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Multi-Convolutional Neural Network-Based Diagnostic Software for the Presumptive Determination of Non-Dermatophyte Molds
Get PDFBased on the literature data, the incidence of superficial and invasive non-dermatophyte mold infection (NDMI) has increased. Many of these infections are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, thus causing inadequate treatment procedures followed by critical conditions or even mortality of the patients. Accurate diagnosis of these infections requires complex mycological analyses and operator skills, but simple, fast, and more efficient mycological tests are still required to overcome the limitations of conventional fungal diagnostic procedures. In this study, software has been developed to provide an efficient mycological diagnosis using a trained convolutional neural network (CNN) model as a core classifier. Using EfficientNet-B2 architecture and permanent slides of NDM isolated from patient’s materials (personal archive of Prof. Otašević, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Niš, Serbia), a multi-CNN model has been trained and then integrated into the diagnostic tool, with a 93.73% accuracy of the main model. The Grad-CAM visualization model has been used for further validation of the pattern recognition of the model. The software, which makes the final diagnosis based on the rule of the major method, has been tested with images provided by different European laboratories, showing an almost faultless accuracy with different test images
Efficiency of different methods in breaking the dormancy of Erythrina lysistemon Hutch. seeds
Get PDFErythrina lysistemon seeds
imported to Libya go through a stage of being
unable to germinate; we call this phase
"dormancy". The present study evaluated the
efficiency of the following methods in
breaking the dormancy of newly collected
Erythrina lysistemon seeds from mature pods
and stored for 12 months: untreated seeds
(control), mechanical scarification with
sandpaper, soaking treatments (tap water for
24 h, hydrochloric acid for 60 min, hydrogen
peroxide for 48 h, acetone for 72 h, Clorox
cleaner for 72 h, cow dung and chicken
manure for 24 h, and hot water at 100° C for
30 min), scarification with soaking (distilled
water for 24 h, and cow dung and chicken
manure for 12 h). All treatments showed a
significant increase (p<0.05) in the
germination rates of newly collected E.
lysistemon seeds from mature pods, except
for the treatment in which seeds were soaked
in tap water for 48 h, which was ineffective.
The different scarification treatments were
more efficient than the other treatments,
recording the highest germination
percentages and lowest mean germination
times, while the soaking treatments led to
high seed mortality. In contrast, seeds stored
for 12 months showed a significant decrease
in germination percentage with a delayed
mean germination time compared to newly
collected seeds under all tested treatments.
Soaking all treatments was ineffective in
breaking the dormancy of E. lysatetemon
seeds stored for 12 months. The results
indicate that E. lysistemon seeds have
physical dormancy that can be overcome
using different scarification
Serum protein and glucose of cocks fed CrPic diets with or without vitamin C at high ambient temperature
Get PDFThis study assessed the effect
of chromium picolinate (CrPic) and vitamin
C (Vit C) on the serum proteins and glucose
of two breeds of cocks. A total of 192
sexually mature cocks, 24 weeks old,
consisting of 96 Noiler cocks (NC) and 96
White Leghorn cocks (WLC), were utilised in
the study. The two breeds were allocated to 8
treatments and reproduced four times, with
six cocks per replication, in a 2 × 2 x 4
factorial design. A total of 8 experimental
diets were constituted with four diets
containing CrPic at 0.00, 0.40, 0.80 and 1.20
mg CrPic/kg without Vit C and another four
diets containing CrPic at 0.00, 0.40, 0.80 and
1.20 mg CrPic/kg with Vit C inclusion at 200
mg/kg diet in each of the treatments for 16
weeks. The data collected were subjected to a
2 × 2 x 4 factorial arrangement using SAS
(version 9.2). The serum proteins studied
included total protein (TP) (g/dl), albumin
(ALB) (g/dl), and globulin (GLB) (g/dl).
Supplementation of CrPic significantly
(p<0.05) enhanced serum proteins up to 0.8
mg/kg diet. However, a 1.2 mg/kg diet
significantly reduced serum protein
concentrations. Serum glucose was not
significantly (p>0.05) different among cocks
fed varied CrPic supplements compared to the
control diet. The immunostimulant activity of
vitamin C at a 200 mg/kg diet increased
serum protein and decreased glucose levels
compared to the control. Notably, interactions
between 0.8 mg/kg CrPic and 200 mg/kg
vitamin C revealed breed-specific effects: It
increased serum protein in both breeds,
decreased serum glucose in White Leghorns,
but increased it in Noilers. This suggests a
differential effect of the CrPic and vitamin C
combination on glucose regulation in these
breeds. This study therefore suggests that a
0.8 mg CrPic/kg diet with Vit C has the
potential to significantly increase serum
protein and enhance insulin sensitivity in
cocks raised at high ambient temperatures
Effect of okoro [(Albizia zygia (J.F.) Macbr)] leafy biomass and NPK fertiliser on the growth and yield of sweet pepper (Capsicum annum L.)
