Artificial Neural Network Model for Low Strength RC Beam Shear Capacity

This research was to investigate how the shear strength prediction of low strength reinforced concrete beams will improve under an ANN model. An existing database of 310 reinforced concrete beams without web reinforcement was divided into three sets of training, validation and testing. A total of 224 different architectural networks were tried, considering networks with one hidden layer as well as two hidden layers. Error measures of strength ratios were used to select the best ANN model which was then compared with 3 conventional design code equations in predicting the shear strength of 26 low strength RC beams. Even though the ANN was the most accurate, it was less conservative compared with the design code equations. A model reduction factor based on the characteristic strength concept is derived in this research and used to modify the ANN output. The modified ANN model is conservative in terms of safety and economy but not overly conservative as the conventional design equations. The procedure has been automated such that when new experimental sets are added to the database, the model can be updated and a new model could be developed

Combating the challenges in adult learning: The case of Knust distance learners

Majority of distance education students are adults. Such people have many responsibilities; they have families, jobs, social life and other commitments. The ability to manage and co-ordinate their enormous activities will determine how successful they would be in their studies. The primary role of the student is to learn. The purpose of this paper was to find out The challenges faced by the students pursuing distance programmes at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and how they are able to effectively manage them. To enable the students achieve this challenging task requires motivation, planning, and ability to analyse and apply the information being taught. Questionnaire was used to elicit information from a sample size of 120 students pursuing undergraduate and post graduate programmes at the Institute ofDistance Learning (IDL), KNUST. The study revealed that the challenges facing the students include how to combine their work with their studies, manage family and social activities. They are often misunderstood, isolated and some are contemplating dropping out from the programme.They also feel burdened with studies and do not know where to turn to for help. Recommendations were made on how the IDL could help the students to manage and co-ordinate their activities in order to go through their programmes successfully

Food retail assessment and family food purchase behavior in ashongman estates, Ghana

A key feature of the nutrition transition in developed countries is the rapid transformation of the food system towards increasing availability and access to cheaper, and more processed foods. These changes are associated with alterations in dietary behavior with implications for chronic disease risk. However, the process of change in the food system begins with changes in the food retail system and its subsequent effect on consumer behavior. Currently, little is known about the nature of the food marketplace in emerging economies like Ghana, and also how the changing economy and food retail situation are influencing consumer behavior. The current paper presents a case study of the food retail system and consumer food purchase behavior in suburban Accra. Between May and August 2012, an assessment of food retail outlets was carried out in Ashongman Estates, a suburb of Accra. The study involved observations, in-depth interviews with retailers, and a survey of households. Data from the study allowed classification of retail food vendors across the urban food retail system. In addition, data on food purchase preferences and purchase behavior were obtained from a household survey of 75 randomly selected households in Ashongman Estates. The data showed that traditional markets still constitute the most important source of household food purchases. A majority of households (87%) reported preference for traditional markets, and almost all households (99%) indicated traditional markets as their main source for purchasing household food. Foods available from supermarkets were mainly processed foods. However, processed foods are also commonly available through the traditional markets and minimarkets. The preference for traditional markets was attributed to greater variety of foods, lower price, and proximity of food source. Minimarket vendors, including corner stores, table top vendors, hawkers, and fuel station shops that are located within the community, served as an additional food source, complementing food purchases from the traditional markets. The study concluded that although traditional markets remain the main source of household food, interventions are needed to ensure that food markets in the community include access to a variety of fresh produce rather than promote processed foods, in order to promote consumer health.Key words: Food environment, traditional market, retail, supermarket, minimarkets, suburban food marke

Shale Investment Dashboard in Ohio Q3 and Q4 2022

This report presents findings from an investigation into shale-related investment in Ohio, looking at up, mid and downstream activities. The investment estimates are for July through December of 2022. The report also includes an estimate of cumulative investment in shale in Ohio from 2012 through December 2022. Prior biannual investments are included in previously posted reports that are available from Cleveland State University

