Water gender indicators in agriculture: A study of horticultural farmer organizations in Senegal

This paper intends to contribute to the debate on gender equality and water within the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs 5 and 6. Farmers organizations are often considered key stakeholders whose participation should be fostered to achieve a good water governance in agriculture and irrigation programs. Nonetheless, many water management interventions tackle participation as an instrumental and formal process. A common assumption is that granting sufficient space for women in water management will automatically ensure a greater gender empowerment. Nevertheless, often low importance is given to assessing who really actively participates and benefits from water development projects, favoring the technical aspects. This paper addresses the articulation between gender, water management and indicators, using male, female and mixed farmer organizations as touchstones in three regions of Senegal. The authors defines a system of water gender indicators grouped into five sections. The first results show more similarities between mixed and female organizations, while the main gender inequalities are visible in the water technique and economic domains. Thanks to this study, we can see how a gender-based analysis may allow to more deeply understand some more or less “hidden” water governance mechanisms and their related implications in terms of project management and policy making

Dinamiche di genere nella gestione della crisi alimentare. Un’ipotesi di sviluppo dal basso nella filiera del riso lungo la Valle del fiume Senegal

Crises, whatever they are, express an unease but at the same time they may provide opportunities to respond to the problems in an alternative and effective way. The analysis of a typically local event, such as that offered by the rice sector developed along the Senegal River Valley, which responded against an external stress of global entity, as the global food prices rising, was the central element of this work. In the investigation of a typical form of family farming, as that represented by farmers organisations, a specific attention to the gender dimension, especially in terms of decision-making power, productivity, and access to productive inputs was given.In early 2008, the so-called "Global Food Crisis", although it was not the first case of food scarcity in human history, reached its peak. In this context Senegal represents an interesting case study for two reasons: first because is a food import dependent country (especially of Thai rice), particularly exposed to fluctuations in international markets and secondly because at the same time in Senegal there is a local rice production, widespread since colonial times.It is commonly shared how particularly women and children suffer the most negative effects of food shortages, caused by the price increase of basic goods. The starting point of the research was therefore to investigate changes, in terms of habits and food consumption, which occurred within the sample organisations (and respective households), according to a gender approach. In addition, we analysed if the precautionary and short-term measures arranged at government level were adequate to the inconsiderate increase of the prices. In other words it was investigated if these initiatives really contrasted the phenomenon, or rather if they caused negative consequences, especially for women.Keywords: gender, food crisis, farmer organisations, SenegalParole chiave: genere, crisi alimentare, organizzazioni contadine, Senega

Questions de genre et développement durable : le potentiel de l'agroécologie dans le Nordeste du Pará, Brésil

L'agriculture mondiale est confrontée à de nombreux défis en termes de souveraineté alimentaire. Il s'agit d'abord d'assurer un accès équitable à la nourriture et aux produits agricoles de première nécessité pour une population mondiale croissante. Il s'agit ensuite d'inclure la production agricole dans une perspective plus générale de lutte contre la pauvreté, l'inégalité et la malnutrition dans le monde. Il s'agit enfin de contribuer à une gestion plus durable des ressources naturelles et agricoles et de la biodiversité. L'approche agroécologique semble être l'une des options les plus appropriées pour atteindre ces objectifs, en raison de son caractère holistique concernant l'utilisation des ressources et des processus naturels, qui profite à la fois aux agriculteurs, à l'agriculture durable et à des modèles de consommation alimentaire plus sains. En outre, l'agroécologie est conçue pour soutenir des relations sociales plus égalitaires, en particulier entre hommes et femmes. Néanmoins, l'analyse des relations et des implications entre l'agroécologie et les questions de genre reste une question relativement inexplorée. L'objectif de cet article est donc d'analyser de manière critique et de mettre en évidence les principales opportunités et contraintes de l'agroécologie en termes de durabilité et d'égalité des sexes. La recherche a été réalisée dans le cadre d'expériences agroécologiques menées dans le Nord-Est de l'Amazonie brésilienne, où les agricultrices pratiquent principalement l'extractivisme et où l'agroécologie est encore dans une phase d'émergence comparativement à d'autres régions du pays. Pourtant, malgré leur faible reconnaissance et leur accès limité aux ressources, les femmes contribuent activement à la conservation de la biodiversité et au transfert des connaissances traditionnelles

Monitoring Tacrolimus Concentrations in Whole Blood and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells: Inter- and Intra-Patient Variability in a Cohort of Pediatric Patients

