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The construction and development of energy storage are crucial areas in the reform of China's power system. However, one of the key issues hindering energy storage investments is the ambiguity of revenue sources and the inaccurate estimation of returns. In order to facilitate investors' understanding of revenue sources and returns on investment of energy storage in the existing electricity market, this study has established multiple relevant revenue quantification models. The research methodology employed in this paper consists of three main components: Firstly, we established a revenue model and a cost model for energy storage participation in the electricity market. These models focus on arbitrage revenue, subsidy revenue, auxiliary services revenue, investment cost, operational and maintenance cost, and auxiliary service cost of energy storage. Subsequently, we utilized an enhanced Grey Wolf Optimizer algorithm to solve the optimization problem and maximize revenue, thus obtaining the optimal capacity and revenue scale of energy storage in the electricity market. Finally, we compared the whole-lifecycle ROI of different energy storage options in various scenarios. The evaluation results demonstrate that the difference between peak and off-peak loads impacts the investment demand and charging/discharging depth of energy storage. In addition, the discrepancy between peak and off-peak prices affects the arbitrage return of energy storage. These two factors can serve as criteria for energy storage investors to assess their return expectations. When solely considering economic returns and disregarding technical factors, pumped storage energy storage emerges as the most suitable mechanical energy storage option requiring investment. The main contribution of this study lies in the estimation of the lifecycle investment returns for various energy storage technologies in the Chinese electricity market, thus providing valuable insights for the investment and operational practices of market participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Southern Green Stink Bug (Nezara viridula L.) is a serious pest on tomatoes and other vegetable crops in Bulgaria. The lifecycle parameters of the insect were studied in 2020 at field conditions. The results showed that the embryonic development was completed in 7.57±2.17 days; the 1st nymphal instar – in 4.17±1.47; the 2nd – in 6.66±3.42; the 3rd – in 5.94±2.37; the 4th – 6.99±5.20, and the 5th – 12.38±3.77 days. Under field conditions in isolators, the lifespan of first- generation adults of the southern green stink bug in both sexes varies widely, with a maximum of 149 days for females and 151 days for males. The average lifespan for females is 93.74 days and for males 89.51 days. The preoviposition period of the southern green stink bug lasts an average of 25±1.41 days. Under the climatic conditions in the region of the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, N. viridula develops 2 generations per year. The duration of the lifecycle was 45.69 days for the first generation and 35.43 days for the second generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of disease in shrimp has governed much concern in food safety and security among consumers with the recent reports on hepatopancreatic microsporidiosis (HPM) caused by Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP). The microsporidians present in shrimp remain a silent pathogen that prevents optimal shrimp growth. However, the biggest threat is in its food safety concerns, which is the primary focus in ensuring food biosecurity and biosafety. Hence, the objective of this review is to summarise the current knowledge of EHP and its infection in shrimp with food safety concerns. This paper provides an analysis of the diagnostic methods for detecting EHP infections in shrimp aquaculture. Interventions with current molecular biology and biotechnology would be the second approach to addressing EHP diseases. Finally, a systematic guideline for shrimp food safety using diagnostic and intervention is proposed. Thus, this review was aimed to shed light on effective methods for the diagnosis and prevention of EHP infection in shrimp. We also include information on molecular and genomics tools as well as innate immune biomolecules as future targets in the intervention strategies on the microsporidsosis life cycle in shrimp and its environment. Overall, this will result in reduced disease outbreaks in shrimp aquaculture, ensuring the shrimp food safety in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical infectious diseases inflict an unacceptable burden of disease on humans living in developing countries. Although anti-pathogenic drugs have been widely used, they carry a constant threat of selecting for resistance. Vaccines offer a promising means by which to enhance the global control of tropical infectious diseases; however, these have been difficult to develop, mostly because of the complex nature of the pathogen lifecycles. Here, we present recently developed vaccine candidates for five tropical infectious diseases in the form of a catalog that have either entered clinical trials or have been licensed for use. We deliberate on recently licensed dengue vaccines, provide evidence why combination vaccination could have a synergistic impact on schistosomiasis, critically appraise the value of typhoid conjugate vaccines, and discuss the potential of vaccines in the efforts to eliminate vivax malaria and hookworms.

