Studies On Foraging And Evaluations Of Imidacloprid Treatments For Controlling Subterranean Termites In Selected Premises (Isoptera:Rhinotermitidae) [QL529. H139 2007 f rb].

A survey was conducted in Penang to determine the main termite infestation in buildings. Satu tinjauan telah dijalankan di negeri Pulau Pinang untuk menentukan spesies anai-anai perosak utama bangunan

The Breeding Pattern and Population Genetic Structure of Coptotermes gestroi (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae) Population in Natural Woodland Habitats

Microsatellite markers are suitable tools for assessing the population structure of eusocial species, especially those with a dynamic breeding system, such as the Asian subterranean termite Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae). Therefore, this study applied seven microsatellite markers to infer the breeding pattern and population genetic structure of C. gestroi found in natural woodland habitats at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. The natural woodland habitat C. gestroi colonies show significant deviation from HWE (all p < 0.05). The uncovered genetic pattern suggested that the C. gestroi colonies presented a combined breeding pattern of mixed- and extended-family colonies with moderate genetic differentiation and elevated inbreeding. In particular, the breeding pattern of C. gestroi colonies was inferred to vary depending on the demographic variation and the age of the colony. Nevertheless, the results revealed comprehensive information on the C. gestroi population structure, habitat-specific to natural woodlands. Furthermore, future studies with exclusive datasets on the population structure of C. gestroi on marginal demography are necessary to enhance the management strategies of this pest species.

Define colony number of subterranean termites coptotermes gstroi (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in selected infested structures

Termites are one of the social insects living in large colonies that can cause economic loss. The objective of this study was to estimate foraging territory of infested subterranean termites on building structure. A mark-recapture study was conducted on eight Coptotermes gestroi colonies located at selected infested building structures in Penang, Malaysia. From the foraging study, the population of C. gestroi was estimated to be within the range of 106,592±6,968 to 4,185,000±2,127,328. Additionally, the foraging territory was from 13 to 300 m2 of the infested building structures. Meanwhile the maximum foraging distance was from 4 to 30 m of the infested structures. The results indicated that each of the building structures was infested by a single colony. This study also showed that the triple mark recapture technique used to estimate the population size of the termite colony was capable of providing rough estimates of foraging population of C. gestroi

Genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship of higher termite Globitermes sulphureus (Haviland)(Blattodea:Termitidae)

The subterranean higher termite Globitermes sulphureus (Blattodea: Termitidae), is a peridomestic forager and regarded as a significant pest in Southeast Asia. In this study, the populations of G. sulphureus from the USM main campus area were investigated based on partial sequences of the mitochondrial COII gene. The genetic diversity was determined using DnaSP v5 software while the phylogenetic relationship was defined using Neighbor-joining (NJ) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods using Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (MEGA 7) software. A total of 2 haplotypes were detected among the 5 sample sequences that differed by two variable sites. In addition, both phylogenetic trees gave similar topology and supporting the results from haplotype diversity. Based on the haplotype diversity and molecular phylogeny, it is proposed that geographic isolation and lack of human activities have contributed to the neutral genetic diversity of G. sulphureus.  

Population Genetic Structure and Breeding Pattern of Higher Group Termite Globitermes sulphureus (Haviland) (Blattodea:Termitidae)

The subterranean termite Globitermes sulphureus (Blattodea: Termitidae) can be found in tropical regions. We chose seven novel species-specific microsatellite markers to infer the breeding pattern of G. sulphureus based on its colony and population genetic structure in eight selected populations (natural-n = 4 and metropolitan-n = 4) in Kedah and Penang, Malaysia. A strong correlation with their geographical location is shown by the acquired genetic gap for all studied populations from this study. The breeding pattern of family structure and comparisons of estimated F-statistics among G. sulphureus workers suggests 60% of all colonies are mixed families, whereas the remaining are simple families. Average relatedness values within simple and mixed family colonies are similar (r = 0.121). Positive fixation index FST values (FST = 0.086) indicate all eight populations (>500 m apart) have a significantly moderate genetic differentiation and low levels of inbreeding based on the low overall inbreeding coefficient FIT value of 0.391. Furthermore, four populations; Palapes USM (PU), Tmn Astana (TA), Kg Teluk (KT), and Penang National Park (NP), deviate from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE, all p = 0.000) and five studied polymorphic loci (GS1, GS10, GS15, GS27 and GS29) are possibly under selection. The findings also reveal signs of a bottleneck effect in two populations: Tikam Batu (TB) and Penang National Park (NP), indicating genetic drift

Determinant of human capital disclosure in the post IFRS regime: An examination of listed firms in Nigeria

