Subsurface Characterization Using Textural Features Extracted From GPR Data

Subsurface conditions can be non-intrusively mapped by observing and grouping patterns of similarity within ground-penetrating radar (GPR) profiles. We have observed that the intricate and often visually indiscernible textural variability found within a complex GPR image possesses important parameters that help delineate regions of similar subsurface characteristics. In this study, we therefore examined the feasibility of using textural features extracted from GPR data to automate subsurface characterization. The textural features were matched to a “fingerprint” database of previous subsurface classifications of GPR textural features and the corresponding physical probings of subsurface conditions. Four textural features (energy, contrast, entropy, and homogeneity) were selected as inputs into a neural-network classifier. This classifier was tested and verified using GPR data obtained from two distinctly different field sites. The first data set contained features that indicate the presence or lack of sandstone bedrock in the upper 2 m of a shallow soil profile of fine sandy loam and loam. The second data set contained columnar patterns that correspond to the presence or the lack of vertical preferential flow paths within a deep loessial soil. The classifier automatically grouped each data set into one of the two categories. Comparing the results of classification using extracted textural features to the results obtained by visual interpretation found 93.6% of the sections that lack sandstone bedrock correctly classified in the first set of data, and 90% of the sections that contain pronounced columnar patterns correctly classified in the second set of data. The classified profile sections were mapped using integrated GPR and GPS data to show ground surface boundaries of different subsurface conditions. These results indicate that textural features extracted from GPR data can be utilized as inputs in a neural network classifier to rapidly characterize and map the subsurface into categories associated with known conditions with acceptable levels of accuracy. This approach of GPR imagery classification is to be considered as an alternative method to traditional human interpretation only in the classification of voluminous data sets, wherein the extensive time requirement would make the traditional human interpretation impractical

Participatory Evaluation of Integrated Pest and Soil Fertility Management Options Using Ordered Categorical Data Analysis

During participatory rural appraisals, farmers at the Lake Victoria basin of Kenya and Uganda identified Striga, stemborer and declining soil fertility as three major constraints to maize production To reduce food insecurity, several innovative integrated technologies to address these constraints have been developed, including push-pull (maize intercropped with Desmodium and surrounded by napier grass), maize-soybean and maize-crotalaria rotations, and Imazapyrresistant (IR) maize seed coated with the herbicide. To let farmers evaluate the new technologies, 12 demonstration trials, comparing the different technologies, were established in four villages in Siaya and Vihiga districts (Western Kenya) and two villages in Busia (Uganda). These evaluations, where farmers' appreciation and feedback on the technology are captured, are an important step in technology development. During field days at the end of short rainy seasons of 2003 and 2004, 504 farmers individually observed and rated each treatment under the different cropping systems, with and without IR maize, and with and without fertilizer, with a maize continuous monocrop as control. Farmers scored each of the 16 treatments on an ordered scale of five categories: very poor, poor, average, good, and very good. The treatments were scored for each of the criteria farmers has previously determined (including yield, resistance to Striga and stemborer, and improvement of soil fertility). Analysis of the evaluation, using ordinal regression, show significant differences in farmers' preference by year and site. There was, however, little effect of farm and farmer characteristics such as farm size and gender of the observer. Ordinal regression of farmers' scores are not as intuitive and also bit cumbersome to use, but they have a better theoretical foundation than other methods, in particular the use of means. This paper shows how the method can be used, and concludes that, with some effort, it is a convenient way to analyse farmers' ranking of a large number of options.farmers' preference, technologies, ordinal regression, Crop Production/Industries,

Financial Stability in Kenya. Does Inclusive Finance Matter?

