Design and implementation of seat occupancy detection system

Location of appropriate seats in seating areas of theaters remains a significant challenge that patrons of these enterprises face. There is therefore, the need for seat occupancy monitoring system to provide readily accessible seat occupancy information to clients and management of these halls. This paper presents the design and implementation of a low cost seat occupancy detection and display system which is capable of monitoring seat occupancy in halls efficiently. The system uses capacitive seat sensors which is designed based on the loading mode technology. It detects the presence of a human occupant using a single electrode. Occupancy data is relayed to a WiFi-enabled microcontroller unit which processes the data and wirelessly transfers the processed data to a central base station over a local area network for graphical and numerical display. Commands are also transferred from the base station to the microcontroller units when needed. Theoretical and empirical results show that the system is able to achieve seat occupancy monitoring accurately, neatly and cost effectively.Keywords: Capacitive sensing, seat occupancy, sensor cluster, microstrip transmission line, Wi-Fi

Analysis of gender representation in basic level English textbooks in Ghana

Textbooks are known to influence the behaviours and worldview of children. Apart from imparting critical knowledge to pupils, textbooks also encourage pupils to form certain perceptions and stereotypes, including the ‘appropriate’ gender-specific roles in society. This paper examined gender stereotypes in the content and design of the Pupil’s English textbook at the Basic Level in Ghana using content analysis. The study revealed that, as teaching materials, the English Pupil’s Books 1, 2 and 3 displayed gross gender bias that reinforces the stereotypical roles of males and females in Ghanaian society. This does not reflect the development of society towards equality between men and women since there was no equality in how both genders are represented in the textbooks.Keywords: Gender; stereotype; gender stereotype; textbooks

Natural rubber latex as a resist medium for batik production

To reduce the dependency of the exportable Paraffin wax, as a major resist component in batik making, the study examined the possibility of using the locally available natural rubber latex extracted from the natural rubber tree as a resist medium for batik production. A series of experiments were conducted using the rubber latex on mercerized cotton as a resist via stamping, tjanting and screen printing techniques. The experimental and descriptive methods under the qualitative research approach were the main instrument deployed. It was realized based on the various experiments conducted, that the natural rubber latex coagulates when expose to air, making its application difficult to adhere well on the fabric. To resolve this, a concentrated ammonia solution and poly vinyl acetate were added to the freshly tapped natural rubber latex to prevent coagulation, prolong its liquid state and improve its viscosity to make it applicable onto the cotton fabric. Though the unpleasant smell remains after de-latex, the project proved successful after a series of washing to reduce the smell of the turpentine. Further research is suggested to examine how the smell of the turpentine can be reduced to avoid eroding the brightness of the dyed fabric, especially when dyed with lighter colours such as orange and yellow.Keywords: Natural rubber latex; ammonia solution; poly vinyl acetate; mercerized cotton; batik

Investigation on the road mortality of Anuran species on the Ikorodu-Epe/Ejirin-Ijebu Ode Roads in Lagos and Ogun States, Nigeria

The effect of road kills of anuran species by vehicular traffic on the Ikorodu-Epe/Ejirin-Ijebu Ode road in Lagos and Ogun States was investigated. The mean traffic density on the road during the survey (between 18:30-20:30hr and 06:00 and 07:00hr) was 127±45 vehicles/hr, which ranged between 72 and 216 vehicles/hr. A total of 738 anuran road mortalities among eight species were recorded [661 (89.6%) were identifiable, while 77 (10.4%) were not]. Ptychadena pumilio had the highest mortality of 67±27.1 individuals, while Xenopus muelleri and Aubria subsigillata were the least susceptible to road kills. This respectively represented 2.66±1.5 and 2.66±3 individuals each. Most mortality (256 individuals) occurred on the section of the road bordered by grassland/tertiary vegetation. However there was no significant difference (at P> 0.05) between the anurans killed along the different vegetation structures bordering the road (F2,21 = 0.415). About 473 live anurans belonging to five species were observed of which P. pumilio, the highest constituted the greatest number (81±42.9), while the least Hoplobatrachus occipitalis 7.3±4.2 was recorded. Both species had greater live counts than road kills compared to other anuran species that had greater road kills than live counts recorded. The greatest number of live anurans was recorded at where grassland/tertiaryvegetation occurred. This constituted a total of 198 individuals (41.8%), while the least occurred at the secondary/primaryvegetation which had 95 individuals (20%). However, the difference was not significant (F2,12 = 0.600) at P> 0.05. It is evident that anuran migration is an integral part of their biological activity. However vehicular traffic sadly possesses a negative effect on this activity. Precautionary measures are necessary to reduce population decline and possible extinction of not only the anuran species but also other wildlife species, which is a positive direction in the conservation of biological diversity. Keywords: Vehicular traffic, anuran, mortality, vegetation, road kill, conservation

