Good agricultural practices for more resilient agriculture: guidelines for producers and governments.

Good agricultural practices (GAPs) are an indispensable tool for risk management due to the close relationship between agriculture and climate, as well as the climate variability currently being experienced. The implementation of these tools, however, involves fostering innovation, increasing knowledge and giving stakeholders, small producers in particular, a holistic view, so that they may improve their production systems, increase their resilience, and ensure their sustainability.Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuári

Ocurrencia de estreptococos fecales y coliformes en la red de distribución de agua potable de la planta potabilizadora Rufina Alfaro, en la provincia de Los Santos

This research was carried out in the districts of La Villa de Los Santos, Guarare, and Las Tablas, located in the province of Los Santos. With the main goal of determining the occurrence of fecal streptococcus and coliforms in the water supply distribution system of the potabilization plant, Rufina Alfaro, water samples from high and low areas of each of the mentioned districts were analyzed. Five water samples, each with their respective replicas were taken in each area, resulting this in 20 water samples of each area, 60 water samples per week both during the dry and the rainy season of 2013. These water samples were carefully transported to the laboratory where they were submitted to physical, chemical and microbiological analyses. The coliform results show signi- ficant differences both in the water sampling points and in the seasons per area; whereas for the fecal streptococcus, significant differences were found in water sampling points. There was a high occurrence of coliforms (4.0 CFU/100 ml) which indicates that it is not in compliance with the drinking water standard established by the COPANIT, nor with the international standards (Colombia and Venezuela). The presence of fecal streptococcus (1.5 CFU/100 ml) shows contamination in the sample studied water.Esta investigación se realizó en la provincia de Los Santos, distritos de Los Santos, Guararé y Las Tablas. Con el objetivo de determinar la ocurrencia de estreptococos fecales y coliformes en la red de distribución de la planta potabilizadora Rufina Alfaro, se procedió a analizar muestras de agua en zonas altas y bajas de cada distrito. En cada zona se tomaron cinco muestras con sus respectivas réplicas, resultando veinte muestras por zonas, sesenta muestras por semanas, durante la temporada seca y lluviosa del año 2013; ellas fueron transportadas adecuadamente hasta el laboratorio y sometidas a análisis físicos, químicos y microbiológicos. Los resultados para coliformes demostraron diferencias significativas, tanto para puntos de colectas, época por punto de colecta y época por zona; mientras que para los estreptococos fecales, solo se encontró diferencias significativas para los puntos de colectas. Se registró una alta ocurrencia de coliformes (4.0 UFC/100 ml) lo que indica que no se está cumpliendo la norma para el agua potable establecida por la COPANIT, ni con las normas internacionales (colombiana y venezolana). La presencia de estreptococos fecales (1.5 UFC/100 ml) muestra contaminación en el agua estudiada

Boas práticas agrícolas para uma agricultura mais resiliente: diretrizes para orientação de produtores e governos.

Dada a estreita relação entre agricultura e clima, além da variabilidade climática que experimentamos em nossos dias, as boas práticas agrícolas (BPA) constituem uma ferramenta indispensável para a gestão de riscos. A sua aplicação, porém, implica fomentar a inovação, aumentar o conhecimento e dotar de uma visão holística as partes interessadas, em particular os pequenos produtores, para que possam melhorar os seus sistemas produtivos, aumentar a sua resiliência e assegurar a sua sustentabilidade/ Instituto Interamericano de Cooperação para a Agricultura, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária

4DGAP: New tool for multidimensional impact assessment and guide to certification programs for Good Agricultural and Environmental Practices.

Food markets are increasingly demanding the implementation of good agricultural practices programs (GAP) in the public or private sectors as a way to guarantee the sustainable and responsible production of safe food. Due to the large number of GAP programs being implemented, producers are often required to participate in several of them to comply with the demands coming from diverse buyers in different target markets; as a result, even though the majority of certificate requirements share factors in common, the costs of implementation and evaluation increase. In this context, a tool was created to analyze and manage multidimensional risks in agriculture (4DGAP tool) (evaluation of the GAP in four dimensions), developed through an alliance between Embrapa and IICA proposing methodological bases that would support the preparation and updating of indicators linked to the GAP programs, facilitate interplay between the different certification programs and likewise between programs and the producers, agribusinesses and governmental agencies that use them. In addition, its objective is to contribute to the reorganization of all kinds of rural farms, based on a concept of property planning in keeping with the technical and environmental parameters needed to comply with the principles of sustainable development

Buenas prácticas agrícolas para una agricultura más resiliente: lineamientos para orientar la tarea de productores y gobiernos.

