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AbstractWorkers require good working conditions to enhance their job performance, in this study, we conducted a survey of European working conditions in 2022 and compared the results with that of 2016 using an unsupervised learning approach for exploratory data analysis and determining the relationships. Hence, the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was adopted. The analyses were in two parts for both the 2016 and 2022 surveys. Following the PCA, the first part shows that European workers are mostly characterized by cheerfulness and good spirits. The second part reveals that European workers are best characterized by enthusiasm in their work. Test statistics showed that the European working condition for the two periods does not differ significantly. The working conditions in Europe have not been altered in the space of six years. This study recommends that the working condition in Europe should be improved so that employers would continue to give their best.

The performance of two classification techniques, logistic regression and Support Vector Machines (SVMs), in assessing vaccination data is investigated in this study. The model was trained based on leave-out-one cross validation to obtain an accurate result. Simulated with ten thousand replications, a life data set was used to establish a better model. The findings from the simulation revealed that the logistic regression model slightly outperformed the SVM while the life data shows that the tuned SVM outperformed both the logistic and the SVM. This demonstrates the practical utility of advanced approaches such as SVMs in difficult categorization scenarios such as vaccination prediction. The study emphasizes the superiority of the customized SVM model in this setting, as well as the potential of machine learning approaches to increase comprehension of complicated healthcare scenarios and guide data-driven decision-making for influencing vaccination plans and public health. The study recommends the use of logistic regression if the data point is high.

The need to model count data correctly calls for introducting a flexible yet robust model that can sufficiently handle various types of count data. Models such as Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) used in the past were considered unsuitable. The introduction of the Generalized Linear Model (GLM) and its various extensions was the first breakthrough recorded in modeling count data. Thishis article, propose the Bayesian Dirichlet process mixture prior of generalized linear mixed models (DPMglmm). Metropolis Hasting Monte Carlo Markov Chain (M-H MCMC) was used to draw parameters from target posterior distribution. The Iterated Weighted Least Square (IWLS) proposal was used to determine the acceptance probability in the M-H MCMC phase. Under and over-dispersed count data were simulated, 500 Burn-in was scanned to allow for stability in the chain. 100 thinning interval was allowed so as to nullify the possible effect of autocorrelation in the data due to the Monte Carlo procedure. The DPMglmm and other competing models were fitted to the simulated data, and real-life health insurance claims data sets. The results obtained showed that DPMglmm outperformed MCMCglmm, Bayesian Discrete Weibull, and four other frequentist models. This indicates that DPMglmm is flexible and can fit count data best, either under-dispersed or over-dispersed data.

Abstract Background: Weed interference is a major limiting factor for economically viable soybean production. Appropriate timing of weed management would enable farmers to make more efficient use of resources for weed management. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the critical period for weed competition and appropriate timing of weed management for optimum yield of soybean. Methods: The treatments consisted of periods of weed infestation and weed removal for the first 14, 28, 42 and 56 days after sowing (DAS), and till harvest in a randomized complete block design with three replications in 2016 and 2017. Results: Soybean yields in both years ranged from 914-945 kg ha-1 with no weed control to 1,984-2,127 kg ha-1 in the weed-free plots; a yield loss of 53-56. Weed infestation for the first 14 DAS had no detrimental effect on growth and yield of soybean provided the weeds were subsequently removed. Increasing period of weed interference from 14 to 42 DAS resulted in a steady decline in growth and yield of soybean. Yield losses equivalent of 32-37 kg ha-1 resulted for each day that weed control was delayed between 14 and 42 DAS. Subsequent weed control after 42 DAS did not improve growth and yield significantly, nor obviate yield depression of the crop compared to crop weed-infested till harvest. Conclusions: Results indicated that the critical period of weed competition in soybean was between 14 and 42 DAS. Hence soybean should be maintained weed-free during this period to avoid high yield loss.

Mobile telecommunication has made an unprecedented positive impact on every nation's economy and social life. It has allowed users to save time and money in their daily transactions and improved their quality of life. However, network inaccessibility, unreliability, and unsatisfactory voice service have led to many complaints from clients. One of the significant weaknesses inferred from the literature review is the lack of reliable user-based information for monitoring and performance evaluation. This work is aimed at developing a hybrid model for the assessment of voice calls quality of service (QoS) offered by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) based on standard performance metrics, and to carry out the analyses on developed models. The experimental study is carried out using the network data collected from volunteer's mobile phones using the host-based crowdsourced technique. The collected user-based data for quality of service metrics is modeled based on the combination of the Fuzzy Logic algorithm and Takagi Sugeno Kang inference mechanism of the Neuro-Fuzzy model. The modeling was implemented using MATLAB and Weka analytics as front end and MySQL as backend on Windows 10 operational environment. The performance evaluation of the hybrid model shows the high accuracy of 97.10%; the true positive rate and precision rates were 95.5% and 97.47%, respectively.

