Search

African yam bean (AYB; Sphenostylis stenocarpa) is an underutilized legume indigenous to Africa with great potential to enhance food security and offer nutritional and medicinal opportunities. However, low grain yield caused by fungal diseases, including pod blight and leaf tip dieback, deters farmers from large‐scale cultivation. To determine the prevalence of fungal diseases affecting leaves, pods and flowers of AYB, a survey was conducted in 2018 and 2019 in major AYB‐growing areas in Nigeria. Leaf tip dieback, flower bud rot and pod blight were the most common symptoms. Morphological and molecular assays were conducted to identify the causal agents of the observed diseases. In all the samples examined, fungi from eight genera were isolated from diseased leaves, buds and pods. Koch's postulates were fulfilled only for fungi belonging to the Colletotrichum genus. Fungi from the other seven genera did not produce disease symptoms in healthy AYB tissues. Several Colletotrichum isolates were characterized by sequencing the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS), glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase, calmodulin and ApMAT loci. A combined phylogenetic analysis revealed four Colletotrichum species: C. siamense, C. theobromicola and C. fructicola, which were recovered from diseased leaves, and C. truncatum, recovered from diseased pods and buds. Our results are useful to gear efforts to develop integrated management strategies to control diseases affecting AYB in Nigeria and elsewhere. Availability of such strategies may stimulate greater AYB cultivation, which can contribute to diet diversification, something repeatedly advocated by a range of stakeholders to increase food security and prosperity of smallholder farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review consists of life cycle of Cuscuta its impact on main plants and its management techniques. There are various methods (physical, mechanical, chemical and biological) to control the infection of Cuscuta. Furthermore, the Integrated used management IWM of Cuscuta is a superior for productivity of both crops and ecosystems. The IWM has various elements (cultural practices, physical removal, biological control and chemical control). In addition, the impact of allelopathy and the use of genetic engineering stops the proliferation of Cuscuta. The IWM combined with allelopathy and biotechnology can effectively limit the infection of Cuscuta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With global economic integration and rapid IT advancements, enterprises face complex market environments and intense competition. Efficient management and coordination of supply chains and manufacturing are critical. This study explores optimization strategies for integrated supply chain and manufacturing management using system dynamics. Initially, it investigates the contractual collaboration model based on system dynamics, analysing dynamic behaviours and optimization strategies. Subsequently, a system dynamics simulation model of the integrated system is constructed. Simulation analysis reveals the interactive relationships and dynamic patterns within the system. While many studies focus on static analysis, they often overlook dynamic changes and complex interactions. This study enriches the theoretical framework and provides solutions for enhancing management efficiency and competitiveness in a volatile market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective irrigation planning is crucial for sustainable agricultural development and ecosystem restoration projects in arid regions. With respect to ambitious greening initiatives, Saudi Arabia is establishing a national strategy toward a more sustainable and eco-friendly future not only for itself but also for the broader Middle East region. Thus, comprehensively understanding the water cycle in the region is essential to identify the most suitable target locations for afforestation and reforestation while considering the potential role of irrigation. Herein, in addition to traditional pedoclimatic factors, we introduce a complementary consideration—“irrigation recycling.” Building on the well-established concept of atmospheric moisture recycling and taking advantage from an atmospheric trajectory dataset, we track the path of evaporated water from current or potential irrigated sites to the location where the evaporated water eventually falls as precipitation. Our analysis offers two key benefits. First, it helps pinpoint the regions in which and the periods during which water recycling is maximum within the country, aiding more precise calculations of the investment return value for irrigation infrastructures. Second, it helps identify the land-use change patterns that contribute to international efforts such as drought mitigation in East Africa as an example. We found that one-third of the actual precipitation in the current Saudi irrigated sites originated from evapotranspiration over land, mainly from Saudi Arabia and surrounding countries. Interestingly, most of the evapotranspiration from these irrigated sites will eventually fall somewhere over land (primarily in Iran). Controlling the seasonality and spatial distribution of the future irrigation expansion will allow controlling the atmospheric moisture recirculation in Saudi Arabia and nearby drought-prone regions such as Eastern Africa. The outcomes of this study will be the subject of future integrated assessments to account for the climatic feedbacks of the land-use change scenarios. At present, they provide crucial insights to support the decision-making process surrounding the Saudi and Middle East Green Initiatives. Further, the presented methodology offers a pragmatic framework that can be applied to similar greening projects for other regions, making it a viable and valuable approach for global sustainability programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Integrated Soil-Crop System Management (ISSM) and provide technical support for sustainable high yield and efficiency in regional agriculture. Methods: The study compared the effects of no fertilization (Control), conventional farmer practices (FP), high-yield management (HY), and ISSM on maize yield and plant nutrient uptake. Measurements included grain yield, plant biomass, plant nutrient absorption, and soil nutrient content across different management strategies. Results: Over the 12-year experimental period, a significant decline in grain yield was observed under the Control treatment, with a slight decrease in the FP treatment. In contrast, consistent