The impact of ICT use for Drought Early Warning System in Karamoja An assessment of e-readiness of ICT factors for DEWS “A case study conducted in Karamoja region, Northern Uganda”

Master thesis development management- University of Agder, 2015(Konfidensiell til/confidential until 01.01.2021

Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on in Vitro Propagation of Yam Landraces (Dioscorea Species) Using Nodal Segments

Conventional propagation of yam (Dioscorea spp.) is limited due to low propagation rates. However, In vitro propagation is the best alternative to overcome such limitations of conventional propagation. For both shoot multiplication and rooting experiments, nodal segments were cultured on hormone free MS medium with combination of 30 g/l sucrose and 8 g/l agar. For shoot multiplication the initiated shoots of both landraces were cultured on MS media supplemented with 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 2.5 mg/l benzyl amino purine (BAP). For root induction, shoot lets were cultured on MS media supplemented with 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 mg/l indol -3-butyric acid (IBA). Finally, for acclimatization, in vitro multiplied plantlets were transferred to greenhouse for hardening off. The results showed that the interaction effects of both landraces with BAP and IBA concentrations was significantly influenced in vitro yam shoot multiplication and rooting respectively. MS media fortified with 1.5 mg/l BAP gave the highest shoot number (6.79 ± 0.09) with a shoot length of 7.47± 0.47 cm in 75/02. The maximum shoot number (7.23 ± 0.21) with a maximum shoot length7.68 ± 0.24cm was obtained on MS media supplemented with 1.5 mg/l BAP for 6/02. On rooting, MS media with 1 mg/l and 0.5 mg/l IBA gave maximum rooting percentage (54.33% and 68%) for75/02 and 6/02 landraces, respectively. The maximum root number (10.03 ± 0.49) and root length10.76± 0.16 cm were recorded on MS media with 1.5 mg/l IBA for 75/02. The maximum root number (10.58 ± 0.26) with highest root length (10.42 ± 0.32) cm was obtained on MS media with 2.00 and 1.00 mg/l IBA respectively for landrace 6/02. In vitro raised plantlets were acclimatized and recorded 86% and 90% of survival rate in75/02 and 6/02, respectively, on soil medium with combination ratio of 1:2:1 top soil, sand soil and compost, respectively. Keywords: BAP, IBA, Micro-propagation, in vitro culture Nodes, Dioscorea species Ya

Imbalanced data classification using support vector machine based on simulated annealing for enhancing penalty parameter

For pattern cataloguing and regression issues, the support vector machine (SVM) is an eminent and computationally prevailing machine learning method. It’s been effectively addressing several concrete issues across an extensive gamut of domains. SVM possesses a key aspect called penalty factor C. The choice of these aspects has a substantial impact on the classification precision of SVM as unsuitable parameter settings might drive substandard classification outcomes. Penalty factor C is required to achieve an adequate trade-off between classification errors and generalisation performance. Hence, formulating an SVM model having appropriate performance requires parameter optimisation. The simulated annealing (SA) algorithm is employed to formulate a hybrid method for evaluating SVM parameters. Additionally, the intent is to enhance system efficacy to obtain the optimal penalty parameter and balance classification performance at the same time. Our experiments with many UCI datasets indicate that the recommended technique could attain enhanced classification precision

