Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Study Of Mexican Free-Tailed Bat Chirp Syllables: Bayesian Functional Mixed Modeling Of Nonstationary Time Series Data With Time-Dependent Spectra, Josue G. Martinez, Kirsten M. Bohn, Raymond J. Carroll, Jeffrey S. Morris

Jeffrey S. Morris

We describe a new approach to analyze chirp syllables of free-tailed bats from two regions of Texas in which they are predominant: Austin and College Station. Our goal is to characterize any systematic regional differences in the mating chirps and assess whether individual bats have signature chirps. The data are analyzed by modeling spectrograms of the chirps as responses in a Bayesian functional mixed model. Given the variable chirp lengths, we compute the spectrograms on a relative time scale interpretable as the relative chirp position, using a variable window overlap based on chirp length. We use 2D wavelet transforms to …

Travelling In Cuba, Fathi Habashi

Fathi Habashi

Contact with Cuban scientists was established in 1986 when two researchers from Centro de Investigaciones para Industria Minero Metalurgica in Havana visited Laval University to get acquainted with research activities in the area of extractive metallurgy. This was followed in early 1987 by two more researchers from the same centre. Invitations were then received in late 1987, 1989, and 2008 to visit the nickel refineries in Cuba and to hold seminars at the University of Havana. The present report outlines these activities.

Global Quantitative Assessment Of The Colorectal Polyp Burden In Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Using A Web-Based Tool, Patrick M. Lynch, Jeffrey S. Morris, William A. Ross, Miguel A. Rodriguez-Bigas, Juan Posadas, Rossa Khalaf, Diane M. Weber, Valerie O. Sepeda, Bernard Levin, Imad Shureiqi

Jeffrey S. Morris

Background: Accurate measures of the total polyp burden in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) are lacking. Current assessment tools include polyp quantitation in limited-field photographs and qualitative total colorectal polyp burden by video.

Objective: To develop global quantitative tools of the FAP colorectal adenoma burden.

Design: A single-arm, phase II trial.

Patients: Twenty-seven patients with FAP.

Intervention: Treatment with celecoxib for 6 months, with before-treatment and after-treatment videos posted to an intranet with an interactive site for scoring.

Main Outcome Measurements: Global adenoma counts and sizes (grouped into categories: less than 2 mm, 2-4 mm, and greater than 4 mm) were …

Fractal Approach To Heat Transfer In Silkworm Cocoon Hierarchy, Dong-Dong Fei, Fu-Juan Liu, Qiu-Na Cui, Ji-Huan He

Ji-Huan He

Silkworm cocoon has a complex hierarchic structure with discontinuity. In this paper, heat transfer through the silkworm cocoon is studied using fractal theory. The fractal approach has been successfully applied to explain the fascinating phenomenon of cocoon survival under extreme temperature environment. A better understanding of heat transfer mechanisms for the cocoon could be beneficial to the design of biomimetic clothes for special applications.

Microfabricated Nanotopological Surfaces For Study Of Adhesion-Dependent Cell Mechanosensitivity, Weiqiang Chen, Yubing Sun, Jianping Fu

Weiqiang Chen

Cells exhibit high sensitivity and diverse responses to the intrinsic nanotopography of the extracellular matrix through their nanoscale cellular sensing machinery. A simple microfabrication method for precise control and spatial patterning of the local nanoroughness on glass surfaces by using photolithography and reactive ion etching is reported. It is demonstrated that local nanoroughness as a biophysical cue could regulate a diverse array of NIH/3T3 fi broblast behaviors, including cell morphology, adhesion, proliferation, migration, and cytoskeleton contractility. The capability to control and further predict cellular responses to nanoroughness might suggest novel methods for developing biomaterials mimicking nanotopographic structures in vivo for …

Surface-Micromachined Microfiltration Membranes For Efficient Isolation And Functional Immunophenotyping Of Subpopulations Of Immune Cells, Weiqiang Chen, Nien-Tsu Huang, Boram Oh, Raymond H. W. Lam, Rong Fan, Timothy T. Cornell, Thomas P. Shanley, Katsuo Kurabayashi, Jianping Fu