yield increases were noted for the HY and ISSM treatments. The ISSM approach significantly enhanced the average yield and plant uptake of P and K by 26%, 24%, and 32%, respectively, approaching 98%, 91%, and 85% of the levels achieved in the HY treatment. Furthermore, the average use efficiency of P and K fertilizers in the ISSM treatment exceeded those in the FP treatment by 18.7% and 1.2%, respectively, and those in the HY treatment by 17.4% and 24.8%, respectively. The adoption of ISSM led to a significant increase in total and available P and K content within the 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm soil layers and enhanced the available P and K content across all aggregate size fractions within the 0-20 cm soil layer. Conclusion: ISSM is capable of achieving long-term high and stable yields for spring maize, enhancing the uptake and utilization of P and K in plants, and bolstering the soil's capacity to supply these nutrients, thereby fostering the sustainable development of the entire soil-crop system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the effects of rock dust on Meloidogyne javanica in soybean grown in autoclaved and non-autoclaved soil and investigate the impacts on plant foliar nutrition. The nematode reproduction experiment was conducted in two periods (Trials 1 and 2) in a 5 × 2 factorial design (rock dust rates of 0, 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 kg ha−1 × autoclaved and non-autoclaved soil). Soybean were inoculated with 2000 eggs + second-stage juveniles (J2) of M. javanica, and nematode and vegetative variables were evaluated at 60 days after inoculation (DAI). The penetration experiment followed a 2 × 2 factorial design (rock dust rates of 0 and 2500 kg ha−1 × autoclaved and non-autoclaved soil). Soybean were inoculated with 2000 eggs + J2 of M. javanica and evaluated at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 DAI. The shoot dry biomass from the reproduction experiment (Trial 1) was analyzed for macro- and micronutrients. In Trial 1, nematode reproduction decreased proportionally to the increase in rock dust rate in non-autoclaved soil. In Trial 2, the lowest nematode numbers were predicted to be achieved with rates of 2213 to 2309 kg ha−1, and nematode numbers were lower in autoclaved than in non-autoclaved soil. Rock dust reduced J2 penetration at 10 and 15 DAI, and there was no formation of females in treated plants. Rock dust application increased foliar levels of Fe, B, and Cu. Rock dust reduced M. javanica reproduction, penetration, and development in soybean and promoted gains in Fe, Cu, and B foliar contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of digital twins is a rapidly emerging field for improved real-time control (RTC) and decision support for the operation of collection systems and water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). Digital twins for collection systems can help minimize the impacts of flow variation due to extreme weather events, attenuate flows to the WRRF, and reduce sewer overflows and the associated effects. Similarly, digital twins for WRRFs can help improve process, energy, and cost efficiency, fully utilise plant volumes, reduce carbon footprint, and support operator training. The current study provides an overview of two digital twin applications for collection systems (Future City Flow) and WRRFs (TwinPlant) and presents a first example of digital twin integration for proactive collection system-WRRF operation under wet-weather conditions. Current applications of the integrated digital twin are described, including (i) proactive implementation of wet-weather operation mode in WRRF based on inflow forecast and (ii) evaluation of the impacts of RTC in collection systems on WRRF performance. Other potential application examples are described together with the challenges related to the use of this solution. Overall, this new approach has a wide potential to support the cooperation within water utilities towards the adoption of integrated wastewater management. HIGHLIGHTS Digital twins can provide a sound base for controlling catchments and water resource recovery facilities.; High-quality online data from the twinned facilities is a key for reliable digital twins.; Digital twins must be robust to gain operator trust.; Connected digital twins provide a basis for system-wide optimization.; Helps to move from siloed to integrated management.;

The purpose of the study was to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the legislative framework in the field of forest resource management in Albania in the context of forest ecology, and species diversity, and to identify the main problems and prospects for sustainable development of the country’s forestry. The research methodology included the analysis of statistical data from the National Institute of Statistics of Albania on the structure of forest ecosystems and forms of their management. The results of studies conducted by international organizations such as the World Bank, Global Environment Facility, and Oikon d.o.o. were also used. The structure and composition of Albania’s forest resources, including those of natural and semi-natural origin, are analysed. The legal framework in the field of forest management in Albania is summarized. Different management structures for forestry land are characterized, with the identification of the specifics of use for different forms of ownership. The main problems of forest management are identified, including intensive exploitation of private forests, lack of subsidies and investments, as well as imperfect legislative regulation. Adaptation measures to increase the sustainability of Albania’s forests within the framework of the Albanian Forest Policy Document for the period 2019-2030 are substantiated. Strategic areas of development, such as the expansion of protected areas, the development of ecotourism and the attraction of green investments, are proposed. The study also emphasizes the importance of international cooperation for financial and technical support, which will facilitate the implementation of sustainable forest management practices and biodiversity conservation. The practical significance of the study is that these results can be used to develop strategic directions for the development of the forest sector in Albania, aimed at ensuring sustainable management and conservation of forest resources, which is a key factor for the country’s economic and environmental well-being

