Assessing the impact of participatory research in rice breeding on poor rice farming households with emphasis on women farmers: a case study in eastern Uttar Pradesh, India

For the past years since the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Systemwide Initiative on Participatory Research and Gender Analysis (PRGA) was initiated, guides for impact assessment of PRGA have been developed (Lilja and Ashby 1999; Johnson et.al., 2000; Lilja and Johnson 2001). However, according to Farnworth and Jiggins (2003) while there is rapidly growing literature on the impacts of PPB on farmers, this is not further differentiated by sex. Despite the immense literature on the impacts of production, post production technologies on women farmers, systematic studies on the impacts of PPB on women in any category, either in terms of the effects of being a participant in a participatory plant breeding process (PPB) process, or in terms of the impact of the new materials generated is few. There is practically no literature that examines the effects of PPB – either as process or in terms of the impacts of the emergent materials – on gender relations at the household, community or any other relevant social or geographic scale along the food chain. Even with women’s active involvement in rice production, post harvest and seed management, scientists who are mostly male often talk with the male farmers only. Ignoring women’s knowledge and preference for rice varieties may be an obstacle to adoption of improved varieties, particularly in areas with gender-specific tasks, and in farm activities where women have considerable influence. Feldstein (1996) cited three different ways in which gender analysis can be considered in participatory research. These are: the efficiency argument, equity oriented, and empowerment. This study attempts to fill in these research gaps. The objectives of this paper are to: a) discuss the process used in integrating participatory research and gender analysis in breeding for drought prone and submergence prone environment; b) assess how gender analysis contributed to the design and implementation of the research and development outcomes; c) assess the impacts of PVS on poor women farmers, particularly on women’s empowerment; and d) recommend strategies to further enhance women’s roles in ensuring household food (rice) food security and improving their social status within the household and the community

PROFIT AND LOSS SHARING IN THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT UNDER THE NEW ROMANIAN CIVIL CODE

The new Romanian Civil Code regulations have reconfirmed the rule ofproportionality when speaking about profit and loss in a partnership agreement. Basically,the law does not require that the participation of partners in profit and loss be necessarilyproportional to their contribution to the society’s capital and the associates can evendetermine their share of benefits and losses. In case the associates establish by contract onlytheir share of benefits, then their contribution to losses will become proportional to theirprofit share. If the share of profit is not proportionally equal with the contribution, then thecontribution to debts will be proportional with the profit share and not with the contributionbrought to the capital.One must keep in mind as compulsory the condition that each partner shouldparticipate both in profit and loss sharing. On the one hand, a partner cannot reserve all thebenefit for himself only, while on the other hand the partners cannot decide that one orseveral of them are exempted from participating in loss sharing. Also, they cannot set aprovision by which a partner is excluded wither from profit sharing or from participation inloss, as this provision would be void ab initio

Effect of selective heart rate slowing in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Background Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality but is currently refractory to therapy. Despite limited evidence, heart rate reduction has been advocated, on the basis of physiological considerations, as a therapeutic strategy in HFpEF. We tested the hypothesis that heart rate reduction improves exercise capacity in HFpEF. Methods and Results We conducted a randomized, crossover study comparing selective heart rate reduction with the If blocker ivabradine at 7.5 mg twice daily versus placebo for 2 weeks each in 22 symptomatic patients with HFpEF who had objective evidence of exercise limitation (peak oxygen consumption at maximal exercise [GraphicO2 peak] <80% predicted for age and sex). The result was compared with 22 similarly treated matched asymptomatic hypertensive volunteers. The primary end point was the change in GraphicO2 peak. Secondary outcomes included tissue Doppler–derived E/e′ at echocardiography, plasma brain natriuretic peptide, and quality-of-life scores. Ivabradine significantly reduced peak heart rate compared with placebo in the HFpEF (107 versus 129 bpm; P<0.0001) and hypertensive (127 versus 145 bpm; P=0.003) cohorts. Ivabradine compared with placebo significantly worsened the change in GraphicO2 peak in the HFpEF cohort (-2.1 versus 0.9 mL·kg−1·min−1; P=0.003) and significantly reduced submaximal exercise capacity, as determined by the oxygen uptake efficiency slope. No significant effects on the secondary end points were discernable. Conclusion Our observations bring into question the value of heart rate reduction with ivabradine for improving symptoms in a HFpEF population characterized by exercise limitation

