INFORMATION NEEDS AND SEEKING BEHAVIOR OF FINAL YEAR STUDENTS OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OWERRI

This paper investigated the pattern of information needs and seeking behavior of final year students of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, for consecutive three academic sessions; 2013/2014, 2014/2015, 2015/2016. A questionnaire instrument was designed and administered to 5885 final year students in the six schools for the three consecutive academic sessions. The sample sizes of respondents were selected within and across the six (6) schools per academic session at the University using stratified sampling technique with proportional allocation. 5767 questionnaire representing 98% were returned in a usable form. The findings show that final year students need for course-related information was highest in each of the year studied. The use of Google search engine was the common strategy for seeking information while the purpose for information varied within the years –from examination, self development to selecting project topic (long essay). The study concluded that the information need and seeking behavior of students depends on the year and course (school) of study. Improvement on staff-student relationship and information search strategy was highly recommende

Ilegalne migracije i krijumčarenje ljudima u Srednjoj i Istočnoj Europi

The analytical and statistical services of border management organizations in Central and Eastern European countries have registered and accumulated a vast body of knowledge on the demographics and mechanisms of illegal migration over the last one-and-a-half decade. This paper attempts to tap this resource by summarising the results of a yearly survey among border guards of 17 countries. A set of quantitative indicators of illegal migration is developed, presented and interpreted, based on the answers of the border services to a series of quantitative and qualitative questions. This empirical material is used to evaluate the dynamics and pattern of illegal migration in Central and Eastern Europe on the one hand, and to examine the development of border management strategies on the other. The impacts of legal and institutional reforms are investigated in light of the temporal and spatial variations of border apprehension statistics. The interdependence of the two processes is reviewed from the point of view of national border management authorities, perhaps the most authoritative source of information on the issue. The results of the authors’ annual survey indicate that the progressive development of migration control mechanisms at national and international levels seems to have a significant impact on irregular migration flows as most indicators of illegal migration have significantly decreased after the turn of the century. At the same time, the geographical distribution of illegal migration flows in Central and Eastern European countries has become more complex over the years.Analitičke i statističke službe graničnih kontrola u zemljama Srednje i Istočne Europe zapisale su i skupile veliko znanje iz demografije i mehanizama ilegalne migracije tijekom posljednjih petnaest godina. U radu se pokušava iskoristiti taj izvor sumiranjem rezultata godišnjeg pregleda koji su obavili graničari sedamnaest zemalja. Razvijen je set kvantitativnih indikatora ilegalnih migracija koji se prikazuje i interpretira na temelju odgovora graničnih službi na niz kvantitativnih i kvalitativnih pitanja. Empirijski materijal je, s jedne strane, upotrijebljen za procjenu dinamike i uzoraka ilegalne migracije u Srednjoj i Istočnoj Europi, a s druge za ispitivanje razvoja strategija upravljanja granicom. Djelovanje pravnih i institucionalnih reforma ispituje se u svjetlu vremenskih i prostornih varijacija statistika uhićenja na granici. Međuzavisnost tih dvaju procesa promatra se s gledišta nacionalnih graničnih organa upravljanja koji su možda najmjerodavniji izvor informacija. Rezultati godišnjeg pregleda koji su sačinili autori pokazuju da, kako se čini, progresivni razvoj kontrolnih mehanizama migracije na nacionalnoj i međunarodnoj razini značajno utječe na neregularne migracijske tokove budući da je većina pokazatelja ilegalne migracije značajno smanjena na početku ovog stoljeća. Istodobno, geografska distribucija ilegalnih migracijskih tokova u Srednjoj i Istočnoj Europi postala je složenija tijekom godina

Phylogeny of Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet, 1858) based on the analysis of 16S and COI mitochondrial DNA markers

