Putting banana-coffee intercropping research into action

Research of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and its partners shows that growing coffee and banana together is generating >50% more income for smallholder farmers and can help them cope with the effects of climate change. However, turning research into action on the ground requires effective dialogue and communication between researchers and policy makers. This study looks at how well informed government bodies, private sector and non-profit actors were of IITA’s research and to what extent the practice has been adopted

Empirical Analysis of Egg Production Functions: A Case Study of Ikot Ekpene and Uyo Metropolis of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

The study carried out an empirical analysis of egg production functions, a case Study of Ikot Ekpene and Uyo Metropolis of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Specifically, this study was carried out to estimate the egg production functions in the study area, determine the resource use efficiency of egg producers in the study area and to make recommendations based on the findings. Data for this study were obtained from primary source collected from thirty – seven (37) purposively selected poultry farmers using personal observations and interview method while the secondary data were obtained from farm records kept by the farmers. Regression analysis was carried out to show the relationship between egg lay and several input explanatory variables namely; feed intake, mortality rate, culling rate, labour and floor space. Resource use efficiency analysis was used to determine the rationality of the firms in their use of resources. The result showed that the effect of feed intake and labour on egg lay was significant at 0.01% level, Floor space was also significant at 0.01. Further analysis showed that sum of elasticities for feed, labour and floor (EP) is1.59 indicating an increasing return to scale scenario, implying that a 1% increase in the variables; feed, labour, and floor space will lead to a 1.59% increase in egg lay. Of all the four egg production function estimated in this study, it became clear that the exponential function was found to be the lead equation since four out of the five variables employed in this study were significant where as other forms had less numbers of significant variables. The analysis with respect to resource use showed that feed, labour and floor space were over utilized during the period of egg lay

Do theories of change enable innovation platforms?

Theories of change (ToCs) are increasingly used to articulate pathways for interventions and to support learning. This responds to the recognition of the complexity of agricultural development. Through two examples, this paper examines how ToCs have enabled practitioners to navigate towards impact in settings characterized by a multiplicity of views from different actors on issues of joint concern. The cases discuss how the intervention programs test the ToCs, as well as organize and reflect on feedback. The cases reveal that one cannot predict the route to impact, but one can compose plausible story lines explicating the assumptions. Developing and using ToCs takes time and requires a deliberate effort to monitor actions and changes. Connecting practitioners with researchers makes it possible to use more intermediate theorisations tailored to situated and specific impact pathways. However, the dynamics captured by ToCs may contrast with the donors’ demands for accountability and consistent reliance on a rigid log-frame approach to determine project activities and outputs. Therefore, it is relevant to make explicit choices about how to relate ToCs to M&E efforts

Challenges and facilitators to healthy eating in pregnancy: a systematic review

The aim of this review is to synthesize previous research findings on the barriers and enablers towards healthy eating in pregnancy. The following areas will be explored: • What are the views of pregnant women on challenges/barriers towards healthy eating? • What are the views of pregnant women on enablers/facilitators of healthy eating

Antibiosis and GC-MS of secondary metabolites of rhizosphere bacteria from Manatee foodplants in the humic freshwater ecosystem of Eniong river, Nigeria

Microorganisms are able to synthesize secondary metabolites of various structures and bioactivities. These metabolites are produced to help the organism compete successfully with other organisms in their natural habitat and adapt with changing environmental milieu. The ability of rhizosphere bacteria (Bacillus subtilis NC_000964.3 and Pseu-domonas aeruginosa NC_002516.2) isolated from the rhizospheric soil of Manatee food plants Mimosa pygra, Ipomeoa aquatica and Pistia stratoites to inhibit the growth of human pathogens (P. aeruginosa, E. coli, S. aureus and B. subtilis) was evaluated using standard methods. It was observed that the growth extracts of B. subtilis strains M5, M8 and P7 and P. aeruginosa strains I3 and M9 contained useful bioactive compound. GC-MS analysis of the cell -free methanol extract of the antibiotic producing bacterial strains was also evaluated and the results showed that their inhibitory potentials against bacterial pathogens are due to the presence of phenylethyl alcohol, 2-ethyl-4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, bicyclo [4.2.0] octa-1,3,5-triene and 4-amino-2-methyl-5,6-dimethyl pyrimidine for B. subtilis and 3,4-dimethyl tetrahydrofuran, 4,6-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-5- heptenoic acid and 2,4-dimethyl-4-heptanol for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These strains of rhizosphere bacteria may be exploited to produce new antibiotics

