FPGA applications in signal and image processing

The increasing demand for real-time and smart digital signal processing (DSP) systems, calls for a better platform for their implementation. Most of these systems (e.g. digital image processing) are highly parallelisable, memory and processor hungry; such that the increasing performance of today�s general-purpose microprocessors are no longer able to handle them. A highly parallel hardware architecture, which offers enough memory resources, offers an alternative for such DSP implementations

Potential groundwater pollution from improper oil and metal waste disposal in Suame, Ghana

Suame is an industrialized hub in Kumasi, Ghana, that is noted for vehicle repairs and servicing, sale of automobile spare parts, and metal fabrication. Some of these activities generate huge volumes of waste oil and metals that are often disposed off indiscriminately into the environment. These could pose a threat to the quality of groundwater in the area, especially if they continuously accumulate in the environment. This study, therefore, investigated the potential impact of the waste disposal on groundwater quality in the area. The methods employed involved mapping all the potential waste oil spillage sources and sampling the soils in such areas (at 0 – 30 and 30 – 60 cm depths) and groundwater supply points for laboratory analyses to determine the presence of the waste. In all, 36 samples (comprising 12 soil and 24 groundwater) were analysedfor the presence of heavy metals including Cd, Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn and Cr, which were used as traceelements for the presence of the waste in the samples. Computedgeo-accumulation indices from the results show the soils are moderately to heavily polluted with Cd and Pb whilst the groundwater, when compared to the WHO drinking water guidelines, is polluted with Pb and Ni. Althoughthe source of the high Pb content observed could be attributed to its transport directly from the activities in the area, the presence of high Ni makes it inconclusive since the Ni in the soil was within the concentration expected of the parent rock geochemistry. This notwithstanding, the study has indicated that groundwater in the area is not safe for human consumption unless the lead and nickel concentrations are reduced to acceptable standard for drinking.Keywords: Groundwater quality, pollution, waste disposal, Suame, Ghan

Peer assessment in graphic design studio: Communication design students' perspectives

Large class-sizes have become a common feature in almost all higher education institutions in developing countries. Consequently, educators have to implement innovative pedagogies and assessment practices to deal with the current challenges in education delivery at that level. The purpose of this study was to examine students’ perceptions of their attitudes during peer assessment practice in graphic design studio in higher education. The study was conducted with 94 students at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. The results showed that the students had a positive experience and perception of the peer assessment process. They also held positive views of the task worth of peer-assessment just like their perception of peer-assessment as an aid to learning. The results revealed that peer learning and objectivity are significantly related to task worth. The findings of this study have confirmed the advantages associated with the use of peer-assessment in higher education instead of a teacher centered approach and reaffirmed the existing unequivocal views held by similar studies.Keywords: Peer assessment; students’ perceptions; studio pedagogy; graphic desig

Effectiveness of health education in increasing the duration of exclusive breastfeeding in low income countries: a systematic review

Background: The protective effects of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) to the health of infants and mothers alike have been well documented. The rates of EBF remain low in spite of the recognized benefits and the persistent global call for infants to be breastfed exclusively on breast milk for the first six months of life. Health education has been widely suggested as one of the key intervention strategies for increasing the duration of EBF in low income countries. Objective: To conduct a systematic review to assess the effectiveness of health education interventions in increasing the duration of EBF in low income countries. A secondary objective of the review was to identify the theoretical bases of both effective/non-effective interventions and also to identify the educational methods that were utilized. Methods: Systematic review of experimental and quasi-experimental studies of health education interventions that evaluated exclusive breastfeeding outcome. Studies not published in English language and studies not reporting exclusive breastfeeding outcome were excluded. A narrative synthesis was used. Data Sources: Studies dating from 1980 – 2013 in English language were searched in the following databases: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, Academic Search Complete. ScienceDirect and Google Scholar search engine. Results: Twelve (12) studies were identified. Five were randomized controlled trials and additional three were before-after studies with control groups. The remaining four were non-randomized controlled trial. Only one study applied a theoretical framework in developing and implementing the intervention. EBF rate was significantly higher in the intervention groups compared with the control groups in ten (10) of the studies. The remaining two (2) studies reported no difference in EBF rates between the intervention groups and the control groups. Most of the studies reviewed had important methodological limitations. Conclusion: Because of the methodological limitations of most of the included studies, firm conclusion on the effectiveness of health education interventions in increasing the duration of exclusive breastfeeding in low income countries cannot be made. Nonetheless there is a potential for this to be achieved if more methodologically rigorous health education interventions are developed and evaluated in low income countries

