Reflections on Frankfort Rally

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Impacts of Urbanization on Costs of Production and Land Use in the Central Southern Seaboard: A Farm-Level Analysis

This study uses stochastic production frontier (SPF) and DEA frontier methods to estimate the impact of urban influence on the cost of production for traditional corn/soybeans farms in the Southern Seaboard (excepting Virginia and Alabama). We hypothesize that urban influence decreases the technical efficiency of these farms. Although states in this region are not entirely subject to urban influence, some parts of states in this region are highly urbanized. We find that farmers in urban-influenced locations are less technically efficient than farmers in rural locations in the region examined. During 2002-2014, stochastic production frontier and DEA frontier procedures indicate that increasing urban influence leads to a significant decrease in technical efficiency. Our statistical analysis clearly bears out the refrain in popular literature that urban proximity raises the cost for, and decreases the viability of, traditional farms. And seed treatment and pesticide use trends affecting environmental quality (due to old line herbicide applications used to counter weed resistance in GMO crops) suggest the potential for new regulations on farm practices and, hence, costs

Ferroxitosis: a cell death from modulation of oxidative phosphorylation and PKM2-dependent glycolysis in melanoma

Reliance on glycolysis is a characteristic of malignancy, yet the development of resistance to BRAF inhibitors in melanoma is associated with gain of mitochondrial function. Concurrent attenuation of oxidative phosphorylation and HIF-1α/PKM2-dependent glycolysis promotes a non-apoptotic, iron- and oxygen-dependent cell death that we term ferroxitosis. The redox cycling agent menadione causes a robust increase in oxygen consumption, accompanied by significant loss of intracellular ATP and rapid cell death. Conversely, either hypoxic adaptation or iron chelation prevents menadione-induced ferroxitosis. Ectopic expression of K213Q HIF-1α mutant blunts the effects of menadione. However, knockdown of HIF-1α or PKM2 restores menadione-induced cytotoxicity in hypoxia. Similarly, exposure of melanoma cells to shikonin, a menadione analog and a potential PKM2 inhibitor, is sufficient to induce ferroxitosis under hypoxic conditions. Collectively, our findings reveal that ferroxitosis curtails metabolic plasticity in melanoma

Small-scale fisheries, food security, and the SSF Guidelines: value chain challenges in two community-managed fisheries in western Madagascar

Madagascar, among the world’s poorest countries, depends heavily on small-scale fisheries for food security and income. Many of its fisheries have transitioned from subsistence- to market-oriented in recent decades, driven by the emergence of new export markets. In this chapter we consider the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (‘SSF Guidelines’) in light of experiences from two small-scale fisheries in Madagascar: for octopus (Octopus cyanea) and mud crab (Scylla serrata). We focus on articles related to value chains, post-harvest and trade. The dispersed nature of the fisheries means fishers rely on private sector collectors to access markets. Post-harvest actors hold disproportionate negotiating power, with benefits from management initiatives accruing mainly to actors high in the value chain rather than the fishers who implement them. To address these imbalances and increase the contribution of these fisheries to poverty reduction and food security, it is critical to empower fishers and improve their representation in management processes. Data deficiencies must also be tackled, to enhance transparency and provide an evidence base for decision-making

Sirtuin 6 regulates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in mouse pancreatic beta cells

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) has been implicated in ageing, DNA repair and metabolism; however, its function in pancreatic beta cells is unclear. The aim of this study is to elucidate the role of SIRT6 in pancreatic beta cells. METHODS: To investigate the function of SIRT6 in pancreatic beta cells, we performed Sirt6 gene knockdown in MIN6 cells and generated pancreatic- and beta cell-specific Sirt6 knockout mice. Islet morphology and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) were analysed. Glycolysis and oxygen consumption rates in SIRT6-deficient beta cells were measured. Cytosolic calcium was monitored using the Fura-2-AM fluorescent probe (Invitrogen, Grand Island, NY, USA). Mitochondria were analysed by immunoblots and electron microscopy. RESULTS: Sirt6 knockdown in MIN6 beta cells led to a significant decrease in GSIS. Pancreatic beta cell Sirt6 knockout mice showed a ~50% decrease in GSIS. The knockout mouse islets had lower ATP levels compared with the wild-type controls. Mitochondrial oxygen consumption rates were significantly decreased in the SIRT6-deficient beta cells. Cytosolic calcium dynamics in response to glucose or potassium chloride were attenuated in the Sirt6 knockout islets. Numbers of damaged mitochondria were increased and mitochondrial complex levels were decreased in the SIRT6-deficient islets. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: These data suggest that SIRT6 is important for GSIS from pancreatic beta cells and activation of SIRT6 may be useful to improve insulin secretion in diabetes

Changing use of Lizard Island over the past 4000 years and implications for understanding Indigenous offshore island use on the Great Barrier Reef

Archaeological records documenting the timing and use of northern Great Barrier Reef offshore islands by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout the Holocene are limited when compared to the central and southern extents of the region. Excavations on Lizard Island, located 33 km from Cape Flattery on the mainland, provide high resolution evidence for periodic, yet sustained offshore island use over the past 4000 years, with focused exploitation of diverse marine resources and manufacture of quartz artefacts. An increase in island use occurs from around 2250 years ago, at a time when a hiatus or reduction in offshore island occupation has been documented for other Great Barrier Reef islands, but concurrent with demographic expansion across Torres Strait to the north. Archaeological evidence from Lizard Island provides a previously undocumented occupation pattern associated with Great Barrier Reef Late Holocene island use. We suggest this trajectory of Lizard Island occupation was underwritten by its place within the Coral Sea Cultural Interaction Sphere, which may highlight its significance both locally and regionally across this vast seascape

The rapid expansion of Madagascar's protected area system

Protected areas (PAs) are our principal conservation strategy and are evolving rapidly, but we know little about the real-world management and governance of new forms. We review the evolution of Madagascar’s PA system from 2003-2016 based on our experience as practitioners involved. During this period PA coverage quadrupled and the network of strict, centrally-governed protected areas expanded to include sites characterized by: i) multiple-use management models in which sustainable extractive natural resource uses are permitted, ii) shared governance arrangements involving non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local community associations, and iii) a management emphasis on livelihood-based approaches and social safeguards. We discuss the principal challenges for the effectiveness of the expanded system and detail management/policy responses. These include i) enhancing stakeholder participation, ii) ensuring financial sustainability, iii) enforcing rules, iv) ensuring the ecological sustainability of PAs faced with permitted resource extraction, v) reducing the natural resource dependence of local communities through transformative livelihood change, and vi) developing long-term visions to reconcile the differing objectives of conservation NGOs and other stakeholders. In general PAs have had limited effectiveness in reducing deforestation and other threats, which may be related to their rapid establishment processes and the complexity of management towards multiple objectives, coupled with insufficient resources. While Madagascar’s achievements provide a basis for conserving the country’s biodiversity, the challenge faced by its protected areas will continue to grow