Structure and genetic diversity in wild and cultivated populations of Zapote mamey (Pouteria sapota, Sapotaceae) from southeastern Mexico: its putative domestication center

Tropical fruit trees are an important component of the human diet; however, little is known about their genetic diversity levels. Zapote mamey (Pouteria sapota) is a tree native to southeastern Mexico and Central America, and Mexico is the leading producer in the world. Studies of the genetic diversity of Zapote mamey have been based on cultivated materials using morphological and biochemical characterization or dominant molecular markers. To gain a deeper understanding about the conservation status of Zapote mamey in its center of origin and domestication, we collected 188 individuals from eight wild and five cultivated populations in southeastern Mexico and characterized them using eight microsatellite loci. STRUCTURE, 3D-PCoA, and neighbor-joining analyses showed three groups in the wild gene pool and one group in the cultivated gene pool. FST values were significant between wild and cultivated gene pools, among the four groups observed and among the 13 populations collected (0.13, 0.25, and 0.36, respectively). Overall, we found low levels of genetic diversity (A = 2.77, HO = 0.29, HE = 0.39), permutation tests did not show significant differences between wild and cultivated gene pools. The Garza–Williamson index showed low values in both gene pools (wild = 0.16, cultivated = 0.11) and the Bottleneck program indicated a decrease in genetic diversity in both gene pools (wild, P = 0.027; cultivated, P = 0.054); both analyses suggest a potential genetic bottleneck within this species. This study can help to generate adequate sampling techniques and to develop effective management strategies for Zapote mamey of southeastern Mexico

Securitization and Community-Based Protection Among Chin Refugees in Kuala Lumpur

This article examines refugee-led community organizations among Chin refugees from Myanmar in Kuala Lumpur. It uses a structuration analysis that recognizes refugee-led organizations as complex governance entities engaged in a dynamic relationship with (among others) national policies of securitization of forced migration and international humanitarian governance. This approach expands the existing literature on the securitization of forced migration by exploring refugees’ lived experiences in a context of south–south migration. It expands the literature on community-based protection by going beyond recognizing the existence of refugee-led organizations to analyse their construction, constitution and consequences. Three primary areas of work by Chin refugee groups are analysed in relation to their immediate activity and longer term effects: organization (‘building ethnic unity in adversity’), documentation (‘asserting a bureaucratic identity’) and socialization (‘learning to be illegal’). These long-term effects indicate the possible impact of local protection activities on macrostructural processes such as identity construction and migration choices.construction, constitution and consequences. Three primary areas of work by Chin refugee groups are analysed in relation to their immediate activity and longer term effects: organization (‘building ethnic unity in adversity’), documentation (‘asserting a bureaucratic identity’) and socialization (‘learning to be illegal’). These long-term effects indicate the possible impact of local protection activities on macrostructural processes such as identity construction and migration choices

Structure and genetic diversity in wild and cultivated populations of Zapote mamey (Pouteria sapota, Sapotaceae) from southeastern Mexico: its putative domestication center

Tropical fruit trees are an important component of the human diet; however, little is known about their genetic diversity levels. Zapote mamey (Pouteria sapota) is a tree native to southeastern Mexico and Central America, and Mexico is the leading producer in the world. Studies of the genetic diversity of Zapote mamey have been based on cultivated materials using morphological and biochemical characterization or dominant molecular markers. To gain a deeper understanding about the conservation status of Zapote mamey in its center of origin and domestication, we collected 188 individuals from eight wild and five cultivated populations in southeastern Mexico and characterized them using eight microsatellite loci. STRUCTURE, 3D-PCoA, and neighbor-joining analyses showed three groups in the wild gene pool and one group in the cultivated gene pool. FST values were significant between wild and cultivated gene pools, among the four groups observed and among the 13 populations collected (0.13, 0.25, and 0.36, respectively). Overall, we found low levels of genetic diversity (A = 2.77, HO = 0.29, HE = 0.39), permutation tests did not show significant differences between wild and cultivated gene pools. The Garza–Williamson index showed low values in both gene pools (wild = 0.16, cultivated = 0.11) and the Bottleneck program indicated a decrease in genetic diversity in both gene pools (wild, P = 0.027; cultivated, P = 0.054); both analyses suggest a potential genetic bottleneck within this species. This study can help to generate adequate sampling techniques and to develop effective management strategies for Zapote mamey of southeastern Mexico

Consórcio couve-coentro em cultivo orgânico e sua influência nas populações de joaninhas.

