Digital Commons Network^™

Contrasting Species-Specific Stress Response To Environmental Ph Determines The Fate Of Coccolithophores In Future Oceans, Nishant Chauhan, Craig J. Dedman, Chloë Baldreki, Adam A. Dowle, Tony R. Larson, Rosalind E.M. Rickaby

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Molecular mechanisms driving species-specific environmental sensitivity in coccolithophores are unclear but crucial in understanding species selection and adaptation to environmental change. This study examined proteomic and physiological changes in three species under varying pH conditions. We showed that changing pH drives intracellular oxidative stress and changes membrane potential. Upregulation in antioxidant, DNA repair and cell cycle-related protein-groups indicated oxidative damage across high (pH 8.8) and low pH (pH 7.6) compared to control pH (pH 8.2), and correlated with reduced growth rates. Upregulation of mitochondrial proteins suggested higher metabolite demand for restoring cellular homeostasis under pH-induced stress. Photosynthetic rates generally correlated …

Drone Imagery And Deep Learning For Mapping The Density Of Wild Pacific Oysters To Manage Their Expansion Into Protected Areas, Aser Mata, David Moffat, Sílvia Almeida, Marko Radeta, William Jay, Nigel Mortimer, Katie Awty-Carroll, Oliver Thomas, Vanda Brotas, Steve Groom

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The recent expansion of wild Pacific oysters already had negative repercussions on sites in Europe and has raised further concerns over their potential harmful impact on the balance of biomes within protected areas. Monitoring their colonisation, especially at early stages, has become an urgent ecological issue. Current efforts to monitor wild Pacific oysters rely on “walk-over” surveys that are highly laborious and often limited to specific areas of easy access. Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), commonly known as drones, can provide an effective tool for surveying complex terrains and detect Pacific oysters. This study provides a novel workflow for automated …

2024 Weed Science Research Report – Gold Section, Ndsu Weed Science, Dept. Of Plant Sciences

Plant Sciences Weed Science Reports

The Weed Science team at North Dakota State University conduct field research in the State of North Dakota. This specific document reports on field research conducted in 2024. It includes work on sugarbeet crops and the management of several weeds in North Dakota.

2024-2025 Newsletter, Morehead State University. Nursing Department.

Nursing Department Publications Archive

2024-2025 Newsletter of the Department of Nursing at Morehead State University.

The Joy Of The Fight: What Litigators Can Learn From The Martial Arts, Len Niehoff, Tim Lynch

Articles

You walk into a martial arts training studio (in Japanese styles, a dojo) and you scan the room. Everything going on here looks, well, unpleasant. In one corner, you observe a group of students performing kata, choreographed sequences of kicks, punches, and blocks that simulate the experience of fighting multiple opponents. Sweat pours off them. In another corner, you see two students engaged in sparring exercises, or kumite. The sharp, smacking noise of one student striking the protective pads worn by another carries across the room. In a third corner, you notice students doing push-ups, working their muscles until their …

A Law At War With Itself: Character Evidence And The Doctrine Of Chances, Len Niehoff, Shannon Hickey

Articles

Certain legal principles have raging within them a kind of civil war. Important but abstract policy concerns pull the doctrine in one direction; common sense and practical experience pull it in another. Casualties ensue.

Perhaps no body of legal doctrine better exemplifies this sort of internal conflict than the general ban on character evidence, as embodied in Federal Rule of Evidence 404(a)(1). That rule states: “Evidence of a person’s character or character trait is not admissible to prove that on a particular occasion the person acted in accordance with that character or trait.” The rule has deep roots in the …

Cross-Regional Transferability Of Ai Crop-Type Mapping: Insights And Challenges, Valinho Antonio, Geoffrey Kimani, Eric Umohoza, Moise Busogi

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Accurate crop discrimination is vital for effective agricultural planning and sustainability management, especially in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where small-scale farming predominates and ground data is scarce. Conducting field surveys in SSA is challenging due to labor and cost constraints, as well as logistical and political barriers. This paper explores the feasibility of transferring crop-type classification models between regions with similar crops. Utilizing data from Baraouéli and Karamoja, collected from Source Cooperative, we trained multi-layer perceptron (MLP), random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM) classifiers using Sentinel-2 imagery. These models were then evaluated and applied to cross-crop type …

Urban Climate Resilience In Africa: A Review Of Nature-Based Solution In African Cities’ Adaptation Plans, Issaka Abdou Razakou Kiribou, Sintayehu Djene, Bobe Bedadi, Elie Ntirenganya, Julius Ndemere, Kangbéni Dimobe

