Chemical and genetic control of fusarium wilt in chickpea and their effects on stand establishment under tropical conditions.

Abstract 87

Orangutans venture out of the rainforest and into the Anthropocene

Conservation benefits from understanding how adaptability and threat interact to determine a taxon’s vulnerability. Recognizing how interactions with humans have shaped taxa such as the critically endangered orangutan (Pongo spp.) offers insights into this relationship. Orangutans are viewed as icons of wild nature, and most efforts to prevent their extinction have focused on protecting minimally disturbed habitat, with limited success. We synthesize fossil, archeological, genetic, and behavioral evidence to demonstrate that at least 70,000 years of human influence have shaped orangutan distribution, abundance, and ecology and will likely continue to do so in the future. Our findings indicate that orangutans are vulnerable to hunting but appear flexible in response to some other human activities. This highlights the need for a multifaceted, landscape-level approach to orangutan conservation that leverages sound policy and cooperation among government, private sector, and community stakeholders to prevent hunting, mitigate human-orangutan conflict, and preserve and reconnect remaining natural forests. Broad cooperation can be encouraged through incentives and strategies that focus on the common interests and concerns of different stakeholders. Orangutans provide an illustrative example of how acknowledging the long and pervasive influence of humans can improve strategies to preserve biodiversity in the Anthropocene

Political Marketing Activity in Simultaneous Regional Elections 2015

Regional head election system was change in 2015. It has impact on political marketing strategy to all stake holders, such as political party and candidatures.The purposes of this research is to analyzeashifting ofpolitical marketing issueson regional election 2015. The research approach uses the mix method with the type of sequential explanatory. The subjects of this research are the candidates, election successful teams or supporting team, and young voters. Location of research based on cluster system district and sub district in Bandung, Cianjur, Magelang, Sleman, and Medan. The data are collected through techniques of questionnaires to young voters; interview to candidates, election successful teams and young voters, as well as the documentation of media and data on Regional General Elections Commission (KPUD). There are also triangular data techniqueinterviews with the General Elections Commission (KPU), the community and supporting team, and documentation and questionnaire form. The result shows that the system of political marketing has already started shifting from product, promotion, price, place, and people known as the 5Ps from mostly dominated by Political Partyinto the role of PEOPLE as candidature in influensing the voters. The Result also tells that shifting from using convetional media into almost using digital media was powerfull

Immigration into the mainstream: Conflicting ideological streams, strategic reasoning and party competition

Although immigration is one of the key issues of contestation in Western Europe, the extent to which it plays a part in electoral competition in individual states varies considerably, especially when it comes to the use made of the issue by parties generally considered mainstream rather than extreme. The Special Issue addresses some of the explanations for this variation and why the immigration ‘issue’ is rarely a top election priority even though the political mainstream has continuously been prompted to make it one. Particular attention is paid to the conflicting ideological ‘pulls’ that may arise once immigration is factored in and how parties pursue ownership strategies to bypass such tensions

More and More Restrictive-But Not Always Populist: Explaining Variation in the British Conservative Party's Stance on Immigration and Asylum

This is the Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in the Journal of Contemporary European Studies Vol. 21, Iss. 1, copyright Taylor & Francis 2013, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/14782804.2013.766474Centre-right parties are commonly inclined towards appeals and policies on immigration that are both restrictive in nature and populist in tone-in part because this is what they believe in, in part because it affords them an electoral advantage over their rivals on the centre-left. One would expect, however, that the extent to which they focus on immigration and asylum will vary according to public opinion, according to who leads them, and according to whether they are in government or in opposition. This would appear to be the case for the British Conservative Party, but the relationship is not an entirely consistent one. Moreover, while the Party has, for half a century, pursued ever more restrictive policies, the extent to which it has couched its approach in populist rhetoric varies considerably over time-and not always in line with the severity of its stance on immigration. The reason for this lies partly in the social and economic liberalism of some of its leaders (and in their related concern to act 'responsibly' on race and immigration) but also in their anxiety not to alienate key sections of the middle classes who must be persuaded to support the Party if it is to win elections. These considerations are likely to weigh heavily with other centre-right parties, too. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

