Underwater timber harvesting on the Volta Lake : implications for the environment and transportation

This dissertation is a study of the ramifications of underwater timber harvest for the environment and marine transport safety. The study is focused on the Volta Lake, located in Ghana. The work begins with a brief account of underwater timber harvesting in other parts of the world. Particular attention is paid to the modus operandi employed in the harvest and the effects for the country or region where this is taking place. A summary of the benefits and problems of underwater timber harvest is noted, following the selected global account. The dissertation then narrates the history of how timber came to populate the Volta Lake. The reasons that necessitate the timber harvest on the lake are explored. A detailed account of the phases of the harvest on the Volta Lake is presented. Furthermore, the technique to be used in harvesting the timber from the lake is examined. The final chapters of the work critically investigates the effect of the underwater timber harvest on the environment and marine transportation, with special emphasis on the latter. Other factors affecting marine transportation on the lake are explored. Finally, recommendations are made concerning mitigating environmental effects and making marine transportation on the lake safer

Diffusion of Virtual and Augmented Reality in Pre-K to 12 Education: Experiences and Perceptions of Pioneer Teachers

The diffusion of the virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technological ecosystem into education is nascent. Research on VR/AR in Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 (PK-12) education has been focused on the technologies\u27 effect on learning in various use cases. This study, grounded in Diffusion of Innovations theory (Rogers, 2003), uses a phenomenological qualitative research approach through interviews to understand the lived experiences and perceptions of pioneer teachers who have used VR/AR with PK-12 students. Critical trends and emergent themes within this study regarding pioneer teacher experiences of VR/AR adoption and integration surfaced through an inductive data analysis process. The introductory experiences of VR/AR impact teachers\u27 perception of the ecosystems\u27 benefits for teaching, launching their quest for information to narrow the knowledge gap that arises when adopting innovation. Pioneer teachers in this study use VR/AR in primarily two ways, for (i) The Exalted Journey (i.e., field trips to internal human spaces) and (ii) The Expression (i.e., student storytelling). Support from and access to funding provided by district/school leaders are critical for VR/AR adoption. Access to relevant content and VR/AR creation tools, bolstered by district-to-classroom level policies and protocols, proves essential for VR/AR integration in the classroom. Effective VR/AR classroom integration also depends on device availability, human resources, classroom structures, and classroom management. Teacher self-perception and educational context and philosophy affect teachers\u27 propensity to embrace VR/AR for teaching and learning. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of parts of this ecosystem was halted, particularly immersive VR through a head-mounted display; the pandemic\u27s long-term impact on VR/AR diffusion in PK-12 education remains uncertain. Access to VR/AR technology, inclusive of content and experience creation tools, classroom structures, resources, policies and protocols, teacher characteristics, and leadership support are crucial elements for districts/schools to consider when adopting and integrating this ecosystem into PK-12 classrooms

Evaluation of incorporating plastic wastes into asphalt materials for road construction in Ghana

In improving the aesthetics of the environment, the management of plastic wastes cannot be left out of the picture. Among the numerous ways that plastic wastes are managed, incorporating them into plastic roads is another viable option. This study quantified plastic wastes generation in Sunyani Municipality in Ghana and investigated the optimum percentage of asphaltic materials that could be made of plastic wastes for road construction in Ghana. Plastic Wastes were obtained from social gatherings, residential areas and restaurants, there was dialogue with key persons in the plastic industry and various experiments were also conducted for plastic wastes utilization in road construction. It was found that only one entrepreneur recycles the plastic wastes to make bags, dustbins, ropes and many more in the Municipality. It was also estimated that plastic wastes generation in the municipality per capita was 49.7 g/person/day whiles the total plastic wastes generated in the Municipality was 6,725.64 kg/day. In addition, numerous experimentations proved that it is possible to substitute about 10% of asphaltic road materials with plastic wastes as plastic coated aggregates (PCA) to meet the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) standards for road construction. The novelty finding in this research is that substitution of about 10% or more of asphaltic road materials in Ghana with plastic wastes could bring economy and cost savings in both road construction and plastic wastes management in Ghana

The use of remotely sensed environmental parameters for spatial and temporal schistosomiasis prediction across climate zones in Ghana

