Providing marketing information to smallholders in Zimbabwe: What can the state usefully do?

In recent decades, significant international assistance has been provided to assist the establishment of market information systems (MISs) in a range of developing countries, including many in Africa. However, experience with state-run MISs, looking to provide current price information to market participants, has not been encouraging. Volatile horticultural markets provide particular challenges for such MISs. Therefore, it is suggested that it might be more appropriate to provide other types of marketing information to inform the production and marketing decisions of smallholder producers. This paper reports on recent efforts by the national extension agency, Agritex, to provide such information to smallholder horticultural producers in two districts of north-eastern Zimbabwe. Drawing on an initial evaluation of this pilot programme, the paper suggests that: 1) in the Zimbabwe case, the extension service may provide a viable vehicle for dissemination of marketing information to smallholder (horticultural) producers; 2) information on new crops and market opportunities is valued more highly by farmers than information on current market prices; 3) such information should complement, not supplant, traditional production extension advice. The paper concludes by considering some of the issues pertaining to the continuation and expansion of the pilot programme.Marketing,

Distinct amino acid compositional requirements for formation and maintenance of the [PSI+] prion in yeast

Multiple yeast prions have been identified that result from the structural conversion of proteins into a self-propagating amyloid form. Amyloid-based prion activity in yeast requires a series of discrete steps. First, the prion protein must form an amyloid nucleus that can recruit and structurally convert additional soluble proteins. Subsequently, maintenance of the prion during cell division requires fragmentation of these aggregates to create new heritable propagons. For the Saccharomyces cerevisiae prion protein Sup35, these different activities are encoded by different regions of the Sup35 prion domain. An N-terminal glutamine/asparagine-rich nucleation domain is required for nucleation and fiber growth, while an adjacent oligopeptide repeat domain is largely dispensable for prion nucleation and fiber growth but is required for chaperone-dependent prion maintenance. Although prion activity of glutamine/asparagine-rich proteins is predominantly determined by amino acid composition, the nucleation and oligopeptide repeat domains of Sup35 have distinct compositional requirements. Here, we quantitatively define these compositional requirements in vivo. We show that aromatic residues strongly promote both prion formation and chaperone-dependent prion maintenance. In contrast, nonaromatic hydrophobic residues strongly promote prion formation but inhibit prion propagation. These results provide insight into why some aggregation-prone proteins are unable to propagate as prions

Healthcare prioritisation at the local level: a socio-technical approach

Cost effectiveness analysis is a systematic tool to inform resource allocation decision in healthcare. There is extensive evidence, however, that the tool is difficult to apply in practice, particularly at the level of local health planners, because it is not accessible to those involved in the prioritisation process and not embeds assumptions which are felt to be unacceptable for ethical or other reasons. Pragmatic tools such as Program Budgeting and Marginal Analysis appear to be more suitable for supporting local decisions by engaging stakeholders in a deliberative process. Unlike cost-effectiveness analysis, however, these tools are hard to relate to widely accepted health economic principles. This paper presents a socio-technical approach which draws explicitly on health economic theory and in a practical and reproduceable way through an action research case study with a local healthcare planner of the English National Health Service. Through close and iterative work with those responsible for allocating resources we present a formal model to capture the objectives of the health planners, a communicative procedure and interactive elicitation methods to help key stakeholders to articulate their knowledge and values. The approach proved accessible and acceptable and has been used in making spending decisions

Vulnerability of the frontal-temporal connections in temporal lobe epilepsy.

ObjectiveIn temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), frontal-temporal connections are integral parts of the epileptogenic network. Although frontal-temporal gray matter abnormalities have been consistently demonstrated in TLE, white matter connections between these two lobes require further study in this disease setting. We therefore investigated the integrity of two major frontal-temporal white matter association tracts, uncinate fasciculus (UF) and arcuate fasciculus (AF), and their clinical correlates.MethodsUsing diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography, integrity of the UF and AF was examined in 22 individuals (12 subjects with TLE and 10 age-matched healthy controls). DTI indices of these tracts were compared between the two subject groups and correlates examined with clinical variables that included age of seizure onset, duration of epilepsy, history of febrile seizure and antiepileptic medication exposure.ResultsIn subjects with TLE, the fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of UF and AF ipsilateral to the side of seizure onset were abnormal when compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, lower UF FA correlated with earlier age of seizure onset.ConclusionTLE is associated with abnormal integrity of frontal-temporal white matter tracts, but only on the side of seizure onset. This suggests that frontal-temporal white matter tracts are vulnerable to recurrent seizures and/or the factors precipitating the epilepsy

