AbstractThis article considers the positive evolution of international law in the past century, and the emergence of a rules-based multilateral system under the UN Charter, which has, inter alia, enabled formerly colonised peoples to exercise their right to self-determination and prohibited the use of force in international relations. The author reaffirms his faith in the ability of international law to provide a common language for the international community to face successfully common challenges, such as poverty, global warming, and the protection of privacy rights in the era of social media and artificial intelligence. Looking beyond traditional beneficiaries and duty-bearers of international obligations, the author makes a case for all actors to engage in respecting, upholding and promoting international law.
This study examines the relationship between patriarchy and religion and how they impact on women's political participation in Kwara State. The Gender and Development (GAD) approach is employed to examine the impact of social construct on women's political participation. Primary and secondary data were utilized for the study. Primary data was collected through questionnaires distributed to respondents selected from four local governments that makes up Kwara Central Senatorial District. The simple random sampling technique was employed. The study utilized both descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. The study finds that patriarchy permeates religion through the skewed interpretation of religious text (Quran and Hadith) in ways as to advance the entrenchment of male dominance in social life in the study area and by extension Kwara State. The study recommends enlightenment campaign to drive home the value of respect for the equality of women in social relations for inclusive development.
This study examines the relationship between patriarchy and religion and how they impact on women's political participation in Kwara State. The Gender and Development (GAD) approach is employed to examine the impact of social construct on women's political participation. Primary and secondary data were utilized for the study. Primary data was collected through questionnaires distributed to respondents selected from four local governments that makes up Kwara Central Senatorial District. The simple random sampling technique was employed. The study utilized both descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. The study finds that patriarchy permeates religion through the skewed interpretation of religious text (Quran and Hadith) in ways as to advance the entrenchment of male dominance in social life in the study area and by extension Kwara State. The study recommends enlightenment campaign to drive home the value of respect for the equality of women in social relations for inclusive development.
The increase in the growth of cities and the numbers of people moving to cities in the last two decades have led to sharp increase in transportation demand and development of slums and urban sprawl. Cities like Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Port-Harcourt and Ilorin and other areas in Nigeria are experiencing many pressure on land use such as;, free-space, transportation facilities and a host of urban related problems which urgently deserve planners' attention. Ilorin is one of the fastest growing cities in Nigeria. The problems of transportation and land use in Ilorin can be summarized into the following: long queue of people daily at 'bus stops', the problem of old narrow streets in most of the unplanned areas of the city and the emerging incursion of transport infrastructural facilities into the residential areas. To address these and other urban land-use problems world-wide, various governments have put in place different urban renewal programmes, but in the case of Nigeria little impacts on the city transportation and land-use systems had taken place. This research used exploratory method to justify the essence of planning in transportation system and on land-use in order to enhance and maintain sustainable development. The paper also suggests some measures like; expansion of existing narrow roads and provision of necessary infrastructural facilities, inter modality light rail/tram, creation of modern parks at specified locations as well as enlargement of public and private partnerships-involving the Government, transport associations, financial institutions, the available universities and some other professional bodies to serve as panacea to problems highlighted.
Since breaking away from Somalia in 1991, the people of Somaliland have charted a different path from Somalia away from violent conflict towards constitutional politics. Unrecognised by the international community, political reconstruction in Somaliland has largely been an internal affair. While lack of formal recognition has had its costs, it has also has given Somalilanders the opportunity to craft a system of government rooted in their local culture and values that is appropriate to their needs. For the past decade this has comprised a system of government that fuses traditional forms of social and political organisation with Western-style institutions of government. In December 2002 Somaliland took the first step towards changing this system by holding multi-party elections for district councils. These were followed in April 2003 by presidential elections. This paper describes the process of political transition in Somaliland and the first democratic elections in this region for 33 years.
