Upland acid sulfate soils and the effect of sulfide oxidation on soil genesis in Saskatchewan soils, Canada

Non-Peer ReviewedRecent studies on upland acid sulfate soils in east central Saskatchewan generated interest in further study of sulfide oxidation and its effect on soil salinity, soil acidity, Solonetzic soil formation and other soil properties. The objective of this study was to understand the effects of sulfide oxidation on soil properties, especially the formation of sulfate salts using chemical, x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope techniques. Field and laboratory studies indicated that pyrite and jarosite were also widespread occurrences in southern Saskatchewan. Extremely high concentration of sulfate salts (mirabilite, thenardite, bloedite, konyaite, loeweite, gypsum) were found in the depressions where the sulfide oxidation process was dominant in the subsoils. Presence of Solonetzic soils in higher elevations suggests their association to saline soils. Sulfide oxidation are likely responsible for most of the free iron oxides and iron substitution in smectites in Saskatchewan soils

Release and retention of N and P during crop decomposition

Non-Peer ReviewedUnderstanding the release and retention of nutrients from decomposing crop residue is critical to gain insight of nutrient cycling for sustained crop production. Using the mesh bag technique, we compared the mass loss and mineralization of N and P from straw and root residues of pea, canola and wheat in the 10 months following crop harvest. Wheat straw decomposed more slowly than either pea or canola mostly because of low N content, and released no measurable amount of N. By spring, pea straw had lost 25% of its N (7 kg N/ha) and canola straw 18% (2.5 kg N/ha). However, between spring and summer, these straw residues immobilized 1.5 to 2 kg N of soil N per ha. Wheat root lost more mass at the end of the study period than pea or canola root: Net mineralization of root residue N was 1 to 1.5 kg/ha. Residues of all test crops released P into the soil, however, the total amount from root and straw was less than 1 kg P/ha

Regulatory hypothesis and bank dividend payouts: Empirical evidence from Italian banking sector

This study examines the regulatory hypothesis for bank dividend payouts using a panel dataset of 229 Italian banks over the period 2005–2012. Regulatory hypothesis suggests that undercapitalized banks face more regulatory pressure for increasing capital levels by paying lower amount of dividends. Empirical results support the regulatory hypothesis by finding that the Italian banks having lower equity to total assets ratios or lower regulatory capital ratios retain more profits and pay lower amount of dividends. Results also suggest that dividend payer banks try to maintain dividends at previous level by not skipping or reducing dividends. Results further support that Fama and French (2001)'s three characteristics of dividend payers are also applicable to banks. That is, big-in-size, more profitable and low growth Italian banks pay higher amount of dividends. Findings of this study have important implications for recent regulatory proposals that suggest a direct regulation of dividends. A direct regulation of dividends, on one hand, and regulatory pressure on dividend payout decisions through capital requirements, on the other hand, may have unintended consequences for dividends as signaling and agency cost reducing tools

Effects of lubricated surface in the stagnation point flow of a micropolar fluid

In this investigation, we have considered a steady, two-dimensional flow of a micropolar fluid towards a stagnation point over a lubricated plate. A power law fluid is utilized for the purpose of lubrication. To derive the slip condition in the present flow situation, continuity of shear stress and velocity has been imposed at the fluid lubricant interface. The set of nonlinear coupled ordinary differential equations subject to boundary conditions is solved by a powerful numerical technique called the Keller-box method. Some important flow features have been analyzed and discussed under the influence of slip parameter , material parameter and ratio of micro-rotation to the skin friction parameter . The main purpose of the present article is to analyze the reduction in the shear stress and couple stress effects in the presence of lubrication as compared to the viscous fluid that may be beneficial during polymeric processing

Effects of mannan-oligosaccharides-supplemented diets on production performance of four close-bred flocks of Japanese quail breeders

The present study was conducted to find out the dietary effects of mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) supplemented diets on the production performance of four close-bred flocks (CBFs) of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) breeders. A total of 960 twelve-week-old birds of four CBFs were randomly divided into four groups (n = 240) with 12 replicates (n = 20). Birds were fed a corn-based basal diet or the same diet supplemented with 0.25%, 0.50%, and 1.0% MOS for 15 weeks. The authors analysed the data by two-way ANOVA techniques using SAS (Statistical Analysis System). Birds fed MOS-supplemented diets had significantly higher body and egg weight, egg mass, and egg number than the control group. Similarly, the feed conversion ratio (FCR)/dozen eggs, FCR/kg egg mass, and mortality were significantly lower in MOS supplemented groups. However, no significant effect of MOS supplementation was recorded on feed intake and egg production of birds. None of the parameters differed significantly among CBFs. The results showed that feeding MOS as a replacement for antibiotic growth factor may positively influence the production performance and health of Japanese quail breeders.Keywords: Body weight, egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion ratio, mortalit

SAMADroid: A Novel 3-Level Hybrid Malware Detection Model for Android Operating System

