Studies on the histological and biochemical changes during spermatogenesis in MUGIL CEPHALUS linnaeus and related species

Several studies on the biology and fisheries of mullets, particularly of M cephalus are now available. Different aspects of breeding, larval rearing, seed production, field culture and ecophysiology have also been investigated. However, information on the spermatogenesis in M cephalus as well as L parsia is scanty. Since an understanding of the reproductive strategies is an essential pre-requisite for evolving successful breeding programmes through artificial fertilization and gametic preservation, investigations on spermatogenesis in these species were taken up and the results are presented in this thesis. The thesis is presented in 9 chapters

Studies On The Biology And Fishery Of The Fishes Of The Family Priacanthidae (Pisces : Perciformes) Of Indian Waters

Preliminary investigations revealed that 3. hamrur is the predominant species along the east and west coasts of India while other species are sparsely distributed and occur sporadically. In the present investigation, aspects such as population parameters, breeding and feeding biology, fishery etc. of _l:. hamrur of the north east coast of India (Fig.1) are dealt with. Studies on the distribution, abundance and stock size of priacanthids all along the Indian waters were undertaken. Taxonomic studies of the priacanthid species encountered during the study from the Indian waters is also attempted

Energetics 0f A Few Marine Crustaceans

Success achieved in seed production and culture of prawns induced researchers to explore the feasibiltiy of culture of other important crustaceans like lobsters and crabs. The CMFRI initiated a project to study the prospects of spiny lobster’ culture and I was associated with this project from the beginning. Compared to shrimp farming, culture of spiny lobsters is an entirely different proposition due to inherent problems in producing their seeds. The emphasis on .obster culture, therefore, shifted to rearing of juvenile lobsters, which form a major portion in commercial lobster landings in India. Commendable success was achieved in enhancing growth rate of four important speices of spiny lobsters by bilateral eyestalk ablation. But due to strong reservations expressed against the "blinding" of lobsters by people from all walks of life, this technique could not be tested commercially for its economic viability. As in prawns, energetics of reproduction and egg development have not yet been documented in spiny lobsters and so these aspects were included in this study. Though some limited informations on food conversion efficiency are availble in spiny lobster, a detailed study on the effect of size and sexual maturity on food conversion was wanting and this also was included in this investigation. The most dominant spiny lobster in south east and south west coast of India, Panulirus homarus (Linnaeus) was selected for this study. Uptake, accumulation and utilization of minerals and trace elements are important events during embryogenesis of aquatic invertebrates. The scope of this study was widened to include these aspects also in order to understand how specific requirements of minerals and trace elements are met in the developing eggs of these two species of crustaceans.

Studies On The Reproduction Of Indian Whiting Sill/160 5'/Ham/1 (Forskal) (Percoidei, Sillaginidae)

From the point of view of rational exploitation and proper management of the fishery resources as well as for the development of intensive aquaculture of fishes through selective breeding, brood stock development, domestication and genetic improvement, a sound knowledge of reproductive biology and physiology of the candidate species is of great importance. In recent times, a wealth of information on maturity, spawning habits, spawning periodicity, spawning season, size at maturity and fecundity of commercially important fishes has been generated. Gametogenesis involves the transformation of Primordial germ cells in the gonads into specialised cells or gametes, namely ova in the female and sperms in male, through a series of complex morphological and cytological events. The formation of male gamete is known as spermatogenesis. In the female, the primary growth phase involving the formation of primary oocyte from oogonia is known as oogenesis, which would be followed by the secondary growth phase, in which considerable increase in the size of the oocyte occurs, due mainly to accumulation of yolk. This process is known as vitellogenesis, which would be followed by final maturation and ovulation of the ova. In the present work, basic aspects of maturation and spawning, salient features of gametogenesis and associated biochemical changes occurring during these processes in an important cultivable fish, Sillago sihama belonging to the family Sillaginidae have been investigated.

classification and content based retrieval of digital mammograms and placental sonograms

