Sources of N Used for Growth Following Defoliation in \u3cem\u3ePanicum Maximum\u3c/em\u3e\u3csup\u3e1\u3c/sup\u3e

The nitrogen (N) supplied to growing leaves from root uptake and mobilisation from senescing tissues may be reduced following defoliation. However, morphological adaptation of the shoot to prior defoliation occurs (Matthew et al., 2002), which may affect the potential N supply from remaining leaves. This study determined the degree to which plants of Panicum maximum utilised current root uptake and mobilisation to supply N to growing leaves and side tillers following defoliation

What Works and Looking Ahead: A Comparative Study of UK and US Policies and Practices Facilitating Return to Work for People with Disabilities

Independent research organizations in the US and the UK were commissioned to review the research on ‘what works’ in facilitating return to work for people with disabilities, and to consider current developments in the light of the evidence. They produced two background papers for the UK/US Pathways to Work in the 21st Century Seminar. This paper aims to summarize the key points of interest in those US and UK papers. The view expressed here are those of the authors

Assessing research impact on poverty: the importance of farmers’ perspectives

P. Kristjanson and P.K. Thornton are ILRI authorsIn this paper we provide evidence to show that farmers' perspectives on poverty processes and outcomes are critical in the early stages of evaluating impact of agricultural research on poverty. We summarize lessons learned from farmer impact assessment workshops held in five African locations, covering three agro-ecological zones and five different agroforestry and livestock technologies arising from collaborative national–international agricultural research. Poverty alleviation is a process that needs to be understood before impact can be measured. Workshops such as those we describe can help researchers to identify farmers' different ways of managing and using a technology and likely effects, unanticipated impacts, major impacts to pursue in more quantitative studies, the primary links between agricultural technology and poverty, and key conditioning factors affecting adoption and impact that can be used to stratify samples in more formal analyses. Farmer workshops inform other qualitative and quantitative impact assessment methods. We discuss the linkage of farmer-derived information with GIS-based approaches that allow more complete specification of recommendation domains and broader-scale measurement of impact

Evolution of Function in the “Two Dinucleotide Binding Domains” Flavoproteins

Structural and biochemical constraints force some segments of proteins to evolve more slowly than others, often allowing identification of conserved structural or sequence motifs that can be associated with substrate binding properties, chemical mechanisms, and molecular functions. We have assessed the functional and structural constraints imposed by cofactors on the evolution of new functions in a superfamily of flavoproteins characterized by two-dinucleotide binding domains, the “two dinucleotide binding domains” flavoproteins (tDBDF) superfamily. Although these enzymes catalyze many different types of oxidation/reduction reactions, each is initiated by a stereospecific hydride transfer reaction between two cofactors, a pyridine nucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). Sequence and structural analysis of more than 1,600 members of the superfamily reveals new members and identifies details of the evolutionary connections among them. Our analysis shows that in all of the highly divergent families within the superfamily, these cofactors adopt a conserved configuration optimal for stereospecific hydride transfer that is stabilized by specific interactions with amino acids from several motifs distributed among both dinucleotide binding domains. The conservation of cofactor configuration in the active site restricts the pyridine nucleotide to interact with FAD from the re-side, limiting the flow of electrons from the re-side to the si-side. This directionality of electron flow constrains interactions with the different partner proteins of different families to occur on the same face of the cofactor binding domains. As a result, superimposing the structures of tDBDFs aligns not only these interacting proteins, but also their constituent electron acceptors, including heme and iron-sulfur clusters. Thus, not only are specific aspects of the cofactor-directed chemical mechanism conserved across the superfamily, the constraints they impose are manifested in the mode of protein–protein interactions. Overlaid on this foundation of conserved interactions, nature has conscripted different protein partners to serve as electron acceptors, thereby generating diversification of function across the superfamily

Global summary of baseline household survey results

This report summarises the results of a baseline household-level survey, designed by the CCAFS team and implemented in late 2010/early 2011 in 3 regions: East Africa, West Africa and South Asia. This survey was designed with the intent of developing simple, comparable cross-site household level indicators, for which changes can be evaluated over time, of food security, households assets, agricultural production diversity, agricultural sales diversity, changes being made in farming practices for adaptation, innovation, and/or to help reduce emissions or store greenhouse gases (mitigation), and gender indicators (e.g. men’s versus women’s reception of weather-related information). A standardised survey, guidelines and training materials were implemented across 12 countries in West Africa (Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Ghana), East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania), and South Asia (India, Nepal and Bangladesh). Thus we have a total of 15 core sites covering 108 villages and 2095 households. This summary report gives an overview of the farming practices, and asset, livelihoods and food security status of rural households in these sites. It describes what changes farmers have been making in recent years with respect to crop management, livestock practices, use of inputs and other agricultural practices. We explore what kinds of weather/climate and associated information these households are receiving, how and by whom. This information provides important baseline information, as these households will be revisited in 5-10 years’ time in order to evaluate the changes in these indicators. This will give us important information as to if, how, and which households are adapting to a changing climate while improving their food security status

