Globalization and Complementary Policies: Poverty Impacts in Rural Zambia

In this paper, we have two main objectives: to investigate the links between globalization and poverty observed in Zambia during the 1990s, and to explore the poverty impacts of non-traditional export growth. We look at consumption and income effects separately. On the consumption side, we study the maize marketing reforms and the elimination of maize subsidies. We find that complementary policies matter: the introduction of competition policies at the milling industry acted as a cushion that benefited consumers but the restriction on maize imports by small-scale mills hurt them. On the income side, we study agricultural export growth to estimate income gains from international trade. The gains are associated with market agriculture activities (such as growing cotton, tobacco, hybrid maize) and rural labor markets and wages. We find that by expanding trade opportunities Zambian households would earn significantly higher income. Securing these higher levels of well-being requires complementary policies, like the provision of infrastructure, credit, and extension services.

The WTO Doha Round, cotton sector dynamics, and poverty trends in Zambia

The Zambian cotton sector went through significant reforms during the 1990s. After a long period of parastatal control, a process of liberalization in cotton production and marketing began in 1994. These reforms were expected to benefit agricultural farmers. In Zambia, these are rural, often vulnerable, smallholders. The authors investigate the connection between the dynamics of the cotton sector and the dynamics of poverty and evaluate to what extent cotton can work as a vehicle for poverty alleviation. They find that cotton can indeed act as an effective mechanism for increased household welfare. They also find income gains associated with cotton production, as well as positive impacts on the long-run nutritional status of Zambian children. The impacts, however, are relatively small.Crops&Crop Management Systems,Environmental Economics&Policies,Agricultural Research,Economic Theory&Research,Livestock&Animal Husbandry

High pressure pre-treatments promote higher rate and degree of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose

The effect of high pressure (HP) pre-treatments on the subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose from bleached kraft Eucalyptus globulus pulp by cellulase from Tricoderma viride was evaluated. Pressure pre-treatments of 300 and 400 MPa during 5–45 min, lead to both an increased rate and degree of hydrolysis, reaching values ranging from 1.5- to 1.9-fold, quantified by the formation of reducing sugars. Both the pressure and time under pressure influenced the enzymatic hydrosability of the cellulosic pulps, with the former being more important. The results indicate that the pressure pre-treatments promoted an increased accessibility of cellulose towards cellulase in the cell wall. The results obtained open promising possibilities, to contribute to overcome conventional limitations of enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis for the production of fermentable glucose, for the production of second generation bioethanol and chemicals by enhancement of both rate and yield of hydrolysis. The results are also of interest for the preparation of “pressure engineered” celullose with incremented tailored hydrolysis patterns

Rucaparib maintenance treatment for recurrent ovarian carcinoma after response to platinum therapy (ARIEL3): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial

Background: Rucaparib, a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor, has anticancer activity in recurrent ovarian carcinoma harbouring a BRCA mutation or high percentage of genome-wide loss of heterozygosity. In this trial we assessed rucaparib versus placebo after response to second-line or later platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with high-grade, recurrent, platinum-sensitive ovarian carcinoma. Methods: In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial, we recruited patients from 87 hospitals and cancer centres across 11 countries. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older, had a platinum-sensitive, high-grade serous or endometrioid ovarian, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube carcinoma, had received at least two previous platinum-based chemotherapy regimens, had achieved complete or partial response to their last platinum-based regimen, had a cancer antigen 125 concentration of less than the upper limit of normal, had a performance status of 0–1, and had adequate organ function. Patients were ineligible if they had symptomatic or untreated central nervous system metastases, had received anticancer therapy 14 days or fewer before starting the study, or had received previous treatment with a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor. We randomly allocated patients 2:1 to receive oral rucaparib 600 mg twice daily or placebo in 28 day cycles using a computer-generated sequence (block size of six, stratified by homologous recombination repair gene mutation status, progression-free interval after the penultimate platinum-based regimen, and best response to the most recent platinum-based regimen). Patients, investigators, site staff, assessors, and the funder were masked to assignments. The primary outcome was investigator-assessed progression-free survival evaluated with use of an ordered step-down procedure for three nested cohorts: patients with BRCA mutations (carcinoma associated with deleterious germline or somatic BRCA mutations), patients with homologous recombination deficiencies (BRCA mutant or BRCA wild-type and high loss of heterozygosity), and the intention-to-treat population, assessed at screening and every 12 weeks thereafter. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01968213; enrolment is complete. Findings: Between April 7, 2014, and July 19, 2016, we randomly allocated 564 patients: 375 (66%) to rucaparib and 189 (34%) to placebo. Median progression-free survival in patients with a BRCA-mutant carcinoma was 16·6 months (95% CI 13·4–22·9; 130 [35%] patients) in the rucaparib group versus 5·4 months (3·4–6·7; 66 [35%] patients) in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·23 [95% CI 0·16–0·34]; p<0·0001). In patients with a homologous recombination deficient carcinoma (236 [63%] vs 118 [62%]), it was 13·6 months (10·9–16·2) versus 5·4 months (5·1–5·6; 0·32 [0·24–0·42]; p<0·0001). In the intention-to-treat population, it was 10·8 months (8·3–11·4) versus 5·4 months (5·3–5·5; 0·36 [0·30–0·45]; p<0·0001). Treatment-emergent adverse events of grade 3 or higher in the safety population (372 [99%] patients in the rucaparib group vs 189 [100%] in the placebo group) were reported in 209 (56%) patients in the rucaparib group versus 28 (15%) in the placebo group, the most common of which were anaemia or decreased haemoglobin concentration (70 [19%] vs one [1%]) and increased alanine or aspartate aminotransferase concentration (39 [10%] vs none). Interpretation: Across all primary analysis groups, rucaparib significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer who had achieved a response to platinum-based chemotherapy. ARIEL3 provides further evidence that use of a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor in the maintenance treatment setting versus placebo could be considered a new standard of care for women with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer following a complete or partial response to second-line or later platinum-based chemotherapy. Funding: Clovis Oncology

