The Role of Technology in Nigerian Catfish Production: A Review

This article examines the state of Catfish production in Nigeria and the roles technology has played over the past decades. Heightened demand as a result of increased population puts considerable pressure on production. In response to this pressure aquaculturists ramped up production activities, this demand-driven increase exposes the major gaps as the industry struggles to cope with the absence of fundamental structures like inadequate structured funding, markets, processing and preservation facilities among others. Such gaps exist in all aspects of aquaculture and technology is a viable plug for many of them. The aquaculture of developing nations has certain peculiarities which predispose it to slow development. Many fishermen and aquaculturists in low-income regions are trapped in economic systems that result in relative poverty. Many reasons have been put forward to explain the dynamics behind these consequences with technology playing a major role from the consensus. Rapid advances in hatchery, water quality and molecular technology have been identified as some of the active drivers of Catfish production in Nigeria. The article focuses on the history, progress and prospects of aquaculture technology in Nigeria. It does so by reviewing the technologies already established in Catfish farming and the impact of their roles in balancing fish demand and supply.

The Potential Benefits of N2 Gas Flushing Technology for Various Dairy Products: A Sustainable Approach That Proved to Be Multiadvantageous for Preserving the Quality and Safety of Raw Milk During Its Storage

Worldwide, food production systems are confronted with multifaceted challenges. In the context of global climate change, the necessity to feed an expanding population while addressing food insecurity and reducing the tremendous losses and wastage of food places all production steps under considerable pressure. In this context, dairies also face extensive pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, wastewater, and sludge; here, as elsewhere, innovative technological solutions must meet sustainable criteria. To preserve the quality and safety of raw milk during its storage, N2 gas flushing technology was devised and implemented at laboratory and pilot plant scales: the treatment proved to be multiadvantageous considering microbiological, biochemical, and technological aspects. The proposed study aims to reconsider the benefits of the patented N2 flushing technology, applied at the “raw milk stage” and evaluate the potential advantages that the treatment would confer, in terms of quality and safety aspects, to various dairy products such as liquid milk products, butters, creams, ice creams, and cheeses, including local and traditional dairy products.

Healthy conflict?

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Healthcare systems around the globe have been hit hard by COVID-19. In Israel this is no different, and yet their system was already under considerable pressure due to the internal conflicts between practitioners and administrators. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Sociological traditions as a complementary lens to better understand digital transformation policies

Purpose This paper aims to introduce how sociological traditions can provide a complementary, conceptual lens needed to better understand a country’s orientation in its digital transformation policies. While historically sociology has been used to study technological effects, introducing a sociological lens that considers broader macro digital policies can better complement a country’s national innovation system framework by highlighting where forms of acceleration and inertia in digital diffusion may or may not occur. Design/methodology/approach To formulate this lens, iterative literature reviews were conducted and four major sociological traditions (i.e. Durkheim, Functional-Utilitarian, Marxist and Micro-interactionist) were identified and integrated into one structure. The integrated structure was then applied to the French case of Minitel as a sample application. The French Minitel was selected because it is well-known and due to one of the author’s familiarity with the French culture. The description was based upon secondary data. Findings Through the use and application of this lens, the findings reveal that understanding a country’s specific orientation within a sociological tradition can help academics and practitioners determine what accelerates or provides inertia in the diffusion of new digital technologies within a country’s sociological frame. For the French Minitel, two dominant views seem to exist in France, the Durkheim and the Functional-Utilitarian view, which both affected the country’s path dependency in continued investments in Minitel. Research limitations/implications While policymakers are tasked with the development and implementation of digital transformation policies, a key consideration for both scholars and practitioners on digital policy and governance is to understand the broader macro ramifications of sociological frameworks on the evolving effects of digital transformation. While the authors provide a sample illustration, future research is needed to operationalize this lens and to apply it across various regions and countries in the development of new digital transformation policies. Practical implications As countries face considerable pressure to digitize their economies, policymakers require a better framework to advance the sociological aspects of digitization and its effects upon local institutions and actors in society. The paper provides a complementary lens that can better help them in this regard. Originality/value To date, policymakers and governments lack an integrated framework to understand the sociological effects of digital technologies and their diffusions along with their implications on societies such as on the framework of national innovation. The authors provide a sample integrated structure and sample application.

Challenging the Need for Deep Seabed Mining From the Perspective of Metal Demand, Biodiversity, Ecosystems Services, and Benefit Sharing

The extraction of minerals from the seabed of the deep oceans is of increasing interest to investors, mining companies and some coastal states. To date, no commercial-scale deep seabed mining has taken place but there is considerable pressure for minerals mining to become an economic reality, including to supply the projected demand for metals to support a global transition to renewable energy. At the same time, the full environmental impacts of deep seabed mining are difficult to predict but are expected to be highly damaging, both within, and perhaps well beyond, the areas mined. Here, we reflect on the considerable uncertainties that exist in relation to deep seabed mining. In particular, we provide a perspective on: (1) arguments that deep seabed mining is needed to supply minerals for the green energy revolution, using the electric vehicle battery industry as an illustration; (2) risks to biodiversity, ecosystem function and related ecosystem services; and (3) the lack of equitable benefit sharing to the global community now and for future generations. We explore the justification for a global moratorium on deep seabed mining to ensure protection of marine ecosystems, the need to focus on baseline research, and how improved governance of targeted marine regions could be key to the preservation and conservation of the ocean biome.