Effects of varying friction coefficient on rolling pressure distribution

Accurate characteristics of roll pressure distribution is essential in the estimation of the energy and power requirements for parts undergoing plastic deformation. The nature of the pressure distribution is very sensitive to the friction coefficient between the roller and the deformed part. The physics of the deformation process points to a variable friction coefficient, however, current research and practices result in the use of a constant friction coefficient. This work explored the development of a technique to determine a quantitative relationship between the variable friction coefficient and the process parameters. The pressure distribution was then developed within the contact region using the variable friction coefficient model. Results show that current approach used by industry (‘the rule of thumb’) overestimates the pressure distribution, compared to the current research, thus wasting power needed for the rolling operation by about 18%. Keywords: Rolling; varying friction coefficient; pressure distribution; power

Anti-hyperglycaemic and anti-oxidant activities of five Nigerian antidiabetic plants

Leaves of Olax subscorpioidea, Hoslundia opposita, Cleistopholis patens, Plumbago zeylanica and Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii that are used as anti-diabetics were evaluated for hyperglycaemic-lowering and antioxidant activities to justify their Nigerian ethnomedicinal usage. Leaf methanolic extracts (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, p.o.) were assayed in normal, glucose- and alloxan-induced diabetic rats, while 1,1,-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, total antioxidant capacity, ferric reducing antioxidant power and hydroxyl radical scavenging tests were used for their antioxidant activity. Effects of n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethylacetate and aqueous partition fractions of the three most active anti-hyperglycaemic extracts were also tested in glucose-loaded rats. In normoglycaemic rats, all extracts generally lacked activity, while with glucose-loaded rats, only O. subscorpioidea (200mg/kg) and C. patens (400 mg/kg) at 1 h and O. subscorpioidea (200, 400 mg/kg) and C. patens (400 mg/kg) at 2-4 hours gave lowered (p < 0.05) blood glucose levels than glibenclamide (5 mg/kg), while activity of H. opposita and P. zeylanica (200 mg/kg) were only comparable to glibenclamide. When daily fed for fourteen days to alloxan-induced diabetic rats, all extracts, at their most active doses, gave significantly higher activity than glibenclamide. Olax subscorpioidea leaf extract had the highest hyperglycaemic-lowering and least antioxidant activities. Highest antioxidant activity of H. opposita may suggest some contribution of antioxidant property to its hyperglycaemic-lowering activity. The glucose-lowering and insulinotropic constituents of O. subscorpioidea, H. opposita and C. patens should be concentrated in their aqueous, aqueous and dichloromethane fractions, respectively. Anti-hyperglycaemic ethnomedicinal use of these plants was justified and H. opposita has additional antioxidant property. Keywords: Antioxidant activity; Diabetes mellitus; Nigerian anti-diabetic plants

Antimicrobial activities of bio-synthesized silver nanoparticles on strains of clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis

Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) have been known to possess unique antimicrobial properties which help in medicine and water treatment, but their potentials in agriculture have not been fully utilized. This study was conducted to determine the inhibitory activity of bio-synthesized Silver nanoparticles on strains of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. Michiganensis, causative agents of canker disease of tomato plant. The Ag-NPs were synthesized using Cladosporium cladosporioides, leaf extracts of Azadirachta indica and Vernonia amygdalina. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized using UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The antibacterial activities of bio-synthesized Ag-NPs on strains of C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis were evaluated using agar well diffusion method. UV-visible spectroscopic analysis revealed rapid reduction of silver ions by C. cladosporioides, A. indica and V. amygdalina extracts where surface Plasmon absorption maxima were observed at 400nm – 450nm from the UV-visible spectra. The in-vitro antibacterial activities revealed that Ag-NPs synthesized using V. amygdalina and A. indica extracts inhibited the growth of C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis strains with zones of inhibition ranging from 15.70 mm - 24.70mm and 21.00mm – 30.00mm, respectively, while those synthesized using C. cladosporioides showed zones of inhibition ranging from 0.00mm – 12.00mm. Growth curves of C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis strains in the presence of biosynthesized Ag-NPs showed inhibition of growths after 4 – 10 hours of exposure. The results of this study indicated that the bio-synthesized silver nanoparticles could be effective in controlling bacterial canker disease of tomato plant caused by strains of C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis thereby reducing the toxic effects of chemical bactericides on important agricultural products.Keywords: Silver nanoparticles; inhibitory activity; canker, tomato; zones of inhibition

