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The first measurement of two-particle angular correlations for charged particles with LEP-II data is presented. The study is performed using archived hadronic e+e− data collected by ALEPH at center-of-mass energies up to 209 GeV, above the W+W− production threshold, which provide access to unprecedented charged-particle multiplicities and more complex color-string configurations if compared to previous measurements at LEP-I energies. An intriguing long-range near-side excess is observed in the correlation function measured with respect to the thrust axis in the highest multiplicity interval (Ntrk≥50). Such a structure is not predicted by the Monte-Carlo simulation. The harmonic anisotropy coefficients vn, which result from the Fourier expansion of the two-particle correlation functions, were also measured for the first time in e+e− data, and compared to pythia 6 predictions and to the results obtained in proton-proton collisions. The results presented in the Letter provide novel experimental constraints on the formation of collective phenomena in point-like e+e− collisions.

Abstract The first measurements of energy spectra and substructure of anti-k T jets in hadronic Z 0 decays in e + e − collisions are presented. The archived e + e − annihilation data at a center-of-mass energy of 91.2 GeV were collected with the ALEPH detector at LEP in 1994. In addition to inclusive jet and leading dijet energy spectra, various jet substructure observables are analyzed as a function of jet energy which includes groomed and ungroomed jet mass to jet energy ratios, groomed momentum sharing, and groomed jet radius. The results are compared with perturbative QCD calculations and predictions from the Sherpa, Herwig v7.1.5, Pythia6, Pythia8 and Pyquen event generators. The jet energy spectra agree with perturbative QCD calculations which include the treatment of logarithms of the jet radius and threshold logarithms. None of the event generators give a fully satisfactory description of the data.

Background Reductions in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1C) have been associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes and savings in medical expenditures. One public health approach has involved pharmacists within primary care settings. The objective was to assess change in HbA1C from baseline after 3–5 months of follow up in pharmacist-managed cardiovascular risk reduction (CVRR) clinics. Methods This retrospective cohort chart review occurred in eight pharmacist-managed CVRR federally qualified health clinics (FQHC) in Indiana, United States. Data were collected from patients seen by a CVRR pharmacist within the timeframe of January 1, 2015 through February 28, 2020. Data collected include: demographic characteristics and clinical markers between baseline and follow-up. HbA1C from baseline after 3 to 5 months was assessed with pared t-tests analysis. Other clinical variables were assessed and additional analysis were performed at 6–8 months. Additional results are reported between 9 months and 36 months of follow up. Results The primary outcome evaluation included 445 patients. Over 36 months of evaluation, 3,803 encounters were described. Compared to baseline, HbA1C was reduced by 1.6% (95%CI -1.8, -1.4, pConclusions Our study augments the existing literature by demonstrating the health improvement of pharmacist-managed CVRR clinics. The great proportion of loss to follow-up is a limitation of this study to be considered. Additional studies exploring the expansion of similar models may amplify the public health impact of pharmacist-managed CVRR services in primary care sites.

On November 22, 2022, Dr. Michael Peters, Director of the Naval Reserve Professional Development and Mentorship Program for the Royal Canadian Navy presented Diversity Discussion: Intentionality and Blindspots. The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer period with questions from the audience and CASIS Vancouver executives. The key points discussed were the benefits and challenges surrounding Diversity and Inclusion programs, the need for intentionality and accountability in the creation and implementation of the programs, and the ways in which role modelling and mentorship from those in leadership positions helps to foster and sustain an environment conducive to diversity and inclusion. Received: 2022-12-30 Revised: 2023-01-05

Abstract Background Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth that participates in a series of biological processes. Thus, P deficiency limits crop growth and yield. Although Stylosanthes guianensis (stylo) is an important tropical legume that displays adaptation to low phosphate (Pi) availability, its adaptive mechanisms remain largely unknown. Results In this study, differences in low-P stress tolerance were investigated using two stylo cultivars (‘RY2’ and ‘RY5’) that were grown in hydroponics. Results showed that cultivar RY2 was better adapted to Pi starvation than RY5, as reflected by lower values of relative decrease rates of growth parameters than RY5 at low-P stress, especially for the reduction of shoot and root dry weight. Furthermore, RY2 exhibited higher P acquisition efficiency than RY5 under the same P treatment, although P utilization efficiency was similar between the two cultivars. In addition, better root growth performance and higher leaf and root APase activities were observed with RY2 compared to RY5. Subsequent RNA-seq analysis revealed 8,348 genes that were differentially expressed under P deficient and sufficient conditions in RY2 roots, with many Pi starvation regulated genes associated with P metabolic process, protein modification process, transport and other metabolic processes. A group of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in Pi uptake and Pi homeostasis were identified, such as genes encoding Pi transporter (PT), purple acid phosphatase (PAP), and multidrug and toxin extrusion (MATE). Furthermore, a variety of genes related to transcription factors and regulators involved in Pi signaling, including genes belonging to the PHOSPHATE STARVATION RESPONSE 1-like (PHR1), WRKY and the SYG1/PHO81/XPR1 (SPX) domain, were also regulated by P deficiency in stylo roots. Conclusions This study reveals the possible mechanisms underlying the adaptation of stylo to P deficiency. The low-P tolerance in stylo is probably manifested through regulation of root growth, Pi acquisition and cellular Pi homeostasis as well as Pi signaling pathway. The identified genes involved in low-P tolerance can be potentially used to design the breeding strategy for developing P-efficient stylo cultivars to grow on acid soils in the tropics.

