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Abstract: The study ascertained the determinants of catfish production in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria having ascertained from literature that greater improvement in catfish production can be achieved with a proper analysis that will lead to knowledge of the profitability of catfish production in the country. Ascertaining the factors influencing catfish production in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria was done based on this line of thinking. Data obtained from one hundred and twenty catfish farmers in Akwa Ibom State using multi-stage sampling procedure were analysed using descriptive statistics, budgeting technique and multiple regression. Findings reveal that 79.17% of the respondents were males, with an average age of 41 years; and 80% of them having formal education. The average monthly income of the respondents was N 32, 500.50 and their average year of fishing experience was four years. Results show that catfish production was profitable in the study area yielding a net income of N 18,539,760.00. The costs of fingerlings, pond construction, feed/chemicals, as well as fishing experience and amount spent on salary/labour were the significant factors influencing catfish production in the study area. It is recommended, among others, that catfish farmers in the study area be encouraged to form co-operatives to enhance their ability to access necessary inputs such as feed/chemicals at a subsidized rate. This will lead to an increase in the total revenue earned from catfish production. Keywords: Clarias gariepinus, farming, profitability, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria. Download Full Article |
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Abstract: Various studies have reported that global warming causes unstable climate and many serious impact to physical environment and public health. The increasing incidence of dengue incidence is now a priority health issue and become a health burden of Pakistan. The study aims to understand, explore and compare the climatic factors of Karachi and Lahore that causes the emergence or increasing rate of dengue fever incidence that effects the population and its health. Principal component analysis (PCA) is performed for the purpose of finding if there is/are any general environmental factor/structure which could be considered as Pakistani climate. We developed an early warning model for the prediction of dengue outbreak in Lahore. This has been done by using Poisson regression and Negative binomial regression model. For this purpose we use daily, weekly and monthly data of Lahore. The negative binomial model with lag (28) for Lahore daily data for climatic variable is best model. Lahore daily and weekly maximum temperature effect negatively and for the past 28 days it is estimated to negatively influence on the dengue occurrence by 26.1% times. Daily wind speed is effecting negatively by 14.7% times and minimum temperature effect positively for the past 28 days by 86.7%times. Keywords: Dengue Fever, Principal component analysis, Negative Binomial Model. Download Full Article |
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Abstract: The key objective of this study was to devise a continuous ZeeWeed® membrane-based, immersed, microfiltration (MF) laboratory scale fermentation system for ethanol production with cell retention to achieve effective ethanol productivity, flux rates and sugar utilization. The new bioreactor was compared to the fermentation kinetics’ of the ultrafiltration unit.A synthetic glucose based medium was fermented by fresh, baker’s yeast to produce ethanol. The cells were not recycled; the medium was continuously withdrawn by filtration through an internal, immersed hollow-fiber cartridge. In this way, the inside of the membrane was exposed to the ethanolic solution, while broth with viable yeast cells remained outside the membrane. This design, with a cell retention system, provided much less membrane fouling (loss of about 76% of the original water flux after 96 hours of filtration) than while using the ultrafiltration (UF) external hollow-fiber membrane with cell recycling (loss of 97% of the original water flux after 2-3 hours of operation). Both modules converted at least 95% of glucose with biomass concentration of 30 g/L, and the final ethanol concentration of 62 g/L. However, the UF membrane became plugged after only 2 hrs of operation. The ZeeWeed® membrane operated successfully for 96 hrs with a final flux of 4 L/h m2 with ethanol concentration of 62.4 g/l, biomass yield 0.34 g/g and cell viability of 95.3%. This concept could be successfully used for biofuel production. A very strong positive correlation was observed between the biomass and EtOH concentration (R=0.98; at p<0.05). Keywords: Continuous ethanol fermentation, hollow fiber, cross-flow microfiltration, membrane bioreactor, cell retention, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Download Full Article |
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Abstract: Plant protection agents (more commonly known as pesticides) are widely used in agriculture to increase the yield, improve the quality and extend the storage life of food crops. The study was carried out in order to determine the effectiveness of various traditional processing treatments on reducing the residual load of pesticides from tomato and its products. Results showed that lipid soluble pesticides residues were reduced most effectively in sun-drying (90-97%) followed by frying (91-99%) and thermal dehydration (89-90%). The data further indicated that profenofos residues dislodged more effectively than bifenthrin and endosulfan. The least reduction was noticed in endosulfan residues. Similarly in case of water soluble pesticides, the effect of sun-drying, frying and thermal dehydration on reduction of pesticide residues were within the range of 94-97%, 92-96% and 91-96%, respectively. Maximum reduction was found in emamectin benzoate residues followed by imidacloprid and diafenthiuron. Keywords: Tomato, vegetables, pesticide residues, washing, cooking. |
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Abstract: This laboratory experiment was conducted to find out the feeding performance and larval development of Menochilus sexmaculatus (Fabricuis) on Aphis gossypii (Glov.), Bemisia tabaci (Ginn.) and Amrasca biguttula biguttula (Distant) at 26 ± 2ºC temperature and 65 ± 5% relative humidity. The result indicated that the 3rd and 4th instar larvae of the beetle consumed 76.20 ± 3.44 and 79.7 ± 0.77 nymphs of A. gossypii /day followed by (23.0 ± 0.77) and (23.4 ± 0.75) nymphs of B. tabaci and (19.73 ± 1.17) and (21.55 ± 0.77) nymphs of A. b. biguttula, respectively as compared to 1st and 2nd instar larvae. Adult female consumed maximum (101.0 ± 0.55) nymphs of A. gossypii /day followed by (26.90 ± 0.27) nymphs of B. tabaci and (22.16 ± 0.20) nymphsof A. b. biguttula as compared to male. The result further revealed that the 4th instar larva consumed highest number 159.4 ± 7.35 of A. gossypii nymphs during its life span followed by (93.8 ± 3.02) and (86.2 ± 3.09) nymphs of B. tabaci and A. b. biguttula, respectively. Similarly, the adult female devoured highest number of nymphs (3040.2 ± 26.4) of A. gossypii followed by B. tabaci (807.0±8.1) and A. b. biguttula (664.98±6.0) during its life span as compare to male. The shortest life span was recorded on A. gossypii as compared to A. b. biguttula and B. tabaci, There was highly significant difference in consumption rate and development period of larvae and adult beetles on different prey species (P<0.05). Keywords: Feeding efficiency, developmental period, Menochilus sexmaculatus, Aphis gossypii, Bemisia tabaci, Amrasca biguttula biguttula. Download Full Article |