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Cities are globally exposed to climate change effects, which revealed that 55% of the world's population is at risk. Despite their low contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, African cities are paying the highest cost of the threats caused by climate change due to their rapid urban community growth, high population density, and inadequate urban planning. This review has explored and demonstrated the benefit of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) implementation for urban climate crisis resilience that have been implemented globally for sharing information on sustainable city planning in Africa. The analysis is based on the African countries’ Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) …

Isolation, Identification And Characterization Of Phyllosticta Citricarpa Causing Citrus Black Spot Disease In Benin., Goudjo Habib Toessi, Rachidatou Sikirou, Elisée Georges Dadé Ler-N’Ogn Amari, Oumarou Zoéyandé Dianda, Issa Wonni, Mustapha El Bouhssini

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Citrus black spot is a major constraint to citrus production in Benin. Identification of the pathogen causing citrus black spot disease was carried out in the laboratory on symptomatic fruits. Fruit samples were collected from orchards in 4 citrus-growing agro-ecological zones. A total of 66 representative isolates of Phyllosticta sp. were obtained from isolation. Molecular analysis using PCR of the nucleotide sequences of the ITS regions with universal primers ITS1/ITS4 and specific primers GcF1/GcR and the phylogenetic tree showed that the sequences of all isolates obtained in the different agroecological zones were identical to those of Phyllosticta citricarpa. The …

Response Of Species To The Impact Of Climate Change In The Gum Arabic Belt, Sudan: A Case Study In Acacia Senegal, Fatima Awadalla Abass Elhassan, Edouard Konan Kouassi, Haftu Abrha, Ahmed Laamarni, Ahmed Ali Hassabelkareem Siddig

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Sustainable management strategies of trees are important for indigenous agroforestry plant species, such as Acacia. Senegal (A. Senegal), due to the impacts of rapid population growth, land use and climate change. The objective of this investigation was to predict the spatio-temporal distribution of A.senegal in the Gum Arabic belt in Sudan in current (1985–2000) and future climate scenarios (2021–2100). Bioclimatic data was used for modeling purposes utilizing Maxent, with the assessment of model precision conducted through the utilization of the Area Under the Curve (AUC) and shown a high goodness-of-it (AUC=0.905±0.003 ). Significant differences were shown in species distribution between …

Farmers’ Perceptions And Management Of Citrus Fungal Diseases In Benin, Goudjo Habib Toessi, Rachidatou Sikirou, Elisée Georges Dadé Ler-N'Ogn Amari, Esaïe Gandonou, Afio Zannou, Daouda Koné

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Abstract

Background and aim

Methods

Results

Response Of Plant Species To Impact Of Climate Change In Hugumbrda Grat-Kahsu Forest, Tigray, Ethiopia: Implications For Domestication And Climate Change Mitigation, Haftu Abrha Mengesha, Soro Dodiomon, Victor Ongoma, Haftom Hagos, Emiru Birhane, Girmay Gebresamuel, Ashenafi Manaye

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

This study aimed to predict distribution and Total Carbon Stock (TCS) dynamics of Acacia abyssinica, Carissa edulis, and Juniperus procera in the Hugumbrda Grat-Kahsu National Forest in current (1970–2000) and future climate scenarios (2021–2100). Bioclimatic, soil, and elevation data were used for modeling using Maxent, with model accuracy evaluated using Area Under the Curve (AUC), Kappa test and True Skill Statistic (TSS). Significant differences were observed in distribution of species between current and future periods under Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) of SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios. The main contributing predictors of the species distribution were temperature seasonality, altitude, and precipitation …

Two Decades Of Land Cover Change And Anthropogenic Pressure Around Bontioli Nature Reserve In Burkina Faso, Issaka Abdou Razakou Kiribou, Kangbéni Dimobe, Lassane Yameogo, Huiyi Yang, Truly Santika, Sintayehu W. Dejene

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Protected areas (PAs) are critical for ecosystem maintenance and providing services that benefit both wildlife and people. Nevertheless, climate change and anthropogenic pressures are posing an increasing challenge. Surrounded by high human population densities, there is still a paucity of information on how the land cover in Burkina Faso's PAs is changing, and what kinds of human activities are the main drivers. In this study, we examined the change in land use and land cover (LULC) in the Bontioli Nature Reserve (NR), one of Burkina Faso's most important protected areas, and assessed anthropogenic pressure within and around. Landsat imagery (ETM+ …

Urban Farming System And Food Security In Sub-Saharan Africa: Analysis Of The Current Status And Challenges, Issaka Abdou Razakou Kiribou, Bobe Bedadi, Kangbéni Dimobe, Julius Ndemere, Tiga Neya, Valentin Ouedraogo, Sintayehu W. Dejene