This paper examines the possible determinants of human capital disclosure among listed firms in Nigeria. This paper reports the results from a longitudinal panel data based on 442 observations of firms listed on the main board of Nigeria Stock Market for the period 2012–2014. The paper contributes to the literature by extending previous determinants of intangible asset disclosure studies by considering the Nigerian economic and business environment due to recent adoption of international financial reporting standards. Based on agency and proprietary cost theories, the study employed seven possible determinants of voluntary disclosure and developed a checklist for human capital based on prior studies. The results of longitudinal data analyses indicate a significant positive influence on firm’s age, size and industry classification on human capital disclosure whereas the auditor type, profitability, inherent risk and joint audit have a significant negative influence on the of disclosure. The findings have practical implication for financial reporting council of Nigeria in developing HC disclosure standards and investors might utilise the findings in investment decision making process

Determinant of human capital disclosure in the post IFRS regime: an examination of listed firms in Nigerian / Mutalib Anifowose, Hafiz Majdi Ab. Rashid and Hairul Azlan Annuar

This paper examines the possible determinants of human capital disclosure among listed firms in Nigeria. This paper reports the results from a longitudinal panel data based on 442 observations of firms listed on the main board of Nigeria Stock Market for the period 2012-2014. The paper contributes to the literature by extending previous determinant of intangible asset disclosure studies by considering the Nigerian economics and business environment due to recent adoption of international financial reporting standards. Base on agency and proprietary cost theories, the study employs seven possible determinant of voluntary disclosure and developed checklist for human capital based prior studies. The results of longitudinal data analyses indicate a significant positive of firm’s age, size and industry classification on human capital disclosure whereas the auditor’s types, profitability, inherent risk and joint audit have significant negative influence of the of disclosure. The findings have practical implication for financial reporting council of Nigeria in developing HC disclosure standard and investors might utilise the findings in investment decision making process

Effects of different coffee extracts on the egg fertility and lifespan of dengue vectors (Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti) (diptera: culicidae)

This study was conducted to examine the impacts of various extracts of coffee on the egg production aedes fertility and adult lifespan in two dengue vectors. Coffee is known for its chemical richness that is so far no resistance in insects was documented. For this purpose, two types of extracts (crude and used) from two types of coffee (fresh and roasted) of Coffea canephora (Robusta coffee) were used. We compared the effects of the extracts on the egg hatching responses and the longevity of dengue vectors; Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti. Overall, the roasted coffee extracts tend to have more negative impact than the fresh coffee extracts in reducing the hatching success. Crude extracts of both fresh/green and roasted coffee seems to exerts more chemicals and appears to be more acidic than the used extracts in which resulted in reduced rate of larval eclosion. Longevity statistically has no difference among coffee extracts However, based on the overall observation on the longevity of the adult and the difference in the longevity suggested that the exposure of the coffee to the dengue vectors during the embryogenesis does reduces the longevity of the survived adult by few days difference

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Evaluation of Non-Metallic Pipe (NMP) Degradation in CO2 Environment

The utilization of Non-Metallic Pipe (NMP) as part of recent corrosion control and management practise has create a critical requirement in term of corrosion monitoring of the NMP as it exposed to field operating condition. Currently, there is no established method to monitor the corrosion activities in NMP. Hence, this study was initiated to evaluate the capability of an advance monitoring technology namely Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) in detecting the chemical degradation of NMP when exposed to CO2 corrosion environment. The chemical degradation process on a selected types of polymer, High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) and the electrochemical impedance analysis were conducted comprehensively. The chemical degradation process was held in an autoclave machine with fixed temperature and pressure setup. The chemical deterioration of polymer have proven by assessing under EIS which based on EIS reading such as Nyquist and Bode Plot that identify the salient characteristic of corrosion damage in polymer. As a conclusion, this project can give a practical quantitative monitoring method in future NMP application. However, the research was recommended to continue the studies by using stronger and thinner polymer in order to avoid the sample from melting and for better result

Glucose production from oil palm trunk

Oil palm trunk is one of the agricultural wastes which can be used as a raw material for production of glucose through fermentation process. It can be as another alternative way to reduce cost and also more environmental friendly. The main objective of this research is to produce glucose from oil palm trunk fibre using biological method. In biological method, the conversion of cellulose to glucose with the help of mix culture from oil palm sap. Twenty runs of experiment were carried out by using Design Expert Software based on three factors which are reaction time (0 – 24 hours), temperature (25°C - 40°C) and agitation speed (100 rpm – 300 rpm). Glucose was estimated by 3, 5dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method and the effect of three factors on glucose concentration employing oil palm trunk fibre were evaluated using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) two level, three-variable central composite rotatable design (CCRD). The optimum conditions derived via RSM were 10.41 hours of reaction time, temperature value of 30.45°C and agitation of 225.20 rpm. The result show that, the best condition to produce optimum glucose were achieved at 12.50 hours of reaction time, temperature value of 32.50°C and agitation speed of 300 rpm. There are also produce interaction between reaction time and temperature in order to produce glucose. After optimization, the glucose concentration was increased to 0.983454 mg/mL to give value of percentage of error which is 47.4%. As a conclusion, the objective of the research has been achieved. Glucose can be produced from oil palm trunk using biological method