Effect of incremental levels of fish oil in the diet on ruminal lipid metabolism in growing steers

Based on the potential benefits to human health, there is interest in developing sustainable nutritional strategies to enhance the concentration of long-chain n-3 fatty acids in ruminant-derived foods. Four Aberdeen Angus steers fitted with rumen and duodenal cannulae were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square experiment with 21 d experimental periods to examine the potential of fish oil (FO) in the diet to enhance the supply of 20 : 5n-3 and 22 : 6n-3 available for absorption in growing cattle. Treatments consisted of total mixed rations based on maize silage fed at a rate of 85 g DM/kg live weight0·75/d containing 0, 8, 16 and 24 g FO/kg diet DM. Supplements of FO reduced linearly (P < 0·01) DM intake and shifted (P < 0·01) rumen fermentation towards propionate at the expense of acetate and butyrate. FO in the diet enhanced linearly (P < 0·05) the flow of trans-16 : 1, trans-18 : 1, trans-18 : 2, 20 : 5n-3 and 22 : 6n-3, and decreased linearly (P < 0·05) 18 : 0 and 18 : 3n-3 at the duodenum. Increases in the flow of trans-18 : 1 were isomer dependent and were determined primarily by higher amounts of trans-11 reaching the duodenum. In conclusion, FO alters ruminal lipid metabolism of growing cattle in a dose-dependent manner consistent with an inhibition of ruminal biohydrogenation, and enhances the amount of long-chain n-3 fatty acids at the duodenum, but the increases are marginal due to extensive biohydrogenation in the rumen.

Quasi-optimal assimilation of satellite retrievals for incremental 4D-Var

An interface between satellite retrievals and the incremental version of the four-dimensional variational assimilation scheme is developed, making full use of the information content of satellite measurements. In this paper, expressions for the function that calculates simulated observations from model states (called “observation operator”), together with its tangent linear version and adjoint, are derived. Results from our work can be used for implementing a quasi-optimal assimilation of satellite retrievals (e.g., of atmospheric trace gases) in operational meteorological centres.

Video activity extraction and reporting with incremental unsupervised learning

The present work presents a new method for activity extraction and reporting from video based on the aggregation of fuzzy relations. Trajectory clustering is first employed mainly to discover the points of entry and exit of mobiles appearing in the scene. In a second step, proximity relations between resulting clusters of detected mobiles and contextual elements from the scene are modeled employing fuzzy relations. These can then be aggregated employing typical soft-computing algebra. A clustering algorithm based on the transitive closure calculation of the fuzzy relations allows building the structure of the scene and characterises the ongoing different activities of the scene. Discovered activity zones can be reported as activity maps with different granularities thanks to the analysis of the transitive closure matrix. Taking advantage of the soft relation properties, activity zones and related activities can be labeled in a more human-like language. We present results obtained on real videos corresponding to apron monitoring in the Toulouse airport in France.

A 'Kimberley protest': diamond mining, export sanctions, and poverty in Awatia, Ghana

The temporary suspension of diamond exports in Ghana in 2006 and 2007 is arguably the most significant move to address mounting criticisms of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), an international initiative aimed at stemming the flow of rough diamonds used to finance wars. The ban, which took effect in November 2006, was much praised, particularly in civil society circles, where it continues to be seen as a genuine effort to prevent the smuggling of ‘conflict diamonds’. At the time, Ghana was accused of harbouring stones originating from rebel-held territories in neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire. No evidence was found in support of the case that it was a repository for ‘conflict diamonds’, however, and exports resumed early in March 2007. This article examines the context for the accusations of Ghana’s implication in the smuggling of illicit diamonds, and draws on recent fieldwork to explain how the suspension has affected Akwatia, the country’s main diamondiferous area. The actions taken raise important questions about how suspected violators – particularly smaller diamond-producing nations – of the KPCS should be handled, and underscore how global compacts can have a host of negative repercussions at the village level.

Livelihood diversification and the expansion of artisanal mining in rural Tanzania: drivers and policy implications

This paper provides an extended analysis of livelihood diversification in rural Tanzania, with special emphasis on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Over the past decade, this sector of industry, which is labour-intensive and comprises an array of rudimentary and semi-mechanized operations, has become an indispensable economic activity throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, providing employment to a host of redundant public sector workers, retrenched large-scale mine labourers and poor farmers. In many of the region’s rural areas, it is overtaking subsistence agriculture as the primary industry. Such a pattern appears to be unfolding within the Morogoro and Mbeya regions of southern Tanzania, where findings from recent research suggest that a growing number of smallholder farmers are turning to ASM for employment and financial support. It is imperative that national rural development programmes take this trend into account and provide support to these people.

