Gender and innovation processes in integrated fish agri-food systems in Bangladesh and the Philippines: Insights from the CGIAR Research Program on FISH

This FISH report provides insights on the interactions between gender norms, agency, and innovation in fish agri-food systems

Timing of Sleep and Its Relationship with the Endogenous Melatonin Rhythm

While much research has investigated the effects of exogenous melatonin on sleep, less is known about the relationship between the timing of the endogenous melatonin rhythm and the sleep–wake cycle. Significant inter-individual variability in the phase relationship between sleep and melatonin rhythms has been reported although the extent to which the variability reflects intrinsic and/or environmental differences is unknown. We examined the effects of different sleeping schedules on the time of dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) in 28 young, healthy adults. Participants chose to maintain either an early (22:30–06:30 h) or a late (00:30–08:30 h) sleep schedule for at least 3 weeks prior to an overnight laboratory visit. Saliva samples were collected under dim light (<2 lux) and controlled posture conditions to determine salivary DLMO. The 2-h difference between groups in the enforced sleep–wake schedule was associated with a concomitant 1.75-h delay in DLMO. The mean phase relationship between sleep onset and DLMO remained constant (~2 h). The variance in DLMO time, however, was greater in the late group (range 4.5 h) compared to the early group (range 2.4 h) perhaps due to greater effect of environmental influences in delayed sleep types or greater intrinsic instability in their circadian system. The findings contribute to our understanding of individual differences in the human circadian clock and have important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of circadian rhythm sleep disorders, in particular if a greater normative range for phase angle of entrainment occurs in individuals with later sleep–wake schedules

Impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes mellitus in a rural population in South India

In the present study the prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in a rural population in South India was assessed and its associations with body mass index and a family history of diabetes mellitus. Data were obtained from inhabitants of two villages located in the North Arcot District of Tamil Nadu. After an overnight fast, 467 randomly selected subjects, aged 40 years or over, were given 75 g glucose orally. After two hours the capillary glucose level was determined. The prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance (2 h value ≥ 7.8 mmol/l and < 11.1 mmol/l) was 6.6% (31 subjects). Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (2 h value ≥ 11.1 mmol/l) was found in 23 subjects (4.9%). Of these, 53% were previously unknown. Age and sex adjusted mean body mass index was significantly higher among subjects with impaired glucose tolerance compared to subjects without glucose intolerance, with a mean difference of 1.4 kg/m2 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.2, 2.6). A positive family history of diabetes was non-significantly higher in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. Subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus had a higher mean body mass index compared to subjects with normal glucose levels with a mean difference of 1.9 kg/m2 (95% CI 0.5, 3.3). A positive family history of diabetes was more common among diabetics with a difference of 20% (95% CI 10, 30). Our findings suggest that in a considerable proportion (11.5%) of the rural South Indian population aged 40 years or over glucose intolerance is present. These results may indicate that apart from other important causes of morbidity and mortality, a substantial proportion of the rural Indian population will suffer from cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the near future

Social and gender analysis report: Barotse Floodplain, Western Province,Zambia

There is increasing awareness that integrating gender into development frameworks is critical for effective implementation of development strategies. In working to alleviate rural poverty, the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS) recognizes that “business as usual” gender integration approaches will not deliver lasting and widespread improvements in agricultural productivity, poverty reduction and food security. In response, AAS operationalized a gender transformative approach. The approach is informed by conceptual frameworks that explicitly recognize the potent influence of social relations on creating and perpetuating gender inequalities. In this way, AAS aims to address the underlying causes of rural poverty and gender inequality in Zambia’s Barotse Floodplain, where people rely extensively on riverine and wetland ecosystems for food and livelihood security. A central question guiding the research program is “How do social norms and gendered power relations influence agricultural development outcomes?” The findings presented in this report provide insights that help answer this question. The report presents a review of literature relevant to livelihoods, ecosystem services, and gender and social relations in Zambia, with a specific focus on Western Province, where AAS is currently implemented. It also presents a synthesis of findings of a social and gender analysis conducted in 2013 in 10 focal communities situated in and around the Barotse Floodplain

Bubbly two-phase flow in hydraulic jumps at large Froude numbers

A hydraulic jump is a sudden, rapid transition from a supercritical flow to a subcritical flow. At large inflow Froude numbers, the jump is characterized by a significant amount of entrained air. For this paper, the bubbly two-phase flow properties of steady and strong hydraulic jumps were investigated experimentally. The results demonstrate that the strong air entrainment rate and the depth-averaged void-fraction data highlight a rapid deaeration of the jump roller. The results suggest that the hydraulic jumps are effective aerators and that the rate of detrainment is comparatively smaller at the largest Froude numbers. © 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers

Hydraulic jumps: Turbulence and air bubble entrainment

A free-surface flow can change from a supercritical to subcritical flow with a strong dissipative phenomenon called a hydraulic jump. Herein the progress and development in turbulent hydraulic jumps are reviewed with a focus on hydraulic jumps operating at large Reynolds numbers typically encountered in natural streams and hydraulic structures. The key features of the turbulent hydraulic jumps are the highly turbulent flow motion associated with some intense air bubble entrainment at the jump toe. The state-of-the-art on the topic is discussed based upon recent theoretical analyses and physical data

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Sertraline in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Objective: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like sertraline have been shown in observational studies and anecdotal reports to improve language development in young children with fragile X syndrome (FXS). A previous controlled trial of sertraline in young children with FXS found significant improvement in expressive language development as measured by the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) among those with comorbid autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in post hoc analysis, prompting the authors to probe whether sertraline is also indicated in nonsyndromic ASD. Methods: The authors evaluated the efficacy of 6 months of treatment with low-dose sertraline in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 58 children with ASD aged 24 to 72 months. Results: 179 subjects were screened for eligibility, and 58 were randomized to sertraline (32) or placebo (26). Eight subjects from the sertraline arm and five from the placebo arm discontinued. Intent-to-treat analysis showed no significant difference from placebo on the primary outcomes (MSEL expressive language raw score and age equivalent combined score) or secondary outcomes. Sertraline was well tolerated, with no difference in side effects between sertraline and placebo groups. No serious adverse events possibly related to study treatment occurred. Conclusion: This randomized controlled trial of sertraline treatment showed no benefit with respect to primary or secondary outcome measures. For the 6-month period, treatment in young children with ASD appears safe, although the long-term side effects of low-dose sertraline in early childhood are unknown. Clinical Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT02385799