Search

International audience; Orphans' needs are barely identified, barely acknowledged, and barely treated notably in France. Yet, parental loss might generate specific needs associated with cognitive, relational/behavioral, and emotional difficulties. In turn, such difficulties are likely to give rise to lower academic achievement. In this theoretical paper, we argue that, due to the detrimental impact of parental loss on academic achievement, orphaned students should be considered as students with special educational needs. This is important to provide appropriate educational responses consistent with inclusive education. The present paper aims to identify different specific needs of orphaned children, as a way to limit neglect of orphans. We discuss various ways to reduce the risks of neglecting orphans in French schools by using Bronfenbrenner's ecological development model and propose avenues for relevant pedagogical responses.

Context Pokemon Go is a popular mobile augmented reality game that requires players to travel to different locations to capture virtual characters. This study systematically reviews and quantifies Pokemon Go in relation to physical activity engagement among players. Evidence acquisition A keyword search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCO, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library for articles published between July 2016 and October 2018. Meta-analysis was performed to estimate the pooled effect of playing Pokemon Go on physical activity outcome. Evidence synthesis From the keyword search, 17 studies (16 observational and 1 pre–post) were identified, with a total sample of 33,108 participants. A comparison between Pokemon Go players and nonplayers and between pre- and post-play time points revealed an increase in walking duration, distance walked, and number of steps/day. Pokemon Go players were also found to engage in less sedentary behavior. Playing Pokemon Go was associated with an increase in the number of steps per day by 1,446 steps (95% CI=953, 1,939; I2=81%). Conclusions Playing Pokemon Go was associated with a statistically significant but clinically modest increase in the number of daily steps taken among game players. One challenge for future physical activity interventions using Pokemon Go is to retain active engagement once the initial novelty wears off. Additional studies with longer follow-up periods and experimental study design are needed to assess to what extent Pokemon Go and other augmented reality games can be used to promote physical activity at the population level for a sustained time period.

Objectives The aim of this study was to describe the patterns of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of bacterial isolates causing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary hospital in Kazakhstan. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of AMR in the ICU of the National Research Center for Oncology and Transplantation (Astana, Kazakhstan) during the year 2015. Results During the study period, 546 patients were admitted to the ICU, of whom 135 (24.7%) developed at least one HAI. Most HAIs caused by Gram-positive bacteria were due to Enterococcus faecalis, which were resistant to aminoglycosides in >70% cases. Gram-negative bacteria were isolated in ca. 50% of cases, thus representing the greatest burden of HAIs. Very high resistance rates to ceftriaxone, cefotaxime and cefuroxime were observed. Moreover, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii were resistant to carbapenems in Conclusion This study demonstrates the urgent need to implement more rational use of antimicrobials in Kazakhstan, which can be done only by establishing a proactive surveillance system along with an appropriate infection control programme.

This paper focuses on the development of a simple, fast and reliable technique of sample preparation to be employed as part of potentiometric measurements of plant total antioxidant activity (AOA). Plant extracts and plant microsuspensions were analysed. The conditions for obtaining plant extracts were chosen: they exhibited the highest antioxidant activity at +80 °C and extraction time 20 min. A higher degree of dispersion of the analysed samples was accompanied by an increase in AOA of extracts and microsuspensions. The microsuspension enhanced effect results from the fact that antioxidants contained in both liquid and solid fractions are involved in the zone of a signal-generating reaction. The analysis of plant microsuspensions reduces the duration of AOA assessment. Comparison of the results of antioxidant activity of black and green tea microsuspensions with the results of the analysis of extracts prepared by a certified method showed no difference.

Soil degradation in sub-Saharan Africa necessitates accurate soil carbon quantification using a locally applicable method. We assessed the reliability of the original Walkley-Black method for analyzing soil organic carbon (SOC) in semi-arid soils in northern Ethiopia characterized by low SOC (1.3 ± 0.09%) and lack of carbonates. Eighty samples from entire soil profiles were collected in four prevalent land use systems along an elevation gradient and analyzed using the Walkley-Black method and CN elemental analyzer. The results were compared by linear regression analysis followed by the Bland and Altman analysis, eliminating the possible bias of regression. The analyses demonstrated the universal applicability of the Walkley-Black method using the standard correction factor (1.32) for SOC evaluation in carbon-poor, non-calcareous soils.

