Agricultural Information Needs and Food Access in the Stann Creek District of Belize

The purpose of this study was to describe agricultural information sources available to farmers and to describe food access and availability for the people of Dangriga, Stann Creek, Belize. This study used descriptive survey research methods with convenience sampling of the general public (n=22) and of farmers (n = 38) in the summer of 2017. Farmers use a variety of agricultural information sources with the extension service cited most often, followed by friends and fellow farmers. Weather, lack of information, pests, and inadequate access to capital were of primary concern for farmers. Face-to-face meetings were used most often by extension officers for disseminating agricultural information. Smallholder farmers and the general public have very similar levels of food access and availability. No significant difference was foundbetween the smallholder farmers and the general public on food insecurity with both groups reporting mild to severe food insecurity. Recommendations focused on practical operational strategies for the local Department of Agriculture, as well as the Belize Ministry of Agriculture to eradicate hungerand increase overall food access and availability throughout Belize

For Fixed Control Parameters the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm's Objective Function Value Concentrates for Typical Instances

The Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm, QAOA, uses a shallow depth quantum circuit to produce a parameter dependent state. For a given combinatorial optimization problem instance, the quantum expectation of the associated cost function is the parameter dependent objective function of the QAOA. We demonstrate that if the parameters are fixed and the instance comes from a reasonable distribution then the objective function value is concentrated in the sense that typical instances have (nearly) the same value of the objective function. This applies not just for optimal parameters as the whole landscape is instance independent. We can prove this is true for low depth quantum circuits for instances of MaxCut on large 3-regular graphs. Our results generalize beyond this example. We support the arguments with numerical examples that show remarkable concentration. For higher depth circuits the numerics also show concentration and we argue for this using the Law of Large Numbers. We also observe by simulation that if we find parameters which result in good performance at say 10 bits these same parameters result in good performance at say 24 bits. These findings suggest ways to run the QAOA that reduce or eliminate the use of the outer loop optimization and may allow us to find good solutions with fewer calls to the quantum computer.Comment: 16 pages, 1 figur

High prevalence of Sarcocystis calchasi in racing pigeon flocks in Germany

The apicomplexan parasite Sarcocystis calchasi (Coccidia: Eimeriorina: Sarcocystidae) is the causative agent of Pigeon Protozoal Encephalitis (PPE) and infects birds of the orders Columbiformes, Piciformes and Psittaciformes. Accipiter hawks (Aves: Accipitriformes) are the definitive hosts of this parasite. Infections of S. calchasi have been detected in Germany, the United States and Japan. However, the prevalence of the parasite in racing pigeon flocks has not yet been determined. Here, the first cross-sectional prevalence study to investigate S. calchasi in pigeon racing flocks was accomplished including 245 pigeon flocks across Germany. A total of 1,225 muscle biopsies, were taken between 2012 and 2016 and examined by semi-nested PCR for S. calchasi DNA targeting the ITS gene. Additionally, a questionnaire on construction of the aviary as well as management and health status of the flock was conducted. In 27.8% (95% C.I. = 22.3–33.8%) of the flocks, S. calchasi DNA was detected in at least one pigeon. Positive flocks were located in 15 out of 16 federal states. A significant increase of infected racing pigeons was seen in spring. Half-covered or open aviary constructions showed a trend of increase of the prevalence rate, while anti-coccidian treatment and acidified drinking water had no effects. The high prevalence and the geographical distribution of S. calchasi suggest a long-standing occurrence of the parasite in the German racing pigeon population. For pigeons presented with neurological signs or other symptoms possibly related to PPE, S. calchasi should be considered as a potential cause throughout Germany

EFEKTIVITAS PENERAPAN MODEL PROBLEM BASED LEARNING MENGGUNAKAN MEDIA VIDEO UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KEMAMPUAN BERPIKIR KRITIS PESERTA DIDIK PADA MATA PELAJARAN JARINGAN DASAR

