Can Southeast Asia continue to be a major rice bowl?

Southeast Asia is a major rice-producing region, with high level of internal consumption and accounting for 40% of global rice exports. Limited land resources, climate change, and yield stagnation during recent years have once again raised concerns about the capacity of the region to meet the growing demand for rice and remain as a large net exporter. Here we use a modelling approach to map rice yield gaps and assess production potential and net exports by 2040. We find that the average yield gap represents 48% of the yield potential estimate for the region. Exploitable yield gaps are relatively large in Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines, and Thailand, but comparably smaller in Indonesia and Vietnam. Continuation of current yield trends will not allow Indonesia and Philippines to meet their domestic rice demand. In contrast, closing the exploitable yield gap would allow all countries to achieve rice self-sufficiency, with an aggregated annual rice surplus of 100 million tons available for export. Our study provides insights for increasing regional production on existing cropland by narrowing existing yield gaps.

Managing overlap of primary study results across systematic reviews: practical considerations for authors of overviews of reviews

Background Overviews often identify and synthesise a large number of systematic reviews on the same topic, which is likely to lead to overlap (i.e. duplication) in primary studies across the reviews. Using a primary study result multiple times in the same analysis overstates its sample size and number of events, falsely leading to greater precision in the analysis. This paper aims to: (a) describe types of overlapping data that arise from the same primary studies reported across multiple reviews, (b) describe methods to identify and explain overlap of primary study data, and (c) present six case studies illustrating different approaches to manage overlap. Methods We first updated the search in PubMed for methods from the MOoR framework relating to overlap of primary studies. One author screened the studies titles and abstracts, and any full-text articles retrieved, extracted methods data relating to overlap of primary studies and mapped it to the overlap methods from the MOoR framework. We also describe six case studies as examples of overviews that use specific overlap methods across the steps in the conduct of an overview. For each case study, we discuss potential methodological implications in terms of limitations, efficiency, usability, and resource use. Results Nine methods studies were found and mapped to the methods identified by the MOoR framework to address overlap. Overlap methods were mapped across four steps in the conduct of an overview – the eligibility criteria step, the data extraction step, the assessment of risk of bias step, and the synthesis step. Our overview case studies used multiple methods to reduce overlap at different steps in the conduct of an overview. Conclusions Our study underlines that there is currently no standard methodological approach to deal with overlap in primary studies across reviews. The level of complexity when dealing with overlap can vary depending on the yield, trends and patterns of the included literature and the scope of the overview question. Choosing a method might be dependent on the number of included reviews and their primary studies. Gaps in evaluation of methods to address overlap were found and further investigation in this area is needed.

Long-Term Effects of Calcium-Based Liming Materials on Soil Fertility Sustainability and Rye Production as Soil Quality Indicators on a Typic Palexerult

Liming is a common practice used to improve acidic soil properties, as is essential for agricultural quality. A long-term field experiment with one lime rate (6000 kg/ha of carbonate calcium equivalent) and three calcium-based liming amendments (gypsum, limestone and sugar foam) was maintained on a Typic Palexerult for 10 years in order to determine changes in soil acidity and to assess the effects on crop (rye) yields. The soil acidity conditions decreased with all the amendments tested, but the sugar foam and limestone was more effective than gypsum over a long-term period. No significant changes in organic soil matter levels between the treatments tested were found. Interestingly, an increase in the leaching of organic soil matter was observed in limed soils. Lime application significantly increased the total rye biomass compared to the control soils during the whole experiment (2002–2011). Yield trends observed in spike and stem biomass were similar to those reported for total rye biomass. In this respect, at the end of the research, gypsum, limestone and sugar foam increased in relation to the total production of rye biomass by 16%, 32% and 38%, respectively, as compared to the control soils. Additionally, a significant and prolonged difference in calcium concentrations in rye stems between unlimed and limed subplots was observed. However, in spite of the results presented here, further investigations are needed to gain a better understanding of the long-term effects of liming on the chemical properties of soil.

Managing Overlap of Primary Studies Results Across Systematic Reviews: Practical Considerations for Authors of Overviews of Reviews

Background: In overviews, inclusion of the same primary study in multiple systematic review gives undue weight to this study. Using a study result multiple times in the same analysis overstates its sample size and number of events, falsely leading to greater precision in the analysis. This paper aims to: (a) describe types of overlapping data that arise from the same primary studies reported across multiple reviews, (b) describe methods to identify and explain overlap of primary study data, and (c) present six case studies illustrating different approaches to manage overlap. Methods: We first updated the search in PubMed for methods from the MOoR framework relating to overlap of primary studies. One author screened the studies titles and abstracts, and any full-text articles retrieved, extracted methods data relating to overlap of primary studies and mapped it to the overlap methods from the MOoR framework. We also describe six case studies as examples of overviews that use specific methods across the steps in the conduct of an overview. For each case study, we discuss potential implications in terms of methodological limitations, efficiency, usability, and resource use.Results: Eight studies were mapped to the methods identified by the MOoR framework to address overlap. Several overlap methods mapped across four steps in the conduct of an overview – the eligibility criteria step, the data extraction step, the assessment of risk of bias step, and the synthesis step. Our overview case studies used multiple methods to reduce overlap at different steps in the conduct of an overview.Conclusions: Our study underlines that there is currently no standard methodological approach to deal with overlap in primary studies across reviews. The level of complexity when dealing with overlap can vary depending on the yield, trends and patterns of the included literature and the scope of the overview question. Choosing a method might be dependent on the number of included reviews and their primary studies. Gaps in in evaluation of methods to address overlap were found and further investigation in this area is needed.

Synthesis and Structures of Bis- and Tris-(triphenylarsine)gold(I) Iodides

The title compounds [(Ph3As)2AuI] and [(Ph3As)3AuI] have been crystallized from equimolar solutions of Bu4NAuI2 and AsPh3 in dimethylformamide and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. [(Ph3As)2AuI] crystallizes in space group C2/c, Z 4, and is isomorphous with other [(Ph3E)2MX] (MX=coinage metal(i) salt) arrays, with the Au–I bond being disposed on a crystallographic 2-axis: Au–I, As 2.7008(2), 2.4337(2) Å, As–Au–As, I 125.736(8)°, 117.132(4)° (153K). [(Ph3As)3AuI] crystallizes as a triclinic phase in space group , Z 4, and is isomorphous with [(Ph3Sb)3CuI] and [(Ph3P)3AgI]: Au–As 2.4847–2.5049(10), Au–I 2.8518(8), 2.8597(7) Å with As–Au–As, I 109.67(3)–115.97(3)°, 101.33(2)–106.85(3)°. A second ‘[(Ph3As)3AuI]’ product was obtained as a co-crystalline phase in space group P21/n containing [(Ph3As)3AuI], and [(Ph3As)2AuI] accompanied by an additional unbound Ph3As molecule, i.e. [(Ph3As)3AuI]·[(Ph3As)2AuI·Ph3As], with structural parameters closely similar to those for the corresponding separate [(Ph3As)3AuI] and [(Ph3As)2AuI] complexes described above. Comparison of the bond lengths for these and related complexes show that they are generally consistent with the ‘gold is smaller than silver’ phenomenon caused by relativistic orbital contraction effects in gold, but the results also show that the magnitude of this effect is dependent on the nature of the metal–ligand bonds involved, and on changes in the metal coordination environment, which can in some circumstances yield trends in which the effect on particular bonds is partially masked or even reversed.