Site Fidelity in Space Use by Spider Monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Animal home ranges may vary little in their size and location in the short term but nevertheless show more variability in the long term. We evaluated the degree of site fidelity of two groups of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) over a 10- and 13-year period, respectively, in the northeastern Yucatan peninsula, Mexico. We used the Local Convex Hull method to estimate yearly home ranges and core areas (defined as the 60% probability contour) for the two groups. Home ranges varied from 7.7 to 49.6 ha and core areas varied from 3.1 to 9.2 ha. We evaluated the degree of site fidelity by quantifying the number of years in which different areas were used as either home ranges or core areas. Large tracts were used only as home ranges and only for a few years, whereas small areas were used as either core area or home range for the duration of the study. The sum of the yearly core areas coincided partially with the yearly home ranges, indicating that home ranges contain areas used intermittently. Home ranges, and especially core areas, contained a higher proportion of mature forest than the larger study site as a whole. Across years and only in one group, the size of core areas was positively correlated with the proportion of adult males in the group, while the size of home ranges was positively correlated with both the proportion of males and the number of tree species included in the diet. Our findings suggest that spider monkey home ranges are the result of a combination of long-term site fidelity and year-to-year use variation to enable exploration of new resources

Andean grain crop introduction to the Brazilian savannah.

Agricultural history of the Brazilian savannah dates back 150 years, beginning with extensive cattle ranching on native grassland, eventually developing into a rice-pasture system, followed by today’s modern grain production on 10 million ha. For the past 20 years the cropping system has been soybean and maize in the rainy season, with little agricultural activity during the long dry season. A recent trend toward growing crops as a source of mulch has been limited to a few species of two botanical families: Gramineae such as maize, millet, and sorghum; and Leguminosae such as soybean. Such highly specialized monocrop systems, which are becoming common in Brazil, threaten the sustainability of the region, because of increased pests, diseases and weeds problems, loss of soil organic matter content due to excessive soil preparation, nutrient loss, soil compaction and erosion, increased production cost due to excessive/unbalanced use of fertilizers and pesticides, yield reduction, and negative environmental impacts. Introduction of new crops is essential to improve the sustainability of the system, serving as break-crops to increase soil fertility and provide additional income to farmers. The selection criteria for new species are drought resistance, rapid growth, nutrient improvement, and diversified uses. Two species that meet these characteristics are the Andean grain crops quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) and amaranth (Amaranthus spp.). They are characterized by a high quality protein and a high vitamin and mineral content. In the low-altitude tropical savannah, locally selected genotypes of quinoa, originating from hybrid populations in Cambridge, England, have been evaluated in Brazil in Planaltina, DF (1000 masl; 15o S latitude) and in Rio Verde, GO (700 masl; 18o S latitude) in the winter dry season from May to September, following the main crop. Yields were nearly 7.0 t dry matter/ha and 3.0 t seed/ha, with a growth period varying between 90 and 130 days. In preliminary yield trials amaranth accessions gave similar results. Further research to determine improved production practices for optimal, sustainable cultivation of quinoa and amaranth, and to evaluate their market potential, is needed. It is expected that these novel crops can contribute to the development of the Brazilian savannah to benefit farmers and the environment, making this important ecological region less prone to degradation

