Do Land Ownership and Agro-Ecological Location of Farmland Influence Adoption of Improved Rice Varieties? Evidence from Sierra Leone

This study investigates the impact of farmland ownership and agro-ecological location on the adoption of the two most important sources of improved rice varieties (NERICA and ROK) in the context of Sierra Leone. In terms of farmland ownership, the results showed that farmers who cultivated their own land had a higher tendency of remaining as non-adopters of improved varieties, but those who rented farmland or were engaged in sharecropping had higher adoption rates of improved rice varieties. Also, the location of farmland (uplands or inland valley swamps) determined the rates of adoption of improved varieties differently. For instance, upland regions showed faster adoption of ROK varieties, but inland valley areas showed faster adoption of NERICA varieties. We also examined the survival rates of local rice varieties. The adoption of improved varieties was only occurring at a very low rate, and the farmers’ adoption of ROK varieties was swifter than for NERICA varieties. This study recommends that policies advocating the adoption of improved rice varieties in Sierra Leone must take into consideration the patterns of farmland ownership and location.

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Econometric Analyses of Adoption and Household-Level Impacts of Improved Rice Varieties in the Uplands of Yunnan, China

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12176873 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (17) ◽

pp. 6873 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Huaiyu Wang ◽

Sushil Pandey ◽

Lu Feng

Keyword(s):

Household Income ◽

Upland Rice ◽

Government Programs ◽

Rice Varieties ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Improved Varieties ◽

Household Level ◽

The Government ◽

Econometric Analyses ◽

The Impact

Higher-yielding rice varieties adapted to the upland conditions of Yunnan were developed and disseminated during the late 1990s. Using cross-sectional farm-level data of 448 households collected from five prefectures in Southern Yunnan, this paper carries out an econometric analysis of the determinants of variations in the adoption of improved varieties among households and assesses the impact of adoption on rice income and total household income. The two major determinants of adoption were found to be the government programs for extension of improved upland rice varieties and for terracing of sloping fields. The presence of government programs for extension and for terracing contributed to increased adoption of improved varieties. Household-specific factors such as land and labor endowments were less important as these variables had a statistically insignificant impact on adoption. The adoption of improved rice varieties increased both rice income and the average household income. About half of the household income difference observed between the full adopters and non-adopters of improved rice varieties with comparable household characteristics can be attributed directly to the adoption. The results imply that increased investments in promoting improved rice varieties and terracing will generate additional income growth in the uplands of Yunnan.

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Modern rice varieties adoption to raise productivity: a case study of two districts in Bhutan

SAARC Journal of Agriculture ◽

10.3329/sja.v13i2.26567 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 34-49 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

N Chhogyel ◽

Y Bajgai

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Rice Varieties ◽

Adoption Rate ◽

Improved Varieties ◽

Yield Increase ◽

Development Interventions ◽

Farming Household ◽

The Impact ◽

Farming Households ◽

Modern Varieties

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the main staple crops of Bhutan and is grown in all 20 districts of the country. Due to its key role in national food security, a number of development interventions like promotion of modern rice varieties is carried out. To assess the impact of such development interventions, this study investigated whether the farmers in two main rice growing districts, Punakha and Wangdue, have adopted the promoted rice varieties. Within a district, ten main rice growing geogs (administrative units) were chosen for the study. Representing the study area a questionnaire farming-household survey of 580 was carried out in 2014. The study found that the farming household level variety adoption rate was 68% and 62% in Wangdue and Punakha, respectively. The main modern varieties adopted by the surveyed farming households were IR-64, Khangma Maap, Bajo Maap, Bajo Kaap, No. 11 and IR- 20913. In terms of area coverage, 54.50% of the area in Wangdue was covered by improved varieties and that in Punakha was 56.71%. Among the adopted varieties, the most widely grown variety in both the districts was IR-64 that accounts for about 55% adoption. However, the least adopted variety was IR-20913 which stood at just 0.2% in Wangdue and 2% in Punakha. Yield increase due to improved varieties over local ones, 80% of households in Wangdue and 91% of households in Punakha reported achieving 25% and 33% increases together. In Wangdue 80% of the households reported yield increase and in Punakha it was 91%, which corresponded to 25% and 33% increases, respectively. This surveyed finding can be validated by crop-cut yield data which was greater than or equal to 26% yield increase, on an average, by improved varieties over local ones. In terms of farmers adoption rate of modern rice varieties and area covered by the modern varieties, the findings showed that there is a major impact of rice development interventions in Punakha-Wangdue valley to support food security of the farming households as well as for adding to the national food basket.SAARC J. Agri., 13(2): 34-49 (2015)

