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Bamboo: A Symbol of Tradition, Faith and Climate Resilience
No full textBamboo is a light weight, biodegradable, sustainable and renewable material and it is the gift of God to mankind. This review paper explores the multifaceted role of bamboo in religion, culture and environmental protection across various societies of India and abroad. It examines the spiritual significance of bamboo in eastern religions, its symbolic representations in cultural practices and art forms and its practical applications in traditional rituals and ceremonies. The paper also explores the ecological value of bamboo, emphasizing its fast growth, ability to absorb carbon and potential for sustainable resource use. While considering insights from various fields such as anthropology, religious studies, environmental science and cultural geography, the review focuses on how bamboo connects with human beliefs, cultural traditions and efforts to protect the environment. The findings underscore the need for integrating traditional knowledge and modern scientific approaches in harnessing the potential of bamboo for sustainable development of societies and for preservation of cultures
Public Procurement in the German Construction industry and Opportunities for Small Businesses
No full textEvery year, several hundred billion euros are spent on public contracts throughout Germany. Compared to 2018, in 2019 the total amount of public and private construction projects increased by 28.5%. The reason for this is the renovations, but also the new buildings. In these services, all benefit, especially the larger companies. Only a few small companies take part in the tendering process. Is this possibly due to corrupt structures that always decide in favor of the same companies? Is it possibly these corrupt structures that are responsible for the millions of euros in additional orders every year, or is this due to the size of smaller companies that are unable to accept orders due to a lack of personnel? The term "public contracts" is still mostly foreign to small companies. Many companies therefore do not know what the underlying framework conditions are and what requirements have to be met. In the current construction industry, price is the most important factor when awarding contracts. In order to be able to submit as low a bid as possible, the financially strong companies below the profitability threshold and ultimately generate profit via supplementary orders. This leads to a monopolization of large construction companies and a lack of opportunities for smaller companies with weaker capital. How strong the larger companies actually are is not controllable, since liquidity was covered by loans. Here also the question arises, what could have happened if the banks suddenly cancelled the tolerated overdrafts or loans. In order to be able to guarantee economic efficiency, personnel is reduced and the planning as well as the preparation for the award of contracts is handed over to freelance architects and engineering offices. Service specifications prepared by these firms are reviewed and approved. Here also the question arises whether the examinations take place thoroughly or only randomly. Does the intervention violate neutrality Many small companies criticize the procedure for awarding public contracts without giving specific reasons for their criticism. The uncertainty and fear threshold to participate in a public procedure is large with the majority of the smaller enterprises. Often no participation in such an award procedure takes place due to larger lack of knowledge and lack of transparency of the procedure. This paper aims to show why public procurement structures are a poor starting position for small businesses and how they can be improved.[1] The more transparent the awarding process is and the more correctly the requirements are presented by all parties involved, the more costs will be kept in check and no company will be discriminated against. In 2018, the construction industry contributed 5.3% to the overall gross value creation of the economy. The share of gross domestic product used for construction investment was almost twice as high, at 10.3%. The construction industry's share of total employment was 5.6%. Since the end of the construction crisis in 2005, the share figures have increased significantly again. As a result, in 2018 the construction industry is still ahead of such important industrial sectors as vehicle manufacturing, mechanical engineering and the chemical industry in terms of both production and employment. The construction industry thus remains a key sector for Germany.[2
Modeling Macroeconomic Interdependencies Among GDP, Inflation, Exchange Rate, International Trade, and Foreign Aid: An Empirical Evidence from Bangladesh
No full textThis study examines the dynamic relationships among Bangladesh’s key macroeconomic variables—GDP, inflation, exchange rate, international trade, and foreign aid—over the period 1980–2024. The main objective is to assess both short-run and long-run interactions among these variables and to identify the direction of influence using Granger causality. Secondary annual time-series data were obtained from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Bangladesh Bank (BB), and the World Development Indicators (WDI). The analysis employs a Vector Autoregressive (VAR) framework, complemented by the Augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF) test for stationarity, Johansen co-integration tests for long-run relationships, and a Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) to capture short-run adjustments toward equilibrium. Impulse response functions and variance decomposition are used to evaluate how shocks in inflation, exchange rate, trade, and foreign aid affect GDP. The results confirm one co-integrating relationship among the variables, indicating long-run equilibrium. Inflation, exchange rate, and foreign aid exhibit negative long-run effects on GDP, while international trade has a positive impact. Granger causality reveals unidirectional causality from trade to GDP and additional causal links involving inflation, trade, and aid. The study underscores the importance of stabilizing macroeconomic fundamentals, promoting trade, and strategically using foreign aid to support sustainable economic growth in Bangladesh
