Successful Projects - What Makes Them Work? A Cross-National Analysis

[Excerpt] This cross national analysis is based on national studies made by research teams in India, Kenya, Romania and South Africa. It aims to draw out the lessons learnt from successful social development processes in these countries. In each country, studies have been made of projects identified as interesting, successful and/or outstanding in the way they have improved the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities. In national reports, the respective teams have made their own national conclusions. This comparative report briefly describes the national studies. It then continues with a cross national analysis attempting to identify circumstances or factors that are common to these successful projects. Finally, the report summarises the conclusions and their implications. We hope that the findings presented in the report will be used as inspiration in future planning, implementation and funding of projects aiming at improving life conditions of groups that are marginalised in society. Chapter 1 and 2, describing the research process and the national reports have been written by Annika and Lennart Nilsson. Anders Gustavsson and Johans Sandvin are responsible for the cross national analysis in chapter 3 to 7. The conclusions and implications in chapter 8 have been written jointly. The study has been commissioned by Inclusion International and financed by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida)

Are Traditional Cooperatives an Endangered species? About Shrinking Satisfaction, Involvement and Trust

Several researchers, who have observed that traditional cooperatives have difficulties in modern markets, mention a number of behavioral concepts characterizing the members. This study attempts to empirically test these concepts. It is based on a survey among members of a large traditional Swedish cooperative. The members perceive the cooperative to be so large and complex that they have difficulties understanding the operations. Hence, they become dissatisfied and uninvolved, and they mistrust the leadership. Moreover, they do not believe that the cooperative can be remodeled to strengthen member control. The findings support the behavioral explanations presented in prior studies.agricultural cooperative, property rights, satisfaction, involvement, trust, Consumer/Household Economics,

Village-based management of water supply and sanitation in Tamil Nadu

Village-based management of water supply and sanitation in Tamil Nad

Structure, Interaction, Dynamics and Solvent Effects on the DNA-EcoRI complex in Aqueous Solution from Molecular Dynamics Simulation

AbstractA 0.7-ns molecular dynamics simulation of the DNA-EcoRI complex in a 7.0-Å solvent shell indicated a stable behavior of the system. No significant evaporation or smearing of the solvent's outer boundary occurred. The structure and the intermolecular interactions were found to be well maintained during the simulation. The interaction pattern in the simulation was found to be very similar to that in the crystal structure. Most of the specific interactions between the DNA and the protein were found to be enhanced in the simulation compared to that in the crystal structure as a result of improved interaction geometry. The nonspecific interactions were found to be stronger than the specific ones. The specific interactions between the N7 atoms of Gua4 or Ade5 or Ade6 and the protein were found to be present over almost the entire time of the simulation, whereas hydrogen bonds involving the amino groups of the Ade5 and Ade6 with the protein were found to be relatively weaker, with lower probability and shorter lifetime. The time evolution of the root mean square deviations of the DNA and the protein were highly correlated even at the later part of the simulation, showing the tight binding between them. Several long-lived water bridges were found between the DNA backbone atoms and the protein and also between the two protein monomers, which increased the overall stability of the complex. The two protein monomers were found to interact strongly with each other. The energy of the DNA kink deformation was estimated as approximately 31kcal/mol

Magnesium ion–water coordination and exchange in biomolecular simulations

Magnesium ions have an important role in the structure and folding mechanism of ribonucleic systems. To properly simulate these biophysical processes, the applied molecular models should reproduce, among others, the kinetic properties of the ions in water solution. Here, we have studied the kinetics of the binding of magnesium ions with water molecules and nucleic acids systems using molecular dynamics simulation in detail. We have validated the parameters used in biomolecular force fields, such as AMBER and CHARMM, for Mg2+ ions, and also for the biological relevant ions, Na+, K+ and Ca2+ together with three different water models (TIP3P, SPC/E and TIP5P). The results show that Mg2+ ions have a slower exchange rate than Na+, K+ and Ca2+ in agreement with experimental trend, but the simulated value underestimates the experimentally observed Mg2+-water exchange rate with several orders of magnitudes, irrespective of force field and water model. A new set of parameters for Mg2+ was developed to reproduce the experimental kinetic data. This set also leads to better reproduction of structural data than existing models. We have applied the new parameters set to Mg2+ binding with a mono-phosphate model system and with the purine riboswitch, add A-riboswitch. In line with the Mg2+-water results, the newly developed parameters show a better description of the structure and kinetic of the Mg2+-phosphate 2 binding than all other models. The characterization of the ion binding to the riboswitch system shows that the new parameter set does not affect the global structure of the ribonucleic acid system or the number of ions involved in direct or indirect binding. A slight decrease in the number of water-bridged contacts between A-riboswitch and Mg2+ ion is observed. The results support the ability of the newly developed parameters to improve the kinetic description of the Mg2+ and phosphate ions and their applicability in nucleic acid simulation.Swedish Research CouncilAccepte

Gråmögel

En av världens vanligaste och mest utbredda sjukdomar i tempererade och subtropiska områden är gråmögeL Förutom "vanligt" gråmögel, som angriper ett stort antal växter, finns flera mera värdspecifika arter, t.ex. på narcisser, tulpaner, lök, bondbönor etc. I detta faktablad behandlas det vanliga gråmöglet