The Zimbabwean dairy industry is massively underperforming, as evidenced by a reduction in milk yield from 262 million liters in 1990 to

Livestock are critical for incomes, livelihoods, nutrition and ecosystems management throughout the global South. Livestock production and the consumption of livestock-based foods such as meat, cheese, and milk is, however, under global scrutiny for its contribution to global warming, deforestation, biodiversity loss, water use, pollution, and land/soil degradation. This paper argues that, although the environmental footprint of livestock production presents a real threat to planetary sustainability, also in the global south, this is highly contextual. Under certain context-specific management regimes livestock can deliver multiple benefits for people and planet. We provide evidence that a move toward sustainable intensification of livestock production is possible and could mitigate negative environmental impacts and even provide critical ecosystem services, such as improved soil health, carbon sequestration, and enhanced biodiversity on farms. The use of cultivated forages, many improved through selection or breeding and including grasses, legumes and trees, in integrated crop-tree-livestock systems is proposed as a stepping stone toward agroecological transformation. We introduce cultivated forages, explain their multi-functionality and provide an overview of where and to what extent the forages have been applied and how this has benefited people and the planet alike. We then examine their potential to contribute to the 13 principles of agroecology and find that integrating cultivated forages in mixed crop-tree-livestock systems follows a wide range of agroecological principles and increases the sustainability of livestock production across the globe. More research is, however, needed at the food system scale to fully understand the role of forages in the sociological and process aspects of agroecology. We make the case for further genetic improvement of cultivated forages and strong multi-disciplinary systems research to strengthen our understanding of the multidimensional impacts of forages and for managing agro-environmental trade-offs. We finish with a call for action, for the agroecological and livestock research and development communities to improve communication and join hands for a sustainable agri-food system transformation.

Forage grasses and legumes are the principal source of nutrition for most ruminant livestock in developing countries. Raising yields of forage crops can increase the availability and affordability of livestock products as well as reduce pressure on increasingly scarce land resources by enabling greater herd densities on existing pasture. However, the economic significance of cultivated forage crops in developing countries is not well-understood. We provide estimates of the present area and production value of cultivated forage crops as well as review evidence on the extent of adoption of CGIAR-derived improved varieties of cultivated forage species and their economic impact in developing countries. There are at least 159 million hectares under cultivated forage crops producing yield worth around $63 billion per year (at 2014-2016 prices). Latin America accounts for about 85% of this forage crop area. CGIAR forage breeding programs have developed and helped disseminate improved varieties of Brachiaria, Stylosanthes, Vigna unguiculata, and Calliandra spp., which by 2015 had been adopted on over 12 million hectares producing economic benefits of over $5.8 billion/year.

Preamble of the Volume 9, Issue 3

Abstract To promote the adoption of more sustainable cattle production systems in Colombia (mainly silvopastoral systems with improved forages), some sector stakeholders have proposed the development of differentiated, higher value beef products. However, there have been no rigorous estimations of local market potential and consumer preferences for these hypothetical products yet. On the other hand, while there are clear efforts concerning the environmental impacts of cattle production, its animal welfare implications have taken a secondary place. This research attempts to evaluate the consumer’s response to both the environmental and animal welfare aspects of more sustainable food systems by (i) determining the characteristics of a consumer segment for sustainably produced beef using contingent valuation methods and (ii) estimating the marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for animal welfare compliance and the environmental benefits derived from sustainable intensification within the identified consumer segment, employing a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE). In addition, the study estimates the effect of information on consumer’s MWTP for environmentally friendlier beef. Results show that consumers within the identified segment are willing to pay on average 40.2% more for beef certified with both animal welfare and eco-friendly standards, with an increase of nearly 10% after being provided with information of the sector’s environmental impacts. These findings support some of the current climate change mitigation strategies in the national cattle industry while highlighting relevant opportunities and trade-offs in the context of a developing country.