Quinoa: a potential drought resistant crop for the Brazilian savannah.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), a food crop of high quality protein and high in vitamins and minerals, has been grown in the Andean region for thousands of years. It has a pronounced resistance to the main adverse abiotic factors affecting crop production under the harsh conditions of the high Andes: drought, cold, and saline soils. All drought mediating mechanisms, including drought escape, drought tolerance and drought avoidance, are found in the species, although not all mechanisms are present in all genotypes. Quinoa escapes drought principally through early maturity, an important trait in areas where drought risk is likely toward the end of the growing season (terminal drought). Quinoa may tolerate drought through growth plasticity, low osmotic potential and tissue elasticity, and it may avoid drought through a deep, dense root system, reduction in leaf area by leaf dropping, by generating crystals of calcium oxalate, and through stomatal behaviour. There is disagreement in the literature on the level of drought resistance actually attained by quinoa, and on the phenological phase of its susceptibility. Lund (1992) showed that seed production was reduced with less than 25% of field capacity in the soil, while Vasquez (1993) demonstrated that field capacity had to be decreased to 12.5% before seed yield was affected. Espíndola (1986) demonstrated that water deficiency during inflorescence formation and at flower initiation reduced seed yield by 40% and 65%, respectively. Different investigations show that the phases most drought susceptible with respect to grain production are vegetative, anthesis, and seed set. However, it has also been demonstrated that a certain level of drought in the vegetative phase may have a positive effect on the production of seed. Management practices, such as sowing time, row spacing and plant density, may also influence the water household of the crop. This divergence in results is understandable given the tremendous genetic variability in response to different ecotypes (valley, altiplano, salt desert, subtropics, and humid zones at sea level) reacting differently to a water deficit. This paper presents recent findings on the mechanisms of drought resistance in quinoa, with emphasis on physiological responses such as leaf gas exchange and water relations

Genotypic difference in physico-chemical grain composition of three species of grain amaranth selected for the Brazilian Savannah.

Seventeen genotypes, representing three species of grain amaranth, were analyzed for physico-chemical components. These genotypes are considered outstanding in terms of agronomical performance, necessitating an understanding of protein, lipids, fiber, and carbohydrate content. It has been demonstrated that A. cruentus, A. hypochondriacus, and A. caudatus differ in the content and properties of these compounds. Based on field experiments conducted in the Brazilian Savannahs, these genotypes were initially tested for germination and vigor after 12 years of storage under low moisture conditions at 10°C in air-tight plastic bags. Assuming that the physico-chemical characteristics were maintained, as indicated by an average 80% germination rate, samples of amaranth seeds were milled and used for analysis. The results indicate protein content below expectations, with the highest values above 14g per 100g, while lipids, fiber, and carbohydrates are within the expected range. The possible factors to explain these results are related to the cultivation environment, although genotypic differences are also significant. Additional testing with broad-based selected lines is necessary to improve selection for both agronomic and physico-chemical composition. The present results suggest that efforts should be concentrated on A. cruentus and A. hypochondriacus.Título em português: Diferença genotípica na composição físico-química de grãos de três espécies de amaranto de grãos selecionadas para o Cerrado Brasileiro

Monitoring of lactate in interstitial fluid, saliva and sweat by electrochemical biosensor: the uncertainties of biological interpretation

Lactate electrochemical biosensors were fabricated using Pediococcus sp lactate oxidase (E.C. 1.1.3.2), an external polyurethane membrane laminate diffusion barrier and an internal ionomeric polymer barrier (sulphonated polyether ether sulphone polyether sulphone, SPEES PES). In a needle embodiment, a Pt wire working electrode was retained within stainless steel tubing serving as pseudoreference. The construct gave linearity to at least 25 mM lactate with 0.17 nA/mM lactate sensitivity. A low permeability inner membrane was also unexpectedly able to increase linearity. Responses were oxygen dependent at pO2 < 70 mmHg, irrespective of the inclusion of an external diffusion barrier membrane. Subcutaneous tissue was monitored in Sprague Dawley rats, and saliva and sweat during exercise in human subjects. The tissue sensors registered no response to intravenous Na lactate, indicating a blood-tissue lactate barrier. Salivary lactate allowed tracking of blood lactate during exercise, but lactate levels were substantially lower than those in blood (0–3.5 mM vs. 1.6–12.1 mM), with variable degrees of lactate partitioning from blood, evident both between subjects and at different exercise time points. Sweat lactate during exercise measured up to 23 mM but showed highly inconsistent change as exercise progressed. We conclude that neither tissue interstitial fluid nor sweat are usable as surrogates for blood lactate, and that major reappraisal of lactate sensor use is indicated for any extravascular monitoring strategy for lactate