The state of capacity development evaluation in biodiversity conservation and natural resource management

Capacity development is critical to long-term conservation success, yet we lack a robust and rigorous understanding of how well its effects are being evaluated. A comprehensive summary of who is monitoring and evaluating capacity development interventions, what is being evaluated and how, would help in the development of evidence-based guidance to inform design and implementation decisions for future capacity development interventions and evaluations of their effectiveness. We built an evidence map by reviewing peer-reviewed and grey literature published since 2000, to identify case studies evaluating capacity development interventions in biodiversity conservation and natural resource management. We used inductive and deductive approaches to develop a coding strategy for studies that met our criteria, extracting data on the type of capacity development intervention, evaluation methods, data and analysis types, categories of outputs and outcomes assessed, and whether the study had a clear causal model and/or used a systems approach. We found that almost all studies assessed multiple outcome types: most frequent was change in knowledge, followed by behaviour, then attitude. Few studies evaluated conservation outcomes. Less than half included an explicit causal model linking interventions to expected outcomes. Half of the studies considered external factors that could influence the efficacy of the capacity development intervention, and few used an explicit systems approach. We used framework synthesis to situate our evidence map within the broader literature on capacity development evaluation. Our evidence map (including a visual heat map) highlights areas of low and high representation in investment in research on the evaluation of capacity development

The chemistry and biological activity of the Hyacinthaceae

Covering: 1914 to 2012The Hyacinthaceae (sensu APGII), with approximately 900 species in about 70 genera, can be divided into three main subfamilies, the Hyacinthoideae, the Urgineoideae and the Ornithogaloideae, with a small fourth subfamily the Oziroëoideae, restricted to South America. The plants included in this family have long been used in traditional medicine for a wide range of medicinal applications. This, together with some significant toxicity to livestock has led to the chemical composition of many of the species being investigated. The compounds found are, for the most part, subfamily-restricted, with homoisoflavanones and spirocyclic nortriterpenoids characterising the Hyacinthoideae, bufadienolides characterising the Urgineoideae, and cardenolides and steroidal glycosides characterising the Ornithogaloideae. The phytochemical profiles of 38 genera of the Hyacinthaceae will be discussed as well as any biological activity associated with both crude extracts and compounds isolated. The Hyacinthaceae of southern Africa were last reviewed in 2000 (T. S. Pohl, N. R. Crouch and D. A. Mulholland, Curr. Org. Chem., 2000, 4, 1287-1324; ); the current contribution considers the family at a global level

Etude des répercussions de la pollution industrielle sur la riziculture dans la plaine de Laniera à Antananarivo, Madagascar