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are densely and largely deployed in a variety of environments to sense real-world events. Many approaches have been proposed for collecting sensory data in any wireless sensor networks in a flexible, reliable, and efficient manner. In this study, we design an efficient mobile agent-based model for data gathering in wireless sensor networks to achieve energy and timely collection of sensory information in the target scene. The current focus in wireless sensor networks is placed on energy optimization during data gathering, processing and transmission. Mobile Agents (MAs) as a piece of a program have attracted growing research interest that travels the network from node to node to compute the local data to get useful information globally. Mobile agent’s features such as autonomy, social ability, learning, and more significantly, mobility makes it a chosen technology for information processing in wireless sensor networks and other resource constrained computing environments. The nodes of the sensors are modelled and represented by the states of a Markov chain. The nodes are further grouped into clusters to save the energy of the nodes farther away from the base station.

This study investigated the quantitative polyphenolic constituents and gastroprotective effects of methanol extract of Vernonia amygdalina leaf (MEVA) against aspirin-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Ulceration was induced by 3 days’ oral administration of aspirin (150 mg/kg body weight). Wistar rats were pretreated with cimetidine (reference drug) at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight and MEVA at 200, 300, and 400 mg/kg body weight once daily for 28 days prior to ulcer induction. At the end of the experiment, gastric secretions, antioxidant status, and histopathological alteration were evaluated. We observed that the significantly increased ulcer index, gastric volume, free and total acidity, malondialdehyde level, and pepsin activity were effectively reduced following treatment with 200 and 300 mg/kg MEVA. The extract also markedly attenuated the reduced activity of superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione level as well as pH and mucin content in the ulcerated rats. Administration of the extract also significantly attenuates necrosis of the stomach tissue of the ulcerated rats. The results suggested that the MEVA leaf, preferably at 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight, ameliorated aspirin-induced gastric ulceration via antioxidative and H 2 receptor antagonist.

Weed infestation and inherent low soil fertility are among the major factors attributed to the low yield of rice in Nigeria. Field trials were therefore conducted to evaluate the effect of nitrogen application levels and weed control methods on growth and yield of upland rice (var. NERICA 2) at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (07° 15'N, 03° 25'E) during 2015 and 2016 cropping seasons. Three nitrogen (N) levels (0, 60 and 90 kg/ha) were evaluated and they constituted the main plot treatments, while three weed control treatments, viz: pre-emergence application of Orizo Plus® (propanil plus 2, 4-D) at 2.0 kg a.i ha-1, Orizo Plus® at 2.0 kg a.i ha-1 followed by supplementary hoe weeding (SHW) at 6 weeks after sowing (WAS) and three hoe-weeding regimes at 3, 6 and 9 WAS, and a weedy check constituted the sub-plot treatments. All the treatments in different combinations were laid out in a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement with three replicates. Results indicated a significant (p≤0.05) increase in weed density and dry matter with an increase in N application level from 0 to 90 kg ha-1. Similarly, crop vigour and plant height increased significantly (p≤0.05) with increasing N application levels up to 90 kg ha-1. However, 60 and 90 kg N ha-1 were at par in increasing the number of tillers, leaf area index and yield attributes of rice. All the weed control methods resulted in a significant (p≤0.05) reduction in weed density and dry matter with subsequent increase in rice growth and yield than the weedy check. Pre-emergence application of Orizo Plus® followed by SHW at 6 WAS and three hoe-weeding regimes resulted in significantly (p≤0.05) lower weed density and dry matter, and a higher number of tillers, panicle weight and grain yield than a sole application of Orizo Plus®. With Orizo Plus® followed by one SHW or three hoe-weeding regimes, increasing N application levels resulted in a significant (p≤0.05) increase in grain yield of rice. However, with Orizo Plus® applied alone, increasing N application levels did not increase rice grain yield. These results suggest that Orizo Plus® at 2.0 kg a.iha-1 followed by one SHW at 6 WAS integrated with N application at 90 kg ha-1 is adequate to effectively control weeds and increase rice yield in the rainforest-savannah transition zone of Nigeria.

