Pacific flows: The fluidity of remittances in the Cook Islands

Abstract: This paper contributes political and cultural‐economy perspectives to the critique of the MIRAB model 20 years on. In it, we celebrate the politically grounded reading by MIRAB analysts of development in the small island nations of the Pacific and their attention to both the empirical and the structural in their treatment of the economies of these countries. We address aspects, however, of one of the common critiques of MIRAB analyses: their failure to capture accurately the nature of small island socio‐cultural economies. We focus on the workings of remittance systems on two of the Cook Islands, Mauke and Manihiki, as the basis for a more thorough critique. We argue that rather than living economically and nationally determined lives, Cook Islanders live in rich networks of flows of goods, people, labour and meaning that the MIRAB model does not fully capture. The microeconomics of the transnational kin or household unit and the remittance decision are deeply embedded in such networks. These networks generate their own, temporary constellations of responsibility, economy and decision‐making, which may or may not materialise at any point as household economy. We consider some of the consequences of a network view for MIRAB analyses and for development in small island nations.     

Resistance at the TM-2 locus in the tomato to tomato mosaic virus

Summary There are three known tomato mosaic virus (TMV) resistance factors, Tm-1, Tm-2 and Tm-2 ², in the tomato. Tm-2 ² is currently the most widely utilised in glasshouse cultivars. Both Tm-2 and Tm-2² can induce systemic necroses in response to virus infection. These are considered to be hypersensitive resistance reactions in view of the low virus concentrations in affected plants and because sub-inoculation usually fails to infect all plants possessing the same resistance gene. The literature relating to TMV resistance at the Tm-2 locus in the tomato is reviewed.Virulent strains may readily establish when Tm-1 or Tm-2 are used, but Tm-2 ² confers more effective resistance. The possible development of aggressive isolates capable of affecting Tm-2 ²/Tm-2² plants is discussed. The establishment of virus types which cause systemic necrosis at normal growing temperatures is considered more likely than widespread infection from fully virulent strain 2² mutants. However, the growing of crops isolated from the TMV reservoirs in the soil considerably reduces the likelihood of even this occurring.     

Isolation of a pure thornless loganberry by meristem tip culture

Summary Thornless Loganberry (TL) is a periclinal chimeral blackberry in which a layer of mutant (thornless) epidermis surrounds a core of wild-type (thorny) tiusse. Due to its chimeral arrangement, TL produces thorny adventitious root cuttings and thorny offspring. To separate the chimera into its components parts, meristems of TL were grow in vitro on modified Murashige and Skoog medium to yield callus and adventitious shoots. One of these shoots has survived, flowered, and produced thornless offspring from seed. The importance of this non-chimeral TL is discussed.List of terms BA 6-benzylaminopurine - GA₃ gibberellic acid - NAA naphthalene acetic acid - hybridberry polyploid bramble interspecific hybrids - MS Murashige & Skoog (1962) high mineral salt medium - TL Thornless Loganberry - TL_tc tissue culture-derived (non-chimeral) Thornless Loganberry     

Associations between grain yield and carbon isotope discrimination in cowpea

Twenty cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) genotypes, comprising Kenyan cultivars and Kenyan and introduced breedings lines, were grown in 15 replicated field trials carried out at three locations in semi-arid eastern Kenya over four seasons. Grain and straw yields and the carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) of this material were determined, and days to flowering and maturity observed.None of the seasons in which the trials were conducted was appreciably drier than the long term average for the sites, and some trials received excessive rain. Averaging the data for the 15 trials, one genotype yielded much less grain (77 g m⁻²) than the 19 others, whose yield ranged from 125 to 177 g m⁻² (average 148 g m⁻²). Trial mean yield trials had a high straw Δ (r = +0.567) and had received more rain between flowering and maturity (r = +0.428) than lower yielding ones. Among genotypes, averaging over trials, the correlation coefficient (r) between grain yield and grain Δ was +0.394, and between grain yield and straw Δ, +0.460. Early genotypes had the highest grain Δ and straw Δ. The correlation among genotypes between date of flowering and grain Δ was −0.632 and with straw Δ, −0.502. When comparisons were made among trials, there was no clear relationship between the strength of the correlations among genotypes between grain yield and straw Δ or grain Δ and the degree of stress experienced by a trial (as indicated by the rainfall it had received). It appeared that this was because the variances of grain Δ and straw Δ were greater in the most droughted trials, whereas the variance of yield was greatest in the least droughted trials.It is concluded that the genetic correlation between grain yield and either grain Δ or straw Δ is unlikely to be strong enough to make either Δ a useful surrogate or adjunct in selecting for high yield in the segregating generations of a breeding programme for semi-arid eastern Kenya, but that Δ may be of value in the selection of parent genotypes.     