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk: (1) mengetahui ada tidaknya perbedaan kemampuan berpikir kritis antara peserta didik yang diberikan pembelajaran model PBL menggunakan media video dengan model pembelajaran konvensional; (2) mengetahui efektivitas penerapan model problem based learning menggunakan media video untuk meningkatkan kemampuan berpikir kritis peserta didik pada mata pelajaran jaringan dasar. Penelitian ini dilakukan di SMK Negeri 4 Makassar. Sampel dalam penelitian ini berjumlah 65 peserta didik, dan dibagi menjadi empat kelompok. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan jenis penelitian true eksperiment, di mana desain penelitian yang digunakan adalah Solomon four group design. Pada tahap pengujian instrumen dipilih dua validator yang memvalidasi instrumen berupa tes uraian dan lembar observasi. Teknik analisis data menggunakan teknik analisis statistik deskriptif, uji hipotesis ANOVA one way, dan dilanjutkan dengan uji tukey untuk melihat perbedaan pada setiap kelas eksprerimen. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa: (1) Terdapat perbedaan kemampuan berpikir kritis antara kelompok yang diberikan perlakuan (treatment) berupa model PBL menggunakan media video dengan kelompok yang tidak diberikan perlakuan. Berdasarkan hasil uji lanjut (post hoc) menggunakan uji tukey menunjukkan bahwa antara kelas experiment with pre-test (Group 1) dan kelas control with pre-test (Group 2) menunjukkan nilai mean difference yang signifikan antara kedua kelompok. Pada kedua kelompok ini diberikan pre-test yang sama namun, tidak diberikan perlakuan yang sama yaitu pada kelas experiment with pre-test (Group 1) diberikan penerapan model PBL menggunakan media video dan untuk kelas control with pre-tes (Group 2) tidak diberikan perlakuan. Dan hasil uji tukey menunjukkan adanya perbedaan yang signifikan antara kedua kelompok ini, sehingga dapat disimpulkan bahwa efek yang menyebabkan adanya perbedaan yaitu efek dari perlakuan yaitu penerapan model PBL menggunakan media video; (2) penerapan model PBL menggunakan media video efektif untuk meningkatkan kemampuan berpikir kritis pada mata pelajaran jaringan dasar di SMKN 4 Makassar. Kata Kunci: Berpikir Kritis, Problem Based Learning, Video Pembelajaran

Application of multi-agent games to the prediction of financial time-series

We report on a technique based on multi-agent games which has potential use in the prediction of future movements of financial time-series. A third-party game is trained on a black-box time-series, and is then run into the future to extract next-step and multi-step predictions. In addition to the possibility of identifying profit opportunities, the technique may prove useful in the development of improved risk management strategies.Comment: Work presented at the NATO Workshop on Econophysics. Prague (Feb 2001). To appear in Physica

Broad-Scale Relations between Conservation Reserve Program and Grassland Birds: Do Cover Type, Configuration and Contract Age Matter?

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a voluntary cropland set-aside program where environmentally-sensitive cropland is retired to a conservation practice. Grassland birds should benefit because most CRP is grass habitat and because amount of land in CRP is highest in agriculture-dominated areas of the United States where grassland habitat has been most impacted. We used the Breeding Bird Survey and Common Land Unit (CLU) data (spatially-explicit data of farm field boundaries and land cover) to identify relations between types and configurations of CRP and grassland bird abundance in 3 Midwestern states. All 13 species we studied were related to at least one aspect of CRP habitat - specific conservation practices (e.g., native vs. exotic grass), CRP habitat configuration, or habitat age. Treating all types of CRP as a single habitat type would have obscured bird-CRP relations. Based on our results, creating a mosaic of large and small set-aside patches could benefit both area-sensitive and edge-associated grassland birds. Additionally, northern bobwhite and other birds that use early successional grasslands would benefit from periodic disturbances. CRP, agrienvironment schemes, and other government-sponsored set-aside programs may be most successful when administered as part of a targeted, regional conservation plan

Visual suppression of the vestibulo-ocular reflex during space flight

Visual suppression of the vestibulo-ocular reflex was studied in 16 subjects on 4 Space Shuttle missions. Eye movements were recorded by electro-oculography while subjects fixated a head mounted target during active sinusoidal head oscillation at 0.3 Hz. Adequacy of suppression was evaluated by the number of nystagmus beats, the mean amplitude of each beat, and the cumulative amplitude of nystagmus during two head oscillation cycles. Vestibulo-ocular reflex suppression was unaffected by space flight. Subjects with space motion sickness during flight had significantly more nystagmus beats than unaffected individuals. These susceptible subjects also tended to have more nystagmus beats before flight