Introduction: West Africa, particularly Guinea-Bissau, heavily relies on cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale L.) production, which significantly impacts the countries' economies. Cashew exhibits remarkable adaptability to impoverished and arid soils. Understanding producers' socio-economic characteristics is crucial due to their potential influence on crop productivity and household income. Methods: This study aims to characterize the socio-economic, productive, and phytosanitary aspects of cashew production in Guinea-Bissau, through 151 interviews with producers across all administrative regions of the country. Results: Our findings reveal that cashew producers are mainly males aged 40 to 60, they typically manage plantations under 5 ha, with the smaller plantation areas located in Gabú, Cacheu, and Bolama. The age of the older trees averaged 31 years, with the highest age found in Biombo. Tree density averaged 286 trees per hectare, with higher values in Cacheu, Bafatá, and Bolama. Cashew nut yield in 2020 averaged less than 0.5 tons per hectare, with farmer-set prices generally lower than government determined prices. Oio, Tombali, and Bolama were the regions most affected by pests, while Oio and Cacheu (North) were the most affected by diseases. Top pests included termites, branch girdler, weaver ants, African grasshopper, and stem borer; while top diseases comprised gummosis, anthracnose, and dieback. Discussion: Characterization of cashew production system is crucial at both national and regional levels to identify region-specific limitations and strengths, aiding in the formulation of tailored strategies for sustainable production. Moreover, cashew production plays a crucial role in household incomes in Guinea-Bissau, underscoring the necessity of developing integrated management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grafting facilitates the management of phytodiseases, especially of soils, but the growth and development of the grafted plant depend on the compatibility with rootstocks. The objective was to evaluate the graft union and survival, the growth characteristics, fruit biometrics, yield and physiological characteristics of the tomato plant 'Santa Clara' on five rootstocks. The study was conducted at the Pici Campus of the Federal University of Ceará in Fortaleza, Ceará state, Brazil. The seven treatments were tomato 'Santa Clara' ungrafted and self‐grafted, or grafted onto cherry tomato 'Vermelho', hybrid tomato 'Guardiao', eggplant 'Comprida Roxa', jiló 'Comprido Grande Rio' (Solanum gilo) and cocona (Solanum sessiliflorum). Cleft grafting was used. The growth characteristics evaluated were stem diameter (SD), plant height (PH), and number of commercial (NCF) and total (NTF) fruits. The biometric characteristics of the fruits (diameter‐FD, length‐FL and average mass‐AMF) and productive (commercial‐CFM and total‐TFM fruit mass) and yield of commercial (YCF) and total (YTF) fruits were estimated per hectare. Physiological evaluations were performed to obtain the internal concentration of CO2 (Ci), transpiration rate (E), stomatal conductance (Gs), liquid photosynthesis (A), ratio between internal CO2 and the environment (Ci/Ca) and carboxylation efficiency (A/Ci). The graft union and survival of S. lycopersicum plants was 100% at 10 days after grafting. The number of commercial and total fruits were higher in non‐grafted tomato plants. The FD of the plants was higher with rootstocks of the 'Vermelho' cherry tomato and 'Guardião' hybrid, the CFM and TFM with ungrafted, the AMF and TFM with 'Vermelho' cherry tomato and the YCF and YTF with ungrafted and grafting on the 'Vermelho' cherry tomato. The tomato plant 'Santa Clara' completed its development in rootstocks and, therefore, they are compatible with this plant. The production of tomato fruits was higher with grafting on the 'Vermelho' cherry tomato with diameter and productivity similar to those of the ungrafted plants, indicating that this tomato cultivar can be used as rootstock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Downy mildew is a production limiting factor for Brazil's main onion producing region. In the present study we tested two management strategies, namely the utilization of a resistant cultivar and the implementation of a disease alert system. Our objective was to mitigate the frequency of systemic fungicide applications while concurrently sustaining optimal yield levels. By carrying out fungicide sprays only when the alert system indicated a severe risk and using the cultivar "SCS379 Robusta", it was possible to reduce the number of sprays from 11 (calendar) to 5 (alert system), maintaining statistically similar yields (32.58 tonnes/ha – calendar; and 30.76 tonnes/ha – alert system). The reduction in spray applications using an integrated management strategy reduced the cost of spraying by more than half from BRL 0.069/Kg to BRL 0.033/Kg. This study demonstrates that implementation of an integrated management strategy can reduce chemical use and cost without compromising the protection of onion using alert system and more susceptible varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Signos is the property of Universidad Santo Tomas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a serious invasive insect pest affecting global maize production. Effective integrated management of FAW is essential to minimize the yield losses. The objective of this study is to determine a suitable package for the sustainable management of FAW by validating the potentiality of various integrated approaches through field trials. In the present study, five different integrated pest management treatments consisted of different components were synthesized and evaluated against fall armyworm in maize-based systems during winter (December 2022–April 2023) and rainy (July–November 2023) seasons. The data on the number of plants damaged, leaf damage rating (1–9 scale), and natural enemies such as spiders, coccinellids, and earwigs were recorded from 20 randomly selected plants at 7 and 14 days after the first and second sprays. Yield data (q ha−1) were recorded at the time of harvest. Treatment 1 consisting of pheromone traps at a rate of 4 per acre with ICAR-NBAIR lures, erection of bird perches at a rate of 10 per acre, seed treatment with Chlorantraniliprole 50 FS at a rate of 5.6 ml per kilogram of seed, and spray application of azadirachtin 1500 ppm at the rate of 5 ml per litre, and Metarrhizium anisopliae with spore count of 1 × 108 cfu/g (1 kg per acre) at a rate of 5 g per litre significantly reduced the per cent plant infestation (12.7) and leaf damage rating (2.1) by FAW larvae compared to untreated control (39.7, 4.1), respectively. The