The species of the adaptive male–female sex ratio has different effects on the bio-community. This paper is aimed at figuring out these effects through mechanism analysis and Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE). Hence, the ODE environmental model is created by combining the Lotka–Volterra model, the interspecific model, and other external factors. The stability is used to characterize these effects. According to this model, effects on bio-community stability under different male–female sex ratios are roughly observed. By innovatively considering different living environments during the species’ lifecycle, the ODE environmental model is optimized, and the effects of different male–female sex ratios on the bio-community are further analyzed by phase-track maps and relative standard deviation. It is found that there are different findings and features in resource-rich and resource-scarce living environments during the lifecycle. Meanwhile, bio-communities in these two types of environments are in a stable state based on different male–female sex ratios. Based on these findings, directive opinions can be used to manage and help relevant bio-communities.

As the global population continues to grow, the enormous stress on our environment and resources is becoming impossible to ignore. A focus on producing and consuming as cheaply as possible has created an economy in which objects are briefly used and then discarded as waste, featuring a linear lifecycle that creates an enormous amount of waste. The alternative to the linear economy “take-make-waste” is called the “circular economy”. Under this paradigm, materials are recycled to build new products or components that are designed and built to promote their reuse and refurbishment. This assures the continuous (re-)exploitation of existing resources, reducing the extraction of new raw materials. However, customers often reject these reused or refurbished products under the suspicion that they do not meet the same usability, safety, or performance levels of new products. In this sense, trustworthy records of historical details of refurbished products could increase consumers’ confidence in products and components of the “circular economy”, prioritizing trustworthiness, reliability, and transparency. This work presents a new certification tool based on blockchain technology to guarantee trusted, accurate, transparent, and traceable lifecycle information of products and their components and to generate trustworthy certificates to probe refurbished product historical details. This tool aims to enhance refurbished product visibility by creating the basis for making the circular economy a reality in any domain.

The building energy performance gap (EPG) seriously restricts the improvement of building energy efficiency. Currently, although many studies on EPG, it is not yet fully understood and addressed. To fill this gap, this paper conducted an extensive review of EPG research. Firstly, the magnitude of EPG was summarized from many case studies, and the results showed that it varied greatly among building types, with gap ratios ranging from 0.5 to 4 for educational/research buildings, concentrated between 0.5 and 2.5 for residential buildings, and between 0 and 1 for office building. Then, fifteen direct causes and seven in-depth drivers of EPG were analyzed from simulation and lifecycle perspectives, and the linkages between them were established. Furthermore, solutions for EPG were summarized, including some state-of-the-art technical and “soft” measures, and their correspondence with the underlying causes. Finally, eight future research recommendations were proposed based on the limitations of existing strategies.

The conventional view of vitamins reflects a diverse group of small molecules that facilitate critical aspects of metabolism and prevent potentially fatal deficiency syndromes. However, vitamins also contribute to the shaping and maintenance of the human phenome over lifecycle and evolutionary timescales, enabling a degree of phenotypic plasticity that operates to allow adaptive responses that are appropriate to key periods of sensitivity (i.e., epigenetic response during prenatal development within the lifecycle or as an evolved response to environmental challenge over a great many lifecycles). Individually, vitamins are important, but their effect is often based on nutrient‐nutrient (vitamin‐vitamin), nutrient‐gene (vitamin‐gene), and gene‐gene interactions, and the environmental influence of shifting geophysical cycles, as well as evolving cultural practices. These ideas will be explored within what I refer to as the "adaptive vitome (vitomics)" paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has catalyzed transformative shifts across various industries, which has sparked broader research interests in the BIM lifecycle. However, studies that specify the stated requirements for different technologies and methodologies from the perspective of the BIM lifecycle and analyze research hotspots and future research trends at each stage are scarce. Employing scientometric theories and methods, this study conducts an in-depth comparative analysis of BIM lifecycle stages. The analysis encompasses several aspects like annual research output and knowledge flows, in the aim of unveiling disparities in the technological requirements, defining research boundaries, and illuminating lifecycle research trends. Findings indicate an ongoing surge in research across all BIM lifecycle stages with technologies like digital twins and artificial intelligence becoming prevailing trends. The cooperative design of BIM components, virtual-real world coordination, interactions among buildings, individuals, and environments, as well as the in-depth integration of BIM with the multifaceted fields of urban management have emerged as focal points in the planning, construction, management, and maintenance of BIM, respectively. Future BIM lifecycle research will necessitate interdisciplinary collaboration, emphasizing technological integration, common data environment (CDE) information sharing, open-source BIM/historic