Abstract: Raphia wine is an important forest product with cultural significance besides its use as medicine and food in southern Nigeria. This work aims to evaluate the profitability of Raphia wine production and marketing in Sapele Local Government Area, Nigeria. Four communities (Sapele, Ogiede, Okuoke and Elume) were randomly selected for data collection via questionnaires among producers and marketers. A total of 50 producers and 34 marketers were randomly selected for interview. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, profit margin, multiple regression and rate of returns on investment (RORI). Annual average profit was highest in Okuoke (Producers – N90, 000.00, Marketers - N70, 000.00) and least in Sapele (Producers N50, 000.00, Marketers – N45, 000.00). Calculated RORI for marketers were Elume (40.0%), Okuoke (25.0%), Ogiede (33.3%) and Sapele (50.0%). Regression results showed that location has significant effects (0.000, ρ ≤ 0.05) on profit margins. Male (58.8%) and female (41.2%) invest in Raphia wine marketing, while males (100.0%) dominate production. Results showed that Raphia wine has potentials to generate household income, enhance food security and improve quality of life in rural, semi-urban and urban communities. Improved marketing channels, storage facilities and credit facilities via cooperative groups are recommended for producers and marketers by concerned agencies.
Abstract: Search is the most obvious application of information
retrieval. The variety of widely obtainable biomedical data is
enormous and is expanding fast. This expansion makes the existing
techniques are not enough to extract the most interesting patterns
from the collection as per the user requirement. Recent researches are
concentrating more on semantic based searching than the traditional
term based searches. Algorithms for semantic searches are
implemented based on the relations exist between the words of the
documents. Ontologies are used as domain knowledge for identifying
the semantic relations as well as to structure the data for effective
information retrieval. Annotation of data with concepts of ontology is
one of the wide-ranging practices for clustering the documents. In
this paper, indexing based on concept and annotation are proposed
for clustering the biomedical documents. Fuzzy c-means (FCM)
clustering algorithm is used to cluster the documents. The
performances of the proposed methods are analyzed with traditional
term based clustering for PubMed articles in five different diseases
communities. The experimental results show that the proposed
methods outperform the term based fuzzy clustering.
Abstract: Background. Food-related allergies and intolerances are frequently occurring in dogs. Diagnosis and monitoring according ‘Golden Standard’ of elimination efficiency is, however, time consuming, expensive, and requires expert clinical setting. In order to facilitate rapid and robust, quantitative testing of intolerance, and determining the individual offending foods, a serological test is implicated for Alimentary Induced Diseases and manifestations. Method. As we developed Medisynx IgG Human Screening Test ELISA before and the dog’ immune system is most similar to humans, we were able to develop Medisynx IgG Dog Screening Test ELISA as well. In this randomized, double-blind, split-sample, retro perspective study 47 dogs suffering from Canine Atopic Dermatitis (CAD) and several secondary induced reactions were included to participate in serological Medisynx IgG Dog Screening Test ELISA (within < 0,02 % SD). Results were expressed as titers relative to the standard OD readings to diagnose alimentary induced diseases and monitoring efficacy of an individual eliminating diet in dogs. Split sample analysis was performed by independently sending 2 times 3 ml serum under two unique codes. Results. The veterinarian monitored these dogs to check dog’ results at least at 3, 7, 21, 49, 70 days and after period of 6 and 12 months on an individual negative diet and a positive challenge (retrospectively) at 6 months. Data of each dog were recorded in a screening form and reported that a complete recovery of all clinical manifestations was observed at or less than 70 days (between 50 and 70 days) in the majority of dogs (44 out of 47 dogs =93.6%). Conclusion. Challenge results showed a significant result of 100% in specificity as well as 100% positive predicted value. On the other hand, sensitivity was 95,7% and negative predictive value was 95,7%. In conclusion, an individual diet based on IgG ELISA in dogs provides a significant improvement of atopic dermatitis and pruritus including all other non-specific defined allergic skin reactions as erythema, itching, biting and gnawing at toes, as well as to several secondary manifestations like chronic diarrhoea, chronic constipation, otitis media, obesity, laziness or inactive behaviour, pain and muscular stiffness causing a movement disorders, excessive lacrimation, hyper behaviour, nervous behaviour and not possible to stay alone at home, anxiety, biting and aggressive behaviour and disobedience behaviour. Furthermore, we conclude that a relatively more severe systemic candidiasis, as shown by relatively higher titer (class 3 and 4 IgG reactions to Candida albicans), influence the duration of recovery from clinical manifestations in affected dogs. These findings are consistent with our preliminary human clinical studies.
