Modernizing irrigation operations: Spatially differentiated resource allocations.

Water resource management / Irrigation canals / Property rights / Privatization / Social organization / Social participation / Leadership / Land ownership / Farmers' associations / Water users' associations / Equity / Farmer-agency interactions / Pakistan

A compact to revitalise large-scale irrigation systems using a leadership-partnership-ownership ‘theory of change’

In countries with transitional economies such as those found in South Asia, large-scale irrigation systems (LSIS) with a history of public ownership account for about 115 million ha (Mha) or approximately 45% of their total area under irrigation. In terms of the global area of irrigation (320 Mha) for all countries, LSIS are estimated at 130 Mha or 40% of irrigated land. These systems can potentially deliver significant local, regional and global benefits in terms of food, water and energy security, employment, economic growth and ecosystem services. For example, primary crop production is conservatively valued at about US$355 billion. However, efforts to enhance these benefits and reform the sector have been costly and outcomes have been underwhelming and short-lived. We propose the application of a 'theory of change' (ToC) as a foundation for promoting transformational change in large-scale irrigation centred upon a 'global irrigation compact' that promotes new forms of leadership, partnership and ownership (LPO). The compact argues that LSIS can change by switching away from the current channelling of aid finances controlled by government irrigation agencies. Instead it is for irrigators, closely partnered by private, public and NGO advisory and regulatory services, to develop strong leadership models and to find new compensatory partnerships with cities and other river basin neighbours. The paper summarises key assumptions for change in the LSIS sector including the need to initially test this change via a handful of volunteer systems. Our other key purpose is to demonstrate a ToC template by which large-scale irrigation policy can be better elaborated and discussed

World Water Assessment Program case study, Ruhuna basins, Sri Lanka

River basins / Topography / Soils / Ecology / Climate / Rain / Evapotranspiration / Population / Land use / Surface water / Groundwater / Aquifers / Water quality / Water resources development / Fisheries / Wells / Pumps / Waterborne diseases / Ecosystems / Water use / Hydroelectric schemes / Tanks / Political aspects / Institutions / Legislation / Public investment / Domestic water / Water supply / Financing / Social participation / Risks / Drought / Irrigation water / Sri Lanka / Ruhuna river basins

Identification of the presence of ischaemic stroke lesions by means of texture analysis on brain magnetic resonance images

Study funding This work was funded by the Row Fogo Charitable Trust (MVH, VGC) grant no. BRO-D.FID3668413, and the Wellcome Trust (patient recruitment, scanning, primary study Ref No. 088134/Z/09). The study was conducted independently of the funders who do not hold the data and did not participate in the study design or analyses. The Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 is funded by Age UK (Disconnected Mind grant) and the Medical Research Council (MRC; MR/M01311/1, G1001245, 82800), and the latter supported BSA. IJD was supported by the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, which is funded by the MRC and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (MR/K026992/1). David Moratal acknowledges financial support from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) and FEDER funds under Grant BFU2015-64380-C2-2-R, and from the Conselleria d'Educació, Investigació, Cultura i Esport, Generalitat Valenciana (grants AEST/2017/013 and AEST/2018/021). Rafael Ortiz-Ramón was supported by grant ACIF/2015/078 and grant BEFPI/2017/004 from the Conselleria d’Educació, Investigació, Cultura i Esport of the Valencian Community (Spain).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Self-assembly of a peptide amphiphile: transition from nanotape fibrils to micelles

A thermal transition is observed in the peptide amphiphile C16-KTTKS (TFA salt) from nanotapes at 20 degrees C to micelles at higher temperature (the transition temperature depending on concentration). The formation of extended nanotapes by the acetate salt of this peptide amphiphile, which incorporates a pentapeptide from type I procollagen, has been studied previously [V. Castelletto et al., Chem. Commun., 2010, 46, 9185]. Here, proton NMR and SAXS provide evidence for the TFA salt spherical micelles at high temperature. The phase behavior, with a Krafft temperature separating insoluble aggregates (extended nanotapes) at low temperature from the high temperature micellar phase resembles that for conventional surfactants, however this has not previously been reported for peptide amphiphiles

METACOHORTS for the study of vascular disease and its contribution to cognitive decline and neurodegeneration: an initiative of the Joint Programme for Neurodegenerative Disease Research

Dementia is a global problem and major target for health care providers. Although up to 45% of cases are primarily or partly due to cerebrovascular disease, little is known of these mechanisms or treatments because most dementia research still focuses on pure Alzheimer's disease. An improved understanding of the vascular contributions to neurodegeneration and dementia, particularly by small vessel disease, is hampered by imprecise data, including the incidence and prevalence of symptomatic and clinically “silent” cerebrovascular disease, long-term outcomes (cognitive, stroke, or functional), and risk factors. New large collaborative studies with long follow-up are expensive and time consuming, yet substantial data to advance the field are available. In an initiative funded by the Joint Programme for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, 55 international experts surveyed and assessed available data, starting with European cohorts, to promote data sharing to advance understanding of how vascular disease affects brain structure and function, optimize methods for cerebrovascular disease in neurodegeneration research, and focus future research on gaps in knowledge. Here, we summarize the results and recommendations from this initiative. We identified data from over 90 studies, including over 660,000 participants, many being additional to neurodegeneration data initiatives. The enthusiastic response means that cohorts from North America, Australasia, and the Asia Pacific Region are included, creating a truly global, collaborative, data sharing platform, linked to major national dementia initiatives. Furthermore, the revised World Health Organization International Classification of Diseases version 11 should facilitate recognition of vascular-related brain damage by creating one category for all cerebrovascular disease presentations and thus accelerate identification of targets for dementia prevention

Conformation and self-association of peptide amphiphiles based on the KTTKS collagen sequence

Studying peptide amphiphiles (PAs), we investigate the influence of alkyl chain length on the aggregation behavior of the collagen-derived peptide KTTKS with applications ranging from antiwrinkle cosmetic creams to potential uses in regenerative medicine. We have studied synthetic peptides amphiphiles C14− KTTKS (myristoyl Lys-Thr-Thr-Lys-Ser) and C18−KTTKS(stearoyl-Lys-Thr Thr-Lys-Ser) to investigate in detail their physicochemical properties. It is presumed that the hydrophobic chain in these self-assembling peptide amphiphiles enhances peptide permeation across the skin compared to KTTKS alone. Subsequently Cn−KTTKS should act as a prodrug and release the peptide by enzymatic cleavage. Our results should be useful in the further development of molecules with collagen-stimulating activity

Sustainable irrigation development

In Wijayaratna, C. M. (Ed.). Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Seminar on Linking Main System Management for Improved Irrigation Management, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 3-8 June 2002. Tokyo, Japan: Asian Productivity Organization (APO).This paper explores the issues that face irrigation in the future, drawing on recent experiences in Asia and elsewhere to illustrate some cases where interventions have fallen short of sustainable development targets. The paper argues that sustainable development is often misinterpreted and that incremental development is a more realistic model to achieve the objectives of sustainability and poverty alleviation. In the paper the focus is on irrigation as a means of achieving food security. However, effective utilization of water to achieve high productivity is a major objective, and this is now widely recognized to include enhanced rainfed agriculture and agricultural system. Therefore, the boundaries between rainfed and irrigated agriculture are becoming increasingly blurred requiring practitioners in agricultural development to have a broader perspective. The use of sustainable livelihood concepts has also changed the development canvas by bringing the analysis of the entire socioeconomic setting into focus