Assessment of Existing Weir Performance Index Integrated with Variability of Crop Productivity

The present article is the outcome of a study carried out to assess the existing condition, spatio-temporal changes and socio-environmental quality of four parks and six playgrounds in Bogura town of Bangladesh from January to June 2018. A questionnaire survey involving 150 respondents was carried out addressing environment, management, pattern, amenity, welfare and people’s reliability of the parks and playgrounds. The total area of parks and playgrounds has decreased by 8.09% and 14.19%, respectively, in last a decade. Qualitative assessment indicates that Kalitola Park is in very bad condition, while Shibbati Children’s Park and Shaheed Khokon Park are in good condition, and Pouro Edward Park is in moderate condition. The Ulka and Brindabonpara Playgrounds are in good condition, whereas MS Club and Altafunnessa Playgrounds are in moderate condition, and Dhorompur and Medical Playgrounds are in bad condition. The study has also shown that environment, pattern, beauty, welfare and people’s reliability indicators set the parks and playgrounds between moderate and good condition; however, managerial and institutional indicators and amenity indicator need improvement. It is recommended that a proper planning, management and accessibility of open spaces of Bogura town should be ensured.

<h1>Potato production in Karo and Simalungun Regency of North Sumatra is severely limited by the high number of pest attacks, so that the use of pesticides is absolutely necessary. Increasing potassium doses and application botanical pesticides can be used as a strategy to reduce pest attacks on potatoes. This study aims to determine whether an increase in potassium dose and application of some botanical pesticides can reduce the percentage of pest attacks and then increasing potato production. Research was designed by factorial Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 2 factors, namely Potassium Dosage consist of 4 levels: K0 = Control; K1 = 100 kg / ha (30 g / plot); K2 = 150 kg / ha (45 g / plot); K3 = 200 kg / ha (60 g / plot). And the second factor is the type of botanical pesticide which consist of 3 levels, namely: N1 = 20 g Neem leaves/ liter of water; N2 = 20 g babadotan leaves/ liter of water; N3 = 20 g Kipahit leaves/ liter of water. Data were analyzed by analyzed of variance.</h1><h1>The results showed that an increase in potassium dosage did not significantly affect the percentage of pest attacks and plant production variables. Botanical pesticides have a significant effect on the percentage of pest attacks, but have not significant effect on crop production variables. The lowest percentage of pest attacks was obtained from the application of botanical pesticides from babadotan leaf extract. In general, the percentage of pest attacks in the category was very low (<25%), so that not significantly affect to production variables.</h1>

Aims: This study aims to assess the impact of climate-related coastal hazards on agricultural lands in Casiguran, Aurora. Specifically, it evaluates the direct and indirect effects of sea level rise, storm surges, and typhoons on coastal farming communities and provides insights for adaptive solutions. Study Design: The study employed a quantitative research approach using a survey-based assessment to gather data from farmers on the effects of coastal hazards on agriculture. The Garrett Ranking Method was used to analyze and prioritize the ranked impacts. Place and Duration of the Study: The study was conducted in 12 coastal barangays of Casiguran, Aurora. The data collection period spanned December 2, 2024, to January 12, 2025. Methodology: A total of 145 farmers were surveyed using stratified random sampling to ensure representation across different barangays. Farmers ranked the perceived direct and indirect impacts of coastal hazards on their agricultural practices. The collected responses were analyzed using the Garrett Ranking Method to determine the most critical challenges faced by coastal farmers. Results: Among the direct impacts, extreme climatic events had the highest mean score (66.14), followed by changes in soil pH (61.90), soil fertility decline (59.00), sedimentation (47.30), soil erosion (43.66), saltwater intrusion (39.19), and land use changes (33.05). For indirect impacts, variability in crop production was the most significant (64.94), followed by pests and diseases (61.07), rising farming costs (58.98), social impacts (56.51), water competition (40.85), market fluctuations (37.30), and farming practice changes (30.88). Conclusion: The study highlights the need for adaptive strategies to mitigate the impact of coastal hazards on agriculture. Addressing soil degradation requires sustainable management practices like organic amendments and crop rotation, while extreme climatic events necessitate climate-resilient infrastructure such as flood controls and improved irrigation and drainage channels. To tackle economic challenges, financial aid, crop insurance, and farmer training in adaptive techniques like saline-tolerant crops and agroforestry are essential. Integrating these solutions into local policies will enhance resilience and sustainability. Future research should utilize spatial analysis to map vulnerability hotspots and predict agricultural risks due to sea level rise and extreme weather events, providing a data-driven basis for more targeted adaptation strategies.