Filogenetski odnosi unutar populacija slatkovodnih rakova vrste Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet, 1858) još nisu u potpunosti razjašnjeni. Novija istraživanja ukazuju na postojanje vrste-kompleksa, odnosno postojanje dva ili više taksona u okviru sadašnje vrste A. pallipes koji bi se u budućnosti mogli zasebno izdvojiti na razinu vrste. Cilj ovog istraživanja je dokazati ovu hipotezu i odrediti filogenetski status jedinki uzorkovanih na teritoriju Hrvatske. U ovom diplomskom radu istražuju se filogenetski odnosi 76 jedinki vrste Austropotamobius pallipes uzorkovanih na 22 lokacije u Hrvatskoj, Bosni i Hercegovini i Austriji. Istraživanje je provedeno na temelju varijabilnosti u DNA sekvencama mitohondrijskih gena za 16S rRNA i COI. Genske sekvence ekstrahirane iz uzorkovanih jedinki uspoređene su sa homolognim sekvencama korištenim u ranijim istraživanjima na ovim životinjama širom Europe. Za analizu rezultata primijenjeni su statistički filogenetski programi koji se baziraju na stanjima karaktera i matrici genske udaljenosti. Dobiveni rezultati potvrdili su pretpostavku da se unutar kompleksa vrste A. pallipes nalaze dva taksona koji odgovaraju razini vrste te nekoliko taksona koji odgovaraju razini podvrste; omogućili su bolje razumijevanje filogenetskih odnosa između populacija rakova u Hrvatskoj i populacija u ostatku Europe te su omogućili određivanje vremena odvajanja pojedinih populacija na istraženom području jugoistočnog Balkanskog poluotoka.Phylogenetic relations within populations of Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet, 1858) are yet not fully understood. Recent research reveals a possible existence of speciescomplex, that is, a multiple taxa existence within a single species that is today known as Austropotamobius pallipes. The aim of this study is to verify that hypothesis and if necessary suggest a differentiation of the species-complex in to two separate species. The second intention is to put the Croatian crayfish in to the right phylogenetic context. Phylogenetic relations between 76 A. pallipes individuals, sampled from 22 localities in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Austria were studied in this graduation thesis. The analysis of A. pallipes populations is based on DNA sequence variations of mitochondrial genes for 16S rRNA and COI. The extracted gene sequences were compared with homologues sequences that were used in other studies of this species all over Europe. Phylogenetic studies were carried out using statistical phylogenetic analysis by means of different character state and distance matrix methods. The results of this research showed that the species-complex Austropotamobius pallipes consists of two distinct species and a few subspecies. Also they are a contribution to a better understanding of relations between Croatian and European populations and they specify the time of divergence within population in the Southeast Balkan Peninsula

Phylogeny of Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet, 1858) based on the analysis of 16S and COI mitochondrial DNA markers

Filogenetski odnosi unutar populacija slatkovodnih rakova vrste Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet, 1858) još nisu u potpunosti razjašnjeni. Novija istraživanja ukazuju na postojanje vrste-kompleksa, odnosno postojanje dva ili više taksona u okviru sadašnje vrste A. pallipes koji bi se u budućnosti mogli zasebno izdvojiti na razinu vrste. Cilj ovog istraživanja je dokazati ovu hipotezu i odrediti filogenetski status jedinki uzorkovanih na teritoriju Hrvatske. U ovom diplomskom radu istražuju se filogenetski odnosi 76 jedinki vrste Austropotamobius pallipes uzorkovanih na 22 lokacije u Hrvatskoj, Bosni i Hercegovini i Austriji. Istraživanje je provedeno na temelju varijabilnosti u DNA sekvencama mitohondrijskih gena za 16S rRNA i COI. Genske sekvence ekstrahirane iz uzorkovanih jedinki uspoređene su sa homolognim sekvencama korištenim u ranijim istraživanjima na ovim životinjama širom Europe. Za analizu rezultata primijenjeni su statistički filogenetski programi koji se baziraju na stanjima karaktera i matrici genske udaljenosti. Dobiveni rezultati potvrdili su pretpostavku da se unutar kompleksa vrste A. pallipes nalaze dva taksona koji odgovaraju razini vrste te nekoliko taksona koji odgovaraju razini podvrste; omogućili su bolje razumijevanje filogenetskih odnosa između populacija rakova u Hrvatskoj i populacija u ostatku Europe te su omogućili određivanje vremena odvajanja pojedinih populacija na istraženom području jugoistočnog Balkanskog poluotoka.Phylogenetic relations within populations of Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet, 1858) are yet not fully understood. Recent research reveals a possible existence of speciescomplex, that is, a multiple taxa existence within a single species that is today known as Austropotamobius pallipes. The aim of this study is to verify that hypothesis and if necessary suggest a differentiation of the species-complex in to two separate species. The second intention is to put the Croatian crayfish in to the right phylogenetic context. Phylogenetic relations between 76 A. pallipes individuals, sampled from 22 localities in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Austria were studied in this graduation thesis. The analysis of A. pallipes populations is based on DNA sequence variations of mitochondrial genes for 16S rRNA and COI. The extracted gene sequences were compared with homologues sequences that were used in other studies of this species all over Europe. Phylogenetic studies were carried out using statistical phylogenetic analysis by means of different character state and distance matrix methods. The results of this research showed that the species-complex Austropotamobius pallipes consists of two distinct species and a few subspecies. Also they are a contribution to a better understanding of relations between Croatian and European populations and they specify the time of divergence within population in the Southeast Balkan Peninsula