The design of relevant adaptation strategies for water users in irrigation schemes in the drylands of Sub-Saharan Africa requires up-to-date information about the current performance of these schemes in view of rapid changes in climate and land use, population growth, and competing water demands. Previous assessments focused primarily on field-level crop irrigation; however, information on the performance of schemes as a whole and considering multple water users remains scarce. We examined two (one small- and one medium-scale) irrigation schemes shared by multiple users in the Upper East region of Ghana, including the water reservoir, water conveyance and distribution network, cropping fields, and the management entity. Multi-level performance indicators with relevance to water delivery and utilization as well as to agricultural production during two consecutive dry seasons were used. Technical factors, such as underutilized reservoir storage capacity and deteriorated conditions of water delivery infrastructure, strongly undermined the performance. In particular, the medium-scale irrigation scheme utilized less than 40% of total storage, whereas the small-scale scheme utilized about 70% of the storage. An examination of field-level water management practices suggests that an application efficiency of 58–68% is achievable in both schemes by improving the irrigation scheduling of the major crops. Overall system efficiency can be increased from 50% to 68% by reducing water conveyance network losses and by eliminating over-irrigation of fields. A holistic approach considering all competing water demands is needed for the performance evaluation of reservoir-based irrigation schemes in drylands.

Sheep husbandry is an important branch of agriculture in Kazakhstan. Modern agrarian and breeding science demands inclusion of molecular genetic and genomic data to supplement traditional methods. Here we used medium-scale SNP genotyping for the first time to determine the population structure of five local sheep breeds in Kazakhstan and their relation to global sheep diversity.Principal component analysis and model-based structure analysis of general population markers revealed two breed groups. The first group included Akzhayik and Kazak Fine-wool sheep and the second group had Edilbay, Saryarka and Kazakh Semi-coarse wool sheep. High heterogeneity of different populations of Akzhayik and Kazakh Semi-coarse wool sheep was observed. A neighborjoining tree comparing Kazakh sheep data with the dataset generated by the Sheep HapMap project supported a close relationship between Kazakh sheep varieties and ancient domestic sheep ancestors.

Jatropha curcas has been introduced as a low-cost energy crop in Burkina Faso for the production of straight vegetable oil (SVO) and biodiesel. It is cultivated in different plantation systems including smallholder inter-plantings with annual crops, large-scale monoculture, afforestation on marginal land, in traditional hedge systems along contour stone walls, and in living fences. We performed Life Cycle Assessment of these Jatropha systems using empirical data on yields and carbon stocks, and accounting for changes in agro-ecosystem provisioning and regulating services that occurred after the land conversion to Jatropha. The study found that all J. curcas production pathways substantially reduced greenhouse gas emission (68–89%) and saved energy (65–90%) compared to diesel fuel. Highest values are achievable under the assumption that by-products (husks, seed cake, glycerin) are used for energy generation. The decentralized production of SVO supplied by feedstocks from intercropping and hedgerow systems seems to be most promising option. However, very low land-use efficiency (6.5–9.5 GJ ha− 1 production) characterized Jatropha intercropping and monoculture plantations, rendering the plant a competitor to food crops and increasing the risk of conversion of savanna land to Jatropha cultivation. Jatropha plantings on marginal lands largely failed. High labor requirements constrain integration of Jatropha plantation systems within small farmholdings. Currently, the traditional hedge systems show the lowest land-use replacement potential and labor needs while providing multiple ecosystem services, but alone cannot satisfy rural energy needs. In order to reach energy supply targets without claiming more land and compromising other ecosystem services, the J. curcas plantation systems in Burkina Faso need to be made more efficient through plant breeding and improved agronomic management.

In the Sudano-Sahelian zone of West Africa, where deforestation and cropland soil degradation occur at alarming rates, the (re-)introduction of trees on degraded lands can improve and sustain farming systems and landscapes. The shoot and root morphological traits of five woody species introduced to degraded cropland were assessed with a particular focus on the survival, early establishment and growth of saplings subjected to manuring (1 kg per plant) and drip irrigation (0.5 L of water per plant per day). Functional traits of the woody above- and belowground organs of field-grown plants were monitored for the first 15 months after planting, covering two growing (rainy) seasons and one dry season. The high survival rate (>60%), combined with a very low incidence rate ( Jatropha curcas L., Leucaena leucocephala Lam. and Moringa oleifera Lam. The mortality rate of the most drought-sensitive species Parkia biglobosa Jacq. could be reduced ten-fold through supplemental irrigation during the dry season. The fast-growing L. leucocephala , M. oleifera and J. curcas had higher values for shoot-level traits than did the slow-growing Anacardium occidentale L. and P. biglobosa . Fertilization and irrigation enhanced the shoot growth of both the fast and slow growers during the dry and growing seasons. In contrast, belowground development was either increased or reduced by fertilization and irrigation during the growing and dry seasons, but the slow growers demonstrated a more plastic response to these treatments than did the fast growers. Among the studied traits, the relative growth rate of plant as a whole (i.e. shoots and roots combined) exhibited the greatest plastic response to resource availability, thus suggesting its application in screening candidate species for afforestation efforts. Overall, the five studied species were considered suitable for the afforestation of degraded croplands, while the early growth and establishment of saplings could be boosted by irrigation and a supply of manure.

