A Phase Lifter on Traditional Symbols in the Ghanaian Textile Industry

The global textile industry has grown in the past couple of decades and is expected to continue growing. This paper discusses ‘Adinkra’ traditional symbols; meanings, uses in fabric designs and the next stage in fabrics production in textile industries in Ghana. Out of a large number of documented Adinkra symbols, Adinkrahene symbol was chosen for this research experiment because of its leadership role over other symbols.An expository research design was used to throw more light on design innovations and also to educate the public on contemporary fabrics. Some of the findings were that, less sophisticated tools and equipment were used in designing processes and the skills involved were not much strenuous.Keywords: Adinkra, screen print, embroidery, embellishment, laser-cu

Transformative Learning Intervention: Effect on Functional Health Literacy and Diabetes Knowledge in Older African Americans

This study evaluated the effect of a transformative learning intervention on functional health literacy and diabetes knowledge in older African Americans. Twenty participants from senior community centers completed a six session intervention and three health literacy tests. Participants’ verbal responses affirmed the positive influence of the TL principles

Layouts and Effective Creation of Female Garment Designs in Ghanaian Clothing Industry

The purpose of this study was to highlight pattern layouts which lead to skills acquisition by both students and designers in the clothing industry in Kumasi, a city in Ghana.  The sample size of the study was 200 people. Questionnaire, interview and observation were used for data collection and content analysis done. Findings from the study indicate that some fashion designers did not see the benefits of using patterns; therefore, they did not use pattern layouts.  However, the clothing designing students agreed that layouts helped in designing creative and professional garments. Although, their major constraint in the use of layouts is the increase number of hours used to produce patterns. The paper concludes with a call on stakeholders to give some training or workshops on knowledge of pattern layouts to both formally and informally trained fashion designers. Keywords: layout, grainlines, silhouette, nap fabrics, fashion designe

Bisphenol A : how media and special interest groups influenced the ban on BPA

Recently, there has been great dispute about the effects of bisphenol A (herein referred to as BPA) leaching into baby bottles. This led to Canada being the first country to ban BPA in baby bottles in April of 2008 (CBC, 2008). This decision elicited criticism from the USA Food and Drug and Administration (FDA) but according to Health Ministry Tony Clement, “it is better to be safe than sorry” (CBC, 2008). It is this uncertainty of the effects due to the exposure of BPA that has fueled an interest for the topic of this paper. The purpose of this paper is to do a policy analysis in regards to BPA and the effects of industry sponsored research, specialty groups and the role of the media (newsprint). The next section of this paper looks at the methodology employed to identify sources, followed by a detailed look at how policy analysis is conducted in Canada and the key research findings on BPA from special interest groups coupled with the role that the media played in the decision to ban BPA in Canada. The last section describes the relevance and implications of the role played by these sources in public health and the future significance that these findings will have on public health practice, policy and research

Effects of Motifs and Patterns in Decorated Fabrics on Figure Types

Motifs and patterns are the significant part of every culture from the ancient days.  Embroidery, appliqué, tie dye/batik, prints, smocking and shirring display a rich variety of dynamic patterns and motifs in a garment. Fashion designers in Ghana appear not to take the fabric decorations into consideration when selecting and producing garments for their clients/customers. This results in the poor selection and placement of patterns and motifs in the production of garments for the various figure types. This study aimed at examining the effects of selected fabric decorations on the female figure types. The study adopted a qualitative research approach. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the twenty (20) fashion designers in Kumasi Metropolis. Structure interview was used in gather information from the fashion designers. The study discovered that that motifs and pattern decoration have effects on figure types.  The effect of fabric decorations (embroidery, appliqué, tie and dye and printing, smocking and shirring) on the female figure types (Apple shape, Straight/rectangular shape, Pear shape and Hourglass shape.) helps end users to know the effects of fabric decorations on their figure type and more or less enables the designers to select and design clothes for a particular figure type in terms of choice of fabric decoration. It was recommended that fashion designers should take figure types into consideration when selecting and producing garments for their clients or end users. Keywords: fabric, fashion designers, Apple shape, Straight/rectangular shape, Pear shape and Hourglass shape DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/9-8-02 Publication date: April 30th 201