Microbiota plays a role in oral immune priming in Tribolium castaneum

Animals are inhabited by a diverse community of microorganisms. The relevance of such microbiota is increasingly being recognized across a broad spectrum of species, ranging from sponges to primates, revealing various beneficial roles that microbes can play. The red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum represents a well-established experimental model organism for studying questions in ecology and evolution, however, the relevance of its microbial community is still largely unknown. T. castaneum larvae orally exposed to bacterial components of the entomopathogen Bacillus thuringiensis bv. tenebrionis showed increased survival upon a subsequent challenge with spores of this bacterium. To investigate whether T. castaneum microbiota plays a role in this phenomenon, we established a protocol for raising microbe-free larvae and subsequently tested whether they differ in their ability to mount such a priming response. Here we demonstrate that larvae with significantly lowered microbial loads, show decreased survival upon secondary challenge with B. thuringiensis bv. tenebrionis spores, compared to animals that were allowed to regain their microbiota before priming. Although the exact mechanism of oral immune priming is unclear, we here suggest that microbiota plays a crucial role in oral immune priming in this species

Kontrola akustičnom metodom raspadanja stijena pri rotacionom bušenju

The contribution describes the technical and algorithmic solution of the optimization of rotary drilling. The global optimization criteria express the minimum specific energy on drilling and the maximum speed of drilling. The article presents the first results of research on the utilization of acoustic methods in indirect measurement of criterion function by optimizing these processes.Rad opisuje tehničko i algoritmičko rješenje optimalizacije rotacionog bušenja. Globalna optimalizacija kriterija izražava minimalnu specifičnu energiju bušenja i maksimalnu brzinu bušenja. Članak predstavlja prve rezultate istraživanja primjene akustičkih metoda u neizravnom mjerenju funkcije kriterija optimaliziranjem tih procesa

Phylogeny of Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet, 1858) based on the analysis of 16S and COI mitochondrial DNA markers

Filogenetski odnosi unutar populacija slatkovodnih rakova vrste Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet, 1858) još nisu u potpunosti razjašnjeni. Novija istraživanja ukazuju na postojanje vrste-kompleksa, odnosno postojanje dva ili više taksona u okviru sadašnje vrste A. pallipes koji bi se u budućnosti mogli zasebno izdvojiti na razinu vrste. Cilj ovog istraživanja je dokazati ovu hipotezu i odrediti filogenetski status jedinki uzorkovanih na teritoriju Hrvatske. U ovom diplomskom radu istražuju se filogenetski odnosi 76 jedinki vrste Austropotamobius pallipes uzorkovanih na 22 lokacije u Hrvatskoj, Bosni i Hercegovini i Austriji. Istraživanje je provedeno na temelju varijabilnosti u DNA sekvencama mitohondrijskih gena za 16S rRNA i COI. Genske sekvence ekstrahirane iz uzorkovanih jedinki uspoređene su sa homolognim sekvencama korištenim u ranijim istraživanjima na ovim životinjama širom Europe. Za analizu rezultata primijenjeni su statistički filogenetski programi koji se baziraju na stanjima karaktera i matrici genske udaljenosti. Dobiveni rezultati potvrdili su pretpostavku da se unutar kompleksa vrste A. pallipes nalaze dva taksona koji odgovaraju razini vrste te nekoliko taksona koji odgovaraju razini podvrste; omogućili su bolje razumijevanje filogenetskih odnosa između populacija rakova u Hrvatskoj i populacija u ostatku Europe te su omogućili određivanje vremena odvajanja pojedinih populacija na istraženom području jugoistočnog Balkanskog poluotoka.Phylogenetic relations within populations of Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet, 1858) are yet not fully understood. Recent research reveals a possible existence of speciescomplex, that is, a multiple taxa existence within a single species that is today known as Austropotamobius pallipes. The aim of this study is to verify that hypothesis and if necessary suggest a differentiation of the species-complex in to two separate species. The second intention is to put the Croatian crayfish in to the right phylogenetic context. Phylogenetic relations between 76 A. pallipes individuals, sampled from 22 localities in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Austria were studied in this graduation thesis. The analysis of A. pallipes populations is based on DNA sequence variations of mitochondrial genes for 16S rRNA and COI. The extracted gene sequences were compared with homologues sequences that were used in other studies of this species all over Europe. Phylogenetic studies were carried out using statistical phylogenetic analysis by means of different character state and distance matrix methods. The results of this research showed that the species-complex Austropotamobius pallipes consists of two distinct species and a few subspecies. Also they are a contribution to a better understanding of relations between Croatian and European populations and they specify the time of divergence within population in the Southeast Balkan Peninsula