Field theoretic formulation and empirical tracking of spatial processes

Spatial processes are attacked on two fronts. On the one hand, tools from theoretical and statistical physics can be used to understand behaviour in complex, spatially-extended multi-body systems. On the other hand, computer vision and statistical analysis can be used to study 4D microscopy data to observe and understand real spatial processes in vivo. On the rst of these fronts, analytical models are developed for abstract processes, which can be simulated on graphs and lattices before considering real-world applications in elds such as biology, epidemiology or ecology. In the eld theoretic formulation of spatial processes, techniques originating in quantum eld theory such as canonical quantisation and the renormalization group are applied to reaction-di usion processes by analogy. These techniques are combined in the study of critical phenomena or critical dynamics. At this level, one is often interested in the scaling behaviour; how the correlation functions scale for di erent dimensions in geometric space. This can lead to a better understanding of how macroscopic patterns relate to microscopic interactions. In this vein, the trace of a branching random walk on various graphs is studied. In the thesis, a distinctly abstract approach is emphasised in order to support an algorithmic approach to parts of the formalism. A model of self-organised criticality, the Abelian sandpile model, is also considered. By exploiting a bijection between recurrent con gurations and spanning trees, an e cient Monte Carlo algorithm is developed to simulate sandpile processes on large lattices. On the second front, two case studies are considered; migratory patterns of leukaemia cells and mitotic events in Arabidopsis roots. In the rst case, tools from statistical physics are used to study the spatial dynamics of di erent leukaemia cell lineages before and after a treatment. One key result is that we can discriminate between migratory patterns in response to treatment, classifying cell motility in terms of sup/super/di usive regimes. For the second case study, a novel algorithm is developed to processes a 4D light-sheet microscopy dataset. The combination of transient uorescent markers and a poorly localised specimen in the eld of view leads to a challenging tracking problem. A fuzzy registration-tracking algorithm is developed to track mitotic events so as to understand their spatiotemporal dynamics under normal conditions and after tissue damage.Open Acces

The Chemical Composition of Selected Indigenous Fruits of Botswana

In the rural areas of most African countries, many people may not have access to exotic fruits and may be eating mainly indigenous fruits. Very little information is documented on the composition of these fruits.This study was undertaken to provide this information. The edible portions of four indigenous fruits (Adansonia digitata, Sclerocarya birrea, Strychnos spinosa and Vangueria infausta) were analysed for proximate composition,minerals, and selected properties using Association of Official Analytical Chemists(AOAC) methods. The values (%) obtained were: dry matter 11.6 (S. birrea) – 86.0 (A. digitata), ash 3.9 (V. infausta)- 4.9 (S. birrea), crude protein 1.3 (A. digitata)- 3.7 (S. birrea), ADF 6.1 (S.spinosa) –39.5 (V. infausta), ADL 4.4 (S. spinosa)- 35.5 (V. infausta), NDF 6.2 (S. spinosa)- 39.4 V. infausta), pH 3.06 (A. digitata) – 3.98 ( S. birrea ), acidity 0.77 (S. spinosa) – 7.85 (A.digitata). The vitamin C content in mg/100g fresh sample were: 67.7 (V. infausta)- 141.3 (A. digitata). For theminerals the values (mg/100 g) were: Ca 56 (S. spinosa) – 128 (A. digitata), Mg 49 (S. spinosa) – 158 (S. birrea), P 50 (A. digitata)- 128 (V. infausta), K 1370 (S.spinosa) – 2183 (S. birrea), Na 13.0 (S. birrea)-21.7 (S. spinosa), Fe 0.07 (S. birrea) –0.11 (S. spinosa) and Zn 0.02 (V. infausta) – 0.22 (S. spinosa). The fruits appear to be good sourcesof vitamin C, and the minerals, K and Mg. They can contribute towards providing nutrient requirements particularly in the rural areas, therefore the consumption should be encouraged. @JASE

Trypsin Inhibitor Activity and Condensed Tannin Content in Bambara Groundnut (Vigna Subterranea (L.) Verdc) Grown in Southern Africa

Legumes are an important source of protein in many developing countries. However this protein is not readily available because of antinutrients. Farmers are being encouraged to grow bambara groundnut to meet food sufficiency, hence information on the content of antinutrients is required. The objective of the study was to compareantinutrients trypsin inhibitor activity and condensed tannin content in nine landraces of bambara groundnut grown in three Southern African countries, Botswana, Swaziland and Namibia respectively. Trypsin inhibitor activity was determined in raw seeds using the method developed by Kakade et al. (1974). Six landraces from Namibia (AHM968, NC2, NC1, DIP C and GAB C and AHM753), three from Swaziland (OM1, NC2 and UR/SR) and two from Botswana (DIPC and UR/SR) had high trypsin inhibitor activity. DIPC had the highest overall trypsin inhibitor activity (units/mg protein) of 60.4 while AHM 753 had low trypsin inhibitor activity of 49.1 (p< 0.05). The trypsin inhibitor activity of each landrace differed from country to country with no simple pattern revealed but the landraces from Namibia had the highest activity and those grown in Botswana had the least. The trypsin inhibitor activityreported is higher than in soybean and pigeon pea. The condensed tannin content was determined using butanol-HCl method by Porter et al. (1986). It ranged from 0.02% in NC1 and OM1 grown in Swaziland and Namibia respectively to 0.49% in AHM 753 cultivated in Namibia. Thirteen out of the 27 samples analysed had tannin content below theallowed limit of 0.10%; three were cultivated in Botswana and five each from Namibia and Swaziland. Seeds that had the highest condensed tannin content were brown, tan and red while those with the lowest condensed tannin content were cream coloured are they are recommended to be used in weaning formula