Service quality practices and students satisfaction towards the Department of Communication Design

The increase in the number of tertiary institutions in Ghana offering Communication Design calls for a review of activities in the premium Department of Communication Design in Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Grounded in service qualitytheory, the study examined students' perceptions and satisfaction relationships among five key variables related to satisfaction with service quality: assurance, tangibles, reliability, empathy and responsibility. The design employed for the study was survey. A total of 400 questionnaire were randomly distributed, out of which 260 were returned during the end of the second semester of the 2014/2015 academic year. The instrument used for the study was adapted from Cronin and Taylor's Service Quality Questionnaire.The instrument consisted of two parts; Part A consisted of items o respondent's biodata while Part B comprised of 22 items which elicited responses from student's perceived satisfaction. The results of the study using the factorial analysis technique indicated that students had negative perceptions and satisfaction about service delivery in the department. The findings suggest that there is a missing link between the deapartment and students. Baesd on these findings, the researchers recommend that there should be an avenue where students can address their concerns without malice, and also ensure that these concerns are given the maximum consideration

Hydrogeological evaluation of geological formations in Ashanti Region, Ghana

The success of groundwater exploitation in an area largely depends on prior knowledge of existing hydrogeological parameters such as borehole yield, overburden thickness, depth of boreholes, static water level, specific capacity and the quality of water. This study, therefore, employed Geographical Information System to assess some of these hydrogeological parameters in the Ashanti Region using the ordinary kriging interpolation method. Data on 2,788 drilled boreholes in the region were used and the assessment focused on the various geological formations in the region that comprised the Birimian, Granitoids, Tarkwaian and Voltaian formations. The study results indicate that the Birimian formation is generally within medium to high yielding potential zones (30 – 60 l/min or higher) with a high drilling success rate of 91% and average borehole depth of 53 m. The Granitoids are, mostly, within the low yielding zone (< 30 l/min) with isolated high yielding boreholes and have average borehole depth and drilling success rate of 50 m and 72 % respectively. The Tarkwaian formation, on other hand, is within the medium yield zone with a drilling success rate of 80 % whilst the Voltaian formation is mainly classified to fall within low yield zone with about 60% success rate although significant high yield zones occur within the sandstone formation underlying its westernmost part in the region. Groundwater in the region is generally potable except in a few locations within the Birimian and ranitoids,where there are problems with levels of iron, nitrate, manganese and pH. Keywords: Groundwater; Hydrogeological parameters; Geological formations; Geographical Information System; Ashanti Regio

Stroke: Identifying Symptoms and Acting Fast to Save Lives and Prevent Permanent Disabilities

Stroke is the 5th leading cause of death in the United States. Strokes and their long-term effects are preventable. Recognizing the symptoms of stroke and acting quickly can prevent death and minimize long-term disabilities. Family members and bystanders have an important role to play. This issue brief describes stroke symptoms and prevention guidelines, summarizes the information 9-1-1 callers should be prepared to provide when someone is having a stroke, and discusses the importance of acting quickly to save lives and long-term damage

Creating acceptable, affordable and appropriate sanitation options for rural areas

The coverage of improved sanitation for rural communities in Ghana still remains at 26% .The major challenges in the provision of sanitation over the past decade have been based on affordability and appropriateness of the sanitation options in relation to local conditions. This paper looks at locally relevant sanitation options. The idea of promoting the use of local materials and local technology is to allow beneficiaries to be able to build improved latrines on their own. By using local materials for lining of pits and construction of slab and superstructure, the cost of a latrine can be made as low as GH¢23.00

Bachelor of Technology (B-Tech) Programme in Building Technology at the Sunyani Polytechnic Based On the Competency-Based Training (CBT) Model: A Review

The Bachelor Technology (B-Tech) in Building Technology programme was introduced at the Sunyani Polytechnic as part of measures towards providing an academic progression route for HND Building Technology graduates and to train professionally competent manpower to help improve the construction industry in Ghana. The competency-based training (CBT) model was adopted as the mode of training. This paper seeks to review the B-Tech (Building Technology) programme, in line with the CBT model, since its inception at the Sunyani polytechnic. The study involved interviewing stakeholders like staff of polytechnic, employers and graduates of the programme. Relevant materials like annual evaluation reports and accreditation documents were also consulted. It was discovered that an adapted version of CBT was employed in the implementation of the programme with the internship phase of the training being the highpoint in the CBT practice. Logistical constraints and low familiarity with the CBT concept were identified as some constraints to the implementation of the program in line with CBT. Keywords: Competency-Based Training, Bachelor of Technology, Building Technology, Sunyani Polytechnic