Data-mining chess databases

This is a report on the data-mining of two chess databases, the objective being to compare their sub-7-man content with perfect play as documented in Nalimov endgame tables. Van der Heijden’s ENDGAME STUDY DATABASE IV is a definitive collection of 76,132 studies in which White should have an essentially unique route to the stipulated goal. Chessbase’s BIG DATABASE 2010 holds some 4.5 million games. Insight gained into both database content and data-mining has led to some delightful surprises and created a further agenda.

De-agrarianization, re-agrarianization and local economic development: re-orientating livelihoods in African artisanal mining communities

This article contributes to the debate on livelihood diversification in rural sub-Saharan Africa, focusing specifically on the growing economic importance of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in the region. The precipitous decline in the value of many export crops and the removal of subsidies on crucial inputs such as fertilizers have made smallholder production unviable, forcing many farmers to ‘branch out’ into non-farm activities to supplement their incomes. One of the more popular destinations for poor farmers is the low-tech ASM sector which, because of its low barriers to entry, has absorbed millions of rural Africans over the past two decades, the majority of whom are engaged in the extraction of near-surface mineral deposits located on concessions that have been demarcated to multinational corporations. The efforts made hitherto to control this illegal mining activity, both through force and regulation, however, have had little effect, forcing many of the region’s governments and private sector partners to ‘re-think’ their approaches. One strategy that has gained considerable attention throughout the region is intensified support for agrarian-orientated activities, many of which, despite the problems plaguing smallholder agricultural sector and challenges with making it more economically sustainable, are being lauded as appropriate ‘alternative’ sources of employment to artisanal mining. After examining where artisanal mining fits into the de-agrarianization ‘puzzle’ in sub-Saharan Africa, the article critiques the efficacy of ‘re-agrarianization’ as a strategy for addressing the region’s illegal mining problem. A case study of Ghana is used to shed further light on these issues.

In vitro gas production and nitrogen degradability of tannin-containing tree fruits in response to incremental levels of polyethylene glycol

This study was designed to determine the response of in vitro fermentation parameters to incremental levels of polyethylene glycol (PEG) when tanniniferous tree fruits (Dichrostachys cinerea, Acacia erioloba, A. erubiscens, A. nilotica and Piliostigma thonningii) were fermented using the Reading Pressure Technique. The trivalent ytterbium precipitable phenolics content of fruit substrates ranged from 175 g/kg DM in A. erubiscens to 607 g/kg DM in A. nilotica, while the soluble condensed tannin content ranged from 0.09 AU550nm/40mg in A. erioloba to 0.52 AU550nm/40 mg in D. cinerea. The ADF was highest in P. thonningii fruits (402 g/kg DM) and lowest in A. nilotica fruits (165 g/kg DM). Increasing the level of PEG caused an exponential rise to a maximum (asymptotic) for cumulative gas production, rate of gas production and nitrogen degradability in all substrates except P. thonningii fruits. Dry matter degradability for fruits containing higher levels of soluble condensed tannins (D. cinerea and P. thonningii), showed little response to incremental levels of PEG after incubation for 24 h. The minimum levels of PEG required to maximize in vitro fermentation of tree fruits was found to be 200 mg PEG/g DM of sample for all tree species except A. erubiscens fruits, which required 100 mg PEG/g DM sample. The study provides evidence that PEG levels lower than 1 g/g DM sample can be used for in vitro tannin bioassays to reduce the cost of evaluating non-conventional tanniniferous feedstuffs used in developing countries in the tropics and subtopics. The use of in vitro nitrogen degradability in place of the favoured dry matter degradability improved the accuracy of PEG as a diagnostic tool for tannins in in vitro fermentation systems.

Poverty and livelihood diversification in rural Liberia: exploring the linkages between artisanal diamond mining and smallholder rice production

This paper provides an account of the changing livelihood dynamics unfolding in diamond-rich territories of rural Liberia. In these areas, many farm families are using the rice harvested on their plots to attract and feed labourers recruited specifically to mine for diamonds. The monies accrued from the sales of all recovered stones are divided evenly between the family and hired hands, an arrangement which, for thousands of people, has proved to be an effective short-term buffer against poverty. A deepened knowledge of these dynamics could be an important step towards facilitating lasting development in Liberia’s highly-impoverished rural areas.