Design and Construction of a Bidirectional Digital Visitor Counter

This paper presents the design and construction of a digital bidirectional visitor counter (DBVC). The DBVC is a reliable circuit that takes over the task of counting number of persons / visitors in the room very accurately and beeps a warning alarm when the number of visitors exceeds the capacity limit of the auditorium/hall. When somebody enters the room then the counter is incremented by one (+1)  and when any one leaves the room then the counter is decremented by one (-1). The total number of persons inside the room is also displayed on the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The microcontroller is used for detecting an entry or exit action and computing the figures (addition and subtraction) to acquire accurate results. It receives the signals from the sensors, and this signal is operated under the control of embedded programming code which is stored in ROM of the microcontroller. The microcontroller continuously monitors the Infrared Receivers. When any object pass through the IR Receiver's then the IR Rays falling on the receivers are obstructed. The obstruction occurs under two circumstances, either you obstruct sensor 1 (i.e. outside the building) before sensor 2 (i.e. which is inside the building) this shows that you are entering the building or you do it the other way round, which is obstructing sensor 2 before sensor 1 to indicates an exit movement. This obstruction is sensed by the Microcontroller, computed and displayed by a 16x2 LCD screen. Keywords: Digital bidirectional visitor counter, IR Rays/Receivers, Microcontroller, Liquid Crystal Display and Circuit

Analysis of Factors Responsible for Low Patronage of Fixed Line Broadband Internet Access in Ghana

The internet has become an extremely important modern day technology for business and made a lot of activities very easy. It is used for almost all purposes, even with important issues such as in education and government organizations. In view of these benefits, various technologies have been developed to connect users to the internet. Some of these technologies include dial up, ISDN, DSL, satellite and mobile broadband. The purpose of this paper is to find the causes of low patronage of fixed line broadband internet access (DSL using landline) among households in Ghana. The paper employs qualitative research design whilst the survey method (both interview and questionnaire) was applied as the data collection methodology. The main findings were that most educated people in Ghana are computer and internet literates and perceive the internet as important. It was also found that many people are of the view that fixed line broadband internet access is expensive and slow. More importantly, most people are ignorant about fixed line broadband internet access and do not know the advantages that fixed line broadband internet access has over its competitors. Finally, it was discovered that fixed line broadband connection is absent in most communities and where it exists, most people complain of lack of money to subscribe to the service. Based on the findings, the paper concludes that low patronage of fixed line broadband internet access is attributable to ignorance about fixed line broadband internet access, lack of knowledge of completive advantages of fixed line broadband internet access, low income among households, lack of fixed line broadband connections in most residential areas, high cost of subscribing to fixed line broadband internet access and slow pace of downloading and uploading information using fixed line broadband internet access. The paper ends by recommending, among other things, that the general public be sensitized on the use of fixed line broadband connections, internet users must be educated on the advantages of fixed line broadband internet access through the mass media, bandwidth speed must be improved, a study be carried out to find out if price reduction of fixed line broadband internet access will make ISPs financially viable and consequently lead to increase in demand services and finally, a study be conducted on the financial viability of expansion of fixed line broadband connections to more localities. Keywords: fixed line broadband, Internet service providers (ISPs), internet users and VODAFONE Ghana

Analysis of Factors Responsible for Low Patronage of Fixed Line Broadband Internet Access in Ghana

The internet has become an extremely important modern day technology for business and made a lot of activities very easy. It is used for almost all purposes, even with important issues such as in education and government organizations. In view of these benefits, various technologies have been developed to connect users to the internet. Some of these technologies include dial up, ISDN, DSL, satellite and mobile broadband.The purpose of this paper is to find the causes of low patronage of fixed line broadband internet access (DSL using landline) among households in Ghana. The paper employs qualitative research design whilst the survey method (both interview and questionnaire) was applied as the data collection methodology. The main findings were that most educated people in Ghana are computer and internet literates and perceive the internet as important. It was also found that many people are of the view that fixed line broadband internet access is expensive and slow. More importantly, most people are ignorant about fixed line broadband internet access and do not know the advantages that fixed line broadband internet access has over its competitors. Finally, it was discovered that fixed line broadband connection is absent in most communities and where it exists, most people complain of lack of money to subscribe to the service.Based on the findings, the paper concludes that low patronage of fixed line broadband internet access is attributable to ignorance about fixed line broadband internet access, lack of knowledge of completive advantages of fixed line broadband internet access, low income among households, lack of fixed line broadband connections in most residential areas, high cost of subscribing to fixed line broadband internet access and slow pace of downloading and uploading information using fixed line broadband internet access.The paper ends by recommending, among other things, that the general public be sensitized on the use of fixed line broadband connections, internet users must be educated on the advantages of fixed line broadband internet access through the mass media, bandwidth speed must be improved, a study be carried out to find out if price reduction of fixed line broadband internet access will make ISPs financially viable and consequently lead to increase in demand services and finally, a study be conducted on the financial viability of expansion of fixed line broadband connections to more localities. Keywords: fixed line broadband, Internet service providers (ISPs), internet users and VODAFONE Ghana

Mobile Network Backbone Upgrade: How Mobile Operators Can Solve Future Bandwidth Demands

