Fusion of airborne LiDAR with multispectral SPOT 5 image for enhancement of feature extraction using Dempster–Shafer theory

This paper presents an application of data-driven Dempster-Shafer theory (DST) of evidence to fuse multisensor data for land-cover feature extraction. Over the years, researchers have focused on DST for a variety of applications. However, less attention has been given to generate and interpret probability, certainty, and conflict maps. Moreover, quantitative assessment of DST performance is often overlooked. In this paper, for implementation of DST, two main types of data were used: multisensor data such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and multispectral satellite imagery [Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre 5 (SPOT 5)]. The objectives are to classify land-cover types from fused multisensor data using DST, to quantitatively assess the accuracy of the classification, and to examine the potential of slope data derived from LiDAR for feature detection. First, we derived the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from SPOT 5 image and the normalized digital surface model (DSM) (nDSM) from LiDAR by subtracting the digital terrain model from the DSM. The two products were fused using the DST algorithm, and the accuracy of the classification was assessed. Second, we generated a surface slope from LiDAR and fused it with NDVI. Subsequently, the classification accuracy was assessed using an IKONOS image of the study area as ground truth data. From the two processing stages, the NDVI/nDSM fusion had an overall accuracy of 88.7%, while the NDVI/slope fusion had 75.3%. The result indicates that NDVI/nDSM integration performed better than NDVI/slope. Although the overall accuracy of the former is better than the latter (NDVI/slope), the contribution of individual class reveals that building extraction from fused slope and NDVI performed poorly. This study proves that DST is a time- and cost-effective method for accurate land-cover feature identification and extraction without the need for a prior knowledge of the scene. Furthermore, the ability to generate ot- er products like certainty, conflict, and maximum probability maps for better visual understanding of the decision process makes it more reliable for applications such as urban planning, forest management, 3-D feature extraction, and map updating

Using technology acceptance model to measure the use of social media for collaborative learning in Ghana

In this Digital era, thousands of teens in the universities use social network sites; it has become a way of life. Social Media Usage has recently received numerous debates in its impact on academics, with its advent, communities have become link to each other, but the lecture room still remains quite isolated, from other teachers, students, and a host of others who could potentially enhance learning. This study aimed at investigating the impact of social media usage on students’ academic performance through collaborative learning among university students in Ghana. Based Davis, Bagozzi & Warshaw (1989), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), a conceptual framework was adopted for the study. To achieve the objectives, a quantitative data analysis method was employed. A total of 200 students were randomly surveyed for the study. Regression analysis revealed that, Interaction with peers, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness had a significant positive relationship with collaborative learning. Furthermore, results suggested that there exist a significant mediation effects on the relationship between social media usage dimensions and academic performance. TAM does not take into account environment or economic factors that may influence a person’s intention to perform a behavior. The study recommends a clear mobile learning methodologies, rules and policies for integrating student activities on social media into their final gradesPeer Reviewe

Dimension of Librarians’ Mobile Information Behavior in an Openness Paradigm Era

Mobile information is a significant access point for human information activities. Theories and models of human information behavior have developed over several decades but have not yet considered the role of the user’s computing device in digital information interactions. This paper reviews the literature that leads to developing a conceptual framework of a study on the librarian mobile information behavior. Based on the literature review, dimensions of mobile information behavior are identified, namely, dimension information needs, dimension information access, information retrieval and dimension of information use. The study is significant to understand the nature of librarians’ behavior in searching, retrieving and using of information via the mobile device. Secondly the study would provide suggestions about various kinds of mobile applications which library can provide for their staff to improve their services

Network intrusion detection using genetic algorithm to find best DNA signature

Bioinformatics is part of computer science that joins between computer programming and molecular biology. DNA consists of long sequence of nucleotides which formulates the genome. Our method is to generate normal signature sequence and alignment threshold value from processing the system training data and encode observed network connection into corresponding DNA nucleotides sequence, then to align the signature sequence with observed sequence to find similarity degree value and decide whether the connection is attack or normal. Number of DNA sequences makes up each population, and then new generations are produced to select the Signature with best alignment value with normal network connection sequences. This paper ends up with accuracy value and threshold score for detecting the network anomalies that no known conditions exist for them to be discovered in addition for percentage of generating false positive and true negative alarms

Effect of abootre (Senna siamea) leafy biomass and NPK (15:15:15) fertilizer on the growth and yield of hot pepper, Capsicum frutescens (L.)

Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa are often deterred from using fertilizers on their crops due to the high cost of inorganic fertilizers and the environmental strain associated with intensive agriculture, which relies heavily on inputs. However, a comprehensive understanding of how the integration of organic biomass, such as Senna siamea leafy biomass, and conventional fertilizers like NPK (15:15:15) impacts the growth and yield of specific crops like hot pepper is lacking. A field experiment was carried out at the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources Demonstration Farm, KNUST-Kumasi, Ghana in 2023 to assess the effect of S. siamea leafy biomass and NPK (15:15:15) inorganic fertilizer on the growth and yield of hot pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) in a randomized complete block design. Four treatments were used and allocated as T1 (Control), T2 (0.096kg of NPK), T3 (0.32063kg of S. siamea leafy biomass) and T4 (0.1532kg of S. siamea leafy biomass + 0.048kg of NPK). The treatments were replicated four times. The parameters investigated were; height, number of leaves, fruit yield and fruit dry weight. Treatments showed significant difference between them in the parameters investigated on, p?0.05. The combined application of S. siamea leafy biomass and NPK (15:15:15) fertilizer significantly increased the growth in height (42.75 cm), number of leaves (40.75), fruit yield (305291 fruits/ha) and dry fruit weight (484 kg/ha) of hot pepper compared to the sole application of the individual materials and the control, p?0.05. In terms of effect of these treatments, T4 [(0.1532 kg of S. siamea leafy biomass + 0.048 kg NPK (15:15:15)] favored the growth and yield of hot pepper the most, followed by the sole application of S. siamea leafy biomass T3 (0.32063 kg of S. siamea leafy biomass), sole NPK (0.09 kg of NPK) and then T1 (control) recording the lowest growth in height (19.32 cm), number of leaves (21.25), fruit yield (129693 fruits/ha) and fruit dry weight (115 kg/ha) of hot pepper. Therefore, the combined application of T4[(0.1532 kg of S. siamea leafy biomass + 0.048 kg NPK (15:15:15)] could be adopted by farmers as an economically fit fertilizer treatment for optimum hot pepper performance. Additionally, S. siamea leafy biomass might be adopted by hot pepper farmers as an alternative to inorganic in terms of cost and availability in sub-Saharan Africa

Preparation and Characterization of New Magnetic Montmorillonite Clay Mineral by Intercalation of Iron Oxides in West Iraqi Layered Bentonite

A new magnetic montmorillonite hybrid materials of iron (Fe II, Fe III) with Iraqi (Traifawi) montmorillonite were synthesized by mixing 15 g. of H – form initiated montmorillonite with 100 ml saturated aqueous solutions of different percent ratios of ferric and ferrous chlorides (FeCl3 & FeCl2) with continuous agitation at 60ºC, and the mixture is allowed to react for 24 h. to ensure maximum interlayer (Fe+3 & Fe+2) cations intercalation. The resulting Fe – intercalated montmorillonite solids were separated by centrifugation, washed several times with deionized water to free Hydrochloric acid (HCl), dried at 100 ºC for 24 h. (Fe II, Fe III)  –montmorillonite was characterized by Magnetic susceptibility measurement, X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-IR spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The intercalated bentonite samples show high Magnetic susceptibilities due to increment or decrement of Magnetite and Hematite content in these clay samples. All the XRD patterns of iron (Fe II, Fe III) montmorillonite nanocomposites shows a red shift in the position of Montmorillonite mineral main peak due to the emergence of new magnetic clay mineral by intercalation of (Fe II, Fe III) in montmorillonite. Also the clay reflections, present some additional peaks that obviously originate from iron oxides (Hematite Fe2O3), and (Magnetite Fe3O4). FT-IR patterns of (Fe II, Fe III) – montmorillonite samples noticed the appearance of new peaks belongs to (Hematite) Fe2O3 stretching vibration, Fe-O stretching vibration, and (Magnetite Fe3O4) stretching vibration. SEM images of (Fe II, Fe III) – montmorillonite samples showed a change in the nature of the Montmorillonite clay surface. Keywords: Intercalation, West Iraqi, Magnetic Montmorillonite, Layered Bentonite