Effect of zeolite types LTX and LTA on physicochemical parameters of drinking water sample in Ghana, assisted by light transmission experiment

In this study, the effect of zeolite types LTX and LTA, assisted by laser light transmission experiment on the physico-chemical parameters of drinking water samples have been investigated. Water samples were collected from rivers, streams, and wells from Central and Volta regions of Ghana, and zeolite masses of 0.2 and 0.5 g were added to 100 ml portions of the samples in turn. Laser light intensities transmitted through the samples before and after zeolite addition were measured and recorded. The results obtained showed raw water turbidity of 33.8 NTU and treated water turbidity of 3.0 NTU (WHO recommends the limit of 5 NTU for drinking water); transmitted light intensity for the raw and treated water samples of 0.3122 AU and 0.3345 AU, respectively. Our results also showed that water turbidity highly correlates the transmitted light intensity, and water conductivity depends on dissolved metal concentrations and temperature

Climate Change (Mal)Adaptation as Governmentality: The Case of the Ada Sea Defense System in the Volta River Delta of Ghana

River deltas are complex natural environments that represent a confluence of many physical, biological and human processes vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The likely biophysical impacts of climate change on deltas have received substantial attention. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the ways in which the different stakeholders of deltaic environments frame the vulnerability of residents of deltas to climate change. The Volta River Delta (VRD) of Ghana is a compelling site in which to conduct such an examination because of the clear climaterelated changes taking place in the Delta, and the fact that like many major delta areas in the world, the VRD is at the end of a managed river system heavily influenced by an upstream dam. This study aims to further our understanding of how the identification of climaterelated vulnerabilities, and the selection of interventions to address those vulnerabilities, can result in unintended outcomes that enhance, instead of ameliorate, vulnerabilities related to climate change, but also proceeding from other sources. It does so by applying the theoretical framework of governmentality in examining the different positions of various actors relative to the Ada Sea Defense System (AdSDS) in order to understand how the perceptions of these actors construct the vulnerability of a particular place and its population to the impacts of climate change, identify sea defense systems (SDS) as an adaptation to climate change, and understand, experience, and respond to the outcomes of that sea defense system – particularly outcomes one could consider as maladaptive. This exploration of vulnerability and adaptation to coastal erosion in the VRD demonstrates that the complex environments of river deltas require multidimensional approaches through which to attempt to trace observed processes of (mal)adaptation and give reason for the outcomes, good and bad, that result. This dissertation contributes to this process – in particular the politics of adaptation; and how an analysis of such politics can assist in our understanding of maladaptation. Such understanding can enable future adaptation decisions that promote the sustainability and well-being of coastal populations in Ghana and beyond

Adsorptive Removal of Iron and Manganese from Groundwater Samples in Ghana by Zeolite Y Synthesized from Bauxite and Kaolin

Ground water samples from residential homes in three Regions of Ghana: Central, Greater Accra and Ashanti, were analyzed for iron and manganese contamination. The samples were exposed to characterized zeolite Y by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transformed-infrared spectroscopy and thermos gravimetric-differential thermal analysis. Zeolite Y is able to remove 98% of iron and 97% of manganese within an hour. The adsorption of both iron and manganese follows the Freundlich model, whilst the kinetic studies show that pseudo-first order and intra particle and film diffusion models provided the best fit, suggesting the transport of the ions onto the zeolite Y surface and the subsequent diffusion into the zeolite Y framework. The adsorption at 0.2 mg L−1 Fe (0.2) is calculated to be 0.023 mg g−1 for the Freundlich adsorption model, whilst that of manganese at 0.05 mg L−1 Mn (0.05) is evaluated to be 0.015 mg g−1. The zeolite retains its adsorption properties when retrieved from the first exposure water sample, washed copiously with distilled water and added to fresh water samples. The results suggest that zeolite Y can be used as a potential adsorbent for the removal of iron and manganese from groundwater.Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) (Grant # 16-471 RG/PHYS/AF/AC_G), Grand Challenges Canada (Grant # RS-0148 -01) and National Environment Research Council (NERC) (Grant # NE/R009376/1). The authors are grateful to Royal Society, UK and Grand Challenges Canada for their financial support