Kenya has made significant stride in financial inclusion compared to other Sub-Saharan economies. Using time series data for the period 2004 to 2017 and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), this study seeks to investigate whether there are trade-offs or synergies between inclusive finance and financial stability. Previous evidence suggests both positive and negative effects, but evidence on emerging economies such as Kenya is clearly lacking. This can partly be attributed to scarcity of data on inclusive finance. Estimation results reveal that access and usage of financial services may foster financial stability in Kenya. Therefore, policies that enhance access and usage of financial services may boost financial stability. Keywords: Financial Inclusion, Structural Equation Model, Financial Stability JEL classification: G21, G28, O16. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/10-6-07 Publication date:March 31st 201

Estimation Of Reference Crop Evapotranspiration Using Fuzzy State Models

Daily evapotranspiration (ET) rates are needed for irrigation scheduling. Owing to the difficulty of obtaining accurate field measurements, ET rates are commonly estimated from weather parameters. A few empirical or semi–empirical methods have been developed for assessing daily reference crop ET, which is converted to actual crop ET using crop coefficients. The FAO Penman–Monteith method, which is now accepted as the standard method for the computation of daily reference ET, is sophisticated. It requires several input parameters, some of which have no actual measurements but are estimated from measured weather parameters. In this study, we examined the suitability of fuzzy logic for estimating daily reference ET with simpler and fewer parameters. Two fuzzy evapotranspiration models, using two or three input parameters, were developed and applied to estimate grass ET. Independent weather parameters from sites representing arid and humid climates were used to test the models. The fuzzy estimated ET values were compared with direct ET measurements from grass–covered weighing lysimeters, and with ET estimations obtained using the FAO Penman–Monteith and the Hargreaves–Samani equations. The estimated ET values from a fuzzy model using three input parameters (Syx = 0.54 mm, r2 = 0.90) were found to be comparable to ET values estimated with the FAO Penman–Monteith equation (Syx = 0.50 mm, r2 = 0.91) and were more accurate than those obtained by the Hargreaves–Samani equation (Syx = 0.66 mm, r2 = 0.53). These results show that fuzzy evapotranspiration models with simpler and fewer input parameters can yield accurate estimation of ET

Il Chamus verses the State: Vulnerability, Litigation and Resilience Building in the Baringo Lowlands of Kenya

Within the context of social resilience in social ecological systems (SES), this thesis looks at the role of litigation in addressing the vulnerability context and thereby enhancing the social resilience of the Il Chamus community who reside in the politically bounded social ecological system of the Baringo lowlands of Kenya. The Il Chamus, a Maa-speaking community settled at the banks of Lake Baringo, have over the years managed to sustain a livelihood based on irrigation, agro-pastoralism and fishing . They have shown remarkable resilience and ability to survive detrimental environmental dynamics and profound changes in their social and political conditions. The theoretical basis of this thesis is social resilience analysis within the framework of social ecological systems. It therefore looks into the processes of environmental change within the Il Chamus SES, identifying its environmental resources, vulnerability context and sources of its social resilience. The thesis includes a study of Il Chamus history and social organization and an ecological and social profile of Lake Baringo. It identifies the main factors driving the vulnerability context of the Il Chamus SES as the invasive plant Prosopis juliflora, ethnically instigated violence and political as well as economic marginalization by the state. As a study in political ecology, this thesis also looks at the political power dynamics inherent in the environmental governance of the Il Chamus SES. In this connection, litigation is presented as negotiating the unequal power relations between the state and the Il Chamus as well as among the Il Chamus and therefore mitigating the unfavourable outcomes of environmental governance. This study therefore locates the resilience building capacity of litigation in the process of environmental governance. A legal analysis of cases brought by the Il Chamus against the government is used to illustrate the role of litigation in resilience building. The thesis analyses the political and legal strategies of the Il Chamus and describes how they transform political interests into legally claimable rights that appropriate international legal concepts linked to indigenous identity. Finally, the thesis presents arguments showing that the use by the Il Chamus of litigation grounded on ethnic identity and social institutions has been instrumental in enhancing their social resilience

Evaluation Of Methods For Estimating Daily Reference Crop Evapotranspiration At A Site In The Humid Southeast United States

