• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.671-674
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• 2002

This study investigated the use of multinutrient blocks (MNB) composed of 35% date syrup, 35% date syrup byproducts, 10% date fronds, 7% urea, 7% cement and 6% common salt for growing small ruminants, as partial substitute for the roughage component of the diet (Rhodes grass hay) and its effect on feedlot performance and economics of feeding. Eight growing local Omani goats and 8 sheep (each about one year old) were used in this study. Mean body weights for goats and sheep (kg), respectively were $21.1{\pm}4.5$ and $25.5{\pm}4.1$. The goats and sheep were subdivided into two sub-groups of more or less equal body weights for each species. Each sub-group in both species was either fed on 0.5 kg concentrate+ad libitum Rhodes grass hay or the same diet+restricted hay (about 0.2 kg/head/day) and ad libitum amount of MNB. Sheep significantly (p<0.05) consumed greater amounts of MNB ($36{\pm}17$g/head/day) than goats ($6{\pm}2.5$ g/head/day). Feeding of the MNB was effective in sparing about 40% of the roughage Rhodes grass hay for goats (from 240 to 140 g) and about 42% for sheep (from 252 to 146 g) or approximately 100 g/head/day for both goats and sheep. This reduction (or sparing) in the consumption of Rhodes grass hay was coupled by an improvement in daily liveweight gain (g/head/day) in both goats (from 29 to 46 by 58.6%) and sheep (from 26 to 39 by 50%) and also by an improvement in the feed conversion efficiency (g feed/g gain) of both goats (from 25 to 13.8 by 45%) and sheep (from 28.7 to 17.2 by 40%). Cost of daily consumed feeds as well as cost/kg gain (or cost of meat) were both reduced due to feeding of MNB. They were both respectively reduced by 7.5% (from 53 Baisa/day to 49) and 38% (from 1,828 Baisa/kg to 1,140). It was economically viable to feed MNBs containing date by-products and urea to small ruminants in the Sultanate of Oman.

• International Journal of Knowledge Content Development & Technology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.5-27
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• 2016

This research aims to explore the acceptance of Moodle as a teaching and learning tool by the faculty of the Department of Information Studies (IS) at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in the Sultanate of Oman. The researchers employed the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to examine the effects of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions on the behavioural intention of SQU faculty members to employ Moodle in their instruction. Data were collected by the interview method. Results showed the emergence of two faculty groups: one uses Moodle and one does not use Moodle. In group that uses Moodle, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions and behavioural intention are positively related, thereby influencing the faculty members' use behavior. In addition to the aforementioned UTAUT constructs, four additional factors affect Moodle's adoption. These moderators are gender, age, experience and the voluntariness of use, amongst which gender exhibits the least influence on Moodle adoption. That is, male and female faculty generally both use the learning platform. Although some members of the group that does not use Moodle exhibit optimistic performance expectancy for technology, the overall perception in this regard for Moodle is negative. The other UTAUT constructs exert no influence on this group's adoption of the learning platform.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.210-215
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• 2002

Four field experiments were carried out from 1998 to 1999 and from 1999 to 2000 growing seasons of potato to investigate the relationship between leafminers and Alternaria alternata. The experiments established differential susceptibility among potato varieties to alternaria leaf necrosis, relationship between leafminer infestation and the level of necrosis, use of insecticides to reduce leafminer and leaf necrosis damages, and use of polyester fleece to eliminate leafminer and eventually reduce leaf necrosis. Results of the study indicate that control of leafminer is of primary importance because this will automatically lead to control of the damage caused by A. alternata.

• Journal of Information Processing Systems
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.286-308
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• 2018

The availability of powerful and sensor-enabled mobile and Internet-connected devices have enabled the advent of the ubiquitous sensor network (USN) paradigm. USN provides various types of solutions to the general public in multiple sectors, including environmental monitoring, entertainment, transportation, security, and healthcare. Here, we explore and compare the features of wireless sensor networks and USN. Based on our extensive study, we classify the security- and privacy-related challenges of USNs. We identify and discuss solutions available to address these challenges. Finally, we briefly discuss open challenges for designing more secure and privacy-preserving approaches in next-generation USNs.