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Cognitive decline in patients with prostate cancer: study protocol of a prospective cohort, NEON-PC

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043844 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. e043844

Author(s):

Natalia Araujo ◽

Samantha Morais ◽

Ana Rute Costa ◽

Raquel Braga ◽

Ana Filipa Carneiro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Androgen Deprivation Therapy ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Cardiovascular Complications ◽

Androgen Deprivation ◽

High Survival ◽

The Impact

IntroductionProstate cancer is the most prevalent oncological disease among men in industrialised countries. Despite the high survival rates, treatments are often associated with adverse effects, including metabolic and cardiovascular complications, sexual dysfunction and, to a lesser extent, cognitive decline. This study was primarily designed to evaluate the trajectories of cognitive performance in patients with prostate cancer, and to quantify the impact of the disease and its treatments on the occurrence of cognitive decline.MethodsParticipants will be recruited from two main hospitals providing care to approximately half of the patients with prostate cancer in Northern Portugal (Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto and São João Hospital Centre), and will comprise a cohort of recently diagnosed patients with prostate cancer proposed for different treatment plans, including: (1) radical prostatectomy; (2) brachytherapy and/or radiotherapy; (3) radiotherapy in combination with androgen deprivation therapy and (4) androgen deprivation therapy (with or without chemotherapy). Recruitment began in February 2018 and is expected to continue until the first semester of 2021. Follow-up evaluations will be conducted at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 years. Sociodemographic, behavioural and clinical characteristics, anxiety and depression, health literacy, health status, quality of life, and sleep quality will be assessed. Blood pressure and anthropometrics will be measured, and a fasting blood sample will be collected. Participants’ cognitive performance will be evaluated before treatments and throughout follow-up (Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Cube Test as well as Brain on Track for remote monitoring). All participants suspected of cognitive impairment will undergo neuropsychological tests and clinical observation by a neurologist.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the hospitals involved. All participants will provide written informed consent, and study procedures will be developed to ensure data protection and confidentiality. Results will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentation in scientific meetings.

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Impact of Pancreatic Resection on Survival in Locally Advanced Resectable Gastric Cancer

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13061289 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 1289

Author(s):

Shih-Chun Chang ◽

Chi-Ming Tang ◽

Puo-Hsien Le ◽

Chia-Jung Kuo ◽

Tsung-Hsing Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lymph Node ◽

Pancreatic Resection ◽

Locally Advanced ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Disease Free Survival ◽

Complication Rates ◽

Lymph Node Yield ◽

Whipple’S Operation ◽

Whipple's Operation ◽

The Impact

Whether gastric adenocarcinoma (GC) patients with adjacent organ invasion (T4b) benefit from aggressive surgery involving pancreatic resection (PR) remains unclear. This study aimed to clarify the impact of PR on survival in patients with locally advanced resectable GC. Between 1995 and 2017, patients with locally advanced GC undergoing radical-intent gastrectomy with and without PR were enrolled and stratified into four groups: group 1 (G1), pT4b without pancreatic resection (PR); group 2 (G2), pT4b with PR; group 3 (G3), positive duodenal margins without Whipple’s operation; and group 4 (G4), cT4b with Whipple’s operation. Demographics, clinicopathological features, and outcomes were compared between G1 and G2 and G3 and G4. G2 patients were more likely to have perineural invasion than G1 patients (80.6% vs. 50%, p < 0.001). G4 patients had higher lymph node yield (40.8 vs. 31.3, p = 0.002), lower nodal status (p = 0.029), lower lymph node ratios (0.20 vs. 0.48, p < 0.0001) and higher complication rates (45.2% vs. 26.3%, p = 0.047) than G3 patients. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were significantly longer in G1 than in G2 (28.1% vs. 9.3%, p = 0.003; 32% vs. 13%, p = 0.004, respectively). The 5-year survival rates did not differ between G4 and G3 (DFS: 14% vs. 14.4%, p = 0.384; OS: 12.6% vs. 16.4%, p = 0.321, respectively). In conclusion, patients with T4b lesion who underwent PR had poorer survival than those who underwent resection of other adjacent organs. Further Whipple’s operation did not improve survival in pT3–pT4 GC with positive duodenal margins.