© 2013 IEEE. For the last few years, Android is known to be the most widely used operating system and this rapidly increasing popularity has attracted the malware developer's attention. Android allows downloading and installation of apps from other unofficial market places. This gives malware developers an opportunity to put repackaged malicious applications in third-party app-stores and attack the Android devices. A large number of malware analysis and detection systems have been developed which uses static analysis, dynamic analysis, or hybrid analysis to keep Android devices secure from malware. However, the existing research clearly lags in detecting malware efficiently and accurately. For accurate malware detection, multilayer analysis is required which consumes large amount of hardware resources of resource constrained mobile devices. This research proposes an efficient and accurate solution to this problem, named SAMADroid, which is a novel 3-level hybrid malware detection model for Android operating systems. The research contribution includes multiple folds. First, many of the existing Android malware detection techniques are thoroughly investigated and categorized on the basis of their detection methods. Also, their benefits along with limitations are deduced. A novel 3-level hybrid malware detection model for Android operating systems is developed, that can provide high detection accuracy by combining the benefits of the three different levels: 1) Static and Dynamic Analysis; 2) Local and Remote Host; and 3) Machine Learning Intelligence. Experimental results show that SAMADroid achieves high malware detection accuracy by ensuring the efficiency in terms of power and storage consumption

Population parameters of Rastrelliger kanagurta (Cuvier, 1816) in the Marudu Bay, Sabah, Malaysia

An investigation of the population parameters of Indian mackerel, Rastrelliger kanagurta (Cuvier, 1816) in the Marudu Bay, Sabah, Malaysia was carried out from January to September 2013. The relationship between total length and body weight was estimated as W=0.006TL^3.215 or Log W=3.215LogTL – 2.22 (R^2=0.946). Monthly length frequency data of R. kanagurta were analyzed by FiSAT software to evaluate the mortality rates and its exploitation level. Asymptotic length (L∝) and growth co-efficient (K) were estimated at 27.83 cm and 1.50 yr^-1, respectively. The growth performance index (φ') was calculated as 3.07. Total mortality (Z), natural mortality (M) and fishing mortality (F) was calculated at 4.44 yr^-1, 2.46 yr^-1 and 1.98 yr^-1, respectively. Exploitation level (E) of R. kanagurta was found to be 0.45. The exploitation level was below the optimum level of exploitation (E=0.50). It is revealed that the stock of R. kanagurta was found to be still under exploited in Marudu Bay

Electrocortical therapy for motion sickness

Given a sufficiently provocative stimulus, almost everyone can be made motion sick, with approximately one-third experiencing significant symptoms on long bus trips, on ships, or in light aircraft.1–4 Current countermeasures are either behavioral or pharmacologic. Behavioral measures include habituation/desensitization treatment protocols5 as well as positioning the head in alignment with the direction of the gravito-inertial force and maintaining a stable horizontal reference frame.5 Pharmacologic measures include antimuscarinics, H1 antihistamines, and sympathomimetics, which all detrimentally impact upon cognitive function, rendering them inappropriate for occupational use.5 All current therapies are only partially effective

Single cell protein production from culture and marine fish wastes

The alarming rate of population growth has increased the demand for food production in third-world countries leading to a yawning gap in demand and supply. This has led to an increase in the number of hungry and chronically malnourished people. This situation has created a demand for the formulation of innovative and alternative proteinaceous food sources. Single cell protein production is a major step in this direction. SCP is the protein extracted from cultivated microbial biomass. Algae, fungi and bacteria are the chief sources of microbial protein that can be utilized as SCP. Produced proteins from these microbes have various nutrition values. SCP is the manufacture of cell mass using microorganisms by culturing on available agriculture, industrial wastes and fisheries by products. Fish wastes due to high protein are the most important substrates for SCP production. In this study, SCP production was done from Silver carp and tuna fish wastes (head, tail and vise versa) and cooked water of canned tuna factories. The used microbes were six genus and species of yeasts include Candida utilis, Saccharomyces cereviceae, Rhodotorula, Khyveromyces marxians, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii and Bacillus subtilis and B.licheniformis. The examination was done in bench scale and CSTR bioreactor (Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor). The effects of various parameters such as pH, temperature, time, supplemented substrates, method of inoculation of microbes, rpm were evaluated. Changes of microbial growth and protein contents were tested by using Optical Density (OD) and Makrokjeldal methods respectively. In end of examination, produced protein were extracted and lyophilized. The results showed that protein percentage in bacterial protein was than yeast protein but wet percentage in bacterial protein was low. Production value produced from tuna fish wastes was higher than (30-45 g/l) to Silver carp wastes (25-29 g/l) and cooked water (10-15 g/l). By adding supplemented substrates, production value has been increased. Candida utilis, in comparison other yeasts, has high activation. B.licheniformis has also had more activation than Bacillus subtilis. The results of the effect some parameters on fermentation showed that yeasts and Bacillus in pH= 5.4 and 32oC and pH=6.9 and 35oC were better than growth pH=6 and 25oC and pH=6.5 and 30oC respectively. Time of fermentation in batch and bioreactor was 54 and 21 hours respectively. High rpm has been caused increasing of microbial growth in bioreactor. The conclusion showed that with optimizing of the growth condition such as some parameters (pH, temperature, substrates and so on) produced SCP with high efficiency. However, produced SCP should be exanimated with other specific tests such as amino acid and fatty acid profiles, minerals, nucleic acids and so on. After full examination, this SCP as probiotic could be used in fish and poultry feed