Open Science Journal (OSJ)
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Predicting Theropod Hunting Tactics using Machine Learning
Get PDFThe use of machine learning in different fields is becoming a more common practice thanks to Big Data and better granularity in data being collected. The application of machine learning to animal behavioral pattern analysis is becoming more popular due to the increase in size, types, and quality of data that can be gathered. Machine learning can even be used to predict the actual behavior of animals based off of certain features. This approach can also be used for predicting the behavior of extinct animals. This paper is the goal is to explore the possibility of using machine learning techniques to predict the hunting habits of dinosaurs based solely off of physical characteristic of the animal. By using the biomechanical features, a model can be created to aid in the classification of animals into either a scavenger or hunter roles. The results from the test show that there is a strong correlation between the physical characteristics and potential hunting habits. The models used here can then be used as a good baseline in predicting other theropods based solely on their bodies. The T-Rex was used as the test subject and was correctly classified as a primary hunter in most of the models
Qualitative Study of Stakeholder Perceptions Related to Requirements for Elimination of Dog Rabies in Sri Lanka by 2025
Get PDFRabies has been eliminated in some Asian countries including Japan, Singapore, Maldives, and Hong Kong. Sri Lanka is close to joining that group: human rabies cases declined from 288 in 1975 to 23 in 2017, due largely to intradermal post-exposure prophylaxis. The weakest link in rabies elimination in Sri Lanka is inconsistent prevention at the source due in part to insufficient institutional capacity to achieve the goal of 70% dog vaccination coverage.Obstacles to rabies control identified through focus groups and in-depth interviews with stakeholders, government officials, non-government agents, and community residents include insufficient motivation for disease reporting and development of a clear protocol for disease reporting by the public, lack of awareness in some areas of the importance of disease reporting exacerbated by logistical issues, uneven vaccination coverage due to insufficient communication regarding government vaccination campaigns, and incomplete implementation of government policies. Other issues included a need for more responsible dog ownership and better understanding of rabies disease risks amongst dog owners. Dog-associated factors included the need for improved understanding of drivers of variation in dog population size, for lower sterilization cost to owners, and for monitoring of post-surgical complications.An integrated national dog rabies monitoring and reporting system based on effective partnerships among relevant institutions plus additional decentralized dog rabies diagnosis laboratories plus additional local veterinary and medical government staff are needed
Is Crisis the Only Way to Put Innovators in Charge in Hierarchical Firm?
Get PDFThe way innovators are recruited and treated within organization impacts the company’s ability to innovate. Based on literature review this research finds evidence that contrary to Schumpeterian assumptions that large companies through concentration of resources play leading role in innovation process, big hierarchical firms may fail to innovate due to recruiting patterns. Corporate hierarchy, unlike markets, tends to maintain permanent and total control of the employees and to punish and push out the least controllable. The manager has personal interest to hire and promote the most controllable employees, the ones least threatening to the manager’s status and not the most creative or innovative. This inherent feature of any hierarchy may make it unable to recruit, promote innovators and thus maintain efficient innovation process. It leads to accumulation of innovation errors and lags and to regular crises within hierarchy and of hierarchy itself due to the lack of progress and innovation. However, the crises may lead to management renewal and innovators’ promotion to decisive positions and roles. On the other hand, it means that in order to adopt and implement innovations a hierarchy requires internal or external shocks, sometimes even self-generated or exaggerated
A case of functional hypoparathyoidism due to hypomagnesaemia leading to hypocalcaemic seizures
Get PDFThis case report describes an elderly lady who was maintained on a high dose of loop diuretics following resolution of her acute pulmonary oedema, which in turn led to wasting of calcium and magnesium at the nephron level. Her hypomagnesaemia further contributed to the hypocalcaemia by rendering ineffective the normal parathyroid negative feedback physiological response. This state of low calcium increased the neuromuscular excitability leading to myoclonic epilepsy which was resistant to benzodiazepines. Such hypocalcaemic tetany in this case would only be adequately addressed once the magnesium levels are repleted, as this would allow the parathyroid mechanism to function effectively and redress the calcium level as a result