Face au développement urbain à Antananarivo, l'agriculture urbaine et péri-urbaine est exposée à la pollution industrielle. Les industries spécialisées dans le textile déversent leurs eaux usées dans le système d'irrigation, et polluent directement les champs de rizières à proximité des zones industrielles. Après 3 ans de suivi, l'effet de la pollution est variable et fonction de la situation et du processus industriel. Pendant la saison sèche, la pollution est très prononcée, alors que pendant la saison de pluie, les effets de dilution ont des impacts très importants sur la qualité de l'eau d'irrigation. Les effluents sont généralement colorés en bleu par le procédé de lavage de jeans, et sont riches en matières organiques en suspension. La qualité des effluents varie dans la journée : le pH de 3,9 à 10,6 et la conductivité électrique de 452 à 3620 μS / cm. Notre étude a pour but d’analyser la qualité de l'eau d'irrigation et d’observer les effets de la pollution sur les sols, les compositions chimiques des plants de riz et sur la production. En début de la saison culturale, l’effluent résulte une diminution du pH et une forte salinité dans les rizières. Le complexe absorbant du sol est chargé lentement en sodium. L'analyse de la paille montre un déséquilibre nutritionnel dans le plant de riz, notamment l'accumulation de potassium : K (14,5 à 22%), N (0,44 à 0,7%), du Ca (0,42 à 3%), Mg (0,02 à 0,95%), Na (0,35 à 0,8%), P (200 à 561 ppm). Quand la pollution est très élevée, on observe un allongement du cycle et une forte nutrition azotée. Le rendement en riz obtenu est faible (< 2t/ha), tandis que le rendement recueilli dans la plaine de Laniera peut atteindre jusqu’à 5t/ha.Mots-Clés: pollution, eau d’irrigation, industries textiles, pollution des sols, rizière, Laniera.Study of the repercussion of industrial pollution on rice production in plain of LANIERA in Antananarivo, Madagascar Faced to urban development in Antananarivo, urban and peri-urban agriculture is exposed on industrial pollution. Specialized textile industries discharge their wastewater into the circulating irrigation system, and pollute directly the rice fields near the industrial area. After 3 years of monitoring, the effect of pollution is variable and depending on the situation and the industrial process. During the dry season, the pollution is very high. But during the rainy season, dilution effects are very important to the quality of irrigation water. The effluents are usually colored in blue, from the activity for the jeans washing process and riches of suspended organic matters. The effluents quality varies on day, the pH from 3.9 to 10.6 and the electrical conductivity from 452 to 3620 μS/cm. Our study focused on the water irrigation quality and observed the effect on soil, the rice plant chemical compositions and on the production. At the first of the cropping cycle, effluents caused a lower pH and a high salinity in the rice fields. The absorbent complex is slowly charged in sodium concentration. Straw analysis provides the instability absorption of minerals nutriment in the rice, enriched by potassium accumulation: K (14.5 to 22 %), N (0.44 to 0.7 %), Ca (0,42 to 3 %), Mg (0.02 to 0.95 %), Na (0.35 to 0.8 %), and P (200 to 561 ppm). When pollution is very high, we observed an elongation cycle and a strong nitrogenous nutrition. The yield of paddy rice decreased (<2 t / ha), while the average yield collected in the plain of Laniera can be achieved to 5t/ha of paddy.Keywords: pollution, water irrigation, textiles industries, pollution of soil, rice field, Laniera

Calcium-independent release of neurotransmitter in the retina: a "copernican" viewpoint change

The release of synaptic transmitter in chemical synapses is brought about by Ca2+ influx through voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels opened by depolarisation of presynaptic terminals. However, in some preparations transmitter release persists or increases in low-Ca2+ media, and it has therefore been proposed that transmitter release could also occur through a Ca2+-independent, carrier mediated process. In particular it has been suggested that this may be the case for synaptic transmission between photoreceptors and second order neurones of the vertebrate retina. From our recent experiments on synaptic transmission from photoreceptors to horizontal cells of turtle and salamander retinas, it appears that lowering extracellular Ca2+ can actually promote Ca2+ influx through voltage-activated Ca2+ channels via a modification of surface potential of plasma membranes. On the basis of this apparently paradoxical effect of low Ca2+ media, it is possible to reaccommodate the so-called Ca2+-independent release within the framework of Ca2+-dependent synaptic transmission without invoking unconventional mechanisms

Provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling for TB in low HIV prevalence settings: is it worthwhile?

We assessed the HIV-positive yield of offering provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling (PITC) for TB and the costs, in Madagascar, which has a low HIV prevalence and a high TB burden

Is Madagascar at the edge of a generalised HIV epidemic ? : situational analysis

Objectives : To describe the epidemiological situation of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and to identify the main drivers for vulnerability in Madagascar. Design : Literature review, qualitative research and situational analysis. Data sources Search of electronic bibliographic databases, national repositories of documentation from 1998 to 2018. Search keywords included Madagascar, HIV, sexually transmitted infections, men who have sex with men (MSM), sex workers (SWs), transactional sex (TS), injecting drug users (IDUs), vulnerability and sexual behaviour. Qualitative sources were interviews and focus group discussions. Review methods : Studies focused on HIV and/or vulnerability of HIV in Madagascar in general, and key populations (KPs) and HIV/AIDS response were taken into account. National reports from key HIV response actors were included. Results : Madagascar is characterised by a low HIV/AIDS epidemic profile in the general population (GP) (0.3%) combined with a high prevalence of HIV among KPs (SWs, MSM and IDUs). An increase in HIV prevalence among KP has been observed during recent years. Hospital-based data suggest an increase in HIV prevalence among the GP. The vulnerability traits are inconsistent use of condoms, multipartner relationships and other contextual factors like widespread TS and gender inequality. A high prevalence/incidence of sexually transmitted infections could indicate a high vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. However, there are no reports of HIV prevalence of >1% in antenatal consultation. Conclusion : There is not enough evidence to make a conclusion about the HIV epidemiological situation in Madagascar due to the scarcity of the epidemiological data. However, Madagascar may be closer to a turning point towards a high-prevalence epidemic with severe consequences, particularly when taking into account its socioeconomical fragility and underlying vulnerabilities. More precise epidemiological data and improved HIV/ AIDS diagnosis and case management should be a public health priority

Antimalarial 5,6-Dihydro-α-pyrones from Cryptocarya rigidifolia: Related Bicyclic Tetrahydro-α-Pyrones Are Artifacts

Antimalarial bioassay-guided fractionation of an EtOH extract of the root wood of Cryptocarya rigidifolia (Lauraceae) led to the isolation of the five new 5,6-dihydro-α-pyrones cryptorigidifoliols A–E (<b>1</b>–<b>5</b>) and the six bicyclic tetrahydro-α-pyrone derivatives cryptorigidifoliols F–K (<b>6</b>–<b>11</b>). The structure elucidations of all compounds were made on the basis of the interpretation of spectroscopic data and chemical derivatization, and the relative and absolute configurations were determined by NOESY, electronic circular dichroism (ECD), and ¹H NMR analysis of α-methoxyphenylacetyl (MPA) derivatives. The bicyclic tetrahydro-α-pyrone derivatives were identified as products of acid-catalyzed intramolecular Michael addition of the 5,6-dihydro-α-pyrones in the presence of silica gel. A structure–activity relationship study suggested that the presence of an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moiety is not essential for potent antimalarial activity

Antiproliferative Compounds from <i>Cleistanthus boivinianus</i> from the Madagascar Dry Forest

The two new lignans 3α-<i>O</i>-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)­desoxypodophyllotoxin (<b>1</b>) and 4-<i>O</i>-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)­dehydropodophyllotoxin (<b>2</b>) were isolated from <i>Cleistanthus boivinianus</i>, together with the known lignans deoxypicropodophyllotoxin (<b>3</b>), (±)-β-apopicropodophyllin (<b>4</b>), (−)-desoxypodophyllotoxin (<b>5</b>), (−)-yatein (<b>6</b>), and β-peltatin-5-<i>O</i>-β-d-glucopyranoside (<b>7</b>). The structures of all compounds were characterized by spectroscopic techniques. Compounds <b>1</b>, <b>4</b>, and <b>5</b> showed potent antiproliferative activities against the A2780 ovarian cancer cell line, with IC₅₀ values of 33.0 ± 3.6, 63.1 ± 6.7, and 230 ± 1 nM, respectively. Compounds <b>2</b> and <b>7</b> showed only modest A2780 activities, with IC₅₀ values of 2.1 ± 0.3 and 4.9 ± 0.1 μM, respectively, while compounds <b>3</b> and <b>6</b> had IC₅₀ values of >10 μM. Compound <b>1</b> also had potent antiproliferative activity against the HCT-116 human colon carcinoma cell line, with an IC₅₀ value of 20.5 nM, and compound <b>4</b> exhibited modest antiproliferative activity against the A2058 human caucasian metastatic melanoma and MES-SA human uterine sarcoma cell lines, with IC₅₀ values of 4.6 and 4.0 μM, respectively