The population of students all over the world is growing without a proportionate increase in teaching/learning resources/infrastructure. There is also much quest for learning in an environment that provides equal opportunities to all learners. The need to provide an equal opportunity learning environment that will hitherto improve the system of education globally has therefore become imperative. Based on our findings, a mathematical model Web-based Virtual Classroom system (WebVCS) was developed to provide a viable medium through which sound education can be offered in tertiary institutions that can carter for varieties of learners irrespective of their abilities, dispositions and geographical locations. Our system model is developed based on active learning approach that adopts blended learning theory (Constructivist-Cognivist learning approach), incorporating e-pedagogy that supports collaboration among participants in the web-based Virtual learning environment. The key objects used in creating the WebVCS model are: Courses, Students, Instructors and Learning performances. Our system model sets a framework for developers of virtual classrooms and successful implementation of the model leads to students learning by interacting with their peers resulting in the construction of knowledge. (Contains 6 figures.)

Off‐target drift of herbicides can seriously reduce peanut (Arachis hypogea L.) growth and yield and is of great concern to growers who will need to manage sensitive crops near new herbicide‐tolerant crops. Field experiments were conducted in 2021 and 2022 with 25% labeled rates of dicamba, glufosinate, glyphosate, lactofen, and paraquat to simulate drift on peanut. The objective was to evaluate the effects of low‐rate application of the herbicides on peanut injury and yield reductions and to determine if unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery‐based normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) provides accurate estimation of peanut injury from the herbicides applied at vegetative (V3) and reproductive (R3) growth stages. Peanut suffered greater yield reduction (33%) when exposed to the herbicides at R3 than at V3 growth stage (19%) across all herbicides applied. The order of herbicides that induced yield reductions in peanut was glyphosate > glufosinate = dicamba > paraquat = lactofen. Regardless of exposure timing, NDVI values generated from UAV imagery could not differentiate paraquat or lactofen injury from the weed‐free check. However, NDVI values could differentiate between injured and weed‐free check plants up to 2 and 4 weeks after treatment (WAT) for dicamba at R3 and V3 exposure timing, respectively, up to 4 WAT for glufosinate, and 8 WAT for glyphosate. NDVI from aerial imagery may be helpful to accelerate the detection of injury in large hectarages with greater accuracy compared with visual injury rating, which can be influenced by individual estimation bias. Core Ideas: Peanut yield loss from 25% labeled rates of selected herbicides was greater at reproductive than at vegetative stage.Peanut was most susceptible to glyphosate (59%) and expressed the greatest tolerance to lactofen (≤10%).The order of yield reduction from the herbicides was glyphosate > glufosinate = dicamba > paraquat = lactofen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of two classification techniques, logistic regression and Support Vector Machines (SVMs), in assessing vaccination data is investigated in this study. The model was trained based on leave-out-one cross validation to obtain an accurate result. Simulated with ten thousand replications, a life data set was used to establish a better model. The findings from the simulation revealed that the logistic regression model slightly outperformed the SVM while the life data shows that the tuned SVM outperformed both the logistic and the SVM. This demonstrates the practical utility of advanced approaches such as SVMs in difficult categorization scenarios such as vaccination prediction. The study emphasizes the superiority of the customized SVM model in this setting, as well as the potential of machine learning approaches to increase comprehension of complicated healthcare scenarios and guide data-driven decision-making for influencing vaccination plans and public health. The study recommends the use of logistic regression if the data point is high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is aimed at assessing the impact of ATM and POS transactions on currency in circulation in Nigeria via the comparison of the Artificial Neural Network and Linear Regression models. The Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was used to assess the degree of relationship between currency in circulation and ATM transactions, currency in circulation and POS transactions, ATM transactions and POS transactions. In addition to this, a multiple linear regression model was also fitted on the data to in order to assess the impact of currency in circulation on ATM transactions and POS transactions. From the results obtained, it was observed that POS transactions have a significant impact on the amount of currency in circulation compared to ATM transactions because the value of POS transactions has a P-value of 1.5542E-13 which is significant at 0.05. This was further studied using the Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The Multilayer preceptor of ANN was adopted, with 70 percent of the data initially subjected to training and 30 percent for validity. Thereafter, the amount of training data was increased to 61.4% and testing data was increased to 38.6% and it was observed that there was corresponding increase in the R-square from 0.809 to 0.839. This shows that the R-square