Socioeconomic Evaluation of Common Bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.) Cultivation in Providing Sustainable Livelihood to the Mountain Populations of Kashmir Himalayas

Phaseolus vulgaris L. is the major pulse cultivated and culturally inculcated in the food habits of the locals in the Himalayan mountainous region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan. The current study was designed to investigate the role of P. vulgaris cultivation in providing livelihood support and to evaluate its production and consumption patterns correlated with the household variables in the state of AJK. The socio-economic data was collected from nine bean cultivated areas in six districts of AJK. The data was acquired by administrating a total of 522 detailed semi structured questionnaires from a diverse array of the respondents following the snowball technique focusing on yield, consumption, revenue generation and livelihood support provided by bean cultivation. The results revealed that common bean cultivation provided significant livelihood support to the local mountainous populations with an average annual income of 50.80 $/family. Subsequently, bean production contributed an average annual per capita income of 6.81$ in the area, which was attributed to the large family size. Local populations showed an average bean production of 33.93 kg/family, whereas the average annual bean consumption was recorded as 31.99 kg/family in the region. Bean crops were recorded to have an average price of $1.49/kg, with significant variations in the study area correlated with local yield. A data analysis indicated a strong correlation in bean production and consumption patterns. Common bean farmers had a very small farm size, averaging 0.24 ha, where 100% of farmers cultivated common beans as an intercrop with Maize as the primary crop. A Pearson’s test (p value < 0.05) revealed significant correlations between land holding and bean production as well as consumption, and bean production with annual per capita income. Small farm size, declining soil fertility, low bean pricing and the unavailability of market mechanisms were identified as the major challenges faced by the common bean farmers. It is recommended to employ an integrated bean farming approach to enhance the economic impact of common bean cultivation in the socioeconomic appraisal of the local populations

Target guiding self-avoiding random walk with intersection algorithm for minimum exposure path problem in wireless sensor networks

Abstract To solve minimum exposure path (MEP) problem in wireless sensor networks more efficiently, this work proposes an algorithm called target guiding self-avoiding random walk with intersection (TGSARWI), which mimics the behavior of a group of random walkers that seek path to their destinations in a strange area. Target guiding leads random walkers move toward their end points, while self-avoiding prevents them from taking roundabout routes. Route intersections further accelerate the speed of seeking connected paths. Dijkstra algorithm (DA) is applied to solve MEP problem in a sub-network formed by multiple connected paths that walkers generate (called TGSARWI DA). Simulations show that the path exposure found by TGSARWI DA is very close to that by DA in the global network (Global DA), whereas the time complexity of computation is much lower. Compared with existing heuristic algorithms such as physarum optimization algorithm (POA), our algorithm shows higher generality and efficiency. This algorithm also exhibits good robustness to the fluctuations of parameters. Our algorithm could be very useful for the solution to MEP problem in fields with large- or high-density sensors

ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3 Is Involved in Cold Response and Freezing Tolerance Regulation in Physcomitrella patens

 SynopsisThis work demonstrates that PpABI3 contributes to freezing tolerance regulation in Physcomitrella patens.Transcription factor ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3 (ABI3) is known to play a major role in regulating seed dormancy, germination, seedling development as well as stress responses. ABI3 is conserved among land plants; however, its roles in non-seed plants under stress conditions have not been well characterized. In this study, we report that ABI3 is involved in freezing tolerance regulation during cold acclimation at least in part through ABA signaling pathway in moss Physcomitrella patens (P. patens). Deletion of PpABI3 (Δabi3-1) compromises the induction of genes related to cold response and antioxidative protection, resulting in reduced accumulation of cryoprotectants and antioxidants. In addition, photosystem II (PSII) activity is repressed in Δabi3-1 during cold acclimation partially due to alternations of photosynthetic protein complexes compositions. The gametophyte of Δabi3-1 displays severe growth inhibition and developmental deficiency under low temperature condition, while two independent complementary lines display phenotypes similar to that of wild-type P. patens (WT). Furthermore, the freezing tolerance of Δabi3-1 was significantly affected by deletion of PpABI3. These data revealed that PpABI3 plays an important role in low temperature response and freezing tolerance in P. patens