Marketing System and Market Structure for Secondhand Tractors in Punjab

The secondhand tractor markets in Punjab have assumed special significance. Around 20000 tractors are transacted annually in these markets, which are generally held on a fixed day of the week specific for each market. About 80 % of the secondhand tractors sold pass through the marketing channel: Farmer ! Agent / Sub-agent ! Farmer. The markets are unorganized and unregulated. The market place is also not proper, congested, costly, inconvenient with hardly any facility. Generally the large farmers sell their secondhand tractor to replace with a new one and the small farmers purchase the secondhand tractor. The price determination is fairly competitive. The distress sale has not been ruled out but has declined with escalation in land prices. The malpractices have been rare but as usual the farmer is the weaker party. The study has suggested that secondhand tractor markets in Punjab should be organized and regulated; the dealers should be registered and the market charges should be fixed. The market agency should maintain record of transactions in the marketMarketing,

Advancing Sustainable Aquaculture Practices: A Comprehensive Exploration of Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Strategies in Marine Science

This study investigates the environmental impacts of aquaculture practices in the Solomon Islands, focusing on water quality monitoring, waste management, farming practices, and socio-economic aspects. Employing a purposive sampling approach, data were collected from 20 aquaculture sites representing traditional and modern systems. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, t-tests, ANOVA, and ANCOVA were employed to analyse the data. Results reveal significant differences between traditional and modern aquaculture systems in water quality monitoring, waste management, and farming practices. Correlation and regression analyses affirm the interconnectedness of aquaculture practices and environmental impacts. Regional variations are identified through ANOVA, and ANCOVA results suggest the influence of farm size on regional differences. This study contributes practical insights to inform sustainable aquaculture strategies, emphasizing the need for context-specific interventions tailored to regional and farm-specific characteristics

Problematizing Māori achievement in education policy : an exploratory mixed-methods study on teacher enactment of Ka Hikitia : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand

This thesis analyses and describes a range of factors that impact upon mainstream primary school teachers’ enactments of the Māori education policy strategy, Ka Hikitia (Ministry of Education, 2013, 2018, 2020). Where this study differs is that it goes beyond the traditional implementation approach to policy research and seeks to identify and investigate the ‘messier’ aspects of interpretation, subjectivity and context, factors that are often missing in accounts of how policy works in schools. It has utilised an exploratory, two-phase mixed-methods approach to collect the data. The initial phase was a series of one-to-one interviews with a small cohort of primary school teachers from the Manawatū region of New Zealand. The data collated helped to develop a set of initial themes that were used to formulate the second phase survey that was sent out to a wider cohort. The themes from both two phases of the study have been used in a complementary manner to engage with research and literature from the fields of Māori education, culturally responsive pedagogy and critical policy enactment. This study concludes that teachers rely heavily upon school context and personal subjectivities to interpret and enact Ka Hikitia. It contends that teachers respond to Ka Hikitia in three key ways: considered enactment, perfunctory enactment, and/or enactment resistance. While teacher enactment is a focus of this study, it is purported that a broader consideration of how government and institutional factors impact upon teacher enactment of Ka Hikitia needs to be taken into account. Solely focusing on teachers as mere ciphers of policy reinforces institutional invisibility. This study calls for a broader understanding of how Māori student achievement is understood and problematized in Ka Hikitia. While supporting the necessity for Māori language, culture and identity to be an integral part of mainstream primary schools, this research urges policy makers and Māori academics to re-consider and re-calibrate the impact of socio-economic factors upon Māori student achievement and, henceforth, rework policy designed to address this

The Role of Sexual Reproductive Health Education in Adolescents: Sexual Behaviours in Secondary Schools in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania

HIV/AIDS, STD, unwanted pregnancies and abortion are indicators for the existence of adolescents’ sexual behaviours. Young people accounted for 40 per cent of new HIV infections in 2006 and about 6 millions of girls aged 15 to 19 years gave birth each year worldwide. The sexual and reproductive health education in secondary schools was a key strategy for promoting safe sexual behaviours among teenagers. This study examined the role of sexual and reproductive health education on adolescents' sexual behaviours. A cross sectional design was employed by using open and closed ended questionnaires, interview guides and focus group discussions (FGD). Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. Some adolescents, (28.8 %) in secondary schools in Morogoro Municipal were sexually active; they were involved in risky sexual behaviour such as having multiple partners, practising sex at early age as early as from 10-15 years,Lack use of condoms, engaging with sexual partners who were much older. Also adolescent students’ awareness of sexual and reproductive health matters was average. Moreover it was revealed that, students’ awareness on sexual and reproductive health had positive influence on students’ risky sexual behaviours i.e. students with high level of awareness were less likely to engage in risky sexual behaviour.Key words: Sexual behaviour, reproductive health, awareness and adolescent

Extraction and characterization of silk sericin

Study compares the quality and quantity of sericin obtained from four sources, namely mulberry silk cocoons, silk flats, reeling silk waste and woven silk fabric. Sericin has been extracted using the conventional HTHP machine as well as IR heating machine. Results show that among the four sources, the maximum yield of sericin (28%) is obtained from silk fabric followed by 25% sericin obtained from silk flats. IR machine extraction gives ~13 times higher yield of sericin as compared to that obtained by HTHP at 1000C for 60 min. Sample obtained from IR extraction is also compared with the standard sample in terms of its physical properties, morphological structure, protein quality, protein structure, molecular weight and thermal behaviour using various analytical methods. The study proposes a protocol for assessing the quality of sericin protein. Since the source as well as the method of extraction can affect the properties of sericin, this protocol can be used to assess and determine the quality parameters of various sericin samples