Image processing has been a challenging and multidisciplinary research area since decades with continuing improvements in its various branches especially Medical Imaging. The healthcare industry was very much benefited with the advances in Image Processing techniques for the efficient management of large volumes of clinical data. The popularity and growth of Image Processing field attracts researchers from many disciplines including Computer Science and Medical Science due to its applicability to the real world. In the meantime, Computer Science is becoming an important driving force for the further development of Medical Sciences. The objective of this study is to make use of the basic concepts in Medical Image Processing and develop methods and tools for clinicians’ assistance. This work is motivated from clinical applications of digital mammograms and placental sonograms, and uses real medical images for proposing a method intended to assist radiologists in the diagnostic process. The study consists of two domains of Pattern recognition, Classification and Content Based Retrieval. Mammogram images of breast cancer patients and placental images are used for this study. Cancer is a disaster to human race. The accuracy in characterizing images using simplified user friendly Computer Aided Diagnosis techniques helps radiologists in detecting cancers at an early stage. Breast cancer which accounts for the major cause of cancer death in women can be fully cured if detected at an early stage. Studies relating to placental characteristics and abnormalities are important in foetal monitoring. The diagnostic variability in sonographic examination of placenta can be overlooked by detailed placental texture analysis by focusing on placental grading. The work aims on early breast cancer detection and placental maturity analysis. This dissertation is a stepping stone in combing various application domains of healthcare and technology.

The Major Digestive Enzymes in Etroplus suratensis and Oreochromis mossambicus: Distribution and Characteristics

The major digestive enzyme activities and digestive indices were compared between Etroplus suratensis and Oreochromis mossambicus. Pepsin - like acid proteases that acts on low pH has been identified all along the digestive tract of both the fishes. Comparatively low alpha amylase activity is shown by the E. suratensis and the enzyme is distributed almost equally throughout the intestinal segments in both the species. Very low alkaline protease activity is found in the stomach of both the fishes and in O. mossambicus, the enzyme activity diminishes extensively towards the posterior portion of the intestine whereas in E. suratensis the activity increases towards the posterior part. The present study showed that lipase is one of the prominent digestive enzymes in O. mossambicus with a remarkable specific activity throughout the digestive tract than that of E. suratensis .It has been noted that O. mossambicus has a higher values for digestive somatic index, hepato somatic index, intestinal coefficient and gut Vs standard length ratio than that of E. suratensis indicating its higher digestive and metabolic capabilities. The early maturity and fast growth of O. mossambicus can be explained by their enhanced digestive indices. The compa ratively low activities of acid protease, amylase, lipase and total alkaline protease of E. suratensis revealed poor digestive capacity than that of O. mossambicus

Sedimentology and Geochemistry of core sediments from the Ashtamudi estuary and the adjoining coastal plain,central Kerala,India