Abstract: Social media refers to the means of interactions
among people in which they create share, exchange and comment
contents among themselves in virtual communities and networks.
Social media or "social networking" has almost become part of our
daily lives and being tossed around over the past few years. It is like
any other media such as newspaper, radio and television but it is far
more than just about sharing information and ideas. Social
networking tools like Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and Blogs have
facilitated creation and exchange of ideas so quickly and widely than
the conventional media. This paper shows the choices,
communication, feeling comfort, time saving and effects of social
media among the people.
Abstract: Experimental Film Class Project is supported by the Institute for Research and Development at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University. This project is purported to provide academic and professional services to improve the quality standards of the community and locals in accordance with the mission of the university, which is to improve and expand knowledge for the community and to develop and transfer such knowledge and professions to the next generation. Eventually, it leads to sustainable development because the development of human resources is deemed as the key for sustainable development. Moreover, the Experimental Film Class is an integral part of the teaching of film production at Suan Sunandha International School of Art (SISA). By means of giving opportunities to students for participation in projects by sharing experience, skill and knowledge and participation in field activities, it helps students in the film production major to enhance their abilities and potentials as preparation for their readiness in the marketplace. Additionally, in this class, we provide basic film knowledge, screenwriting techniques, editing and subtitles including uploading videos on social media such as YouTube and Facebook for the participant students.
Abstract: This research’s objectives were to analyze the using of new media in the form of set up candid clip that affects the product and presenter, to study the effectiveness of using new media in the form of set up candid clip in order to increase the circulation and audience satisfaction and to use the earned information and knowledge to develop the communication for publicizing and advertising via new media. This research is qualitative research based on questionnaire from 50 random sampling representative samples and in-depth interview from experts in publicizing and advertising fields. The findings indicated the positive and negative effects to the brands’ image and presenters’ image of product named “Scotch 100” and “Snickers” that used set up candid clips via new media for publicizing and advertising in Thailand. It will be useful for fields of publicizing and advertising in the new media forms.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to follow – up the graduated students of Bachelor of Science in Applied Statistics from Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University (SSRU) during the 1999 – 2012 academic years and to provide the fundamental guideline for developing the current curriculum according to Thai Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (TQF: HEd). The sample was collected from 75 graduates by interview and online questionnaire. The content covered 5 subjects were Ethics and Moral, Knowledge, Cognitive Skills, Interpersonal Skill and Responsibility, Numerical Analysis as well as Communication and Information Technology Skills. Data were analyzed by using statistical methods as percentiles, means, standard deviation, t- tests, and F- tests. The findings showed that samples were mostly female had less than 26 years old. The majority of graduates had income in the range of 10,001-20,000 Baht and experience range were 2-5 years. In addition, overall opinions from receiving knowledge to apply to work were at agree; mean score was 3.97 and standard deviation was 0.40. In terms of, the hypothesis testing’s result indicate gender only had different opinion at a significance level of 0.05.
Abstract: Power, responsibility sharing, and democratic decision-making are the central ethos to co-management. It is assumed that involving local community in the decision-making process can create a sense of ownership and responsibility of that community and motivate the community towards collective action. But this paper demonstrated that the process to involve local community is not simple and straightforward as it is influenced by structural aspects, power relations among the actors, and social embedded institutions. These factors shape the process in that way who will participate, how they will participate and how the local community maneuvers their agency in the decision-making process. To grasp the complexities that materialize in the process of participation and to understand the inclusionary and exclusionary nature of participation, this paper examines the subjective understanding of different stakeholders concerning participation and furthermore observes the enabling or constraining factors that affect the community to exercise their agency.