Shale Investment Dashboard in Ohio Q3 and Q4 2020

This report presents findings from an investigation into shale-related investment in Ohio, looking at up, mid and downstream activities. The investment estimates are from July through December of 2020. The report also includes an estimate of cumulative investment in shale in Ohio from 2012 through December 2020. Prior biannual investments are included in previously posted reports that are available from Cleveland State University

Outcomes in medical admissions with hyponatraemia in Ghana – a single-centre study

Introduction: Hyponatraemia is the most common electrolyte abnormality in hospitalized patients and is associated with poor prognosis and high mortality. There is a paucity of data on hyponatraemia in Ghana. We set out to describe the prevalence of this condition, its associations and the outcomes in terms of in-hospital mortality and length of hospital stay.Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of all admissions from October 2017 to April 2018 on the medical ward at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). Demographic information, medical diagnoses as well as clinical and laboratory data were documented. Means (± standard deviation) were recorded for normally distributed data, whereas non-normally distributed data were recorded as medians [interquartile range (IQR)]. Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests were used to test categorical variables. ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for the analysis of hyponatraemia severity; a p value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Within the study period, 406 patients with hyponatraemia were identified in 1477 medical admissions, a prevalence of 27.6%. Their mean age was 51.5 ± 19.0 years. There were 217 males (53.5%). The mean serum sodium was 128.7 ± 6.5 mmol/L. Two hundred and forty (59%) had mild hyponatraemia, 106 (26%) had moderate hyponatraemia and 60 (15%) had severe hyponatraemia. The most common associated medical conditions were infections (26%), chronic liver disease (17%), hyperglycaemia (17%), chronic kidney disease (16%) and chronic heart failure (8%). In-hospital mortality was 31.8% and varied with the severity of the hyponatremia. The median length of hospital stay was 7 days (IQR 4–10 days) and did not vary with the severity of hyponatraemia. Mortality was associated with serum sodium concentration (p = 0.007) and lower levels of consciousness (Glasgow Coma Scale, GCS, ≤ 13) at presentation (p < 0.001).Conclusions: Hyponatraemia is common in medical admissions in Ghana, and is mostly associated with infections, and chronic liver, kidney and heart diseases. It is associated with high in-hospital mortality, especially when hyponatraemia is more severe or accompanied by relatively low GCS scores

Thermoelectric prospects of nanomaterials with spin-orbit surface bands

Nanostructured composites and nanowire arrays of traditional thermoelectrics like Bi, Bi(1-x)Sb(x) and Bi(2)Te(3) have metallic Rashba surface spin-orbit bands featuring high mobilities rivaling that of the bulk for which topological insulator behavior has been proposed. Nearly pure surface electronic transport has been observed at low temperatures in Bi nanowires with diameter around the critical diameter, 50 nm, for the semimetal-to semiconductor transition. The surface contributes strongly to the thermopower, actually dominating for temperatures T < 100 K in these nanowires. The surface thermopower was found to be -1 T microvolt/(K^2), a value that is consistent with theory. We show that surface electronic transport together with boundary phonon scattering leads to enhanced thermoelectric performance at low temperatures of Bi nanowire arrays. We compare with bulk n-BiSb alloys, optimized CsBi(4)Te(6) and optimized Bi(2)Te(3). Surface dominated electronic transport can be expected in nanomaterials of the other traditional thermoelectrics.Comment: 18 pages, 3 figure

Shale Investment Dashboard in Ohio Q1 AND Q2 2020

This report presents findings from an investigation into shale-related investment in Ohio, looking at up, mid and downstream activities. The investment estimates are from January through June of 2020. The reportalso includes an estimate of cumulative investment in shale in Ohio from 2012 through June 2020. Prior biannual investments are included in previously posted reports that are available from Cleveland State University

Shale Investment Dashboard in Ohio Q3 AND Q4 2019

This report presents findings from an investigation into shale-related investment in Ohio. The investment estimates are cumulative from July through December of 2019. Prior investments have been included in previous reports that are available from Cleveland State University.. Subsequent reports will estimate additional investment since the date of this repor