GENETIC DIVERSITY AMONG SORGHUM LANDRACES OF SOUTHWESTERN HIGHLANDS OF UGANDA

Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is an economic and staple crop in sub-Saharan Africa. The genetic diversity in its germplasm is an invaluable aid for its crop improvement. The objective of this study was to assess the existing genetic diversity among sorghum landraces in the southwestern highlands of Uganda. A total of 47 sorghum landraces, collected from southwestern highlands of Uganda, were characterised using 12 qualitative and 13 quantitative traits. The study was conducted at Kachwekano Research Farm in Kabale District, at an altitude of 2,223 m above sea level, during growing season of December 2014 to August 2015. Panicle shape and compactness were the most varied qualitative traits. Grain yield (1.23 to 11.31 t ha-1) and plant height (144.7 to 351.6 cm) were among quantitative traits that showed high variability. Days to 50% flowering (115 to 130 days) showed the least variability. Results of UPGMA cluster analysis generated a dendrogram with three clusters. Panicle weight, leaf width, stem girth, exertion length, peduncle length, panicle shape and compactness, glume colour and threshability were major traits responsible for the observed clustering (P<0.001). Principal Component Analysis revealed the largest variation contributors.

Governance and community capitals : understanding how governance has worked in three faith-based schools in the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea

This thesis, titled Governance and Community Capitals, explores the kinds of practical processes that have made governance work in three faith-based schools in the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG). To date, the nation of PNG has been unable to meet its stated educational goals; however, some faith-based primary schools have overcome educational challenges by changing their local governance systems. What constitutes good governance in developing countries and how it can be achieved in a PNG schooling context has received very little scholarly attention. In this study, the subject of governance is approached at the nexus between the administrative sciences and asset-based community development. In this space, the researcher provides an understanding of the contribution that community capitals have made to understandings of local forms of governance in the development context. However, by and large, conceptions of governance have a history of being positioned within a Euro-centric frame and very little, if anything is known about the naming of capitals by indigenous peoples. In this thesis, six indigenous community capitals are made visible, expanding the repertoire of extant capitals published to date. The capitals identified and named in this thesis are: Story, Wisdom, Action, Blessing, Name and Unity. In-depth insights into these capitals are provided and through the theoretical idea of performativity, the researcher advances an understanding of how the habitual enactment of the practical components of the capitals made governance work in this unique setting. The study draws from a grounded and appreciative methodology and is based on a case study design incorporating a three-stage cycle of investigation. The first stage tested the application of an assets-based method to documentary sources of data including most significant change stories, community mapping and visual diaries. In the second stage, a group process method relevant to a PNG context was developed and employed. The third stage involved building theory from case study evidence using content analysis, language and metaphorical speech acts as guides for complex analysis. The thesis demonstrates the contribution that indigenous community capitals can make to understanding local forms of governance and how PNG faith-based schools meet their local governance challenges.

The exploration of potato-associated bacteria in the Central Andean Highlands and their application in integrated crop management systems

Potato is the most important food crop after wheat and rice. A changing climate, coupled with a heightened consumer awareness of how food is produced and legislative changes governing the usage of agrochemicals, means that alternative more integrated and sustainable approaches are needed for crop management practices. Bioprospecting in the Central Andean Highlands resulted in the isolation and in vitro screening of 600 bacterial isolates. The best performing isolates, under in vitro conditions, were field trialled in their home countries. Six of the isolates, Pseudomonas sp. R41805 (Bolivia), Pseudomonas palleroniana R43631 (Peru), Bacillus sp. R47065, R47131, Paenibacillus sp. B3a R49541, and Bacillus simplex M3-4 R49538 (Ecuador), showed significant increase in the yield of potato. Using – omic technologies (i.e. volatilomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic), the influence of microbial isolates on plant defence responses was determined. Volatile organic compounds of bacterial isolates were identified using GC/MS. RT-qPCR analysis revealed the significant expression of Ethylene Response Factor 3 (ERF3) and the results of this study suggest that the dual inoculation of potato with Pseudomonas sp. R41805 and Rhizophagus irregularis MUCL 41833 may play a part in the activation of plant defence system via ERF3. The proteomic analysis by 2-DE study has shown that priming by Pseudomonas sp. R41805 can induce the expression of proteins related to photosynthesis and protein folding in in vitro potato plantlets. The metabolomics study has shown that the total glycoalkaloid (TGA) content of greenhouse-grown potato tubers following inoculation with Pseudomonas sp. R41805 did not exceed the acceptable safety limit (200 mg kg-1 FW). As a result of this study, a number of bacteria have been identified with commercial potential that may offer sustainable alternatives in both Andean and European agricultural settings.

