Critical Analysis of Decision Making Experience with a Machine Learning Approach in Playing Ayo Game

The major goal in defining and examining game scenarios is to find good strategies as solutions to the game. A plausible solution is a recommendation to the players on how to play the game, which is represented as strategies guided by the various choices available to the players. These choices invariably compel the players (decision makers) to execute an action following some conscious tactics. In this paper, we proposed a refinement-based heuristic as a machine learning technique for human-like decision making in playing Ayo game. The result showed that our machine learning technique is more adaptable and more responsive in making decision than human intelligence. The technique has the advantage that a search is astutely conducted in a shallow horizon game tree. Our simulation was tested against Awale shareware and an appealing result was obtained

Reaeration Coefficient Modeling: A Case Study of River Atuwara in Nigeria

A study of the self purification capacity of River Atuwara was done with the aim of developing a reaeration coefficient model, k2, for the river. The k2 model was evaluated and validated by comparing its performance with the Streeter-Phelps and Agunwamba models. Atuwara model was developed using non-linear regression while its performance was checked by the use of statistical and graphical parameters. The model gave the best dissolved oxygen predictive capacity in comparison with other models when used with the modified Streeter-Phelps equation in spite of the limitations imposed on it by the sinusoidal shape of the dissolved oxygen recovery curve caused by frequent interruptions in the recovery processes of the river system. It is also of note that due to its importance to human and aquatic life sustenance, the natural recovery processes of River Atuwara from frequent pollution loads could only be enhanced through an effective monitoring and regulation of effluent discharges into it by the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency

WATER RESOURCES USE, ABUSE AND REGULATIONS IN NIGERIA

The evolvement processes of water laws in Nigeria, as well as their efficiency in the sustenance of surface water resources, were studied. A cursory look was also taken into the mode of access to water resources by households in Nigeria. This was done vis-à-vis the governmental effort at providing potable water for its teeming population as well as the Land Use Act of 1978, which vests absolute control and ownership of all water resources, ground and surface, in the land owner. About 47 million Nigerians still rely, exclusively, on surface water sources to meet their domestic needs. Yet, pollution discharge into the surface water by individuals and industries go on unmitigated, unregulated, and unpunished due to weaknesses in the existing laws. The involvement of the scientific community in the regular calibration and monitoring of surface water quality as a tool for managing the surface and groundwater resources, among other things, would be an advantageous tool for curbing the pollution menace

Study of Auto Purification Capacity of River Atuwara in Nigeria

The aim of this paper was to study and predict the self-purification capacity of River Atuwara. This was done primarily by measuring the Dissolved Oxygen (DO) downstream of a pre-selected pollution discharge point on River Atuwara and then predicting the same using the modified Streeter-Phelps equations. Other data gathered from each of the 17 sampling stations on River Atuwara and used in the analysis included Biochemical Oxygen Demand, (BOD), pH, stream velocity, stream depth and distance. Predicted DO deficit trend lines were first fitted by retaining the original re-aeration coefficient component, k2, of the modified Streeter-Phelps equation (USGS equation) and subsequently by substituting it with Atuwara reaeration coefficient model. It was found that the latter displayed better predictive capacity. Results also demonstrated that the auto-purification capacity of the river which is already limited by the relatively low DO saturation level is further threatened by the wastes being discharged into it at varying intervals. Some of the wastes which are non-biodegradable and acidic were also found to be interrupting the auto-purification processes of the river. Water from River Atuwara requires treatment before it can be considered safe for consumption by its current users

Occurrence of cucumber mosaic virus within tomato seed lots

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important crop whose fruit is widely consumed globally. However, its yield is affected by cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and can cause total crop failure. The virus is mainly transmitted by aphid vectors, but data on its spread via seeds are limited. Thus, the occurrence of CMV within tomato seed lots obtained from different sources was investigated. Seven tomato accessions and varieties were collected from five sources and evaluated for seed transmission of CMV. One hundred seeds each were sown in a plastic tray, and germination rates were recorded. The incidence and severity of virus symptoms were observed at 3, 6, and 9 weeks after sowing (WAS), while leaves were tested for CMV using antigen-coated plate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ACP-ELISA). The germination percentage ranged from 60% in accession 'V4' to 92% in 'UC-82B'. Infection rates were 100%, 71.74%, 70.31%, 45.90%, and 8.33% in 'Roma-VF', 'UC-82B', 'NG/AA/SQ/09/053', 'V2', and 'V4', respectively. 'Kerewa' and 'Alausa-Long' exhibited zero infection rates and tested negative for CMV using ACP-ELISA. Eighty percent of test plants became symptomatic at 6 and 9 WAS, although accession 'NG/AA/SQ/09/053' tested positive for CMV despite showing no symptoms. Tomato seeds from commercial stores, research institutes, and farmers' fields tested positive for CMV, while seeds from the market were negative at 9 WAS. The results from this study confirm the transmissibility of CMV through seeds in tomatoes, although the rate of seed transmission is cultivar dependent