Threatened plants in Southern Africa

Computer-based aids have been used extensively to support surveys of threatened plants in Southern Africa. The surveys have shown that by far the highest concentration of threatened plants occurs in the relatively small area of the Cape Floristic Kingdom, a region with many local endemics that are easily put in hazard by impacts such as agriculture, invasive exotics and over-frequent fires. Of the estimated 20 000 vascular plants in Southern Africa, 2373 appear to be critically rare, threatened or recently extinct. Sixty-eight per cent of the plants in hazard occur in the Cape Floristic Kingdom. Obstacles to conservation, particularly a lack of nature reserves in critical areas, are discussed.     

Phocine distemper virus in the North and European Seas - Data and models, nature and nurture

Two outbreaks of phocine distemper have severely affected harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) populations in European and UK waters. The first occurred in 1988 when the causative virus was identified as a new member of the genus morbillivirus. The second outbreak in 2002 was first detected on the same Danish Island of Anholt and involved similar populations and geographical locations. However, despite the obvious similarities between the epidemics, differences in viral transmission and case mortality were found. Harbour seals are highly susceptible to infection while sympatric grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) are resistant but could be important asymptomatic carriers of the disease. Arctic phocid seals remain the most likely source of the virus and grey seals could be the link between these primary hosts and the harbour seal populations further south. Future epidemiological models should therefore consider including multiple host species. The future conservation and management of harbour seal populations vulnerable to PDV relies on the ability to accurately predict the long-term impact on population abundance and distribution. Although knowledge about the behaviour and pathogenesis of the virus has increased substantially and data on host movements and contact rates are accumulating, studies into the determinants of the host range have lagged behind. The development of more realistic epidemiological models should be combined with studies into the factors controlling species and individual susceptibility. Assessing the risk of infection to endangered but currently unexposed potential host species (such as the Hawaiian monk seal, Monachus schauinslandi) is essential for guiding potential conservation management options, such as vaccination     

Physiological and biochemical characterization of quinclorac resistance in a false cleavers (Galium spurium L.) biotype

The physiological and biochemical basis for quinclorac resistance in a false cleavers (Galium spurium L.) biotype was investigated. There was no difference between herbicide resistant (R) and susceptible (S) false cleavers biotypes in response to 2,4-D, clopyralid, glyphosate, glufosinate-ammonium, or bentazon. On the basis of GR(50) (growth reduction of 50%) or LD(50) (lethal dose to 50% of tested plants) values, the R biotype was highly resistant to the acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitor, thifensulfuron-methyl (GR(50) resistance ratio R/S = 57), and quinolinecarboxylic acids (quinclorac R/S = 46), resistant to MCPA (R/S = 12), and moderately resistant to the auxinic herbicides picloram (R/S = 3), dicamba (R/S = 3), fluroxypyr (R/S = 3), and triclopyr (R/S = 2). The mechanism of quinclorac resistance was not due to differences in [(14)C]quinclorac absorption, translocation, root exudation, or metabolism. Seventy-two hours after root application of quinclorac, ethylene increased ca. 3-fold in S but not R plants when compared to controls, while ABA increased ca. 14-fold in S as opposed to ca. 3-fold in R plants suggesting an alteration in the auxin signal transduction pathway, or altered target site causes resistance in false cleavers. The R false cleavers biotype may be an excellent model system to further examine the auxin signal transduction pathway and the mechanism of quinclorac and auxinic herbicide action.