O consórcio de culturas é comumente praticado na produção de hortaliças devido a diversos benefícios econômicos. Em alguns casos, podem reduzir infestações de pragas por favorecer a conservação dos inimigos naturais nos agroecossistemas. Avaliou-se a viabilidade agronômica do consórcio de couve e coentro, sob manejo orgânico, com base em parâmetros fitotécnicos, além de sua influência sobre populações de joaninhas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), na comparação com os respectivos cultivos solteiros. O coentro, representando a cultura secundária, foi utilizado com a finalidade de fornecer recursos para as joaninhas. O estudo foi realizado em área do Sistema Integrado de Produção Agroecológica em Seropédica-RJ. O experimento consistiu dos consórcios: 1) couve consorciada com coentro, cujas quatro linhas de plantas foram colhidas na fase vegetativa (consórcio I), e 2) couve consorciada com coentro, cujas plantas das duas linhas internas (próximas à linha da couve) foram colhidas na fase vegetativa e as duas linhas externas foram cortadas após floração (consórcio II). Em ambos consórcios foram avaliados os parâmetros fitotécnicos da couve e do coentro na fase vegetativa (padrão comercial), enquanto que no consórcio II, também se avaliou as populações de joaninhas, por meio de coletas semanais de adultos, em comparação com a couve em cultivo solteiro. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições. O coentro não interferiu na produtividade da couve consorciada e sua introdução contribuiu positivamente para a abundância e diversidade de espécies de joaninhas. O índice de equivalência de área para o consórcio I, com referência aos rendimentos de biomassa aérea fresca, foi superior em 92% em relação ao cultivo solteiro. Este resultado demonstra a viabilidade do consórcio I, no manejo orgânico adotado, para plantios de outono nas condições edafoclimáticas da Baixada Fluminense

Predictors of subjective well-being among older Ghanaians

Background: Later years of life are accompanied by many physical, emotional and environmental changes which may impact on the well-being of the individual. Many factors are known to influence the subjectivewell-being of older adults, but most, if not all of this information was the result of studies in the Western world. This study aimed at obtaining and documenting the predictors of subjective well-being (SWB) among older Ghanaians.Methods: Data for the study was obtained from the WHO SAGE study. The single item measure of life satisfaction was used to determine subjective wellbeing. Descriptive statistics as well as logistic regression analysis were carried out to determine the predictors of SWB.Results: A total of 4724 individuals aged 50 years and above responded to the questionnaires. Of these 50.4% were males. Following multivariate logistic regression analysis, age, sex, educational level, income and ethnicbackground were found to significantly affect the SWB of older Ghanaians. Being male was associated with higher level of SWB (OR=1.68; CI: 1.39 – 2.03). For those 50 years and above, being younger (50-59 years) was also associated with a high level of SWB (OR=17.72; CI: 10.13-30.98). Earning a low income and having low educational level were both associatedwith low levels of SWB (OR=0.304; CI: 0.22-0.42; and OR=0.47; CI: 0.37-0.60 respectively). Ewes (p=0.027), Grumas (p=0.002) and  Mole-Dagbons (p=0.04) had significantly higher SWB compared to the other ethnic groups.Conclusion: Among older Ghanaians, factors that positively influence SWB are younger age, male sex, high educational level and high income.Keywords: Subjective well-being, Life satisfaction, Older Ghanaians, SAGE study, Predictor

Quantum Size Effects on the Chemical Sensing Performance of Two-Dimensional Semiconductors