Prevalence of Parasites Infection of Resident Fish Species in a Tropical Reservoir

This study detected, identified and determined the incidence of parasites present in and on Clarias gariepinus, Sarotherodon galilaeus, Oreochromis niloticus and Tilapia zillii in Ero reservoir, a tropical reservoir situated in Ikun-Ekiti, Nigeria. Fish species were randomly obtained from fishermen at the reservoir during the rainy season. Out of 55 fish samples examined, 17 (30.9%) fishes were invaded. 11(20.0%) were infected by Protozoans (Ciliates and Flagellates) and 6(10.9%) were infected by Metazoans (Myxosporean and Nematode). Parasitological examination of the 55 fish samples showed 41.2% incidence for C. gariepinus, 17.6% for S. galilaeus, 29.4% for O. niloticus, and 11.8% for T. zillii. A total of 59 parasites were recovered comprising 36 protozoans and 23 metazoans. Parasite infections were found on the skin, fins, gills, intestine, liver and kidney. Total number and percentage of parasites recovered were tabulated in relation to their host prevalence and location of specificity

Egungun Be Careful Na Express You Dey Go A Technical Treatise On The Mitigation Of Malware for Semi-Technical Users

We present a semi-technical approach to mitigating the malware menace. Our approach is twopronged vis-à-vis detection and prevention. We present existing state-of-the-art detection techniques as well as some readily available malware analysis tools for semi-technical users. We concluded by providing suggestions on malware prevention best practices

Reviewing the decision-making behaviour of Irrigators

The contribution of agriculture to society is undeniable, as is its impact on the environment. Irrigators' decisions to follow best management practices or implement a policy change, to accept a technology, or even to exit farming, all affect society. Hence the decision‐making behavior of irrigators is of interest to politicians, policymakers, and researchers due to their impact on resource use and social concerns for their welfare. There are numerous studies available regarding the decision‐making behavior of irrigators. Most of them concentrate on decisions within a single time frame, single decisions with multiple driving forces, or multiple decisions with a single driving force. We have conducted a comprehensive review of the existing literature related to irrigators' decision‐making behavior. We used a systematic method to identify relevant publications and used qualitative data analysis (content analysis) to analyze trends and/or patterns across the selected articles. This research provided a typology and an overarching high‐level framework of irrigators' decision‐making process irrespective of the types of decisions made. The results of the study demonstrate that it is highly beneficial to integrate both qualitative and quantitative methods in a single study to get a complete picture of irrigators' decision‐making process. This allows us to ensure that we have captured the relevant drivers of decision‐making in highly dynamic and complex environments. Better knowledge of irrigators' decision‐making process allows regulators to shape improved agricultural policy and increase acceptance by irrigators of technologies that allow water managers to allocate resources fairly among different stakeholders.Lubna Meempatta, A. James Webb, Avril C. Horne, Louise Anne Keogh, Adam Loch, Michael J. Stewardso

Facial expressions depicting compassionate and critical emotions: the development and validation of a new emotional face stimulus set

Attachment with altruistic others requires the ability to appropriately process affiliative and kind facial cues. Yet there is no stimulus set available to investigate such processes. Here, we developed a stimulus set depicting compassionate and critical facial expressions, and validated its effectiveness using well-established visual-probe methodology. In Study 1, 62 participants rated photographs of actors displaying compassionate/kind and critical faces on strength of emotion type. This produced a new stimulus set based on N = 31 actors, whose facial expressions were reliably distinguished as compassionate, critical and neutral. In Study 2, 70 participants completed a visual-probe task measuring attentional orientation to critical and compassionate/kind faces. This revealed that participants lower in self-criticism demonstrated enhanced attention to compassionate/kind faces whereas those higher in self-criticism showed no bias. To sum, the new stimulus set produced interpretable findings using visual-probe methodology and is the first to include higher order, complex positive affect displays