of the ANN can be improved by increasing the amount of training data and testing data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research employs a modified version of the Lotka-Volterra non-linear first-order ordinary differential equations to model and analyze the parasitic impact of ticks on dogs. The analysis reveals that fluctuations in pesticide effects significantly influence tick populations and the size of the canine host. The study also uncovers that alterations in the size of the interacting species can lead to both stable and unstable states. Interestingly, in a pesticide-free environment, a decline in the inter-competition coefficient catalyzes an increase in the sizes of both interacting species. This increase, although marginal for the tick population, contributes to overall system stability. The findings underscore the utility of the Lotka-Volterra non-linear first-order ordinary differential equations in modeling the parasitic effect of ticks on dogs. To protect pets, particularly dogs, from the harmful effects of tick infestation, this study recommends the appropriate and regular application of disinfectants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) are widely recognized for their efficacy in fitting count data, superior to the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) approach. The incapability of OLS to suitably handle count data can be attributed to its tendency to overfit. This study proposes the utilization of regularized models, specifically Ridge Regression and the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), for fitting count data. These models are compared to frequentist and Bayesian models commonly used for count data fitting, such as the Dirichlet prior mixture of generalized linear mixed models and the discrete Weibull. The findings reveal Ridge Regression's superiority over all other models based on the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). However, its performance diminishes when evaluated using the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), even though it still outperforms LASSO. The study thereby suggests the use of regularized regression models for fitting zero-inflated count data, as demonstrated with simulated data. Further, the appropriateness of regularized zero for zero-truncated count is exemplified using life data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread adoption of dicamba‐resistant crops has increased the applications of newer dicamba formulations for weed control. However, there is a concern for potential off‐target injury and yield reduction to peanuts (Arachis hypogea L.) planted in close proximity to dicamba‐resistant crops. Field experiments were conducted in the summer of 2019 and 2020 to evaluate peanut response to reduced rates (1/512X, 1/128X, 1/32X, and 1/8X the label rate, 564 + 1280 g ae ha−1) of dicamba plus glyphosate (XtendiMax plus Roundup PowerMax) at 25, 50, and 75 days after planting (DAP) which corresponds to vegetative, flowering, and pod development stages, respectively. Peanut exposure to dicamba plus glyphosate at 25 DAP resulted in 1.6–2.3 times greater injury and 3.4–8.5 times greater height and canopy width reductions compared to 50 and 75 DAP exposures. Peanuts suffered greater yield reduction (18%–19%) when exposed to dicamba plus glyphosate at 25 and 75 DAP than at 50 DAP (10%). Regression analysis indicated a significant linear response for peanut injury (except at 8 weeks after treatment), canopy width reduction, and yield reduction with an increasing rate of dicamba plus glyphosate. Dicamba plus glyphosate at 1/512X rate resulted in a 3% peanut yield reduction, whereas a 41% yield reduction was observed at 1/8X rate. Correlation analysis, with Pearson's rho values ranging from 0.81 to 0.86, showed that peanut injury can be a useful predictor for estimating yield reduction. Therefore, extreme care must be taken to prevent drift occurrence or spray‐tank contamination when applying dicamba plus glyphosate on XtendFlex crops near peanut fields. Core Ideas: Dicamba plus glyphosate caused greater injury to peanut at vegetative than at flowering or pod development stages.The yield loss was two times greater at the vegetative and pod development stages than at the flowering stage.The 1/8X label rate of dicamba plus glyphosate reduced peanut yield up to 41% compared to the weed‐free control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study accommodates spatial effects in the nexus between tax resource mobilisation (TRM) institutions and inclusive growth using panel data from 48 African countries. By adopting the spatial Durbin‐fixed effect model, the study shows that spatial dependence and interaction matter when modelling TRM, institutions and inclusive growth relationships. It is also explicit that various disaggregated and aggregated tax components have not played significant roles in increasing inclusive growth in Africa, except property tax. The result suggests the need to harness the role of property tax for revenue generation in stimulating inclusive growth in view of its growth benefits over its distortions. Further evidence shows that all individual proxies of African institutions dampen inclusive growth. These results also pinpoint the weak governance structures that constitute huge constraints on the participatory tendencies of economic growth and reflect the institutional exclusiveness inherent in Africa. Regarding the interactive effects of institutions and TRM on inclusive growth, findings further reveal that existing institutions in Africa weaken the tax administration structures in propelling TRM to actualize inclusive growth. The study informs policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been