Notas sobre o antigo povoamento indígena do alto Trombetas e Mapuera

A 'Relação' de 1728 de frei Francisco de São Manços, com a narrativa da primeira exploração da bacia Trombetas-Mapuera, no noroeste do Estado do Pará, embora publicada há mais de cem anos, é aqui, pela primeira vez, objeto de análise e de interpretação geográfica e etno-histórica. A importância do documento está em nomear e em localizar com aproximação cerca de 50 'nações' indígenas, quase todas ignoradas pelas fontes históricas e etnográficas posteriores, além de mencionar muitas de suas aldeias e de seus chefes. A reconstituição do itinerário permitiu concluir que a viagem do 'descobridor do Trombetas' transcorreu, na verdade, em grande parte, pelo Mapuera, seu afluente, até o planalto das Guianas. A informação etnográfica, embora limitada, inclui referências a dois níveis de chefia política e à guerra como meio de obter escravos destinados ao escambo por mercadorias.

Do Código Florestal para o Código da Biodiversidade

Em face do gigantismo do território e da situação real em que se encontram os seus macro biomas - Amazônia Brasileira, Brasil Tropical Atlântico, Cerrados do Brasil Central, Planalto das Araucárias, e Pradarias Mistas do Brasil Subtropical - e de seus numerosos mini-biomas, faixas de transição e relictos de ecossistemas, qualquer tentativa de mudança no "Código Florestal" tem que ser conduzido por pessoas competentes e bioeticamente sensíveis. Por muitas razões, se houvesse um movimento para aprimorar o atual Código Florestal, teria que envolver o sentido mais amplo de um Código de Biodiversidades, levando em conta o complexo mosaico vegetacional de nosso território. Enquanto o mundo inteiro trabalha para a diminuição radical de emissão de CO2, o projeto de reforma proposto na Câmara Federal de revisão do Código Florestal defende um processo que significará uma onda de desmatamento e emissões incontroláveis de gás carbônico, fato observado por muitos críticos em diversos trabalhos e entrevistas. A utopia de um desenvolvimento com o máximo de florestas em pé não pode ser eliminada por princípio em função de mudanças radicais do Código Florestal, sendo necessário pensar no território total de nosso país, sob um ampliado e correto Código de Biodiversidade. Ou seja, um pensamento que envolva: as nossas grandes florestas (Amazônia e Matas Tropicais Atlânticas); o domínio das caatingas e agrestes sertanejos; planaltos centrais com cerrados, cerradões e campestres; os planaltos de araucárias sul-brasileiros; as pradarias mistas do Rio Grande do Sul; e os redutos e mini-biomas da costa brasileira e do Pantanal mato-grossense, e faixas de transição e contrato (core-áreas) de todos os domínios morfoclimáticos e fitogeográficos brasileiros).

Spatial patterns of soil attributes and components in a mangrove system in Southeast Brazil (Sao Paulo)