The evolution of coast through geological time scale is dependent on the transgression-regression event subsequent to the rise or fall of sea level. This event is accounted by investigation of the vertical sediment deposition patterns and their interrelationship for paleo-enviornmental reconstruction. Different methods like sedimentological (grain size and micro-morphological) and geochemical (elemental relationship) analyses as well as radiocarbon dating are generally used to decipher the sea level changes and paleoclimatic conditions of the Quaternary sediment sequence. For the Indian coast with a coastline length of about 7500 km, studies on geological and geomorphological signatures of sea level changes during the Quaternary were reported in general by researchers during the last two decades. However, for the southwest coast of India particularily Kerala which is famous for its coastal landforms comprising of estuaries, lagoons, backwaters, coastal plains, cliffs and barrier beaches, studies pertaining to the marine transgression-regression events in the southern region are limited. The Neendakara-Kayamkulam coastal stretch in central Kerala where the coast is manifested with shore parallel Kayamkulam Lagoon on one side and shore perpendicular Ashtamudi Estuary on the other side indicating existence of an uplifted prograded coastal margin followed by barrier beaches, backwater channels, ridge and runnel topography is an ideal site for studying such events. Hence the present study has been taken up in this context to address the gap area. The location for collection of core samples representing coastal plain, estuarylagoon and offshore regions have been identified based on published literature and available sedimentary records. The objectives of the research work are:  To study the lithological variations and depositional environments of sediment cores along the coastal plain, estuary-lagoon and offshore regions between Kollam and Kayamkulam in the central Kerala coast  To study the transportation and diagenetic history of sediments in the area  To investigate the geochemical characterization of sediments and to elucidate the source-sink relationship  To understand the marine transgression-regression events and to propose a conceptual model for the region The thesis comprises of 8 chapters. The first chapter embodies the preamble for the selection and significance of this research work. The study area is introduced with details on its physiographical, geological, geomorphological, rainfall and climate information. A review of literature, compiling the research on different aspects such as physico-chemical, geomorphological, tectonics, transgression-regression events are presented in the second chapter and they are broadly classified into three viz:- International, National and Kerala. The field data collection and laboratory analyses adopted in the research work are discussed in the third chapter. For collection of sediment core samples from the coastal plains, rotary drilling method was employed whereas for the estuary-lagoon and offshore locations the gravity/piston corer method was adopted. The collected subsurficial samples were analysed for texture, surface micro-texture, elemental analysis, XRD and radiocarbon dating techniques for age determination. The fourth chapter deals with the textural analysis of the core samples collected from various predefined locations of the study area. The result reveals that the Ashtamudi Estuary is composed of silty clay to clayey type of sediments whereas offshore cores are carpeted with silty clay to relict sand. Investigation of the source of sediments deposited in the coastal plain located on either side of the estuary indicates the dominance of terrigenous to marine origin in the southern region whereas it is predominantly of marine origin towards the north. Further the hydrodynamic conditions as well as the depositional enviornment of the sediment cores are elucidated based on statistical parameters that decipher the deposition pattern at various locations viz., coastal plain (open to closed basin), Ashtamudi Estuary (partially open to restricted estuary to closed basin) and offshore (open channel). The intensity of clay minerals is also discussed. From the results of radiocarbon dating the sediment depositional environments were deciphered.The results of the microtextural study of sediment samples (quartz grains) using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) are presented in the fifth chapter. These results throw light on the processes of transport and diagenetic history of the detrital sediments. Based on the lithological variations, selected quartz grains of different environments were also analysed. The study indicates that the southern coastal plain sediments were transported and deposited mechanically under fluvial environment followed by diagenesis under prolonged marine incursion. But in the case of the northern coastal plain, the sediments were transported and deposited under littoral environment indicating the dominance of marine incursion through mechanical as well as chemical processes. The quartz grains of the Ashtamudi Estuary indicate fluvial origin. The surface texture features of the offshore sediments suggest that the quartz grains are of littoral origin and represent the relict beach deposits. The geochemical characterisation of sediment cores based on geochemical classification, sediment maturity, palaeo-weathering and provenance in different environments are discussed in the sixth chapter. In the seventh chapter the integration of multiproxies data along with radiocarbon dates are presented and finally evolution and depositional history based on transgression–regression events is deciphered. The eighth chapter summarizes the major findings and conclusions of the study with recommendation for future work.

Studies on Selected Myctophid Fishes in Arabian Sea with respect to their Status in Deep Sea Trawl Bycatch, Length-Weight Relationship, Reproductive Biology and Population Dynamics

Available information on abundance of myctophids and their utilisation indicate that there is excellent scope for development of myctophid fisheries in Indian Ocean. Most of the conventional fish stocks have reached a state of full exploitation or over-exploitation. Hence there is need to locate new and conventional fishery resources in order to fill in the supply-demand gap, in the face of increasing demand for fish. Information on length-weight relationship, age and growth, spawning season, fecundity and age at maturity and information on bycatch discards are required for sustainable utilization of myctophid resource in the Indian Ocean