concerns globally as to whether taking COVID-19 vaccination is harmful or not. In this study, we conducted an online survey to measure the knowledge and attitude of people, first about COVID-19, and second about COVID-19 vaccination--various analyses such as descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and support vector regression with k-fold cross-validation. The support vector machine and tuned support vector machine suggest a better fit based on cross-validation error. The results show that immigration requirements significantly explain why an individual would accept the COVID-19 vaccine. This study suggests that people in authority should look into people's concerns regarding taking the COVID-19 vaccine and address them accordingly. The study aims to draw the attention of the people to the concern that surrounds taking COVID-19 vaccination and explored various statistical techniques to draw inference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of hard drugs (Alcohol, cocaine and Nicotine) has remained the censorious issue globally and in Nigeria. The use of hard drugs and tobacco smoking is common in the stage of adolescence and youth life, which is a deterrent to education and career advancement. Hence, this study looks into socio-demographic factors that influence the use of hard drugs and tobacco smoking among teenagers between the ages of 15 years to 19 years. To achieve this objective, a cross-sectional data was used and a secondary data was obtained from DHS - National Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS) from the survey year 2018. Some Bayesian models were developed and Conditional Autoregressive (CAR) model with random walk 1 (RW1) was the best model. The study unveiled a positive significant association of settlement, previous place of residence, education attainment, religion, ethnicity, literacy with reported use of hard drugs amongst teenagers of reproductive age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The four Macadamia species (M. integrifolia, M. tetraphylla, M. ternifolia and M. jansenii) occur naturally in the wild in fragmented habitats in Australia and there is limited information on their vulnerability to pathogens including species of the genus Phytophthora. Macadamias in commercial orchards are affected by Phytophthora cinnamomi and Phytophthora multivora causing stem canker and root rot. Wild germplasm is often regarded as sources of resistance in macadamia breeding programme. We assessed the performance of 152 trees of wild macadamia genotypes in the field using a Phytophthora disease severity rating scale and used in vivo leaf assay to examine their susceptibility to P. cinnamomi and P. multivora. Macadamia ternifolia trees showed the highest Phytophthora disease severity compared with the other species. In the in vivo trial, there were significant variations in disease severity among the genotypes within each Macadamia species. Comparison of the mean leaf lesion area of the Macadamia spp. showed that M. tetraphylla and M. jansenii were the most resistant to P. cinnamomi, whereas M. ternifolia and M. jansenii followed by M. tetraphylla had the least disease severity to P. multivora. The quantitative variations among the genotypes with strong differential effects resulted in demarcation of the wild genotypes into three resistance groups. Overall, a total of 14 M. tetraphylla and 2 M. integrifolia genotypes were identified as resistant to both P. cinnamomi and P. multivora in the in vivo assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia, Phytophthora cinnamomi is the only species reported as the causal agent of stem canker and root rot in macadamia. In other countries, five Phytophthora species have been reported to cause diseases in macadamia, which led us to question if more than one Phytophthora species is responsible for poor tree health in macadamia orchards in Australia. To investigate this, samples were collected from the rhizosphere, stem, and root tissues of trees with and without symptoms, nurseries, and water sources from 70 commercial macadamia orchards in Australia. Phytophthora isolates were identified based on morphological characteristics and DNA sequencing. P. cinnamomi was the most predominant and widely distributed species, and was obtained from the different types of samples including symptomless root tissues. In addition to P. cinnamomi, only P. multivora was isolated from diseased tissue (stem canker) samples. Six other Phytophthora species were obtained from the rhizosphere samples: P. pseudocryptogea, P. citrophthora, P. nicotianae, P. gondwanense, P. sojae, and a new Phytophthora taxon. Only P. cinnamomi was obtained from macadamia nursery samples, while five Phytophthora species were obtained from water sources. Of the heterothallic Phytophthora species, mating type A2 isolates were dominant in P. cinnamomi isolates, whereas only mating type A1 isolates were obtained for P. nicotianae, P. pseudocryptogea, and P. citrophthora. Pathogenicity assays revealed that P. cinnamomi and P. multivora caused significantly larger stem and leaf lesions than P. citrophthora, P. nicotianae, and P. pseudocryptogea. Phytophthora sp. and P. sojae were nonpathogenic towards leaves and stems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Belgrade is the property of University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Phomopsis husk rot (PHR) in macadamia is a disease of economic importance in major commercial production areas in Australia and South Africa. Effective control of PHR is hindered by limited knowledge about its aetiology and epidemiology. The diversity and pathogenicity of more than 50 isolates of Diaporthe associated with PHR