Natural & Applied Sciences

Research Papers/Topics in Natural & Applied Sciences

MATHEMATICAL BELIEFS, WORKING MEMORY CAPACITY, AND MATHEMATICAL CREATIVITY IN PROBLEM SOLVING OF THE STUDENTS

Introduction In Mathematics class in every discussion or lesson to be tackled, there is a part where students or learners tend to be exposed to problem-solving. An activity that stimulates those learners to understand today's topic or access their mastery of the lesson that the teacher teaches. The ability to solve problems is a basic life skill and is essential to our day-to-day lives, at home, at school, at home, and at work. We solve problems every day with or without thinking about how we...

Rethinking Journal classification: Rethinking Journal classification in the twenty-first century in the interests of a higher quantum of scientific output

In this paper, we challenge Jeffrey Beall’s still dominant in the psyche approach to journal classification and some other ill-conceived approaches to journal classification, and attempt to show why such reductionist views are harmful to the healthy growth of science. While scientific fraud in any form must be horsewhipped and must not be exonerated or absolved at any cost and under any circumstances, journal classification and all other attendant issues and factors impacting and affecting ...

Exploring Hematological and Biochemical Disparities in Same-Sex and Opposite-Sex Females: A Cross-Sectional Twin Study in a Ghanaian Population

There are sex-dependent differences in hematological and biochemical variables in adulthood attributed to the predominant effects of testosterone in males and estrogen in females. The Twin Testosterone Transfer (TTT) hypothesis proposes that opposite-sex females may develop male-typical traits due to exposure to relatively higher levels of prenatal testosterone than same-sex females. Additionally, prenatal testosterone exposure has been suggested as a correlate of current circulating testoste...

Evolution of a Polydnavirus Gene in Relation to Parasitoid–Host Species Immune Resistance

Abstract: CrV1, a polydisperse DNA virus (polydnavirus or PDV) gene contributes to the suppression of host immunity in Cotesia genus parasitoids. Its molecular evolution was analyzed in relation to levels of resistance in the sympatric host species. Natural selection for nonsynonymous substitutions (positive Darwinian selection) was observed at specific amino acid sites among CrV1 variants; particularly, between parasitoid strains immune suppressive and nonimmune suppressive to the main resi...

Differences in mate Acceptance and Host Plant Recognition between wild and Laboratory-reared Busseola Fusca (Fuller)

Abstract: The present study was aimed at characterizing differences in mate acceptance and host plant recognition between Busseola fusca (Lep.: Noctuidae) reared for several generations under laboratory conditions and wild conspecifics, directly collected from maize stems in the field. The mating success was significantly higher in laboratory reared when compared with the wild B. fusca population. Oviposition on artificial stems was significantly higher for laboratory-reared insects than for...

Integrated pest management: the push-pull approach forcontrolling insect pests and weeds of cereals, and its potential for other agricultural systems including animal husbandry

Abstract: This paper describes the ‘push–pull’ or ‘stimulo-deterrent diversionary’ strategy in relation to current and potential examples from our own experiences. The push–pull effect is established by exploiting semiochemicals to repel insect pests from the crop (‘push’) and to attract them into trap crops (‘pull’). The systems exemplified here have been developed for subsistence farming in Africa and delivery of the semiochemicals is entirely by companion cropping, i.e...

Reproductive compatibility of several East and West African Cotesia Sesamiae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Populations and their Crosses and Backcrosses using Sesamia calamistis (Lepidoptera: Noc

Abstract: The relative importance of the braconid Cotesia sesamiae, a gregarious larval parasitoid of lepidopteran stemborers, varies greatly with region in Africa; while the most common parasitoid of noctuid stemborers in eastern Africa, it is rare in western Africa. Thus, several strains of C. sesamiae from Kenya are envisaged for introduction into western Africa. The present study investigates the reproductive compatibility between four populations of C. sesamiae from West Africa and Keny...