Root effects on the turnover of grain legume residues in soil

Das Ziel dieser Arbeit war, die Einflüsse von Wurzeln und Rhizodeposition auf den Umsatz von Körnerleguminosenresiduen und damit verknüpfte mikrobielle Prozesse zu untersuchen. In einem integrierten Versuch wurden Ackerbohne (Vicia faba L.), Erbse (Pisum sativum L.) und Weiße Lupine (Lupinus albus L.) untersucht. Der Versuch bestand aus drei Teilen, zwei Gefäß-Experimenten und einem Inkubationsexperiment, in denen ausgehend von einem Gefäß-Experiment derselbe Boden und dasselbe Pflanzenmaterial verwendet wurden. In Experiment I wurde die Stickstoff-Rhizodeposition der Körnerleguminosenarten, definiert als wurzelbürtiger N nach dem Entfernen aller sichtbaren Wurzeln im Boden, gemessen und der Verbleib des Rhizodepositions-N in verschiednenen Bodenpools untersucht. Dazu wurden die Leguminosen in einem Gefäßversuch unter Verwendung einer in situ 15N-Docht-Methode mit einer 15N Harnstofflösung pulsmarkiert. In Experiment II wurde der Umsatz der N-Rhizodeposition der Körnerleguminosen und der Einfluss der Rhizodeposition auf den anschließenden C- und N-Umsatz der Körnerleguminosenresiduen in einem Inkubationsexperiment untersucht. In Experiment III wurde der N-Transfer aus den Körnerleguminosenresiduen einschließlich N-Rhizodeposition in die mikrobielle Biomasse und die Folgefrüchte Weizen (Triticum aestivum L.) und Raps (Brassica napus L.) in einem Gewächshaus-Gefäßversuch ermittelt. Die in situ 15N Docht-Markierungs-Methode wies hohe 15N Wiederfindungsraten von ungefähr 84 Prozent für alle drei Leguminosenarten auf und zeigte eine vergleichsweise homogene 15N Verteilung zwischen verschiedenen Pflanzenteilen zur Reife. Die Wurzeln zeigten deutliche Effekte auf die N-Dynamik nach dem Anbau von Körnerleguminosen. Die Effekte konnten auf die N-Rhizodeposition und deren anschließenden Umsatz, Einflüsse der Rhizodeposition von Körnerleguminosen auf den anschließenden Umsatz ihrer Residuen (Stängel, Blätter, erfassbare Wurzeln) und die Wirkungen nachfolgender Nichtleguminosen auf den Umsatzprozess der Residuen zurückgeführt werden: Die N-Rhizodeposition betrug zur Reife der Pflanzen bezogen auf die Gesamt-N- Aufnahme 13 Prozent bei Ackerbohne und Erbse und 16 Prozent bei Weißer Lupine. Bezogen auf den Residual N nach Ernte der Körner erhöhte sich der relative Anteil auf 35 - 44 Prozent. Die N-Rhizodeposition ist daher ein wesentlicher Pool für die N-Bilanz von Körnerleguminosen und trägt wesentlich zur Erklärung positiver Fruchtfolgeeffekte nach Körnerleguminosen bei. 7 - 21 Prozent des Rhizodepositions-N wurden als Feinwurzeln nach Nasssiebung (200 µm) wiedergefunden. Nur 14 - 18 Prozent des Rhizodepositions-N wurde in der mikrobiellen Biomasse und ein sehr kleiner Anteil von 3 - 7 Prozent in der mineralischen N Fraktion gefunden. 48 bis 72 Prozent der N-Rhizodeposition konnte in keinem der untersuchten Pools nachgewiesen werden. Dieser Teil dürfte als mikrobielle Residualmasse immobilisiert worden sein. Nach 168 Tagen Inkubation wurden 21 bis 27 Prozent des Rhizodepositions-N in den mineralisiert. Der mineralisierte N stammte im wesentlichen aus zwei Pools: Zwischen 30 Prozent und 55 Prozent wurde aus der mikrobiellen Residualmasse mineralisiert und eine kleinere Menge stammte aus der mikrobielle Biomasse. Der Einfluss der Rhizodeposition auf den Umsatz der Residuen war indifferent. Durch Rhizodeposition wurde die C Mineralisierung der Leguminosenresiduen nur in der Lupinenvariante erhöht, wobei der mikrobielle N und die Bildung von mikrobieller Residualmasse aus den Leguminosenresiduen in allen Varianten durch Rhizodepositionseinflüsse erhöht waren. Das Potential des residualen Körnerleguminosen-N für die N Ernährung von Folgefrüchten war gering. Nur 8 - 12 Prozent des residualen N wurden in den Folgenfrüchten Weizen und Raps wiedergefunden. Durch die Berücksichtigung des Rhizodepositions-N war der relative Anteil des Residual-N bezogen auf die Gesamt-N-Aufnahme der Folgefrucht hoch und betrug zwischen 18 und 46 Prozent. Dies lässt auf einen höheren N-Beitrag der Körnerleguminosen schließen als bisher angenommen wurde. Die residuale N-Aufnahme von Weizen von der Blüte bis zur Reife wurde durch den Residual-N gespeist, der zur Blüte in der mikrobiellen Biomasse immobilisiert worden war. Die gesamte Poolgröße, Residual-N in der mikrobiellen Biomasse und in Weizen, veränderte sich von der Blüte bis zur Reife nicht. Jedoch konnte ein Rest von 80 Prozent des Residual-N in keinem der untersuchten Pools nachgewiesen werden und dürfte als mikrobielle Residualmasse immobilisiert worden sein oder ist noch nicht abgebaut worden. Die zwei unterschiedlichen Folgefrüchte - Weizen und Raps - zeigten sehr ähnliche Muster bei der N-Aufnahme, der Residual-N Wiederfindung und bei mikrobiellen Parametern für die Residuen der drei Körnerleguminosenarten. Ein differenzierender Effekt auf den Umsatz der Residuen bzw. auf das Residual-N-Aneignungsvermögen der Folgefrüchte konnte nicht beobachtet werden.