building information modeling (HBIM) system, and impactful exploration in areas like urban construction and historical preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of circular products is gaining relevance among academics, practitioners, and industry as a critical step to face material scarcity, the unsustainability of industrial processes, and excessive waste generation. Therefore, product design is a powerful research field to promote material, component, and product circularity throughout several lifecycles. However, there is a lack of formal methods to measure the circularity of products, especially from the early design stages. Therefore, this paper proposes a diagnostic tool for measuring circularity, identifying potential improvement opportunities, and redesigning interventions in the conceptual design phase. The tool consists of eight single indicators that measure disassemblability, reassemblability, durability, modularity, simplicity, standardization, commonality, relative costs, and the number of secondary functions of products. A case study is presented to validate the tool, considering several improvement scenarios around the 6R strategies. Finally, a list of redesign interventions for each improvement scenario was assembled as a primary output of the proposed tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single-ion conducting polymetric artificial solid electrolyte interphase (SICP-ASEI) is rationally designed to improve the cycling performance of Li-metal batteries (LMBs) under high charging rate. The SICP with high cationic transport number (0.84) is obtained by polymerization of LiSTFSI and polyethylene (ethylene glycol) methacrylate following by chemical crosslinking. The LMBs with SICP-ASEI can achieve improved energy efficiency and prolonged cell lifetime, including (i) high cycling stability (over 1000 h cycling) and limited polarization voltage (< 95 mV at ± 1 mA cm−2) on symmetrical cells and (ii) high-capacity retention of 84.3% after 200 cycles at 1 C and over 102 mAh g−1 at high charging rate of 2 C on full cell coupled with high-mass-loading cathode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traceability is the ability to follow a product along its lifecycle. It ensures product safety and quality along the supply chain, managing information generated by several players. Even though regulations establish the information that has to be traced, each player generates much more product (and process) information, which could be used to add value to products, with respect to, not only traceability, but also the lifecycle approach. However, the concepts do not appear to be immediately related in scientific panorama. This paper aims to explore the relationship between traceability and lifecycle through a systematic literature review. Six industries (Software, Manufacturing, Automotive, Automation, Aircraft, and Aerospace) and seven subject areas (Software engineering; System engineering; Industry 4.0; New product development; Process management; Data Management; and Environmental sustainability) were identified through bibliometric analysis. To better explore this relationship in the context of the food industry, a content analysis on lead papers' sample was performed to identify traceability and lifecycle definitions, methodologies and technologies and their relation. The results of the work, synthetised in a proposed research map, will be of interest to those who are approaching the subject for the first time, and for companies involved in product lifecycle management and food traceability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is commonly implemented to reduce excess stormwater runoff while also producing secondary environmental, health, and aesthetic benefits. However, GSI is sometimes perceived to be cost prohibitive for limited-budget site development projects. This study used lifecycle cost analysis (LCCA) and benefit-cost analysis (BCA) to investigate the cost-effectiveness of GSI combined with conventional stormwater infrastructure for a proposed parcel development site in Oxford, Mississippi, USA. Hydrologic modeling was conducted for a conventional underground detention facility as well as three GSIs (permeable pavement, rain garden, and grassy ditch), all of which met regulatory runoff attenuation targets for the site. The LCCA considered capital and operation and maintenance (O&M) costs. Benefits were estimated under six categories – water, energy, climate, air quality, health, and community – based on existing tools for economic analysis of low impact development (LID). Economic benefits and costs over different scenarios of project lifecycles were compared using the present value (PV) approach in the benefit cost analysis (BCA). The lifecycle costs of two of the three GSIs (rain garden and grassy ditch) were lower than for the conventional alternative alone. However, in all three GSI cases, the long-term benefits of GSI features outweighed the costs. The methodology presented can be adapted to other locations to inform analyses of lifecycle costs and benefits and identify GSI and hybrid infrastructure options that are financially and environmentally feasible.

Managing the perception of project communities is critical to the success of infrastructure megaprojects. This study focuses on the Nagpur metro rail project in India to understand people's experiences and discourses in the pre-construction, construction, and operation phases. We use qualitative content analysis and open coding of the tweets from five years covering the lifecycle of the project to understand the discourses. The study identifies focus areas such as improving customer experience, sustainability, value for money, and embracing the local community. It also highlights the importance of effective communication and raising awareness to address community concerns throughout the lifecycle. The study provides a framework for using social media for community engagement over the megaproject's lifespan. This research can help megaproject management teams plan efficiently and create a positive perception of their projects.

