Development of pollination and in vitro germination techniques to improve the hybridization in Hydrangea spp.

Hydrangea is a genus of ornamental plants which is gaining new markets mainly as a fresh or dried cut flower, but it is also important as a pot plant and for landscaping. To expand its market, new hybrids should be developed. To increase the hybridization efficiency, some techniques were developed and tested: i) evaluation of two pollination systems; ii) comparison among fruit-cut systems before in vitro cultivation to develop embryos and to allow the growth of new genotypes; iii) evaluation of seed disinfection systems for in vitro germination; iv) sowing systems using seeds and fruits from stocks cultivated in two environments. To increase inter- and intra-specific hybridization, pollination by dispersion of previously collected pollen on the top of a corymb by a brush was more effective than pollination using the corymb itself as a brush. A longitudinal cut system can be considered the best treatment to be applied on fruits before in vitro cultivation to allow growth of seedlings. Sterilization of seeds can be done by immersion in a solution of commercial bleach for 5 minutes on MS culture medium with PPM®. When stocks are cultivated in greenhouses, in vitro contamination is lower and seeds have a better rate of germination. The results of these experiments were applied in a breeding program on Hydrangea using sexual crosses

Intraperitoneal drain placement and outcomes after elective colorectal surgery: international matched, prospective, cohort study

Despite current guidelines, intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery remains widespread. Drains were not associated with earlier detection of intraperitoneal collections, but were associated with prolonged hospital stay and increased risk of surgical-site infections.Background Many surgeons routinely place intraperitoneal drains after elective colorectal surgery. However, enhanced recovery after surgery guidelines recommend against their routine use owing to a lack of clear clinical benefit. This study aimed to describe international variation in intraperitoneal drain placement and the safety of this practice. Methods COMPASS (COMPlicAted intra-abdominal collectionS after colorectal Surgery) was a prospective, international, cohort study which enrolled consecutive adults undergoing elective colorectal surgery (February to March 2020). The primary outcome was the rate of intraperitoneal drain placement. Secondary outcomes included: rate and time to diagnosis of postoperative intraperitoneal collections; rate of surgical site infections (SSIs); time to discharge; and 30-day major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade at least III). After propensity score matching, multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to estimate the independent association of the secondary outcomes with drain placement. Results Overall, 1805 patients from 22 countries were included (798 women, 44.2 per cent; median age 67.0 years). The drain insertion rate was 51.9 per cent (937 patients). After matching, drains were not associated with reduced rates (odds ratio (OR) 1.33, 95 per cent c.i. 0.79 to 2.23; P = 0.287) or earlier detection (hazard ratio (HR) 0.87, 0.33 to 2.31; P = 0.780) of collections. Although not associated with worse major postoperative complications (OR 1.09, 0.68 to 1.75; P = 0.709), drains were associated with delayed hospital discharge (HR 0.58, 0.52 to 0.66; P < 0.001) and an increased risk of SSIs (OR 2.47, 1.50 to 4.05; P < 0.001). Conclusion Intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery is not associated with earlier detection of postoperative collections, but prolongs hospital stay and increases SSI risk

State legitimacy and famines in Sub-Saharan Africa

Political Economy of famines mainly focuses on political regimes to understand the role of institutions. In this paper, we investigate a broader concept, state legitimacy, and its role on one specific development outcome, famine management. State legitimacy refers to the political history of a country, meaning the embedding of state and society. Using a database of Sub-Saharan countries observed from 1980 to 2005, we use three empirical strategies: logit on famine occurrence, negative binomial regression and Arellano-Bond dynamic model on the number of years of famines. They all lead to the same results: there is room for a political economy of famine based on an analysis of state. State legitimacy prevents famines, controlling for shocks countries might go through, and controlling for the quality of government. The main contributions of this paper are first to consider the role of state legitimacy in the political economy of famines and second to apply the concept in an empirical analysis, using for the first time a state legitimacy variable

To Be or Not to Be a Member of a Primary Co-operative in Brazil: Any Difference in Household Decision-Making and Gender Equality?

The paper investigates the effect of co-operative membership on people's capability to participate in household decision-making and on domestic gender relations. Our hypothesis is that the democratisation process activated in genuine co-operatives, authentic member-owned forms of business, may then be transferred to the household. We tested this in the "Coppalj" co-operative in Brazil, where we collected primary data. Both the techniques employed, regression and propensity score matching, support our hypotheses in a number of life domains. Though results vary slightly according to the domain and the outcome indicator, they show that members of the co-operative have a statistically significant higher capability to participate in decision-making and to share their decisions with partners than non-members (the control group). We then triangulated these quantitative outcomes with qualitative ones: the latter confirm an improvement in gender relations between co-operators and their partners, highlighting the fundamental role of Coppalj in fostering gender equality. © 2014 Oxford Department of International Development

Organic food, environmental risks and values: Social challenges or individual defense?

The present research describes representation and attitudes towards organic food, and examines correlations between such attitudes and values, knowledge and commitment towards environmental problems. 175 subjects (females = 60%, males = 40%; from 20 to 50 y.o.) answered a self-administered questionnaire. Results show that the representation of organic food is fairly accurate but not totally precise; reasons for not buying such products are: high costs, low information, habits, and lack of trust. Attitudes towards organic food are related to individual values and to �verbal commitment� to the environment, but not to social values. Implications and research developments are discussed in the conclusions