No full textAgricultural productivity
and sustainable crop management are
pivotal aspects of global food security
and economic stability. The quest for
efficient and environmentally friendly
practices in crop production has led to a
surge in research exploring the utilisation
of organic materials alongside
conventional fertilisers to enhance crop
growth and yield. An experiment was
conducted over a growing period of three
months, starting in August 2023 at the
research field of Kwame Nkrumah
University of Science and Technology,
Kumasi-Ghana, to investigate the effects
of Albizia zygia leafy biomass in
combination with NPK fertiliser on the
growth and yield of sweet pepper
(Capsicum annum L.). A randomised
complete block design was employed
with four treatment groups replicated four
times, including various combinations of
A. zygia leafy biomass and NPK fertiliser,
alongside control groups of sole fertiliser
application and untreated plots (T1). The
treatments were as follows: T1 = No
biomass, no NPK (control); T2 = 0.5348
kg of A. zygia leafy biomass per 4.86 m2
(1100.5 kg/ha of A. zygia leafy biomass);
T3 = 0.2463 kg of NPK per 4.86 m2
(506.7 kg/ha of NPK); and T4 = 0.2674
kg of A. zygia leafy biomass per 4.86 m2
+ 0.1231 kg of NPK (550.3 kg/ha of A.
zygia leafy biomass + 253.4 kg/ha of
NPK). The assessed parameters were
plant height, number of leaves, number of
branches, fruit yield and fresh fruit
weight. Significant variations (p ˂ 0.05) were observed in the growth parameters
(plant height, number of leaves, number
of branches) and yield attributes (fruit
yield and fresh fruit weight) of sweet
pepper among the treatments. The
combined application of A. zygia leafy
biomass and NPK fertiliser (T4)
exhibited increased effects on plant
height, number of leaves, number of
branches, fruit yield and fresh fruit
weight compared to individual treatments
and control groups (p ˂ 0.05). Notably,
the treatment combining A. zygia leafy
biomass and NPK fertiliser (T4)
demonstrated a substantial increase in
plant height (44.58 cm), a significant
improvement in the number of leaves
(42.98) and a remarkable enhancement in
the number of branches (11.33) compared
to the sole applications and the control
group. Furthermore, the combined
treatment significantly increased (p ˂
0.05) the yield parameters, including fruit
yield and fresh fruit weight per hectare,
showcasing an increase of 8796/ha and
23.91 t/ha, respectively, compared to sole
fertiliser application and the control. The
findings from this study demonstrated
that the incorporation of A. zygia leafy
biomass, either solely or in combination
with NPK fertiliser, positively impacted
the growth and yield of sweet pepper
plants. These results highlight the
potential of A. zygia leafy biomass as a
valuable organic amendment for
sustainable and enhanced crop
production, offering promising
implications for agricultural practices
aimed at improving yield and plant
growth
Assessment of sensitivity to desertification in the Oum Er-Rbia watershed (upstream of Ouled Sidi Driss) using the MEDALUS approach
Get PDFThe issue of desertification is
a pressing concern for many vulnerable
regions, with consequences that extend far
beyond their borders. It is a silent force that
not only contributes to global climate change
by releasing stored carbon from vegetation
and soil but also compounds the ongoing
environmental challenges we face on a global
scale. In Morocco, the effects of these climate
changes are already noticeable, particularly in
terms of water scarcity due to reduced rainfall
and rising temperatures. This, in turn, leads to
soil drying and an increased risk of
degradation. The Oum Er-Rbia watershed
(upstream of Ouled Sidi Driss) is one of the
basins affected by this issue, covering an area
of 11,152 km² and spanning three topographic
units (the Middle Atlas Mountains, the
Phosphate Plateau and the Tadla Plain). This
topographic diversity causes regional
variation in the sensitivity to desertification.
Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the
sensitivity to desertification in this watershed
by using the MEDALUS model
(Mediterranean desertification and land use),
which calculates the Desertification
Sensitivity Index (DSI) through the
composition of four indices: the Soil Quality
Index (SQI), the Vegetation Quality Index
(VQI), the Climate Quality Index (CQI) and
the Land Use Quality Index (LUQI). The
results show that the critical and highly
sensitive zones represent 44% and are located
at the northeast and west ends of the
watershed. By contrast, the unaffected zones
represent 12% of the total area of the
watershed and correspond to the upstream
area, where the climate, vegetation and land
use systems are of good quality, providing
effective protection for the land. To reduce the impact of this phenomenon, we have
proposed some potentially impactful
development actions based on land use and
the results obtained
Contribution on improving performances in chicken broilers rearing performance through the usage of some natural biostimulators
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