ABSTRACTThe amoeba parasite Entamoeba histolytica is the causative agent of human amebiasis, an enteropathic disease affecting millions of people worldwide. This ancient protozoan is an elementary example of how parasites evolve with humans, e.g. taking advantage of multiple mechanisms to evade immune responses, interacting with microbiota for nutritional and protective needs, utilizing host resources for growth, division, and encystation. These skills of E. histolytica perpetuate the species and incidence of infection. However, in 10% of infected cases, the parasite turns into a pathogen; the host-parasite equilibrium is then disorganized, and the simple lifecycle based on two cell forms, trophozoites and cysts, becomes unbalanced. Trophozoites acquire a virulent phenotype which, when non-controlled, leads to intestinal invasion with the onset of amoebiasis symptoms. Virulent E. histolytica must cross mucus, epithelium, connective tissue and possibly blood. This highly mobile parasite faces various stresses and a powerful host immune response, with oxidative stress being a challenge for its survival. New emerging research avenues and omics technologies target gene regulation to determine human or parasitic factors activated upon infection, their role in virulence activation, and in pathogenesis; this research bears in mind that E. histolytica is a resident of the complex intestinal ecosystem. The goal is to eradicate amoebiasis from the planet, but the parasitic life of E. histolytica is ancient and complex and will likely continue to evolve with humans. Advances in these topics are summarized here.

We address the problem of defining selection and extracting the adaptive part of evolutionary change, originally formalized by Fisher and Price. Conventionally, selection and adaptation are defined through fitness attributed to genes or genotypes chosen as units of selection. The construction through fitness is known to suffer ambiguities and omissions as a theory of change due to selection. We construct an alternative framing in which units of selection and fitness are replaced as the main abstractions by formal lifecycle models and reproduction rates through genetically distinct lifecycle realizations. Graphical representations of lifecycles express relations among reproductive stages that cannot be assigned to any one unit of selection. The lifecycle partition refines the statistics of overall reproductive success and resolves modes of selection that fitness either excludes or distorts through additive projections. We derive the Price equation in the basis of lifecycle realizations and compare it to the conventional Price equation for additive fitness of organisms. We show how the lifecycle approach recovers fitnesses acting concurrently at multiple levels, or contrasts forms of competition within and between levels that are invisible to additive fitness. Defining selection through lifecycles recasts population genetics from an object-focused to a construction- and process-focused representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public administrations, to innovate public services, seek strategies beyond market-like mechanisms and claim for clear paths such as lifecycles. This research bridges service management theory and theory of public management to further how networks for public service innovation mediate public value creation; the study, by integrating both theories and the public service logic approach, discusses the dynamic interactions throughout networks evolution (lifecycle). A theory is elaborated, advancing the relevant role of networks lifecycles in public service innovation lifecycles. The research, lastly, offers several propositions to improve (meta)governance of networks for innovation of public services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • There is considerable debate concerning species of Sarcocystis in cattle. • The history and biology of seven Sarcocystis spp. in cattle are reviewed. • Bovine eosinophilic myositis (BEM) is an inflammatory condition linked to Sarcocystis infections. • The prevalence, lesions, and etiology of BEM are reviewed. • Economic and public health aspects of bovine sarcocystosis are reviewed. Infections by Sarcocystis in cattle are ubiquitous worldwide. There is considerable debate concerning the identity of Sarcocystis spp. in cattle. Proper diagnosis of Sarcocystis spp. is important to assess their economic and public health importance. Currently there are seven named species: Sarcocystis hirsuta, Sarcocystis cruzi, Sarcocystis hominis, Sarcocystis bovifelis, arcocystis heydorni, Sarcocystis bovini and Sarcocystis rommeli. Additionally, there are unnamed Sarcocystis spp. Two species, S. hominis and S. heydorni, are zoonotic. One out of seven species (S. hirsuta, contracted from cats) forms macroscopic cysts which can be visible during carcass inspection. Current molecular characterization is based on DNA extracted from sarcocysts from naturally infected cattle because DNA was not characterized from tissues of experimentally infected cattle or feces of experimentally infected definitive hosts. Sarcocystis cruzi (transmitted via canids) is recognized as the most pathogenic species and it causes abortion, low milk yield, poor body growth, and outbreaks of clinical sarcocystosis and death. Additionally, Sarcocystis infections have been linked to an inflammatory condition of striated muscles termed bovine eosinophilic myositis (BEM). Cattle affected by BEM appear clinically normal. Diagnosis of BEM at slaughter occurs when inspecting the carcass surface, or once the carcass has been divided into prime cuts or quarters. Sex and breed have no apparent influence on prevalence of BEM. The condition evidently occurs with equal frequency in steers, cows, and heifers. Virtually all