The epileptology of William Aldren Turner

William Aldren Turner (1864-1945), in his day Physician to the National Hospital, Queen Square, and to King's College Hospital, London, was one of the major figures in the world of epileptology in the period between Hughlings Jackson in the latter part of the 19th century and the advent of electroencephalography in the 1930s. Although he also made contributions to knowledge in other areas of neurology, and with Grainger Stewart wrote a competent textbook on that subject, Turner's main professional interest throughout his career seems to have been epilepsy. On the basis of a series of earlier, rather heavily statistical, personal publications dealing with various aspects of the disorder, he authored what became a well-accepted monograph entitled Epilepsy-a study of the idiopathic disorder, which appeared in 1907, and he also gave the 1910 Morison lectures in Edinburgh on the topic. His writings on epilepsy over a period of three decades consolidated knowledge rather than led to significant advances, but helped maintain interest in the disorder during a rather long fallow phase in the development of the understanding of its nature. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Management of a previously eroded tropical Alfisol with herbaceous legumes: Soil loss and physical properties under mound tillage

A study was carried out on a previously eroded Oxic Paleustalf in Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria to determine the extent of soil degradation under mound tillage with some herbaceous legumes and residue management methods. A series of factorial experiments was carried out on 12 existing runoff plots. The study commenced in 1996 after a 5-year natural fallow. Mound tillage was introduced in 1997 till 1999. The legumes - Vigna unguiculata (cowpea), Mucuna pruriens and Pueraria phaseoloides - were intercropped with maize in 1996 and 1998 while yam was planted alone in 1997 and 1999. This paper covers 1997-1999. At the end of each year, residues were either burned or mulched on respective plots. Soil loss, runoff, variations in mound height, bulk density, soil water retention and sorptivity were measured. Cumulative runoff was similar among interactions of legume and residue management in 1997 (57-151 mm) and 1999 (206-397 mm). However, in 1998, cumulative runoff of 95 mm observed for Mucuna-burned residue was significantly greater than the 46 mm observed for cowpea-burned residue and the 39-51 mm observed for mulched residues of cowpea, Mucuna and Pueraria. Cumulative soil loss of 7.6 Mg ha(-1) observed for Mucuna-burned residue in 1997 was significantly greater than those for Pueraria-mulched (0.9 Mg ha(-1)) and Mucuna-mulched (1.4 Mg ha(-1)) residues whereas in 1999 it was similar to soil loss from cowpea treatments and Pueraria-burned residue (2.3-5.3 Mg ha(-1)). There were no significant differences in soil loss in 1998 (1-3.2 Mg ha(-1)) whereas Mucuna-burned residue had a greater soil loss (28.6 Mg ha(-1)) than mulched cowpea (6.9 Mg ha(-1)) and Pueraria (5.4 Ms ha(-1)). Mound heights (23 cm average) decreased non-linearly with cumulative rainfall. A cumulative rainfall of 500 mm removed 0.3-2.3 cm of soil from mounds in 1997, 3.5-6.9 cm in 1998 and 2.3-4.6 cm in 1999, indicating that (detached but less transported) soil from mounds was far higher than observed soil loss in each year. Soil water retention was improved at potentials ranging from -1 to -1500 kPa by Mucuna-mulched residue compared to the various burned-residue treatments. Also, mound sorptivity at -1 cm water head (14.3 cm h(-1/2)) was higher than furrow sorptivity (8.5 cm h(-1/2)), indicating differences in hydraulic characteristics between mound and furrow. Pueraria-mulched residues for mounds had the highest sorptivity of 17.24 cm h(-1/2), whereas the least value of 6.96 cm h(-1/2) was observed in furrow of Mucuna-burned residue. Pueraria phas eoloides was considered the best option for soil conservation on the previously eroded soil, cultivated with mound tillage. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Forests as landscapes of social inequality: tropical forest cover and land distribution among shifting cultivators

