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The purpose of this study was to examine the mediation role of motivation in the relationships between awareness, accessibility, perceived organizational support, and adoption of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The data was obtained using the multi-stage cluster sampling method with questionnaires administered to 254 respondents. While structural equation modelling was used for the analysis, Constructivism Theory, Digital Divide Theory, as well as Vroom's Expectancy Theory were adopted in the study. The majority of the respondents were males, married, and in their middle age with long years of work experience who had also obtained either high school diploma or Bachelor degree. The direct relationship paths showed that the exogenous construct [awareness, accessibility, Perceived Organizational Support (POS)] had a direct positive effect on the endogenous construct (ICT adoption) with an R² value of .23 (23%). The final model has an R² of 0.47 (47%) of the variation in ICT adoption explained by the model with a substantial increase in the direct model, which explains 23% of the variation. The mediation effect of motivation in the relationships between awareness, accessibility, POS, and ICT adoption was also established indicating partial mediation. The study recommends that extension organizations should be mindful of the motivation levels of their employee to facilitate the adoption of ICT in extension work, which will facilitate timely delivery of messages, cover the manpower shortages, reduce cost, as well as a total transformation of agricultural development in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of bio-pesticides is the potential alternate of synthetic residual insecticides to cope with the problem of resistance among different insect pests while posing no threats to the environment and biological control agents. Laboratory trials were conducted in the Microbial Control Laboratory, Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF), Pakistan, during 2017-18 to investigate the effect of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (1.8 x 107 and 1.8 x 108 conidia/ml) and Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) at a dose rate of (0.5 and 1 µg/g) alone and in combination against fifth and sixth larval instars of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Curculionidae: Coleoptera). The insects were exposed to fungal and bacterial treatments by larval immersion and diet incorporation method, respectively. Results revealed that the combined application ofB. bassiana at the rate of 1.8 x 108 conidia/ml and B. thuringiensis at 0.5 and 1 µg/g exhibited synergistic effects, while combination of lower fungal concentration with both dose rates of B. thuringiensis showed additive effect against target instars of R. ferrugineus. Moreover, the mortality data showed that fifth instar larvae were more susceptible to microbial treatments than sixth instar. Maximum mycosis and sporulation was recorded in the cadavers of R. ferrugineus where B. bassiana was applied individually at dose rate of 1.8 x 107 conidia/ml. The present work suggests that B. bassiana in combination with B. thuringiensis could be a cost-benefit strategy against R. ferrugineus on date palms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficacy of fungicides and biological control agents were tested side by side both in vitro and in glass house against chickpea wilt pathogen. In-vitro study showed that Carbendazim was proved to be best by checking the mycelia growth with mean of 83.7 % growth inhibition over control. Almost similar result was obtained in Glass house assay where Carbendazim was proved to be best followed by all other fungicides at different concentrations. In dual culture test of bio control agents with Foc showed that Pseudomonas fluorescens had more mycelial growth inhibition of pathogen (Foc) with 70.94 % inhibition over control. Trichoderma harzianum was proved to be second best followed by Rhizobia spp. and Bacillus subtilis with 63.95%, 60.79% and 57.68% growth inhibition respectively. In glass house assay Pseudomonas fluorescens was proved to be most effective on one moderately resistant variety (Noor 91) and two susceptible varieties (Pb2000 and ICC131-21) showed highly disease reduction percentage with mean 76.78 over un-inoculated control. Comparative study of biological control agents and fungicides showed that both are almost equally effective against chickpea wilt disease. Seed treatment with Trichoderma harzanium followed by Carbendazim drenching was proved most effective by increasing the disease reduction percentage up to 93.75%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ordering of a set of numbers based on their relative magnitudes, which is analogous to sorting, is a fundamental operation in computing. In this paper, we propose a neural network for ranking a given set of numbers. The proposed network does not require any feedback connection, requires fewer neurons, and fewer interconnections between neurons as compared to existing schemes. Moreover, the numbers to be sorted are applied as inputs to the circuit unlike some existing schemes which impress the numbers to be sorted as initial conditions on the network. Results of PSP1CE simulations confirm the theory proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field efficacies of two insect growth regulators (IGRs) at two recommended application rates, buprofezin at 370 and 555 g Al ha-1 and lufenuron at 37 and 49 g Al ha-1, were determined against the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), and the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner), in experimental plots of cotton at the Directorate of Cotton Research, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Adverse effects of the IGRs on populations of associated arthropod predators, namely geocorids, chrysopids, coccineffids, formicids and arachnids, were also assessed. Both IGRs significantly reduced populations of B. tabaci at each application rate 24, 48 and 72 h after treatment, and higher doses were more effective than lower doses. Buprofezin was not effective against H. armigera at any tested dose for any time of treatment in any spray. Lufenuron applied at 37 and 49 g Al ha-1 effectively suppressed H. armigera populations, resulting in significant reductions in crop damage. At lower doses, both IGRs appeared safe to predator populations, which did not differ significantly in IGR-treated versus untreated control plots. Population densities of formicids and coccineffids were significantly lower at high concentrations of both IGRs in treatment plots, possibly as a result of reduced prey availability. The potential role of buprofezin and lufenuron for control of B. tabaci and H. armigera in a spray programme and the likelihood of direct toxic effects of IGRs on predatory fauna of cotton are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desferal, N-acetyl penicillamine (metal chelators) and propylgallate, catechin, and reduced glutathione (antioxidants) suppressed the erythrocytic oxidative damage generated during Plasmodium berghei infection in Mastomys coucha. Superoxide anion and lipid peroxide levels were increased and on the contrary, superoxide dismutase activity was noticeably decreased in the infected erythrocytes. Metal chelators/antioxidant treatment to infected animals resulted in restoration of O(2)(-), LPO and SOD to near normal levels. Furthermore, treatment of the above mentioned agents displayed a controlled mortality/survival time and parasitaemia. In conclusion, metal chelators/antioxidants were found to be effective against oxidative stress injury and parasite growth resulting in prolonged survival time of the host during experimental malaria., (Copyright 1999 Academic Press.)

N-acetyl penicillamine (NAP), a derivative of penicillamine and copper chelator has been employed as a potential protector of host stress organ injury during Plasmodium berghei infection in mice. Intramuscular injection of NAP (60 mg kg-1 body wt for 10 days) to P. berghei mice was able to restrict the hepato- and splenomegaly. The mortality rate of infected mice was decreased by 50% by NAP. The decreased protein and lipid peroxidation and increased copper contents during P. berghei were almost normalized after NAP treatment. The increased levels of erythrocytic superoxide anion and lipid peroxides due to infection were almost normalized after NAP treatment.

A study has been made of counteracting the stress organ injury in Plasmodium infection by means of antioxidants on the premise that free radicals are responsible for causing the injury to stress organs. This was evidenced by drastically altered biochemical parameters in liver and spleen of the host in terms of elevated levels of lipid peroxides and xanthine oxidase (XO) activity, and a fall in superoxide dismutase activity coupled with other drastic biochemical changes. The cardinal factor responsible for the above was considered to be XO which engenders free radicals purportedly responsible for the stress organ (biochemical) injury. Results demonstrate a lowering of lipid peroxide levels, xanthine oxidase activity, liver weight and modulation of protein level in liver of the host (mouse) in Plasmodium infection when treated with catechin, glutathione and propylgallate.