Generating and evaluating a novel genetic resource in wheat in diverse environments

The principal objective of the project is to develop composite cross populations of wheat based on a wide range of key parent varieties. The parents will be selected partly on past knowledge of successful performance in terms of yield, quality and disease resistance and partly on the basis of molecular ancestry to try to ensure as wide range of diversity as possible. Following parental inter-crossing in all possible combinations, progeny population samples will be exposed to a range of widely different agricultural environments and systems through several seasons of, largely, natural selection. Performance of the population samples will be compared at different stages against both the parents grown as pure stands and as physical mixtures. Our objective is to increase the sustainability and competitiveness of organic and other extensive farming systems by developing genetically diverse wheat populations that will respond rapidly to on-farm selection for improved productivity and yield. It is well established that modern varieties of wheat perform poorly under the conditions and management options encountered in organic farming systems. This is due to a number of factors including poor competition against weeds, narrow resistance against pests and disease, inability to efficiently utilise soil bound nutrients and the lack of genetic flexibility to buffer against environmental variation. To develop a conventional, new wheat breeding programme, from start to release of adapted varieties, would take many years. The approach we propose can deliver this material quickly. This will be achieved through the production of appropriate composite-cross populations of winter wheat. The research will provide material adapted to basic organic conditions that can then be further selected on-farm. This will also be of benefit to non-organic farms as the populations will posses broad resistance to pests and disease and improved competitive ability against weeds, so minimising the need for crop protection inputs. The research will deliver a unique insight into the evolution of genetically diverse wheat populations, under a diverse range of environments, which will allow the elucidation of gene x environment interactions. In addition, it will provide information on the characters of winter wheat that confer improved productivity under a diversity of environmental conditions. Samples of the resulting winter wheat composite cross populations will be placed in the gene bank at the John Innes Centre. Overall objective: To increase the sustainability and competitiveness of both non-organic and organic farming systems by developing genetically diverse wheat populations that will respond rapidly to on-farm selection for improved productivity and yield. 1. To generate six distinct, highly heterogeneous composite-cross populations of winter wheat for further development and selection. The populations will comprise; one with parental material selected for good milling potential, one with parents selected for high yield potential and one comprising both sets of parent material. Each of these populations will then be split to either include or exclude heritable male sterility. 2. To evaluate the performance and evolution of composite-cross populations over time under a diverse range of environmental conditions and identify characteristics that confer improved productivity in these environments. 3. To track the genetic changes that accompany selection, so providing a better understanding of the assemblages of traits that underlie improved productivity in diverse environments. 4. To provide genetically diverse crop material for further selection by farmers and as a resource for future publicly funded research. 5. To disseminate the results to the scientific community and industr

Factors that influence student pursuit of science careers; the role of gender, ethnicity, family and friends

This study adds to a body of research reporting on pupils’ choices and outcomes in relation to science. The article reports on 536 Scottish pupils’ perceptions regarding reported intention to choose careers in science, with further analysis in terms of family, friends, gender and ethnicity. The pupils, aged 14-15, from 5 schools in one Scottish education authority, thought that science is important and scientific careers are good. Pupils had evenly balanced views and attitudes towards science, but just over one third (38.7%) of all respondents indicated that they were considering a career in science. The major factor influencing pupils’ career choices in Scotland seemed to be their perception of whether their parents want them to pursue a career in science

Mechanism and Application of Baker–Venkataraman O→C Acyl Migration Reactions

This literature review focuses on the O→C acyl migration of aryl esters to yield the corresponding 1,3-dicarbonyl products—a reaction known as the Baker–Venkataraman rearrangement—and outlines their subsequent transformations. The purpose of the review is to highlight the utility of the rearrangement which provides a key step in the synthesis of various heterocyclic motifs. The scope of the Baker–Venkataraman rearrangement is illustrated by way of numerous examples of its application, and in doing so, the review contains over 100 references and covers just over 100 years of the literature, from the first report of the rearrangement by Auwers in 1910 up to more recent examples in the past few years. 1 Introduction 2 Historical Perspective 3 Mechanism 4 Applications: General Routes to Heterocycles 4.1 Flavones and Flavanones 4.2 Xanthones 4.3 Chromones 4.4 Coumarins 4.5 Anthrapyran and Anthracyclin Antibiotics 4.6 Benzopyrans 5 The Retro-Baker–Venkataraman Rearrangement 6 Summary and Outloo

A report on child safety and dog attacks

The research investigated the issues involving dog attacks on children, specifically by dogs known to the child. The report identifies the circumstances and conditions which may result in an attack by a family dog. This report provides research-based recommendations to reduce the incidence and severity of dog attacks on children. To accomplish this objective a qualitative approach was applied, including examination of both New Zealand and overseas research on this issue

A report on child cycling safety

The research project identifies and examines various issues related to the cycling safety of urban school children in Hamilton aged between eight and 15 years of age in Hamilton. The report outlines, discusses and evaluates the various negative and positive variables that affect the level of cycling safety experienced by urban school children. Research-based recommendations are provided with three purposes in mind. First, some are intended immediately to enhance the effectiveness of existing physical and educational provisions. Second, some are intended to promote discussion of possible amendments to the strategies and overall structure of responsibility and authority of bodies of control, such as local and regional authorities, as well as interest and advocacy groups with a view to achieving enhanced safety provisions through new ideas and approaches . Third, and most fundamentally, these two kinds of recommendations are designed to achieve short-term and sustained long-term reductions in the rates of cycling accidents involving urban school children. As such, the underpinning objective of this report is to create an accessible resource of information and recommendations relevant to any party interested in the safety of child cyclists in urban areas

Securing access to international markets

The unconditional extension of the fruits of trade negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is giving way to bilateral and other discriminatory trade agreements. Led by the United States, GATT has taken a strong position against discrimination: the benefits of negotiations under GATT generally have been extended to all contracting parties without specific conditions or reservations. This unconditional extension of benefits - the unconditional most favored nation principle (MFN) - is now under considerable pressure. This paper finds that the threat to multilateralism and small traders will be reduced if : (i) new trade liberalizing"clubs"that are formed in the Uruguay Round, or elsewhere, are open to new members on the same terms that apply to the founders; (ii) compliance with the rules of such clubs is determined multilaterally and not unilaterally by any existing members; (iii) markets that are levered open are opened in a nondiscriminatory manner; (iv) preferential trading agreements conform to the relevant GATT rule - Article XXIV and; (v) the main safeguard provision of GATT (Article XIX) remains nondiscriminatory.TF054105-DONOR FUNDED OPERATION ADMINISTRATION FEE INCOME AND EXPENSE ACCOUNT,Trade Policy,Economic Theory&Research,Trade and Regional Integration,Environmental Economics&Policies