Can social inequality be seen imprinted in a forest landscape? We studied the relationship between land holding, land use, and inequality in a peasant community in the Peruvian Amazon where farmers practice swidden-fallow cultivation. Longitudinal data on land holding, land use, and land cover were gathered through field-level surveys (n = 316) and household interviews (n = 51) in 1994/1995 and 2007. Forest cover change between 1965 and 2007 was documented through interpretation of air photos and satellite imagery. We introduce the concept of “land use inequality” to capture differences across households in the distribution of forest fallowing and orchard raising as key land uses that affect household welfare and the sustainability of swidden-fallow agriculture. We find that land holding, land use, and forest cover distribution are correlated and that the forest today reflects social inequality a decade prior. Although initially land-poor households may catch up in terms of land holdings, their use and land cover remain impoverished. Differential land use investment through time links social inequality and forest cover. Implications are discussed for the study of forests as landscapes of inequality, the relationship between social inequality and forest composition, and the forest-poverty nexus.

BYGUM – a new tool for BarnYard Grass Understanding and Management

Weed management has become increasingly challenging for cotton growers in Australia in the last decade. Glyphosate, the cornerstone of weed management in the industry, is waning in effectiveness as a result of the evolution of resistance in several species. One of these, awnless barnyard grass, is very common in Australian cotton fields, and is a prime example of the new difficulties facing growers in choosing effective and affordable management strategies. RIM (Ryegrass Integrated Management) is a computer-based decision support tool developed for the south-western Australian grains industry. It is commonly used there as a tool for grower engagement in weed management thinking and strategy development. We used RIM as the basis for a new tool that can fulfil the same types of functions for subtropical Australian cotton-grains farming systems. The new tool, BYGUM, provides growers with a robust means to evaluate five-year rotations including testing the economic value of fallows and fallow weed management, winter and summer cropping, cover crops, tillage, different herbicide options, herbicide resistance management, and more. The new model includes several northernregion- specific enhancements: winter and summer fallows, subtropical crop choices, barnyard grass seed bank, competition, and ecology parameters, and more freedom in weed control applications. We anticipate that BYGUM will become a key tool for teaching and driving the changes that will be needed to maintain sound weed management in cotton in the near future.

Can patches of glyphosate-resistant Echinochloa colona be eradicated?

Glyphosate-resistant Echinochloa colona L. (Link) is becoming common in non-irrigated cotton systems. Echinochloa colona is a small seeded species that is not wind-blown and has a relatively short seed bank life. These characteristics make it a potential candidate to attempt to eradicate populations resistant to glyphosate when they are detected. A long term systems experiment was developed to determine the feasibility of attempting to eradicate glyphosate resistant populations in the field. After three seasons, the established Best Management Practice (BMP) strategy of two non-glyphosate actions in crop and fallow have been sufficient to significantly reduce the numbers of plants emerging, and remaining at the end of the season compared to the glyphosate only treatment. Additional eradication treatments showed slight improvement on the BMP strategy, however to date these improvements are not significant. The importance of additional eradication tactics are expected to become more noticeable as the seed bank gets driven down in subsequent seasons.

Condicionantes ecológicas que afectam o Sisão durante o início de um ano agrícola