Virulence of the Entomopathogenic Fungi Beauveria Bassiana and Metarhizium Anisopliae to Sweet Potato Weevil Cylas Puncticollis and Effects on Fecundity and Egg Viability

Abstract: The virulence of eight isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae and four isolates of Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) to adult Cylas puncticollis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) was tested in the laboratory. Insects were sprayed with a standard concentration of 1.0 107 conidia mL21 using Burgerjon’s spray tower. All the isolates tested were pathogenic to C. puncticollis. Mortality varied between 77.5% and 84.2% with isolates of B. bassiana and between 62.5% and 89.2% with isola...

Polyphenols as Potential Indicators for Drought Tolerance in Tea (Camellia sinensis L.)

Abstract: Plant polyphenols have gained prominence in quality of plant products and in human health. an experiment...(continue from the attached pdf)

Landscape Effects on Crop Pollination Services: are there General Patterns?

Abstract: Pollination by bees and other animals increases the size, quality, or stability of harvests for 70% of leading global crops. Because native species pollinate many of these crops effectively, conserving habitats for wild pollinators within agricultural landscapes can help maintain pollination services. Using hierarchical Bayesian techniques, we synthesize the results of 23 studies – representing 16 crops on five continents – to estimate the general relationship between pollinati...

Susceptibilities of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus-infected and noninfected Diaphorina citri to entomopathogenic fungi and their detoxification enzyme activities under different temperatur

Abstract: Some entomopathogenic fungi species, Isaria fumosorosea, and Hirsutella citriformis were found to be efficient against the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae). However, the susceptibility to these fungi increases when the psyllid infected with Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las), which is transmitted by D. citri and causes citrus greening disease. In this study, we examined the Las-infected and Las-uninfected D. citri susceptibility to entomopa...

Impact of an exotic parasitoid on Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) population dynamics, damage and indigenous natural enemies in Kenya

Abstract: Diadegma semiclausum (Helle´n) (Hymenoptera: lchneumonidae), an exotic diamondback moth parasitoid, was released in two pilot areas (Werugha in Coast Region and Tharuni in Central Province) in Kenya. Fifteen month before release, observations on the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus), and local natural enemy population dynamics and pest damage were initiated in both areas and continued for three years after release. The P. xylostella population was bimodal with highe...

Testing the spectral resolutions of the new multispectral sensors for detecting Phaeosphaeria leaf spot (PLS) infestations in maize crop

Abstract: Maize is one of the most important subsistence and commercial crops in the world. In Africa, it is regarded as one of the most popular food crops. Recently however, significant losses due to Phaeosphaeria leaf spot (PLS) infestation have been reported. Therefore, techniques for early detection of PLS infestation are valuable for mitigating maize yield losses. Recently, remotely sensed datasets have become valuable in crop assessment. In this study, we sought to detect early PLS inf...

Bionomics of the Acarophagous Ladybird Beetle Stethorus tridens Fed Tetranychus evansi

Abstract: The bionomics of Stethorus tridens Gordon fed Tetranychus evansi Baker & Pritchard were studied in the laboratory. The number of prey consumed by S. tridens increased with increasing instar levels and the total mean number consumed during immature development was 184.1 ± 18.02 T. evansi nymphs per individual. For adult male and adult female, the daily consumption was 41.3 ± 0.80 and 67.8 ± 1.69 nymphs, respectively. Stethorus tridens successfully developed to adulthood between 2...

Life Tables of the Predatory mite Phytoseiulus Longipes Feeding on Tetranychus evansi at Four Temperatures (Acari: Phytoseiidae, Tetranychidae)

Abstract: The tomato red spider mite, Tetranychus evansi, is reported as a severe pest of tomato and other solanaceous crops from Africa, from Atlantic and Mediterranean Islands, and more recently from the south of Europe (Portugal, Spain and France). A population of the predaceous mite Phytoseiulus longipes has been recently found in Brazil in association with T. evansi. The objective of this paper was to assess the development and reproduction abilities of this strain on T. evansi under la...


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