Qualitative and quantitative determination of lignin in different types of Iraqi Phoenix dactylifera Date palm pruning woods

The target of this study is to find analytical data base for Iraqi phoenix date palm pruning woods, which produced by pruning process at the season of date palm production. Lignin has been extracted and purified for five  types of Iraqi date palm using Klason lignin method. The weight of the extracted lignin ranged from (0.473 g – 0.600 g) and the lignin % ranged from (23.5 – 30). The other ingredients (waxes, oils, resin, and proteins of wood gums) % ranged from (11.2 – 53.5). FT– IR Characterization showed that the (-OH) phenolic group appear in Digal lignin structure only and dis appear in other lignin samples, and the (4-O-5 inter monomeric lignin linkage) showed moderate to weak  intensity peaks for all studied samples except the Humrani sample at (1271 cm-1) has a strong intensity peak. Also (DODO inter monomeric lignin linkage) showed strong intensity peaks for each (Humrani at 1116 cm-1, and Tibarzal at 1111 cm-1). UV – Vis. Characterization showed that the lowest absorption maximum (267 nm) corresponds to Basrawi lignin sample, While the highest absorption maximum (297 nm) corresponds to Tibarzal lignin sample. Keywords: Qualitative and quantitative determination , pruning woods, lignin, Phoenix dactylifera

Preparation and Characterization for a New ZnO - Montmorillonite Hybrid from Iraqi (Traifawi) Clay Minerals

A new hybrid materials of zinc oxide with Iraqi (Traifawi) montmorillonite were synthesized by mixing 15 g. of H – form initiated montmorillonite with 100 ml saturated aqueous solution of Zinc chloride (ZnCl2) with continuous agitation at 60 ºC, and the mixture was allowed to react for 24 h. to ensure maximum interlayer Zn+2 cations intercalation. The resulting Zn – intercalated montmorillonite solid was separated by centrifugation, washed several times with deionized water for free (HCl), dried at 100 ºC for 24 h. and calcined at 900 ºC using Muffle Furnace. ZnO –montmorillonite hybrid was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fluorescence spectroscopy. The appearance of the reflections due to ZnO crystal in the XRD patterns of ZnO–montmorillonite and Zn – montmorillonite was ascribed to the formation of ZnO and Zn+2 ions on the solid surfaces. ZnO – montmorillonite hybrid (SEM) images show the flower-shaped structures on the external surface of clay mineral in a complete flower like morphology composed with sharp tipped hexagonal Nano rods. The enhancement in emission intensity of the zinc oxide hybrids may be probably due to increase in oxygen vacancies defect arose by the surrounding environment of montmorillonite. Keywords: Characterization, Iraqi (Traifawi), ZnO - Montmorillonite, hybrid

Quantification of the components of the Iraqi Chicken wet egg yolk, and characterization of Lecithin.

The target of this study is to determine the Iraqi wet egg yolk constituents, and to characterize the Lecithin of this wet egg yolk. The protein of Egg yolk was extracted using and was to be (55.27 %) while water content represent (25 %). Oil content was (13.23 %) isolated from the remaining egg yolk using acetone according to AOCS Official Method Ja 4-46 [1]. Finally Lecithin content was (22.4 %). Pure Lecithin was characterized by FT-IR, U.V-Vis. Analysis, and Powder X-ray diffraction. Keywords: Wet Egg Yolk, characterization, Lecithin, Quantification, Iraqi Chicken

HR Management Practices and HR Performance: The Role of Procedural Justice. An Empirical Investigation of Automotive Industry Companies in Morocco

Given the centrality of human capital within organizations, many scientific works have focused on this issue. These studies focus in particular on analyzing the link between HRM practices and corporate performance. In large part, the results of previous studies confirm this relationship, while the modalities of influence remain to bediscovered. In Morocco, very few publications have addressed this issue. Thus, our research aims to understand the interaction between HRM practices, procedural justice, and HR performance, using the automotive industry as aground for empirical investigation. To achieve this, we administered a questionnaire to the HR managers of these companies. Based on 65 responsesobtained, the results indicate that incentives and work organization practices indirectly influence HR performance level, while procedural justice plays the intermediary role between the two variables