Living on the margin: Assessing the economic impacts of Landcare in the Philippine uplands

In the Philippines, about 38 per cent of the population resides in rural areas where poverty remains a significant problem. In 2006, 47 per cent of all households in Bohol Province fell below the national poverty line, with the percentage even higher in upland communities. These households often exist in marginal landscapes that are under significant pressure from ongoing resource degradation and rising input costs. This paper first explores whether the adoption of Landcare practices in a highly degraded landscape has resulted in improved livelihood outcomes for upland farming families in Bohol. Second, it analyses the potential for the piecemeal adoption of these measures to deliver tangible benefits at the watershed scale. Finally, using a BCA approach, these outcomes are compared to the costs of the research and extension projects that have helped achieve them.Landcare, Philippines, livelihoods, poverty, watershed, ACIAR,

Fuelling Cassava Development to Meet the Greater Demand for Food and Bio-fuel in Indonesia

AbstractCassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is the most essential source of carbohydrate. As a source of carbohydrate, cassava is used for food, feed industries as well as potential to be utilized as raw material for bio-fuel. To anticipate the greater demand for food, feed and renewable fuel expanding harvest area as well as by implementing new innovation in the form of introducing high yielding varieties with inorganic and organic fertilizers to improve soil fertility is strongly recommended

Evidence for behavioural interventions addressing condom use fit and feel issues to improve condom use : A Systematic Review

© CSIRO 2019. Open Access Article (CC BY-NC-ND)Continuing high rates of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) in many countries highlight the need to identify effective behavioural interventions. Consistent and correct use of male condoms is a key strategy for the prevention of STIs. However, some men report problems with condom fit (e.g. the size and shape of the condom) and feel (e.g. tightness, irritation, sensitivity), which inhibits their use. We conducted a systematic review to identify existing interventions addressing condom use fit and feel problems. We searched electronic databases for peer-reviewed articles and searched reference lists of retrieved studies. Five studies met the inclusion criteria. These were generally small-scale pilot studies evaluating behavioural interventions to promote safer sex with men aged under 30 years, addressing, among other things, barriers to condom use relating to fit and feel. There were significant increases in the reported use of condoms, including condom use with no errors and problems. Improvements in some condom use mediators were reported, such as condom use self-efficacy, knowledge, intentions and condom use experience. There were mixed findings in terms of the ability of interventions to reduce STI acquisition. Behavioural interventions addressing condom fit and feel are promising in terms of effectiveness but require further evaluation.Peer reviewe

The Bodies Politic: Sex, History, and the Promise of a Black Queer America

This essay examines and critiques the ways in which Black, Queer, and Black Queer people\u27s culture, politics, and lived experiences are experienced in the United States, historically and in the present day. The Bodies Politics calls for American history and culture to be reoriented to acknowledge and center the contributions of Black Queer people to the nation

Elucidating the Antagonistic Relationship Between Bone Morphogenetic Protein and Activin Signaling Pathways in Osteoprogenitor Cells

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low bone mineral density due to the rate of bone resorption exceeding that of bone formation. Substantial evidence indicates the Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) pathway promotes bone formation through action of the effectors SMAD1/5/8 while the Activin pathway negatively influences bone mass through action of the effectors SMAD2/3. Recent studies from our lab suggest that BMP and Activin ligands regulate bone mass in a see-saw-like mechanism via competition for a shared pool of receptors, i.e. receptor-level competition. In the present study we seek to test this hypothesis in vitro via signaling responsiveness assays using pathway-specific western blot analyses in the osteogenic cell line W-20-17. We first confirmed that W-20-17 cells respond to exogenous stimulation by BMP2 and Activin-A. Then, we administered recombinant versions of naturally-occurring extracellular ligand traps for BMP2 or Activin ligands (Noggin and Follistatin, respectively) to examine basal antagonism between these pathways. This revealed that, under basal conditions, SMAD1/5/8 activation is repressed by Activin signaling; interestingly, the converse relationship was not observed. To determine the molecular mechanism allowing for this relationship, we treated W-20-17 cells with SB431542, which is an intracellular inhibitor of Activin signaling that functions downstream of receptor engagement, and found no effect on SMAD1/5/8 activation. Collectively, our results suggest Activin-mediated repression of BMP signaling is ligand-dependent but occurs upstream of SMAD2/3 activation. Current studies seek to identify the specific Activin ligand(s) responsible for this effect; gene expression analyses indicates that W-20-17 cells express multiple Activin subunits including Inhβa and Inhβb. Additionally, overpression studies are ongoing to determine if receptor-level competition is involved in mediating these effects. Collectively, our study seeks to elucidate the mechanism(s) that regulate antagonism BMP and Activin signaling pathways to identify novel opportunities for safer and more effective therapies for low bone mass in humans

The Acute Effects of Multiple Doses of Methamphetamine on Locomotor Activity and Anxiety-Like Behavior in Adolescent and Adult Mice

Methamphetamine (MA) is a highly addictive psychomotor stimulant drug. Research has shown that the acute effects of MA can be modulated by age, although previous findings from our lab do not find age differences in the effects of MA. Relatively little research has examined the effects of adolescent MA exposure; thus, it is important to understand how MA affects adolescent behavior and brain function compared to adults. In order to better understand the age differences in the effects of acute MA exposure, this research examined the effects of MA exposure on locomotor and anxiety-like behavior and plasma corticosterone levels in adolescent and adult C57BL/6 J mice. Mice were exposed to saline, 2 mg/kg MA, or 4 mg/kg MA and behavior was measured in the open field test. Immediately following behavioral testing, serum was collected, and plasma corticosterone levels were measured. MA-exposed mice showed increased locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior compared to saline controls, regardless of age and dose of MA. However, adolescent mice showed the greatest locomotor response to the high dose of MA (4 mg/kg), whereas the adult mice showed the greatest locomotor response to the low dose of MA (2 mg/kg). There were no differences in stereotyped behavior between the adolescent and adult mice exposed to the low dose of MA (2 mg/kg) and the high dose of MA (4 mg/kg). There was no effect of MA exposure on plasma corticosterone levels. These data suggest age modulates the locomotor response to MA and further research is warranted to determine the developmental neurobiological mechanism underlying the dose-response age differences in the response to acute MA exposure

Developing value-chain linkages to improve smallholder cassava production in Southeast Asia

The recent boom in the global market for cassava has created livelihood opportunities for many smallholders in Southeast Asia. Research over many years by public agencies has generated an abundance of technologies that could enhance the productivity and sustainability of these cassava producers. While national government policies have not prioritised the dissemination of these technologies, we hypothesise that, in particular contexts, private-sector value-chain actors have incentives to invest in the promotion of suitable varieties, fertiliser regimes, pest control methods, and other production practices. In other contexts, however, there is little incentive for private-sector involvement, and support from public-sector or non-government actors will be required. In this paper we briefly analyse the drivers behind the recent boom and provide an overview of smallholder cassava production in the region. We then present a framework to analyse the incentives for private value-chain actors to invest in the promotion of different technologies, taking into account (1) the characteristics of the technology, (2) the nature of the production system, and (3) the features of the value chain, including the ability of value-chain actors to capture the benefits of any investment in technology dissemination. We test this framework through a preliminary analysis of three contrasting case studies: (1) a value chain centred on a large starch factory with a wide catchment area of smallholder suppliers in Dak Lak Province, Vietnam; (2) a cross-border value chain linking smallholders in Kratie Province, Cambodia, to starch factories in Vietnam; and (3) a local value chain for cassava as a food crop in Nusa Tenggara Timur Province, Indonesia