Este estudo foi realizado durante o Outono de 2001, em três áreas agrícolas do Sul de Portugal e tem como objectivo determinar quais os factores que influenciam a selecção de habitat pelo Sisão no Outono. A amostragem baseou-se na realização de transectos a pé. A identificação das preferências de habitat e o desenvolvimento de modelos preditivos foi realizada recorrendo a modelação linear (GLM) e aditiva (GAM). Os resultados da análise à escala da paisagem indicaram que a espécie prefere restolhos de cereal e pousios. Adicionalmente, foram seleccionadas as áreas com melhores solos e mais próximas das linhas de drenagem. As análises relativas ao microhabitat sugerem que o Sisão utiliza preferencialmente áreas com vegetação herbácea baixa e com elevada disponibilidade de plantas verdes. Os resultados sugerem que a disponibilidade alimentar é ainda limitante durante esta época, pelo que a implementação de medidas agro-ambientais compreendendo a manutenção dos sistemas cerealíferos tradicionais e consequentemente dos restolhos e pousios nas áreas com solos mais produtivos, são as medidas adequadas para promover os habitats da espécie. ABSTRACT; This study was carried out in the autumn of 2001, in three cultivated areas of southem Portugal and aims to determine the factors that influence the habitat selection of the Little Bustard in that period of the year. Foot transects were used to locate Little Bustards. GLM and GAM modelling were performed to identify the species' habitat preferences and to develop explanative occurrence models. The results of the landscape analysis indicate that Little Bustards exhibit a preference for cereal stubbles and fallow lands. Additionally, birds were mostly found in fields with best soils and close to water drainage lines. Microhabitat analysis shows that birds seem to prefer short grassy vegetation, where the availability of green plants is higher. Results suggest that food availability is still limiting for the species at this season. Therefore, the implementation of agri-environmental schemes comprising the maintenance of traditional cereal farming and consequently stubbles and fallow land within areas with more productive soils, are adequate measures to promote suitable foraging habitats for the Little Bustard.

Microbiologia do ciclo do nitrogênio em solos do cerrado

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Microbiana, 2016.

European Agroforestry Conference. 3rd. Book of Abstracts

Agroforestry is considered nowadays as a sustainable form of land management that is being promoted by different global institutions like FAO and its Global Alliance Smart Climate Agriculture to mitigate and adaptate to Climate change. The European Commission through the protection of landscape features, greening and Rural Development Programs is promoting the essential presence of woody vegetation across Europe, but in a way that is difficult to recognize by farmers. AGROFE and AGFORWARD projects are both demonstrating the important value of Agroforestry at European level, which together with EURAF are pushing European Commission to include measures enhancing Agroforestry. However, there is a need of a European Agroforestry Strategy that recognizes the drawbacks of Agroforestry to be implemented at European level. This strategy should include the main mechanisms to show farmers how to implement it and at the same time to get funded for the important ecosystem services that they provide when implementing agroforestry. AGFORWARD project has identified the main agroforestry practices in Europe, highlighting silvopasture, but showing the importance that others forms of agroforestry have to play like homegardens with multipurpose trees, or the adequate improvement of fallow lands where woody vegetation can enhance the levels of organic matter in the soil if adequately managed. AGFORWARD also shows the lack of information of the real implementation of agroforestry practices like forest farming, in spite of the important productive and ecosystem benefits it provides. EURAF through the participation in the different civil dialogue groups (CAP, Direct Payments and Greening, Forestry and Cork, Organic Farming, Arable, Environment and Climate Change and Rural Development) has included and promoted agroforestry within the European Agenda. The role of Agroforestry has been also enhanced in the Groups of experts of European Structural and Investments funds and as part of the European Network for Rural Development and its derived groups: innovation, evaluation and CLLD/LEADER. EURAF is pleased to announce that Agroforestry will be discussed as part of a focus group of the European Innovation Partnership, so, apply and join the group. This book represents the lastest findings on agroforestry in Europe, integrating the participation of researchers but also policy makers and farmers and farmers' associations. It was a pleasure for EURAF to integrate all this needed knowledge to be disseminated at European levels. On behalf of EURAF, I wish all of you a successful meeting and invite you to strengthen agroforestry within the different European Union countries when you go back home. Rosa Mosquera-LOSADA President of EURAF

Land use change from rainforests to oil palm plantations and food gardens in Papua New Guinea: Effects on soil properties and S fractions