higher natural enemy population (spiders, coccinellids, and earwigs) was also observed in Treatment 1 (8.8) compared to Treatment 5 (4.1) (chemical control). Furthermore, higher grain yield of 51.5 q ha−1 was obtained in Treatment 1 with a cost–benefit ratio of 1:2.1, whereas in untreated control, the yield obtained was 29.0 q ha−1 with a cost–benefit ratio of 1:1.3. The highest per cent of avoidable yield losses of 43.6 was observed in Treatment 1 in comparison with other treatments. Integration of sustainable management approaches reduces the application of chemical insecticides and enhances the population of natural enemies which would be beneficial to maize farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weed control is one of the major challenges in rice cultivation, and the use of agrochemicals for this crop is severely restricted under the new European agricultural policy. Therefore, new effective non‐chemical weed control techniques are the key to sustain European rice production. We investigated four non‐chemical weed management strategies in the Ebro Delta in north‐eastern Spain, two in dry‐seeded rice fields and two in water‐seeded rice fields. In addition, two controls per sowing condition were included: a positive control consisting of chemical herbicides treatment and a negative control consisting of no weeding and no seeding. Mechanical weeding using a rotary harrow placed in front of the seeder was the best weeding technique for dry seeding, while 'stale seed bed' and transplanting was the best performing technique for wet seeding. Both techniques were as effective as the chemical weeding control, reducing the density of weeds and the supplementary manual weeding time needed for those weed species more abundant in Ebro Delta rice fields (i.e., Echinochloa oryzoides, Echinochloa crus‐galli, Bolboschoenus maritimus and Heteranthera reniformis). Thus, non‐chemical weeding alternatives have been proven effective for both, transplanting and dry seeding field management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, significantly impacting patients' quality of life and increasing the risk of death, stroke, heart failure, and dementia. Over the past two decades, there have been significant breakthroughs in AF risk prediction and screening, stroke prevention, rhythm control, catheter ablation, and integrated management. During this period, the scale, quality, and experience of AF management in China have greatly improved, providing a solid foundation for the development of the guidelines for the diagnosis and management of AF. To further promote standardized AF management, and apply new technologies and concepts to clinical practice timely and fully, the Chinese Society of Cardiology of Chinese Medical Association and the Heart Rhythm Committee of Chinese Society of Biomedical Engineering jointly developed the Chinese Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Atrial Fibrillation. The guidelines comprehensively elaborated on various aspects of AF management and proposed the CHA2DS2‑VASc‑60 stroke risk score based on the characteristics of the Asian AF population. The guidelines also reevaluated the clinical application of AF screening, emphasized the significance of early rhythm control, and highlighted the central role of catheter ablation in rhythm control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Railway Construction Technology is the property of Railway Construction Technology Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Integrated urban management is one of the sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation development strategies. This approach helps to respond to the everincreasing transportation needs of cities in a safer, more cost-effective, more reliable, and sustainable manner and to increase the role of these settlements in the implementation of policies and the realization of sustainable development goals at different global, national, and local levels. Therefore, today, achieving an integrated public transportation system is one of the most important strategies and goals of city management, and coordination between different public transportation lines is necessary. Integration can be defined as the coordination between the components of the transportation system and existing sub-systems. Therefore, intra-system integration deals with the coordination of the transportation system with other systems as well. The aim of the current research is to measure the effect of integrated urban management on the development of transportation and traffic in the Ahvaz metropolis. The current research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive in nature with a survey approach. Two library and field methods (questionnaires) were used to collect information. In data and information analysis, the statistical techniques of variance-based structural equation modeling and covariance-based structural equation modeling were used. The findings show that the overall evaluation indices of the structural equation model indicate that the data support the theoretical model of this research. In other words, the fit of the data to the model is established and the fit indices indicate the desirability of the structural equation model. Moreover, the strengthening of the integrated management of urban transport leads to the increase or strengthening of the development of transport and traffic, and its weakening will slow down the development of urban transport and traffic in the Ahvaz metropolis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To understand for whom, under what conditions, and how an integrated approach to atrial fibrillation (AF) service delivery works (or does not work). Methods and results A realist review of integrated approaches to AF service delivery for adult populations aged ≥18 years. An expert panel developed an initial programme theory, searched and screened literature from four databases until October 2022, extracted and synthesized data using realist techniques to create context–mechanism–outcome configurations for integrated approaches to AF service, and developed an integrated approach refined programme theory. A total of 5433 documents were screened and 39 included. The refined programme theory included five context–mechanism–outcome configurations for how clinical and system-wide outcomes are affected by the way integrated approaches to AF service delivery are designed and delivered. This review identifies core mechanisms underpinning the already known fundamental components of integrated care. This includes having a central coordinator responsible