Clients or Patients?: A Study of Boundary Crossing in a State Psychiatric Center

An increasing number of clients are seeking admission to state mental hospitals to satisfy non-psychiatric needs. The study describes this phenomenon, its possible causes and its consequences. The study draws profiles of these clients' characteristics, problems, needs, and level of functioning. Clients' expectations from the state hospital and differences between them and the hospital inpatient population are explored. The study was conducted on a time sample of 100 clients who sought admission to a New York State psychiatric center. The client sample were found not in need of inpatient treatment and were referred to an emergency housing program. Data were gathered through structured and unstructured questionnaires, interviews with clients, staff, center officials, and the center's statistical and patients' records. Chi-Square Test and Spearman Correlation were used to test relationships between variables. Study data indicated that: (1) The majority of clients were young, white, single, males, unemployed, educated below high school level, and were living with a relative or a friend at the time they appeared for admission. (2) Client's self assessment and staff assessment of clients' needs suggested that housing and financial aid were significant to more clients than psychiatric treatment. (3) Client's self assessment and staff assessments of individual client's level of functioning indicated that the majority of clients were able and willing to live independently in community settings. (4) The majority of clients sought admission to the psychiatric center expecting help with housing, financial and emotional problems in that order. (5) Client sample and patients admitted to the center during the same period did not differ significantly with regard to age, sex, race, religion and marital status. The two populations differed in admission status, educational level, employment status, and sources of referral to the Center. The study recommended a clear boundary distinction of psychiatric and non-psychiatric services and that psychiatric admission be based on psychiatric rather than social factors. The study also recommended several policy and planning options in dealing with the problem. A major option was the initiation of local personal social service centers to service clients with non-psychiatric problems

Assessment of Self Esteem among Nursing Students

Background: Self-esteem is a subjective attitude of an person  about his\her  soul  and the appreciation of his/her value. It denotes to an truthful, acceptable, stable gratitude of one’s worth as a person. The aim of this study was to measure the self-esteem of nursing students in college of Nursing, University of Mosul, Iraq. Methods: Nursing students whose study in college of Nursing university of Mosul composed the study subject,(300) of them were selected randomly (75%) of them were female and (25%) were male. they were completed Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), which consisted of  10-item scale, the  scored using a 4-point Likert-type scale rating from 1 (strongly agree) to 4 (strongly disagree). Results: The result of the study showed that both the male (Mean =  ) and female (Mean =) student respondents showed positive perception of their self-esteem. When the perceived self-esteem of the male students was compared with the female corresponding item, using the t test  at p≤0.05 is 0.948. additionally, the fourth grade show high level of self-esteem than freshman and other grades. Conclusion: Depending on the findings of the current study, it is recommended further future research that focuses light on some of the factors that may have a direct impact on self-esteem, such as the economic situation and the relationship with parents Keywords: Self-esteem, Nursing, Assessment

Organization of Multi-Agent Systems: An Overview

In complex, open, and heterogeneous environments, agents must be able to reorganize towards the most appropriate organizations to adapt unpredictable environment changes within Multi-Agent Systems (MAS). Types of reorganization can be seen from two different levels. The individual agents level (micro-level) in which an agent changes its behaviors and interactions with other agents to adapt its local environment. And the organizational level (macro-level) in which the whole system changes it structure by adding or removing agents. This chapter is dedicated to overview different aspects of what is called MAS Organization including its motivations, paradigms, models, and techniques adopted for statically or dynamically organizing agents in MAS.Comment: 12 page

An investigation on using solid waste materials as aggregate substitute in cementitious concrete composites