Purpose Among environmental factors governing innumerous processes that are active in estuarine environments, those of edaphic character have received special attention in recent studies. With the objectives of determining the spatial patterns of soil attributes and components across different mangrove forest landscapes and obtaining additional information on the cause-effect relationships between these variables and position within the estuary, we analyzed several soil attributes in 31 mangrove soil profiles from the state of So Paulo (Guaruja, Brazil). Materials and methods Soil samples were collected at low tide along two transects within the CrumahA(0) mangrove forest. Samples were analyzed to determine pH, Eh, salinity, and the percentages of sand, silt, clay, total organic carbon (TOC), and total S. Mineralogy of the clay fraction (< 2 mm) was also studied by X-ray diffraction analysis, and partitioning of solid-phase Fe was performed by sequential extraction. Results and discussion The results obtained indicate important differences in soil composition at different depths and landscape positions, causing variations in physicochemical parameters, clay mineralogy, TOC contents, and iron geochemistry. The results also indicate that physicochemical conditions may vary in terms of different local microtopographies. Soil salinity was determined by relative position in relation to flood tide and transition areas with highlands. The proportions of TOC and total S are conditioned by the sedimentation of organic matter derived from vegetation and by the prevailing redox conditions, which clearly favored intense sulfate reduction in the soils (similar to 80% of the total Fe is Fe-pyrite). Particle-size distribution is conditioned by erosive/deposition processes (present and past) and probably by the positioning of ancient and reworked sandy ridges. The existing physicochemical conditions appear to contribute to the synthesis (smectite) and transformation (kaolinite) of clay minerals. Conclusions The results demonstrate that the position of soils in the estuary greatly affects soil attributes. Differences occur even at small scales (meters), indicating that both edaphic (soil classification, soil mineralogy, and soil genesis) and environmental (contamination and carbon stock) studies should take such variability into account.

Tourism as a contributor to development in Sri Lanka: An overview and a case study

General background is provided on the potential of tourism growth to contribute to economic development, paying particular attention to the experience of Sri Lanka. An overview of trends in inbound tourism to Sri Lanka is presented with particular consideration being given to its number of inbound tourist arrivals. Sri Lanka’s comparative position in international tourism markets, the composition of its tourist arrivals by area of origin, the extent of foreign earnings by the Sri Lankan tourism industry and variations in the amount of these earnings, and the extent of employment generation by this industry are examined. Regional aspects of the tourism industry in Sri Lanka are given special consideration, and this is followed by a report on the regional economic impact of tourism of Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. This major tourist attraction near the edge of the Western Highlands of Sri Lanka is shown to make a significant contribution to economic decentralisation. A general discussion follows of tourism development in the Sri Lankan context. The main factors that have hindered tourism growth in Sri Lanka and its decentralisation are considered. Indications are that major impediment posed by civil disturbance and terrorism is at an end in Sri Lanka.

A landscape-scale test of the predictive ability of a spatially explicit model for population viability analysis

1. Although population viability analysis (PVA) is widely employed, forecasts from PVA models are rarely tested. This study in a fragmented forest in southern Australia contrasted field data on patch occupancy and abundance for the arboreal marsupial greater glider Petauroides volans with predictions from a generic spatially explicit PVA model. This work represents one of the first landscape-scale tests of its type. 2. Initially we contrasted field data from a set of eucalypt forest patches totalling 437 ha with a naive null model in which forecasts of patch occupancy were made, assuming no fragmentation effects and based simply on remnant area and measured densities derived from nearby unfragmented forest. The naive null model predicted an average total of approximately 170 greater gliders, considerably greater than the true count (n = 81). 3. Congruence was examined between field data and predictions from PVA under several metapopulation modelling scenarios. The metapopulation models performed better than the naive null model. Logistic regression showed highly significant positive relationships between predicted and actual patch occupancy for the four scenarios (P = 0.001-0.006). When the model-derived probability of patch occupancy was high (0.50-0.75, 0.75-1.00), there was greater congruence between actual patch occupancy and the predicted probability of occupancy. 4. For many patches, probability distribution functions indicated that model predictions for animal abundance in a given patch were not outside those expected by chance. However, for some patches the model either substantially over-predicted or under-predicted actual abundance. Some important processes, such as inter-patch dispersal, that influence the distribution and abundance of the greater glider may not have been adequately modelled. 5. Additional landscape-scale tests of PVA models, on a wider range of species, are required to assess further predictions made using these tools. This will help determine those taxa for which predictions are and are not accurate and give insights for improving models for applied conservation management.