for service organization to provide continuity of care across primary and secondary care ensuring services are patient centred. Additionally, a fifth pillar, lifestyle and risk factor reduction, should be recognized within an AF care pathway. Conclusion It is evident from our provisional theory that numerous factors need to interlink and interact over time to generate a successfully integrated model of care in AF. Stakeholders should embrace this complexity and acknowledge that the learnings from this review are integral to shaping future service delivery in the face of an aging population and increased prevalence of AF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria) is an important ornamental tree that represents the autumnal landscape of red leaves in Northern China, especially in Beijing. However, Verticillium wilt, caused by the fungus (Verticillium dahliae), has resulted in a high mortality rate for smoke trees, posing a serious threat to the highly valued landscape of red leaves in Beijing. To explore an efficient control measure for Verticillium wilt, we systematically analyzed the applicability and efficacy of multiple treatments for three consecutive years in Xiangshan Park and Badaling Forest Park. From 2021 to 2023, diseased smoke trees in Xiangshan Park were subjected to three application methods (agent irrigation, trunk injection, or a combination of the two) and five candidate agents, namely Bacillus subtilis, azoxystrobin, propiconazole, carbendazim, and prochloraz. Analyses of the data for three consecutive years revealed a decreasing trend in the annual disease incidence rate. Specifically, the combined application of agent irrigation and trunk injection exhibited the highest control effect and a significant improvement in the landscape of red leaves in Beijing. Furthermore, the combination of propiconazole via irrigation plus the trunk injection of carbendazim and prochloraz had the greatest control effect. These suppressive measurements were further used and demonstrated to be effective in Badaling Forest Park. Overall, our study provides an effective disease management means for controlling Verticillium wilt in smoke trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically evaluates the influence of implementing quality, safety, environment and information systems security practices on the organizational performance and overall quality of healthcare organizations in the Moroccan context using data from a sample of 50 healthcare entities in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region selected from a pool of 76 organizations. This research employs the partial least squares (PLS) method for analysis to test hypotheses regarding the nature of health service quality in Morocco across various forms. The outcomes of this study reveal a significant and positive relationship between organizational performance in Moroccan healthcare facilities and adopting practices emphasizing quality, safety, environment and information security systems. Notably, organizations incorporating these practices generally demonstrate heightened levels of performance. This study posits that the incorporation of an integrated management system can catalyse continuous improvement and enhanced performance within the Moroccan healthcare sector. These results suggest that the implementing integrated management systems could contribute to ongoing improvement and elevate organizational performance standards throughout the broader healthcare sector. However, generalizing these findings to all Moroccan healthcare facilities requires a larger sample spread across all Moroccan regions to enable a comprehensive understanding of the impact of these practices on organizational performance across the entire healthcare landscape of Morocco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research that directs the way stakeholders act and how they collaborate is essential when addressing complex environmental challenges in the field of sustainability science. For example, researchers attempting to manage Prosopis invasions through biological control in South Africa have historically faced challenges from stakeholders. In this study, we illustrate the importance of stakeholder engagement and social learning by outlining the collaborative efforts of various stakeholders to promote effective, integrative and sustainable management of Prosopis invasions in the Northern Cape, South Africa. Through a community of practice approach, stakeholders worked together over the past half-decade in an attempt to develop a National Strategy for Prosopis management and improve its control. This strategy aimed not only to emphasise the need for integration of biomass use (aimed at offsetting the costs of mechanical clearing and necessary herbicide use) but also to underscore the significance of biocontrol alongside other management approaches. Stakeholders also identified that adequate farm-scale planning is necessary to provide a sense of purpose and assist in monitoring of progress. We worked alongside land managers and experts to develop such plans. The engagement of local champions played a crucial role in facilitating collaboration and learning among stakeholders, emphasising the significance of inclusive approaches in addressing complex sustainability challenges. In addition, we gained an understanding of how to develop the community of practice to enhance collaboration that ensures the implementation of plans to better manage Prosopis. Our findings underscore the necessity of meaningful stakeholder engagement and collaboration in effective invasive species management. By promoting understanding and involvement of diverse stakeholders, initiatives can have a greater impact in addressing broader sustainability issues. Significance: Our findings highlight the fundamental role of stakeholder collaboration in addressing environmental challenges (e.g. biological invasions), promoting sustainability and fostering social learning. Collaboration facilitates exchange of knowledge, promotes social learning and allows stakeholders to make informed decisions when addressing sustainability issues. Collaborative approaches promote the effectiveness of a community of practice in managing Prosopis invasions in South Africa. Local champions played a pivotal role in facilitating collaboration, bridging communication gaps and promoting inclusive approaches. Sustained stakeholder engagement, transdisciplinary collaborations, effective biological control and market development for biomass products will be essential to improve the sustainable management of Prosopis.