Estimated daily reference crop evapotranspiration (ETo) is normally used to determine the water requirement of crops using the crop factor method. Many ETo estimation methods have been developed for different types of climatic data, and the accuracy of these methods varies with climatic conditions. In this study, pair−wise comparisons were made between daily ETo estimated from eight different ETo equations and ETo measured by lysimeter to provide information helpful in selecting an appropriate ETo equation for the Cumberland Plateau located in the humid Southeast United States. Based on the standard error of the estimate (Syx), the relationship between the estimated and measured ETo was the best using the FAO−56 Penman−Monteith equation (coefficient of determination (r2) = 0.91, Syx = 0.31 mm d−1, and a coefficient of efficiency (E) = 0.87), followed by the Penman (1948) equation (r2 = 0.91, Syx = 0.34 mm d−1, and E = 0.88), and Turc’s equation (r2 = 0.90, Syx = 0.36 mm d−1, and E = 0.88). The FAO−24 Penman and Priestly−Taylor methods overestimated ETo, while the Makkink equation underestimated ETo. The results for the Hargreaves−Samani equation showed low correlation with lysimeter ETo data (r2 = 0.51, Syx = 0.68 mm d−1, and E = 0.20), while those for the Kimberly Penman were reasonable (r2 = 0.87, Syx = 0.40 mm d−1, and E = 0.87). These results support the adoption of the FAO−56 Penman−Monteith equation for the climatological conditions occurring in the humid Southeast. However, Turc’s equation may be an attractive alternative to the more complex Penman−Monteith method. The Turc method requires fewer input parameters, i.e., mean air temperature and solar irradiance data only

Autopsy Findings on a Pair of Dicephalic Parapagus Twins: A Case Report

Conjoined twins are a rare occurrence that presents significant challenges to both parents and medical care givers with many theories being advanced to explain this occurrence.“Parapagus” is a fairly recent term, in which the twins lie side by side with ventro-lateral fusion and are extremely rare representing 0.5% of all reported cases. We present a case report on post mortem findings on a set of parapagus twins delivered through caesarian section at Narok district hospital. We illustrate the various anomalies of the thoracic, abdominal cavity and central nervous system and discuss the embryologic etiologic theories.Key Words: Conjoined, Dicephalic, Malformations, Autops

Investigation Of A Fuzzy-Neural Network Application In Classification Of Soils Using Ground-Penetrating Radar Imagery

Errors associated with visual inspection and interpretations of radargrams often inhibit the intensive surveying of widespread areas using ground-penetrating radar (GPR). To automate the interpretive process, this article presents an application of a fuzzy-neural network (F-NN) classifier for unsupervised clustering and classification of soil profiles using GPR imagery. The classifier clusters and classifies soil profile strips along a traverse based on common pattern similarities that can relate to physical features of the soil (e.g., number of horizons; depth, texture, and structure of the horizons; and relative arrangement of the horizons, etc.). This article illustrates this classification procedure by its application on GPR data, both simulated and actual. Results show that the procedure is able to classify the profile into zones that corresponded with the classifications obtained by visual inspection and interpretation of radar grams. Application of F-NN to a study site in southwest Tennessee gave soil groupings that are in close correspondence with the groupings obtained in a previous study, which used the traditional methods of complete soil morphological, chemical, and physical characterization. At a crossover value of 3.0, the F-NN soil grouping boundary locations fall within a range of ±2.7 m from the soil groupings determined by the traditional methods. These results indicate that F-NN can supply accurate real-time soil profile clustering and classification during field surveys

Optimization Of Fuzzy Evapotranspiration Model Through Neural Training With Input–Output Examples