Our study investigated the total terrestrial stock of organic carbon and its controlling factors in prevalent land‐use systems in semi-arid Ethiopia (610 mm of annual rainfall), as part of the impact assessment of the national Integrated Watershed Management (IWM) program. Above- and below-ground biomass and soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks of major land-use systems (i.e., exclosure, cropland, rangeland, and bare land) were quantified after field sampling along a topographic gradient. We found that aboveground carbon stocks peaked in the 15-year-old exclosures (9.08 ± 1.44 Mg ha−1) owing to intact woody and grass vegetation as well as substantial litter cover (>20% of the total biomass). Croplands cultivated with wheat and rangelands vegetated with perennial grasses showed average aboveground carbon stocks of 3.16 ± 0.24 and 1.45 ± 0.19 Mg ha−1, respectively. The belowground biomass carbon stock was particularly low in croplands (0.76 ± 0.09 Mg ha−1), exceeded by that in both exclosures and rangelands, where values averaged 3.67 ± 0.06 and 3.04 ± 0.42 Mg ha−1, respectively. The topsoil (0–30 cm) SOC stocks also varied with land-use systems but showed a different order, peaking in rangelands (53.9 ± 10.1 Mg ha−1) and exclosures (41.4 ± 8.1 Mg ha−1), followed by bare lands (29.0 ± 11.5 Mg ha−1) and croplands (26.4 ± 4.6 Mg ha−1). The sub-soils (30–100 cm) added 40% to this SOC storage. The greatest total SOC stock identified in exclosures that had been established primarily on degraded hillslopes may signify a successful restoration effort under the IWM program. However, croplands exhibited the lowest SOC stock, which implies the need for urgent interventions to improve the soil fertility.

Our study addressed biomass dynamics in traditional and newly introduced Jatropha curcas production systems in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Five prevailing J. curcas systems included interplanting with annual crops, intensely managed plantations, afforestation of abandoned land, plantings along contour stone walls, and traditional living fences. Measurements of stem diameter, tree height (n = 670) and above- and below-ground biomass (n = 157) enabled the development of generic allometric models relating shoot and root biomass with stem diameter. The relations showed very good fits (R 2 > 0.9) for all studied systems, except afforestation sites which largely perished. Considering system-specific height-diameter (HD) relationship improved the model performance for living fences where trees allocated more biomass in the height rather than diameter growth. Self-propagation in living fences results in variable stand density, tree age, and consequently shifting HD relations. Therefore these models would benefit from local calibrations should they be applied elsewhere. We argue that for the other systems the developed generic equations are applicable subject to accounting for the tree ontogenetic stages deduced from HD relations. In this respect, the allometric models for juvenile trees are most robust whereas overall validity range of the equations can be improved with more observations of large-size trees.

The conversion of marginal croplands to tree plantations, as an option to address climate change, land degradation, and irrigation water scarcity, as well as to improve the welfare of local population requires prior analysis. This study analyzed the impacts of afforestation of marginal croplands, including potential benefits in the form of carbon sequestration rewards via the Clean Development Mechanism, on the livelihood of commercial farms and rural households by considering their interdependencies via wage-labor relations in irrigated agricultural regions of the lower reaches of the Amu Darya River, Central Asia. A dynamic nonlinear programming model was developed that jointly maximizes profit of farm and net incomes of rural households over a 15-year horizon under conditions of decreasing irrigation water availability and forestry plantations with a single seven-year rotation period. The results showed that the introduction of short-rotation plantation forestry in degraded irrigated croplands can help mitigate the repercussions of water shortages on rural livelihood, while sustaining energy needs, income, and food security. Although income and food consumption of rural households may decline from year two to six after afforestation, the subsequent increase in farm profit following the harvest of tree plantations would be transmitted to rural households through existing wage-labor payment arrangements. The incorporation of fuelwood into labor payment schemes would substitute the use of fossil fuels by rural households and thus substantially decrease their energy expenses and CO2 emissions. Furthermore, given the low irrigation water demand of trees, afforestation would increase irrigation water availability for more productive croplands.

