Assessment of agricultural information needs in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States for CTA’s Products and Services: Phase II: Caribbean: Country Report: Belize

Objectives of the Study The objectives of this study are (i) to identify agricultural information needs of key actors / beneficiaries for CTA products and services; (ii) to identify needs of potential actors / beneficiaries of CTA activities and services in terms of building capacity for information and communication management; (iii) to identify potential partners / beneficiaries for CTA activities and services; (iv) to develop some baseline data to facilitate subsequent monitoring activities.This study commissioned by CTA aims to identify agricultural information needs of key actors / beneficiaries for CTA products and services, potential actors ..and, to develop some baseline data to facilitate subsequent monitoring activities

Walking with wolves : an ethnographic investigation into the relationship between socialised wolves and humans.

Wolves have held a fascination, fear and or revulsion for humankind throughout history. At the UK Wolf Conservation Trust, a charity whose main aim in to educate the public about wolves, socialised wolves interact with volunteers and with members of the general public. Could a dangerous carnivorous prey non-human species elicit human attachment and symptoms of attachment such as anthropomorphic terminology? A short term ethnographic study investigating the relationship between socialised wolves and human volunteers was carried out, utilising the techniques of participant observation, questionnaires and semi structured interview techniques. Twenty four questionnaires were voluntarily completed, answering questions relating to guardianship of current and previous companion animals, reasons for volunteering, favourite wolf and importance of recognition and interaction with the favourite wolf. From these questionnaires eight volunteers offered themselves for interview. Utilising the theory of multispecies ethnography; within the enclosures when completely free of human restraint, the wolves took the role of participant observers of the human volunteers, deciding whom they would allow into an extended pack circle by challenging them behaviourally as if they were wolves, whilst at the same time restricting some wolf interactions suggesting knowledge of self-identity. Inside of the enclosures the wolves had more control over human wolf interaction. Outside of the enclosures the wolves relegated some of this power back to the volunteers. Volunteers’ attributed their fascination and attachment for wolves due to them representing ‘the raw nature of dogs’, admiration of their family social structure, as a representation of a persecuted ‘keystone’ species or an unidentified ‘spiritual’ link. Whilst anthropomorphic tendencies were evident in all aspects of wolf handling, experienced volunteers were aware of the dangers which anthropomorphism could cause whilst handling an ‘untrained and untamed’ non-human species. Experienced volunteers either tried to think and behave like a wolf as far as possible or treated wolves like human adults rather than human juveniles

Pilot in-field food safety training assessment of donation gardens managed by Master Gardeners in Iowa

Lack of access to safe, healthy food is a significant concern. Many non-profit organizations, such as local food pantries, are exploring ways to increase access to fresh produce in both rural and urban areas. Due to the vulnerability of the target audience that frequents the pantries, gardeners must distribute fresh produce that is safe to eat and free of pathogens. The vulnerable population includes young children, immunocompromised people, older adults, and pregnant women. The objective of this study was to assess Master Gardeners’ (n=39) awareness, knowledge, and attitude following a pilot in-field food safety training on managing donation gardens. Each hands-on activity in the training was designed to teach gardeners the importance of reducing risk in the garden. To evaluate the training, the team adopted a three-stage process: 1) Qualitative research to learn more about Master Gardeners’ perceptions of food safety and their motivations for engaging in the volunteer activity, used to inform workshop development, 2) Pre/post measurement of changes in awareness, knowledge, and attitude at the time of the workshop, and 3) Measurement of any changes in the practice of key food safety protocols two to three months post-workshop. The evaluation results showed that knowledge increased significantly after the gardeners participated and completed hands-on activities. For example, we observed that the gardeners gained significant knowledge regarding what items were crucial in a food safety tool kit. The post-training follow-up evaluation indicated that participants made significant changes too many but not all of their practices. However, gardeners purchased items to help them implement food safety practices in donation gardens throughout Iowa

The Role of the Serotonin Transporter as a Genetic Risk Factor in the Development of Drug Addiction

Drug addiction is a ubiquitous phenomenon worldwide that places tremendous financial and psychological burden on societies, families and the individual. Interestingly, only a small percentage of individuals ( 20%), regardless their drug of choice, go on to develop the compulsive behaviours that define drug addiction. Clinical studies have shown that there is a subset of the population with a genetically determined reduction in the serotonin transporter that may increase vulnerability to developing a variety of psychiatric disorders like depression, anxiety and drug addiction. To investigate the influence of reduced serotonin transporter function in the laboratory we studied the effects of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) and heroin in a genetically altered animal model: the serotonin transporter (SERT) knockout rat. Homozygous (HOM) animals lack SERT function completely while heterozygous (HET) have about 50% SERT function compared to the wild type (WT). Groups of HOM, HET and WT animals completed MDMA or heroin self-administration experiments. A robust genotype effect emerged for animals self-administering MDMA; facilitation of MDMA self-administration was inversely related to SERT function. HOM animals, without exception, reached acquisition criterion significantly faster than the HET animals; HET animals then showed higher acquisition rates compared to the WT animals. In contrast, there were no differences between the genotypes when animals self-administered heroin. To investigate the driving force behind facilitated MDMA self-administration in animals with reduced SERT function locomotor activity and conditioned taste aversion experiments were undertaken. In contrast to the drug self-administration experiments,MDMA induced hyperactivity was positively related to SERT function. Thus, it was significantly reduced in HOM and HET animals compared to the WT. Again, heroin treatment did not produce differences in locomotion between the genotypes. MDMA induced conditioned taste aversion revealed only a main effect of dose with robust conditioned taste aversion for both drug doses, although a trend indicated that HOM animals may have heightened sensitivity to MDMA. However, heroin treatment failed to produce a conditioned taste aversion effect in any of the groups regardless of dose. Beyond the aforementioned behavioural experiments striatal brain tissue from the animals that had previously self-administered MDMA or heroin was analysed via quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; five targets were evaluated to quantify drug induced changes in brain derived neurotrophic factor gene expression (BDNF). Several BDNF isoforms (total BDNF, BDNF III and BDNF IV) were significantly increased in animals that had self-administered MDMA; this effect was true across HOM, HET and WT subjects. Comparatively, animals that had self-administered heroin did not show a difference in BDNF expression compared to untreated control animals. This suite of experiments provides insight into the influence of a compromised serotonergic system on the development of drug addiction. That is, while reduced SERT function does not appear to augment the addictive properties of drugs like heroin there is reason to suspect that it does confer additional susceptibility to developing addiction to drugs like MDMA, highlighting the hypothesis that different classes of addictive substances act through different neurobiological pathways

Uniting Students with Literacy Connections in Mathematics

Literature provides opportunities for students to connect to mathematics, as well as each other. Reflecting on personal identities, storytelling, and place-based connections are avenues to enhancing the relevancy of content across the curriculum. Literature can bridge the divide for students reluctant to see the beauty in mathematics. It can also be the impetus in helping unite students as they gain a better understanding of cultures and places beyond their own. Stories, along with interactive tasks, give context for collaborative experiences. This article shares resources and strategies for building understanding and collaboration among students using cross-curricular connections between mathematics and literacy