in macadamia orchards in Australia and South Africa was assessed. Multilocus phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences of the ITS, tef1α, and tub2 gene loci revealed four novel clades that are described as Diaporthe australiana sp. nov., D. drenthii sp. nov., D. macadamiae sp. nov., and D. searlei sp. nov. Pathogenicity tests with representative isolates found that all four species caused PHR of varying severity between and within species, as well as between the two macadamia cultivars HAES 344 and HAES 816. The Australian species, D. australiana, was the most aggressive species compared with the three South African species. This study improves our understanding of the aetiology of PHR in macadamia and paves the way for more effective disease management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cocos nucifera L. is known as a tree of life because of its economic, domestic, and nutritional usefulness. Coconut oil (CO), which is derived from Cocos nucifera L., has received considerable attention because of its reported folkloric, nutritional, biological, and pharmacological properties. We previously reported the outstanding physicochemical properties of CO; therefore, we analyzed its antioxidant activity and chemical composition in this study. CO was extracted using a fermentation method with and without applying heat. Its antioxidant activity was investigated using the DPPH free radical scavenging method, the metal chelation capacity, the reduction of antioxidant power, and the nitric oxide scavenging capacity index. The compounds were identified using GC-MS. The data were expressed as a mean ± SEM and analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SPSS 21.0 with data being considered significant at P < 0.05. The results showed that CO demonstrated a concentration-dependent DPPH radical scavenging activity and nitric oxide scavenging capacity index, with the highest activity in the heat-extracted virgin CO (HEVCO). The ferric-reducing antioxidant power and metal chelation capacity significantly varied (P < 0.05) between the HEVCO and the cold extracted virgin CO (CEVCO). The GCMS analysis of virgin CO identified important active compounds. The results revealed a higher content of phenolic compounds in HEVCO compared to CEVCO. In conclusion, applying heat favored incorporating phenolic compounds into CO and consequently improved the antioxidant potential of HEVCO compared to CEVCO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Belgrade is the property of University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Incidence of branch dieback of macadamia with characteristic symptoms including dark necrotic lesions on the wood and blackening of the vascular tissue is increasing in commercial macadamia orchards in the south-eastern production regions in Australia. In many cases, disease progresses from the branch to the main trunk resulting in total tree death and reduced orchard productivity. Previously, only Botryosphaeria ribis was associated with branch dieback of macadamia, however, recent observations suggest other species in the Botryosphaeriaceae may be involved. This study aimed to identify the causal agents of branch dieback of macadamia and examine their pathogenicity on a main macadamia cultivar (HAES 246). Thirty-four representative Botryosphaeriaceae isolates, obtained from over 150 samples of branch dieback symptoms on macadamia trees, were identified using the partial sequence of the internal transcribed spacer of the rDNA and partial sequences of β-tubulin and elongation factor gene regions. Six species in the Botryosphaeriaceae were identified. Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae (n = 18; 53%) was the most prevalent species, followed by Neofusiccocum parvum (n = 5; 14%), L. iraniensis (n = 4; 12%), N. luteum and L. theobromae (n = 3; 9% each) and N. australe (n = 1; 3%). Using an in planta assay, pathogenicity tests showed that all six species caused dieback and necrotic lesion symptoms on macadamia plants. Inoculated plants died within 4 weeks of inoculation, showing the characteristic symptoms (blackening of the wood tissue). Inoculation trials revealed differences in aggressiveness among the six species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research in the food industry has focused on the production and development of functional foods with health benefit and safe for consumption and one of such development is the production of gluten-free products. Sorghum, a gluten-free cereal, has been used in the production of sorghum gluten-free products (SGFPs) like bread and other baked products, infant foods, noodles, and beer for gluten intolerant people. This article reviews the studies carried out in the past few years in relation to the production of SGFPs and their overall nutritional value and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The deterioration of male reproductive health may represent an outcome of an active disease and environmental factors. The present study investigated the modulatory role of [6]-gingerol in spermatotoxicity resulting from colitis and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), an environmental and food-borne pollutant. Methods: Group I (control) mice received corn oil alone, while group II ([6]-gingerol alone) mice orally received [6]-gingerol alone at 100 mg/kg body weight. Group III [benzo[a]pyrene+dextran sulfate sodium (BDS) alone] mice were orally exposed to B[a]P at 125 mg/kg for 7 days followed by three cycles of 4% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in drinking water. A cycle consisted of seven consecutive days of exposure to DSS-treated water followed by 14 consecutive days of normal drinking