ASSESSMENT OF THE PERFORMANCE OF NATIONAL SPECIAL PROGRAMME FOR FOOD SECURITY IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

The study assessed the performance of the National Special Programme for Food Security (NSPFS) in Niger State, Nigeria. A total of 180 respondents were selected using multistage sampling technique. The project sites were chosen purposively comprising of all the nine sites of NSPFS in Niger State, namely; Nassarawa, Batavovogi, Lenfa-Bororo, Gidan-Mangoro, Garam, Mankangara, Lioji, Kaboji and Shambo. The respondents were selected proportionately based on each site’s activities. Data collection lasted from 15th February, 2013 to 31st August, 2013. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as percentages and means, frequency distribution, performance indices computation. The results of the analysis showed that, the mean age of the beneficiaries was 47.82 years, farming experience was 30 years. The mean age for non-beneficiaries was 43.59 years, farming experience was 25 years. The results of the analysis further indicated that there was high performance in the following components: existing primary groups (100%), amount of money in the account (100%), existing modules in the site (73.53%), and loan disbursement (99.30%), based on the performance indices. Crop enterprises recorded low performance (63.61%). The study concluded that the performance of the NSPFS was high in the following components: number of primary groups existing, apex amount of money in the account, existing modules in the site, and grouping based on gender for easy accessibility, loan disbursement and farm animal enterprises. It was recommended that the NSPFS should focus more attention on mechanization, storage facilities, agro-processing, marketing, small scale irrigation, and infrastructure, because it will help the benefitting famers to actualize their pre-determined goals, it will also improve their well-being. KEYWORDS: Food, Security, Food Security, Agricultural Science

The World Bank and Other Organizations

Since its founding in 1944, the World Bank’s development priorities and approach—along with its global role—have changed from rebuilding Europe to relieving poverty in the developing world. New thinking and evidence have reshaped both development views and the Bank’s practices and decisions. The Bank has been the largest financier of health, nutrition, and population (HNP) programs in developing countries. It has expanded operational research and analysis, including its Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, WHO/United Nations Development Program (UNDP)/UNICEF/World Bank Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, and the Micronutrient Initiative. But the Bank’s main advantage in global health is its power to mobilize financial resources. Its broad expansion of HNP funding through loans and credits is striking and has the potential to be a powerful force for health governance. The G8, G20, and other economic organizations also have roles to play.

Consistency of Quality Management in Slovenian Organizations

Background: Having efficient quality management system (QMS) is vital for improving organization’s business. In that context, good knowledge of QMS characteristics and their interrelations with organizational business results is very important. Objectives: Purpose of the study is to explore characteristics of elements of QMS consistency in Slovene organizations that have implemented and maintained QMS, and how the QMS characteristics influence business results. Methods/Approach: Data was collected through web survey of quality managers in organizations that have certified QMS according to ISO 9001:2008. For respondent organizations, data on their business results was retrieved from official sources. Special programme for comparisons and results presentation based on contingency analysis was developed, and correlation between QMS consistency elements and financial results of organizations were statistically processed. Results: The results show that for Slovenian organizations with certified QMS, correlations between QMS consistency elements and organizational business results are confirmed. For the majority of consistency elements correlations are significant, and the elements where correlations are insignificant are also exposed. Conclusions: As quality management will gradually become integral part of holistic organizational management, QMS will influence not only organizational management system and processes’ management but also directly on business results.

