Designing a low-cost solution for guitarists in Ghana who cannot afford to import effect pedals

Capstone Project submitted to the Department of Engineering, Ashesi University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, May 2020Music is a very important part of the Ghanaian society and it serves many purposes. In more recent times, the guitar has been one of the most widely used melodic instruments in music production. With the invention of the effect pedal, guitarists worldwide have been able to use a wider variety of tones to produce more complex and enjoyable music. In Ghana, however, these pedals need to be imported and this prevents a lot of guitarists from having a lot of tones to choose from which impedes their craft primarily because the cost of the pedal increases significantly while access to the pedal locally is restricted. Often software implementations of the effect pedals are used as substitutes for their hardware counterparts, but this comes at a cost of the reduction in tone quality. In this project, a low-cost effect pedal is designed and built to suit the needs of guitarists who cannot afford imported effect pedals.Ashesi Universit

Serologic Evidence of \u3cem\u3eBrucella\u3c/em\u3e and Pseudorabies in Mississippi Feral Swine

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are an ever-increasing problem across the United States. Besides physical environmental damage that they cause, they may harbor and transmit a number of pathogens to humans, livestock, and other domestic animals. We sampled feral swine across the state of Mississippi for titers to several diseases. Antibodies against Brucella were found in 16 of 499 (3.2%) feral swine, and antibodies against pseudorabies (porcine herpes virus, type 1; Herpesveridae sp.) virus were identified in 37 of 499 (7.4%) feral swine from across the state of Mississippi. Evidence of classical swine fever, African swine fever, swine influenza, and foot-and-mouth disease were not identified in any of the feral swine examined

The ecological boundaries of six Carolina bays: Community composition and ecotone distribution

Community and environmental gradients within the ecological boundaries of Carolina bay wetlands may provide important information on the interaction between Carolina bays and associated uplands, and may also provide guidance for improved management. We established twelve 30-m transects on the sloping rims of each of six Carolina bays in northeastern South Carolina to characterize the community gradient, as well as important environmental factors producing this gradient. Mid-points of the transects were placed on jurisdictional wetland boundaries. Hydrology, soil properties, and plant species composition were measured within these transects. On average, transects included an elevation change of 0.6 m that corresponded with gradients of hydrology, soil properties, and community characteristics. Decreasing surface soil moisture (i.e., fewer flood events) and decreasing soil nutrients were associated with a shift from shrub-bog vegetation with relatively low alpha diversity and prominence of evergreens to a relatively diverse and heterogeneous community characterized by grasses, herbs, low shrubs, and vines. Ecotones, identified by abrupt changes in community composition, were more frequently found outside jurisdictional wetland boundaries. Likewise, five near-endemic and endemic plant species were found outside the wetland boundaries. Our data reinforce the need for better understanding of how Carolina bays interact with adjacent landscape elements, and specifically how ecological boundaries are influenced by this interaction

Annual Variation in Northern Bobwhite Survival and Raptor Migration

We estimated survival of radio-marked northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) on a managed prairie site in northeast Mississippi during 2 disparate winters (15 Sep-14 Apr 2000–2002). We retrospectively examined factors that may influence bobwhite survival. Pooled survival rates differed substantially between years (S 1⁄4 0.03 6 0.02 in 2000–2001 and S 1⁄4 0.36 6 0.16 in 2001–2002). Regional relative abundance of 3 species of raptors thought to be important predators of bobwhite was greater during 2000 compared to 2001 based on kriging of Christmas Bird Count (CBC) data. We demonstrate an approach for characterizing annual variation in spatial distribution of migratory raptors and suggest that annual variation in local winter predator context may be useful for explaining annual variation in winter survival of local bobwhite populations

Analysis of bolted flanged panel joint for GRP sectional tanks

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The observed synoptic scale precipitation relationship between Western Equatorial Africa and Eastern Equatorial Africa

An improvement to subseasonal (i.e. days to weeks) rainfall prediction across Equatorial Africa is an important area of current research. This is because most countries in this region are highly dependent on rain-fed agriculture, and so millions of livelihoods are at risk in the event of an unexpected poor harvest. This study examines 16 years of daily precipitation anomalies to investigate the relationship in precipitation between Western Equatorial Africa (WEA) and Eastern Equatorial Africa (EEA). Using lead/lag correlation and spatio-temporal correlation patterns over various sub-regions, a synoptic-scale relationship in precipitation is presented between WEA and EEA, in which precipitation over EEA lags precipitation over WEA by 1-2 days. In addition, central WEA and sub-regions in South Sudan display a synoptic-timescale precipitation contrast, suggesting a weak precipitation dipole. Consistent with the known heterogeneity characteristic of Equatorial Africa’s precipitation, our findings suggest that the 1-2 day precipitation relationship is dependent upon the sub-region under investigation. Furthermore, our results indicate a coherent synoptic-timescale eastward/northeastward propagating signal with a speed of approximately 12 m s-1. Composite and correlation analyses of precipitation anomalies and a novel equatorial wave dataset show an apparent connection between eastward/northeastward propagating wet anomalies and Kelvin wave lower-tropospheric convergence. This suggests that Convectively Coupled Kelvin Waves (CCKWs) play a role in modulating the 1-2 day convection and precipitation propagation between WEA and EEA. These results imply that monitoring the propagation characteristics of CCKWs may be important in synoptic-timescale forecasting over Equatorial Africa