Tacrolimus (TAC) is a first-choice immunosuppressant for solid organ transplantation, characterized by high potential for drug-drug interactions, significant inter- and intra-patient variability, and narrow therapeutic index. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of TAC concentrations in whole blood (WB) is capable of reducing the incidence of adverse events. Since TAC acts within lymphocytes, its monitoring in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) may represent a valid future alternative for TDM. Nevertheless, TAC intracellular concentrations and their variability are poorly described, particularly in the pediatric context. Therefore, our aim was describing TAC concentrations in WB and PBMC and their variability in a cohort of pediatric patients undergoing constant immunosuppressive maintenance therapy, after liver transplantation. TAC intra-PBMCs quantification was performed through a validated UHPLC–MS/MS assay over a period of 2–3 months. There were 27 patients included in this study. No significant TAC changes in intracellular concentrations were observed (p = 0.710), with a median percent change of −0.1% (IQR −22.4%–+46.9%) between timings: this intra-individual variability was similar to the one in WB, −2.9% (IQR −29.4–+42.1; p = 0.902). Among different patients, TAC weight-adjusted dose and age appeared to be significant predictors of TAC concentrations in WB and PBMC. Intra-individual seasonal variation of TAC concentrations in WB, but not in PBMC, have been observed. These data show that the intra-individual variability in TAC intracellular exposure is comparable to the one observed in WB. This opens the way for further studies aiming at the identification of therapeutic ranges for TAC intra-PBMC concentrations

Psicologia Social em experimentações: arte, estética e imagem

Textos selecionados a partir dos grupos de trabalho do XVII Encontro Nacional da ABRAPSO, em Florianópolis.ColetâneaABRAPSO - Associação Brasileira de Psicologia Socia

Reprodutibilidade e validade de questionário de consumo alimentar para escolares

O estudo objetivou avaliar a reprodutibilidade e a validade do questionário de consumo alimentar do dia anterior (QUADA) para escolares. O questionário é ilustrado com 21 alimentos e foi delineado para uso em nível de grupo. Participaram 131 escolares de oito a dez anos de idade de uma escola pública de período integral da cidade de Balneário Camboriú, Santa Catarina, em 2005. A reprodutibilidade foi avaliada em duas aplicações do questionário no mesmo dia. A validade foi obtida pela comparação entre os itens alimentares selecionados no questionário e a observação direta de três refeições escolares do dia anterior. O questionário apresentou alta sensibilidade, com valores variando entre 73,4% (feijão) e 95,5% (arroz), e alta especificidade, variando entre 87,3% (frutas) e 98,8% (feijão). Conclui-se que o questionário pode gerar dados reprodutíveis e válidos para avaliar o consumo alimentar de escolares no dia anterior.The aim of the study was to assess the reproducibility and validity of the previous day food questionnaire (PDFQ) for schoolchildren. The questionnaire is illustrated with 21 foods and was designed for use at group level. The participants were 131 schoolchildren aged eight to ten years who were studying full-time in a public school in a city of Southern Brazil, in 2005. Reproducibility was assessed by applying the questionnaire twice on the same day. Validity was assessed by comparing the food items selected on the questionnaire and direct observations from three school meals on the previous day. The questionnaire presented high sensitivity, ranging from 73.4% (beans) to 95.5% (rice), and high specificity, ranging from 87.3% (fruits) to 98.8% (beans). It was concluded that the questionnaire was capable of generating reproducible and valid data for assessing the food intake of schoolchildren on the previous day

European knowledge alliance for innovative measures in prevention of work-related musculoskeletal pain disorders (Prevent4Work Project):Protocol for an international mixed-methods longitudinal study

