Symbolic local information transfer

Recently, the permutation-information theoretic approach has been used in a broad range of research fields. In particular, in the study of high-dimensional dynamical systems, it has been shown that this approach can be effective in characterizing global properties, including the complexity of their spatiotemporal dynamics. Here, we show that this approach can also be applied to reveal local spatiotemporal profiles of distributed computations existing at each spatiotemporal point in the system. J. T. Lizier et al. have recently introduced the concept of local information dynamics, which consists of information storage, transfer, and modification. This concept has been intensively studied with regard to cellular automata, and has provided quantitative evidence of several characteristic behaviors observed in the system. In this paper, by focusing on the local information transfer, we demonstrate that the application of the permutation-information theoretic approach, which introduces natural symbolization methods, makes the concept easily extendible to systems that have continuous states. We propose measures called symbolic local transfer entropies, and apply these measures to two test models, the coupled map lattice (CML) system and the Bak-Sneppen model (BS-model), to show their relevance to spatiotemporal systems that have continuous states. In the CML, we demonstrate that it can be successfully used as a spatiotemporal filter to stress a coherent structure buried in the system. In particular, we show that the approach can clearly stress out defect turbulences or Brownian motion of defects from the background, which gives quantitative evidence suggesting that these moving patterns are the information transfer substrate in the spatiotemporal system. We then show that these measures reveal qualitatively different properties from the conventional approach using the sliding window method, and are also robust against external noise. In the BS-model, we demonstrate that these measures can provide novel insight to the model, featuring how symbolic local information transfer is related to the dynamical properties of the elements involved in a spatiotemporal dynamic

Use of Antenatal Services among Women in Farming Communities in Kogi State

This study examined the use of antenatal services among women in farming communities in Kogi State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to collect primary data from 150 randomly selected farmers through the use of structured questionnaire. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics and logit regression model. Analysis of socio-economic variable revealed that majority (73.4%) of the respondents were below the age 40 years, with a mean household size of 6 members. About 94.7% of the respondents used antenatal care services covering an average distance of 4km in getting to nearest health facility. The study also revealed that majority (92.7%) of the respondents were aware of healthcare facilities availability and they mostly got their information from family members and friends. The use of antenatal care services among women was high and majority (95.3%) of the respondents had the knowledge of where antenatal centre is located. Also majority of the respondents visited those centres in their last pregnancy with frequency of visit between 1- 4 times. Previous visits, nearness to ANC centres and formal education positively influence the use of ANC services among women in the study area. High cost of antenatal services and poor level of information were found to be the most significant challenges facing women access to antenatal care services.  We recommend that government should subsidize health care services for women in order to improve their affordability

Assessment of Nutritional Status and Knowledge of Students from Selected Secondary Schools in Sokoto Metropolis, Sokoto State, Nigeria

The significance of improving nutrition knowledge in order to have a positive influence on food choices and health should not be underestimated. This study assessed the nutritional status and knowledge of school children attending selected secondary schools in Sokoto metropolis. The study population was purposively drawn from secondary school students in Nigeria attending Federal Government College and State Government-owned schools. Four secondary schools were used for the study: Federal Government College (FGC), Sani Dingyadi Secondary School (SDUSS), Nagarta Secondary School (NSS) and Army Day Secondary School (ADSS). A sample of 240 school students, aged 10 to 25 years participated in the study. The measuring instruments included a questionnaire to determine the nutrition knowledge of the students. Anthropometric measurements included weight, height and mid-upper arm circumference, measured using standard methodologies. The mean age recorded for male and female students were 18.0±1.90 and 15.7±1.20 years, respectively. The result showed that 27.9% were underweight, 7.5% overweight and 64.6% had normal BMI status. Nutritional status was significantly related with sex (χ2 = 16.169, p<0.05) but not with age (χ2 = 1.368, p>0.05). The prevalence of underweight was higher among the males (33.9%) compared to the females (13.9%), while more females were overweight (15.3%) compared to the males (4.2%). Seventy one percent performed poorly in the nutrition knowledge assessment rating. The overall performance of the female students was significantly higher (χ2 = 46.386; P<0.05) than their male counterparts. Furthermore, 5, 12 and 12% had excellent, very good and good nutrition knowledge, respectively, while 33% and 38% had fair and poor nutrition knowledge, respectively. The results further revealed that the students were deficient in knowledge and understanding of the facts about energy and nutritive values of foods. Therefore, adequate nutrition education is needed at the secondary school level; this will enable the students to make good food choices and positively influence their eating habits thereby ensuring better nutritional status.Keywords: malnutrition, knowledge, school, anthropometry, Sokot

Training of Public Extension Agents in Nigeria and the Implications for Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda

The paper reviewed and analyzed the findings from five years of ADPs and Agricultural field situation survey conducted by NAERLS and NFRA. The study examined the pattern and scope of training needs in the public sector extension in Nigeria, EA: FF ratio, problems and prospects of conducting training and the implications of all these for the current government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA)

Training of Public Extension Agents in Nigeria and the Implications for Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda

The paper reviewed and analyzed the findings from five years of ADPs and Agricultural field situation survey conducted by NAERLS and NFRA. The study examined the pattern and scope of training needs in the public sector extension in Nigeria, EA: FF ratio, problems and prospects of conducting training and the implications of all these for the current government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA)

