Role of industries in sustaining water quality

Role of industries in sustaining water qualit

Data-Based Mechanistic approach to modelling of daily rainfall-flow relationship : a case of the Upper Vaal water management area

Published ArticleAlthough deterministic models still dominate hydrological modelling, there is a notable paradigm shift in catchment response modelling. An approach to represent the daily rainfall-flow (R-F) relationship using Data-Based Mechanistic (DBM) modelling is presented. DBM modelling is an inductive empirical transfer function (TF) approach relating input to output. The study used secondary data from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry for the Upper Vaal water management area at station C1H007. The R-F model identification and optimisation was implemented in the CAPTAIN Toolbox in MATLAB. The best estimated R-F model was a 2nd order TF with an input lag of one day and R 2T= 56%. In mechanistic interpretation, three parallel flow pathways were discerned; the fast flow, slow flow and the loss component each constituting 49.8%, 24% and 26.2% of the modelled flow respectively. The study demonstrates that the approach adopted herein produces reasonably satisfactory results with a minimum of the readily available catchment data

Comparative Haemolymph Biochemical Properties of Giant African Land Snail (Archachatina marginata) from Nigeria

The Giant African Land Snails (GALS) is a very important micro livestock that is consumed widely within several regions in sub-Saharan Africa which differ in their vegetation types and climatic factors. Studies have shown that diet and stocking density influence properties of the snail haemolymph. This study examines the haemolymph biochemical properties of the land snail, (Archachatina marginata) from south-west (Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo). Organic (protein, lipids, glucose) and inorganic (Na, K, Ca, Cl, PO4) composition of snails’ haemolymph were determined by standard methods. Results showed that GALS from Oyo state had the highest lipids and glucose concentrations in the haemolymph while Ondo and Ekiti states recorded the least. Protein was the most abundant (33.83g/l-49.37g) organic substance while lipids were the least (23.93mg/dl-33-93mg/dl). There were significant differences (P<0.05) in the concentrations of inorganic substances in the haemolymph across the six states. Snails from Oyo state recorded significant higher (p<0.05) concentrations of Na+, Ca2+ and Cl- than those of other states. Also, Na+ and Cl- were the most common anions in snails’ haemolymph from the six states. This current study concluded that snails from Oyo state had better haemolymph biochemical properties than other south west states of Nigeria. DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/10-12-02 Publication date:June 30th 202

Assessment of utilization of postpartum care services among women in Webuye West, Bungoma County, Kenya

Background: Postpartum care (PPC) is an important link in the continuum of care for maternal health. PPC services are essential, aim being to prevent any complications, poor outcomes like morbidity and mortality to ensure a healthy mother. The postpartum period is critical because most maternal deaths occur during this time, yet this is the most neglected period for quality care provision.Objective: To assess utilization and factors influencing utilization of PPC services among women in Webuye West, Bungoma County, Kenya.Design: A descriptive cross sectional study.Setting: Webuye West, Bungoma County, Kenya.Subjects: All women of reproductive age with living children aged 6-9 months.Results: The study revealed that 33.6% utilized PPC services; poor attendance of mandatory visits at less than 40 %, and all visits being positively correlated (r p 0.000) to utilization. On socio cultural factors 85.8% reported staying indoors for specified period influenced use of PPC services and 57.3% stated that traditions demand them to do so. Cultural beliefs and practices are performed and seclusion of up to one month of this 55.7% attested to. Religious beliefs and practices was dependent on use of PPC by 59.4% (X2 p=0.011).On knowledge majority 70.6% knew the services during ANC and from HCWs, but less than 15.4% and 28.2 % knew the mandatory and targeted visits respectively. The 1st and 4th visits being dependent on utilization (X2, p<0.001). On health facility factors the mean distance to facilities is 1.78 km. Even though the majority of available service was basic, majority, 74.8% reported availability with 40.9% having received the services during all their visits. Majority 75.9% of HCWs were friendly and helpful. Half of the women paid for services and average waiting time was 31-60 minutes.Conclusion: PPC service utilization is low marked by poor attendance of visits. Utilization of PPC is dependent on; religious beliefs and practices (X2=0.011), Knowledge on sources of information from MCH booklets and ANC visits (X2 p<0.001); knowledge on who to attend after birth (X2, p<0.001) and timings of PPC visits. Health facility related factors are availability of HCW, their helpfulness and friendliness and waiting time (X2p<0.001). Distance to the health facility and charges for services (X2 p=0.005)

Produção da cenoura e efeito na fertilidade do solo e nutrição decorrente da solarização do solo para controle da tiririca.