PENGARUH KOMUNIKASI INTERPERSONAL DALAM MENURUNKAN PROBLEM TEKANAN EMOSI BERBASIS GENDER

<p class="IIABSTRAK333"><span lang="IN">This research seeks to investigate the contribution interpersonal communication to reduce emotion problem pressure college student in IAIN special programme. Five major dimension of interpersonal com­munication are openness, emphaty, supportiveness, positiveness and equality, were derived from a humanistic perception. Emotion problem pressure was defined in term pleasant and unpleasant emotion, besides from four conditional are stimulate, feelness, internal responshipness and behavior types. Sixty six subjects were involved in study, subject were devided into three programmes, 17 subject PKPA, 24 subject FUPK-TH and 25 subject FUPK-TP. To find the contribution between interpersonal communication and emotion problem pressure it used simple regression method, and different effect variables using t-test method. The result of this study shows that interpersonal communication has a real effect to reduce emotion problem pressure (Fh = 7,966 &gt; Ft = 6,302, p = 0,05; R² = 0,910), the contribution variation of interpersonal communication is high (91,0%) and 0,9 explained by other variation models in independent variable. The contribution effect, male is higher than female (t_m = 16,065 &gt; t_f = 11,660). In conclusion, interpersonal communication has the contri­bution effect to reduce emotion problem pressure of callege student in IAIN special programme.</span></p>

Infectious disease research and the gender gap

Historically, women have been less likely to be supported through higher degree training programmes, and they continue to hold more junior positions in science. This paper reviews the current gender research and gender capacity-building efforts led by the UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR). Created more than 40 years ago as the only United Nations-based Special Programme dedicated to research and research capacity building on infectious diseases, TDR has a longstanding track record both in supporting research into gender-specific questions and in research capacity strengthening among women scientists. We provide an overview of these approaches, then describe a recent pilot programme on Women in Science, designed to understand and remedy the gender gaps in health research. The programme focused on Africa, but it is hoped that the replication of such schemes in TDR and other international funding agencies will lead to more attention being given to women in infectious diseases research in other continents.This article may not be reprinted or reused in any way in order to promote any commercial products or services.

Trend and output growth analysis of major fruits in Chittagong region of Bangladesh

The study analyzed the trends, growth rates of area, production and yield of major fruits in Chittagong region and identified factors contributing to output growth during 1993/94-2009/10 using secondary data. The fruits under study were mango, jackfruit, litchi, guava, banana, papaya, ber, pomelo, pineapple, watermelon, lime and lemon. The study revealed that the area of all fruits increased over the period except banana, ber, pomelo and water melon. The highest increase in area was estimated for guava (131.6%) and the lowest for jackfruit (6.4%). Similarly, the production of all fruits over the period was increased except banana and pineapple. The average annual growth rates of area, production and yield for all fruits were found to be positive in all periods (i.e, period I: 1993/94-1997/98; Period II: 1998/99-2003/04, and Period III: 2004/05- 2009/10). But the magnitude of the growth rates of area for all fruits varied significantly. The growth rates of area for mango, jackfruit, litchi and pineapple were increased impressively and significantly. This might be due to the adoption of improved variety and management practices by the farmers. The growth rate of area, production and yield of banana decreased drastically over the period due to absence of modern variety of banana and lack of improved management practices in the region. The growth rates of production for mango were found to be highest in the period III (2004/05-2009/10). But the growth rate of yield of mango was found to be decreased significantly over the periods due to improper management against the pest and diseases by the farmers. The highest percentage of output changed was observed in Banana (149%) followed by pineapple (106%) and jackfruit (83%) between the periods. The lowest percentage of output changed was found in guava (11.7%). The contribution of area was the highest in changing output for mango, jackfruit, litchi, guava, ber, pomelo, watermelon, lime and lemon. The contribution of yield was the highest for banana (135.57%), papaya (76.92%) and pineapple (158.62%) for changing output indicated that the increased area was more responsible for changing in output growth of selected fruits. To increase the growth rate of fruits, improved variety and management practices should be disseminated through undertaking special programme and strengthening research-extension linkage in the Chittagong region.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 41(1): 137-150, March 2016

Mechanical Behavior of PCL Nanofibers

The biomedical applications of Poly (e-caprolactone) (PCL) have an extensive usage area such as tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, cartilage defects and biomedical implants. Because of the PCL’s high biocompatibility and excellent mechanical features some implants have been designed for getting remarkable results. Clinically approved fibers ranging from 500 nm to 750 nm were produced by electrospinning method. The mechanical properties of the fiber scaffolds were performed via tensile testing and results were measured by special programme. Five different fiber scaffolds which they produced in various compositions have been used for this research.