Incidence of Maize Leaf Hopper (Cicadulina mbila Naude) and Its Management using Enhanced Efficiency Fertilization
No full textMaize leafhopper (Cicadulina mbila Naude), still remains a major yield-declining pest of maize in sub-Saharan Africa. Field experiment was conducted using nine varied regimes of fertilization to determine the results of enhanced efficiency fertilization on the c. mbila incidence and its influence on harvested output of maize. The abundance of c. mbila data were collected as well as damage cause and impact on productivity. The assessment was also done on the cost-effectiveness of the treatments on maize yield. Fertilization significantly influenced C. mbila abundance and incidence on maize. Unfertilized maize plants recorded significantly higher C. mbila populations and damages compared to the fertilized plots. Among the fertilizer treatments, T15-SUL and ACT-SOA recorded significantly higher C. mbila number and damage cause, respectively, whilst the Lowest invasion was recorded from T15-URE. All the fertilizer treatments recorded higher cereal productivity compared to non-fertilized plot. Though ACT-URE, ACT-NIT, T15-URE, ACT-SOA and T15-NIT yielded above all, there was no significant variation in yield among them. All the fertilization regimes produced more output compared to the no treatment plots. among the treatments, CLB-CLB gave lowest output and benefit-cost ratio whilst the biggest output and benefit-cost ratio was received from ACT-URE. application of ACT-URE is recommended for sound management of c. mbila for a towering yield and output in maize production in the savanna ecology of Ghana
The Dayton Peace Agreement: A Temporar Framework for Peace and the Need for Constitutional Reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina
No full textThis paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the Dayton Peace Agreement, signed in 1995 in Dayton, Ohio, which brought an end to the three-and-a-half-year war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. While the agreement undeniably succeeded in halting the armed conflict, it also entrenched deep ethnic divisions and established a complex and often dysfunctional political system that continues to generate crises and political deadlock to this day. Instead of serving as a transitional framework toward a democratic, civic-oriented state, the Dayton structure has become a permanent constitutional setup that undermines the equality of all citizens, regardless of their ethnic background. In conclusion, the author calls for a more decisive role from the international community, as well as a domestic political consensus, to transform the current system into a functional, citizen-based democracy. Only through such reform can Bosnia and Herzegovina ensure lasting peace, political stability, and a viable European future. This topic, although researched multiple times over the years, remains unresolved with full implementation still pending. The goal of this paper is to continuously highlight the existing problems and inadequacies of the Dayton Peace Agreement until genuine reform and timely execution are achieved. Through an analysis of legal and political aspects, the paper emphasizes the urgent need to amend and adapt the agreement to ensure long-term stability and fairness in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Particular attention is given to overcoming outdated ethnic divisions that hinder the creation of a unified civic state. The role of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) is underscored in correcting past interpretations and enforcing reforms that guarantee equality for all citizens
Responsibility to Protect, with the Example of Kosovo Case
No full textThe purpose of this article is to to provide insights into the complexities of international law, diplomacy where R2P plays an important role in responding to many international crises such as war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. The reason of writing this article is to emphasize the role of R2P which is to allow the individual to explore many critical humanitarian issues and contribute to discussions on protecting vulnerable populations. This article helps every individual to understand the role of R2P that is an interdisciplinary topic that includes fields such as political science, sociology, ethics, and history and that is why offers many opportunities for scholarly inquiry, research and theoretical analysis contributing to academic understanding and knowledge production. This concept contributes by making efforts to promote awareness and support for the principle among civil society, organizations, and the general public. The article has an importance because by raising the awareness of R2P and its implications everyone can contribute to efforts to prevent mass atrocities and promote human rights globally. The methods that are used for wrıtıng this article are many resources from internet such as online books, journals, newspapers and official websites.
