Physical Properties of Woodchip: Compost Mixtures used as Biofilter Media

Rosana G. Moreira, Editor-in-Chief; Texas A&M UniversityThis is a paper from International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR, Commission Internationale du Genie Rural) E-Journal Volume 9 (2007): Physical Properties of Woodchip: Compost Mixtures used as Biofilter Media. Manuscript BC 07 005. Vol. IX. September, 2007

Penelitian Serologis Japanese Encephalitis pada Babi dan Kelelawar di Sintang, Kalimantan Barat

Serological surveys of pigs (Sus scrofa) and bats (Chiroptera) were conducted in Sin tang over 3 subdistricts (Kayanhulu, Kayanhilir, Kotabaru) during the period of 17 July to 2 August 1994. Blood samples were collected fron 68 pigs and 157 bats and tested for JEV antibody. Antibody to JEV were found in 39 (57%) pig sera and 24 (15.3%) bat sera using a hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. This study gives more information on the geographic and host distribution of JEV in Indonesia, and increased knowledge about potential risk of JEV to public health

Heterogeneity of tree diversity and carbon stocks in Amazonian oil palm landscapes

ABSTRACT Background: Quantitative effects of large-scale oil palm expansion in the Neotropics on biodiversity and carbon stocks are still poorly documented. Aims: We evaluated differences in tree species composition and richness, and above-ground carbon stocks among dominant land cover types in Pará state, Brazil. Methods: We quantified tree species composition and richness and above-ground carbon stock in stands in remnant primary rain forest, young secondary forest, oil palm plantation and pastures. Results: We sampled 5,696 trees with a DBH≥2 cm, of 413 species in 68 families, of which 381 species were recorded in primary forest fragments. We found significant differences in species richness and carbon stock among the four land cover classes. Carbon stocks in remnant primary forest were typically over 190 Mg ha −1 , while those in other land cover types were typically less than 60 Mg ha −1 . Conclusion: Oil palm plantations have a species-poor tree community given active manage- ment; old plantations have a standing carbon stock which is comparable to that of secondary forest and far greater than that of pastures. Private forest reserves within oil palm company holdings play an important role in preserving primary forest tree diversity in human-modified landscapes in Amazonia

Key constraints to smallholder village chicken production and marketing systems in Centre-Nord region, Burkina Faso

Objective Chicken keeping among rural households in low-income countries like Burkina Faso provides an important source of income, nutrition, and gifts to strengthen social ties. However, the sector is hampered by high losses mostly due to diseases, limited access to farm inputs and value chain inefficiency impacting on productivity, marketing and human health. To better understand these issues, we investigated challenges faced by male and female poultry producers and other value chain actors, with emphasis given to animal health and welfare issues. Material and methods This study was conducted in the framework of the Poultry Losses and One Health (POLOH) project implemented by the International Livestock research Institute and partners. Two stakeholder workshops and one field site scoping visit were carried out but the research team. Various village poultry value chain stakeholders were engaged in group discussions or informal interviews in September and October 2022. National workshop participants (22 men, 8 women) included national and international research organizations, private sector, extension agents, government and development organizations. A site scoping visit included meetings with 14 stakeholders (9 men, 5 women) and field visits to poultry farms and markets. The workshop in Centre-Nord was attended by 60 stakeholders (50 men, 10 women) including representatives of producer cooperatives, traders, project area village leaders, private veterinarians, government (animal health, human health and environment) and development NGOs. Discussions focused on issues negatively affecting the village poultry value chain, and specific gender constraints and recommendations for upgrading the value chain. Results The national workshop identified a range of constraints, including lack of feed associated with increased cereal prices; insufficient veterinary service coverage due to the low number of animal health workers; insufficient producer knowledge of poultry farming good practices; persistence of poultry diseases; inadequate housing; difficulty accessing micro-credit finances; and insecurity in the region. The Nord-Centre regional workshop with grassroot stakeholders, raised similar constraints. The top three constraints cited by input suppliers were: low level of actor knowledge about good management practices; low formal education of actors; and emergence of poultry diseases. Producers cited: non-availability of veterinary pharmaceuticals; difficulty accessing feeds; and insufficient funds to purchase farm inputs. Market actors cited: lack of poultry slaughter sites; unsuitable poultry transport and lack of dedicated poultry markets. Women's issues included: lack of financial resources to grow farming business; lack knowledge on how to tackle zoonotic diseases; and the high costs of veterinary inputs. Recommendations to boost the poultry sector in the Centre-Nord region, included: build producer capacity; train processing node actors on good hygiene practices; strengthen extension agent capacity; facilitate access to loans; train actors in herd management and marketing; involve all stakeholders in the consultation process and decision-making to develop the poultry sector; and raise awareness of on the merits of empowering women in production activities such as leadership and their participation in meeting household needs. Conclusion These findings will guide interventions to improve poultry productivity and provision of safe chicken products to consumers. In-depth qualitative interviews and household surveys are ongoing to support context specific interventions that will be scaled up to sustainably increase livelihoods food and nutrition security

