UTILIZATION OF TRADITIONAL COMMUNICATION MEDIA (TCM) FOR INNOVATION DISSEMINATION IN OBAFEMI OWODE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF OGUN STATE

The study examined various traditional communication media (TCM) used by rural farmers as sources of information to improve their production in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State. Data were drawn from a sample of one hundred and twenty (120) randomly selected farmers using a structure interview schedule. The obtained data were described with frequency and analyzed using chi-square test. The results indicated that majority (62.8%) of farmers commonly received innovations through TCM such as discussion groups, market places, agriculture-based festivals, visits, cooperative society, traditional meetings, community elders, village squares, and relations. and found them effective. A significant relationship was established between farmers’ perceptions of effectiveness TCM and effectiveness of TCM .The variables that had significant relationship with TCM was socio-cultural lifestyles of farmers (χ2 = 49.9, α =0.05) and farmers’ level of education (χ2=95.58, α =0.05) Based on the findings, it is pertinent to direct deliberate efforts towards the integration of traditional media of communication into the innovation delivery system for rural farmers.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

A joint motion & disparity motion estimation technique for 3D integral video compression using evolutionary strategy

3D imaging techniques have the potential to establish a future mass-market in the fields of entertainment and communications. Integral imaging, which can capture true 3D color images with only one camera, has been seen as the right technology to offer stress-free viewing to audiences of more than one person. Just like any digital video, 3D video sequences must also be compressed in order to make it suitable for consumer domain applications. However, ordinary compression techniques found in state-of-the-art video coding standards such as H.264, MPEG-4 and MPEG-2 are not capable of producing enough compression while preserving the 3D clues. Fortunately, a huge amount of redundancies can be found in an integral video sequence in terms of motion and disparity. This paper discusses a novel approach to use both motion and disparity information to compress 3D integral video sequences. We propose to decompose the integral video sequence down to viewpoint video sequences and jointly exploit motion and disparity redundancies to maximize the compression. We further propose an optimization technique based on evolutionary strategies to minimize the computational complexity of the joint motion disparity estimation. Experimental results demonstrate that Joint Motion and Disparity Estimation can achieve over 1 dB objective quality gain over normal motion estimation. Once combined with Evolutionary strategy, this can achieve up to 94% computational cost saving

Motion and disparity estimation with self adapted evolutionary strategy in 3D video coding

Real world information, obtained by humans is three dimensional (3-D). In experimental user-trials, subjective assessments have clearly demonstrated the increased impact of 3-D pictures compared to conventional flat-picture techniques. It is reasonable, therefore, that we humans want an imaging system that produces pictures that are as natural and real as things we see and experience every day. Three-dimensional imaging and hence, 3-D television (3DTV) are very promising approaches expected to satisfy these desires. Integral imaging, which can capture true 3D color images with only one camera, has been seen as the right technology to offer stress-free viewing to audiences of more than one person. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to use Evolutionary Strategy (ES) for joint motion and disparity estimation to compress 3D integral video sequences. We propose to decompose the integral video sequence down to viewpoint video sequences and jointly exploit motion and disparity redundancies to maximize the compression using a self adapted ES. A half pixel refinement algorithm is then applied by interpolating macro blocks in the previous frame to further improve the video quality. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed adaptable ES with Half Pixel Joint Motion and Disparity Estimation can up to 1.5 dB objective quality gain without any additional computational cost over our previous algorithm.1Furthermore, the proposed technique get similar objective quality compared to the full search algorithm by reducing the computational cost up to 90%

Bacteria Assessment of Soil Samples in Houston Watersheilds; Impact of Heavy Metal, and Stress Responses in an Eukaryotic Co-Culture System.

