Inheritance of Brown Leaf Spot of Rice Caused by Cochliobolus Miyabeanus and Varietal Reaction to Isolates of This Fungus.

Twenty nine isolates of Cochliobolus miyabeanus (Ito & Kuribayashi) Drechsler ex Dastur cultured from leaves and seeds of several rice, Oryza sativa L., varieties obtained from rice growing areas of Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas were tested for pathogenicity on 12 test varieties to determine if physiologically specialized races of this fungus occur in the United States. This study was conducted in the greenhouse at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The results obtained from inoculating 12 test varieties with 29 isolates of C. miyabeanus as expressed in lesion size, lesion number and disease rating indicated no clear evidence for physiologic specialization in C. miyabeanus. The results indicated differences in virulence occurred among the isolates ranging from highly virulent to weakly virulent biotypes. The morphology of conidia of six isolates cultured on rabbit food agar were studied and the conidia of one isolate was significantly larger than those of the other isolates. The average conidia size ranged from 60 x 10 (mu)m to 150 x 24.5 (mu)m and number of septa per conidia ranged from 5 to 12. The results indicated there was a wide range in length, width and number of septa for conidia from isolates of C. miyabeanus produced on artificial media. The inheritance of plant reaction to C. miyabeanus was studied in the F(,1) and F(,2) populations from the hybridization of the resistant cultivar Taichung Native #1 and a susceptible cultivar, Dular. The F(,2) progeny showed a continuous distribution for plant reactions to C. miyabeanus as expressed in lesion size, lesion number and general disease rating under field conditions which indicated a quatitative type of inheritance for this trait. The number of segregating genes for plant reaction to C. miyabeanus in the F(,2) population was estimated using the Castle-Wright formula and the number of parental phenotypes recovered in the F(,2) population. A minimum of three major genes appears to condition the differences in lesion size between these two varieties. A minimum of one gene appears to condition the difference in lesion number. Three to six genes seem to condition the differences in the disease rating which includes factors for both lesion size and lesion number. Broad sense estimates of heritability for plant reaction to C. miyabeanus calculated from the variance of an F(,2) population transplanted to the field were 59% for lesion size, 87% for lesion number and 46% for disease rating. Heritability estimates calculated from an F(,2) population seeded directly into the field under relatively close spacing were 55% for lesion size, 29% for lesion number and 48% for disease rating

Measuring the Efficiency Effect of Banning Anti-Microbial Growth Promoters: The Case of Danish Pig Production

This study examines the effect of banning antimicrobial growth promoters on efficiency in the production of weaned and slaughter (finishing) pigs. We focus on the reaction of producers and production efficiency. We evaluate the estimated output and input shadow prices relative to market prices to analyse producer reactions and capture the impact on production efficiency by evaluating the effects of the ban changes on total factor productivity. To this end we model a multi product shadow profit function and incorporate output and input related shadow prices by using a second order flexible functional form. The development in total factor productivity is subsequently measured by calculating the Malmquist index on the farm level. To make infer-ences on the effect of banning growth promoters over time we regress in a second estimation step the changes in total factor productivity on potential explanatory factors by applying a bootstrapped censored regression procedure. Our results suggest that there was no effect of the ban on total factor productivity due to outputs and inputs substitution. Breeding pigs are pro-duced at the expense of weaned and finisher pigs. Feed input is over utilised relative to other inputs. The high shadow prices for substituting outputs are associated with better export mar-ket prices. These findings may have critical implications for the slaughtering plants with over capacity.animal health economics, food economics, shadow prices, efficiency, antimicrobial growth promoters, pig production, Livestock Production/Industries, Q1, Q11, Q12, Q24,

Phytoremediation of Diesel Oil Polluted Soil by Fluted Pumpkin (Telfairia Occidentalis Hook F.) in Uyo, Niger Delta Region, Nigeria