Quality Criteria for Enterprise Modelling in the context of networked Enterprises

The capability for collaboration is a key success factor for networked enterprises. The paper introduces a methodology supporting the application of Enterprise Modelling in order to improve the maturity for collaboration. The methodology considers the current status of maturity for interoperability for deducing the right modelling approach. The approach is combined with quality criteria of the models in order to guide the modelling process. Both the deducing approach and the quality criteria are related to the levels of interoperability proposed by the ATHENA Interoperability Framework.

Farmers’ desired traits and selection criteria for maize varieties and their implications for maize breeding: A case study from KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

Adoption of hybrids and improved varieties has remained low in the smallholder farming sector of South Africa, despite maize being the staple food crop for the majority of households. The objective of this study was to establish preferred maize characteristics by farmers which can be used as selection criteria by maize breeders in crop improvement. Data were collected from three villages of a selected smallholder farming area in South Africa using a survey covering 300 households and participatory rural appraisal methodology. Results indicated a limited selection of maize varieties grown by farmers in the area compared to other communities in Africa. More than 97% of the farmers grew a local landrace called Natal-8-row or IsiZulu. Hybrids and improved open pollinated varieties were planted by less than 40% of the farmers. The Natal-8-row landrace had characteristics similar to landraces from eastern and southern Africa and closely resembled Hickory King, a landrace still popular in Southern Africa. The local landrace was preferred for its taste, recycled seed, tolerance to abiotic stresses and yield stability. Preferred characteristics of maize varieties were high yield and prolificacy, disease resistance, early maturity, white grain colour, and drying and shelling qualities. Farmers were willing to grow hybrids if the cost of seed and other inputs were affordable and their preferences were considered. Our results show that breeding opportunities exist for improving the farmers’ local varieties and maize breeders can take advantage of these preferred traits and incorporate them into existing high yielding varieties.