Pertumbuhan Benih Ikan Nila (Oreochromis Niloticus) Pada Berbagai Padat Penebaran Yang Dipelihara Dalam Wadah Terkontrol

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui padat penebaran yang cocok atau sesuai dalam mendukung pertumbuhan ikan nila. Analisis data yang digunakan yaitu ANAVA serta rancangan penelitian yang digunakan adalah Rancangan Acak Lengkap (RAL). Meliputi benih ikan nila sebagai hewan uji yang dipelihara pada wadah plastik terdiri dari 3 perlakuan dan dan 3 kali ulangan yaitu (15 individu), (20 individu) dan (25 individu). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan padat penebaran memberikan pengaruh terhadap pertumbuhan relatif dan biomassa benih ikan nila. Padat penebaran yang terbaik untuk mendukung pertumbuhan ikan nila adalah 15 individu perwadah sedangkan yang terendah adalah 25 individu perwadah. Mortalitas tertinggi terjadi pada padat penebaran (25 individu) sebesar 15,33 persen dan mortalitas yang paling rendah terdapat pada padat penebaran (15 individu) sebesar 0 persen

APC loss in breast cancer leads to doxorubicin resistance via STAT3 activation

Resistance to chemotherapy is one of the leading causes of death from breast cancer. We recently established that loss of Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) in the Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus – Polyoma middle T (MMTV-PyMT) transgenic mouse model results in resistance to cisplatin or doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. Herein, we aim to establish the mechanism that is responsible for APC-mediated chemotherapeutic resistance. Our data demonstrate that MMTV-PyMT;ApcMin/+ cells have increased signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activation. STAT3 can be constitutively activated in breast cancer, maintains the tumor initiating cell (TIC) population, and upregulates multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1). The activation of STAT3 in the MMTV-PyMT;ApcMin/+ model is independent of interleukin 6 (IL-6); however, enhanced EGFR expression in the MMTV-PyMT;ApcMin/+ cells may be responsible for the increased STAT3 activation. Inhibiting STAT3 with a small molecule inhibitor A69 in combination with doxorubicin, but not cisplatin, restores drug sensitivity. A69 also decreases doxorubicin enhanced MDR1 gene expression and the TIC population enhanced by loss of APC. In summary, these results have revealed the molecular mechanisms of APC loss in breast cancer that can guide future treatment plans to counteract chemotherapeutic resistance

Influence of the formulation on double emulsions containing ecological ingredients prepared by a microfluidic technique