Keynote paper presented at the International Leucaena Conference, 1‒3 November 2018, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Despite the great potential of legumes in cattle production, their adoption and use throughout the tropical world remain limited. While this is largely attributed to factors such as limited knowledge or access to credit, lack of information on the viability and profitability of the technology can influence the adoption decision. The objective of this study is to evaluate the profitability of including Leucaena diversifolia, accession ILRI 15551 in a Colombian beef cattle production system. For this purpose, we use data from a grazing experiment comparing a grass-legume association (Brachiaria hybrid cv. Cayman and L. diversifolia) with a grass monoculture (cv. Cayman) in the Valle del Cauca department, both with the purpose of beef production. We use a discounted cash flow model, developed with the simulation software @Risk, which considers inherent risk and uncertainty factors in these types of rural investment projects, under three different pasture degradation scenarios. The results indicate that the inclusion of L. diversifolia is financially profitable and substantially improves the associated risk and performance indicators. Profitability indicators increased in a range of 15‒110%, and the probability of suffering economic losses decreased from 72% to 0%. The results were directly related to the increases in animal productivity (49%) and efficiency resulting from including the legume. This work shows that L. diversifolia has significant potential to increase both animal production and profitability, which is conducive to the sustainable intensification of beef production in grazing systems.

Objectives In lupus nephritis the pathological diagnosis from tissue retrieved during kidney biopsy drives treatment and management. Despite recent approval of new drugs, complete remission rates remain well under aspirational levels, necessitating identification of new therapeutic targets by greater dissection of the pathways to tissue inflammation and injury. This study assessed the safety of kidney biopsies in patients with SLE enrolled in the Accelerating Medicines Partnership, a consortium formed to molecularly deconstruct nephritis.Methods 475 patients with SLE across 15 clinical sites in the USA consented to obtain tissue for research purposes during a clinically indicated kidney biopsy. Adverse events (AEs) were documented for 30 days following the procedure and were determined to be related or unrelated by all site investigators. Serious AEs were defined according to the National Institutes of Health reporting guidelines.Results 34 patients (7.2%) experienced a procedure-related AE: 30 with haematoma, 2 with jets, 1 with pain and 1 with an arteriovenous fistula. Eighteen (3.8%) experienced a serious AE requiring hospitalisation; four patients (0.8%) required a blood transfusion related to the kidney biopsy. At one site where the number of cores retrieved during the biopsy was recorded, the mean was 3.4 for those who experienced a related AE (n=9) and 3.07 for those who did not experience any AE (n=140). All related AEs resolved.Conclusions Procurement of research tissue should be considered feasible, accompanied by a complication risk likely no greater than that incurred for standard clinical purposes. In the quest for targeted treatments personalised based on molecular findings, enhanced diagnostics beyond histology will likely be required.

A report on the tropical forage germplasm collection conserved in the CIAT genebank is presented. Emphasis is firstly on the assembling of the collection during 1972‒1993 through about 70 major and minor collecting missions in tropical America, Africa and Southeast Asia. Along with introductions from existing collections, currently some 1,600 accessions of 134 grass species and 21,000 accessions of 637 legume species are being maintained. Secondly, information on the utilization of the collection, with emphasis on cultivar development based on selection of accessions from the CIAT collection, is presented. Worldwide, a total of 44 grass and 34 legume cultivars derived from germplasm maintained at CIAT are reported. Information on germplasm distribution and knowledge sharing during the last four decades is also presented as well as a brief discussion on future needs.

