The Role of Agricultural Colleges and Universities in Rural Development and Lifelong Learning in Asia

The paper expounds on the challenges confronting institutions of higher agricultural education (HAE) in the context of the significant role of education in alleviating poverty, especially in rural areas, and in light of the changing needs of rural areas and economies. Specifically, HAE institutions are called upon to initiate and lead in articulating a vision for the future that serves the needs not only of agriculture but also of all who inhabit the rural areas. They can step beyond their traditional role by merging forces with other stakeholders to enrich and support other levels of education with critical knowledge and information on agriculture and natural resources management (NRM), the latter being crucial in the pursuit of rural development, poverty education, and food security. To perform an active and constructive role in rural development, agricultural universities need to adjust their programs to accommodate new topics, as well as teaching and learning models; forge new partnerships with schools, academia and rural space stakeholders; expand its representation in governance; and hold continuous dialogue with policymakers. Their extension services could include support to education for rural people that encompasses primary, secondary, vocational, and adult education. University-school linkages are perceived to be illustrative of a decentralized, democratic, and community-based response to rural development problems. It is noted that universities can potentially become showcases of local traditions and knowledge, reflecting the regional, cultural, and ethical traditions of their society, as well as global movements and forces. In reinforcing their roles as contributors to a culture of learning and rural development, it is emphasized that HAE institutions need to engage more directly and more effectively in partnerships and dialogue with other local educational institutions and their surrounding communities. Findings of the ongoing IIEP-UNESCO/FAO program of research on HAE institutions in Asia are expected to provide information on how higher education institutions contribute to learning and rural development, and insights on how their strategic role in this field could be strengthened and further developed.higher agricultural education, rural development, Asia, lifelong learning

Hyperglycaemia does not increase perfusion deficits after focal cerebral ischaemia in male Wistar rats

Background: Hyperglycaemia is associated with a worse outcome in acute ischaemic stroke patients; yet the pathophysiological mechanisms of hyperglycaemia-induced damage are poorly understood. We hypothesised that hyperglycaemia at the time of stroke onset exacerbates ischaemic brain damage by increasing the severity of the blood flow deficit. Methods: Adult, male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to receive vehicle or glucose solutions prior to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion. Cerebral blood flow was assessed semi-quantitatively either 1 h after middle cerebral artery occlusion using 99mTc-D, L-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (99mTc-HMPAO) autoradiography or, in a separate study, using quantitative pseudo-continuous arterial spin labelling for 4 h after middle cerebral artery occlusion. Diffusion weighted imaging was performed alongside pseudo-continuous arterial spin labelling and acute lesion volumes calculated from apparent diffusion coefficient maps. Infarct volume was measured at 24 h using rapid acquisition with refocused echoes T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Results: Glucose administration had no effect on the severity of ischaemia when assessed by either 99mTc-HMPAO autoradiography or pseudo-continuous arterial spin labelling perfusion imaging. In comparison to the vehicle group, apparent diffusion coefficient–derived lesion volume 2–4 h post-middle cerebral artery occlusion and infarct volume 24 h post-middle cerebral artery occlusion were significantly greater in the glucose group. Conclusions: Hyperglycaemia increased acute lesion and infarct volumes but there was no evidence that the acute blood flow deficit was exacerbated. The data reinforce the conclusion that the detrimental effects of hyperglycaemia are rapid, and that treatment of post-stroke hyperglycaemia in the acute period is essential but the mechanisms of hyperglycaemia-induced harm remain unclear

South Africa’s readiness of the smart built environment towards 2035

It is imperative that society works together with government and industry to find solutions in solving the problem of the high utilisation of natural resources in the built environment. Natural resources are not infinite, and the increasing population are compounding the problem. The high level of unemployment in South Africa could be increased dramatically if the old skills in the industry become redundant due to new technology and there are not enough skills to apply to these technologies. This study set out to investigate the extent of the readiness of South Africa for the Smart built environment towards 2035 with an aim to provide valuable information for decision making to the government, policy makers, academic and training institutions and business leaders. South Africa boasts about the achievements of the four major municipalities namely, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Tshwane and eThekwini in terms of their commitment towards the aim for net zero carbon emissions of newly built buildings by 2050. The commitment for sustainable solutions in all sectors is echoed by the Minister of Environmental affairs, as part of the Paris agreement. South Africa does not lack the ability to plan for eventualities. This is evident by the myriad of strategies and policies that can be found all over the government information sharing outlets. The South African government is failing in implementing these policies and strategies that have been around for more than a decade. A lack of execution, lack of transparency as well as a lack of accountability is a hindrance to South Africa’s general growth path. The realisation of the preferred future rest on the acceptance, by all South Africans, that technological advancement is inevitable, and that a joint and inclusive effort should be made to prepare for such a future. South Africa has the ability and appetite to change the future for the better. Two fundamental areas of improvement are to create a united South Africa where people are held accountable for their actions. The unisons should transcend across the various South African government departments but must also include industry, entrepreneurs and the public to create a future where technology is embraced, and innovation encouraged, instead of waiting for technology to dictate a specific future

