The complete plastome of Hyacinthoides non-scripta (L.) Chouard ex Rothm. (Asparagaceae)

The whole plastome sequence ofHyacinthoides non-scripta, was assembled and annotated in this study.This is the first complete plastid genome for the genusHyacinthoides. The plastome is 155,035 bp longand consists of a large single-copy (LSC) region spanning 83,947 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) regionspanning 18,496bp, and two inverted repeat (IR) regions, each of which is 26,296bp in length. Thereare 132 genes annotated in the plastome, of which the protein-coding geneinfAhas pseudogenized

Rural poverty, migration, and the environment in developing countries : three case studies

The author presents three case studies (of the links between highlands and lowlands in Latin America; transmigration in Indonesia; and migration and desertification in the Sudan) to illustrate the relationship between poverty, internal migration, and environmental change in rural areas of developing countries. Policies to deal with the problems of environmental degradation in areas that are destinations for migrants would usually include: preparation of a detailed national inventory of land and water resources, and a land-use plan to protect biologically important or fragile areas and direct new agricultural settlements elsewhere; coordination of this plan with the construction of roads; better coordination across government agencies in the development and implementation of policies related to land use; reduction of population growth, a driving force behind decisions to migrate; improving land use in traditional areas of settlement, to reduce both overuse and underuse of land; development of a system of land tenure that provides land users with incentives to maintain productivity; environmental education programs (in schools and for farmers) to create a national environmental consciousness and more appreciation for the country's natural assets and beauty; new, appropriate systems of data collection and analysis, to help clarify underlying processes and develop more refined, appropriate; and broad-based macroeconomic policies. These policies will be aimed at improving incomes in rural areas, relative to urban areas - aimed at reduced poverty, environmental degradation, and rural outmigration.Banks&Banking Reform,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Municipal Financial Management,Environmental Economics&Policies,Drylands&Desertification

Landholding. Rural Fertility and Internal Migration in Developing Countries: Econometric Evidence from Cross-National Data

We develop an empirical model of the interaction of rural fertility and rural urban migration which incorporates the effects of landholding patterns. Cross section data for 26 developing countries are used to test the model. The statistical results support the hypothesis of a positive relationship between fertility and out-migration in the rural sector and lend credence to some of the propositions regarding the impact of landholding patterns. A reduced form of the model is derived from the statistical results, and its policy implications are considered

The complete chloroplast genome of Narcissus poeticus L. (Amaryllidaceae: Amaryllidoideae)

The first complete chloroplast genome sequence for Narcissus is assembled and annotated in this study. The total length of the N. poeticus chloroplast genome is 160,099 bp and comprises the large single copy (LSC) spanning 86,445 bp, the small single copy (SSC) spanning 16,434 bp, and two inverted repeat regions each of 28,610 bp length. The truncated copy of ycf1 before the junction between IRB and SSC was 1,277 – 2,428 bp longer than in other included Asparagales samples. A potential pseudogene, cemA, was also identified. This is the first reported plastome for Amaryllidaceae subfamily Amaryllidoideae

Oil Extraction and Indigenous Livelihoods in the Northern Ecuadorian Amazon

Globally, the extraction of minerals and fossil fuels is increasingly penetrating into isolated regions inhabited by indigenous peoples, potentially undermining their livelihoods and well-being. To provide new insight to this issue, we draw on a unique longitudinal dataset collected in the Ecuadorian Amazon over an 11-year period from 484 indigenous households with varying degrees of exposure to oil extraction. Fixed and random effects regression models of the consequences of oil activities for livelihood outcomes reveal mixed and multidimensional effects. These results challenge common assumptions about these processes and are only partly consistent with hypotheses drawn from the Dutch disease literature

Clinical Features and Management of Chronic Chikungunya Arthritis

Chikungunya virus is a single-stranded RNA alphavirus transmitted to humans by Aedes species mosquitos, causing an acute illness known as chikungunya fever with maculopapular rash, headache, polyarthritis/arthralgias, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Up to half of affected patients develop a chronic disabling arthritis following resolution of the acute infection, which can last for months or even years. The pathophysiology of chronic chikungunya arthritis remains controversial; it may result from a dysregulated immune response or be caused by persistent viral infection. Treatment for patients with chronic chikungunya arthritis remains investigational. Limited data suggests that immunosuppressive therapies such as methotrexate and TNF alpha inhibitors may be beneficial, though randomized clinical trials are needed

Evaluation of the risks of contaminating low erucic acid rapeseed with high erucic rapeseed and identification of mitigation strategies

High erucic acid rapeseed (HEAR) oil is under increasing demand for various industrial applications. However, many growers are concerned that if they grow the crop, they will not be able to revert to other rapeseed varieties in the future due to the risk of erucic acid (EA) contamination of the harvested seed and inability to maintain acceptable erucic acid thresholds. This review considered published literature and, using the same criteria as that used to contain transgenic crops, aimed to identify the key risks of erucic acid contamination, broadly prioritise them and identify pragmatic mitigation options. Oilseed rape has a number of traits that increase the risk of low erucic acid rapeseed (LEAR) crops being contaminated with EA from HEAR varieties. The quantity of seed produced and the potential for seed dormancy coupled with partial autogamy (self-fertilisation) facilitate the establishment and persistence of volunteer and feral populations. The large quantities of pollen produced when the crop is in flower mean there is also a high potential for cross-pollination. Self-sown volunteer plants represent the highest potential contamination risk, followed by the presence of arable weeds (e.g., wild mustard) whose seeds are also high in EA. Other risks arise from the cross-pollination of compatible wild relatives and the mixing of seed prior to sowing. It is important that both HEAR and LEAR varieties are appropriately managed since risks and their potential for mitigation arise throughout the entire LEAR crop production process. The length of rotation, type of tillage, cultivar choice, buffer zones, effective weed management and basic machinery hygiene are all factors that can reduce the risk of erucic acid contamination of LEAR crops and maintain the required thresholds.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Contribution of off-farm employment to income of indigenous and mestizo households in the Ecuadorian Amazon

[EN] This study examines the process of income diversification among indigenous and mestizo households settled in one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. The results of a random-effect tobit model show that agricultural wage work is the principal income source for homes with scarce or no land. Self-employment employs households with low endowments of education but high endowments of capital. Non-agricultural wage income absorbs educated individuals either indigenous or mestizo.[ES] Este estudio analiza la diversificación de ingresos entre hogares indígenas y colonos asentados en una de las áreas más biodiversas del planeta. Los resultados de un análisis tobit de efectos aleatorios reflejan que el trabajo agrícola fuera de finca es la principal fuente de ingresos para hogares con poca tierra y con miembros con escasa escolaridad. El autoempleo ocupa a hogares con bajos niveles de educación pero con altas dotaciones de capital. El empleo asalariado fuCristian Vasco agradece a la Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología de la República del Ecuador (SENESCYT) por financiar su estancia postdoctoral en la Universidad de la Columbia Británica, Canadá.Vasco, C.; Bilsborrow, R. (2016). Aporte del empleo fuera de finca a los ingresos de hogares indígenas y mestizos de la Amazonía ecuatoriana. Economía Agraria y Recursos Naturales - Agricultural and Resource Economics. 16(1):5-18. https://doi.org/10.7201/earn.2016.01.01SWORD51816