A Study on the Level of Intercultural Knowledge among Malaysian Secondary School Students

Malaysia is typified by three major ethnic groups namely Malay, Chinese and Indian. The evolution of national unity in Malaysia, which is based on acceptance and tolerance towards different cultures has been allowed to flourish in tandem with the realization of national aspirations. Even though education system is seen to be the best tool to cultivate team work among these three major ethnic groups, contemporary research reveals that there is still a lack of intercultural embedment in both tertiary and non-tertiary settings. Worst, non-tertiary setting national schools are seen as the breeding ground of racial polarization. Thus, the main objectives of this research is to explore the level of intercultural knowledge that can enhance intercultural awareness among Malaysian secondary school students. Data was collected using a structured survey questionnaire to elicit responses from Form Four students in one national secondary school in Penang, Malaysia on their level of intercultural knowledge. The results of this study shows low level of intercultural knowledge among secondary school students and it indicates poor intercultural awareness among them in the contexts of intercultural knowledge. This suggest that classroom intervention is needed to improve the students’ intercultural knowledge and at the same time improve their intercultural sensitivity towards other cultures

Erratum:Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of perhexiline in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction syndrome (Future Cardiology (2014) 10:6 (693-698))

Following publication of the Clinical Trial Protocol by Satnam Singh, Roger Beadle, Donnie Cameron, Amelia Rudd, Maggie Bruce, Baljit Jagpal, Konstantin Schwarz, Gemma Brindley, Fergus McKiddie, Chim Lang, Dana Dawson and Michael Frenneaux, titled ‘Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of perhexiline in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction syndrome’, which appeared in the December 2014 issue of Future Cardiology (Future Oncol. 10[6], 693–698 [2014]), it has been brought to our attention that the author names were presented incorrectly as:Satnam Singh, Roger Beadle, Donnie Cameron, Amelia Rudd, Maggie Bruce, Baljit Jagpal, Konstantin Schwarz, Gemma Brindley, Fergus Mckiddie, Peter Nightingale, Chim Lang, Dana Dawson and Michael Frenneaux.The correct presentation should be:Satnam Singh, Roger Beadle, Donnie Cameron, Amelia Rudd, Maggie Bruce, Baljit Jagpal, Konstantin Schwarz, Gemma Brindley, Fergus Mckiddie, Chim Lang, Dana Dawson and Michael Frenneaux.The authors and editors of Future Cardiology would like to sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or confusion this may have caused our readers.<br/

Erratum:Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of perhexiline in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction syndrome (Future Cardiology (2014) 10:6 (693-698))

Following publication of the Clinical Trial Protocol by Satnam Singh, Roger Beadle, Donnie Cameron, Amelia Rudd, Maggie Bruce, Baljit Jagpal, Konstantin Schwarz, Gemma Brindley, Fergus McKiddie, Chim Lang, Dana Dawson and Michael Frenneaux, titled ‘Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of perhexiline in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction syndrome’, which appeared in the December 2014 issue of Future Cardiology (Future Oncol. 10[6], 693–698 [2014]), it has been brought to our attention that the author names were presented incorrectly as:Satnam Singh, Roger Beadle, Donnie Cameron, Amelia Rudd, Maggie Bruce, Baljit Jagpal, Konstantin Schwarz, Gemma Brindley, Fergus Mckiddie, Peter Nightingale, Chim Lang, Dana Dawson and Michael Frenneaux.The correct presentation should be:Satnam Singh, Roger Beadle, Donnie Cameron, Amelia Rudd, Maggie Bruce, Baljit Jagpal, Konstantin Schwarz, Gemma Brindley, Fergus Mckiddie, Chim Lang, Dana Dawson and Michael Frenneaux.The authors and editors of Future Cardiology would like to sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or confusion this may have caused our readers.<br/

Pharmacological Modulation of Photoreceptor Outer Segment Degradation in a Human iPS Cell Model of Inherited Macular Degeneration