Habitat requirements for the conservation of arboreal marsupials in dry sclerophyll forests of Southeast Queensland, Australia

The habitat requirements of arboreal marsupials were investigated in the dry sclerophyll forests of southeast Queensland, Australia. Species richness and abundance of arboreal marsupials was correlated to the proportion of total stand basal area occupied by lemon-scented gum (Corymbia citriodora), the height of the tallest trees, and density of hollow-bearing trees. The first two factors suggested that the most productive forests were also the most suitable habitats for arboreal marsupials. Importantly, the number of hollow-bearing trees was a significant factor in determining species richness and abundance of arboreal marsupials in this study, with the maximum number of species reached at sites containing greater than or equal to4 hollow-bearing trees/ha, and maximum abundance occurring at sites with :6 hollow-bearingtrees/ha. The proportion of C. citriodora was significant for the presence of the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), greater glider (Petauroides volans), and the yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis), while understory Acacia sp. density was important for the presence of the sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps). The yellow-bellied glider was also affected by two other variables: the density of hollow-bearing trees >50 cm diameter at breast height (dbh), and the time since the last logging. Current Codes of Practice regulating the density of hollow-bearing trees and silvicultural practices in state-owned timber production forests appear to provide adequate protection for arboreal marsupials, but the recently introduced increase in timber extraction rates within state forests may be detrimental to the animals. Also, protective prescriptions do not apply to the privately owned and leasehold estates, which contain the majority of the dry sclerophyll forests in southeast Queensland.

Speciation and distribution of the members of the Anopheles punctulatus (Diptera : Culicidae) group in Papua New Guinea

Mosquito collections were made throughout the mainland of Papua New Guinea to identify the members of the Anopheles punctulatus group present and to determine their distribution. Identification was made using morphology, DNA hybridization, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-RFLP analysis. Nine members of the group were identified: An. farauti s.s. Laveran, An.farauti 2, An. koliensis Owen, and An. punctulatus Donitz, were common and widespread; An. farauti 4 was restricted to the north of the central ranges where it was common; An. farauti 6 was found only in the highlands above 1,000 m; and An. farauti 3, An. sp. near punctulatus and An. clowi Rozeboom & Knight were uncommon and had restricted distributions. Identification of An. koliensis and An. punctulatus using proboscis morphology was found to be unreliable wherever An. farauti 4 occurred. The distribution and dispersal of the members of the An. punctulatus group is discussed in regard to climate, larval habitats, distance from the coast, elevation, and proximity to human habitation.

The characteristics of six species of living hollow-bearing trees and their importance for arboreal marsupials in the dry sclerophyll forests of southeast Queensland, Australia

Six species of trees located in the dry sclerophyll forests of southeast Queensland were studied to ascertain which was most suitable to be retained as hollow-bearing trees for nesting and denning by arboreal marsupials. Generally for all tree species, the number of entrances to hollows was positively correlated with the diameter at breast height (DBH) and the growth stage, and entrance diameters also increased in trees with a larger DBH. However, there were differences between the species; Corymbia citriodora had few hollows until the individuals were very large while Eucalyptus crebra had low numbers of hollows throughout its entire size range. It was concluded that a mixture of tree species provided a range of hollow sizes and positions that would be suitable for nesting and denning by arboreal marsupials in those forests. There were large differences between tree species in the relationship between tree size and estimated age. Five of the tree species took between 186 and 230 years to begin to produce hollows while E. crebra took up to 324 years. This suggests that tree species other than E. crebra may be the most preferred for retention in areas where hollow-bearing tree densities are lower than the prescribed level. Other data also suggests there are likely to be enough trees in larger size classes that would begin to form hollows within the next 50 years to compensate for an expected loss of hollow-bearing stags during that same period. In terms of forest operation, the retention of six hollow-bearing trees/ha would represent an estimated loss of 7.3-15% wood production. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

A trag??dia da regi??o serrana do Rio de Janeiro em 2011: procurando respostas

O estudo de caso trata do desastre natural ocorrido na regi??o serrana do Rio de Janeiro nos dias 11 e 12 de janeiro de 2011, considerado a maior cat??strofe clim??tica e geot??cnica do pa??s, causado por fortes chuvas que provocaram enchentes e deslizamentos em sete munic??pios. O caso tem por finalidade despertar a discuss??o sobre as vari??veis e atores que influenciaram o processo de gest??o da crise, contextualizando o desastre no cen??rio da regi??o e reconstituindo, especialmente, o processo de resposta imediata dada ?? trag??dia pelos ??rg??os envolvidos. O estudo pode ser utilizado em cursos que abordem, entre outros, os seguintes t??picos: gest??o de crise e gest??o de riscos, negocia????o, comunica????o e planejamento estrat??gico

Características biológicas de Nipteria panacea Thierry-Mieg (Lepidoptera, Geometridae), desfolhadora do abacateiro, na região serrana do Espírito Santo, Brasil