Copyright of Telecommunication Engineering is the property of Telecommunication Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study looks at the application of Melaleuca (Melaleuca alternifolia Cheel) essential oil to control diseases in bean crops. Considering the global and economic importance of the bean crop, the research investigated the potential of M. alternifolia, known as the tea tree, to suppress pathogens. In vitro tests were conducted, revealing that the essential oil (EO) inhibited the growth of fungi and bacteria from 0.5%. In vivo experiments, using a randomized statistical design, showed a significant reduction in the incidence and severity of diseases from 0.5%. The results suggest that Melaleuca EO can be an effective alternative for phytosanitary control of bean crops, highlighting its potential to promote sustainability and agricultural productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the legislative framework in the field of forest resource management in Albania in the context of forest ecology, and species diversity, and to identify the main problems and prospects for sustainable development of the country's forestry. The research methodology included the analysis of statistical data from the National Institute of Statistics of Albania on the structure of forest ecosystems and forms of their management. The results of studies conducted by international organizations such as the World Bank, Global Environment Facility, and Oikon d.o.o. were also used. The structure and composition of Albania's forest resources, including those of natural and semi-natural origin, are analysed. The legal framework in the field of forest management in Albania is summarized. Different management structures for forestry land are characterized, with the identification of the specifics of use for different forms of ownership. The main problems of forest management are identified, including intensive exploitation of private forests, lack of subsidies and investments, as well as imperfect legislative regulation. Adaptation measures to increase the sustainability of Albania's forests within the framework of the Albanian Forest Policy Document for the period 2019-2030 are substantiated. Strategic areas of development, such as the expansion of protected areas, the development of ecotourism and the attraction of green investments, are proposed. The study also emphasizes the importance of international cooperation for financial and technical support, which will facilitate the implementation of sustainable forest management practices and biodiversity conservation. The practical significance of the study is that these results can be used to develop strategic directions for the development of the forest sector in Albania, aimed at ensuring sustainable management and conservation of forest resources, which is a key factor for the country's economic and environmental well-being [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims District 20 of Tehran Municipality is characterized as a less developed region attributable to factors such as insufficient smart infrastructure and the absence of a coherent vision for smart city infrastructure advancement. The primary objective of this research was to develop a comprehensive management framework for spatial data infrastructure integrated with a smart city approach within District 20 of Tehran. Methodology This investigation, carried out between 2023 and 2024, was divided into qualitative and quantitative phases, with a particular focus on District 20 in Tehran. The study’s sample size comprised 16 experts, and data collection methods encompassed semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. During the qualitative phase, the components essential for managing spatial data infrastructure in the context of a smart city were identified through an extensive review of existing literature. Subsequently, following adjustments based on expert feedback, a total of 12 components were validated. In the quantitative phase, structural equation modeling was employed to delineate the network of relationships and interactions, culminating in the presentation of the final model. Findings The formulation of policies for spatial data infrastructure was recognized as the most influential component at the highest echelon. Factors such as the utilization extent of spatial data, the quantity of electronic service centers, data update frequencies, cooperation and synchronization among the authorities of Rey Governorate, Rey Municipality, and Tehran Municipality in the realms of spatial data production, standardization, and distribution, along with the element of collaboration and synchronization with other entities categorized as data users, were positioned as influential components at the lowest tier. Conclusion The policies and criteria established within the domain of spatial data infrastructure possess the most significant influence on other elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated management is considered the best strategy to mitigate the damage caused by plant-parasitic nematodes. However, there is still limited information regarding some integrated techniques. Thus, this study aimed to assess the effects of genetic management associated with chemical control of Meloidogyne javanica in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) The experiment was installed in a greenhouse according to an 8×4 factorial design with eight replicates. The first factor was soybean cultivar (HO Juruena IPRO, resistant; Foco IPRO, HO Maracaí IPRO, and CZ 58B28 IPRO, moderately resistant; HO Mamoré IPRO, moderately susceptible; and Extrema IPRO, CZ 48B32 IPRO, and HO Aporé IPRO, susceptible). The second factor consisted of an untreated control and commercial nematicides based on abamectin, thiodicarb+imidacloprid, and fluopyram. Plants were inoculated with 2000 nematode eggs, and nematode and vegetative variables were evaluated at 65 d after inoculation. There was an interaction effect on nematode variables. Furthermore, there was an additive effect of genetic management and chemical control, mainly in resistant cultivars treated with thiodicarb+imidacloprid or fluopyram with controls of up to 69.90% and 96.86%, respectively. The application of fluopyram and the use of 'HO Juruena IPRO', 'Foco IPRO', or 'HO Maracaí IPRO' also contributed to the control of M. javanica. Vegetative variables were studied by analyzing product effects separately, but results were inconclusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Today; optimal management requires the utilization of local capacities and compliance with macro planning policies and systems. Accordingly, paying attention to local governance is the approach every planner uses. Peri-urban villages and especially rural areas of the Tehran metropolitan fringe must have an efficient management framework due to their influence from the city. This is possible when it is possible to identify the desired local management and related components. The review of the previous research shows the Weakness of the existing frameworks in explaining the integrated framework of local management in rural areas. This research has been done to develop a comprehensive framework of effective local governance processes in peri-urban villages with a systematic review.in terms of purpose, this research is basic. The current research has collected the components of local management of peri-urban villages in ten years with a systematic review approach. These components have been collected from 15 databases using 3 specific keywords and a clear and pre-designed strategy. After screening and qualitative evaluation, the final analysis has done on 20 articles--analysis of articles identified six components and 60 subcomponents to explain the local management framework. The evaluation of the systematic review studies showed that integrity is a principle in local management. In this