Houston has a complex watershed in which bayous intersect one another making the city prone to flooding, as evidenced by the 2017 Hurricane Harvey flood. We sought to evaluate bacterial population dynamics in Houston watershed soils pre- and post-Hurricane Harvey; additionally, we evaluated population dynamics in neighboring, downstream bayous ~ 1 year later in the summer and winter of 2018. This study quantified bacterial loads for pre-Hurricane Harvey (June 2017) and post-hurricane Harvey (November 2017) soil samples, as well as competitive samples from one year later [summer (June 2018) and winter (November) 2018]. Unexpectedly, bayous closer to Houston’s densely populated urban core, including Buffalo, Halls, Mustang, and Horsepen Bayous, had significantly higher enteric bacterial loads during the winter than the summer. Perhaps this was due to water flow rate changes or proximity to wastewater treatment plants. Following bacterial load determination, isolated colonies were identified using biochemical tests and DNA sequencing of the 16S ribosomal DNA region. Additionally, we employed next generation metagenomic sequencing of 16S rDNA, capturing both culturable and unculturable organisms. The phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteriodetes and Firmicutes were found to be dominant in our metagenomic analysis and are human gut bacteria. Some opportunistic bacterial Proteobacteria pathogens identified in our metabolomic analysis were Serratia marcenscens, Pseudomonas mendocina, Pseudomonas fulva, and Pseudomonas putida. To investigate the effects of heavy metal exposures, an environmentally isolated Serratia marsescens and its reference strain were exposed to Pb, Zn and manganese and subsequent oxidative stress responses and biofilm production were measured. Additionally, heavy metal exposures were characterized in gut and lung cell co-culture models using CCD-841, HT29 and BEAS-2B cell lines. Additionally, MTT assays were performed to determine cell cytotoxicity in bacterial cultures containing 10, 50, and 100 μg/ml of Zn and Pb and 100, 500 and 1000 μg/ml of Mn. Interestingly, the environmentally isolated S. marsescens produced increased biofilm and was more resistant to oxidative stress in the presence of Zn and Pb than its reference strain. Perhaps this was due to environmental adaptations of the environmental isolate. To our knowledge, this is the first study that compares Houston-area bacterial populations before and after a major flooding event. Taken together, Hurricane Harvey likely contributed to a redistribution of enteric bacteria, as there was a significant increase in the enteric population of Buffalo and Halls Bayous following the Hurricane Harvey flooding event. Similarly, our 2018 winter data set followed the same trend, as significant increases were seen in the enteric populations of Horsepen, Mustang, and Cypress Creek watershed soils. Further, the environmentally isolated S. marcescens was better able to withstand environmental stressors than the reference strain and the lung cell line was more susceptible to lead treatment by a decrease in viability of about 2.0-fold when compared with the gut cell lines. Also, the cell co-culture infection with the environmental isolate in the presence of various metal toxicants respond differently to its environmental reference strain and a significant decrease (p\u3c 0.05) in bacteria proliferation at various time points for the cell lines were observed

The effects of legislation on corporate social responsibility in the minerals and mines sector of Nigeria

This paper examines the effect of legislation on the corporate social responsibility in the minerals and mines sector of the Nigerian economy. Observing that the extractive industry sector in the country is populated by enclave industries that give little priority to CSR, the paper analyses the Nigerian Minerals and Mines Act, 2007. The Act obligates contracting a Community Development Agreement (CDA) between the mineral title holder and the community where the mining company is to operate. Linking CSR and the CDA through the stakeholder theory, the paper observes that corporate actors in the solid minerals sector of the country can no longer deprioritise CSR in their corporate planning as hitherto. It concludes that the effect of this law is to empower the community as an important stakeholder thereby validating the stakeholder thesis herein espoused.Keywords: Corporate social responsibility (CSR), minerals, mines, agreement, human right

Incorporation of Silica Nanoparticles into the Underlayer of PDA/PTFE Thin Coatings

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is one of the most low friction and corrosion resistant solid lubricants. Prior studies have shown that a polydopamine (PDA) underlayer enhances the durability of PTFE thin coating. In this study, 100, 200, and 300 µL of aqueous silica nanoparticle (NP) solutions were added to the PDA deposition solution. The durability and coefficient of friction of PDA/PTFE thin coatings on stainless steel substrates are investigated with and without incorporating the silica NPs. The coatings were tested in dry contact conditions using a Universal Mechanical Tester (UMT) with a ball-on-flat configuration in a reciprocating motion. It was found that the durability of the PDA/PTFE coating are significantly improved when 100 µL of aqueous SiO2 NP solution were added during the deposition of the PDA underlayer. Formation of transfer film was also observed on the counter face. The significant improvement in the durability is attributed to the increased adhesion of the PTFE coating to the PDA underlayer and the enhanced mechanical strength provided by the NPs as well as the enhanced transfer film on the counterface

Implementation of Trauma Informed Care in a Primary Care Setting Using the Adverse Childhood Experience as a Screening Tool

Background: The prevalence of trauma is widely unacknowledged in the primary care setting. Unfortunately, the injury that individuals sustained as children may continue to adversely affect their health as adults in various ways, including having risky health behaviors, early death, chronic health conditions, and low life potential. Prevention of trauma is crucial and can is achieved with consistent public health education. There are available treatments for childhood trauma, and the inclusion of primary care for screening is vital for quality care. Purpose: The Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs) is a screening tool that can be utilized to survey adult patients for childhood traumas. Methods: This quality improvement project was conducted at a primary care clinic and started by assessing the staff member\u27s current level of understanding of trauma informed care. The staff training was then customized to fit the needs of the staff. Trauma informed care was then implemented with patients with at least three visits to the clinic being screened using the ACEs tool. The patients that scored four or more were offered a higher level of care with a mental health provider, medication-assisted therapy, or both. Results/Implications: Post survey analysis displayed that the instruction was successful based on the response by staff and implementation of TIC. Screened patients were amenable to treatment with mental health providers, but access to these providers in the local area was limited. The project\u27s intent was met with the adequate addition of ACE as a screening tool in this primary care clinic