ABSTRACT Objective: to study the UTI-causing bacteria frequency and sensitivity profiles in a teaching hospital in northeastern Brazil. Method: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted based on the review of 279 patients for whom uroculture and urinary catheter cultures were routinely processed in the Microbiology Laboratory of São Vicente de Paulo Hospital. Results: For the catheter culture group, the most frequent microorganism was Staphylococcus epidermidis (47%), while in urine culture group Escherichia coli was the microorganism most frequently isolated (52%). E. coli showed 76.46%, 70%, and 86.36% resistance to ampicillin, amoxicillin and Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim respectively. S. epidermidis showed high resistance to most drugs used, demonstrating that these drugs should not be used to treat UTIs in this institution. Conclusion: This study represents the first study evaluating bacterial resistance in this institution and since data involving epidemiological surveillance and microbiological are limited in this region and due to its importance in the national context, the results may reflect important information to the body of research/data on bacterial resistance in the world. RESUMO Objetivo: estudar os perfis de frequência e sensibilidade das bactérias causadoras de ITUs em um hospital universitário do nordeste brasileiro. Método: Foi realizado um estudo retrospectivo de corte transversal, com base na revisão de 279 pacientes, para os quais as culturas de urocultura e cateter urinário foram analisadas no Laboratório de Microbiologia do Hospital São Vicente de Paulo. Resultados: no grupo de cultura de cateteres, o microrganismo mais frequente foi o Staphylococcus epidermidis (47%), enquanto no grupo da urocultura a Escherichia coli foi o microrganismo mais isolado (52%). A E. coli mostrou 76,46%, 70% e 86,36% de resistência à ampicilina, amoxicilina e sulfametoxazol/trimetoprima, respectivamente. S. epidermidis mostrou uma alta resistência à maioria dos fármacos utilizados indicando que os medicamentos em questão não devem ser usados no tratamento de ITUs nessa instituição. Conclusão: Este estudo representa o primeiro estudo que avalia a resistência bacteriana nessa instituição e uma vez que os dados que envolvem vigilância epidemiológica e microbiológica são limitados nesta região e devido a sua importância no contexto nacional, estes resultados podem refletir informações importantes para o corpo de pesquisa/dados sobre resistência no mundo.

Abstract Background Although pre-puberty asthma is more prevalent in males, after puberty through middle-age, asthma is more prevalent in females. The surge of sex hormones with puberty might explain this gender switch. Methods To examine the effects of sex hormones on lung function and symptoms with puberty, Tanner stage was assessed in 187 children 6–18 years of age (59% severe) enrolled in the NIH/NHLBI Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP). The effects of circulating sex hormones (n = 68; testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), estrogen, and progesterone) on lung function and 4 week symptom control (ACQ6) in cross-section were tested by linear regression. Results From pre−/early to late puberty, lung function did not change significantly but ACQ6 scores improved in males with severe asthma. By contrast females had lower post-BD FEV1% and FVC% and worse ACQ6 scores with late puberty assessed by breast development. In males log DHEA-S levels, which increased by Tanner stage, associated positively with pre- and post-BD FEV1%, pre-BD FVC %, and negatively (improved) with ACQ6. Patients treated with high-dose inhaled corticosteroids had similar levels of circulating DHEA-S. In females, estradiol levels increased by Tanner stage, and associated negatively with pre-BD FEV1% and FVC %. Conclusions These results support beneficial effects of androgens on lung function and symptom control and weak deleterious effects of estradiol on lung function in children with asthma. Longitudinal data are necessary to confirm these cross-sectional findings and to further elucidate hormonal mechanisms informing sex differences in asthma features with puberty. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT01748175.

Ruminant livestock production in the tropics, particularly when based on pastures, is frequently blamed for being detrimental to the environment, allegedly contributing to: (1) degradation and destruction of ecosystems, including degradation and loss of soil, water and biodiversity; and (2) climate change (global warming). In this paper we argue that, rather than being detrimental, tropical forage legumes can have a positive impact on the environment, mainly due to key attributes that characterize the Leguminosae (Fabaceae) family: (1) symbiotic nitrogen fixation; (2) high nutritive value; (3) deep-reaching tap-root system; (4) wide taxonomic and genetic diversity; and (5) presence of particular secondary metabolites. Although there are also potential negative aspects, such as soil acidification and the risks of introduced legumes becoming invasive weeds, we submit that legumes have potential to contribute significantly to sustainable intensification of livestock production in the tropics, along with the provision of ecosystem services. To further assess, document and realize this potential, research for development needs in a range of areas are indicated.

Abstract Background Many studies of animal movement have focused on directed versus area-restricted movement, which rely on correlations between step-length and turn-angles and on stationarity through time to define behavioral states. Although these approaches might apply well to grazing in patchy landscapes, species that either feed for short periods on large, concentrated food sources or cache food exhibit movements that are difficult to model using the traditional metrics of turn-angle and step-length alone. Results We used GPS telemetry collected from a prey-caching predator, the cougar (Puma concolor, Linnaeus), to test whether combining metrics of site recursion, spatiotemporal clustering, speed, and turning into an index of movement using partial sums, improves the ability to identify caching behavior. The index was used to identify changes in movement characteristics over time and segment paths into behavioral classes. The identification of behaviors from the Path Identification Index (PII) was evaluated using field investigations of cougar activities at GPS locations. We tested for statistical stationarity across behaviors for use of topographic view-sheds. Changes in the frequency and duration of PII were useful for identifying seasonal activities such as migration, gestation, and denning. The comparison of field investigations of cougar activities to behavioral PII classes resulted in an overall classification accuracy of 81%. Conclusions Changes in behaviors were reflected in cougars’ use of topographic view-sheds, resulting in statistical nonstationarity over time, and revealed important aspects of hunting behavior. Incorporating metrics of site recursion and spatiotemporal clustering revealed the temporal structure in movements of a caching forager. The movement index PII, shows promise for identifying behaviors in species that frequently return to specific locations such as food caches, watering holes, or dens, and highlights the potential role memory and cognitive abilities play in determining animal movements.