The mineral composition of bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea(L) Verdc) grown in Southern Africa

The mineral content of nine landraces of bambara groundnut cultivated in Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland respectively was investigated. The raw seeds were analysed for Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, Cu, Fe and Zn. The ranges (mg/100 g dry matter) obtained for the macro minerals are: Ca 37-128, K 1545-2200, Mg 159-335, Na 16-25, P 313-563, and for the micro minerals (ppm): Cu 3.0-13.2, Fe 23.0-150 and Zn 13.9-77.0. There were similarities and differences in the components determined in the landraces grown in a particular country and between the same landraces grown in different countries. This legume is a goodsource of, Ca, K, Mg, P and Fe. The Mg and P contents are similar to those of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea, P 376 and Mg 168). Landraces grown in Swaziland seem to have higher mineral contents than those grown in Botswana and Namibia. The concentration of the minerals in this legume indicates that they could be useful in the diets of consumers in Botswana, Swaziland and Namibia

Academic Facility Availability and Influence on Students' Academic Performance and Enrollment: Moderating and Mediating Effects of Facility Maintenance

Many studies have assessed the influence of a diversity of factors on the academic performance of students but not much can be found on the effects of academic facility availability and functionality on performance and enrollment. In this study, the influence of academic facility availability (AFA) on academic performance (AP) and enrollment of students (E) and the potential mediation and moderating effects of facility maintenance (FM) are studied. A cross-sectional survey, quantitative design was followed and data was assessed using IBM-SPSS (version 25). Multivariate regression analysis was performed after data fitness and collinearity checks were performed. Models were significant for AP and E with R2 values being 0.8990 and 0.7210 respectively at P &lt; 0.05. It was observed that a unit increase in the availability of functional academic facilities in educational institutions in Ghana has the potential to enhance the academic performance of students by about 69.00%, holding all other factors constant. Also, to a significant but lesser degree, the maintenance of existing facilities (FM), when improved by a unit has the potential to also enhance AP by about 41.00%. Further assessment indicated that a unit improvement in AFA in educational institutions had the potential to increase enrollment by about 70.00%, whereas the maintenance of such facilities would only enhance E by 21.00%, ceteris paribus. The PROCESS macro extension was used to test mediation and moderation functions of FM in this study. FM mediated significantly the relationship between AFA and AP (r2 = 0.7190) but could not mediate that between AFA and E (r2 = 0.0893). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to test the moderating effects of FM on the relationship between AFA and AP or E. FM was found to significantly moderated the relationships between AFA and AP/E (P &lt; 0.05). Keywords: Academic facilities; maintenance; mediation; moderation; academic performance; student enrollment. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-25-08 Publication date:September 30th 201

An automated plastic bottle collection system

Capstone Project submitted to the Department of Engineering, Ashesi University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, May 2020Improper disposal of refuse has in recent times caused harm to live and properties. In our cities and towns, it is common to find waste at inappropriate places such as gutters. This project focuses on the use of Internet of Things and smart systems to aid the waste management system, by providing an automated plastic bottle collection system. This project is focused on providing an efficient method of automating plastic bottle collection by placing value on all bottles. Value is placed on plastic bottles returned to motivate individuals to recycle; vouchers are generated per each bottle returned. The prototype of the automated plastic bottle collection monitors number of bottles, bin level and generate vouchers. Information on number of bottles and bin level are secured in a web application to determine when bins should be emptiedAshesi Universit