water. Group IV (BDS+[6]-gingerol) mice were orally treated daily with 100 mg/kg of [6]-gingerol during exposure to B[a]P and DSS in the same manner as those of group III. Results: [6]-Gingerol significantly abrogated BDS-mediated increase in disease activity index and restored the colon wet weight, colon length and colon mass index to near normal when compared to BDS alone group. Moreover, [6]-gingerol significantly prevented BDS-induced decreases in the daily sperm production (DSP), testicular sperm number (TSN), epididymal sperm number, sperm progressive motility and sperm membrane integrity when compared with the control. [6]-Gingerol markedly increased the sperm antioxidant enzymes activities and decreased the sperm head, mid-piece and tail abnormalities as well as suppressed oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers in BDS-exposed mice. Conclusions: [6]-Gingerol protected against spermatotoxicity in experimental model of interaction of colitis with environmental pollutant B[a]P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Bambara groundnut is an indigenous African vegetable grown mainly for human food and animal feed due to its high protein content. Different factors like varieties and origin can influence the chemical composition of Bambara groundnut cultivars. Therefore, the aims of this study are to produce defatted flour and protein concentrate from newly developed Bambara groundnut cultivars [Accessions No: TVSU 5 – Bambara Groundnut White (BGW) and TVSU 146 – Bambara Groundnut Brown (BGB)] and compare their nutritional, physicochemical, and functional properties with market sample [Bambara groundnut commercial (BGC)]. Higher protein content was observed in BGW (20.73%) and BGB (20.14%) as compared to BGC (18.50%). Also, the fat and ash contents of BGB and BGW were higher than that of BGC. Also, the new varieties were found to contain higher levels of some essential fatty acids such as linoleic and linolenic acids. The concentration of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic, ascorbic acids, pyrodoxine, alpha tocopherol, and vitamin K were also significantly higher in the two new varieties. The new varieties were good sources of magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, sodium, and potassium. The oil and water absorption and swelling capacities of whole, defatted, and protein concentrate flour of the new varieties increase with increase in temperature. The defatted flour and protein concentrate of brown Bambara groundnut was found to exhibit high emulsifying activity and stability at different pH's and salt concentrations. The new varieties possess significantly higher foaming capacity and stability than the commercial variety. The results obtained from this study have shown the potential for the industrial and household use of the new Bambara groundnut cultivars into shelf stable protein products and could be a useful ingredient in food formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of natural fermentation and cooking on kariya seeds functional properties, chemical composition, and antinutritional properties were evaluated. Result showed a reduction in antinutritional properties and improvement in protein content which were observed to increase with cooking (at 100°C) and fermentation period (24-96 hr). Functional analyses showed an increase in foaming and emulsion properties, while water absorption capacity and swelling power were observed to likewise increase with an increasing temperature between 60°C and 90°C. There was also an improvement in foaming properties with increase in salt (NaCl) concentration, while emulsifying property decreases with an increase in salt (NaCl) concentration. Based on the result of the findings of this study, it can be stated that the cooking and fermentation processes employed in this study can enhance the domestic and industrial utilization of these seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dextrocardia with situs inversus is a rare congenital disease. In patients with this condition, the heart is presented as a mirror image of itself with its apex pointing to the right. The pulmonary and abdominal anatomies are reversed. Dextrocardia with situs inversus occurs at birth but its diagnosis may be in adulthood. This case advances knowledge by graphically describing the unusual electrocardiographic features of dextrocardia in a young adult.Case Presentation: We report a case of a 22-year-old Nigerian man of Yoruba ethnicity who presented himself for preadmission medical test. He had a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram which revealed uncommon features: inversion of P waves in leads I, aVL and aVR; dominantly negative QRS waves in leads I, V1 to V6; reverse R wave progression in chest leads; low voltage in V4 to V6; extreme QRS axis; flattened T waves in V4 to V6 and aVR; and inverted T waves in lead I and aVL. An electrocardiogram diagnosis of dextrocardia was made. The differential diagnosis considered was right ventricular hypertrophy. A cardiovascular examination showed pulse rate of 70 beats per minute, blood pressure of 119/62mmHg, visible cardiac impulse at right precordium, apex beat was located at his fifth right intercostal space mid-clavicular line. A chest X-ray (posterior anterior view) including upper abdomen showed dextrocardia; his aortic arch was located on the right. His stomach bubble was located below his right hemidiaphragm. His trachea was slightly deviated to the left. The findings in his lung fields were not remarkable. Abdominopelvic ultrasonography showed that right-sided intra-abdominal organs (liver, gallbladder) were located on the left while left-sided organs (stomach, spleen) were located on the right. His