ABSTRACT Studies using global positioning system (GPS) telemetry rarely result in 100% fix success rates (FSR), which may bias datasets because data loss is systematic rather than a random process. Previous spatially explicit models developed to correct for sampling bias have been limited to small study areas, a small range of data loss, or were study‐area specific. We modeled environmental effects on FSR from desert to alpine biomes, investigated the full range of potential data loss (0–100% FSR), and evaluated whether animal body position can contribute to lower FSR because of changes in antenna orientation based on GPS detection rates for 4 focal species: cougars (Puma concolor), desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni), Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni), and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). Terrain exposure and height of over story vegetation were the most influential factors affecting FSR. Model evaluation showed a strong correlation (0.88) between observed and predicted FSR and no significant differences between predicted and observed FSRs using 2 independent validation datasets. We found that cougars and canyon‐dwelling bighorn sheep may select for environmental features that influence their detectability by GPS technology, mule deer may select against these features, and elk appear to be nonselective. We observed temporal patterns in missed fixes only for cougars. We provide a model for cougars, predicting fix success by time of day that is likely due to circadian changes in collar orientation and selection of daybed sites. We also provide a model predicting the probability of GPS fix acquisitions given environmental conditions, which had a strong relationship (r 2 = 0.82) with deployed collar FSRs across species. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Abstract Brachiaria humidicola (BH) (syn. Urochloa humidicola) is an important forage grass in the tropics due to its capacity to grow in nutrient‐deficient soils, tolerate waterlogging, and inhibit soil nitrification. A major objective of BH breeding is to improve its nutritional quality. Therefore, a rapid and low‐cost method is needed to assess main quality parameters such as neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), and crude protein (CP). This study developed models using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to predict concentrations of these parameters toward breeding. Samples were collected from BH trials located in different regions of Colombia, scanned for NIRS (400–2,500 nm), analyzed with wet chemistry as reference values, and used to build the chemometric models. Results from wet chemistry showed wide variability in terms of dry matter percentage for NDF (51.6–76.2%), ADF (26.1–46.1%), IVDMD (41.5–78.3%), and CP (2.8–12.8%). The NIRS models were validated using an independent set of samples and have coefficients of determination (R2) and one minus the variance ratio (1 – VR) values in the range of .9 and .95, suggesting a good correlation between reference‐lab and NIRS‐predicted values. The standard errors of cross validation (SECV) for IVDM, NDF, ADF, and CP were 1.59, 1.18, 0.74, and 0.53%, respectively. Prediction efficiency (ratio of performance to standard deviation, RPD) for all parameters was above 3.0, except for CP (2.6). Calibrations obtained present an adequate adjustment and predictive tendency, making them suitable for selection and BH breeding.

An inter-institutional and multi-disciplinary project to identify Brachiaria genotypes, which combine waterlogging tolerance with high forage yield and quality, for use in agricultural land in Latin America with poor drainage, is underway. The aim is to improve meat and milk production and mitigate the impacts of climate change in the humid areas of Latin America. Researchers at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) have developed a screening method to evaluate waterlogging in grasses. Using this method, 71 promising hybrids derived from the species, Brachiaria ruziziensis, B. brizantha and B. decumbens, were evaluated. Four hybrids with superior waterlogging tolerance were identified. Their superiority was based on greater: green-leaf biomass production, proportion of green leaf to total leaf biomass, green-leaf area, leaf chlorophyll content and photosynthetic efficiency; and reduced dead-leaf biomass. These hybrids, together with previously selected hybrids and germplasm accessions, are being field-tested for waterlogging tolerance in collaboration with National Agricultural Research Institutions and farmers from Colombia, Nicaragua and Panama.