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EPID-18. TRENDS IN INCIDENCE AND SURVIVAL OF MALIGNANT PEDIATRIC CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM TUMORS IN THE NETHERLANDS

Neuro-Oncology ◽

10.1093/neuonc/noaa222.204 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (Supplement_3) ◽

pp. iii322-iii322

Author(s):

Raoull Hoogendijk ◽

Jasper van der Lugt ◽

Dannis van Vuurden ◽

Eelco Hoving ◽

Leontien Kremer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Central Nervous System ◽

Nervous System ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Malignant Gliomas ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Tumor Patients ◽

Netherlands Cancer Registry ◽

Malignant Astrocytomas ◽

Brainstem Tumors ◽

The Impact

Abstract BACKGROUND Variation in survival of pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors is large between countries. Within Europe, the Netherlands had one of the worst reported survival rates of malignant CNS (mCNS) tumors during 2000–2007. METHODS Using the Netherlands Cancer Registry, we evaluated trends in incidence and survival of pediatric mCNS tumors (behavior /3, 5th digit in the morphology code) diagnosed between 1990–2017. RESULTS 839 newly-diagnosed mCNS tumor patients <18 years were registered between 1990–2017. Incidence of mCNS tumors remained stable (average incidence rate, 21.6 per million person-years). However, an increased incidence of malignant gliomas, NOS was found (Estimated Annual Percentage Change (EAPC) 11.6% p<0.001). This appears to be related to a registration shift between 1990–1999 and 2000–2009 as brainstem tumors increased (+25%, n=79) for astrocytomas and other gliomas but decreased (-31%, n=32) for unspecified intracranial and intraspinal neoplasms. Overall, 5-year observed survival (5Y-OS) of mCNS tumors increased from 51% in 1990–1999 to 61% in 2010–2017 (P-for-trend<0.001). This increase was not constant over time, as 5Y-OS for the period 2000–2009 was 47%. The only significant decrease in survival was found for malignant astrocytomas and other gliomas with a 5Y-OS of 56% in 1990–1999 decreasing to 48% in 2010–2017 (P-for-trend<0.001). CONCLUSION Between 1990–2017 incidence of mCNS tumors in the Netherlands remained stable and survival increased. However, a decrease in survival was seen for malignant astrocytomas and other gliomas, which is partially explained by the registration shift of brainstem tumors. The impact of this shift on survival for all mCNS tumors is subject to further research.

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Correlation of Body Mass Index with Oncologic Outcomes in Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Large Population-Based Study

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13143592 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 3592

Author(s):

Chong-Chi Chiu ◽

Chung-Han Ho ◽

Chao-Ming Hung ◽

Chien-Ming Chao ◽

Chih-Cheng Lai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Body Mass Index ◽

Body Weight ◽

Body Mass ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Normal Weight ◽

P Value ◽

Administrative Claims ◽

The Impact

It has been acknowledged that excess body weight increases the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC); however, there is little evidence on the impact of body mass index (BMI) on CRC patients’ long-term oncologic results in Asian populations. We studied the influence of BMI on overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and CRC-specific survival rates in CRC patients from the administrative claims datasets of Taiwan using the Kaplan–Meier survival curves and the log-rank test to estimate the statistical differences among BMI groups. Underweight patients (<18.50 kg/m2) presented higher mortality (56.40%) and recurrence (5.34%) rates. Besides this, they had worse OS (aHR:1.61; 95% CI: 1.53–1.70; p-value: < 0.0001) and CRC-specific survival (aHR:1.52; 95% CI: 1.43–1.62; p-value: < 0.0001) rates compared with those of normal weight patients (18.50–24.99 kg/m2). On the contrary, CRC patients belonging to the overweight (25.00–29.99 kg/m2), class I obesity (30.00–34.99 kg/m2), and class II obesity (≥35.00 kg/m2) categories had better OS, DFS, and CRC-specific survival rates in the analysis than the patients in the normal weight category. Overweight patients consistently had the lowest mortality rate after a CRC diagnosis. The associations with being underweight may reflect a reverse causation. CRC patients should maintain a long-term healthy body weight.