striated muscles can be affected including skeletal muscles, the muscles of the eye, larynx, and the heart. In the USA, regulations require condemnation of BEM-affected parts, or (in severe cases) the entire carcass. These aesthetic considerations result in economic losses. Cattle experimentally infected with Sarcocystis did not have BEM at slaughter. Here, we review the status of Sarcocystis spp. and BEM in cattle including prevalence, lesions, epidemiology, and association of BEM with different species of Sarcocystis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrialists, businesswomen and entrepreneurs worked in, managed and financed commercial concerns from the smallest to the largest inflecting the economies of towns and villages across Scotland and indeed Europe. Despite the research of numerous historians in Scotland and elsewhere, however, several factors have led to these women being virtually invisible to modern eyes. Gender-blindness from many business historians, with notable exceptions, has created a narrative of the heroic male entrepreneur. Historically also, recording practices informed by an acceptance that men's role was to support the family and women's was to create and maintain it often assigned the role in business to the presiding male. And yet women were present and active in business as wives, widows and singletons. They were not always 'holding the fort' until a suitable male arrived on the scene. This article therefore challenges this narrative making the case that Scottish women were not only involved in business but also dominated certain sectors and that they did not necessarily withdraw from business on marriage and motherhood. These were not isolated women but part of a much larger scene. The article begins by untangling the reasons for apparent invisibility of these women, moves to a discussion of the Scottish context and how women operated within it claiming spaces as businesswomen. It then considers the lifecycle of women and how this related to their business activities and opportunities. While the focus is on Aberdeen women, and on printing and textiles especially, there were many other women running small and large businesses across Scotland. There is no doubt that using all the tools at hand and applying their acumen and building trust in the community, Scottish businesswomen were active, not especially hidden, nor invisible in the urban setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand for sustainable transportation with a reduced environmental impact has led to the widespread adoption of electrified powertrains. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) produce lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during the use phase of their lifecycle, compared to conventional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). However, a full understanding of their total environmental impact, from resource extraction to end-of-life (EOL), of a contemporary, real-world HEV and PHEV remains broadly elusive in the scientific literature. In this work, for the first time, a systematic cradle-to-grave lifecycle analysis (LCA) of a Toyota Prius XW50, as a HEV and PHEV, was used to comprehensively assess its environmental impact throughout its entire lifecycle using established lifecycle inventory databases. The LCA revealed that the gasoline fuel cycle (extraction, refinement, and transportation) is a major environmental impact "hotspot". The more electrified PHEV model consumes 3.2% more energy and emits 5.6% more GHG emissions within the vehicle's lifecycle, primarily owed to the manufacturing and recycling of larger traction batteries. However, when factoring in the fuel cycle, the PHEV model exhibits a 29.6% reduction in overall cradle-to-grave life energy consumption, and a 17.5% reduction in GHG emissions, in comparison to the less-electrified HEV. This suggests that the higher-electrified PHEV has a lower environmental impact than the HEV throughout the whole lifecycle. The presented cradle-to-grave LCA study can be a valuable benchmark for future research in comparing other HEVs and PHEVs or different powertrains for similarly sized passenger vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small and medium-sized machine-building enterprises (SMEs) have great potential for developing the relevant sector of the economy. For the sustainable development of such enterprises under the high pressure of technologies, it is worth choosing appropriate ways of presenting and exchanging information and using modern digital services following the concept of Industry 4.0. The analysis of the conditions of internal and external sustainable development of machinebuilding SMEs identified the main logistical problems limiting the growth of competitiveness. The article highlights the perspective of using digital integration of information about product life cycle: from CAD/CAE/CAM/CAPP design to supply and sales in conditions of horizontal cooperation. Particular attention had paid to determining the role of digital 3D models in Force Majeure circumstances, which are especially acute for SMEs. The research is based on using machinebuilding products - A Mixed Flow turbine. The digital transformation tool was the mobile application for the Android platform that made it possible to read a QR code and display a 3D product model with data. The proposed solution can increase the efficiency of supply chain planning due to constantly providing information about every stage of the product lifecycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The development of effective pest management tools for the radish fly, Delia planipalpis, requires an understanding of the basic biology and reproductive behavior of this pest. In the present study, we investigated the pest's biology on radish and