abdominal aorta was on the right while his inferior vena cava was located on the left. A diagnosis of dextrocardia with situs inversus was made ultrasonographically.Conclusions: A properly interpreted electrocardiogram was useful in suspecting the diagnosis of dextrocardia with situs inversus. So, an analysis of a relatively simple and non-invasive diagnostic tool such as an electrocardiogram allows for suspicion of a cardiovascular anomaly in a setting of scarce diagnostic resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an architectural approach to detect Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) in Virtual Knowledge Community (VKC). A Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack is a malicious attempt by a single person or a group of people to cause the victim, site, or node to deny service to its customers. Virtual knowledge community is a virtual place where agents can meet, communicate and interact among themselves. The emergence of DDoS attack has become more frequent in today's network environment. In this paper, we develop a DDoS attack models for detecting attack traffics in VKC and propose measures to deal with such an attack. Mathematical models are generated to illustrate our approach. The next stage of our work which will be reported in a future paper will be the gathering of data to validate our model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the quantitative polyphenolic constituents and gastroprotective effects of methanol extract of Vernonia amygdalina leaf (MEVA) against aspirin-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Ulceration was induced by 3 days' oral administration of aspirin (150 mg/kg body weight). Wistar rats were pretreated with cimetidine (reference drug) at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight and MEVA at 200, 300, and 400 mg/kg body weight once daily for 28 days prior to ulcer induction. At the end of the experiment, gastric secretions, antioxidant status, and histopathological alteration were evaluated. We observed that the significantly increased ulcer index, gastric volume, free and total acidity, malondialdehyde level, and pepsin activity were effectively reduced following treatment with 200 and 300 mg/kg MEVA. The extract also markedly attenuated the reduced activity of superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione level as well as pH and mucin content in the ulcerated rats. Administration of the extract also significantly attenuates necrosis of the stomach tissue of the ulcerated rats. The results suggested that the MEVA leaf, preferably at 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight, ameliorated aspirin-induced gastric ulceration via antioxidative and H2 receptor antagonist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incidence of dry flower disease of macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia), expressed as blight of the flowers and necrosis and dieback of the rachis, is increasing in Australia. In the 2012-13 production season, incidence of dry flower disease resulted in 10 to 30% yield loss in the affected orchards. Etiology of the disease has not been established. This study was established to characterize the disease and identify the causal pathogen. A survey of the major macadamia-producing regions in Australia revealed dry flower disease symptoms regardless of cultivar or location at all stages of raceme development. Based on colony and conidial morphology, the majority (41%) of fungal isolates obtained from tissue samples were identified as Pestalotiopsis and Neopestalotiopsis spp. The phylogeny of the combined partial sequence of the internal transcribed spacer, p-tubulin, and translation elongation factor 1-ct gene loci segregated the isolates into two well-supported clades, independent of location or part of the inflorescence affected. Further morphological examination supported the establishment of two new species, which are formally described as Neopestalotiopsis macadamiae sp. nov. and Pestalotiopsis macadamiae sp. nov. Using spore suspensions of isolates of both species, Koch's postulates were fulfilled on three macadamia cultivars at all stages of raceme development. To our knowledge, this is the first report of species of Neopestalotiopsis and Pestalotiopsis as causal agents of inflorescence disease in macadamia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pawpaw (Carica papaya Linn) seeds, peels and leaves are well known for their medicinal and potent pharmacological values. The plant belongs to the family Caricaceae and its fruit is commonly known for its food and nutritional values. Though the roots, bark, peel, pulp and the seeds had been shown to have medicinal properties, little is known about their nutritional properties. During the last few years, there had been series of research to explore further pharmacological and medicinal properties as well as it nutritional qualities of these plants parts, thus giving rise to it nutraceutical abilities. Scientific attempts have also been made over the decades to authenticate its nutraceutical properties. While nutritional constituents such as oil, proteins, and minerals haven been characterised from its seeds, little is known about other parts of the plant. Though the nutraceutical properties of papaya as drug or quasi-food product are not well understood or value, still it is an important gift of nature that is readily available in our eco-world and worth exploring. This review focuses on previous studies by various researchers on the medicinal, nutraceutical properties as well as the antioxidant potential of these plant parts and suggestions for further studies as regarding the optimisation of the potential of this plant.