Phytoremediation is an emerging technology for cleaning contaminated soils. In this study, the effect of fluted pumpkin (Telfaira occidentalis Hook F.) on the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon in a diesel oil contaminated soil was investigated. Fluted pumpkin seeds were planted in each treatment (0.00, 1.11, 1.59, 2.50 and 3.06%) for a period of 18 weeks. The following parameters were determined: germination percentage, length of vine, number of leaves per vine, leaf yield and the dry weight of leaves and vines on the 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th and 15th weeks after planting (WAP). Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) was determined on the 2nd and 18th weeks after oil pollution (WAOP). Total bacterial and fungal counts were determined on the 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th and 18th WAOP. The results demonstrated that diesel affected soil depressed seed germination. Length of vine and number of leaves per vine were observed to increase from 3rd to 15th WAOP. Leaf yield increased from 3rd to 9th WAOP and thereafter declined from 12th to 15th WAOP. The results further revealed reduction in dry matter of leaves as concentration of oil increases, whereas dry weight of vines increased with increasing oil pollution. The result also demonstrated that fluted pumpkin stimulated total bacterial and fungal number. Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) removal in the polluted soil was observed to be 86.53, 94.38, 92.80 and 92.97% in 1.11, 1.59, 2.50 and 3.06% concentration respectively. Thus, fluted pumpkin has proved to be efficient for removal of TPH from oil-contaminated soil. Keywords: Phytoremediation, diesel oil, fluted pumpkin, contaminated soils, petroleum hydrocarbo

Five Myths about the HIV Epidemic in Asia

Godwin and colleagues say that there are several myths about the HIV epidemic in Asia, myths that are disseminated in both public and professional discourse and that often dominate policy and political debate

Analysing support towards inclusive and integrated rural advisory systems

Public Rural Advisory Services (RAS) have adapted to different socio-economic scenarios in politically diverse countries with the help of the third sector supporting dedicated RAS programmes. The Plantwise (PW) programme, led by the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) and designed to increase food security in over 30 countries, is a good example of a public/NGO partnership, although recent evaluations have questioned its impacts on gendered agricultural information access. This study aims to investigate Plantwise’s gender impacts from individual and institutional viewpoints, interviewing smallholder farmers and extension staff involved in and outside of, the Plantwise programme in Bahawalpur and Jhang district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. This serves to highlight the programme’s impacts on systemic processes which ultimately have the potential to contribute to gender-transformative change and a more efficient and sustainable RAS. Results show differences between extension workers in a PW district and a non-PW district and between plant doctors and non-plant doctors in a PW district, though none were significant from a gendered perspective. There were interesting findings highlighting the plant clinic’s capacity as an agent of change but the low turnout of women at clinics did not reinforce the clinics’ capacity for change from a female perspective. Information from systemic, male and female-specific analyses are important to consider for PW from a practical perspective, such as the importance of spiritual locations. This study into the Pakistani PW initiative also offers an opportunity to contribute to the growing body of academic literature on the individual and institutional impacts of international development programmes, helping to understand wider aspects of international development involvement in RAS. From a practical perspective, this study also enables PW and other international development initiatives to better understand and interpret stakeholders’ perceptions, highlighting the importance of design and investment in participatory approaches to enable longer term impacts, especially focused on gender. It will also help the PW programme assess and understand implementation challenges in order to attain impact on the ground and be a driver of positive change in the country

OSM Science - The Academic Study of the OpenStreetMap Project, Data, Contributors, Community, and Applications

This paper is an Editorial for the Special Issue titled “OpenStreetMap as a multidisciplinary nexus: perspectives, practices and procedures”. The Special Issue is largely based on the talks presented in the 2019 and 2020 editions of the Academic Track at the State of the Map conferences. As such, it represents the most pressing and relevant issues and topics considered by the academic community in relation to OpenStreetMap (OSM)—a global project and community aimed to create and maintain a free and editable database and map of the world. In this Editorial, we survey the papers included in the Special Issue, grouping them into three research perspectives: applications of OSM for studies within other disciplines, OSM data quality, and dynamics in OSM. This survey reveals that these perspectives, while being distinct, are also interrelated. This calls for the formalization of an ‘OSM science’ that will provide the conceptual grounds to advance the scientific study of OSM, not as a set of individualized efforts but as a unified approac