Abstract: In recent years, the adoption of mobile phones has been exceptionally rapid in many parts of the world, and Tanzania is not exceptional. We are witnessing a number of new mobile network operators being licensed from time to time by Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA). This makes competition in the telecommunications market very stiff. All mobile phone companies are struggling to earn more new customers into their networks. This trend courses a stiff competition. The various measures are being taken by different companies including, lowering tariff, and introducing free short messages within and out of their networks, and free calls during off-peak periods. This paper is aimed at investigating the influence of tariffs on students’ mobile customers in selecting their mobile network operators. About seventy seven students from high learning institutions in Dodoma Municipality, Tanzania, participated in responding to the prepared questionnaires. The sought information was aimed at determining if tariffs influenced students into selection of their current mobile operators. The results indicate that tariffs were the major driving factor in selection of mobile operators. However, female mobile customers were found to be more easily attracted into subscribing to a mobile operator due to low tariffs, a bigger number of free short messages or discounted call charges than their fellow male customers.
Abstract: The rapid expansion of deserts in recent decades as a result of human actions combined with climatic changes has highlighted the necessity to understand biological processes in arid environments. Whereas physical processes and the biology of flora and fauna have been relatively well studied in marginally used arid areas, knowledge of desert soil micro-organisms remains fragmentary. The objective of this study is to conduct a diversity analysis of bacterial communities in unvegetated arid soils. Several biological phenomena in hot deserts related to microbial populations and the potential use of micro-organisms for restoring hot desert environments. Dry land ecosystems have a highly heterogeneous distribution of resources, with greater nutrient concentrations and microbial densities occurring in vegetated than in bare soils. In this work, we found it useful to use techniques of artificial intelligence in their treatment especially artificial neural networks (ANN). The use of the ANN model, demonstrate his capability for addressing the complex problems of uncertainty data.
Abstract: Negotiation is a specific form of interaction based on communication in which the parties enter into deliberately, each with clear but different interests or goals and a mutual dependency towards a decision due to be taken at the end of the confrontation. Consequently, negotiation is a complex activity involving many different disciplines from the strategic aspects and the decision making process to the evaluation of alternatives or outcomes and the exchange of information. While gender differences can be considered as one of the most researched topic within negotiation studies, empirical works and theory present many conflicting evidences and results about the role of gender in the process or the outcome. Furthermore, little interest has been shown over gender differences in the definition of what is negotiation, its essence or fundamental elements. Or, as differences exist in practices, it might be essential to study if the starting point of these discrepancies does not come from different considerations about what is negotiation and what will encourage the participants in their strategic decisions. Some recent and promising experiments made with diverse groups show that male and female participants in a common and shared situation barely consider the same way the concepts of power, trust or stakes which are largely considered as the usual driving forces of any negotiation. Furthermore, results from Human Resource self-assessment tests display and confirm considerable differences between individuals regarding essential behavioral dimensions like capacity to improvise and to achieve, aptitude to conciliate or to compete and orientation towards power and group domination which are also part of negotiation skills. Our intention in this paper is to confront these dimensions with negotiation’s usual driving forces in order to build up new paths for further research.
Abstract: A vehicle driving with an Adaptive Cruise Control
System (ACC) is usually controlled decentrally, based on the
information of radar systems and in some publications based on
C2X-Communication (CACC) to guarantee stable platoons. In this
paper we present a Model Predictive Control (MPC) design of a
centralized, server-based ACC-System, whereby the vehicular platoon
is modeled and controlled as a whole. It is then proven that the
proposed MPC design guarantees asymptotic stability and hence
string stability of the platoon. The Networked MPC design is
chosen to be able to integrate system constraints optimally as well
as to reduce the effects of communication delay and packet loss.
The performance of the proposed controller is then simulated and
analyzed in an LTE communication scenario using the LTE/EPC
Network Simulator LENA, which is based on the ns-3 network
simulator.
