon, Cape Verde, Nigeria and Senegal). The research used descriptive trend analysis, autocorrelation and an ARMAX model analyse the research problem. After critical analysis on whether remittances are countercyclical or not using the 2009 global financial crisis as a reference year in these four countries, it was found that, remittance inflows to Cameroon, Cape Verde, Nigeria and Senegal were pro-cyclical in nature. Moreover, in analysing the relationship between remittances inflows and gross domestic product (economic growth) the research revealed that there was a positive relationship between remittances inflows and economic growth for the four countries (Cameroon, Cape Verde, Nigeria and Senegal) observed. One recommendation given from this study is that, there is the need for remittances inflows to be invested in productive activities. This is because even if remittances continue to increase, without its investment in productive sectors, it cannot have any meaningful impact on economic growth in these countries

Perceptions and experiences of taxi drivers on fatherhood in Wentworth, Durban.

Master of Social Science in Social Work. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2017.South Africa has one of the highest rates of absent fathers globally with many children growing up without fathers. This has prompted many studies to be undertaken in South Africa to understand fathers’ absence with few studies being done on those fathers that are present in their children’s life. Against this backdrop this study set out to understand the perceptions and experiences of taxi drivers as fathers due to the dearth of research on taxi drivers as fathers in South Africa. Taxi drivers in South Africa are commonly stereotyped as violent, reckless and stubborn. With this stereotype in mind it was important to find out their experiences and perceptions of fatherhood and whether the taxi industry environment has an impact on their role as fathers. To achieve this the study aimed at understanding the perceptions and experiences of fatherhood amongst taxi drivers in Wentworth Durban. The study adopted a qualitative research paradigm which was guided by an ecological framework. It was an explorative study which utilised purposive sampling where ten taxi drivers with one or more children were interviewed. Semi-structured individual interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed, the data were analysed using thematic analysis. The major findings of the study were that taxi drivers perceive fatherhood as comprising both biological and social fatherhood. With biological fathers as those that have fathered a child whilst social fathers are those that play a part in the lives of other children other than their own. Most of the taxi drivers preferred a boy child over a girl child with the underlying belief that a boy child will eventually carry on the surname unlike a girl child who will get married and leave. The participants saw their role of fathers as that of providers and protectors of the family and that of their partners as essentially child carers. This showed their belief in the masculine roles that divides the roles of men and women in society. The participants also work long tiring hours which adds to their inability to spend quality time with their children