Spatial and harvesting influence on growth, yield, quality and economic potential of Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata Wall Ex. Nees)

Andrographis paniculata, commonly known as Kalmegh, is used both in Ayurvedic and Unani system of medicines because of its immunological, antibacterial and hepatoprotective properties. This study was carried out to investigate the influence of four harvesting times (120,135,150 days after planting and at seed maturity) and four planting distances (30×15, 30×10, 20×15 and 20×10 cm) on growth, dry herbage biomass, seed yield and quality traits of Andrographis paniculata at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India in the two years 2005 and 2006. The treatments were laid out in a split plot design with three replications. The maximum values for dry herbage biomass yield (5.14 t ha^(-1)), net returns (760.00 EUR ha^(-1)), B:C ratio (2.59), andrographolide content (2.63%) and total yield (135.00 kg ha^(-1)) were detected 135 days after planting with an optimum planting distance of 30×15 cm. However, the maximum iron content was estimated 120 days after planting. The highest dry herbage (4.58 t ha^(-1)) and maximum seed yield (19.7 kg ha^(-1)) were registered at plants that were lined out with a distance of 20×10 cm.

Optimization of Processing Technology for Commercial Drying of Bananas (Matooke)

Summary - Cooking banana is one of the most important crops in Uganda; it is a staple food and source of household income in rural areas. The most common cooking banana is locally called matooke, a Musa sp triploid acuminate genome group (AAA-EAHB). It is perishable and traded in fresh form leading to very high postharvest losses (22-45%). This is attributed to: non-uniform level of harvest maturity, poor handling, bulk transportation and lack of value addition/processing technologies, which are currently the main challenges for trade and export, and diversified utilization of matooke. Drying is one of the oldest technologies employed in processing of agricultural produce. A lot of research has been carried out on drying of fruits and vegetables, but little information is available on matooke. Drying of matooke and milling it to flour extends its shelf-life is an important means to overcome the above challenges. Raw matooke flour is a generic flour developed to improve shelf stability of the fruit and to find alternative uses. It is rich in starch (80 - 85%db) and subsequently has a high potential as a calorie resource base. It possesses good properties for both food and non-food industrial use. Some effort has been done to commercialize the processing of matooke but there is still limited information on its processing into flour. It was imperative to carry out an in-depth study to bridge the following gaps: lack of accurate information on the maturity window within which matooke for processing into flour can be harvested leading to non-uniform quality of matooke flour; there is no information on moisture sorption isotherm for matooke from which the minimum equilibrium moisture content in relation to temperature and relative humidity is obtainable, below which the dry matooke would be microbiologically shelf-stable; and lack of information on drying behavior of matooke and standardized processing parameters for matooke in relation to physicochemical properties of the flour. The main objective of the study was to establish the optimum harvest maturity window and optimize the processing parameters for obtaining standardized microbiologically shelf-stable matooke flour with good starch quality attributes. This research was designed to: i) establish the optimum maturity harvest window within which matooke can be harvested to produce a consistent quality of matooke flour, ii) establish the sorption isotherms for matooke, iii) establish the effect of process parameters on drying characteristics of matooke, iv) optimize the drying process parameters for matooke, v) validate the models of maturity and optimum process parameters and vi) standardize process parameters for commercial processing of matooke. Samples were obtained from a banana plantation at Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID), Technology Business Incubation Center (TBI) at Nyaruzunga – Bushenyi in Western Uganda. A completely randomized design (CRD) was employed in selecting the banana stools from which samples for the experiments were picked. The cultivar Mbwazirume which is soft cooking and commonly grown in Bushenyi was selected for the study. The static gravitation method recommended by COST 90 Project (Wolf et al., 1985), was used for determination of moisture sorption isotherms. A research dryer developed for this research. All experiments were carried out in laboratories at TBI. The physiological maturity of matooke cv. mbwazirume at Bushenyi is 21 weeks. The optimum harvest maturity window for commercial processing of matooke flour (Raw Tooke Flour - RTF) at Bushenyi is between 15-21 weeks. The finger weight model is recommended for farmers to estimate harvest maturity for matooke and the combined model of finger weight and pulp peel ratio is recommended for commercial processors. Matooke isotherms exhibited type II curve behavior which is characteristic of foodstuffs. The GAB model best described all the adsorption and desorption moisture isotherms. For commercial processing of matooke, in order to obtain a microbiologically shelf-stable dry product. It is recommended to dry it to moisture content below or equal to 10% (wb). The hysteresis phenomenon was exhibited by the moisture sorption isotherms for matooke. The isoteric heat of sorption for both adsorptions and desorption isotherms increased with decreased moisture content. The total isosteric heat of sorption for matooke: adsorption isotherm ranged from 4,586 – 2,386 kJ/kg and desorption isotherm from 18,194– 2,391 kJ/kg for equilibrium moisture content from 0.3 – 0.01 (db) respectively. The minimum energy required for drying matooke from 80 – 10% (wb) is 8,124 kJ/kg of water removed. Implying that the minimum energy required for drying of 1 kg of fresh matooke from 80 - 10% (wb) is 5,793 kJ. The drying of matooke takes place in three steps: the warm-up and the two falling rate periods. The drying rate constant for all processing parameters ranged from 5,793 kJ and effective diffusivity ranged from 1.5E-10 - 8.27E-10 m2/s. The activation energy (Ea) for matooke was 16.3kJ/mol (1,605 kJ/kg). Comparing the activation energy (Ea) with the net isosteric heat of sorption for desorption isotherm (qst) (1,297.62) at 0.1 (kg water/kg dry matter), indicated that Ea was higher than qst suggesting that moisture molecules travel in liquid form in matooke slices. The total color difference (ΔE*) between the fresh and dry samples, was lowest for effect of thickness of 7 mm, followed by air velocity of 6 m/s, and then drying air temperature at 70˚C. The drying system controlled by set surface product temperature, reduced the drying time by 50% compared to that of a drying system controlled by set air drying temperature. The processing parameters did not have a significant effect on physicochemical and quality attributes, suggesting that any drying air temperature can be used in the initial stages of drying as long as the product temperature does not exceed gelatinization temperature of matooke (72˚C). The optimum processing parameters for single-layer drying of matooke are: thickness = 3 mm, air temperatures 70˚C, dew point temperature 18˚C and air velocity 6 m/s overflow mode. From practical point of view it is recommended that for commercial processing of matooke, to employ multi-layer drying of loading capacity equal or less than 7 kg/m², thickness 3 mm, air temperatures 70˚C, dew point temperature 18˚C and air velocity 6 m/s overflow mode.