The Chemical Composition of Selected Indigenous Fruits of Botswana

In the rural areas of most African countries, many people may not have access to exotic fruits and may be eating mainly indigenous fruits. Very little information is documented on the composition of these fruits. This study was undertaken to provide this information. The edible portions of four indigenous fruits ( Adansonia digitata , Sclerocarya birrea , Strychnos spinosa and Vangueria infausta ) were analysed for proximate composition, minerals, and selected properties using Association of Official Analytical Chemists(AOAC) methods. The values (%) obtained were: dry matter 11.6 (S. birrea) - 86.0 (A. digitata), ash 3.9 (V. infausta)- 4.9 (S. birrea), crude protein 1.3 (A. digitata)- 3.7 (S. birrea), ADF 6.1 (S.spinosa) -39.5 (V. infausta), ADL 4.4 (S. spinosa)- 35.5 (V. infausta), NDF 6.2 (S. spinosa)- 39.4 V. infausta), pH 3.06 (A. digitata) - 3.98 ( S. birrea ), acidity 0.77 (S. spinosa) - 7.85 (A. digitata). The vitamin C content in mg/100g fresh sample were: 67.7 (V. infausta)- 141.3 (A. digitata). For the minerals the values (mg/100 g) were: Ca 56 (S. spinosa) - 128 (A. digitata), Mg 49 (S. spinosa) - 158 (S. birrea), P 50 (A. digitata)- 128 (V. infausta), K 1370 (S.spinosa) - 2183 (S. birrea), Na 13.0 (S. birrea)-21.7 (S. spinosa), Fe 0.07 (S. birrea) -0.11 (S. spinosa) and Zn 0.02 (V. infausta) - 0.22 (S. spinosa). The fruits appear to be good sources of vitamin C, and the minerals, K and Mg. They can contribute towards providing nutrient requirements particularly in the rural areas, therefore the consumption should be encouraged.@JASE

The Roles of Indigenous NGOs in Health Service Delivery in Ghana: Assessing the Mediating Effect of Administrative Authenticity on the Relationship Between Partnership Potential and Performance

This study sought to investigate the features of local NGOs in Ghana and how their current status and challenges influence their potential for partnerships and sustained operation. Cross-sectional survey design was followed and ten health sector NGOs were engaged to respond to questions bordering funding, infrastructure, legalization/registration, and partnerships. Quantitative assessment of data and descriptive statistics was performed. Results showed that 60.0 % of local NGOs lacked funding and 20 % were not legalized/registered. Crosstabulation of data revealed that the lack of funding was explained up to 80.0 % by NGOs’ inability to register and legalize their operations. These challenges negatively impacted their ability to secure funding from donors in the health sector and government and as well hindered their partnership potential to a large extent and should be addressed. Keywords: Local NGOs; partnership, health service delivery; sustainable development DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/9-22-03 Publication date: November 30th 201

Volume explored by a branching random walk on general graphs.

Branching processes are used to model diverse social and physical scenarios, from extinction of family names to nuclear fission. However, for a better description of natural phenomena, such as viral epidemics in cellular tissues, animal populations and social networks, a spatial embedding-the branching random walk (BRW)-is required. Despite its wide range of applications, the properties of the volume explored by the BRW so far remained elusive, with exact results limited to one dimension. Here we present analytical results, supported by numerical simulations, on the scaling of the volume explored by a BRW in the critical regime, the onset of epidemics, in general environments. Our results characterise the spreading dynamics on regular lattices and general graphs, such as fractals, random trees and scale-free networks, revealing the direct relation between the graphs' dimensionality and the rate of propagation of the viral process. Furthermore, we use the BRW to determine the spectral properties of real social and metabolic networks, where we observe that a lack of information of the network structure can lead to differences in the observed behaviour of the spreading process. Our results provide observables of broad interest for the characterisation of real world lattices, tissues, and networks

Trypsin Inhibitor Activity and Condensed Tannin Content in Bambara Groundnut ( Vigna Subterranea (L.) Verdc) Grown in Southern Africa

Legumes are an important source of protein in many developing countries. However this protein is not readily available because of antinutrients. Farmers are being encouraged to grow bambara groundnut to meet food sufficiency, hence information on the content of antinutrients is required. The objective of the study was to compare antinutrients trypsin inhibitor activity and condensed tannin content in nine landraces of bambara groundnut grown in three Southern African countries, Botswana, Swaziland and Namibia respectively. Trypsin inhibitor activity was determined in raw seeds using the method developed by Kakade et al. (1974). Six landraces from Namibia (AHM 968, NC2, NC1, DIP C and GAB C and AHM753), three from Swaziland (OM1, NC2 and UR/SR) and two from Botswana (DIPC and UR/SR) had high trypsin inhibitor activity. DIPC had the highest overall trypsin inhibitor activity (units/mg protein) of 60.4 while AHM 753 had low trypsin inhibitor activity of 49.1 (p&lt; 0.05). The trypsin inhibitor activity of each landrace differed from country to country with no simple pattern revealed but the landraces from Namibia had the highest activity and those grown in Botswana had the least. The trypsin inhibitor activity reported is higher than in soybean and pigeon pea. The condensed tannin content was determined using butanol-HCl method by Porter et al. (1986). It ranged from 0.02% in NC1 and OM1 grown in Swaziland and Namibia respectively to 0.49% in AHM 753 cultivated in Namibia. Thirteen out of the 27 samples analysed had tannin content below the allowed limit of 0.10%; three were cultivated in Botswana and five each from Namibia and Swaziland. Seeds that had the highest condensed tannin content were brown, tan and red while those with the lowest condensed tannin content were cream coloured are they are recommended to be used in weaning formula