Changes in soil sulfur (S) fractions were assessed in oil palm and food garden land use systems developed on forest vegetation in humid tropical areas of Popondetta in northern Province. The study tested a hypothesis that S in food gardens are limiting nutrient factor and are significantly lower than in plantations and forests. Subsistence food gardens are under long-term slash and burn practice of cropping and such practice is expected to accelerate loss of biomass S from the ecosystem. From each land use, surface soil (0–15 cm) samples were characterised and further pseudocomplete fractionated for S. Conversion of forest to oil palm production decreased (p<0.001) soil pH and electrical conductivity values. The reserve S fraction in soil increased significantly (p<0.05) due to oil palm production ( 28 %) and food gardening activity (∼ 54 %). However, plant available SO42--S was below 15 mg kg^(−1) in the food garden soils and foliar samples of sweet potato crop indicating deficiency of plant available S. Soil organic carbon content (OC) was positively and significantly correlated to total S content (r=0.533; p<0.001) among the land use systems. Thus, crop management practices that affect OC status of the soils would potentially affect the S availability in soils. The possible changes in the chemical nature of mineralisable organic S compounds leading to enhanced mineralisation and leaching losses could be the reasons for the deficiency of S in the food garden soils. The results of this study conclude that long-term subsistence food gardening activity enriched top soils with reserve S or total S content at the expense of soluble S fraction. The subsistence cropping practices such as biomass burning in food gardens and reduced fallow periods are apparently threatening food security of oil palm households. Improved soil OC management strategies such as avoiding burning of fallow vegetation, improved fallows, mulching with fallow biomass, use of manures and S containing fertilisers must be promoted to sustain food security in smallholder oil palm system.

Modelling and studies of the spectral response of some optoelectronic components

Solar radiation takes in today's world, an increasing importance. Different devices are used to carry out spectral and integrated measurements of solar radiation. Thus the sensors can be divided into the fallow types: Calorimetric, Thermomechanical, Thermoelectric and Photoelectric. The first three categories are based on components converting the radiation to temperature (or heat) and then into electrical quantity. On the other hand, the photoelectric sensors are based on semiconductor or optoelectronic elements that when irradiated change their impedance or generate a measurable electric signal. The response function of the sensor element depends not only on the intensity of the radiation but also on its wavelengths. The radiation sensors most widely used fit in the first categories, but thanks to the reduction in manufacturing costs and to the increased integration of electronic systems, the use of the photoelectric-type sensors became more interesting. In this work we present a study of the behavior of different optoelectronic sensor elements. It is intended to verify the static response of the elements to the incident radiation. We study the optoelectronic elements using mathematical models that best fit their response as a function of wavelength. As an input to the model, the solar radiation values are generated with a radiative transfer model. We present a modeling of the spectral response sensors of other types in order to compare the behavior of optoelectronic elements with other sensors currently in use.

Sequence analysis of bitter taste receptor gene repertoires in different ruminant species

Bitter taste has been extensively studied in mammalian species and is associated with sensitivity to toxins and with food choices that avoid dangerous substances in the diet. At the molecular level, bitter compounds are sensed by bitter taste receptor proteins (T2R) present at the surface of taste receptor cells in the gustatory papillae. Our work aims at exploring the phylogenetic relationships of T2R gene sequences within different ruminant species. To accomplish this goal, we gathered a collection of ruminant species with different feeding behaviors and for which no genome data is available: American bison, chamois, elk, European bison, fallow deer, goat, moose, mouflon, muskox, red deer, reindeer and white tailed deer. The herbivores chosen for this study belong to different taxonomic families and habitats, and hence, exhibit distinct foraging behaviors and diet preferences. We describe the first partial repertoires of T2R gene sequences for these species obtained by direct sequencing. We then consider the homology and evolutionary history of these receptors within this ruminant group, and whether it relates to feeding type classification, using MEGA software. Our results suggest that phylogenetic proximity of T2R genes corresponds more to the traditional taxonomic groups of the species rather than reflecting a categorization by feeding strategy.