Climate-related agricultural vulnerabilities, as well as their implications for food security and farm livelihoods, have been extensively documented. Extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, heat and cold waves, hailstorms, strong winds, cyclones, and other weather events have increased the exposures of agriculture to climate risk. These processes are hampered by a lack of appropriate climatic elements, resulting in an unfavourable drop in crop productivity. Increased frequency and intensity of droughts and floods, as well as erratic precipitation patterns are predicted to increase year-to-year yield variability in crop production. Microclimate, which refers to the climatic elements in the immediate vicinity of the plants, is critical because it regulates and affects the physiological reactions of the plants as well as the energy exchange activities between the plant and its surroundings. Implementation of such microclimatic modifications in crop production are required to manage extreme weather risks and boost crop output in order to increase food security and agricultural sustainability in this changing climate. The goal of this paper is to improve crop production and land productivity by modifying microclimate as a manifestation of the efficiency and effectiveness of growth factor utilisation. Keywords: Agriculture's vulnerability, Crop productivity, Climate change, Microclimatic modifications.

Hungarian agriculture is expected to experience greater risks due to more variability in crop productivity due to increasing yearly average temperatures and extreme precipitation patterns. This study investigates the effect of changing climatic conditions on productivity, using a Hungarian sample of crop producers for a 12-year time period. Our empirical analysis employs True Fixed Effects frontier models of Farm Accountancy Data Network data that are merged with specific meteorological data representatively maintained for seeding, vegetative, and generative periods for cereals, oil seed and protein crops, along with soil quality and usage-related data. Estimations indicate that climate variables have significant impacts on technical efficiency. In addition, calculation suggest that an increase in temperature during seeding and vegetative periods, combined with higher precipitation levels in May and June, will reduce crop farmers’ production frontier. Estimations explain the variance, while the technical efficiency (TE) scores emphasize the impact of the difference in soil quality and its water absorption capacity.

Biodiesel is a natural, renewable transportation fuel. Biodiesel is the best candidate for diesel fuels in diesel engines with no alterations. Biodiesel is a nontoxic, biodegradable alternative to petroleum diesel that substantially reduces air pollution. Biodiesel fuel typically comprises lower alkyl fatty acid (chain length C14-C22), esters of short-chain alcohols, primarily, methanol or ethanol. Methyl esters of vegetable oils have several outstanding advantages over other new-renewable and clean engine fuel alternatives. Biodiesel production using inedible vegetable oil, waste oil, and grease has become more attractive recently. The economic performance of a biodiesel plant can be determined once certain factors are identified, such as plant capacity, process technology, raw material cost, and chemical costs. The cost of biodiesel fuels varies depending on the base stock, geographic area, variability in crop production from season to season, the price of crude petroleum, and other factors. Biodiesel seems to be a realistic fuel for the future; it has become more attractive recently because of its environmental benefits.

The city of Bekasi was awarded as one of child-friendly cities in Indonesia, by the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection in 2022. The city government is committed to fulfilling children's rights, included in a Bekasi City Regional Regulation Number 13 of 2017, concerning child friendly cities. To fulfill children's rights, the Bekasi City government built smart homes to improve child-friendly cities. Smart homes are a facility used for the children, which they use to learn, play and create things, without any charge. Currently, there are 7 smart houses built in Bekasi City, with another 5 being planned to be built in every sub district. The aim of this research was to identify the service coverage of 7 smart houses that serve Bekasi City, and to provide some recommendations for those to be built. This research used a mixed method, which involved an observation assessment, a score analysis and a spatial analysis. The results of the study showed that, of the 7 smart houses in Bekasi City located in several subdistricts, two were in good conditions (Pondok Gede and Bekasi Timur), three were in moderate conditions (Bekasi Selatan, Mustika Jaya, Rawa Lumbu), and the remaining two were in bad conditions (Medan Satria, Bekasi Utara). It can also be concluded that, based on the service coverage, the Pondok Gede covered another 5 districts, with a distance of 3100 m.