Biological characteristics of Nipteria panacea Thierry-Mieg (Lepidoptera, Geometridae), an avocado tree defoliator, in highlands areas of Espírito Santo, Brazil. The objective of this research was to evaluate some biological characteristics of the avocado tree defoliator, Nipteria panacea Thiery-Mieg, in laboratory. This species showed the mean development cycle of 58.1 days, embryonic period of eight days and egg viability 56.3%. Pos-embryonic development lasted 36.5 days with viability of 48.2%, pupal period 11.6 days with viability of 76.0%, and mean longevity of females was 19.5 days with a production of 177 eggs per female. Other parameters were also observed and discussed.

Projecto de Instalação de Processamento de Material Feldspático. Caso de Estudo:Argemela

Feldspato é o nome dado a uma importante família de minerais, do grupo dos tectossilicatos, que compõem o material rochoso de mais de 60% da crusta terrestre. Estes minerais são constituintes essenciais da maior parte das rochas cristalinas e a sua importância é tal que o seu estudo constitui um capítulo fundamental da petrografia. Dada a sua grande incidência na crusta terrestre, os feldspatos ocorrem em diversos cenários geológicos, desde os depósitos pegmatitos, aos aplitos, granitos, sienitos nefelínicos e ainda areias feldspáticas. As suas características químicas, físicas e mineralógicas fazem com que este grupo de minerais esteja presente nas mais diversificadas indústrias, tais como a vidreira, cerâmica, tintas, borrachas, plásticos, abrasivos ligeiros, elétrodos de soldadura, entre outros. Em Portugal, as principais unidades produtoras de feldspatos encontram‐se distribuídas pelo Norte e Centro do país, mais concretamente pelos distritos de Viana do Castelo, Braga, Vila Real, Porto, Viseu e Guarda. Novos estudos geológicos acompanhados de prospeções, nomeadamente na região do maciço central, têm sido efetuados com vista à descoberta de novos depósitos com potencial para exploração deste importante mineral. O depósito aplítico da Argemela, no concelho do Fundão apresenta‐se como um depósito cujas dimensões e qualidade apresentadas indicam a possibilidade de exploração. Nesse sentido, o presente trabalho consiste em analisar e caracterizar os materiais presentes na quele depósito mineral, tendo em vista a respectiva aplicação industrial, e posteriormente propor uma instalação de processamento do material para que o mesmo seja comercializado. Também será objeto deste trabalho a análise da viabilidade económica do projeto, mais concretamente fazendo a previsão do investimento inicial de modo a somar os custos de produção correntes e avaliar o retorno com base na comercialização do material no modo “Ex Works”.

Confirming the presence of HTLV-1 infection and the absence of HTLV-2 in blood donors from Arequipa, Peru

Epidemiological studies conducted in Peru disclosed HTLV-1 to be prevalent in different ethnic groups, and found HTLV-2 in some Amazonian Indians and in men who have sex with men. No data concerning HTLV-1/2 infection in blood donors from Arequipa, a highlands region in southern Peru, is available. We searched for the presence of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 antibodies in 2,732 serum samples obtained from blood donors from this geographic area. HTLV-1/2-specific antibodies were detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and were confirmed by Western blot (WB). Reactive sera had their blood bags discarded from donation, and the demographic characteristics of the donors were analyzed. Thirty-five sera (1.2%) were HTLV seroreactive by ELISA, and 25 were confirmed HTLV-1-positive by WB. One serum disclosed HTLV-positivity, and the remaining nine serum samples showed indeterminate results by WB; three of which had an HTLV-1 indeterminate Gag profile. The median age of HTLV-positive individuals was 34.6 years; 27 were male and eight were female. All individuals were from southern Peru: 27 from Arequipa, five from Puno, and three from Cuzco. HTLV co-positivity with hepatitis B (five sera) and syphilis (one serum) were detected. Previous transfusion and tattooing were observed in two and one individuals, respectively. No serum was positive for HTLV/HIV co-infection. This study confirmed, for the first time, HTLV-1 infection and the absence of HTLV-2 infection in blood donors from Arequipa, Peru and suggests vertical transmission as the major route of HTLV-1 transmission and acquisition in this geographic region.