The Syrdarya River basin in Central Asia exhibits symptoms of scarcity because of growing competition between hydropower upstream and environment, cities and agriculture downstream. Different approaches to water management, based on water savings in agriculture could relieve the stress of competition, yet keep alive a vibrant agriculture. The Fergana Valley, a highly productive area within the upstream of the Syrdarya River, was analyzed to determine the water savings potential of agriculture. This paper used a water accounting procedure to identify both the scope for savings and the strategies to realize those gains. Significant nonproductive depletion of water at 2681–4164 million m3 (Mm3) was identified in the form of evaporation, flows to sinks and pollution. The water-saving potential is estimated at 2823 Mm3 annually, which is about 10% of the total inflow into the area, through a range of practical approaches. This strategy would bring regional benefits by reallocation of surplus winter flow from the upstream for summer use in the downstream.

Agricultural mismanagement of irrigated drylands results in severe soil degradation. Afforestation is an option for ameliorating such degraded land. We evaluated the impact afforestation has on the topsoil (0–20 cm) of salinized degraded cropland in regards to salinity, aggregate stability, and soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in Uzbekistan, Central Asia. The effects of tree plantations established under either furrow or drip irrigation were studied four years following afforestation and two years after irrigation ceased. For comparative study we also sampled fallow land, land with 80 years of tree growth, natural forest, desert ecosystems, and paddy rice fields. Initial furrow irrigation showed to be most effective in improving soil fertility after four years of afforestation; the respective plantations of Populus euphratica and Ulmus pumila showed significant levels of reduced soil salinity and increased aggregate stability and improved SOC stocks. The comparison of the long-term afforested land with the short-term equivalent suggested a C sequestration rate of 0.09–0.15 t C ha −1 year −1 . The SOC stocks of the long-term afforestation site exceeded those of the native forest. Hence, a rehabilitation of salt-affected cropland is feasible following the conversion into occasionally irrigated tree plantations, although it takes decades to reach steady-state conditions.

This study examined the early growth and water use of tree plantations established on a marginalized irrigated cropland in northwest Uzbekistan, where salinization of agricultural soils is widespread due to shallow saline groundwater tables. During the first two growing seasons in 2003–2004, the tree stands consisting of Elaeagnus angustifolia L., Populus euphratica Oliv., and Ulmus pumila L. were irrigated with 80 mm year −1 , and, in 2005, were left to rely on the shallow (0.9–2.0 m deep) groundwater with a salinity of 1–5 dS m −1 . Soil salinity increased but remained within the range of moderate-to-strong (4–14 dS m −1 ) during the three years. In the course of the growing season, plantations transpired 0.1–7 mm day −1 in 2003 and 1–13 mm day −1 in 2004–2005, as determined with the Penman–Monteith model. In the absence of irrigation, the annual stand transpiration averaged 1250, 1030, and 670 mm for E. angustifolia , P. euphratica and U. pumila , respectively. In 2005, the leaf area index of E. angustifolia ranged from 5 to 10, surpassing that of the other two species more than two-fold. Differences in canopy conductance and transpiration were significant among the tree species and the decoupling coefficient at no time exceeded 0.3, indicating strong physiological control of transpiration. The vigorous juvenile growth and high transpiration under deficit irrigation and after irrigation was terminated, suggested that afforestation with well-adapted tree species is a viable land use option for degraded cropland. The plantation responses to increasing soil salinity must be monitored to determine potential leaching demands in the long run.