To date, silage adoption has been low in the tropics, particularly under smallholder conditions. Innovation and adoption processes of silage technologies were promoted in drought-constrained areas of Honduras using a flexible, site-specific and participatory research and extension approach. A total of about 250 farmers participated in training workshops and field days conducted in 13 locations. Smallholders successfully ensiled maize, sorghum and/or Pennisetum spp., mainly in heap and earth silos, while adoption of little bag silage (LBS) was low. LBS proved useful as a demonstration, experimentation and learning tool. A ‘silage boom’ occurred in 5 locations, where favorable adoption conditions included the presence of demonstration farms and involvement of key innovators, lack of alternative dry season feeds, perceived benefits of silage feeding, a favorable milk market and both extension continuity and intensity. The lack of chopping equipment was the main reason for non-adoption by poor smallholders. The study showed that, when targeting production system needs and farmer demands, silage promotion can lead to significant adoption, including at smallholder level, in the tropics. This experience could contribute to an increase in effectiveness and sustainability of silage extension in similar situations elsewhere.

Forage-based livestock production plays a key role in national and regional economies, for food security and poverty alleviation, but is considered a major contributor to agricultural GHG emissions. While demand for livestock products is predicted to increase, there is political and societal pressure both to reduce environmental impacts and to convert some of the pasture area to alternative uses, such as crop production and environmental conservation. Thus, it is essential to develop approaches for sustainable intensification of livestock systems to mitigate GHG emissions, addressing biophysical, socio-economic and policy challenges. This paper highlights the potential of improved tropical forages, linked with policy incentives, to enhance livestock production, while reducing its environmental footprint. Emphasis is on crop-livestock systems. We give examples for sustainable intensification to mitigate GHG emissions, based on improved forages in Brazil and Colombia, and suggest future perspectives.

El uso más amplio y el desempeño mejorado de forrajes tropicales sembrados pueden cambiar sustancialmente los paisajes social, económico y ambiental. Mediante la revisión de estudios relacionados con el impacto de forrajes tropicales publicados en las últimas dos décadas, este artículo muestra cómo las prioridades de desarrollo cambiantes han influido en los tipos de impactos que se están documentando. Se utilizó un meta-análisis para examinar 98 estudios de acuerdo con: (i) la envergadura de los efectos reportados en relación con los objetivos de desarrollo de equidad social, crecimiento económico y sostenibilidad ambiental; (ii) el alcance de los efectos, que van desde impactos a mediano plazo a más largo plazo; y (iii) la precisión de medición (identificación, descripción o cuantificación) de los impactos. Se han evaluado impactos para menos de la mitad de los 118 millones de hectáreas con forrajes mejorados que se encuentran documentados. Aunque Brasil representa el 86% de la superficie sembrada que se conoce, los informes de adopción de tecnología son, en general, irregulares, lo cual afecta a la precisión de las estimaciones globales. Más del 80% de los estudios relacionados con el impacto de forrajes tropicales reportaron efectos económicos, mientras que menos del 20% son estimaciones cuantitativas del impacto económico a largo plazo. Métodos y supuestos de valoración inconsistentes impidieron sumar, en forma válida, el impacto económico total. Se reportaron efectos sociales en menos del 60% de los estudios, y se enfatizaron los resultados a nivel de los hogares en cuanto a género y trabajo. La mayoría de los efectos reportados fueron no cuantitativos. Los efectos ambientales fueron reportados un poco más frecuentemente que los efectos sociales, con aumentos recientes en las estimaciones cuantitativas de la acumulación de carbono. Pocos estudios analizaron las ventajas y desventajas. Aproximadamente el 15% de los estudios fueron realizados por revisores independientes. Las prioridades de desarrollo más recientes − sostenibilidad ambiental, intensificación de sistemas, participación organizacional y capacidad de innovación − requieren de enfoques de mayor alcance para evaluar los impactos. Una mayor comercialización y coordinación con organizaciones de desarrollo y ambientales pueden generar una mayor demanda de forrajes mejorados.

In the tropics, a large number of smallholder farms contribute significantly to food security by raising pigs and poultry for domestic consumption and for sale on local markets. The high cost and, sometimes, the lack of availability of commercial protein supplements is one of the main limitations to efficient animal production by smallholders. Locally-grown forages and grain legumes offer ecological benefits such as nitrogen fixation, soil improvement, and erosion control which contribute to improve cropping efficiency. Besides these agronomical assets, they can be used as animal feeds in mixed farming systems. In this paper we review options to include locally-grown forages and grain legumes as alternative protein sources in the diets of pigs and poultry in order to reduce farmers’ dependence on externally-purchased protein concentrates. The potential nutritive value of a wide range of forages and grain legumes is presented and discussed. The influence of dietary fibre and plant secondary metabolites contents and their antinutritive consequences on feed intake, digestive processes and animal performances are considered according to the varying composition in those compounds of the different plant species and cultivars covered in this review. Finally, methods to overcome the antinutritive attributes of the plant secondary metabolites using heat, chemical or biological treatment are reviewed regarding their efficiency and their suitability in low input farming systems.