A quest for a sustainable alternative wood species to produce world class clarinets

Clarinets are made with a variety of materials, e.g., plastic, graphite, porcelain, or even metal. However, the most commonly used material to make clarinets is wood. Today, African granadilla or African blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon) is the most popular and most widely used species by leading international companies in terms of clarinet production, because of its high density, color, fine texture, and exceptional durability. This species is also used to manufacture flutes, oboes, and bagpipes, making African blackwood one of the most valuable tree species in the world. However, the focus on the usage of a single species puts considerable pressure on a rare and endangered wood species. Therefore, this work aims to identify viable alternatives to African blackwood in terms of manufacturing clarinets as well as providing a similar combination of instrument characteristics that musicians and companies believe contribute to the value of the instrument, e.g., acoustics, aesthetics, and price.

Is There Still a German IR Discourse? Investigations in the Semi-Periphery of an Academic Discipline

In non-English-speaking countries, international relations (IR) scholars often face considerable pressure to publish in international journals and address international debates. At the same time, they are expected to cater to national publics, politicians, and funding agencies. In this article, we investigate how German IR scholars navigate this terrain and whether a national IR discourse still exists in Germany. To answer this question, we analyze citation patterns and the formulation of the puzzle in twenty-five volumes of the Zeitschrift für Internationale Beziehungen, the German flagship journal of IR. We find that two-thirds of scholarly works cited in those articles are written in English. References to German-language literature cluster in articles written by authors without disciplinary affiliation in IR. The majority of research puzzles are also situated firmly in international discourses, while only a minority really target German debates. We conclude that not much of a distinctively German conversation over matters of IR is left, at least in academia. What is still there revolves around German foreign policy, theory issues, and, to some extent, European studies. On most other issues, authors link up directly to international debates even when addressing their German colleagues in German.

Supervision of Substance Abuse Therapeutics Emphasizing the Discrimination Model of Supervision and Motivational Interview Practices

There is considerable pressure from varied sources to provide effective supervision to professionals who deliver therapeutic services to persons being treated for substance use disorders. The literature of supervision continues to evolve as the utility of supervision models and their applicability with substance abuse therapeutics are explored. Among the many models of supervision, Bernard’s Discrimination Model of supervision is experiencing on-going development in the context of a variety of clinical services. The current chapter will describe how Bernard’s model can be used effectively to enhance the supervision of substance abuse professionals as well as how further development of the model would enhance the approach. The Discrimination Model will be combined with existing literature of Motivational Interviewing approaches to describe key elements of effective clinical supervision with professionals delivering services in a complex and challenging industry.

Student Athletic Therapists' Knowledge of Opioids and Other Pain-Relieving Medications

Context In their role as health care providers, student athletic therapists (SATs) are responsible for the prevention and management of injuries. To fully understand an injury, SATs require knowledge of contributing factors, including medications and their use and misuse. Opioid misuse by athletes to manage pain has been documented in the literature, highlighting the importance of SATs being able to recognize opioid use and misuse. Opioids are known to alleviate pain, to impair cognition, and to have addictive qualities which prevents appropriate assessment and management of injuries. Objective The objective of this study was to understand SATs' knowledge of pain-relieving medication, particularly opioids. Design Qualitative study. Setting Semistructured interview. Patients or Other Participants SATs at an accredited institution in Canada. Data Synthesis Data were collected through interviews and transcribed. Themes were developed using triangulation that reflected the data Results Four themes were uncovered: (1) SATs had experienced both personal and professional use of opioids, which formulated their current knowledge; (2) SATs lacked appropriate knowledge of pain-relieving medications in general and of the potential consequences of their lack of knowledge; (3) SATs' knowledge stemmed from culture, social media, and news organizations; (4) SATs felt considerable pressure to provide correct information due to their autonomous role with a team. Conclusions SATs lacked enough knowledge to be able to appropriately recognize and advise athletes on pain-relieving medications, particularly opioids. SATs formulated their knowledge and opinions from sources that were not rooted in research and as such may transfer incorrect information to their athletes. SATs stigmatized athletes who were using pain-relieving medication, which may factor into inappropriate decisions regarding an athlete's care. Finally, SATs carried a significant burden to share correct information with their athletes and did not refer to outside sources (eg, physicians) when they were unsure of the information they were sharing with their athletes.

An Improved GPU-Based Parallel Computing Method for Landscape Index Calculation in Urban Area

With the development of urbanization in the world, dealing with the problems caused by urban expansion is becoming more and more important. The data that need to be processed in urbanization studies have increased with the improvement of the spatial and temporal resolution of remote sensing satellites, exerting considerable pressure on traditional software used for landscape index computation. In this article, an improved landscape index-computing algorithm is proposed. Based on CUDA, a pixel-group parallelization strategy is adopted to optimize the algorithm. The results show that the proposed algorithm increases the efficiency by more than a factor of three as the amount of data to be processed increases to 50 million pixels, thus providing a new way to calculate large-scale landscape index values on personal computers to study urbanization.