Degraded land within the irrigated areas of the Aral Sea Basin is characterized by high soil salinity, shallow saline groundwater (GW), low irrigation water availability and thus is often unsuitable for crop cultivation. Afforestation is one option for mitigating such degraded land but to be successful it requires the selection of appropriate tree species and irrigation techniques for tree establishment. In a two factorial split–plot experiment the survival, dry matter production, root growth, and biomass partitioning of Elaeagnus angustifolia L., Ulmus pumila L., and Populus euphratica Oliv. were compared under three irrigation regimes for two consecutive years. During the third year, the response of the plantations to the cessation of irrigation was evaluated. A “deficit” and “full” water treatment, respectively amounting to 80 and 160 mm year−1 was applied via drip irrigation. Traditional furrow irrigation supplied at the deficit rate, served as the control. Mixed linear model analysis showed significantly enhanced growth of P. euphratica under drip irrigation exceeding 7–14 times that under the control. Drip irrigation was not advantageous for the other species which effectively used the shallow (0.9–2.0 m deep) GW with a salinity ranging between 1.2 and 4.8 dS m−1. After cessation of irrigation, all species at the deficit-irrigated plots retained or increased their growth rates. In contrast, formerly full-irrigated P. euphratica slowed down by about 50%, indicating that deficit watering created better pre-conditions for coping with the termination of irrigation. E. angustifolia produced about 30 t ha−1 year−1 of above-ground biomass more than twice that of the other species, thus showing in the short-run its high potential on marginal land. U. pumila showed stable, albeit moderate growth rates and could be mixed with the short-living, fast-growing E. angustifolia plantations to optimize the yields. Low initial survival (57%) of P. euphratica was compensated for by its strong regeneration and drastically increasing growth rates. Initially high root-zone salinity exceeding 30 dS m−1, stabilized over time within the medium range even in the absence of irrigation. The application of costly drip irrigation for plantation establishment appears unnecessary in the Aral Sea region Khorezm where a shallow, slightly-to-moderately saline GW table prevails throughout the growing season.

The establishment of woody fallow systems is an option for the improvement of degraded agricultural landscape within the ecologically deteriorated Aral Sea area in northwest Uzbekistan. Growth and development of ten tree species, differing in tolerance to drought and salinity, were studied over 24 months. To determine species suitability for afforestation, conventional diameter and height measurements were compared to Relative Growth Rate (RGR) and its underlying components, Net Assimilation Rate (NAR), Specific Leaf Area (SLA) and Leaf Weight Ratio (LWR), as well as the Crop Growth Rate (CGR) as a function of NAR and Leaf Area Index (LAI). RGRs varied between 0.46 and 2.16 mg g � 1 day � 1 and showed highly significant differences among species, but also between years, which reduces the parameter’s suitability for species selection. The same is true for NAR and SLA. CGR values ranged from 0.01 to 0.71 g m � 2 day � 1 , increased with age of the trees, and showed significant species differences. CGR correlated better with NAR (r = 0.89) and SLA (r = 0.86) than RGR. Overall CGR correlated highly with the RGRs in height and diameter (in 80% and 71% of all cases, respectively). Thus, CGR appears to be a suitable indicator complementing RGR, NAR and SLA estimates to decide on species suitability for afforestation. The intensive measurements for RGR should be done later, rather than earlier in the tree life cycle. At an early age, CGR and diameter measurements are more meaningful. A combination of estimates, not a single factor, best assesses the long-term sustainable growth under natural conditions and allows early selection of species suitable for afforestation of degraded patches in the agricultural landscape. Ranking of all parameters concurrently showed the high potential of Elaeagnus angustifolia and Populus euphratica, which matched previous rankings based on total biomass production and financial added value. # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Background & Aims: The insulin growth factor signal transduction pathway is an important regulator of adult hepatocyte proliferation. The purpose of this study was to determine the roles of the insulin receptor substrate (IRS-1 and IRS-2)-mediated growth cascades in rapidly growing fetal rat liver. Methods: We determined the expression and tyrosyl phosphorylation of the insulin receptor β subunit (IRβ), IRS-1 and IRS-2, the binding of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in the presence or absence of insulin stimulation in vivo during development and in the adult liver. In addition, activation of other downstream components including PI3K, Akt, GSK3β, Bad, and p70S6 kinase was studied. Results: We observed reduced expression and tyrosyl phosphorylation of IRS-1 in the fetal liver compared with the adult liver. These developmental changes resulted in a lack of sensitivity to insulin stimulation and subsequent downstream activation of the PI3K and MAPK cascades until the postneonatal period. In contrast, there was a high level of IRS-2 expression and insulin-stimulated tyrosyl phosphorylation as early as embryonic day 15 with robust PI3K binding and activation, which may enhance hepatocyte survival during the rapid growth phase of the liver. Conclusions: The IRS-1 signal transduction pathway does not play a major role in fetal liver growth because IRS-2 functions as the major insulin responsive molecule in early development. However, insulin-mediated IRS-1/MAPK cascade activation contributes to growth in the adult.