Cratylia argentea cv. Veranera, es una especie forrajera importante para la ganadería en zonas de trópico bajo de América Latina. Es originaria de Goiás, región de Brasil, caracterizada por suelos ácidos típicos del ecosistema Cerrado. La investigación se realizó en Quilichao, Cauca, una zona con suelos ácidos y en Palmira, Valle del Cauca, en suelos de alta fertilidad. En un arreglo de parcelas divididas se determinó el efecto de los sistema de siembra directa y trasplante de esta leguminosa con y sin inocular con aplicación de N (18% N, 18% N+inóculo, inóculo y control) y cuatro niveles de fósforo (0, 20, 40, 80 kg/ha). La emergencia fluctuó entre 85-97% y 78-92% a los 25 y 35 días después de siembra (dds) para Quilichao y Palmira, respectivamente. La supervivencia de plantas en campo para siembra directa y con trasplante fluctuó entre 94-97% en Quilichao y 79-88% en Palmira. El período de establecimiento presentó diferencias altamente significativas entre localidades (P < 0.01) con 147 días en Quilichao (más del 90% de establecimiento) para siembra directa y con trasplante, respecto a los encontrados en Palmira (menor al 50 % establecimiento a los 210 días) para siembra directa y con trasplante. El establecimiento de Cratylia se vio afectado por los suelos alcalinos y con bajo hierro asimilable de Palmira (P

We introduce a formal framework for the refactorization of complete information systems, i. e. the data model and the data itself. Within this framework model transformations are uniquely extended to the data level and result in data migrations that protects the information contained in the data. The framework is described using general and abstract notions of category theory. Two concrete instances of this framework show the applicability of the abstract concept to concrete object models. In the first instance, we only handle addition, renaming and removal of model objects. The second instance can also handle folding and unfolding within object compositions. Finally, we discuss how an instance of the framework should look like that is able to handle inheritance structures as well.

As calls for bolstering ecosystem services from croplands have grown more insistent during the past two decades, the search for ways to foster these agriculture-sustaining services has become more urgent. In this context we examine by means of a meta-analysis the argument, proposed by Robert McC. Netting, that small-scale, mixed crop-livestock farming, a common livelihood among poor rural peoples, leads to environmentally sustainable agricultural practices. As predicted, mixed crop-livestock farms exhibit more sustainable practices, but, contrary to predictions, a small scale of operation does not predict sustainability. Many smallholders on mixed crop-livestock farms use sustainable practices, but other smallholders practice a degrading, input-scarce agriculture. Some large farm operators use soil-conserving, minimum-tillage techniques while other large operators ignore soil-conserving techniques and practice an industrialized, high chemical input agriculture. The strength and pervasiveness of the link in the data between mixed crop-livestock farming and sustainable agricultural practices argues for agricultural policies that promote mixed crop-livestock livelihoods.

Francis Fukuyama’s book America at the Crossroads: Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy , the latest from a prolific writer who as a neoconservative thinker has contributed many books on political and economic development, concerns American foreign policy since 9/11. It is a book that has a confessional tone when he traces his pedigree and how his views deviate from the outlook of his neoconservative friends—Paul Wolfowitz, Albert Wohlstetter, Allan Bloom, and William Kristol. As he writes ‘unlike manu other neoconservatives, I was never persuaded of the rationale of the Iraq war’ (p. x). He goes further ‘I have concluded that neoconservatism, as both a political symbol and a body of thought, has evolved into something that I can no longer support’ (p.xi). By this he means insofar as neoconservatism has been irretrievably identified with the policies of the Bush administration, he thinks it has ‘gone wrong’ and he wants to outline a position he calls ‘realistic Wilsonianism’ as the basis for a position not captured in the U.S. foreign policy debate that serves as an alternative means of the U.S. relating to the rest of the world. He omits from his biographical Preface the fact that he was active in the Project for the New American Century [1] starting in 1997 and also signed the organization’s letter to President Clinton recommending the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and another calling for his overthrow in 2001.