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

By 2022, 42.39% of the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) population was living in urbanareas.  This  urbanization  correlates  with  increasing  poverty,  unemployment,  foodinsecurity,  environmental  pollution,  and  the  prevalence  of  informal  settlements.These challenges worsened urban food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemicin SSA cities. This review analyzed the role of urban farming system as a pivotalmeans to enhance urban food security, incorporating socioeconomic integration andenvironmental sustainability. The analysis is grounded in a systematic review usingspecific keywords, evaluating 46 articles and institutional reports related to the sub-ject. The results revealed that 3.62% of SSA countries have implemented nationalurban governance and policies with minimal focus on …

Three Decades Of Research Efforts On The Uses, Conservation, And Management Of Cola Nitida (Vent.): State Of Knowledge And Prospects In Africa, Isabelle Erhudice Tachégnon Tokannou, Souleymane Sanogo, Juliano S.H Houndonougbo, Kolawolé Valère Salako, Adandé Belarmain Fandohan

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Cola nitida is a key multipurpose fruit tree species widely distributed across African countries. Several studies have investigated different aspects of the species, but there is a lack of synthesis on the current state of available literature and prospects for sustainable conservation and management of the species. Using the PRISMA approach for systematic review over the last three decades (1990–2022) in Africa, this study gathered key existing research findings on C. nitida. A total of 280 scientific publications were finally retained for this review. Several studies were focused on the socio-economic importance of the species (n = 139 …

Experimental And Simulated Evaluation Of Inverse Model For Shallow Underground Thermal Storage, Fabian Chidubem Eze, Wang-Je Lee, Young Sub An, Hongjin Joo, Kyoung-Ho Lee, Julius Ogola, Julius Mwabora

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

This study employs an inverse grey-box (IGB) modeling approach, which combines measured data and the physics of systems to predict the performance of shallow underground thermal en- ergy storage (UTES) with top and side insulation. A simplified IGB model of the shallow UTES was developed using thermal network analysis. Experimental studies were conducted for shallow vertical and horizontal UTES configurations. Detailed models representing the field experiments were developed using the TRNSYS simulation tool and calibrated with the measured data from the experimental setup. The 4 Resistance 2 Capacitance (4R2C) IGB model was trained and tested in MATLAB using field experimental …

A Review On Solar Water Heating Technology: Impacts Of Parameters And Techno-Economic Studies, Fabian Chidubem Eze, Munonyedi Egbo, Udochukwu John Anuta, Ossei-Bremang Rejoice Ntiriwaa, Julius Ogola

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Background

Solar water heating is a highly sustainable method of extracting thermal energy from the sun for domestic and industrial use. In residential buildings, thermal energy from a Solar Water Heater (SWH) can be used to heat spaces, shower, clean, or cook, either alone or in combination with conventional heating systems such as electricity- and fossil-fuel-based heaters. In the industrial sector, SWHs can be used in various high-temperature fluid processes, including chemical processing, manufacturing, power generation, and construction. Despite the technological advancements in water heating systems, there are still some significant technical and economic challenges that limit their widespread adoption …

Choice Modelling Of Ecooking Adoption By Households In Ghana, Rejoice Ntiriwaa Ossei-Bremang, Fabian Chidubem Eze, Kwame Anane-Fenin, Francis Kemausuor

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

The use of electric cooking appliances, also referred to as eCooking devices, presents a practical and
sustainable solution for achieving universal access to clean cooking facilities by 2030. A choice modelling
analysis on the factors that influence the selection of an eCooker in Ghana has been conducted to facilitate
market expansion for organisations seeking to offer clean cooking services. The study utilised Analytical
Hierarchy Process (AHP), Fuzzy-TOPSIS, and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodologies to assess and
rank electric cookers based on crucial factors such as kWh consumption rate, cooking efficiency, affordability,
time-saving features, ergonomics, space utilisation capabilities, compatibility with cookware …

Development And Simulated Evaluation Of Inter-Seasonal Power-To-Heat And Power-To-Cool With Underground Thermal Storage For Self-Consumption Of Surplus Solar Energy In Buildings, Fabian Chidubem Eze, Wang-Je Lee, Young Sub An, Hongjin Joo, Kyoung-Ho Lee, Julius Mwabora