PRESENTACIÓN Dada la estrecha relación entre agricultura y clima, y dada la variabilidad climática que experimentamos en nuestros días, las buenas prácticas agrícolas (BPA) constituyen una herramienta indispensable para el manejo de riesgos. Su aplicación, sin embargo, implica fomentar la innovación, aumentar el conocimiento y dotar de una visión holística a las partes interesadas, en particular a los pequeños productores, para que puedan mejorar sus sistemas productivos, incrementar su resiliencia y asegurar su sustentabilidad.Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária

Operative Procedures in the Elderly in Low-Resource Settings: A Review of Médecins Sans Frontières Facilities: Reply

As the demographic transition occurs across developing countries, an increasing number of elderly individuals are affected by disasters and conflicts. This study aimed to evaluate the elderly population that underwent an operative procedure at MSF facilities

Supervised Lowess normalization of comparative genome hybridization data – application to lactococcal strain comparisons

Background: Array-based comparative genome hybridization (aCGH) is commonly used to determine the genomic content of bacterial strains. Since prokaryotes in general have less conserved genome sequences than eukaryotes, sequence divergences between the genes in the genomes used for an aCGH experiment obstruct determination of genome variations (e.g. deletions). Current normalization methods do not take into consideration sequence divergence between target and microarray features and therefore cannot distinguish a difference in signal due to systematic errors in the data or due to sequence divergence. Results: We present supervised Lowess, or S-Lowess, an application of the subset Lowess normalization method. By using a predicted subset of array features with minimal sequence divergence between the analyzed strains for the normalization procedure we remove systematic errors from dual-dye aCGH data in two steps: (1) determination of a subset of conserved genes (i.e. likely conserved genes, LCG); and (2) using the LCG for subset Lowess normalization. Subset Lowess determines the correction factors for systematic errors in the subset of array features and normalizes all array features using these correction factors. The performance of S-Lowess was assessed on aCGH experiments in which differentially labeled genomic DNA fragments of Lactococcus lactis IL1403 and L. lactis MG1363 strains were hybridized to IL1403 DNA microarrays. Since both genomes are sequenced and gene deletions identified, the success rate of different aCGH normalization methods in detecting these deletions in the MG1363 genome were determined. S-Lowess detects 97% of the deletions, whereas other aCGH normalization methods detect up to only 60% of the deletions. Conclusion: S-Lowess is implemented in a user-friendly web-tool. We demonstrate that it outperforms existing normalization methods and maximizes detection of genomic variation (e.g. deletions) from microbial aCGH data.

Minor shift in background substitutional patterns in the Drosophila saltans and willistoni lineages is insufficient to explain GC content of coding sequences

BACKGROUND: Several lines of evidence suggest that codon usage in the Drosophila saltans and D. willistoni lineages has shifted towards a less frequent use of GC-ending codons. Introns in these lineages show a parallel shift toward a lower GC content. These patterns have been alternatively ascribed to either a shift in mutational patterns or changes in the definition of preferred and unpreferred codons in these lineages. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: To gain additional insight into this question, we quantified background substitutional patterns in the saltans/willistoni group using inactive copies of a novel, Q-like retrotransposable element. We demonstrate that the pattern of background substitutions in the saltans/willistoni lineage has shifted to a significant degree, primarily due to changes in mutational biases. These differences predict a lower equilibrium GC content in the genomes of the saltans/willistoni species compared with that in the D. melanogaster species group. The magnitude of the difference can readily account for changes in intronic GC content, but it appears insufficient to explain changes in codon usage within the saltans/willistoni lineage. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the observed changes in codon usage in the saltans/willistoni clade reflects either lineage-specific changes in the definitions of preferred and unpreferred codons, or a weaker selective pressure on codon bias in this lineage

Submucosal Tunnel Endoscopic Resection of Gastric Lesion Before Obesity Surgery: a Case Series

Background: Submucosal tumors (SMTs) of the gastrointestinal tract are a rare pathological entity comprising a wide variety of neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions. Even if most SMTs are benign tumors (e.g., leiomyomas), a smaller portion may have a malignant potential (e.g., gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST)). Preoperative diagnosis of SMT in bariatric patients may arise challenging clinical dilemmas. Long-term surveillance may be difficult after bariatric surgery. Moreover, according to SMT location, its presence may interfere with planned surgery. Submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER) has emerged as an effective approach for minimally invasive en bloc excision of SMTs. This is the first case series of STER for SMTs before bariatric surgery. Methods: Seven female patients underwent STER for removal of SMTs before bariatric surgery. All lesions were incidentally diagnosed at preoperative endoscopy. STER procedural steps comprised mucosal incision, submucosal tunneling, lesion enucleation, and closure of mucosal defect. Results: En bloc removal of SMT was achieved in all cases. Mean procedural time was of 45 min (SD 18.6). No adverse event occurred. Mean size of the lesions was 20.6 mm (SD 5.8). Histological diagnoses were 5 leyomiomas, 1 lipoma, and 1 low grade GIST. Bariatric procedure was performed after a mean period of 4.1 months (SD 1.6) from endoscopic resection. Conclusion: STER is a safe and effective treatment for the management of SMT even in bariatric patients awaiting surgery. Preoperative endoscopic resection of SMTs has the advantages of reducing the need for surveillance and removing lesions that could interfere with planned surgery. STER did not altered accomplishment of bariatric procedures

The ambivalent shadow of the pre-Wilsonian rise of international law

The generation of American international lawyers who founded the American Society of International Law in 1906 and nurtured the soil for what has been retrospectively called a “moralistic legalistic approach to international relations” remains little studied. A survey of the rise of international legal literature in the U.S. from the mid-19th century to the eve of the Great War serves as a backdrop to the examination of the boosting effect on international law of the Spanish American War in 1898. An examination of the Insular Cases before the US Supreme Court is then accompanied by the analysis of a number of influential factors behind the pre-war rise of international law in the U.S. The work concludes with an examination of the rise of natural law doctrines in international law during the interwar period and the critiques addressed.by the realist founders of the field of “international relations” to the “moralistic legalistic approach to international relation