Dentre os desafios do cultivo orgânico de hortaliças destaca-se o controle de plantas daninhas, devido à proibição do uso de herbicidas. Entre as invasoras, a tiririca (Cyperus rotundus L.) é de difícil controle pela sua alta competitividade. A solarização é uma alternativa para desinfestação do solo, a qual consiste em cobri-lo com plástico transparente, com bons resultados no controle da tiririca. A fim de avaliar a influência do preparo e do revolvimento do solo sobre a eficiência da solarização no controle da tiririca, bem como seu posterior efeito sobre o cultivo da cenoura, foi realizado um experimento na Fazendinha Agroecológica, em Seropédica (RJ). O experimento foi disposto em blocos ao acaso com três repetições, em arranjo fatorial 2 x 3 mais uma testemunha adicional, sendo: 1) solo solarizado, preparado (com grade aradora) e revolvido 30 dias após a solarização (manualmente com auxílio de uma enxada); 2) solo solarizado, preparado e revolvido aos 60 dias; 3) solo solarizado, preparado e não revolvido; 4) solo solarizado, não preparado e revolvido aos 30 dias; 5) solo solarizado, não preparado e revolvido aos 60 dias; 6) solo solarizado, não preparado e não revolvido; solo não solarizado, não preparado e não revolvido (testemunha). A solarização iniciou-se em 29/1/2002, e durou cem dias. A solarização reduziu em 86% a infestação de tiririca no cultivo da cenoura. Até 10 cm de profundidade, a temperatura do solo foi superior nas parcelas solarizadas, porém a 5 cm, a solarização foi mais eficiente quando associada ao preparo do solo, não havendo efeito do revolvimento. A solarização aumentou os valores da biomassa microbiana e dos teores de Ca, Mg e P do solo. O desenvolvimento da cenoura foi influenciado pela solarização que resultou em maior produtividade

The Asian entrepreneurship core in COVID-19 period: value chains, specialized education, massive participation of women and strategic accompaniment

The document seeks to follow up on companies, entrepreneurs and States, on the issue of strategy and entrepreneurship. For this, two parts are taken, “Companies and take-off strategies typical of central and southeast Asia, before the pandemic”, there are unicorn companies, ventures, new versions of organizations before COVID, period from 2012 to 2019. The cases to be studied come from companies, States, organizations, which are located in the center, such as in Southeast Asia: the Republic of India and the People’s Republic of China. It also takes the leading countries of Southeast Asia, led by Japan, first-generation of the Asian Tigers, Singapore, South Korea, Republic of China Taiwan (ROC); second generation, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, among others. Then, strategic cases are described, analyzed, and sought, in the period 2021-2022, the same countries of Central Asia, plus Japan, the first-generation Tigers, all those previously analyzed, plus Hong Kong and the Second generation, all the analyzed in the previous period, plus Malaysia and Cambodia (OJEDA F. A., 2014). Sectors associated public policies, business strategies, exact cases of companies are observed, for each country, before and after the pandemic until today, 2022. With this research scheme, the reader establishes a “road map” of the companies, which has been generated from a highly volatile international environment, but with great opportunities. It is also an attempt to show a business “catalogue of practices” from these countries, which can be an example for Western organizations, in times of global crisis and international price volatility, especially affecting the value chains of food commodities, energy and basic electronic supplies

Airflow profile study of a compost dairy barn using a low-cost 3D-printed anemometer network