Variants Within TSC2 Exons 25 and 31 Are Very Unlikely to Cause Clinically Diagnosable Tuberous Sclerosis

Inactivating mutations in TSC1 and TSC2 cause tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). The 2012 international consensus meeting on TSC diagnosis and management agreed that the identification of a pathogenic TSC1 or TSC2 variant establishes a diagnosis of TSC, even in the absence of clinical signs. However, exons 25 and 31 of TSC2 are subject to alternative splicing. No variants causing clinically diagnosed TSC have been reported in these exons, raising the possibility that such variants would not cause TSC. We present truncating and in‐frame variants in exons 25 and 31 in three individuals unlikely to fulfil TSC diagnostic criteria and examine the importance of these exons in TSC using different approaches. Amino acid conservation analysis suggests significantly less conservation in these exons compared with the majority of TSC2 exons, and TSC2 expression data demonstrates that the majority of TSC2 transcripts lack exons 25 and/or 31 in many human adult tissues. In vitro assay of both exons shows that neither exon is essential for TSC complex function. Our evidence suggests that variants in TSC2 exons 25 or 31 are very unlikely to cause classical TSC, although a role for these exons in tissue/stage specific development cannot be excluded

Identification of a region required for TSC1 stability by functional analysis of TSC1 missense mutations found in individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex

Background: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterised by the development of hamartomas in a variety of organs and tissues. The disease is caused by mutations in either the TSC1 gene on chromosome 9q34, or the TSC2 gene on chromosome 16p13.3. The TSC1 and TSC2 gene products, TSC1 and TSC2, form a protein complex that inhibits signal transduction to the downstream effectors of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Recently it has been shown that missense mutations to the TSC1 gene can cause TSC. Methods: We have used in vitro biochemical assays to investigate the effects on TSC1 function of TSC1 missense variants submitted to the Leiden Open Variation Database. Results: We identified specific substitutions between amino acids 50 and 190 in the N-terminal region of TSC1 that result in reduced steady state levels of the protein and lead to increased mTOR signalling. Conclusion: Our results suggest that amino acid residues within the N-terminal region of TSC1 are important for TSC1 function and for maintaining the activity of the TSC1-TSC2 complex

Attomolar Detection of Botulinum Toxin Type A in Complex Biological Matrices

BACKGROUND: A highly sensitive, rapid and cost efficient method that can detect active botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) in complex biological samples such as foods or serum is desired in order to 1) counter the potential bioterrorist threat 2) enhance food safety 3) enable future pharmacokinetic studies in medical applications that utilize BoNTs. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we describe a botulinum neurotoxin serotype A assay with a large immuno-sorbent surface area (BoNT/A ALISSA) that captures a low number of toxin molecules and measures their intrinsic metalloprotease activity with a fluorogenic substrate. In direct comparison with the "gold standard" mouse bioassay, the ALISSA is four to five orders of magnitudes more sensitive and considerably faster. Our method reaches attomolar sensitivities in serum, milk, carrot juice, and in the diluent fluid used in the mouse assay. ALISSA has high specificity for the targeted type A toxin when tested against alternative proteases including other BoNT serotypes and trypsin, and it detects the holotoxin as well as the multi-protein complex form of BoNT/A. The assay was optimized for temperature, substrate concentration, size and volume proportions of the immuno-sorbent matrix, enrichment and reaction times. Finally, a kinetic model is presented that is consistent with the observed improvement in sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The sensitivity, specificity, speed and simplicity of the BoNT ALISSA should make this method attractive for diagnostic, biodefense and pharmacological applications

Source Evaluation and Trace Metal Contamination in Benthic Sediments from Equatorial Ecosystems Using Multivariate Statistical Techniques

race metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb) concentrations in benthic sediments were analyzed through multi-step fractionation scheme to assess the levels and sources of contamination in estuarine, riverine and freshwater ecosystems in Niger Delta (Nigeria). The degree of contamination was assessed using the individual contamination factors (ICF) and global contamination factor (GCF). Multivariate statistical approaches including principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis and correlation test were employed to evaluate the interrelationships and associated sources of contamination. The spatial distribution of metal concentrations followed the pattern Pb>Cu>Cr>Cd>Ni. Ecological risk index by ICF showed significant potential mobility and bioavailability for Cu, Cu and Ni. The ICF contamination trend in the benthic sediments at all studied sites was Cu>Cr>Ni>Cd>Pb. The principal component and agglomerative clustering analyses indicate that trace metals contamination in the ecosystems was influenced by multiple pollution sources