Weiqiang Chen

An accurate measurement of the immune status in patients with immune system disorders is critical in evaluating the stage of diseases and tailoring drug treatments. The functional cellular immunity test is a promising method to establish the diagnosis of immune dysfunctions. The conventional functional cellular immunity test involves measurements of the capacity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines when stimulated ex vivo. However, this “bulk” assay measures the overall reactivity of a population of lymphocytes and monocytes, making it difficult to pinpoint the phenotype or real identity of the reactive immune cells involved. In this research, we …

Comparative Study Of Biological And Artificial Neural Networks, O S. Eluyode, Dr. Dipo Theophilus Akomolafe Mbcs, Mncs, Mcpn,

Dr. Dipo Theophilus Akomolafe MBCS, MNCS, MCPN,

In this research project, the features of biological and artificial neural networks were studied by reviewing the existing works of authorities in print and electronics on biological and artificial neural networks. The features were then assessed and evaluated and comparative analysis of the two networks was carried out. The metrics such as structures, layers, size and functional capabilities of neurons, learning capabilities, style of computation, processing elements, processing speed, connections, strength, information storage, information transmission, communication media selection, signal transduction and fault tolerance were used as basis for comparison. A major finding in the research showed that artificial neural networks …

Classification Of The Alterations Of Beaver Dams To Headwater Streams In Northeastern Connecticut, U.S.A., Denise Burchsted, Melinda D. Daniels

Denise Burchsted

Of the many types of barriers to water flow, beaver dams are among the smallest, typically lasting less than a decade and rarely exceeding 1.5 m in height. They are also among the most frequent and common obstructions in rivers, with a density often exceeding ten dams per km, a frequency of construction within a given network on a time scale of years, and a historic extent covering most of North America. Past quantification of the geomorphologic impact of beaver dams has primarily been limited to local impacts within individual impoundments and is of limited geographic scope. To assess the …

Piscine Myocarditis Virus (Pmcv) In Wild Atlantic Salmon Salmo Salar, Torstein Tengs Dr.

Dr. Torstein Tengs

Cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) is a severe cardiac disease of sea-farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L., but CMS-like lesions have also been found in wild Atlantic salmon. In 2010 a double-stranded RNA virus of the Totiviridae family, provisionally named piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV), was described as the causative agent of CMS. In the present paper we report the first detection of PMCV in wild Atlantic salmon. The study is based on screening of 797 wild Atlantic salmon by real-time RT-PCR. The samples were collected from 35 different rivers along the coast of Norway, and all individuals included in the study were …

An Assessment Of The Effects Of Desertification In Yobe State, Nigeria, Jibril Musa Phd

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

Desertification is one of the most serious environmental and socio-economic problems of our time. Desertification describes circumstances of land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions resulting from the climatic variation and human activities. The fundamental goal of this thesis was to assess the effects of desertification in Yobe State, Nigeria. The present threat of desertification in the sahel has reached an alarming stage where crops cultivation and animal rearing/grazing are no more productive, soil has lost its nutrient/fertility, various infrastructure had given way because of windstorm from the neighbouring Niger Republic and sand dunes had taken over. The …

Using Remote Sensing Data To Improve Rice Production In Kutigi, Niger State, Nigeria, Jibril Musa Phd, M B. Yunusa

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

This research work looked in the used of Remote Sensing to improve Agricultural production in Kutigi, Niger State. The aim of the study is to use remote sensing to improve rice farming activities in Kutigi, Niger State. It is very important to identify such methods to improve Agricultural production because experts are always interested in new researches and findings to better the standard of living in any environment. In view of this, Remotely-sensed data could be used or employed to elevate most of these agricultural problems in Kutigi through the following objectives: Using Landsat imagery to assess the present landuse …

