Lateral stakeholder alignment in the Global Water Partnership

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program, 2007.Includes bibliographical references (p. 149-150).This research evaluates stakeholder alignment in a global multi-stakeholder organization called the Global Water Partnership (GWP). The GWP represents a new breed of organization, a Global Multi-Stakeholder Network Organization (GMSNO), that has emerged in greater numbers in the last fifteen years as a means of addressing complex global social and environmental issues. This master's thesis adds to the body of literature on evaluation and assessment of these new global multi-stakeholder organizations by applying the Lateral Alignment Framework to study three different levels of stakeholder alignment in the GWP: Behavioral, Functional/Structural, and Systems/Culture/Values, and the GWP's effectiveness in achieving its mission and goals. The thesis has implications for GMSNOs in general both terms of the content of the findings and the method of analysis using the Lateral Alignment Framework. A main finding from this research is the difference between the relatively high frequency and quality of interactions within GWP regions compared to the low scores on interactions across global regions.(cont.) This finding may be generalizable to other GMSNOs. Another main finding is the difference between the value that stakeholders derive from GWP participation in a relatively well-developed economic region (a lower score) compared to two less developed regions (higher scores). This may indicate that the GWP is needed or valued for different kinds of functions in more-developed areas compared to less-developed regions. Generally, GWP stakeholders believe they are under-resourced for IWRM planning and management, and they typically see other organizations and regions as having more resources than they do. There is substantial variance in stakeholders' opinions of the existence of appropriate regional and global forums for them to meet and exchange ideas and information. Statistical tests show that these forums are important in facilitating stakeholder communication and alignment, and contributing to the effectiveness of the GWP in achieving its goals. There is a moderate to high level of agreement on the concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).(cont.) This is a positive and significant finding for the GWP, since one of its primary aims is to develop the subject of IWRM among its partner organizations and at the global policy level. Other variables that asked stakeholders to assess the importance of the GWP to their organizations, and the value and effectiveness of the GWP in advancing IWRM at a global level, score high. These findings demonstrate the importance and the value of the GWP to its members.by Katherine W. Parrot.S.M

Aluminum Tolerance QTL in Diploid Alfalfa

Aluminum (Al) toxicity associated with acid soils greatly inhibits alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) productivity throughout much of the world’s major grassland areas. In this paper, we report the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling aluminum tolerance in diploid alfalfa (Medicago sativa L). An in vitro callus growth bioassay was used to select aluminum tolerant and aluminum sensitive parents, and to screen an F2 population for aluminum tolerance. Fifty-eight cDNA probes were mapped to nine linkage groups, and the F2 genotypic classes were contrasted with means from the callus growth bioassay using ANOVA. We also used Mapmaker-QTL to identify markers associated with aluminum tolerance. Four markers, UGAc044, UGAc053, UGAc141, and UGAc782, were found to be associated with aluminum tolerance. UGAc044 had the greatest effect, accounting for 15% (LOD 2.3) of the variation in aluminum tolerance

A silent gigantic solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura: case report

Solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura is a rare mesenchymal tumor, representing less than 5% of all neoplasms associated with the pleura. A 57-year-old man had general malaise without chest symptoms for 1 month. A chest roentgenogram and computed tomography showed a giant mass in the left thorax. Although the tumor compressed the descending aorta and other mediastinal structures strongly, thereby shifting them to the right side, the patient had no symptoms except malaise. The tumor was successfully resected via two separate thoracotomies. The tumor was measured (20 cm × 19 cm × 15 cm) and weighed (2150 g). The tumor was histologically and immunohistochemically diagnosed as benign. Although SFT is benign, a long follow-up period is essential as even patients with complete resection are at risk of recurrence many years after surgery

Forward Genetic Analysis of the Apicomplexan Cell Division Cycle in Toxoplasma gondii

Apicomplexa are obligate intracellular pathogens that have fine-tuned their proliferative strategies to match a large variety of host cells. A critical aspect of this adaptation is a flexible cell cycle that remains poorly understood at the mechanistic level. Here we describe a forward genetic dissection of the apicomplexan cell cycle using the Toxoplasma model. By high-throughput screening, we have isolated 165 temperature sensitive parasite growth mutants. Phenotypic analysis of these mutants suggests regulated progression through the parasite cell cycle with defined phases and checkpoints. These analyses also highlight the critical importance of the peculiar intranuclear spindle as the physical hub of cell cycle regulation. To link these phenotypes to parasite genes, we have developed a robust complementation system based on a genomic cosmid library. Using this approach, we have so far complemented 22 temperature sensitive mutants and identified 18 candidate loci, eight of which were independently confirmed using a set of sequenced and arrayed cosmids. For three of these loci we have identified the mutant allele. The genes identified include regulators of spindle formation, nuclear trafficking, and protein degradation. The genetic approach described here should be widely applicable to numerous essential aspects of parasite biology

Anthropogenic Space Weather

Anthropogenic effects on the space environment started in the late 19th century and reached their peak in the 1960s when high-altitude nuclear explosions were carried out by the USA and the Soviet Union. These explosions created artificial radiation belts near Earth that resulted in major damages to several satellites. Another, unexpected impact of the high-altitude nuclear tests was the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that can have devastating effects over a large geographic area (as large as the continental United States). Other anthropogenic impacts on the space environment include chemical release ex- periments, high-frequency wave heating of the ionosphere and the interaction of VLF waves with the radiation belts. This paper reviews the fundamental physical process behind these phenomena and discusses the observations of their impacts.Comment: 71 pages, 35 figure