Spatialising the Melanesian Canarium industry: Understanding economic upgrading in an emerging industry among three Pacific small island states

AbstractThis paper examines economic upgrading in the Canarium indicum (Canarium) nut industry in Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Canarium is a tree that is indigenous to Melanesia, and has been the subject of several commercialisation attempts since 1988. The paper assesses the outcomes to various actors in the Canarium supply chain from attempts to upgrade industry products and processes by: (1) increasing the available resource in suitable locations; (2) improving nut products and processing techniques; (3) increasing actors’ knowledge and supply chain coordination; and (4) establishing product standards. A two-phase data generation process was implemented. Document analysis and participant observations of industry workshops initiated a set of four economic upgrading interventions that were adaptively implemented. A second stage of workshops and 76 interviews enabled outcomes to be assessed at the project’s end. Findings suggest that a small number of urban-based entrepreneurs benefit and subsequently are lead actors in industry development, but at the expense of benefits being distributed to a larger, more spatially disparate group of smallholder and small commercial growers. These economic upgrading outcomes are circumscribed by core-periphery relations in Pacific small island states and the scale of industry in each country. Thus, spatial inequalities are reproduced through the emerging Canarium industries. We argue that different routes to industry development are required in each country. Development initiatives that capitalise on the benefits of micro-enterprise clusters, joint action and regional institutional arrangements are proposed to overcome the impediments imposed by the particular geographies of Pacific island states

Flushing cows

Starting to flush cows 95 days before the breeding season began significantly increase conception rate and required less total feed

High protein sorghum grain with no added protein in all concentrate cattle finishing rations; Urea and soybean oil meal in all concentrate rations

Trials at several research centers as well as in Kansas (Bulletin 483, page 32) have shown roughage may be satisfactorily omitted from finishing rations for cattle and doing so, often reduces feed required per pound of gain. That has made it feasible to try to finish cattle on all grain diet5, when the grain has sufficient protein, and to omit other protein sources as well as roughage. Other research on this subject is reported in Kansas Bulletins 493 and 507 and on page in this bulletin

Whole corn rations for finishing heifers: A comparison of self-fed and mixed supplement, with and without salt.

Twenty-four Hereford x Angus heifers averaging 714 lbs. were allotted by weight to four groups of six animals each to study effects on gain, feed intake, and feed efficiency of: 1. Free-choice whole corn without roughage. 2. Protein supplement either mixed with whole corn or supplied seperately (free-choice). 3. Omitting sal

C9orf72 plays a central role in Rab GTPase-dependent regulation of autophagy

A GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the first intron of the C9orf72 gene is the most common genetic defect associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) (C9ALS/FTD). Haploinsufficiency and a resulting loss of C9orf72 protein function has been suggested as a possible pathogenic mechanism in C9ALS/FTD. C9ALS/FTD patients exhibit specific ubiquitin and p62/sequestosome-1 positive but TDP-43 negative inclusions in the cerebellum and hippocampus, indicating possible autophagy deficits in these patients. In a recent study, we investigated this possibility by reducing expression of C9orf72 in cell lines and primary neurons and found that C9orf72 regulates the initiation of autophagy. C9orf72 interacts with Rab1a, preferentially in its GTP-bound state, as well as the ULK1 autophagy initiation complex. As an effector of Rab1a, C9orf72 controls the Rab1a-dependent trafficking of the ULK1 initiation complex prior to autophagosome formation. In line with this function, C9orf72 depletion in cell lines and primary neurons caused the accumulation of p62/sequestosome-1-positive inclusions. In support of a role in disease pathogenesis, C9ALS/FTD patient-derived iNeurons showed markedly reduced levels of autophagy. In this Commentary we summarise recent findings supporting the key role of C9orf72 in Rab GTPase-dependent regulation of autophagy and discuss autophagy dysregulation as a pathogenic mechanism in ALS/FTD

Discrepancies in maternal reports of infant sleep vs. actigraphy by mode of feeding

Objectives: Many studies of infant sleep rely solely on parentally-reported data, assuming that parents accurately report their infant’s sleep parameters. The objective of this paper is to examine whether night-time sleep parameters of exclusively breastfed or exclusively formula-fed infants differ, and whether correspondence between parental reports and objective measures varies by feeding type. Methods: Mother-infant dyads intending to breastfeed or formula-feed exclusively for 18 weeks were recruited. Mothers were multiparas and primiparas, aged between 18 and 45 years. Infants were full-term, normal birthweight singletons. Maternal report and actigraphic data on infant sleep were collected fortnightly, from four to 18 weeks postpartum. Data were analysed cross-sectionally using t-tests and GLM analysis to control for interaction between feed-type and sleep location. Results: Actigraphy-assessed infant sleep parameters did not vary by feed-type but parentally reported sleep parameters did. Maternal report and actigraphy data diverged at 10 weeks postpartum and discrepancies were associated with infant feeding type. Compared to actigraphy, maternal reports by formula-feeding mothers (controlling for infant sleep location) over-estimated infant’s Total Sleep Time (TST) at 10 weeks and Longest Sleep Period (LSP) at 10, 12 and 18 weeks. Conclusions: These results raise questions about the outcomes of previous infant sleep studies where accuracy of parentally-reported infant sleep data is assumed. That parental reports of infant sleep vary by feeding type is particularly important for reconsidering previous studies of infant sleep development and intervention studies designed to influence sleep outcomes, especially where feed-type was heterogeneous, but was not considered as an independent variable

Temporal variations in English Populations of a forest insect pest, the green spruce aphid (Elatobium abietinum), associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation and global warming

Based on an exceptionally long modern ecological dataset (41 years), it has been possible to show that warm weather in England associated with a positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index causes the spring migration of the green spruce aphid (Elatobium abietinum), a pest species of spruce trees (Picea) to start earlier, continue for longer and contain more aphids. An upward trend in the NAO index during the period 1966-2006 is associated with an increasing population size of E. abietinum. It is important to understand the mechanisms behind the population fluctuations, because this aphid causes considerable damage to Picea plantations. Present day weather associated fluctuations in forest insect pests may be useful analogues in understanding past pest outbreaks in forests

Sorghum grain, urea or soybean meal as a protein source in all-concentrate cattle finishing rations

Results of previous similar research have been reported in Kansas Agicu1tural Experiment Station Bulletins 483, 493, 507, and 518. Trials at several research centers and here have shown that roughage may be satisfactorily omitted from finishing rations for cattle often, reducing feed required per pound of gain. Cattle nay be finished on all-grain diets with only mineral and vitamin supplements when the grain has sufficient protein