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

The adoption of renewable energy, such as solar, to meet the energy demand in buildings has become one of the keys to achieving the global target for net-zero emissions. As a result, solar photovoltaic installations have increased tremendously, giving rise to an enormous surplus of electricity generation, which has become an issue requiring alternative ways to be addressed. Underground thermal energy storage for power-to-heat operations has gained interest in this area due to its reliability, cost-effectiveness, and carbon-free nature. This study presents a novel system configuration with an operational strategy guided by a simple control method that uses surplus photovoltaic …

Optimizing Biomass Briquette Drying: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Approach With A Case Study In Mozambique, Fauzia Argentina Guibunda, Sebastian Waita, Francis Wanjala Nyongesa, G Jeffrey Snyder, Jimmy Chaciga

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Biomass fuels remain the primary cooking energy source in many developing regions, contributing to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. Briquettes made from waste biomass are a sustainable alternative; however, their production is hindered by inefficient drying methods, such as open sun drying, which can take 5 to 7 days. This study evaluates the thermal and airflow performance of a solar tunnel dryer (STD) designed to accelerate drying times for charcoal briquettes under Mozambique's climatic conditions. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, temperature and airflow distributions were analyzed to optimize dryer performance. Moisture and temperature profiles of hexagonal briquettes …

Review On Sizing And Management Of Stand-Alone Pv/Wind Systems With Storage, Guétinsom Jean Kafando, Daniel Yamegueu, Etienne Tchoffo Houdji

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Extending the public electricity grid to rural or peri-urban areas is sometimes very costly and unprofitable due to their remoteness, low population density and sometimes difficult accessibility. In view of this, and in the concern of a sustainable development, the autonomous PV and/or wind power systems is increasingly used. However, these fluctuating source systems remain unreliable due especially to their intermittent nature, what justifies the integration of battery storage systems to them. They are also still expensive, particularly in the African context, limiting their access to the greatest number of the population. In addition to these problems of cost and …

Geo-Mechanical And Geo-Morphology Characterisation Of The Cap Rocks In The Niger Delta For Potential Carbon Capture And Storage, Itai Mutadza, Sunday Sunday Ikiensikimama, Ogbonna Friday Joel

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

The world has been battling climate change which is caused by an excessive amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Carbon sequestration in geological sinks was identified as one of the major methods to curb and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide stored in the geological formations must not escape back into the atmosphere. Characterisation of potential reservoirs for geological sequestration is pertinent for injectivity, capacity, and most importantly containment of carbon dioxide. The cap rock is one of the most important factors determining carbon sequestration success. This study focuses on the preliminary characterisation …

First-Principles Calculations To Investigate The Elastic, Electronic, Dynamical, And Optical Properties Of Cubic Zrcoas Half-Heusler Semiconductor For Photovoltaic Applications, Lynet Allan, R.E. Mapasha, Winfred M. Mulwa, Julius M. Mwabora, Robinson J. Musembi

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

The electronic, mechanical, elastic, dynamical, and optical properties of the ZrCoAs half-Heusler compound have been systematically investigated using the plane wave self-consistent field approach with the Perdew-Burke-Erzerhof generalized gradient approximation (GGA-PBE) exchange-correlation functional. The study includes examinations with and without spin orbit coupling (SOC) effects. Results indicate a decrease in the Kohn-Sham band gap with the inclusion of SOC effects. Electronic bandgap formation was attributed to Co 3d, Zr 3d, and As 2p for the conduction band, and Co 3d and As 2p for the valence band without SOC effects. With SOC, Co 5d, Zr 8d, and As 3p …

Improved Light Soaking And Thermal Stability Of Organic Solar Cells By Robust Interfacial Modification, Mwende Mbilo, Muhammad Haris, Du Hyeon Ryu, Julius Mwakondo Mwabora, Robinson Juma Musembi, Seungjin Lee, Chang Eun Song, Won Suk Shin

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

The most widely used material in electron transport layers (ETL) of inverted organic solar cells (iOSCs) is zinc oxide (ZnO). However, the brittleness, inorganic nature, surface defects, and photocatalytic activity of ZnO lead to poor stability in iOSCs. Herein, the light-soaking and thermal stability of iOSCs are substantially improved by modifying ZnO surface with polyurethane diacrylate (SAR) or urethane acrylate (OCS)-based ultraviolet (UV) resins. The UV resins significantly reduce the energy barrier, suppress surface defects, and improve interfacial contact between ZnO ETL and the organic photoactive layer. Notably, the SAR and OCS resins mitigate the photocatalytic activity of ZnO, electrical …