The Human in the Loop: User Participation in Self-Adaptive Software

Self-adaptive software provides a profound solution for adapting applications to changing contexts in dynamic and heterogeneous environments. Having emerged from Autonomic Computing, it incorporates fully autonomous decision making based on predefined structural and behavioural models. The most common approach for architectural runtime adaptation is the MAPE-K adaptation loop implementing an external adaptation manager without manual user control. However, it has turned out that adaptation behaviour lacks acceptance if it does not correspond to a user’s expectations – particularly for Ubiquitous Computing scenarios with user interaction. Adaptations can be irritating and distracting if they are not appropriate for a certain situation. In general, uncertainty during development and at run-time causes problems with users being outside the adaptation loop. In a literature study, we analyse publications about self-adaptive software research. The results show a discrepancy between the motivated application domains, the maturity of examples, and the quality of evaluations on the one hand and the provided solutions on the other hand. Only few publications analysed the impact of their work on the user, but many employ user-oriented examples for motivation and demonstration. To incorporate the user within the adaptation loop and to deal with uncertainty, our proposed solutions enable user participation for interactive selfadaptive software while at the same time maintaining the benefits of intelligent autonomous behaviour. We define three dimensions of user participation, namely temporal, behavioural, and structural user participation. This dissertation contributes solutions for user participation in the temporal and behavioural dimension. The temporal dimension addresses the moment of adaptation which is classically determined by the self-adaptive system. We provide mechanisms allowing users to influence or to define the moment of adaptation. With our solution, users can have full control over the moment of adaptation or the self-adaptive software considers the user’s situation more appropriately. The behavioural dimension addresses the actual adaptation logic and the resulting run-time behaviour. Application behaviour is established during development and does not necessarily match the run-time expectations. Our contributions are three distinct solutions which allow users to make changes to the application’s runtime behaviour: dynamic utility functions, fuzzy-based reasoning, and learning-based reasoning. The foundation of our work is a notification and feedback solution that improves intelligibility and controllability of self-adaptive applications by implementing a bi-directional communication between self-adaptive software and the user. The different mechanisms from the temporal and behavioural participation dimension require the notification and feedback solution to inform users on adaptation actions and to provide a mechanism to influence adaptations. Case studies show the feasibility of the developed solutions. Moreover, an extensive user study with 62 participants was conducted to evaluate the impact of notifications before and after adaptations. Although the study revealed that there is no preference for a particular notification design, participants clearly appreciated intelligibility and controllability over autonomous adaptations.