Degradation of photoreceptor outer segments (POS) by retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is essential for vision, and studies have implicated altered POS processing in the pathogenesis of some retinal degenerative diseases. Consistent with this concept, a recently established hiPSC-RPE model of inherited macular degeneration, Best disease (BD), displayed reduced rates of POS breakdown. Herein we utilized this model to determine (i) if disturbances in protein degradation pathways are associated with delayed POS digestion and (ii) whether such defect(s) can be pharmacologically targeted. We found that BD hiPSC-RPE cultures possessed increased protein oxidation, decreased free-ubiquitin levels, and altered rates of exosome secretion, consistent with altered POS processing. Application of valproic acid (VPA) with or without rapamycin increased rates of POS degradation in our model, whereas application of bafilomycin-A1 decreased such rates. Importantly, the negative effect of bafilomycin-A1 could be fully reversed by VPA. The utility of hiPSC-RPE for VPA testing was further evident following examination of its efficacy and metabolism in a complementary canine disease model. Our findings suggest that disturbances in protein degradation pathways contribute to the POS processing defect observed in BD hiPSC-RPE, which can be manipulated pharmacologically. These results have therapeutic implications for BD and perhaps other maculopathies

Inorganic nitrate in angina study:A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial

Background--In this double-blind randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial, we investigated whether oral sodium nitrate, when added to existing background medication, reduces exertional ischemia in patients with angina. Methods and Results--Seventy patients with stable angina, positive electrocardiogram treadmill test, and either angiographic or functional test evidence of significant ischemic heart disease were randomized to receive oral treatment with either placebo or sodium nitrate (600 mg; 7 mmol) for 7 to 10 days, followed by a 2-week washout period before crossing over to the other treatment (n=34 placebo-nitrate, n=36 nitrate-placebo). At baseline and at the end of each treatment, patients underwent modified Bruce electrocardiogram treadmill test, modified Seattle Questionnaire, and subgroups were investigated with dobutamine stress, echocardiogram, and blood tests. The primary outcome was time to 1 mm ST depression on electrocardiogram treadmill test. Compared with placebo, inorganic nitrate treatment tended to increase the primary outcome exercise time to 1 mm ST segment depression (645.6 [603.1, 688.0] seconds versus 661.2 [6183, 704.0] seconds, P=0.10) and significantly increased total exercise time (744.4 [702.4, 786.4] seconds versus 760.9 [719.5, 802.2] seconds, P=0.04; mean [95% confidence interval]). Nitrate treatment robustly increased plasma nitrate (18.3 [15.2, 21.5] versus 297.6 [218.4, 376.8] μmol/L, P < 0.0001) and almost doubled circulating nitrite concentrations (346 [285, 405] versus 552 [398, 706] nmol/L, P=0.003; placebo versus nitrate treatment). Other secondary outcomes were not significantly altered by the intervention. Patients on antacid medication appeared to benefit less from nitrate supplementation. Conclusions--Sodium nitrate treatment may confer a modest exercise capacity benefit in patients with chronic angina who are taking other background medication

Prevalence of asymptomatic valvular heart disease in the elderly population: A community-based echocardiographic study

Aims: With an ageing population, the presence of asymptomatic valvular heart disease (VHD) in the community remains unknown. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and associated factors of asymptomatic VHD in individuals ≥60 years old and to evaluate the feasibility of echocardiographic screening for VHD in this population.   Methods and results: This was a prospective cohort study conducted between 2007 and 2016 in the UK. Asymptomatic patients with no prior indication for echocardiography were invited to participate and evaluated with a health questionnaire, clinical examination, and transthoracic echocardiography. A total of 10,000 individuals were invited through their general practices. A total of 5429 volunteered to participate, of whom 4237 were eligible for inclusion. VHD was diagnosed in more than a quarter of patients (28.2%). The most common types of VHD were regurgitation of the tricuspid (13.8%), mitral (12.8%), and aortic (8.3%) valves (trivial regurgitation was not included). The rate of prevalence of clinically significant VHD was 2.4% (2.2% moderate and 0.2% severe), with mitral and aortic regurgitation being the most common. The only parameter associated with significant VHD was age (odds ratio 1.07 per 1 year increment, 95% confidence interval 1.05-1.09, P < 0.001). The number needed to scan to diagnose one clinically significant case of VHD is 42 for individuals ≥60 and 15 for those ≥75 years old.     Conclusion: Asymptomatic VHD is present in a significant proportion of otherwise healthy individuals without known VHD over 60 years old. Age is strongly associated with an increased incidence of significant VHD