Experimental Investigation And Comparative Environmental Impact Analysis Of Conventional And Naturally Occurring Kinetic Hydrate Inhibitors In Offshore Environments Using Toxicity And Bioconcentration Tools, Okon Okon, Joseph Atubokiki Ajienka, Sunday Sunday Ikiensikimama, Onyewuchi Emmanuel Akaranta, Virtue Urunwo Wachikwu-Elechi

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

In this present study, an in vivo experiment was carried out to determine the tendencies of a naturally occurring high-phenolic compound red-onion skin extract (HPC-ROSE) and conventional N-Vinylcaprolactam (N-VCAP) kinetic hydrate inhibitors (KHIs) to bio-accumulate in offshore environment through the analysis of their uptake and depuration kinetics by a Fish-Chemical Model using Cyprinus carpio marine invertebrate. This test was performed in the laboratory in a flow through experimental set up according to the guidelines by [49] (Fish-chemical exposure test). The uptake duration was 10 days with a depuration period of twenty days. The inhibitor toxicity test was evaluated by …

Phytochemical Characterization Of Selected Agro-Waste Extracts As Kinetic Inhibitors In Methane Hydrates Formation, Okon Okon, Joseph Atubokiki Ajienka, Sunday Sunday Ikiensikimama, Onyewuchi Emmanuel Akaranta

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

n this study of gas hydrate inhibition, the bio-active components (phytochemicals) and the influence of func- tional moieties and chemical structures on selected bio-inhibitors’ performance were investigated by advanced analytical techniques. The agro-waste materials of interest are: orange mesocarp (Citrus sinensis (L)) extract (OME), red onion skin (Allium cepa) extract (ROSE), kolanut tesla (Cola acuminata) extract (KTE), coconut coir dusk (Cocos nucifera) extract (CCDE) and peanut skin (Arachis hypogea) extract (PSE). A CO2-enhanced supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) technique was used to extract the bioactive components from their parent materials. After the extraction, advanced analytical techniques including FTIR, NMR and HP-TLC …

Solar Photovoltaic Power Output Forecasting Using Deep Learning Models: A Case Study Of Zagtouli Pv Power Plant, Sami Florent Palm, Sianou Ezéckiel Houénafa, Zourkalaïni Boubakar, Sebastian Waita, Thomas Nyachoti Nyangonda, Ahmed Chebak

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Forecasting solar PV power output holds significant importance in the realm of energy management, particularly due to the intermittent nature of solar irradiation. Currently, most forecasting studies employ statistical methods. However, deep learning models have the potential for better forecasting. This study utilises Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gate Recurrent Unit (GRU) and hybrid LSTM-GRU deep learning techniques to analyse, train, validate, and test data from the Zagtouli Solar Photovoltaic (PV) plant located in Ouagadougou (longitude:12.30702 o and latitude:1.63548 o), Burkina Faso. The study involved three evaluation metrics: Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and coefficient of determination …

Multi-Criteria Optimal Sizing And Analysis Of Pv/Wind/Fuel Cell/Battery/Diesel Generator For Rural Electrification: A Case Study In Chad, Mahamat Adoum Abdoulaye, Sebastian Waita, Cyrus Wabuge Wekesa, Julius Mwakondo Mwabora

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Access to sustainable, clean, affordable, and reliable electricity is crucial for social and economic development, yet Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) struggles significantly in this context. In CHAD, only 11.3% of the population is able to access electricity, making it one of the least electrified countries in SSA with the lowest clean energy access. In rural areas, electricity access falls to just 1.3%. This research applies and executes a Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO) algorithm using MATLAB R2023b to assess the techno-economic, environmental, and social impacts of a hybrid system based on optimal PV/Wind/Battery/Fuel Cell (FC)/Diesel generator (DG) sizing for rural electrification …

Spatial Analysis Of Livestock Disease Data In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review, Alfred Ngwira, Samuel Manda, Esron Daniel Karimuribo, Sharadhuli Iddi Kimera, Christopher Stanley

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Background

Methods

Determinants Of An Extended Metric Of Agricultural Commercialization In Ghana, Benjamin Musah Abu, Daniel Bruce Sarpong, Yaw Bonsu Osei-Asare, Charles Yaw Okyere, Taeyoon Kim

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

For smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, increasing productivity and agricultural commercialization are mooted as one of the pillars for agricultural development. However, the measurement of agricultural commercialization has been restricted to the household crop commercialization index (HCCI) that focuses on crops neglecting livestock. This study develops an extended metric of agricultural commercialization named household crop-livestock commercialization index (HCLCI), which combines crop and livestock commercialization with the argument that it is superior to the overly used HCCI. Fractional regression is used to estimate the determinants of the extended metric using secondary and primary data from Ghana. Results indicate that agricultural commercialization …