INTRODUCTION: Work-related musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is a highly prevalent condition and one of the main contributors to disability and loss of work capacity. Current approaches to the management and prevention of work-related MSK pain do not consistently integrate current evidence-based knowledge and seem to be outdated. The Prevent4Work (P4W) Project aims to collect and spread evidence-based information to improve the management and prevention of work-related MSK pain. P4W will longitudinally investigate (1) risk factors associated with the prevalence of work-related MSK pain, (2) predictive factors for new events of work-related MSK pain in the short term and (3) the modification of pain beliefs after participating in evidence-based e-learning courses. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This project employs a mixed-methods design with international cohorts of workers from Spain, Italy and Denmark. All participants will be assessed using self-reported variables at baseline (ie, cross-sectional design) with follow-up after 3 and 6 months (ie, prospective–predictive design). Throughout the first phase (0–3 months), all participants will be offered to self-enrol in e-learning courses on work-related MSK pain. Changes in pain beliefs (if any) will be assessed. The dataset will include sociodemographic characteristics, physical and psychological job demands, lifestyle-related factors, MSK pain history and pain beliefs. At baseline, all participants will additionally complete the P4W questionnaire developed to detect populations at high risk of suffering work-related MSK pain. Descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, and analysis of variance will be used to identify the significant factors that influence the history of work-related MSK pain, evaluate the short-term prediction capacity of the P4W questionnaire, and investigate whether workers’ participation in e-learning courses will modify their pain beliefs. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study received ethical approval from the Ethical Committee of San Jorge University (USJ011-19/20). The results will be made available via peer-reviewed publications, international conferences and P4W official channels

Electrochemical Glucose Sensors—Developments Using Electrostatic Assembly and Carbon Nanotubes for Biosensor Construction

In 1962, Clark and Lyons proposed incorporating the enzyme glucose oxidase in the construction of an electrochemical sensor for glucose in blood plasma. In their application, Clark and Lyons describe an electrode in which a membrane permeable to glucose traps a small volume of solution containing the enzyme adjacent to a pH electrode, and the presence of glucose is detected by the change in the electrode potential that occurs when glucose reacts with the enzyme in this volume of solution. Although described nearly 50 years ago, this seminal development provides the general structure for constructing electrochemical glucose sensors that is still used today. Despite the maturity of the field, new developments that explore solutions to the fundamental limitations of electrochemical glucose sensors continue to emerge. Here we discuss two developments of the last 15 years; confining the enzyme and a redox mediator to a very thin molecular films at electrode surfaces by electrostatic assembly, and the use of electrodes modified by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to leverage the electrocatalytic effect of the CNTs to reduce the oxidation overpotential of the electrode reaction or for the direct electron transport to the enzyme

Impact of two Erwinia sp. on the response of diverse Pisum sativum genotypes under salt stress

The current study reveals that two non-pathogenic strains of Erwinia sp. are diferent in their PGP traits. By using an integrated approach, a picture of the pea plant status in three genotypes subjected to a salt stress condition was obtained and the role of the two bacterial considered Erwinia sp. strains has been highlighted. Results showed the relevance of plant genotype in determining the response to bacterial inoculants as well as the diferences in the plant mechanisms activated to cope with the stress in the diferent plant/strain combination. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of understanding the molecular and biochemical processes occurring in plant–microbe interactions at genotype level, and the influence on plant responses to environmental stresses. Further analyses are needed to clarify the behaviour of the three genotypes, such as the leaf water potential, and to verify the efects of the bacterial inoculation in feld conditions, subjectd by an increased environmental unpredictability due to the climate change scenarioCurrently, salinization is impacting more than 50% of arable land, posing a significant challenge to agriculture globally. Salt causes osmotic and ionic stress, determining cell dehydration, ion homeostasis, and metabolic process alteration, thus negatively influencing plant development. A promising sustainable approach to improve plant tolerance to salinity is the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). This work aimed to characterize two bacterial strains, that have been isolated from pea root nodules, initially called PG1 and PG2, and assess their impact on growth, physiological, biochemical, and molecular parameters in three pea genotypes (Merveille de Kelvedon, Lincoln, Meraviglia d'Italia) under salinity. Bacterial strains were molecularly identified, and characterized by in vitro assays to evaluate the plant growth promoting abilities. Both strains were identified as Erwinia sp., demonstrating in vitro biosynthesis of IAA, ACC deaminase activity, as well as the capacity to grow in presence of NaCl and PEG. Considering the inoculation of plants, pea biometric parameters were unaffected by the presence of the bacteria, independently by the considered genotype. Conversely, the three pea genotypes differed in the regulation of antioxidant genes coding for catalase (PsCAT) and superoxide dismutase (PsSOD). The highest proline levels (212.88 μmol g-1) were detected in salt-stressed Lincoln plants inoculated with PG1, along with the up-regulation of PsSOD and PsCAT. Conversely, PG2 inoculation resulted in the lowest proline levels that were observed in Lincoln and Meraviglia d'Italia (35.39 and 23.67 μmol g-1, respectively). Overall, this study highlights the potential of these two strains as beneficial plant growth-promoting bacteria in saline environments, showing that their inoculation modulates responses in pea plants, affecting antioxidant gene expression and proline accumulation