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Do the determinants of food security differ in improved rice variety adoption? Evidence from Sierra Leone

Open Agriculture ◽

10.1515/opag-2020-0047 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 466-484

Author(s):

Bashiru Mansaray ◽

Shaosheng Jin

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Sierra Leone ◽

Food Production ◽

Formal Education ◽

Rice Variety ◽

Switching Regression ◽

Rice Varieties ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sierra Leonean ◽

The Government

AbstractThe Sierra Leonean government has implemented the improved rice varieties directed at enhancing more rice production to reduce food insecurity. This paper evaluates the food security effect of improved rice variety adoption using cross-sectional data collected in 2017 from a randomly selected sample of 624 rice farmers in Sierra Leone. The analysis uses the endogenous switching regression and propensity score matching (PSM) approach. The results revealed that the adoption of improved rice varieties has a significant positive effect on food security. That confirms the crucial role of improved rice variety adoption in increasing food production and food security. Therefore, the study recommended the intensification of policies that promote improved rice variety adoption, if more food production and food security are to be realized. Further, the government should continue the lead in rice variety promotion and dissemination and in enhancing an enabling environment for the effective adoption of farmers. Given the preponderant evidence of the different factors of food security, appropriate policies that seek to promote formal education, more income generation for farmers, and easy and credible access to farmland for landless farmers would enhance food security.

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Effects of Vitrification on the Blastocyst Gene Expression Profile in a Porcine Model

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22031222 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 1222

Author(s):

Cristina Cuello ◽

Cristina A. Martinez ◽

Josep M. Cambra ◽

Inmaculada Parrilla ◽

Heriberto Rodriguez-Martinez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Gene Expression Analysis ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Control Group ◽

P Value ◽

Transcriptome Profile ◽

Embryo Viability ◽

The Impact

This study was designed to investigate the impact of vitrification on the transcriptome profile of blastocysts using a porcine (Sus scrofa) model and a microarray approach. Blastocysts were collected from weaned sows (n = 13). A total of 60 blastocysts were vitrified (treatment group). After warming, vitrified embryos were cultured in vitro for 24 h. Non-vitrified blastocysts (n = 40) were used as controls. After the in vitro culture period, the embryo viability was morphologically assessed. A total of 30 viable embryos per group (three pools of 10 from 4 different donors each) were subjected to gene expression analysis. A fold change cut-off of ±1.5 and a restrictive threshold at p-value < 0.05 were used to distinguish differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The survival rates of vitrified/warmed blastocysts were similar to those of the control (nearly 100%, n.s.). A total of 205 (112 upregulated and 93 downregulated) were identified in the vitrified blastocysts compared to the control group. The vitrification/warming impact was moderate, and it was mainly related to the pathways of cell cycle, cellular senescence, gap junction, and signaling for TFGβ, p53, Fox, and MAPK. In conclusion, vitrification modified the transcriptome of in vivo-derived porcine blastocysts, resulting in minor gene expression changes.

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What makes court-referred mediation effective?

International Journal of Conflict Management ◽

10.1108/ijcma-09-2012-0071 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 21-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Amira Galin

Keyword(s):

Design Methodology ◽

Content Type ◽

Process And Outcome ◽

Refusal To Participate ◽

The Impact ◽

Practical Implications ◽

Theoretical Insight ◽

Insight Into ◽

Low Rate

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to obtain insight into court-referred mediation in the Israeli Labor Courts, by analyzing its processes and outcomes, as a function of tactics used by both the disputants and the mediator. Design/methodology/approach – Observation of 103 court-referred mediations, for each of which a detailed process and outcome were documented. Data on disputants' refusal to participate in the mediation was also collected. At the end of each mediation case, disputants were given a questionnaire in which they expressed their satisfaction with the outcome and their evaluation of the mediator's contribution. Findings – A low rate of refusal to participate in court-referred mediation was found. Also, the higher the ratio of soft tactics to pressure tactics employed (by all parties involved) during the process, the higher the rate of agreements. Mediators use significantly more soft tactics than disputants, and are more active in using tactics. The two significant variables that predict the mediation's agreement are the ratio between soft tactics to pressure tactics used by all parties, and mediator contribution to the process. Practical implications – The significant role of soft tactics in the process, outcome, and satisfaction of court-referred mediation may serve as a guideline for disputants and mediators. Originality/value – This unique research, which examines the impact of tactics on court-referred mediation, may provide added and significant theoretical insight into its process and outcome, as well as a better understanding of other “hybrid” (compulsory at the beginning, voluntary at the end) mediations.

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