In a previous study, we demonstrated that fuzzy evapotranspiration (ET) models can achieve accurate estimation of daily ET comparable to the FAO Penman–Monteith equation, and showed the advantages of the fuzzy approach over other methods. The estimation accuracy of the fuzzy models, however, depended on the shape of the membership functions and the control rules built by trial–and–error methods. This paper shows how the trial and error drawback is eliminated with the application of a fuzzy–neural system, which combines the advantages of fuzzy logic (FL) and artificial neural networks (ANN). The strategy consisted of fusing the FL and ANN on a conceptual and structural basis. The neural component provided supervised learning capabilities for optimizing the membership functions and extracting fuzzy rules from a set of input–output examples selected to cover the data hyperspace of the sites evaluated. The model input parameters were solar irradiance, relative humidity, wind speed, and air temperature difference. The optimized model was applied to estimate reference ET using independent climatic data from the sites, and the estimates were compared with direct ET measurements from grass–covered lysimeters and estimations with the FAO Penman–Monteith equation. The model–estimated ET vs. lysimeter–measured ET gave a coefficient of determination (r2) value of 0.88 and a standard error of the estimate (Syx) of 0.48 mm d–1. For the same set of independent data, the FAO Penman–Monteith–estimated ET vs. lysimeter–measured ET gave an r2 value of 0.85 and an Syx value of 0.56 mm d–1. These results show that the optimized fuzzy–neural–model is reasonably accurate, and is comparable to the FAO Penman–Monteith equation. This approach can provide an easy and efficient means of tuning fuzzy ET models

Association of Partner Support and Partner Communication with Provider Prescribed Contraceptive Method Use among Heterosexual Couples in Kisumu, Kenya

We explored partner support and communication factors associated with provider prescribed contraceptive (PPC) use to inform contraception  interventions among heterosexual couples in Kenya. From April 2014 through September 2016, 252 community recruited couples in Kisumu, Kenya, were enrolled. Men and women were surveyed separately and asked about communication regarding sexual/reproductive health and relationship characteristics. PPC use was defined as female reported use of pills, injection, implant, IUD, or tubal ligation. Multivariable Poisson regression with robust variance estimate was used to identify factors associated with PPC. In multivariable modeling, women who reported discussing the future of their relationship with their partner were 2.46 (95% CI: 1.13-5.36) times more likely, and men who reported discussing condom use were 0.83 (95% CI: 0.72-0.95) time less likely, to report PPC use. These findings call for greater attention to involving male partners, incorporating communication skills, and relationship characteristics into interventions in our and similar settings.  Keywords: Family planning, male involvement, reproductive health, agency, Africa Nous avons exploré le soutien des partenaires et les facteurs de communication associés à l'utilisation de contraceptifs prescrits par le fournisseur (PPC) pour informer les interventions de contraception auprès des couples hétérosexuels au Kenya. D'avril 2014 à septembre 2016, 252 couples recrutés par la communauté à Kisumu, au Kenya, étaient inscrits. Les hommes et les femmes ont été interrogés séparément et interrogés sur la communication concernant la santé sexuelle / reproductive et les caractéristiques des relations. L'utilisation du CPP a été définie comme l'utilisation déclarée par les femmes de pilules, d'injection, d'implant, de DIU ou de ligature des trompes. Une régression de Poisson multivariable avec une estimation de variance robuste a été utilisée pour identifier les facteurs associés au CPP. Dans la modélisation multivariable, les femmes qui ont déclaré discuter de l'avenir de leur relation avec leur partenaire étaient 2,46 (IC à 95%: 1,13-5,36) fois plus susceptibles, et les hommes qui ont  déclaré discuter de l'utilisation du préservatif étaient 0,83 (IC à 95%: 0,72-0,95). Moins susceptibles de signaler l'utilisation du PPC. Ces résultats appellent à une plus grande attention à l'implication des partenaires masculins, à l'intégration des compétences en communication et des caractéristiques relationnelles dans les interventions dans notre environnement et dans des environnements similaires. Mots-clés: Planification familiale, implication masculine, santé reproductive, agence, Afriqu