Since breaking away from Somalia in 1991, the people of Somaliland have charted a different path from Somalia away from violent conflict toward constitutional politics. Unrecognized by the international community, political reconstruction in Somaliland has largely been an internal affair. While lack of formal recognition has had its costs, it has also given Somalilanders the opportunity to craft a system of government rooted in their local culture & values that is appropriate to their needs. For the past decade this has comprised a system of government that fuses traditional forms of social & political organization with Western-style institutions of government, in Dec 2002 Somaliland took the first step toward changing this system by holding multiparty elections for district councils. These were followed in Apr 2003 by presidential elections. This paper describes the process of political transition in Somaliland & the first democratic elections in this region for 33 years. 2 Tables, 2 Charts, 21 References. Adapted from the source document.
Endophytic fungi live within plant tissues without causing any harm to the host, promote its growth, and induce systemic resistance against pests and diseases. To mitigate the challenging concealed feeding behavior of immature stages of Tuta absoluta in both tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and nightshade (Solanum scabrum) host plants, 15 fungal isolates were assessed for their endophytic and insecticidal properties. Twelve isolates were endophytic to both host plants with varied colonization rates. Host plants endophytically-colonized by Trichoderma asperellum M2RT4, Beauveria bassiana ICIPE 706 and Hypocrea lixii F3ST1 outperformed all the other isolates in reducing significantly the number of eggs laid, mines developed, pupae formed and adults emerged. Furthermore, the survival of exposed adults and F1 progeny was significantly reduced by Trichoderma sp. F2L41 and B. bassiana isolates ICIPE 35(4) and ICIPE 35(15) compared to other isolates. The results indicate that T. asperellum M2RT4, B. bassiana ICIPE 706 and H. lixii F3ST1 have high potential to be developed as endophyticfungal- based biopesticide for the management of T. absoluta. ; The icipe core funding provided by UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida); the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; and the Government of the Republic of Kenya. ; http://www.nature.com/srep ; am2021 ; Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) ; Zoology and Entomology
The African weaver ant, Oecophylla longinoda, is used as a biological control agent for the management of pests. The ant has several exocrine glands in the abdomen, including Dufour's, poison, rectal, and sternal glands, which are associated with pheromone secretions for intra-specific communication. Previous studies have analyzed the gland secretions of Dufour's and poison glands. The chemistry of the rectal and sternal glands is unknown. We re-analyzed the secretions from Dufour's and poison glands plus the rectal and sternal glands to compare their chemistries and identify additional components. We used the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) technique to collect gland headspace volatiles and solvent extraction for the secretions. Coupled gas chromatography– mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis detected a total of 78 components, of which 62 were being reported for the first time. These additional components included 32 hydrocarbons, 12 carboxylic acids, 5 aldehydes, 3 alcohols, 2 ketones, 4 terpenes, 3 sterols, and 1 benzenoid. The chemistry of Dufour's and poison glands showed a strong overlap and was distinct from that of the rectal and sternal glands. The different gland mixtures may contribute to the different physiological and behavioral functions in this ant species. ; The Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), a doctoral scholarship through the icipe ARPPIS-DAAD scholarship programme, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the University of Pretoria, and the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) Capacity Building Program, the Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and the Government of the Republic of Kenya. ; http://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules ; am2021 ; Zoology and Entomology
Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) production contributes to the economic growth of East Africa. However, poor fruit quality caused by infestations of tephritid fruit flies (Tephritidae) and the false codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick), hampers access to lucrative export markets. Remote sensing and spatial analysis are increasingly applied to crop pest studies to develop sustainable and cost-e ective control strategies. In this study, we assessed pest abundance in Muranga, Kenya, across three vegetation productivity classes, viz., low, medium and high, which were estimated using the normalised di erence vegetation index at a landscape scale. Population densities of the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) and T. leucotreta in avocado farms were estimated through specific baited traps and fruit rearing. The population density of T. leucotreta varied across the vegetation productivity classes throughout the study period, although not significantly. Meanwhile, B. dorsalis showed a clear trend of decrease over time and was significantly lower in high vegetation productivity class compared to low and medium classes. Ceratitis cosyra (Walker) was the most abundant pest reared from fruit with few associated parasitoids, Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Rondani) and Toxeumorpha nigricola (Ferriere). ; The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ); UK's Department for International Development (DFID); Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida); the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; and the Kenyan Government. The first author N.K.T. was supported by a German Academic Exchange Services (DAAD) In-Region PhD scholarship. ; http://www.mdpi.com/journal/insects ; am2020 ; Zoology and Entomology
BACKGROUND : Small targets comprising panels of blue and insecticide-treated black netting material each 0.25 × 0. 25 m have been shown to attract and kill Glossina fuscipes fuscipes Newstead, 1910 (Diptera: Glossinidae) thereby reducing its population density by over 90% in field trials. However, their attractive ability has not been fully exploited for sampling purposes. Therefore, in this study we assessed the effectiveness of using sticky small targets as sampling tools for G. f. fuscipes in western Kenya. We also determined the influence of colour on the landing response of female and male flies on sticky small targets. METHODS : Using a series of randomised block experiments, the numbers of tsetse flies caught with sticky small targets were compared with those caught with biconical traps. A negative binomial regression was used to model fly catches. Odds ratios as measures of association between the landing response on the blue or black panel of the sticky small target and the sex of flies were obtained from a multiple logistic regression. RESULTS : The results showed that sticky small targets caught 13.5 and 3.6 times more female and male tsetse flies than biconical traps (Z = 9.551, P < 0.0001 and Z = 5.978, P < 0.0001, respectively). Females had a 1.7 times likelihood of landing on the black panel than males (Z = 2.25, P = 0.025). CONCLUSION : This study suggests that sticky small targets are an effective sampling tool for G. f. fuscipes. Therefore, we recommend the use of sticky small targets as an alternative to biconical traps for observational and experimental investigations of G. f. fuscipes. ; The European Union's integrated Biological Control Applied Research Programme (IBCARP) - tsetse repellent component grant number IBCARP DCI-FOOD/2014/346-739; UK's Department for International Development (DFID); Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida); the Swedish Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); the University of Pretoria; the South African National Research ...
Varroa destructor is an ectoparasitic pest of honeybees, and a threat to the survival of the apiculture industry. Several studies have shown that unlike European honeybees, African honeybee populations appear to be minimally affected when attacked by this mite. However, little is known about the underlying drivers contributing to survival of African honeybee populations against the mite. We hypothesized that resistant behavioral defenses are responsible for the survival of African honeybees against the ectoparasite. We tested this hypothesis by comparing grooming and hygienic behaviors in the African savannah honeybee Apis mellifera scutellata in Kenya and A. mellifera hybrids of European origin in Florida, USA against the mite. Grooming behavior was assessed by determining adult mite infestation levels, daily mite fall per colony and percentage mite damage (as an indicator of adult grooming rate), while hygienic behavior was assessed by determining the brood removal rate after freeze killing a section of the brood. Our results identified two additional undescribed damaged mite categories along with the six previously known damage categories associated with the grooming behavior of both honeybee subspecies. Adult mite infestation level was approximately three-fold higher in A. mellifera hybrids of European origin than in A. m. scutellata, however, brood removal rate, adult grooming rate and daily natural mite fall were similar in both honeybee subspecies. Unlike A. mellifera hybrids of European origin, adult grooming rate and brood removal rate did not correlate with mite infestation levels on adult worker honeybee of A. m. scutellata though they were more aggressive towards the mites than their European counterparts. Our results provide valuable insights into the tolerance mechanisms that contribute to the survival of A. m. scutellata against the mite. ; S1 Table. Primers used for molecular analysis for identification of Varroa species and haplotype. Amplified gene fragment, product size base pairs (bp) and ...