We investigate the role of quantum confinement on the performance of gas sensors based on two-dimensional InAs membranes. Pd-decorated InAs membranes configured as H2 sensors are shown to exhibit strong thickness dependence, with ~100x enhancement in the sensor response as the thickness is reduced from 48 to 8 nm. Through detailed experiments and modeling, the thickness scaling trend is attributed to the quantization of electrons which favorably alters both the position and the transport properties of charge carriers; thus making them more susceptible to surface phenomena

Optimal low-thrust trajectories to asteroids through an algorithm based on differential dynamic programming

In this paper an optimisation algorithm based on Differential Dynamic Programming is applied to the design of rendezvous and fly-by trajectories to near Earth objects. Differential dynamic programming is a successive approximation technique that computes a feedback control law in correspondence of a fixed number of decision times. In this way the high dimensional problem characteristic of low-thrust optimisation is reduced into a series of small dimensional problems. The proposed method exploits the stage-wise approach to incorporate an adaptive refinement of the discretisation mesh within the optimisation process. A particular interpolation technique was used to preserve the feedback nature of the control law, thus improving robustness against some approximation errors introduced during the adaptation process. The algorithm implements global variations of the control law, which ensure a further increase in robustness. The results presented show how the proposed approach is capable of fully exploiting the multi-body dynamics of the problem; in fact, in one of the study cases, a fly-by of the Earth is scheduled, which was not included in the first guess solution

Completeness of hepatitis, brucellosis, syphilis, measles and HIV/AIDS surveillance in Izmir, Turkey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>According to the surveillance system in Turkey, most diseases are notified only by clinicians, without involving laboratory notification. It is assumed that a considerable inadequacy in notifications exists; however, this has not been quantified by any researcher. Our aim was to evaluate the completeness of communicable disease surveillance in the province of Izmir, Turkey for the year of 2003 by means of estimating the incidences of diseases.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data on positive laboratory results for the notifiable and serologically detectable diseases hepatitis A, B, C, brucellosis, syphilis, measles and HIV detected in 2003 in Izmir (population 3.5 million) were collected from serology laboratories according to WHO surveillance standards and compared to the notifications received by the Provincial Health Directorate. Data were checked for duplicates and matched. Incidences were estimated with the capture-recapture method. Sensitivities of both notifications and laboratory data were calculated according to these estimates.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among laboratories performing serologic tests (n = 158) in Izmir, 84.2% accepted to participate, from which 23,515 positive results were collected. Following the elimination of duplicate results as well as of cases residing outside of Izmir, the total number was 11,402. The total number of notifications was 1802. Notification rates of cases found in laboratories were 31.6% for hepatitis A, 12.1% for acute hepatitis B, 31.8% for brucellosis, 25.9% for syphilis and 100% for HIV confirmation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>It was discovered that for hepatitis A, B, C, brucellosis and syphilis, there is a considerable under-notification by clinicians and that laboratory data has the potential of contributing greatly to their surveillance. The inclusion of laboratories in the surveillance system of these diseases could help to achieve completeness of reporting.</p

A framework for the successful implementation of food traceability systems in China

Implementation of food traceability systems in China faces many challenges due to the scale, diversity and complexity of China’s food supply chains. This study aims to identify critical success factors specific to the implementation of traceability systems in China. Twenty-seven critical success factors were identified in the literature. Interviews with managers at four food enterprises in a pre-study helped identify success criteria and five additional critical success factors. These critical success factors were tested through a survey of managers in eighty-three food companies. This study identifies six dimensions for critical success factors: laws, regulations and standards; government support; consumer knowledge and support; effective management and communication; top management and vendor support; and information and system quality

Synchronizing inventory and transport within supply chain management

The problem considers synchronized optimization of inventory and transport, and focuses on producer-distributor relations. Particular attention is paid to developing a mathematical model and an optimization problem that can be used to minimize the overall distribution cost by an appropriate placement of warehouses and cross-docking points. Solutions to this problem are explored using genetic algorithms and ideas from graph/network theory. Note: there are three separate reports contained within the uploaded .pdf file