Table 2: Example applications of the use of remote sensing technologies to detect change in vegetation.

In order to understand the distribution and prevalence of Ommatissus lybicus (Hemiptera: Tropiduchidae) as well as analyse their current biographical patterns and predict their future spread, comprehensive and detailed information on the environmental, climatic, and agricultural practices are essential. The spatial analytical techniques such as Remote Sensing and Spatial Statistics Tools, can help detect and model spatial links and correlations between the presence, absence and density of O. lybicus in response to climatic, environmental, and human factors. The main objective of this paper is to review remote sensing and relevant analytical techniques that can be applied in mapping and modelling the habitat and population density of O. lybicus. An exhaustive search of related literature revealed that there are very limited studies linking location-based infestation levels of pests like the O. lybicus with climatic, environmental, and human practice related variables. This review also highlights the accumulated knowledge and addresses the gaps in this area of research. Furthermore, it makes recommendations for future studies, and gives suggestions on monitoring and surveillance methods in designing both local and regional level integrated pest management strategies of palm tree and other affected cultivated crops

Endoparasites of Simulium ornatum MG. in South England, with special reference to larval parasitisation

The thesis reports on investigations during 1967-69 of endoparasitism in Simulium ornatum Mg., with particular reference to the larval stage, from the English rivers Lea (hertfordshire) and Tilling Bourne (Surrey). Methods included record of visual evidence of infections, dissections and smears of fresh material, and histological examinations of all material by light, and, by arrangement with Dr R. G. Bird of the E. M. Laboratory, L. S. H. & T. M., by electron microscopy, in the case of certain microsporidia. In preliminary observations no parasites were observed in either pupal and adult stages of Simulium ornatum; the study is concerned with larval parasites, of which several kinds were found. The Order Microsporidia of the protozoan Class Cnidosporidia was well represented by 3 genera, Thelohania, Plistophora and Nosema of the Family Nosematidae. Pseudocysts from two forms of Thelohania, and one form of Plistophora, examined by electron microscopy, revealed the fine structure of sporogonic stages of the sporont and, of the spore of Thelohania and, less intensively, of Plistophora. Microsporidian spore size has been accepted by several investigators, with some controversy from others, as a major criterion for specific classification. In this connexion, spore measurements carried out for Thelohania infections, from S. ornatum were, by statistical and graphical analysis, recognisable as composing four separate forms (A-D), with a minor form also, form E on the basis of spore shape. All Thelohania infections of larvae from the River Tilling Bourne are of form A, having the smallest spore dimensions. The other four forms, "B", "C", "D" and "E", occurred in Simulium larval populations of the River Lea. In the case of Plistophora another criterion in classification, in addition to spore dimensions, was notable, viz. the number of spores produced by the sporont. Two forms of Plistophora were thus distinguished. Nosema infections were of one kind only. All these forms, found in the simulium ornatum larvae, are new records for microsporidia in the British Isles and, on taxonomical features different from those of other microsporidian parasites described from simuliidae from elsewhere. Histological examination also revealed a light infection of a microsporidia-like organism in the Gut epithelial cells of Simulium ornatum larvae from the Tilling Bourne only. Fungal infections were also common. The pathogenic fungi, Coelomycidium sp. of the Order Chytridiales, occurred [missing page] larvae revealed 3 distinct larvae generations of Simulium ornatum per year, and the occurrence and abundance of the several parasites was noted in respect to these different larval populations. Laboratory culture of "clean" material was desirable for the transmission experiments undertaken for Thelohania, and for Coelomycidium. To obtain such a culture, it was necessary to affect both copulation of Simulium ornatum adults and to induce females to blood-feed. Repeated attempts at artificial insemination proved unsuccessful; blood-feeding was successful with only a low percentage of adult females. Failing to establish a "clean" culture resort was made to the use of apparently uninfected wild-caught larvae for experiments on the transmission of infections, but without success in inducing hatching of Thelohania spores or propagation of Coelomycidium ingested by Simulium larvae. It remains still obscure whether or not, in nature, the Thelohania infections are transmitted transovarially through infected adults emergent from infected larvae; and the mode of transmission of Coelomycidium is also not determined. While the pathogenic parasites found must have controlled larva densities in the two streams, much remains to be studied and understood about their biology, transmission and cultivation before their application in biological control could be envisaged

Preventing Oil Shock Inflation: Sustainable Development Mechanisms vs. Islamic Mechanisms

This paper discusses the effects of both sustainable development and an Islamic system on the transmission of oil shocks into inflation. Sustainable development in this context includes wealth distribution equity, public governance effectiveness and alternative energy creation for the promotion of economic growth. These factors have been revised by Askari and Mirakhor under an Islamic approach using a set of Islamic indices to reflect a social, economic, political and ecological system that is in compliance with the Sharia principles. Using the ARDL model, we tested whether these Islamic mechanisms could have played the role of sustainable development in the fight against the transmission of oil shocks into inflation in MENA countries during the period 2000–2018. The results show that the Islamic system can play the role of sustainable development better than the traditional one, through fostering social equity, fighting against corruption, promoting humanity in employability and facilitating growth of the real economy. These Islamic values slow down the inflationary phenomenon caused by oil shocks

Investigating similarities between Islamic and conventional banks in GCC countries: a dynamic time warping approach

This paper aims to study the similarities between Islamic and conventional banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries by assigning them to different clusters. We perform such clustering by employing the k-means algorithm with dynamic time warping barycenter averaging. More specifically, the series of average efficiency scores are used in this clustering. In this regard, for each Islamic or conventional bank, we calculated its series of efficiency scores using the stochastic frontier production functions of Battese and Coelli (1995). Our empirical study covered 44 Islamic banks and 46 conventional banks in GCC countries during 2006-2015. The results show that Islamic and conventional banks are included in the same cluster for Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. In contrast, Islamic and conventional banks do not share the same cluster for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. This is due to setting the interest or profit rate below the social discount rate (a measure of an optimal profit rate for Islamic Banks). In this case, banks are incentivized to take more risks to compensate for interest/profit losses, which increases efficiency and allocates Islamic and conventional banks to different clusters. Accordingly, there is no absolute discrimination due to the initial status between Islamic and conventional banks. However, the overall banks, either Islamic or conventional, are discriminated through the distance of the banking applied interest/profit rate and the social discount rate