field, integrity in executive, structural, laws, financial sources of sustainability, policymaking, citizen-oriented, and vertical should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huge demand on business intelligence applications over large volume of enterprise data has resulted in rapid adoption of High performance data analytics. Hadoop based high performance computing environment are optimized for large files. Data centric execution with localization of computing proximal to data provided higher performance for large files. But for small files, the performance reduced and overhead increased due to the way Hadoop handles files. Resource allocation and scheduling policies of Hadoop has to be improvised to handle small files. This work proposes an integrated data, task, and resource management technique to speed up processing of small files in Hadoop based high performance computing environment. As part of data management, the data placement is made dynamic to access frequency and inherent data semantics. As part of task management, tasks were grouped based on fine grained data semantics correlation they process. As part of resource management, data blocks or storage nodes are replicated to improve the access latency with minimal cost overheads. With this integrated management, the proposed solution is able to increase the speedup of handling small files by at least 8.7% compared to most recent works on individual management of data, task and resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although megaprojects are complex socio-technical systems that cannot be fully understood by analyzing their components in an isolated way, integrated approaches combining risk and stakeholder analyses remain underdeveloped in the literature. This study proposes a multilayer network analysis that integrates economic transactions between stakeholders and risks to identify discrepancies that may lead to underperformance. This technique was implemented in an Italian megaproject case. The comparison between traditional stakeholders and the proposed multidimensional risk-stakeholder networks reveals the capacity of the latter to accurately capture misalignments between multiple dimensions, such as risk allocation, economic transactions, and project performance. While previous studies have explored one-dimensional networks involving either stakeholders or risks, the novel approach proposed in this paper integrates both dimensions. This research contributes to stakeholder and risk management theory by highlighting the significance of combined stakeholder-risk multilayer networks and introducing a multidimensional approach to quantitatively assess risk propagation and its impact on project outcomes while considering the stakeholders' role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resilience theory has gained significant traction in various urban fields, including natural disasters and risk management or climate change adaptation, and at different organizational levels, including academics, practitioners, and policymakers. It should be considered a complementary approach to sustainable development that enhances cities' capacity to endure future uncertainties and promote rational urban development. However, the lack of a generally accepted definition of resilience hampers understanding and practical implementation in urban services like stormwater management. Conventionally, stormwater services aimed to minimize the impact of rainfall through fail-safe approaches. The resilience approach, on the other hand, embraces a holistic "safe-to-fail" perspective. The existing literature offers diverse approaches to measure flood and stormwater resilience. Still, there is room for the development and improvement of standardized but flexible frameworks for operationalizing resilience in urban drainage and flood management. To address this, a comprehensive resilience framework for urban stormwater services is proposed, entitled RESILISTORM. This framework incorporates a Strategic Dimension and a Performance Dimension, providing segmented and overall resilience ratings that enable utilities to address critical aspects undermining the service's resilience. An open-source digital tool (RESILISTORM-tool) is also introduced to expedite answering, data integration, and visualization analysis of results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionWest Africa, particularly Guinea-Bissau, heavily relies on cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale L.) production, which significantly impacts the countries’ economies. Cashew exhibits remarkable adaptability to impoverished and arid soils. Understanding producers’ socio-economic characteristics is crucial due to their potential influence on crop productivity and household income.MethodsThis study aims to characterize the socio-economic, productive, and phytosanitary aspects of cashew production in Guinea-Bissau, through 151 interviews with producers across all administrative regions of the country.ResultsOur findings reveal that cashew producers are mainly males aged 40 to 60, they typically manage plantations under 5 ha, with the smaller plantation areas located in Gabú, Cacheu, and Bolama. The age of the older trees averaged 31 years, with the highest age found in Biombo. Tree density averaged 286 trees per hectare, with higher values in Cacheu, Bafatá, and Bolama. Cashew nut yield in 2020 averaged less than 0.5 tons per hectare, with farmer-set prices generally lower than government determined prices. Oio, Tombali, and Bolama were the regions most affected by pests, while Oio and Cacheu (North) were the most affected by diseases. Top pests included termites, branch girdler, weaver ants, African grasshopper, and stem borer; while top diseases comprised gummosis, anthracnose, and dieback.DiscussionCharacterization of cashew production system is crucial at both national and regional levels to identify region-specific limitations and strengths, aiding in the formulation of tailored strategies for sustainable production. Moreover, cashew production plays a crucial role in household incomes in Guinea-Bissau, underscoring the necessity of developing integrated management strategies.

Introduction: Community-Based Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses (CBIMNCI) is the integrated approach for the management of children’s common health concerns in outpatient primary health care settings and interventions at the family and community level. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and perception regarding CB-IMNCI in medical students studying in the clinical phase of a medical college. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from February to June 2023 among 218 clinical-year medical students after obtaining ethical clearance from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: IRC-LMC-04/M-022). A self-administered questionnaire with CB-IMNCI-related multiple-choice questions was used for data collection and the responses to knowledge-related questions were evaluated using a predefined answer key. The results were expressed in terms of the number and percentage of the participants who answered each questions correctly. Results: Of the 218 students, 111 (50.92%) were male and 107 (49.08%) were female. Among the participants, 164 (75.23%) (70-80% at 95% Confidence Interval) demonstrated basic knowledge of CB-IMNCI, successfully answering 50% or more of the questions. Among the males, 81 (72.97%), and among the females, 83 (77.57%) had basic knowledge of CBIMNCI. In terms of semester-wise distribution, 33(53.22%) in the 5th semester, 43 (82.69%) in the 7th semester, 41 (80.39%) in the 9th semester and 47 (88.67%) were able to answer 50% or more of the questions correctly. Conclusions: This study showed that one fourth of the students lack the basic knowledge about CB-IMNCI. It suggests the need for further work to enhance effectiveness of pre-service CB-IMNCI training.