confirmed the identity of the pest by sequencing the COI gene. The development of immature stages lasted 32–33 days. Female flies began mating 1–4 days after emergence, whereas males attempted to mate immediately after emergence. Most females only mated once during the 4-day observation period. Females preferred to lay eggs on radish plants rather than broccoli, although this result may have been influenced by the plant used to rear the insect colony. Male and female flies lived longer when individualized (14.5–22.5 days) compared to insects that were confined in groups (10–11 days). This is the first detailed and statistically rigorous study on the basic biology of this important pest of broccoli and other cruciferous crops. Delia planipalpis (Stein) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) is a pest of crucifers, such as broccoli, radish, cauliflower, turnip and cabbage. It has been recently described in Mexico as a significant emerging pest of broccoli. Due the lack of knowledge of this pest, the present study aimed to determine its life cycle, female sexual maturation, copulation, oviposition behavior and adult longevity. The identity of the fly in Mexico was confirmed genetically by sequencing the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene (COI). The mean development time of D. planipalpis was 32–33 days on radish at 24 °C under laboratory conditions. Females became sexually mature 1–2 days after emergence, and the highest incidence of matings was recorded on the second day (60%). Under choice conditions, D. planipalpis females preferred to oviposit on radish plants, rather than broccoli plants, possibly due to the use of radish for rearing the laboratory colony. Oviposition and the mean number of eggs laid varied among the broccoli varieties, with the highest oviposition observed on the Tlaloc variety. Repeated attempts to rear the laboratory colony on broccoli plants failed. Radish-reared insects of both sexes lived longer when individualized in the adult stage (14.5–22.5 days) than when adult flies were maintained in groups (10–11 days). This study contributes to the understanding of D. planipalpis biology and provides information that can be used to establish future control strategies against this pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this paper is to examine the non-linear relationship between financial performance and level of dividends for a recent period and an international sample. Subsidiary, we have included some firm characteristics to revisit their influence over the level of dividends paid. Using both GMM and Quantile Regression, we found that there is a non-linear relationship between the level of dividends paid and financial performance. Among the dividend theories, the signaling effect theory, the lifecycle theory, and the catering theory of dividends are supported through our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cost management strategies are considered as useful means of increasing revenue for the successful operations of manufacturing firms in which cement manufacturing companies are inclusive. The study examined the relationship between cost management strategies and profitability of quoted cement manufacturing firms in Nigeria. It used ex post facto research design with three quoted cement manufacturing firms as population of the study based on the years 2013-2022. Content analysis research method was adopted. The findings of this study were; Throughput costing (x1), lifecycle costing (x2), target costing (x3) and activity based costing (x4) strategies have positive relationship with the return on equity of quoted cement manufacturing firms with correlation coefficient: Rx1 = 0.090; Rx2 = 0.119, Rx3 = 0.429 and Rx4 = 0.438 respectively. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that target, lifecycle, throughput and activity based costing have a combined positive relationship with the return on equity of quoted cement manufacturing companies in Nigeria. But specifically, throughput accounting has weak and insignificant positive relationship. The researcher recommended that firms should confine the output to the extent of customers’ demand to locate approaches of raising customers demand to a higher level. Cement firms should exercise the inputs of specialists within and outside the organisation in pursuit of economic life-cycle cost and profitability determination of products. Firms should facilitate the identification of how individual customer influences the cost of supply so as to provide the business with better information to make value-based and more effective decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sphingid moth larvae are voracious defoliators of several crops. The present study was conducted to investigate damage of Acherontia styx on Jasmine, their seasonal incidence, and bioecology. Larval instars fed on jasmine leaves and flowers, with the highest defoliation being 35% and highest flower damage 47% during September. The lifecycle consisted of egg, five larval instars, pupal, and adult stages. The eggs were pearly white in colour and emerged larvae were cylindrical with a prominent anal horn. In subsequent moults the larvae continued to feed and become larger until they turned a reddish colour and ceased feeding prior to pupating in the soil. Adult moths were robust and swift fliers. The total life cycle from egg to adult was 56 days for males and 59 days for females. Trichogramma achaeae Nagaraja & Nagarkatti was noticed and documented as a potential egg parasitoid of the sphingid moth, a new record. A natural parasitization of eggs was noticed under field conditions, with changed colour of eggs to deep black from which a tiny parasitic wasp emerged, identified as T. achaea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]