The problem of disposing and managing solid waste materials in the United Slates and other industrial countries has become one of the major environmental, economical, and social issues. A complete waste management system including source reduction, reuse, recycling, landfilling, and incineration needs to be implemented to control the increasing waste disposal problems. Of the above options, recycling is the most promising waste management process to the disposal of materials in the waste stream. One of the most promising markets to utilize recycled waste materials successfully on an open-loop basis is the construction industry. The purpose of this research study was to evaluate the possibility of using different granulated solid waste materials (plastics, fiberglass, and glass) from different sources as partial aggregate substitutes to the fine aggregate (sand) in a portland cement concrete mixture to produce new concrete composites. Three different types of concrete composites containing one of these aggregate waste materials were prepared. Four different volume percentages of aggregate substitute (5, 10, 15, and 20%) were utilized for each additive. A control cementitious concrete composite was also prepared as a reference for the new concrete composites. Three different test methods were conducted on these cementitious concrete composites: compression strength test, splitting tensile strength test, and flexure test. Standard ASTM procedures were followed in casting of and testing all the flexural beams and concrete cylinders and the curing of 28-day concrete samples. Statistical procedures of the data obtained were used to determine any significant differences among the values of the mechanical properties of the tested concrete composites. Graphical representation and analysis of the calculated results were also performed to compare the developed cementitious concrete composites with the control specimens. Furthermore, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to study the relationship between these mechanical properties and the microstructure and interfacial features of the new concrete composites. Optical photographs were also obtained to show the general fracture behaviors of these composites. The main findings of this investigation revealed that increasing the volume percentage of plastics aggregate substitute to the cementitious concrete composite led, in general, to a slight reduction of the compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural strengths. On the other hand, the stiffness of these plastics-containing concrete composites was almost the same as that of the control one. In case of glass-containing concrete composites, the average values of compressive and splitting tensile strengths of these composites were comparable to those of the control one. On the other hand, the values of the modulus of rupture and elasticity of all the tested glass-containing concrete composites were almost the same as (and in some cases especially at 20% glass aggregate substitute higher than) those of the control one. In case of fiberglass-containing concrete composites, adding more volume percentages of this aggregate substitute to the cementitious concrete composite led to reducing the compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural strengths of the cementitious concrete composite. On the other hand, adding more volume percentage of fiberglass aggregate substitute to the cementitious concrete composite led to an increase in the stiffness of this composite. Based on the present research study, it is believed that the visual analysis technique should be strongly recommended to compare the properties of different types of concrete composites qualitatively. This technique may also be used to predict whether different concrete composites have the same brittle or ductile fracture modes under different loading systems

Throughput, Spectral, and Energy Efficiency of 5G Massive MIMO Applications Using Different Linear Precoding Schemes

— A promising massive multiple input multiple output (M-MIMO) system is required to meet the growing need for highly traffic data, highly-resolution of streaming video, and intelligent communication on the fifth-generation wireless networks (5G). M-MIMO systems are essential for the optimization of the trade between energy efficiency (EE), throughput (R), and spectral _efficiency (SE) in wireless 5G networks. M-MIMO system architecture is proposed in this paper to enhance the trade-off between energy efficiency and uplink and downlink throughput at the optimum EE. Furthermore, using linear precoding techniques such as M MMSE, RZF, ZF, and MR, the EE-SE trade-off is optimized for uplink and downlink (M-MIMO) systems. The analysis of simulation results proved that throughput (R) is enhanced by increasing the number of antennas at optimum EE. After that, the proposed trading scheme is optimized and improved using M_MMSE compared to RZF, ZF. Finally, the results prove that M_MMSE gives the optimum trade-off between EE and R at the proved optimum ratio between the number of active antennas and the number of active users UE

A study of the vibrational spectra of some monosubstituted pyridines

Infrared spectra in the range (4000-250 cm-1) and Raman spectra in the range (4000-150 cm-1) of pyridine, 2-, 3- and 4-chloro-, bromo-, and methylpyridines, 2-fluoro-, 2-amino and 4-ethylpyridines have been measured. The spectra, vibration and assignments of the observed frequencies of 2-amino-, and 4-ethylpyridines are presented for the first time. The infrared data for 2-fluoropyridine is combined with the previously reported Raman data of Stephenson and Voelz to allow complete vibrational assignments for this compound for the first time. Frequency assignments for the other molecules are re-examined and where necessary changes and/or additions in frequency assignments are made. Correlations between related series of pyridine and pyridine derivatives are investigated. The possible correlations between the vibrations of monosubstituted pyridines and the corresponding vibrations of monosubstituted benzene compounds were studied and it was found that they show a few similarities. Also, the location of the substituted on the ring is seen to influence the frequency of some of the vibrations. Further, other than C-H stretching vibrations, 5 vibrational modes are similar for the 1-, 2-, and 3-substituted pyridines (i.e., frequencies are independent of the location of the substituent and analogous to the corresponding vibrations of the monosubstituted benzene compounds. The correlations between a substituted pyridine and a monosubstituted benzene are seen to be useful in making vibrational assignments on other related compounds