To evaluate the performance and hematological indices of broiler chickens fed biodegraded cassava root meal an experiment was conducted in the Poultry Unit of the Livestock Teaching and Research Farm, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State. A total of one hundred and fifty five week-old (Ross 308) finishing broilers was used for the experiment. The birds were assigned randomly into three treatments and each treatment was replicated five times with ten birds per replicate. Cassava root was peeled and chopped into small pieces of about 90-100g and mixed with rumen filtrate (fluid). This was then biodegraded for 24 hours and 48 hours. The biodegraded cassava root meal (BCRM) was used to formulate broiler’s diets at a 10% inclusion level to supplement for maize. The diets formulated were T1, T2 and T3 at 0%, 10% (24 hours biodegraded) and 10% (48 hours biodegraded) inclusion, respectively. The birds in each replicate were housed in separate cages in a completely randomized design (CRD). All routine management practices, including recommended vaccinations were strictly observed, feed and water were served ad libitum throughout the period of the study which lasted for 28 days. Performance indices such as body weight, body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were measured. Hematological parameters were also taken; pack cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (HB), white blood cell (WBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and white blood cell (WBC) differential. Results revealed that there was no significant (P>0.05) differences in all the performance indices measured except in feed intake. Feed intake increased with prolonged period of biodegradation across treatments. There was significant (P<0.05) differences in the lymphocytes, heterophils and eosinophils across treatments. The study concluded that the dietary supplementation of 10% biodegradable cassava root meal at 24 and 48 hours did not adversely affect the performance/ health status of broiler chicken, however, for profit maximization, 48 hour biodegradation of cassava is recommended.

Food-and-beverage industry in Indonesia is growing and developing rapidly due to advancement in information technology, which affects marketing system applied by businesses. Bittersweet by Najla, an enterprise engaging in food-and-beverage industry, has adapted itself to technological development and is using it to design an online marketing system using online media. The objective of this research is to identify and analyze the effect of marketing mix on the decision of people in Jakarta to buy its product. This study is categorized as an explanatory research as it explains the causal relationship between variables through hypothesis testing. Using non-probability sampling method and purposive sampling technique, 100 people with the minimum age of seventeen years who live in Jakarta and have purchased the businesses’ product were selected as the research sample. The results of the descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analyses indicate that product, price, promotion, and price significantly influence people’s decision to buy the product of bittersweet by Najla. This means that the decision of people in Jakarta to purchase the products of Bittersweet by Najla is affected by variables of product, price, promotion, and place. Abstrak Pertumbuhan dan perkembangan industri food and beverage di Indonesia sangat pesat didukung dengan perkembangan teknologi informasi yang mempengaruhi sistem pemasaran yang dilakukan pelaku usaha. Bittersweet by Najla merupakan salah satu usaha yang bergerak dalam industry food and beverage yang beradaptasi dengan kemajuan teknologi dan memanfaatkannya untuk merancang sistem pemasaran melalui media online. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui dan menganalisis pengaruh bauran pemasaran terhadap keputusan pembelian Bittersweet by Najla pada masyarakat di kota Jakarta. Jenis penelitian ini adalah explanatory research yang menjelaskan hubungan kausal antara variabel-variabel melalui pengujian hipotesis. Sampel yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini berjumlah 100 responden. Kriteria dari 100 responden tersebut adalah individu yang berusia 17 tahun keatas, pernah membeli produk Bittersweet by Najla dan bertempat tinggal di kota Jakarta. Pengambilan sampel menggunakan metode non probability sampling dengan teknik porposive sampling. Analisis data yang dilakukan adalah statistik deskriptif dan analisis regresi linier berganda. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa variabel produk, harga, promosi dan lokasi secara signifikan mempengaruhi keputusan pembelian Bittersweet by Najla pada masyarakat di Kota Jakarta. Hasil ini berarti bahwa keputusan untuk membeli produk Bittersweet by Najla pada masyarakat Kota Jakarta dipengaruhi oleh variabel produk, harga, promosi dan lokasi.

Background: There are no in-depth research on commercial dairying management and performance of dairy cows under commercial dairying in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The good farming practice and cow’s productivity leads the farm profitability. This study may assist to overcome the problems related to the profitability of dairy farms.Methods: The study was conducted in 28 commercial dairy farms based on two types of data. Primary data: generated from stock inventory and farm management information using a pretested survey questionnaire and analyzed data of average production performance and quality of milk traits indifferent crosses collected directly four times season wise (summer, monsoon and winter) from each selected farms of Chittagong, Bangladesh from 2014 to 2015.Result: Overall management system of irrespective categories of farms was in moderate condition with some exception. Highest number of milking animal was 50% HF × 50% L cross under all farm categories. Crosses of 75% HF × 25% L were highest in number under farm category A and lowest C. In terms of milk quality and quantity, farms with higher number of animals were in better condition. Daily average milk yield was significantly higher in monsoon followed by summer and winter. Therefore, this current study would be helpful for the dairy farmers to find out an expected solution to overcome the problems in this sector.

