Fruits of our labour: contribution of commercial baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) fruit harvesting to the livelihoods of marginalized people in northern Venda, South Africa

Baobabs (Adansonia digitata) provide products, mainly bark, leaves and fruit, which are used for subsistence purposes and traded to generate cash. Recently, demands for baobab fruit derivatives on the global organic market, namely pulp and seed oil, have increased rapidly, leading to concerns that this may have negative impacts on subsistence users, particularly in areas where there is an existing high dependence on these products, such as West Africa. In contrast, in southern Africa baobab fruit are probably ‘underutilized’ and commercialization would help reduce poverty. This study evaluated the direct-use (subsistence) and income (cash) value of baobab fruit on the livelihoods of baobab fruit harvesters in South Africa. Harvesters were mostly women (98 %), many of whom were unemployed (98 %) and uneducated (70 %). The majority (68 %) received social grants and were involved in informal occupations (55 %), which contributed 35 and 18 % to total annual income respectively. The trade and direct-use value of non-timber forest products contributed 14 and 33 % to annual income, of which, baobab fruit made up 38 and 4 % respectively. Baobab fruit was the only non-timber forest product that had a higher income value (4×) than direct-use value. Cash earned was used to buy food (73 %) and invest in small businesses, suggesting a move from subsistence to cash economy. It is suggested that commercialization of baobab fruit will have far-reaching benefits; and that secured access to trees and investment in local beneficiation will further increase the value of the resource for many marginalized people in southern Africa.     

Nucleotide sequence of SRV-1, a type D simian acquired immune deficiency syndrome retrovirus

Simian acquired immune deficiency syndrome (SAIDS) in the macaque genus of monkeys at the California Primate Research Center is apparently caused by infection by a type D retrovirus. The complete nucleotide sequence (8173 base pairs) of a molecular clone of the prototype SAIDS virus isolate, SRV-1, reveals a typical retrovirus structure with long terminal repeats (346 base pairs) and open reading frames for the gag (663 codons), pol (867 codons), and env (605 codons) genes. SRV-1 also has a separate open reading frame of 314 codons between the gag and pol genes that defines the viral protease gene (prt) and a short open reading frame of unknown significance downstream from the env gene. The SRV-1 protease region shows a high degree of homology to its counterpart in the hamster intracisternal A-type particle genome; both these protease genes are about twice as long as the analogous region of other retroviruses. SRV-1 has no notable similarity in either genetic organization or sequence to the human AIDS retroviruses.     

Poor rural places in Papua New Guinea

Abstract: In the late 1960s, Harold Brookfield and Doreen Hart were ‘startled’ by the order of magnitude differences in incomes from village cash cropping in different parts of Papua New Guinea (PNG). This paper traces these differences, back into a pre‐colonial past and forward to the present and concludes, as Brookfield did in the 1960s, that severe environmental constraints, rather than market forces, are the primary cause of the pattern of spatial inequalities observable in PNG. Brookfield noted the existence of an ‘acute dilemma’ in 1960s development funding: should funds be invested where the returns will be highest, or where the need is greatest. This dilemma is as acute today as it was then. However, in the meantime, people from poor places are moving to better‐off places, seeking access to markets for their produce and health and education services for their families.     

The UVA and aqueous stability of flavonoids is dependent on B-ring substitution

Flavonols such as kaempferol and quercetin are believed to provide protection against ultraviolet (UV)-induced damage to plants. Recent in vitro studies have examined the ability of flavonols to protect against UV-induced damage to mammalian cells. Stability of flavonols in cell culture media, however, has been problematic, especially for quercetin, one of the most widely studied flavonols. As part of our investigations into the potential for flavonols to protect skin against UV-induced damage, we have determined the stability of a series of flavonols that differ only in the number of substituents on the B-ring. We measured the stability of these flavonols over time to UVA radiation, Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM), and Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline (DPBS) using high performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (HPLC-UV). The identification of the breakdown products of flavonols was accomplished by using a hybrid quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer coupled with liquid chromatography. Tandem mass spectrometric analysis (MS/MS) of flavonol photoproducts was confirmed by comparing with the known standard samples. We have determined that flavonol stability decreases with increasing B-ring substitution, suggesting that future investigation of potential photoprotective flavonols will need to be cognizant of this trend.     

Effects of Nighttime Air Temperature During Kernel Development of Field‐Grown Rice on Physicochemical and Functional Properties

Elevated nighttime air temperatures (NTATs) occurring during critical grain‐filling stages affected rice physicochemical properties, which impacted functional quality. Six cultivars were grown at multiple field locations from northern to southern Arkansas during 2007 to 2010. Nighttime temperatures were recorded throughout production at each of the locations, and 95th percentiles of NTATs were calculated for each cultivar's reproductive (R) stages. Amylose content and crude protein content decreased linearly, whereas total lipid content increased linearly, with increasing NTATs occurring during the grain‐filling stages (R6–R8). Effects of NTAT on proximate composition influenced functional properties. Peak viscosities increased linearly as NTAT increased, whereas setback viscosities decreased. Setback viscosities were linearly correlated to NTATs for medium‐grain cultivars, but correlations were quadratic for the long‐grain cultivars. Gelatinization temperatures increased linearly with increasing NTAT. The R stages in which correlations were strongest varied by cultivar and by property, hypothesized to result from differences in kernel development patterns among cultivars. These findings have significant implications for rice production scientists and processors, in that understanding the effects of NTAT on physicochemical and functional properties may help explain and reduce quality variation.     

支持完整性决策的数据管理

大多数管道的运营、维护和其它设备管理部门,采用一系列各自独立的数据资源和应用程序来管理管道的完整性、维修和安全.将各个独立的数据整合成一个单一的、相互关联的数据管理系统可以提供很多重要的好处.然而,在给定管道早期投资的情况下,评价用于建立一个包含功能强大的数据采集程序在内的新系统的成本是非常困难的.采用静态的和独立的维护性数据的专用风险管理软件被作为一种快捷的、低成本的替代选择,以此来满足规章制度所规定的必须遵从的行业要求.通过开发传统数据等方法,以最小的启动成本来实现阶段性的完整性数据管理.     

Pinosylvin methyl ether deters snowshoe hare feeding on green alder

Pinosylvin methyl ether (PME), a toxic phenol, is a potent deterrent to showshoe hare feeding on green alder. Concentrations of PME found in green alder parts can account for the low palatability of winter-dormant foliar buds and staminate catkins but cannot affect internode palatability. The lack of a PME-related defense system in internodes suggests that green alder has at least a two-level defense system: defense of growth stages and defense of parts within growth stages.