Francis Fukuyama’s book America at the Crossroads: Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy , the latest from a prolific writer who as a neoconservative thinker has contributed many books on political and economic development, concerns American foreign policy since 9/11. It is a book that has a confessional tone when he traces his pedigree and how his views deviate from the outlook of his neoconservative friends—Paul Wolfowitz, Albert Wohlstetter, Allan Bloom, and William Kristol. As he writes ‘unlike manu other neoconservatives, I was never persuaded of the rationale of the Iraq war’ (p. x). He goes further ‘I have concluded that neoconservatism, as both a political symbol and a body of thought, has evolved into something that I can no longer support’ (p.xi). By this he means insofar as neoconservatism has been irretrievably identified with the policies of the Bush administration, he thinks it has ‘gone wrong’ and he wants to outline a position he calls ‘realistic Wilsonianism’ as the basis for a position not captured in the U.S. foreign policy debate that serves as an alternative means of the U.S. relating to the rest of the world. He omits from his biographical Preface the fact that he was active in the Project for the New American Century [1] starting in 1997 and also signed the organization’s letter to President Clinton recommending the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and another calling for his overthrow in 2001

The Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein famously proposed a style of philosophy that was directed against certain pictures [bild] that tacitly direct our language and forms of life. His aim was to show the fly the way out of the fly bottle and to fight against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language: “A picture held us captive. And we could not get outside it, for it lay in our language and language seemed to repeat it to us inexorably” (Wittgenstein 1953, 115). In this context Wittgenstein is talking of philosophical pictures, deep metaphors that have structured our language but he does also use the term picture in other contexts (see Owen 2003, 83). I want to appeal to Wittgenstein in my use of the term ideology to refer to the way in which powerful underlying metaphors in neoclassical economics have a strong rhetorical and constitutive force at the level of public policy. Indeed, I am specifically speaking of the notion of ‘the performative’ in Wittgenstein and Austin. The notion of the knowledge economy has a prehistory in Hayek (1937; 1945) who founded the economics of knowledge in the 1930s, in Machlup (1962; 1970), who mapped the emerging employment shift to the US service economy in the early 1960s, and to sociologists Bell (1973) and Touraine (1974) who began to tease out the consequences of these changes for social structure in the post-industrial society in the early 1970s. The term has been taken up since by economists, sociologists, futurists and policy experts recently to explain the transition to the so-called ‘new economy’. It is not just a matter of noting these discursive strands in the genealogy of the ‘knowledge economy’ and related or cognate terms. We can also make a number of observations on the basis of this brief analysis. First, there has been a succession of terms like ‘postindustrial economy’, ‘information economy’, ‘knowledge economy’, ‘learning economy’, each with a set of related concepts emphasising its social, political, management or educational aspects. Often these literatures are not cross-threading and tend to focus on only one aspect of phenomena leading to classic dichotomies such as that between economy and society, knowledge and information. Second, these terms and their family concepts are discursive, historical and ideological products in the sense that they create their own meanings and often lead to constitutive effects at the level of policy. Third, while there is some empirical evidence to support claims concerning these terms, at the level of public policy these claims are empirically underdetermined and contain an integrating, visionary or futures component, which necessarily remains untested and is, perhaps, in principle untestable.

Desenvolvo, neste breve ensaio, as possíveis conexões entre a geofilosofia e a pedagogia do conceito, concebida como uma perspectiva crítica de filosofia da educação. A filosofia, nessa visão, é um construtivismo, que tem dois aspectos complementares: a criação de conceitos e o traçado de um plano. O plano de imanência é como o horizonte dos acontecimentos, enquanto o conceito é o evento. A filosofia é, de forma singular, uma prática de criação de conceito, e a pedagogia do conceito, de acordo com Deleuze e Guattari, "teria que analisar as condições de criação como fatores de momentos sempre singulares" (Deleuze e Guattari, 1997c, p. 12).

This paper uses the spatial analysis tools DIVA and FloraMap to identify potential areas for the in situ conservation of a set of 10 forage species. We introduce the idea of roadside verges as conservation areas and discuss the risks and opportunities of two potential scenarios for conservation. These are the introduction of mass reservoirs outside of the original areas of collection and conservation inside the area of origin. Four potential areas for in situ conservation in Latin America are identified. Although more detailed studies using remote sensing, soil information, and field reconnaissance will be necessary for a final assessment of the suggested areas as field conservation sites, we discuss the possibilities of establishing low-maintenance communities and the potential dangers of introducing harmful weed species. We do not have final answers with regard to the permanent maintenance of genetic diversity in these areas but suggest that further studies of genetic drift in the populations would not only be scientifically useful but might also lead to identifying useful genotypes for local use.