The advent of 3G and 4G mobile services brings with it a surge in data traffic, which in turn puts a strain on existing mobile networks. Nowhere is the demand for more bandwidth felt more than in the Backbone.The backbone of a mobile network contributes to the bandwidth of mobile signals. Therefore the more efficient or effective the mobile network backbone is the more mobile operators can solve current and future demands for higher bandwidths. The main objective of this paper is to research into the best possible way to improve the network backbone of mobile operators, in order to provide the best bandwidth for current and future use.The research was conducted on four mobile operators in Ghana at their branches in Takoradi, Kumasi and Accra Metropolitan areas because of the high population at these areas and the consequent high use of mobile services. Takoradi, also known as the twin-city, is fast developing and turning into a highly industrial area not to mention the recent oil find. Kumasi is the second most industrial area in Ghana and is one of the most populated areas in Ghana. The capital city, Accra is the most populated and the most industrial area in Ghana.Among the numerous challenges of mobile operators in Ghana is how the increasing demands for mobile bandwidth can be solve in the future. Evidently, this is an uphill task that confronts most mobile operators in Ghana.The paper took cognizance of the following factors in respect of the network backbone of mobile operators; the transmission media used for the network backbone, regulations on mobile telecommunications in Ghana, the backbone infrastructure of mobile operators, continuous increase in mobile subscribers, and future demands for network bandwidth.The central questions revolved around identifying the current generation technologies for backbone mobile networks, the current situation of microwave technology being used as backbone by mobile operators in Ghana and the future market demands for network backbone. This was done in terms of their characteristics such as bandwidth capacity, susceptibility to noise and the subsequent error rate, distance required between repeaters and security cost. For an upgrade of a network backbone to solve future bandwidth demands, the aforementioned characteristics of the transmission medium are of utmost importance. A mixed data collection approach was employed. Thus, through observation, it was discovered that some mobile operators are currently upgrading their backbone networks using fiber optics. An interview with workers of some mobile operators in Ghana resulted in such views as: each mobile network operator should have its own network backbone to enhance reliability and to promote effective competition; and the network backbone of most mobile operators should consists more of fiber than microwave.It was also realized, through the analyses of questionnaires that the network backbone of most mobile operators in Ghana are primarily made up of both microwave and fiber technologies; there will be a market demand for backbone networks in Ghana in the near future; and finally, fiber is chosen as the best technology to use for a mobile network backbone in the future.The paper recommends that mobile operators should upgrade their network backbone to fiber and also there must be a common underground conduits or ducts for all mobile operators to lay their fiber cables. An alternate parallel microwave network backbone for mobile operators is also recommended. Keywords: Fiber optics, Microwave, Mobile bandwidth, Mobile operators in Ghana, Network backbone and Telecommunication

The Use of Person-Organization Fit in Employment Decision Making: An Assessment of Its Criterion-Related Validity

Because measures of person-organization (P-O) fit are accountable to the same psychometric and legal standards used for other employment tests when they are used for personnel decision making, the authors assessed the criterion-related validity of P-O fit as a predictor of job performance and turnover. Meta-analyses resulted in estimated true criterion-related validities of .15 (k ϭ 36, N ϭ 5,377) for P-O fit as a predictor of job performance and .24 (k ϭ 8, N ϭ 2,476) as a predictor of turnover, compared with a stronger effect of .31 (k ϭ 109, N ϭ 108,328) for the more commonly studied relation between P-O fit and work attitudes. In contrast to the relations between P-O fit and work attitudes, the lower 95% credibility values for the job performance and turnover relations included zero. In addition, P-O fit's relations with job performance and turnover were partially mediated by work attitudes. Potential concerns pertaining to the use of P-O fit in employment decision making are discussed in light of these results. Keywords: person-organization fit, personnel selection, criterion-related validity, job performance, turnover Using meta-analytic procedures, the primary objective of this article is to investigate the criterion-related validity of personorganization (P-O) fit as a predictor of job performance and turnover. The construct of P-O fit originates from interactional psychology, which assumes that behavior is caused by the continuous interaction between the person and the environment Although there are many types of fit, including person-team (group) fit, person-vocation fit, and person-job fit (see In brief, we argue that although P-O fit may predict work attitudes P-O Fit and Work Attitudes Kristof (1996) defined P-O fit as "the compatibility between people and organizations that occurs when: (a) at least one entity provides what the other needs, or (b) they share similar fundamental characteristics, or (c) both" (p. 45)

Relating Ability and Personality to the Efficacy and Performance of Dyadic Teams

We examined the extent to which member ability and personality relate to differences in team performance and team efficacy in a task setting that simulated the high degree of role interdependence and human-technology interaction found in many military contexts. 168 male participants were assigned to dyadic teams and trained for two weeks to learn and perform a complex computer task that simulated the demands of a dynamic aviation environment. Participants also completed measures of general mental ability, psychomotor ability, and the Big Five personality traits (extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and emotional stability). Team performance and team efficacy were assessed multiple times throughout training. Results indicated that ability was a critical determinant of both performance and efficacy, and personality traits yielded an incremental contribution to both performance and efficacy. In particular, psychomotor ability and conscientiousness were the strongest and most consistent factors associated with team effectiveness.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Convergence of Self-Report and Archival Crash Involvement Data: A Two-Year Longitudinal Follow-Up

This study constructively extends Arthur et al. (2001) by assessing the convergence of self-report and archival motor vehicle crash involvement and moving violations data in a 2-year longitudinal follow-up. The relationships among these criteria, conscientiousness, and driving speed were also assessed using both predictive and postdictive criterion-related validation designs. Data were collected from a 2-year follow-up sample of 334 participants. Results suggested a lack of convergence between self-report and archival data at both Time 1 and Time 2. In addition, the predictor/criterion relationships varied across research design and data source. An actual application of our findings is that the interpretation of relationships between specified predictors and crash involvement and moving violations must be made within the context of the criterion-related validation design and criterion data source. Specifically, predictive designs may produce results different from those of postdictive designs (which are more commonly used). Furthermore, self-report data appear to include a broader range of incidents (more crashes and tickets), and thus researchers should consider using self-report data when they are interested in including lower threshold crashes and tickets that may not be reported on state records (e.g., because of the completion of a defensive driving course)Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms