Christmas Island

Illustration of palm tree with bow and stockings on it and couple on islandhttps://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/cht-sheet-music/9051/thumbnail.jp

Etat des lieux des interactions entre productions animales et végétales au sein de collectifs d’agriculteurs en France

La forte spécialisation des régions agricoles françaises et la tendance générale à l’intensification laisse peu de marges de manœuvre pour les interactions entre productions animales et végétales. Le recouplage des productions peut être envisagé à différentes échelles et à travers différents objectifs. Cette étude présente des initiatives de collectifs locaux d’agriculteurs visant, par les complémentarités entre productions animales et végétales, à améliorer les performances et la durabilité de leurs systèmes de production

Negation in four languages of Indonesia

Drawing on natural language data gathered through fieldwork in various sites across the Indonesian archipelago, this study is a detailed account of the negation systems of four languages of this region. Specific areas addressed include: 1) a productive distinction between ‘verbal’ and ‘nominal’ negators, where verbal negators encode narrow-scope standard negation and nominal negators function, in part, to encode contrastive negation and to deny an interlocutor’s presupposition, whether overt or covert, 2) lexicalizations with negation and other special negative expressions and forms, i.e. entities that lay on the cusp of the lexicon and the grammar whose presence can be partly explained by culture-specific preferences for indirectness, 3) the negation of existential predications, which encode absence, can be fruitfully exploited in verbal utterances, and, in at least one language, intersect with the evidential and epistemic system, 4) prohibitives, which, apart from encoding negative imperative mood, are co-opted to perform a variety of other functions, such as negative deontic modality, dubitative modality, and negative purpose, and 5) the interaction of negation with other scalar phenomena in the grammar, such as reduplication, restrictive particles, and scalar additive particles. A primary contribution of this work is the suggestion that a culture-specific preference for indirectness is a powerful motivator for the emergence of special negative forms and expressions. The work also helps to fill a gap in the literature of negation by providing a detailed descriptive, functional-typological account of negation in languages belonging to the frequently overlooked Austronesian family. In so doing, attention is directed to elements of negation that are especially common to this region of the world, including the presence of special NOT YET negators and other negative lexicalizations, the productive distinction of verbal and nominal negators, the multiplicity of meanings evident in the existential/locative system of some languages, the specification of negation without using a negator, and the overlap in functions of the negative imperative, to name just a few points. The fieldwork methodology of this focused work allows for attention to pragmatic factors of negation that is less possible in studies based on secondary materials like grammars. The present work aims to open the door for future language-specific and comparative studies of negation within this region of the world

The Auto King

Illustration of couple in carhttps://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/cht-sheet-music/2919/thumbnail.jp

Farming system design for innovative crop-livestock integration in Europe

The development of integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS) is a major challenge for the ecological modernisation of agriculture but appears difficult to implement at a large scale. A participatory method for ICLS design has been developed and implemented in 15 case studies across Europe, representing a range of production systems, challenges, constraints and resources for innovation. Local stakeholders, primarily farmers, but also cooperatives, environmental-association representatives and natural-resource managers, were involved in the identification of challenges and existing initiatives of crop-livestock integration; in the design of new options at field, farm and territory levels; and then in qualitative multicriteria assessment of these options. A conceptual framework based on a conceptual model (crops, grasslands, animals) was developed to act as a boundary object in the design step and invite innovative thinking in 'metabolic' and 'ecosystemic' approaches. A diversity of crops and grasslands interacting with animals appeared central for designing sustainable farming systems at the territory level, providing and benefitting from ecosystem services. Within this diversity, we define three types of integrated systems according to their degrees of spatial and temporal coordination: complementarity, local synergy, territorial synergy. Moreover, the options for cooperation and collective organisation between farmers and other stakeholders in territories to organise and manage this diversity of land use revealed opportunities for smart social innovation. The qualitative multicriteria assessment identified farmer workload as the main issue of concern while demonstrating expected benefits of ICLS simultaneously for economic, agronomic, environmental and social criteria. This study concludes that participatory design of ICLS based on a generic multi-level and multi-domain framework and a methodology to deal with a local context can identify new systems to be tested. Further assessment and redesign work will be performed in later stages of the European FP7 CANTOGETHER project.authorsversionPeer reviewe

Pathways of sustainability in organic mixed livestock farms are based on local embeddedness: case studies in France and Belgium

Mixed livestock farms, through the diversity of productions and potential synergies among animals, are possibly robust and resilient models of livestock farming. Sustainability of livestock systems highly depend on the degree of self-sufficiency, and the type and intensity of ecosystem services and disservices delivered to the territory. Achieving such sustainability goals in livestock systems is a challenge, for which mixed livestock systems (MLS) can be good candidates. This article presents an analysis of territorial embeddedness of MLS through the lens of the diverse resources that MLS mobilize: natural spaces, feed sources, genetics (local breed), local knowledge, specific commercialization channels (direct sales, farmers’ shops), support from local stakeholders (environmental managers, public authorities, citizens) and local agricultural networks. Based on farm surveys in 12 farms in South of France and 16 in Belgium, we identified the strategies and practices of local embeddedness of MLS. We assessed qualitatively the environmental, economic and social performances of the surveyed systems and elaborated models of MLS and their role in their territory. We discuss the benefits of MLS for their territory, their complementarity and condition of coexistence with other types of farms, their potential development in other contexts and the possible pathways of improvement. We conclude that developing MLS can be a promising way to produce livestock in a sustainable way, but under several conditions. Notably, farmers in MLS should be supported for work management, financial capacity of farms and skill acquisition

Reintegration Of Crop-Livestock Systems In Europe : An Overview

International audienceOngoing specialization of crop and livestock systems provides socioeconomic benefits to the farmer but has led to greater externalization of environmental costs when compared to mixed farming systems. Better integration of crop and livestock systems offers great potential to rebalance the economic and environmental trade-offs in both systems. The aims of this study were to analyze changes in farm structure and review and evaluate the potential for reintegrating specialized intensive crop and livestock systems, with specific emphasis on identifying the co-benefits and barriers to reintegration. Historically, animals were essential to recycle nutrients in the farming system but this became less important with the availability of synthetic fertilisers. Although mixed farm systems can be economically attractive, benefits of scale combined with socio-economic factors have resulted in on-farm and regional specialization with negative environmental impacts. Reintegration is therefore needed to reduce nutrient surpluses at farm, regional and national levels, and to improve soil quality in intensive cropping systems. Reintegration offers practical and cost-effective options to widen crop rotations and promotes the use of organic inputs and associated benefits, reducing dependency on synthetic fertilisers, biocides and manure processing costs. Circular agriculture goes beyond manure management and requires adaptation of both food production and consumption patterns, matching local capacity to produce with food demand. Consequently, feed transport, greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient surpluses and nutrient losses to the environment can be reduced. It is concluded that reintegration of specialized farms within a region can provide benefits to farmers but may also lead to further intensification of land use. New approaches within a food system context offer alternatives for reintegration, but require strong policy incentives which show clear, tangible and lasting benefits for farmers, the environment and the wider community

Study of the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4) and BDNF genes in French patients with non syndromic mental deficiency

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mental deficiency has been linked to abnormalities in cortical neuronal network connectivity and plasticity. These mechanisms are in part under the control of two interacting signalling pathways, the serotonergic and the brain-derived neurotrophic (BDNF) pathways. The aim of the current paper is to determine whether particular alleles or genotypes of two crucial genes of these systems, the serotonin transporter gene (<it>SLC6A4</it>) and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene (<it>BDNF</it>), are associated with mental deficiency (MD).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analyzed four functional polymorphisms (rs25531, 5-HTTLPR, VNTR, rs3813034) of the <it>SLC6A4 </it>gene and one functional polymorphism (Val66 Met) of the <it>BDNF </it>gene in 98 patients with non-syndromic mental deficiency (NS-MD) and in an ethnically matched control population of 251 individuals.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found no significant differences in allele and genotype frequencies in the five polymorphisms studied in the <it>SLC6A4 </it>and <it>BDNF </it>genes of NS-MD patients versus control patients. While the comparison of the patterns of linkage disequilibrium (D') in the control and NS-MD populations revealed a degree of variability it did not, however, reach significance. No significant differences in frequencies of haplotypes and genotypes for VNTR/rs3813034 and rs25531/5-HTTLPR were observed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Altogether, results from the present study do not support a role for any of the five functional polymorphisms of <it>SLC6A4 </it>and <it>BDNF </it>genes in the aetiology of NS-RM. Moreover, they suggest no epistatic interaction in NS-MD between polymorphisms in <it>BDNF </it>and <it>SLC6A4</it>. However, we suggest that further studies on these two pathways in NS-MD remain necessary.</p

Diversité des formes d'échanges entre céréaliers et éleveurs en France : des dynamiques collectives pour l'autonomie en légumineuses

Les complémentarités culture – élevage entre exploitations correspondent à des modèles d'agroécologie, dans lesquels céréaliers et éleveurs échangent pour atteindre l'autonomie en groupe. Ces échanges concernent majoritairement des légumineuses, qu'elles soient fourragères ou à graines, car à travers eux, c'est le bouclage du cycle de l'azote qui est en jeu. L'étude présentée est fondée sur plusieurs cas d’études de collectifs d’agriculteurs, montrant une grande diversité de situations : à plus ou moins grande échelle, d’intensité variable en volume de produits échangés, en régularité des échanges, en stabilité de la relation partenariale. L’enjeu est de proposer un panorama des expériences de terrain pour aider les organisations professionnelles, filières, décideurs publics, à mettre en oeuvre un soutien adapté aux différents modèles d'organisation observés. Cet article propose une typologie d’initiatives collectives d’intégration culture – élevage à l’échelle du territoire, à partir de l’étude de 56 projets de collectifs d’agriculteurs identifiés via des canaux institutionnels (projets Casdar MCAE, GIEE, etc.). Douze cas ont fait l’objet d’enquêtes d’approfondissement pour mieux comprendre les motivations et modalités de mise en oeuvre de ces projets. Huit types d’initiatives ont été identifiés : trois portent sur une mise en commun de matériel et/ou connaissances favorisant des changements techniques pour viser l’autonomie à l’échelle exploitation. Les cinq autres relèvent d’échanges entre exploitations spécialisées, avec des finalités variées : recherche d’autonomie à l’échelle du collectif, commercialisation en circuits courts, mise à disposition de parcelles, méthanisation en collectif. La typologie construite montre également une diversité de leviers techniques et organisationnels, de modes de coordination et de coopérations avec les autres acteurs du territoire. De cette typologie, nous déduisonsdes pistes d’accompagnement par des acteurs des territoires et du développement agricole, en appui aux politiques publiques : soutien à l’investissement, communication, formation. Ces formes de soutien peuvent permettre de constituer des modèles organisationnels autour des échanges de légumineuses entre céréaliers et éleveurs, adaptables dans différents territoires selon les caractéristiques de ceux-ci