The Contribution of ADR Schemes in Ghana’s Adjudicating Landscape
No full textAlternative Dispute Resolution has become an integral part of the adjudication landscape in Ghana, reconfiguring the scope of the justice delivery system in Ghana and bringing it into the fold of best practice at the international level. Globally, ADR is known for advancing timely, cost-effective, and relationship-saving alternatives for disputants outside the courts. Ghana’s adoption of ADR has been influenced by both international influences through the instruments of UNCITRAL and the New York Convention, as well as customary traditions that are based on principles of consensus in community dispute resolution. At the regional level, a culture of ADR has been promoted through ECOWAS and continental initiatives as an instrument of peacebuilding and commerce. Ghana domesticated these ideals through the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, 2010 (Act 798), and through the Judicial Service’s Court Connected ADR programme, which began as a pilot in 2005 and expanded thereafter. Concomitantly, these initiatives have yielded measurable dividends: court referrals to mediation and arbitration have reduced trial times for many civil and commercial matters; customary arbitration continues to resolve land and family disputes at the community level. A number of arbitrations involving state and corporate actors have revealed both the promise and fiscal risk associated with arbitration. While successes have been recorded relative to case diversion and user satisfaction, Ghana’s ADR ecology remains beset with challenges relating to consistency in enforcement, public awareness, and mediator capacity. Improved training, public education, investment in ADR institutions, and streamlined enforcement are recommended to consolidate ADR’s role in justice delivery and national development
Determination of Ideal Snag Length for Rubber Brown-Budded Stumps in Southern Nigeria
No full textRubber plantations are mainly established with the use of rubber budded stumps, which are derived from successfully budded rubber seedling rootstock (stock plant) which have been de-topped; with the ultimate aim of prompting shooting of scion buds which are projected to replace the upper part of the plant hitherto removed during de-topping. The survival, activation and good development of the scion-bud has been reported to be a function of several factors amongst which is the length of the snag; the snag being the protuberant or remnant part of the stock above the stock-scion union; after de-topping Incidentally, the point of cut during de-topping operations is typically left at the discretion of the topper, thereby making the operation subjective and prone to the errors of cutting too near or too far from the bud-scion union and consequently causing undesirable associated outcomes. This study was therefore conducted to determine an ideal snag length; particularly for brown budded rubber seedlings of over 9 months old. As treatments, 22-month-old rubber seedlings were successfully budded and subsequently de-topped at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 cm above the stock-scion union and respectively labelled SL-0cm, SL-2cm, SL-4cm, SL-6cm, SL-8cm and SL-10cm to form the six categories of snag lengths put under investigation. The treated planting materials were then lifted/transplanted into the designated experimental plots arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD); with 3 replications. Data on the scion-bud shooting rates, growth parameters (length, diameter, number of leaves, leaf area) of the scion-bud shoots and number of stock-bud shoots were taken at 2 weeks interval until 16 weeks after de-topping (WAD). The shooting rates of scion-buds were significantly higher in the 3 shortest snag lengths i.e. SL-0cm (50.00%), SL-2cm (50.00%), SL-4cm (58.00%) compared to the longer snag-lengths i.e. SL-6cm (25.00%), SL-8cm (25.00%) and SL-10cm (33.25%) at 2 WAD and maintained relative superiority. Nevertheless, only SL-0cm (100.00%) and SL-2cm (83.25%) remained statistically comparable as from 14 WAD. The short snags started off with higher shoot lengths at 4 WAD, but were eventually tallied by shoot lengths in the longer snags. Scion shoot diameter was almost consistently higher in SL-0cm and SL-2cm throughout the sampling duration with SL-0cm, SL-2cm, SL-4cm, SL-6cm, SL-8cm and SL-10cm having 0.96 cm, 0.93 cm, 0.86cm, 0.90 cm, 0.83 cm and 0.83 cm respectively at 16 WAD. The number of leaves did not have a defined pattern while there was no significant difference in leaf area across the different snag lengths. However, the number of stock-bud shoots increased with increasing snag lengths; with SL-0cm and SL-2cm having 0.33/stump and 1.00/stump respectively at both 10 WAD and 12 WAD. Snag lengths 2 cm and 0 cm are recommended (in order of preference) for rubber brown-budded rootstock
Simultaneous Adsorption of Ammonium, Phosphate and Arsenate from Wastewater by Walnut Husk Modified with Dolomite and Activated with Nitrogen/Steam
No full textThe simultaneous adsorption of ammonium, phosphate and arsenate from wastewaters by walnut husk modified by dolomite and activated by nitrogen/steam was investigated. The performance of the process was studied by carrying out physical and chemical analyses before and after the adsorption of ions, for a range of experimental conditions and by simulating experimental data using two isotherm models. During the simultaneous adsorption of the ions, removal efficiency by the solid was greatly enhanced, suggesting that there was no competition between them for sorption sites. When the raw material was modified by dolomite, the uptake of ammonium was improved, that of phosphate was almost complete, while that of arsenate was practically unaffected. All experimental data were best fitted by the Freundlich isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity of dolomite-modified WH material was 52.1 mg/g for ammonium, 74.3 mg/g for phosphate and 63.8 mg/g for arsenate. The potential adsorption mechanisms were chemical complexation for all ions, electrostatic attraction for ammonium and phosphate and ligand exchange for phosphate and arsenate
The Concept of Education of an Enlightened and a Spiritual Person in Didactic Works of Central Asian Thinkers
No full textThis article describes the didactic works of Central Asian thinkers of the late XII - the first half of the XIV century and the content of spiritual education in them. The concept of educating a spiritual person in didactic works is the formation and structure of the person in the didactic works, the qualities and vices of the person, quantitative and qualitative changes in the formation of the person, the teaching on the way to achieve spirituality, the spiritual and moral view of the person, It is classified as factors that increase spiritual and moral education, teacher and student relations, classification of education and training methods, criteria and factors of spiritual and moral education and the level of spiritual and moral formation of a person