Sound and Fury a Documentary Installation

This essay is divided into three parts. Following this introduction is a short personal history that describes my relations to people and events in Croatia. Next is an inventory of the installation, an examination of the separate elements and how these elements play off one another in the piece, and a brief discussion of the idea of "documentary installation". The paper concludes with some final thoughts on the fieldwork experience that provided the foundation for this work. What I am calling "documentary installation" is similar to what art and natural history museums have been doing for decades--combining displays of objects, text, images, and simulations into larger descriptive wholes. These displays, however, are more often than not didactic and educational rather than personal and creative. Photographs and text, in these displays, tend to explain or describe rather than stand on their own as creative pieces. The idea of a documentary installation where each element reveals the sensebility and hand of the artist, rather than the educational needs of the curator, offers a rich potential for documentary expression. Cross-cultural collaborations, installations designed as performance venues, "live" documentary through e-mail and broadcast television--the possibilities are endless. The key would be to avoid simulation and emphasize an intensive fieldwork experience as the foundation for any further explorations in documentary installation. In my relations with people, and my photographic practice, I am attempting to explore and articulate this idea of an other/self/other triangulation as the basis for an effective third-party intervention in areas of ethnic tension. Both my personal work as well as the efforts of the Pakrac Reconstruction Project as a whole may some day offer a model of intervention that may be useful in other highly polarized situations. I am convinced that the ability of the camera to represent non-verbal elements of culture and hold them still for inspection, confrontation, and negotiation will provide an important tool in this kind of intervention. In addition, photography and video offer a powerful m &nbsp;</p

Misdiagnosis, Mistreatment, and Harm - When Medical Care Ignores Social Forces.

The Case Studies in Social Medicine demonstrate that when physicians use only biologic or individual behavioral interventions to treat diseases that stem from or are exacerbated by social factors, we risk harming the patients we seek to serve

Conserving Migratory Land Birds in the New World: Do We Know Enough?

Migratory bird needs must be met during four phases of the year: breeding season, fall migration, wintering, and spring migration; thus, management may be needed during all four phases. The bulk of research and management has focused on the breeding season, although several issues remain unsettled, including the spatial extent of habitat influences on fitness and the importance of habitat on the breeding grounds used after breeding. Although detailed investigations have shed light on the ecology and population dynamics of a few avian species, knowledge is sketchy for most species. Replication of comprehensive studies is needed for multiple species across a range of areas. Information deficiencies are even greater during the wintering season, when birds require sites that provide security and food resources needed for survival and developing nutrient reserves for spring migration and, possibly, reproduction. Research is needed on many species simply to identify geographic distributions, wintering sites, habitat use, and basic ecology. Studies are complicated, however, by the mobility of birds and by sexual segregation during winter. Stable-isotope methodology has offered an opportunity to identify linkages between breeding and wintering sites, which facilitates understanding the complete annual cycle of birds. The twice-annual migrations are the poorest-understood events in a bird\u27s life. Migration has always been a risky undertaking, with such anthropogenic features as tall buildings, towers, and wind generators adding to the risk. Species such as woodland specialists migrating through eastern North America have numerous options for pausing during migration to replenish nutrients, but some species depend on limited stopover locations. Research needs for migration include identifying pathways and timetables of migration, quality and distribution of habitats, threats posed by towers and other tall structures, and any bottlenecks for migration. Issues such as human population growth, acid deposition, climate change, and exotic diseases are global concerns with uncertain consequences to migratory birds and even less-certain remedies. Despite enormous gaps in our understanding of these birds, research, much of it occurring in the past 30 years, has provided sufficient information to make intelligent conservation efforts but needs to expand to handle future challenges

Effects of TDP2/VPg Unlinkase Activity on Picornavirus Infections Downstream of Virus Translation.