In this paper we present Markov decision models for rationalisation of building maintenance. The models were developed for the Dutch State Building Agency, which is responsible for about 4000 state owned buildings with a value of some 20 billion guilders and an annual maintenance budget of some 90 million guilders. The models are intended to increase insight into strategic maintenance decision making and are in a preliminary phase only. Each building is divided into several parts, which state is determined each year by inspection and the result classified on a 6 point scale (varying from excellent condition to a very bad condition). Assuming residence times for each state, a semi-Markov decision model (SMDM) can be formulated with several maintenance actions in each state. From norms on the maximal discounted frequencies of certain states a minimum discounted cost policy can be determined by formulating the SMDM as a linear programming model. To incorporate the initial state of buildings and yearly budget constraints, however, the SMDM has to be transformed into an equivalent Markov decision model (MDM) with the residence time as second state variable. Modelling deterioration dependencies between e.g. protective parts (painting) and protected parts, however, leads to very large states spaces. Furthermore, a discounted cost analysis does not allow the control over the long term average state frequencies. Finally, by averaging over all building parts the MDM also allows the construction of a so-called tradeoff curve between the average condition of buildings and the long term average costs required to keep the buildings in that condition.

Labor productivity: Benchmarking and variability in Egyptian projects

Corona virus infection (COVID-19) is still an unsolved problem in Indonesia until this year. Apart from Java, other islands, including Sulawesi, were also badly affected. The very high mortality rate in Central Sulawesi (3.36%) poses a challenge for health workers; therefore, they should be well informed and with up-to-date information about correct therapeutic decisions. One of the most common comorbidities that often occurs with the severity and mortality of COVID-19 is hypertension. This study aims to determine the clinical characteristics and severity profile and their relationship with the mortality rate of COVID-19 patients with hypertension in Palu, Central Sulawesi. A total of 185 data on COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment at the Palu City Hospital during 2021 and meeting the criteria were recruited as research samples. Patients were divided into two categories, hypertensive (43%) and non-hypertensive (57%). The results showed that the age group, comorbid diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels showed a significant relationship between the two groups (p < 0.05). The median length of stay was 12 days, with conditions leading to discharge (83%) and death (17%); patients who died were hospitalized in moderate and severe clinical conditions. Age group, liver function, and kidney function were positively correlated with severity and mortality. However, hypertension did not show a significant relationship with the severity and mortality of COVID-19 patients.

This study evaluated the effect of access to credit on the productivity of banana producers in the province of El Oro, Ecuador. An analytical cross-sectional observational study was conducted with a sample of 406 producers. Agricultural productivity, measured in tons per hectare, was analyzed as a function of access to credit, controlling for farm size, producer experience, technical assistance, use of technology, educational level, and type of producer, using a multiple linear regression model. The results show that access to credit has a positive and statistically significant effect on productivity, with average increases of more than 5 t/ha. Likewise, producer experience, technical assistance, use of technology, and farm size also have a positive influence on productive performance. In contrast, educational level and type of producer did not show significant effects. The model explained approximately 60% of the variability in productivity. It is concluded that access to credit, together with technical and productive factors, is a key determinant of banana productive performance in the province of El Oro, highlighting the need to strengthen agricultural financing policies articulated with technical assistance and technological innovation programs.

Background:Cat urolithiasis is more common in male orchiectomized cats (ORCHs).Aim:This study aimed to determine the effect of orchiectomy on productive performance, physiologic, hematologic, and blood chemistry parameters, renal function, and electrolyte handling in healthy adult cats.Methods:Ten male, 2–3 years old, 4.7–5.9 kg, with a moderate body condition score, and clinically healthy domestic cats were used in this study. The animals were divided into two groups: the orchiectomized cat (ORCH) group and the sham-operative control surgery (SOC) group. Before surgery, daily weight gain, food intake, water intake, and urine volume were recorded, and urine pH and urine ammonia excretion were measured. Furthermore, vital signs, urine specific gravity, and urine protein-to-creatinine ratio were measured, and clearance studies were conducted. The biological, clinical, and renal function parameters were measured 5 weeks after surgery, as they were before surgery.Results:Orchiectomy in adult male cats increased productive performance (weight gain and food intake) without altering physiologic, hematologic, and metabolic parameters. The serum testosterone concentration in orchiectomized animals was significantly lower than that in the SOC group (p < 0.05). The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of the ORCH group decreased significantly after orchiectomy, whereas that of the SOC group remained unchanged. The renal handling of electrolyte values of ORCH 5 weeks post-orchiectomy did not differ from those before the surgery or in the SOC group. All parameter values were within the physiological reference range for healthy cats.Conclusion:Orchiectomy had a short-term effect on productive performance but no negative impact on physiologic, hematologic, metabolic, or renal handling of electrolyte parameters in healthy adult male cats with sexually intact cats. However, there is a decrease in GFR, urine pH, and urine specific gravity and an increase in urine ammonia excretion. Therefore, further research is needed to determine the long-term impact of orchiectomy in cats.