• International Journal of Reliability and Applications
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.61-77
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• 2011

One of the most important problems in the estimation of the parameter of the failure model, is the cost of experimental sampling units, which can be reduced by using any prior information available about ${\theta}$, and devising a two-stage pooling shrunken estimation procedure. We have proposed an estimator of the reliability function (R(t)) of the exponential model using two-stage time censored data when a prior value about the unknown parameter (${\theta}$) is available from the past. To compare the performance of the proposed estimator with the classical estimator, computer intensive calculations for bias, mean squared error, relative efficiency, expected sample size and percentage of the overall sample size saved expressions, were done for varying the constants involved in the proposed estimator (${\tilde{R}}$(t)).

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.79-85
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• 2010

The methanolic extract of natural roots of Mucuna pruriens was screened for hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects in carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$) induced hepatotoxicity in Albino rats. The degree of protection was measured by estimating biochemical parameters like serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase, total protein and level of serum bilirubin (both total and direct). The extract also reduced $CCl_4$ induced lipid peroxidation both in-vitro and in-vivo. Hepatoprotective activity of methanolic extract at dose 300 mg/kg body weight, i.p., was comparable with standard drug Silymarin (25 mg/kg, i.p.). Furthermore, histopathological experiments were also carried out to support the study.

• The Korean Journal of Food & Health Convergence
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.17-23
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• 2018

Carica papaya is an important medicinal plant used in the management of different disease conditions. Phytochemical screening was carried out using different chemical test, Percentage yield and total phenolic content was evaluated using Folin Ciocalteu method in different solvent system; methanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and n-hexane respectively. The phytochemical screening of the studies showed the presence of flavonoids, saponins, tannins, terpenoids, glycosides, steroids, carbonhydrate, anthraquinone and alkaloids. The percentage yield of crude extract and total polyphenol content was high in methanol, ethanol and ethyl acetate when compared with n-butanol and n-hexane. The studies show that Carica papaya leave extracts is a potent source of secondary metabolites. The use of the plant in the management of diseases is justified.

• International Journal of Reliability and Applications
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.79-96
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• 2013

Exponential distribution plays a key role in engineering reliability and its applications. The exponential failure model has been studied for years. This article introduces two new preliminary test estimators for the reliability function (R(t)) in complete and censored samples from the exponential model with the use of a prior estimation (${\theta}_0$) of the mean (${\theta}$). The proposed preliminary test estimators are studied and compared numerically with the existing estimators. Computer-intensive calculations for bias and relative efficiency show that for, different values of levels of significance and for varying constants involved in the proposed estimators, the proposed estimators are far better than classical and existing estimators.

• Bulletin of the Korean Mathematical Society
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.1003-1019
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• 2021

In this paper, we introduce a class of maximal functions along twisted surfaces in ℝⁿ×ℝ^m of the form {(𝜙(|v|)u, 𝜑(|u|)v) : (u, v) ∈ ℝⁿ×ℝ^m}. We prove L^p bounds when the kernels lie in the space L^q (𝕊^n-1×𝕊^m-1). As a consequence, we establish the L^p boundedness for such class of operators provided that the kernels are in L log L(𝕊^n-1×𝕊^m-1) or in the Block spaces B^0,0_q (𝕊^n-1×𝕊^m-1) (q > 1).

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.24-30
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• 2010

This study utilises repeated numerical tests to understand the effects of variable near-surface conditions on time-lapse seismic surveys. The numerical tests were aimed at reproducing the significant scattering observed in field experiments conducted at the Naylor site in the Otway Basin for the purpose of $CO_2$ sequestration. In particular, the variation of elastic properties of both the top soil and the deeper rugose clay/limestone interface as a function of varying water saturation were investigated. Such tests simulate the measurements conducted in dry and wet seasons and to evaluate the contribution of these seasonal variations to seismic measurements in terms of non-repeatability. Full elastic pre-stack modelling experiments were carried out to quantify these effects and evaluate their individual contributions. The results show that the relatively simple scattering effects of the corrugated near-surface clay/limestone interface can have a profound effect on time-lapse surveys. The experiments also show that the changes in top soil saturation could potentially affect seismic signature even more than the corrugated deeper surface. Overall agreement between numerically predicted and in situ measured normalised root-mean-square (NRMS) differences between repeated (time-lapse) 2D seismic surveys warrant further investigation. Future field studies will include in situ measurements of the elastic properties of the weathered zone through the use of 'micro Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP)' arrays and very dense refraction surveys. The results of this work may impact on other areas not associated with $CO_2$ sequestration, such as imaging oil production over areas where producing fields suffer from a karstic topography, such as in the Middle East and Australia.