Multiple emulsions have significant potential in myriad applications, including foods, cosmetics, drop networks, controlled microreactors, synthesis of microcapsules and drug delivery systems. Great control of multiple-emulsion drops production can be achieved using microfluidic devices. The field of emulsification through microfluidic devices has in recent years become a popular topic of research. In this work, we used a practical approach to make monodisperse double-emulsions drops with an ultrathin middle layer using a single step emulsification in a capillary microfluidic device. The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of different surfactants and additives on stability and droplet size of W/O/W eco-friendly emulsions formulated with a green solvent (D-Limonene). The incorporation of Pluronic F108 destabilised the double emulsions due to a process of precipitation, forming microcapsules. By contrast, there was a necessity to include Span 80 in the formulation in order to achieve stable double emulsions. The addition of rosin gum or silicone oil did not show any improvement in the stability of these complex emulsions. Finally, the formulation used in ultrathin shell microfluidic device did not produce stable double emulsions in the traditional microfluidic device.Las emulsiones múltiples tienen multitud de aplicaciones en la industria alimentaria, cosméticos, microreactores controlados, síntesis de microcápsulas y sistemas de liberación controlada. Se puede conseguir un gran control de la producción de gotas en emulsiones dobles usando técnicas microfluídicas. En este trabajo se desarrollaron emulsiones dobles formuladas con D-Limoneno usando un dispositivo de microfluídica en un solo paso. El D-Limoneno, el componente principal del aceite esencial de naranja, es un monoterpeno natural que tiene propiedades antioxidantes, bactericida, quimiopreventivas y terapéuticas. El objetivo del presente estudio fue investigar la influencia de diferentes tipos de tensioactivos y aditivos en la formulación de emulsiones dobles ecológicas tipo corteza-ultrafina-núcleo sobre la estabilidad física. Las emulsiones dobles tipo corteza ultra fina y núcleo preparadas con Pluronic P108 sufrieron un fenómeno de desestabilización debido a la precipitación de este tensioactivo polimérico creando microcápsulas. Las emulsiones dobles necesitaron un tensioactivo hidrófobo (Span 80) en la fase media para estabilizarlas. Se consiguieron emulsiones dobles estables utilizando Span 80 como tensioactivo en la fase oleosa y PVA en la fase exterior para la configuración tipo corteza ultrafina-núcleo. Estas condiciones no son extrapolables al tradicional dispositivo de microfluídica.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad del Gobierno de España-CTQ2015-70700-PComisión Europea (Programa FEDER)-CTQ2015-70700-

On the making and taking of professionalism in the further education workplace

This paper examines the changing nature of professional practice in English further education. At a time when neo-liberal reform has significantly impacted on this under-researched and over-market-tested sector, little is known about who its practitioners are and how they construct meaning in their work. Sociological interest in the field has tended to focus on further education practitioners as either the subjects of market and managerial reform or as creative agents operating within the contradictions of audit and inspection cultures. In challenging such dualism, which is reflective of wider sociological thinking, the paper examines the ways in which agency and structure combine to produce a more transformative conception of the further education professional. The approach contrasts with a prevailing policy discourse that seeks to re-professionalise and modernise further education practice without interrogating either the terms of its professionalism or the neo-liberal practices in which it resides

Conceptual Disorganization Weakens Links in Cognitive Pathways: Disentangling Neurocognition, Social Cognition, and Metacognition in Schizophrenia

Disentangling links between neurocognition, social cognition, and metacognition offers the potential to improve interventions for these cognitive processes. Disorganized symptoms have shown promise for explaining the limiting relationship that neurocognition holds with both social cognition and metacognition. In this study, primary aims included: 1) testing whether conceptual disorganization, a specific disorganized symptom, moderated relationships between cognitive processes, and 2) examining the level of conceptual disorganization necessary for links between cognitive processes to break down. To accomplish these aims, comprehensive assessments of conceptual disorganization, neurocognition, social cognition, and metacognition were administered to 67 people with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. We found that conceptual disorganization significantly moderated the relationship between neurocognition and metacognition, with links between cognitive processes weakening when conceptual disorganization is present even at minimal levels of severity. There was no evidence that conceptual disorganization—or any other specific disorganized symptom—drove the limiting relationship of neurocognition on social cognition. Based on our findings, conceptual disorganization appears to be a critical piece of the puzzle when disentangling the relationship between neurocognition and metacognition. Roles of specific disorganized symptoms in the neurocognition – social cognition relationship were less clear. Findings from this study suggest that disorganized symptoms are an important treatment consideration when aiming to improve cognitive impairments

Multiple agency perspective, family control, and private information abuse in an emerging economy

Using a comprehensive sample of listed companies in Hong Kong this paper investigates how family control affects private information abuses and firm performance in emerging economies. We combine research on stock market microstructure with more recent studies of multiple agency perspectives and argue that family ownership and control over the board increases the risk of private information abuse. This, in turn, has a negative impact on stock market performance. Family control is associated with an incentive to distort information disclosure to minority shareholders and obtain private benefits of control. However, the multiple agency roles of controlling families may have different governance properties in terms of investors’ perceptions of private information abuse. These findings contribute to our understanding of the conflicting evidence on the governance role of family control within a multiple agency perspectiv