The Anti-Apoptotic Bcl-xL Protein, a New Piece in the Puzzle of Cytochrome C Interactome

A structural model of the adduct between human cytochrome c and the human anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL, which defines the protein-protein interaction surface, was obtained from solution NMR chemical shift perturbation data. The atomic level information reveals key intermolecular contacts identifying new potentially druggable areas on cytochrome c and Bcl-xL. Involvement of residues on cytochrome c other than those in its complexes with electron transfer partners is apparent. Key differences in the contact area also exist between the Bcl-xL adduct with the Bak peptide and that with cytochrome c. The present model provides insights to the mechanism by which cytochrome c translocated to cytosol can be intercepted, so that the apoptosome is not assembled

Divorce, divorce rates, and professional care seeking for mental health problems in Europe: a cross-sectional population-based study

Background: Little is known about differences in professional care seeking based on marital status. The few existing studies show more professional care seeking among the divorced or separated compared to the married or cohabiting. The aim of this study is to determine whether, in a sample of the European general population, the divorced or separated seek more professional mental health care than the married or cohabiting, regardless of self-reported mental health problems. Furthermore, we examine whether two country-level features-the supply of mental health professionals and the country-level divorce rates-contribute to marital status differences in professional care-seeking behavior. Methods: We use data from the Eurobarometer 248 on mental well-being that was collected via telephone interviews. The unweighted sample includes 27,146 respondents (11,728 men and 15,418 women). Poisson hierarchical regression models were estimated to examine whether the divorced or separated have higher professional health care use for emotional or psychological problems, after controlling for mental and somatic health, sociodemographic characteristics, support from family and friends, and degree of urbanization. We also considered country-level divorce rates and indicators of the supply of mental health professionals, and applied design and population weights. Results: We find that professional care seeking is strongly need based. Moreover, the divorced or separated consult health professionals for mental health problems more often than people who are married or who cohabit do. In addition, we find that the gap between the divorced or separated and the married or cohabiting is highest in countries with low divorce rates. Conclusions: The higher rates of professional care seeking for mental health problems among the divorced or separated only partially correlates with their more severe mental health problems. In countries where marital dissolution is more common, the marital status gap in professional care seeking is narrower, partially because professional care seeking is more common among the married or cohabiting

Rarity of monodominance in hyperdiverse Amazonian forests.

Tropical forests are known for their high diversity. Yet, forest patches do occur in the tropics where a single tree species is dominant. Such "monodominant" forests are known from all of the main tropical regions. For Amazonia, we sampled the occurrence of monodominance in a massive, basin-wide database of forest-inventory plots from the Amazon Tree Diversity Network (ATDN). Utilizing a simple defining metric of at least half of the trees ≥ 10 cm diameter belonging to one species, we found only a few occurrences of monodominance in Amazonia, and the phenomenon was not significantly linked to previously hypothesized life history traits such wood density, seed mass, ectomycorrhizal associations, or Rhizobium nodulation. In our analysis, coppicing (the formation of sprouts at the base of the tree or on roots) was the only trait significantly linked to monodominance. While at specific locales coppicing or ectomycorrhizal associations may confer a considerable advantage to a tree species and lead to its monodominance, very few species have these traits. Mining of the ATDN dataset suggests that monodominance is quite rare in Amazonia, and may be linked primarily to edaphic factors

Concepts, protocol, variations and current trends in surgery first orthognathic approach: A literature review

In the current era of expedited orthodontics, among many clinicians, tertiary care hospitals and patients, surgery first orthognathic approach (SFOA) has gained popularity. The advantages of SFOA (face first approach) are the reduced overall treatment duration and the early improvement in facial esthetics. In SFOA, the absence of a presurgical phase allows surgery to be performed first, followed by comprehensive orthodontic treatment to achieve the desired occlusion. The basic concepts of surgery early, surgery last, SFOA and Sendai SFOA technique along with its variations are reviewed in the present article. The recent advancement in SFOA in the context of preoperative preparation, surgical procedures and post-surgical orthodontics with pertinent literature survey are also discussed