Characterization of Annona cherimola mill. Seed oil from Madeira Island: a possible biodiesel feedstock

The possibility of using Annona seed oil as an added value product, namely as a source of biodiesel, is explored. Milled Annona seeds were extracted with hexane at room temperature (72 h) and at solvent boiling point (6 h). Oil content was found to be 25 and 22.4% respec tively. The oil was characterized in terms of lipid compo sition (HPLC–APCI–MS and 13C NMR), resistance to oxidation and acidity index. FAME composition was determined by GC–MS and five major peaks were identi fied. Production of biodiesel from Annona’s seed oil was achieved by base-catalyzed transesterification. Density, viscosity, refraction coefficient, acid value, cold filter plugging point, cloud point and oxidation stability were measured. The iodine value and the ‘‘apparent cetane number’’ were calculated. Density, viscosity, acid value, iodine value, cold filter plugging point and cloud point were within EN14214 specifications and the calculated ‘‘apparent cetane number’’ was also indicative of a suitable product.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influence of moisture contents on the fast pyrolysis of trommel fines in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor

In this study, the effect of moisture contents [2.69 wt% (bone-dry), 5 wt% and 10 wt%] on product yields and process conversion efficiency during fast pyrolysis of a pre-treated trommel fines feedstock was investigated at 500 °C. Experiments were carried out using a 300 g h −1 bubbling fluidised bed rig. Yields of organic liquids ranged from 15.2 to 19.6 wt% of feedstock, which decreased with increasing moisture content. Hence, the bone-dry feedstock gave the maximum yield and consequently the highest process conversion efficiency of 43%. Increased moisture content also led to increase formation of unidentified gas products, indicating increased conversion of organic liquids. Due to the high ash content of the feedstocks, about 52 wt% solid residues, containing around 82% ash was recovered in the char pot in each case. Hence, to maximize oil yields during fast pyrolysis, trommel fines would require extensive drying to remove the original 46 wt% moisture as well as reducing the ash content considerably. XRF analysis of the ash in the feedstock and solid residues showed that the main elements present included Ca, Si, Fe, Pb, K, Cl and Al. Apart from the presence of Pb (which may be from the glass contents of the feedstock), the solid residues could be used for land reclamation or co-incinerated at cement kilns for cement manufacture

The Cassava Genome: Current Progress, Future Directions

The starchy swollen roots of cassava provide an essential food source for nearly a billion people, as well as possibilities for bioenergy, yet improvements to nutritional content and resistance to threatening diseases are currently impeded. A 454-based whole genome shotgun sequence has been assembled, which covers 69% of the predicted genome size and 96% of protein-coding gene space, with genome finishing underway. The predicted 30,666 genes and 3,485 alternate splice forms are supported by 1.4 M expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Maps based on simple sequence repeat (SSR)-, and EST-derived single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) already exist. Thanks to the genome sequence, a high-density linkage map is currently being developed from a cross between two diverse cassava cultivars: one susceptible to cassava brown streak disease; the other resistant. An efficient genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach is being developed to catalog SNPs both within the mapping population and among diverse African farmer-preferred varieties of cassava. These resources will accelerate marker-assisted breeding programs, allowing improvements in disease-resistance and nutrition, and will help us understand the genetic basis for disease resistance

High throughput screening of hydrolytic enzymes from termites using a natural substrate derived from sugarcane bagasse

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The description of new hydrolytic enzymes is an important step in the development of techniques which use lignocellulosic materials as a starting point for fuel production. Sugarcane bagasse, which is subjected to pre-treatment, hydrolysis and fermentation for the production of ethanol in several test refineries, is the most promising source of raw material for the production of second generation renewable fuels in Brazil. One problem when screening hydrolytic activities is that the activity against commercial substrates, such as carboxymethylcellulose, does not always correspond to the activity against the natural lignocellulosic material. Besides that, the macroscopic characteristics of the raw material, such as insolubility and heterogeneity, hinder its use for high throughput screenings.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this paper, we present the preparation of a colloidal suspension of particles obtained from sugarcane bagasse, with minimal chemical change in the lignocellulosic material, and demonstrate its use for high throughput assays of hydrolases using Brazilian termites as the screened organisms.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Important differences between the use of the natural substrate and commercial cellulase substrates, such as carboxymethylcellulose or crystalline cellulose, were observed. This suggests that wood feeding termites, in contrast to litter feeding termites, might not be the best source for enzymes that degrade sugarcane biomass.</p