In this study, we characterized the role of host cell protein tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 2 (TDP2) activity, also known as VPg unlinkase, in picornavirus infections in a human cell model of infection. TDP2/VPg unlinkase is used by picornaviruses to remove the small polypeptide, VPg (Virus Protein genome-linked, the primer for viral RNA synthesis), from virus genomic RNA. We utilized a CRISPR/Cas-9-generated TDP2 knock out (KO) human retinal pigment epithelial-1 (hRPE-1) cell line, in addition to the wild type (WT) counterpart for our studies. We determined that in the absence of TDP2, virus growth kinetics for two enteroviruses (poliovirus and coxsackievirus B3) were delayed by about 2 h. Virus titers were reduced by ~2 log10 units for poliovirus and 0.5 log10 units for coxsackievirus at 4 hours post-infection (hpi), and by ~1 log10 unit at 6 hpi for poliovirus. However, virus titers were nearly indistinguishable from those of control cells by the end of the infectious cycle. We determined that this was not the result of an alternative source of VPg unlinkase activity being activated in the absence of TPD2 at late times of infection. Viral protein production in TDP2 KO cells was also substantially reduced at 4 hpi for poliovirus infection, consistent with the observed growth kinetics delay, but reached normal levels by 6 hpi. Interestingly, this result differs somewhat from what has been reported previously for the TDP2 KO mouse cell model, suggesting that either cell type or species-specific differences might be playing a role in the observed phenotype. We also determined that catalytically inactive TDP2 does not rescue the growth defect, confirming that TDP2 5' phosphodiesterase activity is required for efficient virus replication. Importantly, we show for the first time that polysomes can assemble efficiently on VPg-linked RNA after the initial round of translation in a cell culture model, but both positive and negative strand RNA production is impaired in the absence of TDP2 at mid-times of infection, indicating that the presence of VPg on the viral RNA affects a step in the replication cycle downstream of translation (e.g., RNA synthesis). In agreement with this conclusion, we found that double-stranded RNA production (a marker of viral RNA synthesis) is delayed in TDP2 KO RPE-1 cells. Moreover, we show that premature encapsidation of nascent, VPg-linked RNA is not responsible for the observed virus growth defect. Our studies provide the first lines of evidence to suggest that either negative- or positive-strand RNA synthesis (or both) is a likely candidate for the step that requires the removal of VPg from the RNA for an enterovirus infection to proceed efficiently

Stroke penumbra defined by an MRI-based oxygen challenge technique: 2. Validation based on the consequences of reperfusion

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with oxygen challenge (T2* OC) uses oxygen as a metabolic biotracer to define penumbral tissue based on CMRO2 and oxygen extraction fraction. Penumbra displays a greater T2* signal change during OC than surrounding tissue. Since timely restoration of cerebral blood flow (CBF) should salvage penumbra, T2* OC was tested by examining the consequences of reperfusion on T2* OC-defined penumbra. Transient ischemia (109±20 minutes) was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=8). Penumbra was identified on T2*-weighted MRI during OC. Ischemia and ischemic injury were identified on CBF and apparent diffusion coefficient maps, respectively. Reperfusion was induced and scans repeated. T2 for final infarct and T2* OC were run on day 7. T2* signal increase to OC was 3.4% in contralateral cortex and caudate nucleus and was unaffected by reperfusion. In OC-defined penumbra, T2* signal increased by 8.4%±4.1% during ischemia and returned to 3.25%±0.8% following reperfusion. Ischemic core T2* signal increase was 0.39%±0.47% during ischemia and 0.84%±1.8% on reperfusion. Penumbral CBF increased from 41.94±13 to 116.5±25 mL per 100 g per minute on reperfusion. On day 7, OC-defined penumbra gave a normal OC response and was located outside the infarct. T2* OC-defined penumbra recovered when CBF was restored, providing further validation of the utility of T2* OC for acute stroke management

Stroke penumbra defined by an MRI-based oxygen challenge technique: 1. validation using [14C]2-deoxyglucose autoradiography

Accurate identification of ischemic penumbra will improve stroke patient selection for reperfusion therapies and clinical trials. Current magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques have limitations and lack validation. Oxygen challenge T2* MRI (T2* OC) uses oxygen as a biotracer to detect tissue metabolism, with penumbra displaying the greatest T2* signal change during OC. [14C]2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) autoradiography was combined with T2* OC to determine metabolic status of T2*-defined penumbra. Permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion was induced in anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=6). Ischemic injury and perfusion deficit were determined by diffusion- and perfusion-weighted imaging, respectively. At 147±32 minutes after stroke, T2* signal change was measured during a 5-minute 100% OC, immediately followed by 125 μCi/kg 2-DG, intravenously. Magnetic resonance images were coregistered with the corresponding autoradiograms. Regions of interest were located within ischemic core, T2*-defined penumbra, equivalent contralateral structures, and a region of hyperglycolysis. A T2* signal increase of 9.22%±3.9% (mean±s.d.) was recorded in presumed penumbra, which displayed local cerebral glucose utilization values equivalent to contralateral cortex. T2* signal change was negligible in ischemic core, 3.2%±0.78% in contralateral regions, and 1.41%±0.62% in hyperglycolytic tissue, located outside OC-defined penumbra and within the diffusion abnormality. The results support the utility of OC-MRI to detect viable penumbral tissue follow