Cover crops (CC) are increasingly used worldwide within integrated weed management scenarios. They are usually established between two commercial crops and are not harvested, grazed, or incorporated into the soil, but remain on the surface during their growth cycle. The aim of this work was to determine the performance of different CC mixtures and their effects on weed suppression in the south-central region of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Field experiments were carried out in 2019 and 2020 at the CEI Barrow (MDA-INTA, Tres Arroyos), where both binary and ternary CC mixtures were evaluated. Binary mixtures consisted of winter cereals (Avena sativa, Secale cereale) and legumes (Vicia villosa, Vicia sativa) while ternary mixtures were obtained by combining binary mixtures with canola (Brassica napus). Weed emergence counting was performed on a 14- day basis to determine weed total density. Vegetation cover of the CC mixtures as well as biomass production from crops and weeds were estimated. The specific composition of the mixtures showed a greater influence on vegetation cover than on biomass production, which would depend mainly on the prevailing environmental conditions. The type of vetch used, the addition of canola, as well as, the proportion of cereals in the mixture determined the CC effect on weeds. CC were consistently more effective in suppressing weed biomass than seedling emergence density. However, weed seedling suppression by CC was similar to or even greater than the chemical-based control (p<0.0001). The average biomass of weeds in all CC (pooled data) was highly reduced when compared to the weedy control (12 vs 259 g m-2, p<0.001), and similar responses were obtained when compared to the chemical fallow (8 g m-2). The mixture S. cereal+ V. villosa+ canola stood out for presenting the highest values of productivity and vegetation cover and high weed suppression. These results provide support for the choice of CCmixtures in a dry sub-humid area of Argentina, aimed at maximizing interference with weeds and also to demonstrate their benefits in short- and long-term management. Therefore, CC implementation within crop sequences should be considered as a complementary tool contributing to the development of more sustainable management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anton de Bary first coined the genus, Phytophthora, which means "plant destroyer", viewing its devastating nature on potatoes. Globally plants have faced enormous threat from Phytophthora since its occurrence. In fact, a century ago, Phytophthora palmivora was first reported on Dendrobium maccarthiae in Sri Lanka. Since then, members of beautiful flowering crops of the family Orchidaceae facing the destructive threat of Phytophthora. Several Phytophthora species have been recorded to infect orchids with economic loss worldwide. To date, orchids are attacked by 12 species of Phytophthora. Five Phytophthora species (P. palmivora, P. nicotianae, P. cactorum, P. multivesiculata, P. meadii) are the major pathogenic Oomycetous Chromista" rather than true fungi frequently occurred on Orchidaceae. Phytophthora palmivora (having ~32 orchid host genera in 15 countries), Phytophthora nicotianae (having ~15 orchid host genera in 16 countries), Phytophthora cactorum (having ~43 orchid host genera in 6 countries), Phytophthora multivesiculata (having 2 orchid host genera in 5 countries) and Phytophthora capsici (having 2 orchid host genera in all Vanilla growing countries) are potential destroyers of Orchidaceae. Most of them are water loving Oomycetes cause disease in moist environments (> 80% RH) at 16-28°C. In artificially constructed orchidaria, anthropogenic factors are mostly contributed to the dissemination Phytophthora diseases in addition to many other factors. Water management, clean cultivation, and agro-chemicals are the major options for effective management of orchid Phytophthora, as the eco-friendly management options like development of resistant hybrids/cultivars, biological disease management, transgenic approaches, RNAi technology remained in the infant stage. In this review, we intended to highlight the insight of Phytophthora diseases associated with the orchid disease with reference to the historical aspect of the diseases, symptoms and signs, the pathogens, taxonomy, geographic distribution, host range within the Orchidaceae, pathogen identification, molecular diagnostics, mating types and races, management options and strategies and future perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop losses in vegetables vary greatly depending on plant variety, cropping season, geographical location, and pest damage potential. Vegetable crops are heavily impacted by insect pests and diseases due to their softness, fragility and short duration in comparison to other crops. An emerging insect pest is one that has been observed in a specific crop-infested area and has progressively increased in population over time. Emerging insect pests have the potential to cause economic harm. In other words, an emerging insect pest is a pest insect whose position has shifted from minor to major or secondary to primary pest. The number of existing minor pests is increasing, as is the arrival of new ones, such as mealybugs, fruit flies, stem borers, diamondback moths among phytophagous insects and red spider mites among acarine. Recent infestations, such as South American tomato pinworm and chili black flower thrips, have caused serious damage to tomato and chili harvests. This review envisages on the variables that contribute to the establishment of new invasive pests, the persistence of main pests, general pest management practices, and integrated pest management to achieve sustainable vegetable production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, heterogeneous management affects the operation of networks in many organizations, causing economic losses and the degradation of the quality of their services. This situation gives way to the need for integrated management, hampered by the presence of multiple integration mechanisms that are incompatible with each other. A possible solution found for this was the use of APIs, in order to ensure that the management information offered by the different managers can be integrated into a single application. The great diversity of existing APIs in the market and the non-existence of a guide for their most appropriate use make the design and deployment of an integrated management system based on them a complicated task. In order to solve the aforementioned difficulties, this paper proposes a procedure to implement integrated management through the use of APIs, which starts from the search for the objectives of the organization, to achieve the deployment of a solution that responds faithfully to them. Said procedure allows to point out, from its first steps, important requirements from the analysis of the types of data that are handled in the solution in question. The usefulness of the proposed procedure was verified through its application in an entity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Avances is the property of Instituto de Informacion Cientifica y Tecnologica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Cubana de Ciencias Informáticas is the property of Universidad de las Ciencias Informaticas (UCI) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of The Planner & Development is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Railway Construction Technology is the property of Railway Construction Technology Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)