Groundwater prospecting using the dipole-dipole configuration for vertical electrical sounding: prediction of major aquifer depth in the Tolon-Kumbungu district of Northern Ghana

A geophysical investigation in groundwater prospecting, using the vertical electrical sounding (VES) method in resistivity surveying, was undertaken in the Tolon-Kumbungu district of Northern Ghana. The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of the VES technique as a low-cost groundwater exploration method. Using the dipole-dipole VES technique, fracture zones that held good prospects for groundwater location were prospectively identified at 15 sites in the Gbullung and Wayamba communities of the district. In addition, retrospective VES data for 6 sites were obtained from previous studies. Geophysical VES data and available drill logs for 3 sites in the prospective study and all 6 sites in the retrospective study (a total of 9 sites) were then evaluated by the VES log-log graph interpretation method to establish a correlation with the groundwater characteristics of the study area. The analyses of the VES curves indicated the presence of anomalous fracture zones occurring within hard sandstone formations that had high groundwater potential. Weathered zones or fresh rock aquifers however did not show potential for groundwater. The dominant formations in the area were found to be thin-bedded sequences of sandstone, mudstone, shale, siltstone and their intercalations. Groundwater was confined to between the depths of 25.0 m and 40.0 m, with major aquifers occurring approximately between the depths of 34.0 m and 45.0 m. These predictions were confirmed by the available drill logs. Using the VES curve interpretation as a means of selecting promising water-bearing sites, 8 out of the 9 sites drilled were successful wells, recording water yields ranging from 14 L/min to 250 L/min, with an average yield of 87.3 L/min. The study thus showed that the dipole-dipole VES technique in groundwater prospecting is effective for the geology of the study area. Keywords: Tolon-Kumbungu; vertical electrical sounding; aquifer; groundwater; apparent resistivity

Estimating the effects of income on food consumption expenditure in the Volta Region of Ghana

This study examined the effect of disaggregated income and other socioeconomic factors on per capita food consumption expenditure of households in the Volta region of Ghana. This involved a total of 1,574 households obtained from the Ghana Living Standard Survey round six data (GLSS6 data). A quantile regression and Ordinary Least Square regression were fitted to the data. The results showed that, income from agricultural activities, non-farm activities, remittances and wage activities had positive and significant effect on per capita food consumption expenditure of the selected households. The study concluded that although income from all sources led to an increase in food consumption expenditure, a larger share of agricultural income is used for households’ food consumption purposes. To reduce households’ vulnerability to food insecurity, price incentives to increase the real income from agriculture in particular should be promoted. Also, dietary education should be encouraged among households in the region. Keywords: Food expenditure; income; quantile regression; Volta region

Exploration of the shape drawing tools in microsoft word for fostering idea development in the Ghanaian indigenous kente weaving industry

The advancement of computer technology for digital artistry in this 21st century has availed new-media technologies for enhancing design practices in technical and vocational studies through the development of sophisticated graphic-application software. Unfortunately, these software are very challenging to learn and employ for creative design practice especially at the Basic and Senior High School levels of education in Ghana. Microsoft Office word belongs to the category of general-purpose application software, developed principally for word processing. Unfortunately, many of its users are oblivious of its capabilities for creative motif and pattern designing. It is embedded with shape designing tools that can be manipulated and modified to create intricate patterns for advancing variety of design concepts. The researcher has explored these tools and adopted them for creating fascinating kente design concepts, based on the design-based research approach. This paper therefore presents a descriptive account of how to use angular and linear shapes in Microsoft Word to create motifs and patterns to develop ideas for kente designing that can be employed by Ghanaian indigenous kente designers to foster idea development to enhance their trade.Keywords: New-media technologies; graphic application software;microsoft office word; creative pattern designing; Ghanaian indigenous kente designers