Mapping The Surface Characteristics Of The Mojave With Remote Sensing For Terrestrial Habitat Modeling, Scott A. Nowicki

Scott A Nowicki

High-resolution ecological and climate modeling requires quantification of surface characteristics such as rock abundance, soil induration and surface roughness at fine-scale, since these features can affect the micro and macro habitat of a given area and ultimately determine the assemblage of plant and animal species that may occur there. Our objective is to develop quantitative data layers of thermophysical properties of the entire Mojave Desert Ecoregion for applications to habitat modeling being conducted by the USGS Western Ecological Research Center. These research efforts are focused on developing habitat models and a better physical understanding of the Mojave Desert, which have …

Nanoroughened Surfaces For Efficient Capture Of Circulating Tumor Cells Without Using Capture Antibodies, Weiqiang Chen, Shinuo Weng, Feng Zhang, Steven Allen, Xiang Li, Liwei Bao, Raymond H. W. Lam, Jill A. Macoska, Sofia D. Merajver, Jianping Fu

Weiqiang Chen

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) detached from both primary and metastatic lesions represent a potential alternative to invasive biopsies as a source of tumor tissue for the detection, characterization and monitoring of cancers. Here we report a simple yet effective strategy for capturing CTCs without using capture antibodies. Our method uniquely utilized the differential adhesion preference of cancer cells to nanorough surfaces when compared to normal blood cells and thus did not depend on their physical size or surface protein expression, a significant advantage as compared to other existing CTC capture techniques.

Do We Really Need New Policies? A Study On Soil Sealing In Egypt, Ahmed Harb Rabia

Ahmed Harb Rabia A.H. Rabia

Egypt has the lowest area of agricultural land per individual in Africa. The agricultural land stands for a total of approximately 3.5 million ha which characterized about 3.5% of the total area of Egypt in 2007. The urban encroachment over arable productive agricultural land in Egypt is common and is called (urban desertification). Therefore, the annual loss of arable land to urbanization is 1.2%. This indicates a serious situation to the agricultural area. the Academy of Scientific Research & Technology (1994) has reported that during the period from 1978 to 1984, the annual expansion rates of the dwelling area ranged …

Variations In Climatic Parameters And Food Crop Yields: Implications On Food Security In Benue State, Nigeria., Emmanuel Adamgbe, Fanan Ujoh

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

Agricultural production in Nigeria like in other developing countries is highly vulnerable to variations in climatic parameters which may have inverse or direct effect on the performance of food crops. This paper examines the patterns and trends of the variations in the climatic parameters and the implications of such variations on efficient yield rates of some food crops in Benue State using data on climatic variables (rainfall, temperature, sunshine) and the yield of some crops per hectare for 25 years (1986-2010). Data on the climatic variables were collected from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, AirForce Base, Makurdi while the data on …

How Can Pacific Island Economies Benefits From The Advent Of Ict’S – Review Of Best Practices In Education, Deogratias Harorimana Sr

Dr Deogratias Harorimana

This paper explored implementation and use of information and communication technologies in Fiji, in order to gain insight into recent government initiatives to introduce computers and other ICTs for the community of Fiji. The focus of this paper in that it provided the framework for an in-depth exploration of e-learning centers around the country and the benefits from the advent of ICT’s in e-learning community centers in Fiji. Areas concentrated on are outcome of ICT’s in formal education to students and community as a whole in areas of agriculture, health, environment and infrastructure etc. The research sought understanding from the …

Evidence That Glucose Is The Major Transferred Metabolite In Dinoflagellate–Cnidarian Symbiosis, Matthew S. Burriesci, Ted K. Raab, John R. Pringle

Ted K. Raab

Reef-building corals and many other cnidarians are symbiotic with dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium. It has long been known that the endosymbiotic algae transfer much of their photosynthetically fixed carbon to the host and that this can provide much of the hostʼs total energy. However, it has remained unclear which metabolite(s) are directly translocated from the algae into the host tissue. We reexamined this question in the small sea anemone Aiptasia using labeling of intact animals in the light with 13C-bicarbonate, rapid homogenization and separation of animal and algal fractions, and analysis of metabolite labeling by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We …