Entrances and exits: changing perceptions of primary teaching as a career for men

Original article can be found at: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713640830~db=all Copyright Informa / Taylor and Francis. DOI: 10.1080/03004430802352087The number of men in teaching has always been small, particularly in early childhood, but those that do come into teaching usually do so for the same reasons as women, namely enjoyment of working with children, of wanting to teach and wanting to make a difference to children's lives. However, in two separate studies, the authors have shown that on beginning teacher training in 1998, and at the point of leaving the profession in 2005, men and women tend to emphasise different concerns. This article will explore those differences and seek possible explanations for how men's views of teaching might be changing over time.Peer reviewe

Lessons in theory of change: experiences from CCAFS

CGIAR is moving to a different model of doing science, and this needs to be well thought out and understood by centres, CRP researchers and partners. The focus can no longer be on research deliverables such as reports, trainings, crop varieties and decision support tools. We have learnt that the production of these deliverables doesn’t automatically lead to impact in terms of the wellbeing of smallholder famers, the end users of our research.This series of Climate Change and Social Learning (CCSL) briefs will focus on lessons learnt from the ongoing CCAFS experience with TOC. The objective is to share experiences in real time, and generate discussion that will help CCAFS and others improve their TOC, impact pathways and M+E

Locating poor livestock keepers at the global level for research and development targeting

P.K. Thornton, R.L. Kruska, P.M. Kristjanson, R.S. Reid and T.P. Robinson are ILRI authorsMany research and development agencies are committed to halving the number of people living in extreme poverty by 2015. Knowledge of where the poor are, and what characterises them, is patchy at best. Here we describe a global livestock and poverty mapping study designed to assist in targeting research and development activities concerning livestock. Estimates of the numbers of poor livestock keepers by production system and region are presented. While these estimates suffer from various problems, improvements in global databases are critical to improve the targeting of interventions that can meet the challenges posed by poverty and to chart progress against international development indicators

CCAFS Gender Strategy

This Gender Strategy is intended to strengthen CCAFS’ development impact through the integration of gender issues into research in keeping with commitments in the CGIAR Strategy and Results Framework to ensure that rural women benefit from its contribution to poverty reduction, enhanced environmental resilience, improved food security, human health and nutrition. CCAFS plans to situate its gender strategy within a broader strategy addressing social inclusion for different social groups while bearing in mind that women are central to agriculture in developing countries. This Strategy was prepared following CGIAR Guidelines for CRP Gender Strategy1 that focus on showing how the CRP will address issues of gender in its research (as distinct from gender in the workplace which will be handled separately). Accordingly, the document is organized into seven sections that together provide an explanation of how the CRP will address gender issues relevant to its research outputs, activities and outcomes and against which the CRP will report in future, as part of the CGIAR annual monitoring process

How resilient are farming households, communities, men and women to a changing climate in Africa?

Using a 9-country dataset from sub-Saharan Africa, and integrating quantitative household-level analyses with qualitative work, the paper shows that gender relations affect agricultural practices and adaptation. The women farmers in our sample control less land than men, the land they control is often of poorer quality, and their tenure is insecure. Women, more than men, are dependent on internal village groups, as opposed to organizations operating at regional or national levels. Hence, women have less access to extension and input services, and are less likely than men to use improved seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. The adaptive capacity of individuals and communities depends on their differential access to resources, economic assets and social capital, which are mediated by their socially defined rights and responsibilities. Highlights include: • Vulnerability and adaptation to climate change depend on opportunities governed by the varied and complex interplay of social relations, institutions, organizations, and policies. • Climate is one of many influences that affect the producers’ coping and adaptation strategies. • Women and men incorporate a wide range of technology and production management adjustments. • The producers’ most frequently cited reasons for adjustments include decrease in productivity, fluctuation in prices, market opportunities, and frequency of drought