Nonlinear dynamics of degradation of Vallisneria spiralis L. chlorophyll photoluminescence at high excitation levels
Get PDFIn the context of the study of the photoinhibition mechanisms of the higher water plant Vallisneria spiralis L. photosynthetic machinery, the fluorescence intensity degradation of chlorophyll a (687 nm) leaf fragments at photoexcitation levels from 7 to 150 mW/cm2 on the wavelength of 488 nm, is investigated. It is shown that the luminescence efficiency decrease rate cannot be described by simple exponential or hyperbolic dependence. To explain this behavior, a kinetic model accounting for dimerization of luminescent molecules under the influence of excess lighting, is put forward. It is supposed that dimers are not capable to produce luminescence in the determined spectral area and, therefore, to transmit energy to their molecules of a photosystem and, eventually, to the reaction center. This results in a plant’s photosynthetic activity decrease
Biochemical characterization of juices from three wild fruit species consumed in Côte d’Ivoire "Adansonia digitata, Parkia biglobosa and Tamarindus indica"
Get PDFIn the context of the valorization and the development of local products in Côte d’Ivoire, this study is based on juices samples prepared from the pulp of wild fruits of Baobab (Adansonia digitata), Tomi (Tamarindus indica) and Néré (Parkia biglobosa). The physiochemical characteristics such as dry matter (desiccation, 105°C), mineral (spectrophotometer), ash, fat, fiber and protein (AOAC), Energy (coefficients), vitamins A & C (HPLC), organic acids & total polyphenols (HPLC), carbohydrate (by difference), pH and titratable acidity (titrimetry, NaOH) of pasteurized juices (75°C, 5 min) were investigated. Data showed that the juices have been characterized by low protein (0.21-0.28 %), fat (0.26-0.65 %) and ash (0.20-0.47 %) content and high level of total carbohydrates (21-30 %) and energy (85.83-124.43 Kcal/100mL). Baobab and Tomi juices were distinguished by their high acidity (103-159 meq.g / Kg) while Baobab and Néré juices were characterized by their average fiber content (4-5.30 %). The juices of Baobab, Tomi and Néré are very rich in some minerals (K and Mg) but calcium (Ca) and iron (Fe) are not bioavailable (Oxales/Ca and Oxalates/Fe > 2). The juice of baobab is rich in vit A (80 mg/100mL) and vit C (189 mg/100mL) than the others juices. Catechin was the most phenolic content (52.29-110.32 mg/100mL) where tartric acid was the most organic acid (4.02-6.82 mg/100mL) in the juices. The knowledge of the nutritional value of these juices could contribute to a better understanding of the essential role of these three wild fruits in terms of food and trade
Leading to Student Teachers’ Success or Low Academic Performance
Get PDFThis study aimed to investigate factors that are leading to student teachers’ success, or on the other hand, to low academic performance. It focused on four major thematic areas, including 1) Study planning and time management, 2) Relationship with others, 3) Resources, and 4) Motivation and status of the teaching profession. This study took place at the Eritrea Institute of Technology, College of Education, in Eritrea. A participatory qualitative research design with thematic focus group discussions was used. Three focus group discussions with 24 students were conducted. The data was discussed in the research meetings, arranged, and each researcher was given one thematic area for further analysis. The analysis was conducted as a deductive content analysis where the four themes were leading the analysis process. The study shows that study planning and time management is one of the key elements in successful studies. Additionally, access to relevant study resources facilitates learning. Relationship with the other students, with the teachers and family is either supporting or negatively affecting to the academic performance. This study recommends that teacher education institutions should study more the reasons for their students’ both low and high academic performance. This needs multi-stakeholder approach, meaning engagement and co-operation of parents, teachers, students and governmental and non-governmental administrations
Accelerating Seed Potato Production By Using Rapid Multiplication Systems in Ethiopia