Interrelatedness of grazing livestock with vegetation parameters and farmers’ livelihoods in the Mahafaly region, southwestern Madagascar

The study aims to get deeper insight into the highly extensive system of animal husbandry in the Mahafaly region of southwestern Madagascar. It tries to understand the major drivers for pastoral dynamics, land and resource use along a gradient in altitude and vegetation to consider the area’s high spatial and temporal heterogeneity. The study also analyzes the reproductive performance of local livestock as well as the owners’ culling strategies to determine herd dynamics, opportunities for economic growth, and future potential for rural development. Across seasons, plateau herds from both livestock species covered longer distances (cattle 13.6±3.02 km, goats 12.3±3.48 km) and were found further away from the settlements (cattle 3.1±0.96 km, goats 2.8±0.98 km) than those from the coastal plain (walking_dist: cattle 9.5±3.25 km, goats 9.2±2.57 km; max_dist: cattle 2.6±1.28 km, goats 1.8±0.61 km). Transhumant cattle were detected more vulnerable through limited access to pasture land and water resources compared to local herds. Seasonal water shortage has been confirmed as a key constraint on the plateau while livestock keeping along the coast is more limited by dry season forage availability. However, recent security issues and land use conflicts with local crop farmers are gaining importance and force livestock owners to adapt their traditional grazing management, resulting in spatio-temporal variation of livestock numbers and in the impending risk of local overgrazing and degradation of rangelands. Among the 133 plant species consumed by livestock, 13 were determined of major importance for the animals’ nutrition. The nutritive value and digestibility of the natural forage, as well as its abundance in the coastal zone, substantially decreased over the course of the dry season and emphasized the importance of supplementary forage plants, in particular Euphorbia stenoclada. At the same time, an unsustainable utilization and overexploitation of its wild stocks may raise the pressure on the vegetation and pasture resources within the nearby Tsimanampetsotsa National Park. Age at first parturition was 40.5±0.59 months for cattle and 21.3±0.63 months for goats. Both species showed long parturition intervals (cattle 24.2±0.48 months, goats 12.4±0.30 months), mostly due to the maintenance of poorly performing breeding females within the herds. Reported offspring mortality, however, was low with 2.5% of cattle and 18.8% of goats dying before reaching maturity. The analysis of economic information revealed higher than expected market dynamics, especially for zebus, resulting in annual contribution margins of 33 € per cattle unit and 11 € per goat unit. The application of the PRY Herd Life model to simulate herd development for present management and two alternate scenarios confirmed the economic profitability of the current livestock system and showed potential for further productive and economic development. However, this might be clearly limited by the region’s restricted carrying capacity. Summarizing, this study illustrates the highly extensive and resources-driven character of the livestock system in the Mahafaly region, with herd mobility being a central element to cope with seasonal shortages in forage and water. But additional key drivers and external factors are gaining importance and increasingly affect migration decisions and grazing management. This leads to an increased risk of local overgrazing and overexploitation of natural pasture resources and intensifies the tension between pastoral and conservation interests. At the same time, it hampers the region’s agronomic development, which has not yet been fully exploited. The situation therefore demonstrates the need for practical improvement suggestions and implication measures, such as the systematic forestation of supplemental forage plant species in the coastal zone or a stronger integration of animal husbandry and crop production, to sustain the traditional livestock system without compromising peoples’ livelihoods while at the same time minimizing the pastoral impact on the area’s unique nature and environment.