Sustainable intensification – “oxymoron” or “third-way”? A systematic review

Sustainable Intensification (SI) is a term that has been advanced to capture a concept that some consider as the ‘third paradigm’ for global agricultural development. However, the term has become subject to intense debates as well as scepticism and confusion regarding its meaning and the characteristics of production systems that could indicate SI (defined as “indicators”). This has resulted in a proliferation of literature. We have conducted a systematic review of a sample of this literature analysing the most commonly suggested indicators of SI in order to investigate the extent to which the critiques of SI are valid in their viewpoints that SI is an oxymoron, underpinned by a productivist agenda, and to identify the critical issues in the development of a comprehensive and unambiguous set of SI indicators. From 633 articles identified by a search of relevant databases, a sample of 75 articles were selected and analysed using the NVIVO™ software. The results were organised according to a Socio-Ecological Systems (SES) framework comprising seven sub-systems or components − resource system, resource units, governance system, resource users, interactions, outcomes, and environment. A total of 218 indicators (both positive and negative) were identified. Most of these indicators focused on the ‘outcomes’ of agricultural systems with the majority being related to agricultural production. Few indicators were identified as relating to the economic and societal dimensions of food systems. Whilst this potentially suggested a productivist bias in the current interpretation of SI it was difficult to draw a black and white conclusion, since for the other system components, the majority of the indicators suggested appeared to take a more holistic point-of-view and emphasised both productivity and sustainability of agricultural systems. Our analysis suggests that a key reason why SI may be viewed with scepticism is a lack of specificity and elucidation of the rationale, scale, and farm type for which SI is proposed. Moreover, a number of the indicators were so loosely defined that the interventions they imply could be enacted without due consideration of the social impacts of their adoption. We conclude that there is need to develop SI indicators according to specific farming types and scales and also with more consideration of the social and political dimensions of food systems in order to promote a constructive dialogue around the concept of SI to take place. Unless the concept of SI is described and measured in such a holistic and inclusive manner, it is unlikely to be accepted as a valid descriptor of sought-after agricultural practices by players in the Third Sector

The DNA damage response—Repair or despair?

The term “the DNA damage response” (DDR) encompasses a sophisticated array of cellular initiatives set in motion as cells are exposed to DNA-damaging events. It has been known for over half a century that all organisms have the ability to restore genomic integrity through DNA repair. More recent discoveries of signal transduction pathways linking DNA damage to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis have greatly expanded our views of how cells and tissues limit mutagenesis and tumorigenesis. DNA repair not only plays a pivotal role in suppressing mutagenesis but also in the reversal of signals inducing the stress response. If repair is faulty or the cell is overwhelmed by damage, chances are that the cell will despair and be removed by apoptosis. This final fate is determined by intricate cellular dosimeters that are yet to be fully understood. Here, key findings leading to our current view of DDR are discussed as well as potential areas of importance for future studies. Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78214/1/20597_ftp.pd

ac-Susceptibility study of critical current density in metal-substituted ErBa<SUB>2</SUB>Cu<SUB>3</SUB>O<SUB>7-&#948;</SUB>

Studies of the ac susceptibility of the pure ErBa2Cu3O7-&#948; (Er-123) and the substituted samples ErBa2 (Cu0.995M0.005)3O7-&#948; (M=Fe, Ni, Co, Ga) have been made at different ac field amplitudes. Analysis of the temperature dependence of the ac susceptibility at these fields [X-T plots] has been done employing Kim’s critical state model. The dopants are found to lower the temperature-dependent intergranular critical current density, Jc(T), of the Er-123 system at different rates. Fe doping decreases the Jc at the highest rate whereas Ni substitution results in the least rate of Jc lowering; the depression rates for Ga and Co doped samples are similar and intermediate. These results fully support the findings of our previous study [Phys. Rev. B 52, 1320 (1995)] of the flux creep effects on the same batch of samples wherein it was observed that the concerned substituents had a similar effect on the flux creep activation energy values (Ea) of the system. The lower Jc of the Fe, Ni, Co, and Ga substituted samples is attributed to the reduction in the zero-temperature pinning potential I0(0) brought about by the dopants

Low-field ac-susceptibility study of flux creep in metal-substituted ErBa<SUB>2</SUB>Cu<SUB>3</SUB>O<SUB>7-&#948;</SUB>