Aspects of structural health and condition monitoring of offshore wind turbines

Wind power has expanded significantly over the past years, although reliability of wind turbine systems, especially of offshore wind turbines, has been many times unsatisfactory in the past. Wind turbine failures are equivalent to crucial financial losses. Therefore, creating and applying strategies that improve the reliability of their components is important for a successful implementation of such systems. Structural health monitoring (SHM) addresses these problems through the monitoring of parameters indicative of the state of the structure examined. Condition monitoring (CM), on the other hand, can be seen as a specialized area of the SHM community that aims at damage detection of, particularly, rotating machinery. The paper is divided into two parts: in the first part, advanced signal processing and machine learning methods are discussed for SHM and CM on wind turbine gearbox and blade damage detection examples. In the second part, an initial exploration of supervisor control and data acquisition systems data of an offshore wind farm is presented, and data-driven approaches are proposed for detecting abnormal behaviour of wind turbines. It is shown that the advanced signal processing methods discussed are effective and that it is important to adopt these SHM strategies in the wind energy sector

Ambulatory teaching: Do approaches to learning predict the site and preceptor characteristics valued by clerks and residents in the ambulatory setting?

BACKGROUND: In a study to determine the site and preceptor characteristics most valued by clerks and residents in the ambulatory setting we wished to confirm whether these would support effective learning. The deep approach to learning is thought to be more effective for learning than surface approaches. In this study we determined how the approaches to learning of clerks and residents predicted the valued site and preceptor characteristics in the ambulatory setting. METHODS: Postal survey of all medical residents and clerks in training in Ontario determining the site and preceptor characteristics most valued in the ambulatory setting. Participants also completed the Workplace Learning questionnaire that includes 3 approaches to learning scales and 3 workplace climate scales. Multiple regression analysis was used to predict the preferred site and preceptor characteristics as the dependent variables by the average scores of the approaches to learning and perception of workplace climate scales as the independent variables. RESULTS: There were 1642 respondents, yielding a 47.3% response rate. Factor analysis revealed 7 preceptor characteristics and 6 site characteristics valued in the ambulatory setting. The Deep approach to learning scale predicted all of the learners' preferred preceptor characteristics (β = 0.076 to β = 0.234, p < .001). Valuing preceptor Direction was more strongly associated with the Surface Rational approach (β = .252, p < .001) and with the Surface Disorganized approach to learning (β = .154, p < 001) than with the Deep approach. The Deep approach to learning scale predicted valued site characteristics of Office Management, Patient Logistics, Objectives and Preceptor Interaction (p < .001). The Surface Rational approach to learning predicted valuing Learning Resources and Clinic Set-up (β = .09, p = .001; β = .197, p < .001). The Surface Disorganized approach to learning weakly negatively predicted Patient Logistics (β = -.082, p = .003) and positively the Learning Resources (β = .088, p = .003). Climate factors were not strongly predictive for any studied characteristics. Role Modeling and Patient Logistics were predicted by Supportive Receptive climate (β = .135, p < .001, β = .118, p < .001). CONCLUSION: Most site and preceptor characteristics valued by clerks and residents were predicted by their Deep approach to learning scores. Some characteristics reflecting the need for good organization and clear direction are predicted by learners' scores on less effective approaches to learning

Assessing the cost-effectiveness of integrated case management of Neglected Tropical Diseases in Liberia

From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2022-12-20, accepted 2023-06-11, registration 2023-06-13, epub 2023-06-29, online 2023-06-29, collection 2023-12Acknowledgements: We appreciate the data collection team who worked with our consultants to conduct interviews and review programmatic documents. We are genuinely grateful to the UL-PIRE for the approval to conduct the research. In closing, we humbly thank the national NTD program staff, clinical staff, CHAs, CHVs, CDDs, patients, and communities for their time to participate in this study and their willingness to provide the needed information.Publication status: PublishedKarin Diaconu - ORCID: 0000-0002-5810-9725 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5810-9725Background: In 2017, Liberia became one of the first countries in the African region to develop and implement a national strategy for integrated case management of Neglected Tropical Diseases (CM-NTDs), specifically Buruli ulcer, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis morbidities, and yaws. Implementing this plan moves the NTD program from many countries' fragmented (vertical) disease management. This study explores to what extent an integrated approach offers a cost-effective investment for national health systems. Methods: This study is a mixed-method economic evaluation that explores the cost-effectiveness of the integrated CM-NTDs approach compared to the fragmented (vertical) disease management. Primary data were collected from two integrated intervention counties and two non-intervention counties to determine the relative cost-effectiveness of the integrated program model vs. fragmented (vertical) care. Data was sourced from the NTDs program annual budgets and financial reports for integrated CM-NTDs and Mass Drug Administration (MDA) to determine cost drivers and effectiveness. Results: The total cost incurred by the integrated CM-NTD approach from 2017 to 2019 was US$789,856.30, with the highest percentage of costs for program staffing and motivation (41.8$ 325,000 was spent on the diagnosis of 84 persons and the treatment of twenty-four persons suffering from NTDs. While 2.5 times as much was spent in integrated counties, 9–10 times more patients were diagnosed and treated. Conclusions: The cost of a patient being diagnosed under the fragmented (vertical) implementation is five times higher than integrated CM-NTDs, and providing treatment is ten times as costly. Findings indicate that the integrated CM-NTDs strategy has achieved its primary objective of improved access to NTD services. The success of implementing an integrated CM-NTDs approach in Liberia, presented in this paper, demonstrates that NTD integration is a cost-minimizing solution.pubpu