Technical Assistance, Knowledge Gatekeeping And Indigenous Knowledge: Re-Thinking The International Development Practice, Deogratias Harorimana Sr

Dr Deogratias Harorimana

This paper presents results from a multi-disciplinary conceptual analysis of development theory and practice. It reviews issues raised and proposes a shift in the epistemology of possession towards an epistemology of practice which is guided by the following aspects (1) The consideration of the learning culture of parties involved, (2) the ability and willingness for decontextualisation of the knowledge by the source and (3) the ability to embedded it by recipients (embededness ), (4) the importance that is attached to knowledge of the host country as reflected through (5) Similarity in culture, values, understanding of context and knowledge bases; (6) …

Prevalence Of Tick Borne Encephalitis Virus In Tick Nymphs In Relation To Climatic Factors On The Southern Coast Of Norway, Torstein Tengs Dr.

Dr. Torstein Tengs

BACKGROUND

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is among the most important vector borne diseases of humans in Europe and is currently identified as a major health problem in many countries. TBE endemic zones have expanded over the past two decades, as well as the number of reported cases within endemic areas. Multiple factors are ascribed for the increased incidence of TBE, including climatic change. The number of TBE cases has also increased in Norway over the past decade, and the human cases cluster along the southern coast of Norway. In Norway the distribution and prevalence of TBE virus (TBEV) in tick populations …

Environmental Impacts Of Stover Removal In The Corn Belt, Alicia English, Wallace E. Tyner, Juan Sesmero, Phillip Owens, David J. Muth Jr.

David J. Muth

When considering the market for biomass from corn stover resources erosion and soil quality issues are important to consider. Removal of stover can be beneficial in some areas, especially when coordinated with other conservation practices, such as vegetative barrier strips and cover crops. However, benefits are highly dependent on several factors, namely if farmers see costs and benefits associated with erosion and the tradeoffs with the removal of biomass. This paper uses results from an integrated RUSLE2/WEPS model to incorporate six different regime choices, covering management, harvest and conservation, into a simple profit maximization model to show these tradeoffs.

Locust Dynamics: Behavioral Phase Change And Swarming, Chad M. Topaz, Maria R. D'Orsogna, Leah Edelstein-Keshet, Andrew J. Bernoff

Chad M. Topaz

Locusts exhibit two interconvertible behavioral phases, solitarious and gregarious. While solitarious individuals are repelled from other locusts, gregarious insects are attracted to conspecifics and can form large aggregations such as marching hopper bands. Numerous biological experiments at the individual level have shown how crowding biases conversion towards the gregarious form. To understand the formation of marching locust hopper bands, we study phase change at the collective level, and in a quantitative framework. Specifically, we construct a partial integrodifferential equation model incorporating the interplay between phase change and spatial movement at the individual level in order to predict the dynamics of …

Technical Factors Utilised By Elite Archers: Towards Setting An Agenda For Archery, Andrew J. Callaway, Shelley A. Broomfield

Andrew J Callaway

Archery, in one form or another, has been around for thousands of years yet research into what makes an archer 'good' is still in its infancy. There are several variations over bow type and different competitions which can be competed, previous works have focused on Recurve (Olympic) bow types whilst Compound have generally been ignored. Research in the area has tended to focus on muscle activation patterns using Electromyography (EMG) and aiming based studies, where generally scores are used as a factor to correlate to.

AIM: The aim of this research is to offer a development from the use of …

Data Mining Of Portable Eeg Brain Wave Signals For Sports Performance Analysis: An Archery Case Study, Matthew Casey, Alan Yau, Andrew J. Callaway, Keith Barfoot

Andrew J Callaway

No abstract provided.

A Strain Of Piscine Myocarditis Virus (Pmcv) Infecting Argentina Silus (Ascanius), Torstein Tengs Dr.