Abstract: In the world of modern communications, visual identity has predominant influence on the overall success of tourist destinations, but despite of these, the problem of designing thriving tourist destination visual identity and their components are hardly addressed. This study highlights the importance of building and managing the visual identity of tourist destination, and based on the empirical study of well-known Mediterranean destination of Croatia analyses three main components of tourist destination visual identity; name, slogan, and logo. Moreover, the paper shows how respondents perceive each component of Croatia’s visual identity. According to study, logo is the most important, followed by the name and slogan. Research also reveals that Croatian economy lags behind developed countries in understanding the importance of visual identity, and its influence on marketing goal achievements.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to describe the main
characteristics of macroinvertebrate species in response to
environmental forcing factors. Overall, 23 species of Mollusca, 4
species of Arthropods, 3 species of Echinodermata and 3 species of
Annelida were identified at the 9 sampling stations during four
sampling periods. Individual species of Mollusca constituted 36.4%
of the total abundance, followed by Arthropods (27.01%), Annelida
(34.3%) and Echinodermata (2.4%). The results of Kruskal-Wallis
test indicated that a significant difference (p
Abstract: The objective of this research was to study Brand
Position Communication Channel in Brand Building in Rajabhat
University Affecting Decision Making of Higher Education from of
qualitative research and in-depth interview with executive members
Rajabhat University and also quantitative by questionnaires which are
personal data of students, study of the acceptance and the finding of
the information of Rajabhat University, study of pattern or Brand
Position Communication Channel affecting the decision making of
studying in Rajabhat University and the result of the communication
in Brand Position Communication Channel. It is found that online
channel and word of mount are highly important and necessary for
education business since media channel is a tool and the management
of marketing communication to create brand awareness, brand
credibility and to achieve the high acclaim in terms of bringing out
qualified graduates. Also, off-line channel can enable the institution
to survive from the high competition especially in education business
regarding management of the Rajabhat University. Therefore,
Rajabhat University has to communicate by the various
communication channel strategies for brand building for attractive
student to make decision making of higher education.
Abstract: This paper describes a blind algorithm, which is
compared with two another algorithms proposed in the literature,
for estimating of the minimum phase channel parameters. In order to
identify blindly the impulse response of these channels, we have used
Higher Order Statistics (HOS) to build our algorithm. The simulation
results in noisy environment, demonstrate that the proposed method
could estimate the phase and magnitude with high accuracy of these
channels blindly and without any information about the input, except
that the input excitation is identically and independent distribute
(i.i.d) and non-Gaussian.
Abstract: Mobile communication provides access to the outside world without borders everywhere and at any time. The learning method that related to mobile communication technology is known as mobile learning (M-learning). It is a method that communicates learning materials with mobile device technology. The purpose of this method is to increase the interest in learning among students and assist them in obtaining learning materials at Kolej Poly-Tech MARA (KPTM) in order to improve the student’s performance in their study and to encourage educators to diversify the teaching practices. This paper discusses the student’s awareness for enhancement of learning style using mobile technologies and their readiness to apply the elements of mobile learning in learning to improve performance and interest in learning among students. An application called Mobile EEF Learning System (MEEFLS) has been developed as a tool to be used as a pilot test in KPTM.
Abstract: Vehicular Ad hoc Network (VANET) is a special case of Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET) used to establish communications and exchange information among nearby vehicles and between vehicles and nearby fixed infrastructure. VANET is seen as a promising technology used to provide safety, efficiency, assistance and comfort to the road users. Routing is an important issue in Vehicular Ad Hoc Network to find and maintain communication between vehicles due to the highly dynamic topology, frequently disconnected network and mobility constraints.
This paper evaluates the performance of two most popular proactive routing protocols OLSR and DSDV in real city traffic scenario on the basis of three metrics namely Packet delivery ratio, throughput and average end to end delay by varying vehicles density and transmission range.
Abstract: The objective of this research was to study the
influence of Integrated Marketing Communication on Buying
Decision of Consumers in Bangkok. A total of 397 respondents were
collected from customers who drive in Bangkok. A questionnaire was
utilized as a tool to collect data. Statistics utilized in this research
included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and
multiple regression analysis. Data were analyzed by using Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences.
The findings revealed that the majority of respondents were male
with the age between 25-34 years old, hold undergraduate degree,
married and stay together. The average income of respondents was
between 10,001-20,000 baht. In terms of occupation, the majority
worked for private companies. The effect to the Buying Decision of
Consumers in Bangkok to including sale promotion with the low
interest and discount for an installment, selling by introducing and
gave product information through sales persons, public relation by
website, direct marketing by annual motor show and advertisement
by television media.
Abstract: In communication systems, frequency jump is a serious problem caused by the oscillators used. Kalman filters are used to detect that jump, despite the tradeoff between the noise level and the speed of the detection. In this paper, an improvement is introduced in the Kalman filter, through a nonlinear change in the bandwidth of the filter. Simulation results show a considerable improvement in the filter speed with a very low noise level. Additionally, the effect on the response to false alarms is also presented and false alarm rate show improvement.