Sensitivity of T2KK to the non-standard interaction in propagation

Assuming only the non-zero electron and tau neutrino components $\epsilon_{ee}$, $\epsilon_{e\tau}$, $\epsilon_{\tau\tau}$ of the non-standard matter effect and postulating the atmospheric neutrino constraint $\epsilon_{\tau\tau}=|\epsilon_{e\tau}|^2/(1+\epsilon_{ee})$, we study the sensitivity to the non-standard interaction in neutrino propagation of the T2KK neutrino long-baseline experiment. It is shown that T2KK can constrain the parameters $|\epsilon_{ee}|\lesssim 1$, $|\epsilon_{e\tau}|\lesssim 0.2$. It is also shown that if $|\epsilon_{e\tau}|$ and $\theta_{13}$ are large, then T2KK can determine the Dirac phase and the phase of $\epsilon_{e\tau}$ separately, due to the information at the two baselines. We also provide an argument that the components $|\epsilon_{\alpha\mu}|$ $(\alpha=e,\mu,\tau)$ must be small for the disappearance oscillation probability to be consistent with high-energy atmospheric neutrino data, which justifies our premise that these quantities are negligible.Comment: 29 pages, 25 figures, uses revtex4-1. Several places including typos revised. New references adde

Physical properties of the Schur complement of local covariance matrices

General properties of global covariance matrices representing bipartite Gaussian states can be decomposed into properties of local covariance matrices and their Schur complements. We demonstrate that given a bipartite Gaussian state $\rho_{12}$ described by a $4\times 4$ covariance matrix \textbf{V}, the Schur complement of a local covariance submatrix $\textbf{V}_1$ of it can be interpreted as a new covariance matrix representing a Gaussian operator of party 1 conditioned to local parity measurements on party 2. The connection with a partial parity measurement over a bipartite quantum state and the determination of the reduced Wigner function is given and an operational process of parity measurement is developed. Generalization of this procedure to a $n$-partite Gaussian state is given and it is demonstrated that the $n-1$ system state conditioned to a partial parity projection is given by a covariance matrix such as its $2 \times 2$ block elements are Schur complements of special local matrices.Comment: 10 pages. Replaced with final published versio

The effects of residue management practices on phosphorus and potassium uptake in pineapple

Pineapple residue in Malaysia is usually burnt. The need for sustainable agricultural development coupled with the 1997 haze problem in Southeast Asia has led to the calls for "zero burning". A study was initiated at Simpang Renggam Pineapple Estate, Johore to quantify P and K uptake in pineapple parts and to also compare the efficiency of P and K uptake for burn and no-burn practices. At maturity (sixteen months after planting), three plants were sampled from each treatment and partitioned into roots, stem, leaves, fruit, peduncle and crown, and their dry weight, P and K concerntrations determined. Irrespective of treatment difference, P uptake was highest in the fruit, followed by the leaves, stem, crown and roots. The order of K was fruit, stem, peduncle, crown and roots. Between 66 and 58% of the total P and K taken up is recycled and the rest (42 and 34%) is lost through harvest. In situ burning of pineapple leaves before planting does not improve P and K uptake and yield. Major difference in P efficiency for butn (51.60%) and no-burn (53.21%) under fertilized was not observed

PENGARUH PEMBERIAN MADU TERHADAP GAMBARAN HITUNG LEUKOSIT PADA MENCIT YANG TERINFEKSI SALMONELLA TYPHI

Demam tifoid merupakan infeksi sistemik yang disebabkan oleh Salmonella typhi dan madu memiliki aktivitas antibakteri. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui apakah terdapat perubahan jumlah hitung leukosit pada hewan coba yang terinfeksi Salmonella typhi setelah pemberian madu. Penelitian ini menggunakan 24 ekor mencit betina (Mus musculus) berumur 2-3 bulan dengan berat badan 20 – 30 gram yang diinjeksikan bakteri Salmonella typhi dengan pengenceran 103 CFU. Kemudian dibagi menjadi 4 kelompok yaitu mencit yang diberikan aquades 0,5 ml/20gBB/hari, dan madu dengan dosis 0,04 ml/20gBB/hari, 0,06 ml/20gBB/hari, dan dosis 0,08 ml/20gBB/hari. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa setelah pemberian madu, terjadi penurunan jumlah hitung leukosit mencit pada mencit yang terinfeksi Salmonella typhi dimana penurunan jumlah hitung leukosit terbanyak pada kelompok 4 yakni 7.21x103/ μL, diikuti kelompok 3 dengan 8.81x103/ μL, lalu kelompok 2 dengan 9.18.x103/ μL, dan kelompok 1 dengan 9.33x103/ μL. Pada uji t paired diperoleh nilai t > 2.068 (t= 9,958), lalu uji ANOVA didapatkan nilai p >0,05 (p=0.179) dan dilanjutkan dengan uji pengelompokkan yaitu uji LSD. Hasil yang didapatkan adalah kelompok 1, 2, 3, dan 4 secara umum terjadi penurunan jumlah hitung leukosit pada mencit yang terinfeksi Salmonella typhi tapi tidak signifikan antar kelompok. Kesimpulan penelitian ini ialah pemberian madu dapat menurunkan jumlah hitung leukosit pada mencit yang terinfeksi Salmonella typhi

On-site underground background measurements for the KASKA reactor-neutrino experiment

On-site underground background measurements were performed for the planned reactor-neutrino oscillation experiment KASKA at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station in Niigata, Japan. A small-diameter boring hole was excavated down to 70m underground level, and a detector unit for $\gamma$-ray and cosmic-muon measurements was placed at various depths to take data. The data were analyzed to obtain abundance of natural radioactive elements in the surrounding soil and rates of cosmic muons that penetrate the overburden. The results will be reflected in the design of the KASKA experiment.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, final version for publication. Table 1 and Fig.5 have change