Low-field ac-susceptibility studies of pure ErBa2Cu3O7-&#948; and substituted samples of ErBa2(Cu0.995M0.005)3O7-&#948; (M=Fe, Co, Ni, Ga) have been carried out in the frequency range up to 1 kHz. The activation energy for flux creep in the case of the doped samples is considerably lower than that for the undoped sample. The analysis of the results within the framework of M&#220;ller’s model [Physica C 159, 717 (1989); 168, 585 (1990)] shows that the intergrain critical current density gets considerably suppressed by the dopants. Employing a SIS junction model it is argued that this can be attributed to the reduction in the Fermi energy of the system due to the localization caused by the presence of the dopant atoms

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This is a research article describing the development of robust and informative microsatellite markers for their application in the genetic improvement of sesame crops.The quality of sesame seed oil is superior but seed yields have stagnated at abysmally low levels. Marker-assisted genetic improvement holds key to break the yield-barrier. Robust molecular markers are the indispensable prerequisites of marker-assisted breeding. Microsatellites are the easy-to-use and codominant molecular markers widely used across crop species. In the present study, a set of 180 robust and informative SSR markers have been identified from about 400 SSR based primers tested and thus adding more markers for utilization in different marker-assisted breeding programs of sesame.ICAR and ICAR-IIO

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Not AvailableSesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an oilseed crop, highly valued for its quality edible oil and direct confectionery uses. Though sesame is a self-pollinated crop, the opened flowers attract several groups of bees which promote cross pollination. Genetically pure seed obtained by ensuring self-pollination is an essential requirement for fixing the traits in genotypes, and for employing them in molecular and genomic studies. As of now, bagging technique is followed for selfing and this is not only tedious but also detrimental to the developing flowers. In order to overcome the limitations of the traditional selfing technique, a novel selfing technique has been developed using liquid glue, which is low cost, less labour intensive and high throughput method. This technique has no seasonal limitations and is applicable across any region where sesame is grownNot Availabl

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Not AvailableSesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an oilseed crop, highly valued for its quality edible oil and direct confectionery uses. Though sesame is a self-pollinated crop, the opened flowers attract several groups of bees which promote cross pollination. Genetically pure seed obtained by ensuring self-pollination is an essential requirement for fixing the traits in genotypes, and for employing them in molecular and genomic studies. As of now, bagging technique is followed for selfing and this is not only tedious but also detrimental to the developing flowers. In order to overcome the limitations of the traditional selfing technique, a novel selfing technique has been developed using liquid glue, which is low cost, less labour intensive and high throughput method. This technique has no seasonal limitations and is applicable across any region where sesame is grown.Not Availabl

Will adoption of the 2010 WHO ART guidelines for HIV-infected TB patients increase the demand for ART services in India?

BACKGROUND: In 2010, WHO expanded previously-recommended indications for anti-retroviral treatment to include all HIV-infected TB patients irrespective of CD4 count. India, however, still limits ART to those TB patients with CD4 counts <350/mm(3) or with extrapulmonary TB manifestations. We sought to evaluate the additional number of patients that would be initiated on ART if India adopted the current 2010 WHO ART guidelines for HIV-infected TB patients. METHODS: We evaluated all TB patients recorded in treatment registers of the Revised National TB Control Programme in June 2010 in the high-HIV prevalence state of Karnataka, and cross-matched HIV-infected TB patients with ART programme records. RESULTS: Of 6182 TB patients registered, HIV status was ascertained for 5761(93%) and 710(12%) were HIV-infected. 146(21%) HIV-infected TB patients were on ART prior to TB diagnosis. Of the remaining 564, 497(88%) were assessed for ART eligibility; of these, 436(88%) were eligible for ART according to 2006 WHO ART guidelines. Altogether, 487(69%) HIV-infected TB patients received ART during TB treatment. About 80% started ART within 8 weeks of TB treatment and 95% received an efavirenz based regimen. CONCLUSION: In Karnataka, India, about nine out of ten HIV-infected TB patients were eligible for ART according to 2006 WHO ART guidelines. The efficiency of HIV case finding, ART evaluation, and ART initiation was relatively high, with 78% of eligible HIV-infected patients actually initiated on ART, and 80% within 8 weeks of diagnosis. ART could be extended to all HIV-infected TB patients irrespective of CD4 count with relatively little additional burden on the national ART programme