scholarly journals Efficiency and Improved Profitability of Insect-Based Aquafeeds for Farming Nile Tilapia Fish (Oreochromis niloticus L.)

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2599
Author(s):  
Moses N. Wachira ◽  
Isaac M. Osuga ◽  
Jonathan M. Munguti ◽  
Mary K. Ambula ◽  
Sevgan Subramanian ◽  
...  

In Sub-Saharan Africa, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) make up over 80% of aquaculture production. However, the local aquaculture farmers are restricted by the unavailability and expensive cost of formulated rations. To reduce reliance on the scarce and expensive fishmeal used in fish feeds, alternative insect protein has been successfully utilized in many aquafeeds. However, data on the influence of insect-based feed on the growth and economic benefit of feeding tilapia with the emerging insect-based diet are scanty. This study investigated the effect of partially and completely substituting fishmeal with black soldier fly larval meal (BM) on growth and economic parameters of tilapia. The O. niloticus was fed a standard commercial diet as a control (100% FM; 0% BM), BM33 (67% FM; 33% BM), BM67 (33% FM; 67% BM) and BM100 (0% FM; 100% BM) for 20 weeks in randomly assigned cages mounted in an 800 m2 earthen pond. Results from this study showed that diet type significantly (p < 0.05) affected the feed intake of the fish as well as weight gain. The feed conversion ratio and survival rate of O. niloticus did not vary across the different diets. Fish fed Diet1 had a 15% increase in weight when compared to fish fed the control diet. Return on investment and the cost–benefit ratio was similar across the diets, suggesting that BM is a suitable and cost-equivalent dietary supplement of FM up to 100% in aquafeed for growing tilapia fish in earthen ponds for the market.

2020 ◽  
Vol 119 (475) ◽  
pp. 275-295
Author(s):  
Filip Reyntjens

Abstract This article offers a survey of political dynamics surrounding the issue of presidential term limits in a large sample of Sub-Saharan African countries over a long period of time. It examines empirically how political regimes have dealt with this issue by observing or circumventing limits, and it links these developments with the democratic quality in the countries at the time they occurred. Beyond legal texts, this study examines the empirical reality of term limits. It finds that effective term limits are less prevalent in practice than in constitutional texts. This is followed by an analysis of the incumbency bias, showing that incumbents who run often win at the election, but that transfers of power are more frequent in the absence of an incumbent. The article then considers the cost-benefit analyses leaders engage in when deciding to stay or to go, as well as the risks of overstaying. Domestic protest and international pressure generally have a limited impact on this choice. The article finally makes clear that political paths across Africa are very divergent, a feature also seen in the longevity of presidents.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Samson ◽  
K.M. Quiazon ◽  
C. Choresca

AbstractDue to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, probiotics in aquaculture are used for the prevention of infectious microbial diseases and substitute for antibiotics and chemotherapeutics. In this study, we evaluated the effect of probiotic Bacillus spp. isolated from African nightcrawler (Eudrilus eugeniae) on the growth, feed utilization, and disease resistance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Four probiotic strains of Bacillus spp. (ANSCI9, BFAR9, RM3, and RM10) were individually incorporated in the commercial diet (control) at 108 CFU g-1 of feed. The experimental fish were fed at 5% of their body weight for 30 days, and subjected to a 14-day Aeromonas hydrophila challenge test afterward. The results showed the probiotic-treated groups have higher (P<0.05) average body weight (ABW) (4.51 ± 0.34 g) than the control (3.89 ± 0.17 g). The BFAR9 (2.73 ± 0.26 g) and RM10 (3.15 ± 0.30 g) showed higher (P<0.05) absolute growth (AG) than the control (2.20 ± 0.16 g). Furthermore, RM10 had higher (P<0.05) specific growth rate (SGR) (1.60 ± 0.10 % day-1) and relative growth rate (RGR) (181.39 ± 18.16 %) than the control (SGR=1.29 ± 0.07 % day-1; RGR=129.84 ± 9.77 %). Consequently, RM10 had significantly lower (P<0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) (1.99 ± 0.13) than the control (2.60 ± 0.16). The challenge test revealed that the probiotic-treated groups have higher (P<0.05) survival (81.25 ± 9.57 %) than the control (55.00 ± 19.15 %). These results revealed that the probiotic Bacillus spp. isolated from E. eugeniae improved the growth, feed utilization, and the disease resistance of Nile tilapia.


Water Policy ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 373-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter A. Harvey

Access to safe, sufficient and affordable water in rural Africa will not increase unless sustainable financing strategies are developed which ensure the sustainability of existing water services. There is a strong need for international donors and national governments to confront the true costs associated with sustained service provision in order to develop practicable long-term financing mechanisms. This paper presents a systematic approach that can be applied to determine the overall cost of service delivery based on respective cost estimates for operation and maintenance, institutional support, and rehabilitation and expansion. This can then be used to develop a tariff hierarchy which clearly indicates the cost to water users of different levels of cost recovery, and which can be used as a planning tool for implementing agencies. Community financing mechanisms to ensure sustained payment of tariffs must be matched to specific communities and their economic characteristics; a blanket approach is unlikely to function effectively. Innovative strategies are also needed to ensure that the rural poor are adequately served, for which a realistic, targeted and transparent approach to subsidy is required.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 744
Author(s):  
Sophie I. Mavrogeni ◽  
Flora Bacopoulou ◽  
George Markousis-Mavrogenis ◽  
George Chrousos ◽  
Evangelia Charmandari