Dr. Torstein Tengs

No abstract.

Mapping Soil Erosion Risk Using Rusle, Gis And Remote Sensing Techniques, Ahmed Harb Rabia A.H. Rabia

Ahmed Harb Rabia A.H. Rabia

Soil erosion is one of the major causes of land degradation in arid and semi-arid areas like Ethiopia, including Tigray Highlands, which is highly affected by the risk of desertification. Tackling on-site effects of soil erosion requires understanding of the rates of soil loss as well as identification of the major controlling factors that accelerate or slow down these processes. The study aims to quantify the soil loss by erosion process and to specify the main factor affecting the Erosion development in the study area. The Study area was Kilte Awulaelo District which is situated in the eastern part of …

Quantification Of Piscine Reovirus (Prv) At Different Stages Of Atlantic Salmon Salmo Salar Production, Torstein Tengs Dr.

Dr. Torstein Tengs

The newly described piscine reovirus (PRV) appears to be associated with the development of heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) in farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. PRV seems to be ubiquitous among fish in Norwegian salmon farms, but high viral loads and tissue distribution support a causal relationship between virus and disease. In order to improve understanding of the distribution of PRV in the salmon production line, we quantified PRV by using real-time PCR on heart samples collected at different points in the life cycle from pre-smolts to fish ready for slaughter. PRV positive pre-smolts were found in about …

Dynamics Of Land Use/Land Cover Changes And Its Implication On Food Security In Anyigba, North Central, Nigeria, Tokula E. Arome, Sunday P. Ejaro (Phd)

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

This study assessed land use/land cover changes and its effect on Agricultural land in Anyigba. The objectives were to identify and delineate different land use / land cover categories, assess the rate of change that occurred and examine the impact of land use/land cover change on food security using satellite remote sensing data collected at three different years (1987 Land sat TM, 2001 Land Sat TM and 2011 Land Sat ETM). The study utilized GIS software such as Idrisi Andes academic and ArcGIS 9.3. The study area covers approximately 31.8km2, and four major land use/cover classes were utilized (built up, …

Modeling Of Soil Sealing By Urban Sprawl In Wukro, Ethiopia Using Remote Sensing And Gis Techniques, Ahmed Harb Rabia A.H. Rabia

Ahmed Harb Rabia A.H. Rabia

Soil sealing is the covering of the soil surface with materials like concrete and stone, as a result of new buildings, roads, parking places but also other public and private space. Soil sealing by urban sprawl continues to increase all over the world where the area of urbanized land is increasing even more rapidly than the population. The degree of sealing is associated to the land use type and the density of population. Techniques of Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) have been used widely to measure urban sprawl and to analyze the spatial features and unique mechanism of …

Gis Spatial Modeling For Land Degradation Assessment In Tigray, Ethiopia., Ahmed Harb Rabia A.H. Rabia

Ahmed Harb Rabia A.H. Rabia

Land degradation can be described as reduction in the present and prospective land quality and production, due to natural or anthropogenic dynamics. This phenomenon is one of the most important problems facing farmers and decision makers in several countries. This study aims to use GIS spatial modeling to quantify land (physically and chemically) degradation in the study area based on remotely sensed and field survey’s data. A GIS spatial model has been developed based on the LADA- FAO methodology to apply a land degradation assessment in the study area. Final land degradation map has been produced by combining the outputs …

Mis Mock Questions (Why Mis In Corporate Turbulant Times), Deogratias Harorimana Sr

Dr Deogratias Harorimana

With corporate strategy becoming more and more dependent on speed,focus, innovation and strategy, what can MIS do? and what should be MIS role ? what is the relationship between Corporate Strategy KPI and MIS? These questions are answered in an MBA Management Information Systems at USP. This programme is delivered across the entire Pacific region through the Graduate School of Business. It is my privilege to post here few questions that students who attended one of the course in Nadi, at Tanoa International Hotel had to answer in one of the Quiz test.