Schistosomiasis control in sub-Saharan Africa is enacted primarily through preventive chemotherapy. Predictive models can play an important role in filling knowledge gaps in the distribution of the disease and help guide the allocation of limited resources. Previous modeling approaches have used localized cross-sectional survey data and environmental data typically collected at a discrete point in time. In this analysis, 8 years (2008-2015) of monthly schistosomiasis cases reported into Ghana's national surveillance system were used to assess temporal and spatial relationships between disease rates and three remotely sensed environmental variables: land surface temperature (LST), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and accumulated precipitation (AP). Furthermore, the analysis was stratified by three major and nine minor climate zones, defined using a new climate classification method. Results showed a downward trend in reported disease rates (~ 1% per month) for all climate zones. Seasonality was present in the north with two peaks (March and September), and in the middle of the country with a single peak (July). Lowest disease rates were observed in December/January across climate zones. Seasonal patterns in the environmental variables and their associations with reported schistosomiasis infection rates varied across climate zones. Precipitation consistently demonstrated a positive association with disease outcome, with a 1-cm increase in rainfall contributing a 0.3-1.6% increase in monthly reported schistosomiasis infection rates. Generally, surveillance of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in low-income countries continues to suffer from data quality issues. However, with systematic improvements, our approach demonstrates a way for health departments to use routine surveillance data in combination with publicly available remote sensing data to analyze disease patterns with wide geographic coverage and varying levels of spatial and temporal aggregation.Accepted manuscrip

The impact of sexism and differences in competence on women's leadership aspirations

This study aimed to investigate the impacts of hostile and benevolent sexism - which typically exert opposing influences - on women’s leadership aspirations, and explored the effect of relative differences in competence. Female participants expected to carry out a task with a male partner, wherein one person would be the leader. The partner, who was either equally or less competent, made a comment that was hostile sexist, benevolent sexist, or non-sexist. It was predicted that women faced with hostile sexism would have greater leadership aspirations, compared to those having encountered benevolent sexism or no sexism, particularly if they were more competent than their partner. In contrast, benevolent sexism was expected to undermine leadership aspirations..

Reduction of Precautionary Behaviour following Vaccination against COVID-19: A Test on a British Cohort

Background: There is a risk that people vaccinated against COVID-19 will drop or reduce their precautionary behaviours (i.e., a phenomenon of risk homeostasis). Our aim is to assess the occurrence of this effect in a cohort of UK participants who were interviewed 141 days before and 161 days after the start of the vaccination programme. Methods: Of the 765 people who could be followed up before and after the start of the programme and whose vaccination status was known, 178 had not received any injection and 583 were more or less advanced in the process (one vs. two doses since less vs. more than 14 days). The frequency of 14 precautionary behaviours was assessed at both times of measurement, as well as potential covariates (gender, age, comorbidities and history of COVID-19). Results: Controlling for covariates, we didn’t find more decrease in precautionary behaviours among vaccinated individuals, regardless of how far along they were in the process. Conclusion: The results observed in this sample show little risk for a massive change in behaviours among early vaccinated individuals. The pressure to adopt precautionary behaviours remains strong and probably prevents the emergence of a risk homeostasis effect

COVID-19: perceptions and protective behaviours

A survey of british people perceptions and behaviors toward COVID-1

Meta-Humanization Enhances Positive Reactions to Prosocial Cross-Group Interaction

The present research investigated whether learning that an outgroup humanizes the ingroup (i.e., meta‐humanization) enhances how people react to intergroup prosocial behaviours and their willingness to engage in intergroup contact. In three experiments conducted in two cultural contexts (Kosovo and North Macedonia; n = 601), we manipulated meta‐humanization by informing participants that their ingroup is perceived to be as human as the outgroup by outgroup members. We compare this meta‐humanization condition with a meta‐dehumanization condition in which the participant's ingroup is perceived to be less human than the outgroup (Experiments 1 and 3), a meta‐liking condition in which the participant's ingroup is liked as much as the outgroup (Experiment 2), and a control condition (Experiments 1 and 2). Overall, results showed that participants in the meta‐humanization condition attributed more empathy and prosocial motives to a potential outgroup helper and were more willing to accept outgroup help and engage in future intergroup contact than participants in the other conditions. In addition, positive perceptions of the outgroup helper mediated the effect of meta‐humanization on willingness to accept outgroup help and engage in intergroup contact. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings for intergroup relations and reconciliation efforts