Participatory varietal selection in high-potential production systems

This paper reviews some of the participatory research in high-potential production systems on participatory varietal selection in high-potential production systems. This collaborative research is conducted by the Centre for Arid Zone Studies, UK; Local Initiatives in Biodiversity Research and Development (U-BIRD), Nepal; the Gramin Vikas Trust, India; and the Punjab Agricultural University, India. The justification for participatory rescarch on varietal selection in marginal areas is reviewed .and then compared to the needs of high-potential production systems (HPPSs). Some of the more significant findings on participatory varietal selection (PVS) in HPPSs are summarized and the roles of decentralization and participation in the research are reviewed. Participatory methods can increase the efficiency of formal breeding programs and in HPPSs they have a great potential for contributing lo higher and mor

Combining PPB and marker-assisted selection: strategies and experiences with rice

Participatory plant breeding should not preclude the use of modern biotechnological techniques

“Eat Shit and Die!”: Rereading power dynamics in fictional depictions of coprophagia

In a 2010 online video interview, the pornographic actor Veronika Moser discusses her long-standing interest in 'scat' fetishism (sex acts involving faeces), in particular her "passion" for consuming the excrement of her lovers and fellow actors. Introducing her preferences, she discusses how "[her] main objective was to learn to swallow shit, because that's something very special" (Moser). Indeed, the very excess of the act appears to form a large part of its appeal to Moser - she eventually justifies herself by claiming that "for me there's no extremer act" (Moser). Many of those commenting on the video appear to share a belief in the distinct, "special" quality of the fetish, whilst condemning the practice itself. Such a reaction is to be expected. Coprophagia - the term which describes Moser's fetish for consuming excrement - has long been a deeply controversial and potentially unsettling act, tied up in a series of debates about power and sexuality

Praying for conquest in thirteenth-century Castile: the Oratio in tempore belli adversus Saracenos

The first half of the thirteenth century saw dramatic change in the geopolitical configuration of the Iberian Peninsula, as King Fernando III of Castile (r. 1217–1252) led a series of military victories against the Islamic Almohad south, expanding Castilian control into almost all of al-Andalus. Yet the rhetoric of interreligious warfare found echoes far behind the military frontline. This contribution analyses a liturgical prayer to be used “in time of war against the Saracens”, invoking divine protection for the Castilian king and his armies against the “Muslim people” or gens Maurorum. Inscribed in a thirteenth-century sacramentary in the archive of Burgos cathedral, this prayer appears to be modelled on the ‘crusading clamour’, a liturgical form associated with crusade to Jerusalem. The adaptation of this form for a Castilian context and audience brings a new, liturgical perspective from which to examine the interreligious conflict of thirteenth-century Iberia, as well as highlighting the interconnectedness of medieval Castile within wider Latin liturgical trends. A transcription and translation of the Oratio in tempore belli adversus Saracenos can be found at the end of this chapter

Beethoven\u27s private God : an analysis of the composer\u27s markings in Sturm\u27s Betrachtungen

The process of insurance claims begins when the insurer submits a claim to the insurance company until the decision stage of the court. In practice, a number of insurance claim processes face problems causing disputes. Badan Mediasi dan Arbitrase Asuransi Indonesia (BMAI) reported that during the period 2006-2016 there have been 618 cases of insurance disputes. This study aims to create a model of insurance cheating behavior based on game theory approach. The result of backward induction analysis yields eight propositions which explain that the cheating of insurance claim can be done either by the dishonest policy holder or the dishonest claim clerk.Keywords: backward induction, game theory, insurance claim, insurance dispute, modellin

Torture Journal Annual Report 2017 - excerpts

Academia and funding bodies often require publication in journals with the highest Impact Factor and field workers and clinicians often seek practical dissemination methods. We continue to strive to fulfil these two parallel and we think not mutually exclusive aims.Torture Journal is a medical and psychological publication that aims toserve all professionals working with the rehabilitation of victims and prevention oftorture. Its objectives are to:• be a reference source for practitioners;• promote and lead research in the field;• foster debate on key topics within the scope of the journal; and,• be a collective expression of the whole sector and to facilitate networking.Additionally, the Torture Journal has always played and continues to play a crucial part of fulfilling the strategy of its publisher, the International Council for Rehabilitation for Torture Victims. This is most recently set out in one of the key outputs agreed by the IRCT Council in December 2017, the Global Knowledge Platform

Torture Journal Annual Report 2017 - excerpts

Academia and funding bodies often require publication in journals with the highest Impact Factor and field workers and clinicians often seek practical dissemination methods. We continue to strive to fulfil these two parallel and we think not mutually exclusive aims.Torture Journal is a medical and psychological publication that aims toserve all professionals working with the rehabilitation of victims and prevention oftorture. Its objectives are to:• be a reference source for practitioners;• promote and lead research in the field;• foster debate on key topics within the scope of the journal; and,• be a collective expression of the whole sector and to facilitate networking.Additionally, the Torture Journal has always played and continues to play a crucial part of fulfilling the strategy of its publisher, the International Council for Rehabilitation for Torture Victims. This is most recently set out in one of the key outputs agreed by the IRCT Council in December 2017, the Global Knowledge Platform

Recombinant anticoccidial vaccines - a cup half full?

Eimeria species parasites can cause the disease coccidiosis, most notably in chickens. The occurrence of coccidiosis is currently controlled through a combination of good husbandry, chemoprophylaxis and/or live parasite vaccination; however, scalable, cost-effective subunit or recombinant vaccines are required. Many antigens have been proposed for use in novel anticoccidial vaccines, supported by the capacity to reduce disease severity or parasite replication, increase body weight gain in the face of challenge or improve feed conversion under experimental conditions, but none has reached commercial development. Nonetheless, the protection against challenge induced by some antigens has been within the lower range described for the ionophores against susceptible isolates or current live vaccines prior to oocyst recycling. With such levels of efficacy it may be that combinations of anticoccidial antigens already described are sufficient for development as novel multi-valent vaccines, pending identification of optimal delivery systems. Selection of the best antigens to be included in such vaccines can be informed by knowledge defining the natural occurrence of specific antigenic diversity, with relevance to the risk of immediate vaccine breakthrough, and the rate at which parasite genomes can evolve new diversity. For Eimeria, such data are now becoming available for antigens such as apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) and immune mapped protein 1 (IMP1) and more are anticipated as high-capacity, high-throughput sequencing technologies become increasingly accessible