Get PDFEthiopia is one of the major potato producing countries of the Sub-Saharan Africa region where potato is the fastest expanding food crop. The natural environment in Ethiopia is very suitable for year round production of potato using rain-fed and irrigated systems. However, the actual potato yield in the country ranges between 8-10 t/ha, which is slightly below the average for Africa. Shortage of good quality seed has been recognized as the single most important factor limiting potato production in the developing countries including Ethiopia. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review the accelerating role of rapid seed potato multiplication technologies for potato seed production in Ethiopia. A low adoption of recommended seed potato technologies in the country could be due to a lack of alternative seed potato production methods compatible with farmers’ economic and agro-ecological conditions. Since 2010, Holetta Agricultural Research Centre in collaboration with International Potato Center together are applying different seed potato production hastening schemes to produce early generation seed. These seed multiplication schemes include, tissue culture, aeroponics, sand hydroponics and other rapid multiplication methods in screen house pots. These seed potato multiplication schemes brought a dynamic change for the last five years by accelerating the supply efficiency by 7.6% with enhancing the number from 43,773 mini-tubers to 332,485 mini-tubers. Moreover, these new seed multiplication schemes enhanced the capacity of clean seed production of the country by producing 216,717 mini-tubers of high quality seed from aeroponics and sand hydroponics. The farmers could also access early generation clean seed potato through their nearby cooperatives with affordable price and with lowtransportation cost. Thus, for developing countries like Ethiopia where formal seed system is at infant stages and early generation seed is mostly produced by research institutions, the use of various rapid multiplication techniques could be one option to produce clean seed potato
Prevalence Study of Gastrointestinal Helminth in Domestics Dogs (Canis Familiaris) Slaughtered in Selected Abattoirs in Plateau State, Nigeria
Get PDFBeing that dogs are domestic animals to man, they are also consumed as meat. This study therefore aimed to determine the presence of gastrointestinal helminth of dogs in the two Local Government Areas of Plateau State, Nigeria namely Jos South and Pankshin and also to identify possible risk factors of zoonosis. Gastrointestinal content of 228 slaughtered dogs in abattoirs were selected randomly from Unguwarkare in Jos South and Kurum, in Pankshin LGAs. Samples were conveyed to the parasitological division of the National Veterinary Research Institute (N.V.R.I) Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria for analysis. The Post-mortem Differential Parasite Counts procedure as described by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was used for the analysis. Of the total 228 feacal samples analysed, 138 (60.53%) were positive for at least one of the intestinal parasites. Among the gastrointestinal helminth, Taenia pisiformis, Dipylidium caninum and Echinococusgranulosus were the cestodes recorded with prevalence of 36.84%, 12.72% and 1.75% respectively. Nematodes recorded were Ancylostoma caninum (3.51%), Toxocaracanis (4.83%) and Trichurisvulpis(0.88%). However, from the 114 samples collected from Unguwarkare study area, 77(67.54%) were positive for the various intestinal helminthes which include Taenia spp. (42.98%), D. caninum (1316%) and E. granulosus (2.63%). As for the nematodes, A. caninum, T. canis and T. vulpis recorded 3.51%, 2.63% and 0.88% prevalences respectively. The parasites recorded from the remaining 114 samples analysed at Kurum include 28.95% T. pisiformis, 12.28% D. caninum and 0.88% E. granulosus while the nematodes recorded wereT. Canis (7.02%), A. caninum (3.51%) and T. vulpis (0.88%). The study revealed the presence of zoonotic gastrointestinal helminthes in dogs in the study areas with highest infection rate recorded at Unguwarkare in Jos South LGA compared with those of Kurum community of Pankshin LGA. Therefore, the general public in the said areas are at high risk of being infected with any of the zoonotic parasites.
Botanical Overview and Chemical Composition of some Grewia spp. “Gudeim plant” in Sudan
Get PDFThis research is conducted to study the Taxonomy of the genus Grewia in Sudan. The chemical compositions of fruits of four species of Grewia in Sudan have been studied. These species were: G.tenax, G.villosa, G.flavescens and G.mollis. This plant has a common vernacular Sudanese Arabic name: "Gudeim". It is mainly cultivated in Milleit and Kutum (North Darfur-Western Sudan). Common uses of Grewia species were overviewed in areas of nutrition, folk medicine and famine food. Fruits of the four Grewia species components were chemically analyzed for content of: ash, moisture, proteins, fats, fibers, carbohydrates, reducing sugars, sucrose, minerals (potassium, iron and phosphorus), vitamin C and anti-nutritional factors (tannins and phytate). International methodologies for chemical measurements had been used. The results of chemical analysis were statistically analyzed via Duncan's New Multiple Range Test (DNMRT). The results of morphological characteristics and the chemical components were used to construct taxonomic keys. The study found a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) among the 4 Grewia species in all of the studied chemical components