Bridges and Barriers: An Exploration of Engagements of the Research Community with the OpenStreetMap Community

The academic community frequently engages with OpenStreetMap (OSM) as a data source and research subject, acknowledging its complex and contextual nature. However, existing literature rarely considers the position of academic research in relation to the OSM community. In this paper we explore the extent and nature of engagement between the academic research community and the larger communities in OSM. An analysis of OSM-related publications from 2016 to 2019 and seven interviews conducted with members of one research group engaged in OSM-related research are described. The literature analysis seeks to uncover general engagement patterns while the interviews are used to identify possible causal structures explaining how these patterns may emerge within the context of a specific research group. Results indicate that academic papers generally show few signs of engagement and adopt data-oriented perspectives on the OSM project and product. The interviews expose that more complex perspectives and deeper engagement exist within the research group to which the interviewees belong, e.g., engaging in OSM mapping and direct interactions based on specific points-of-contact in the OSM community. Several conclusions and recommendations emerge, most notably: that every engagement with OSM includes an interpretive act which must be acknowledged and that the academic community should act to triangulate its interpretation of the data and OSM community by diversifying their engagement. This could be achieved through channels such as more direct interactions and inviting members of the OSM community to participate in the design and evaluation of research projects and programmes

Heavy Metal Tolerance profile among Bacterial species Isolated from Hydrocarbon polluted sites and their mobile genetic elements

This present study evaluated the plasmid incidence in bacteria and their genetic elements in heavy metals tolerant-antibiotics resistant microbes isolated from petroleum hydrocarbon polluted sites. The plasmid isolation was carried out using the fermentas Genejet plasmid miniprep kit (Thermofisher Scientific Inc, USA). Screening for class 1, 2, and 3 integrons, incompatibility group P testing, plasmid replicon typing, plasmid restriction analysis, and other analysis was performed using standard laboratory procedures. Plasmid incidences were higher among multiple heavy metal-tolerant bacterial species from hydrocarbon-polluted sites than those from the pristine site. Further, Class 1 integron incidence was significantly higher among the integrons in heavy metal tolerant bacterial isolates isolated from the polluted ecosystems than those from pristine ecosystems. Plasmid replicon type of bacteria with multiple heavy metal tolerance and antibiotics resistance indexes revealed that IncN plasmid replicon type carrying class 1 integron. This encodes resistance to sulphamethazole/trimethoprim, ampicillin, and tolerance to Cd, Ni, and Cu in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate from petroleum-polluted soil. This is the first report of IncN plasmid in environmental bacteria in Nigeria, particularly from petroleum polluted environment. The conjugation experiment confirmed the possible transferability of antibiotic resistance determinants among isolates in polluted ecosystems. From the results of this study, it can be concluded that petroleum hydrocarbon pollution vis-a-vis heavy metal selective pressure with the abundance of mobile genetic elements amongst isolates from polluted ecosystems could contribute to the dispersing of antibiotic resistance genes, thus posing a serious public health concern

Editorial : OpenStreetMap research in the COVID-19 era

Minghini, M., Coetzee, S., Grinberger, A. Y., Yeboah, G., Juhász, L., & Mooney, P. (2020). Editorial: OpenStreetMap research in the COVID-19 era In: Minghini, M., Coetzee, S., Juhász, L., Yeboah, G., Mooney, P., Grinberger, A.Y. (Eds.). Proceedings of the Academic Track at the State of the Map 2020 Online Conference, July 04-05 2020. Available at https://zenodo.org/communities/sotm-202