Obesity represents one of the most challenging public health problems of our century. It accounts for approximately 5% of deaths worldwide, mostly owing to cardiovascular disease and its associated complications. Cardiovascular noninvasive imaging may provide early accurate information about hypertrophy and ischemia/fibrosis in obese subjects. Echocardiography and nuclear cardiology have serious limitations in obese subjects owing to poor acoustic window and attenuation artifacts, respectively. Coronary computed tomography angiography can provide information about obstructive coronary disease; however, the use of radiation is a serious disadvantage. Finally, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) holds the promise of an “all in one” examination by combining evaluation of function, wall motion/thickness, stress rest/perfusion, replacement and diffuse fibrosis without radiation. Future studies are required to document the cost/benefit ratio of the CMR in the evaluation of cardiovascular risk in overweight/obese children and adolescents.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-169
Author(s):  
NORMAN J. SISSMAN

To the Editor.— Two recent reviews in Pediatrics1,2 provide much interesting information on the effect of home visits on the health of women and children. However, I was disappointed not to find in either article more than token reference to the cost of the programs reviewed. In this day of increasingly scarce health care resources, we no longer have the luxury of evaluating programs such as these without detailed consideration of their cost-benefit ratio.


2015 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 319-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Hadyme Miyague ◽  
Fernando Marum Mauad ◽  
Wellington de Paula Martins ◽  
Augusto César Garcia Benedetti ◽  
Ana Elizabeth Gomes de Melo Tavares Ferreira ◽  
...  

AbstractThe authors review the main concepts regarding the importance of cleaning/disinfection of ultrasonography probes, aiming a better comprehension by practitioners and thus enabling strategies to establish a safe practice without compromising the quality of the examination and the operator productivity. In the context of biosafety, it is imperative to assume that contact with blood or body fluids represents a potential source of infection. Thus, in order to implement cleaning/disinfection practice, it is necessary to understand the principles of infection control, to consider the cost/benefit ratio of the measures to be implemented, and most importantly, to comprehend that such measures will not only benefit the health professional and the patient, but the society as a whole.


2012 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 192-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.M.R. Sousa ◽  
C.A. Agostinho ◽  
F.A. Oliveira ◽  
D. Argentim ◽  
P.K. Novelli ◽  
...  

The performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) raised in cages furnished with an automatic dispenser, supplied at different frequencies (once per hour and once every two hours) and periods (daytime, nighttime and both) was evaluated. Eighteen 1.0m³ cages were placed into a 2000m² pond, two meters deep with a 5% water exchange. One hundred and seventy tilapias, with initial weight of 16.0±4.9g, were dispersed into each 1m³ cage and the feed ration was adjusted every 21 days with biometry. Data was collected from March to July (autumn and winter). Significant difference to final weight (P<0.05) among treatments was observed. The increase in feeding frequency improves the productive performance of Nile tilapias in cages and permitted better management of the food. The better feed conversion rate for high feeding frequency (24 times day-1) can result in saving up to 360kg of food for each ton of fish produced, increasing the economic sustenance for tilapia culture and suggesting less environmental pollution.


2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-172
Author(s):  
Praveen Kumar Verma ◽  
SK Nag ◽  
SK Patil

The paper has studied the economic viability of improved technology (Introduced under NAIP component-3) for extraction of cashew kernel from cashew nut in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, India. Cost concept has been used to calculate economics of cashew kernel. The technology (Boiling, steaming, cutting, drying, and peeling) has been found viable over conventional practices (Traditional manual separation by stone or hammer) on account of higher recovery of 40 percent and cost reduction by 29.71 percent. Overall net profit per unit (One unit includes one boiler, one steamer, two cutter, one dryer, six peelers and cost of land, depreciation and interest on working capital) in the case of improved technology has been estimated to be Rs 7.32 lakh. Cost of production in machine extraction practices was 202.80 Rupees per kilogram of cashew in spite of traditionally practiced 288.56 Rupees per kilogram. The cost benefit ratio was found higher in machine extraction (1.57) as compare to traditionally practiced (0.169). The mechanical decortications and separation could not only save time and money, also reduced women drudgery (due to manual breaking by stone or hammer to separate kernel). The technology has been found suitable for promotion of entrepreneurship on the processing of cashew kernel from cashew nut in the production catchments which otherwise is not properly utilized. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjar.v39i1.20166 Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 39(1): 165-172, March 2014


2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 292-296
Author(s):  
Luiz Carlos Buarque Gusmão ◽  
Sérgio Henrique Chagas Valoes ◽  
José da Silva Leitão Neto

The objective is to reinforce the importance of blood reinfusion as a cheap, safe and simple method, which can be used in small hospitals, especially those in which there is no blood bank. Moreover, even with the use of devices that perform the collection and filtration of blood, more recent studies show that the cost-benefit ratio is much better when autologous transfusion is compared with blood transfusions, even when there is injury to hollow viscera and blood contamination. It is known that the allogeneic blood transfusion carries a number of risks to patients, among them are the coagulation disorders mediated by excess enzymes in the conserved blood, and deficiency in clotting factors, mainly the Factor V, the proacelerin. Another factor would be the risk of contamination with still unknown pathogens or that are not investigated during screening for selection of donors, such as the West Nile Fever and Creutzfeldt-Jacob, better known as "Mad Cow" disease. Comparing both methods, we conclude that blood autotransfusion has numerous advantages over heterologous transfusion, even in large hospitals. We are not against blood transfusions, just do not agree that the patient's own blood is discarded without making sure there will be enough blood in stock to get him out of the hemorrhagic shock.


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