Data Gaps in Evidence-Based Research on Small Water Enterprises in Developing Countries

This paper assess the literature on small water enterprises -- water delivery operations that predominantly provide water at the community level. A research agenda is recommended to advance knowledge on effective SWE service

Hay Additive Review: Where We\u27ve Been, Where We\u27re Going

The losses from harvest to feed bunk are undoubtedly greater with hay than any other crop grown by the American farmer. The economic implications of reducing losses through improved harvest technologies is staggering when one considers the 75-85 million tons of alfalfa harvested out of the total 140-145 million tons of hay produced annually in the United States

Innovating in a crisis : Canadian media actors assess the state of convergence

Our content analysis conducted in 2007 revealed little evidence of convergence practices in television networks and newspapers owned by Canwest Global, CTVglobemedia, and Quebecor. In 2009 and early 2010, we interviewed executives and journalists of the media groups studied, as well as other stakeholders, to assess the current situation and speculate about the future of convergence in Canada. Respondents generally acknowledged that TV/print newsroom integration had not succeeded and that future convergence efforts would focus on delivering content online and developing a viable economic model for news production. Respondents offered diverse perceptions of conventional media’s ability to reinvent and sustain themselves as the principal news sources for Canadians. Emerging models include the development of a corporate news service, specialization in certain topic areas, and crossmedia collaboration.Notre analyse de contenu réalisée en 2007 n’a révélé aucune preuve substantielle de convergence entre les nouvelles télévisées et les journaux appartenant aux groupes Canwest Global, CTVglobemedia et Quebecor. Nous avons réalisé une série d’entretiens auprès de gestionnaires et journalistes des médias étudiés, de même que d’autres acteurs du milieu, en 2009 et 2010, afin de recueillir leur évaluation de la situation actuelle et leur vision de l’avenir de la convergence médiatique. De l’avis général des participants, l’intégration des nouvelles télévisuelles et de la presse écrite ne s’était pas réalisée et les initiatives futures s’orienteront surtout vers l’offre en ligne et la rentabilisation des contenus d’information. Ils ont émis des points de vue variés quant à la capacité des médias conventionnels de se réinventer et se maintenir en tant que sources principales d’information pour les Canadiens. Parmi les modèles émergents identifiés : le développement d’agences de presse corporatives, la spécialisation thématique et la collaboration entre médias

Knockdown Resistance to DDT and Pyrethroids in the House Fly (Diptera: Muscidae): From Genetic Trait to Molecular Mechanism

Knockdown resistance to DDT and pyrethrins was the 1st insecticide resistance trait involving reduced target site sensitivity to be identified and isolated genetically. Almost 5 decades later, knockdown resistance continues to threaten the continued effectiveness of pyrethroid insecticides in the control of numerous agricultural pests and vectors of human disease. In this review we summarize progress in the characterization of knockdown resistance in the house fly, Musca domestica L., culminating in the identification of the specific sodium channel gene mutations that cause the reduced neuronal sensitivity to DDT and pyrethroids in knockdown-resistant insect

A survey of a small group of workers exposed to toluene di-isocyanate

All 20 workers exposed to toluene di-isocyanate (TDI) in a chemical processing and packing factory were tested for TDI-induced asthma. The assessment included a respiratory symptom questionnaire, spirometry, skin prick tests for common allergens and assessment of total and TDI-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels by radio-allergo-sorbent tests. Six workers had symptoms suggestive of TDI-related asthtna. Three of these 6 workers had a significant cross-shift decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (10% or greater). Two of the 6 had high levels of TDI-specific IgE. Of the 14 workers without work-related symptoms, 1 had a significant cross-shift decline in FEV1. There was no significant association between the levels of exposure to TDI and symptoms, lung function paratneters or immunological findings. This study demonstrates the difficulties in correlating immunological status with clinical and lung function findings in workers exposed to TDI. Recommendations include a stepwise approach to diagnosing TDI-induced asthma in exposed workers

The effects of light pruning, irrigation and improved soil management on wine quality of the Vitis vinifera cv. Riesling

A number of yield improving viticultural practices were assessed in terms of their effect on wine quality. These were improved soil management, lighter pruning/higher trellis, irrigation and a control. In the first year a yield increase of 1.6 t /ha for the irrigation treatment had no significant effect on wine quality. A procedure is presented to assess judges for reliability, discrimination, variability and stability as part of analysis of the sensory results. Four judges were able to consistently identify lot differences

Integrating sequence with FPC fingerprint maps

Recent advances in both clone fingerprinting and draft sequencing technology have made it increasingly common for species to have a bacterial artificial clone (BAC) fingerprint map, BAC end sequences (BESs) and draft genomic sequence. The FPC (fingerprinted contigs) software package contains three modules that maximize the value of these resources. The BSS (blast some sequence) module provides a way to easily view the results of aligning draft sequence to the BESs, and integrates the results with the following two modules. The MTP (minimal tiling path) module uses sequence and fingerprints to determine a minimal tiling path of clones. The DSI (draft sequence integration) module aligns draft sequences to FPC contigs, displays them alongside the contigs and identifies potential discrepancies; the alignment can be based on either individual BES alignments to the draft, or on the locations of BESs that have been assembled into the draft. FPC also supports high-throughput fingerprint map generation as its time-intensive functions have been parallelized for Unix-based desktops or servers with multiple CPUs. Simulation results are provided for the MTP, DSI and parallelization. These features are in the FPC V9.3 software package, which is freely available