Mechanical ventilation is commonly used for environmental thermal regulation inside closed-field agricultural production systems. Analyzing the air distribution inside these facilities and the correct operation of the fans can be a challenging. This could be determined using cost prohibitive techniques as particle image velocimetry or deploying large wind sensors networks on-site. To avoid this limitation without a lack of measurement accuracy, this research was focused on developing and test a low-cost anemometer network based in low cost propeller’s anemometers, built using fused 3D-printed and open-hardware platforms. Four propeller anemometers with three to six blades were simulated using the 6-DOF method of ANSYS computer fluid dynamics software. Similar results were obtained for all the simulated models with minor differences. Anemometers were tested in an open circuit wind tunnel before to be evaluated in two open compost dairy barn building using high-volume low-speed and low-volume high-speed fans. Data were analyzed by employing contour maps, descriptive statistics and correlation. The results show that the anemometer network determines the fan’s wind profile for wind speeds over 0.7 m s-1 and it was possible to determine the facilities spots with ventilation problems. The proposed anemometer network and methodology are a good alternative to analyze the operating conditions of the tested agricultural facilities and optimize its performance

Estímulo no crescimento e na hidrólise de atp em raízes de alface tratadas com humatos de vermicomposto: ii - efeito da fonte de vermicomposto.

Um dos fatores mais limitantes para a produção de vermicomposto é a disponibilidade de esterco. Neste trabalho, foi avaliado o efeito da substituição parcial do esterco por bagaço de cana e por resíduos de leguminosa (Gliricidia sepium) na vermicompostagem sobre a qualidade do vermicomposto e sobre a bioatividade dos humatos, avaliadas por meio da análise do crescimento radicular e da atividade das bombas de H+ isoladas de raízes de alface. A substituição do esterco por bagaço de cana e por resíduos de leguminosas não acarretou prejuízo às características químicas dos vermicompostos. No entanto, os humatos isolados dos diferentes vermicompostos apresentaram características químicas distintas,tais como: acidez e propriedades óticas distintas. Os humatos produzidos a partir de esterco de bovino e da mistura esterco bovino + bagaço proporcionaram maiores estímulos no crescimento radicular das plantas de alface, sendo os mais indicados para uso na forma solúvel. A inclusão de resíduos de leguminosas no processo de vermicompostagem produziu humatos sem efeito sobre o desenvolvimento das raízes de alface

Scarabaeoidea (Insecta : Coleoptera) in the Brazilian Cerrado : current state of knowledge

Besouros pertencentes à superfamília Scarabaeoidea ocupam habitats variados, possuem hábitos alimentares diversifi cados, desempenham importante papel ecológico e diversas espécies apresentam importância agrícola. No entanto, estudos com esse grupo na região do Cerrado são escassos. Nesta revisão realizou-se um levantamento dos artigos publicados nos últimos 30 anos a respeito dos Scarabaeoidea no Cerrado. Foram recuperados 64 artigos, realizados em nove unidades da federação, que focavam quatro temas principais espécies praga, aspectos bioecológicos, biodiversidade e importância ecológica, e técnicas e metodologias de coleta de Scarabaeoidea. Os resultados desta revisão indicam que poucos estudos foram realizados com os Scarabaeoidea no Cerrado brasileiro nas últimas décadas frente à importância e diversidade desse grupo de insetos.Beetles belonging to the superfamily Scarabaeoidea occupy different habitats, present feeding habits diversifi ed, play an important ecological role and several species have agricultural importance. However, studies with this group in the Brazilian Cerrado are scarce. In this review we carried out a survey of scientifi c articles published in the past 30 years concerning Scarabaeoidea in the Cerrado. Were found 64 studies in nine Brazilian states. The studies focused on four main topics: pest species, bioecology, biodiversity and ecological importance, techniques and methodologies for collecting Scarabaeoidea. The results of this review indicate that few studies have been conducted with Scarabaeoidea in the Cerrado in recent decades compared to the importance and diversity of this group of insects