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• Climate change's impact on retrofitting was tested on Le Corbusier's apartment. • Climate change scenarios project up to 70% increase in summer overheating. • Adaptive natural ventilation can reduce warm discomfort of 50–60%. • Adaptive setpoints can reduce total energy consumption of 20–30%. • Adaptive strategies are particularly favourable in historic buildings. Historic buildings, often exempt from retrofits to preserve originality, require retrofitting due to potential future climate-related indoor issues. For Modern Architecture constructions, there is a need to find solutions that help address the discomfort and heat losses caused by the extensive use of glazing. By analysing Le Corbusier's studio-apartment this paper aims to inspect: (i) Solutions for energy, Indoor Environmental Quality, and preservation; (ii) Climate change impact on them; (iii) Possible adaptation strategies to cope with climate change. Spectrally selective glazing reduced summer overheating by 15%; high-performance glazing lowers cold discomfort (24%) and heating (22%) but increased warm discomfort; shadings maintained energy use and reduced summer discomfort by up to 44%; thermal insulation can reduce winter discomfort and halves energy use but raised summer discomfort by up to 41%. Tests on 2050–2100 climate change scenarios reveal up to 70% more warm discomfort hours. Adaptive strategies can help, with natural ventilation cutting warm discomfort by 50–60%, and adaptive setpoints reducing cooling demand by about 35%. Adaptive strategies can complement traditional retrofitting in addressing current and future climate conditions, especially in historic buildings that require minimal interventions to preserve their historical characteristics and enhance resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal flooding is a severe and recurring problem, as evidenced by recent disasters that have caused significant damage for coastal communities. A community's ability to mitigate the effects of coastal flooding depends on the local context and its adaptive capacity. Although past research has highlighted the important role that non-governmental organizations play in building adaptive capacity to support effective adaptation, few studies have focused specifically on rural, community-based nonprofits. To fill this gap, we employ a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the role of the Ingleside on the Bay Coastal Watch Association (IOBCWA), a resident-led, community-based nonprofit, in building adaptive capacity to coastal flooding in the City of Ingleside on the Bay (IOB; pop. 800), located in the Coastal Bend Region of Texas. By applying a grounded theory framework, we show that IOBCWA has improved the adaptive capacity of IOB through five primary activities: engaging in community organizing, boosting advocacy and outreach, implementing evidence-based data collection, building capacity among residents, and developing regional communication networks. Our findings are further examined using the Regional Fingerprint tool (Hirschfeld et al., 2020) to assess progress toward building regional adaptive capacity. We identify a need for more formalized policies, enhanced regional partnerships, and broader inclusion of socially vulnerable groups to address environmental challenges. Overall, this work highlights the important role that small, community-based nonprofits like IOBCWA play in building community adaptive capacity and suggests the need for a more comprehensive regional approach with participation from multiple stakeholders to address challenges related to coastal flooding. • Emphasizes the role of CBOs, participatory governance, and local knowledge in coastal flood mitigation initiatives. • Applies grounded theory to analyze the environmental challenges in coastal communities. • Explores the adaptive capacity of small coastal communities amid industrial and environmental threats. • Evaluates adaptive capacities of a community by applying the Regional Fingerprint tool (Hirschfeld et al., 2020). • Underscores the importance of regional collaboration among diverse stakeholders in building adaptive capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of key genes and molecular pathways that are involved in the response to stressors is crucial for controlling stress in fish and sustainable aquaculture. Environmental stressors can induce stress responses in aquatic animals, resulting in compromised immune function, inhibited growth, and increased mortality rates. mRNA-seq analysis provides a powerful tool to identify key genes and pathways associated with stress response. In the present study, mRNA-seq analysis was employed to identify key overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and molecular pathways under salinity, nitrite, copper, and pH stress in the liver of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The pathways associated with the immune response, oxygen transport, homeostasis, and oxidative stress were enriched across all stressors. The top KEGG pathways were complement and coagulation cascades, PPAR signaling pathway, and cardiac muscle contraction. The top GO enrichment terms were oxidoreductase activity, aerobic respiration, endopeptidase inhibitor activity, endopeptidase regulator activity, heme binding, and iron ion binding. The complement genes (C3 , C4 , C5 , factor B , and factor H), alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M), hemoglobin subunit epsilon (HBE), hemoglobin subunit alpha (HBA), coagulation factor genes (XI and X) and the cytochrome c oxidase (COX) gene family (cox1 , cox2 , cox3 , cytochrome P450) were identified as key shared genes across multiple stressors. The discovery of these genes and molecular pathways provided a better understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying the stress response in Nile tilapia. The results of the present study can facilitate the development of stress management strategies in Nile tilapia. [Display omitted] • Overlapping DEGs and molecular pathways under multiple stressors were discovered in Nile tilapia • Pathways associated with the immune response, homeostasis, and oxidative stress were enriched across all stressors • Top KEGG pathways were complement and coagulation cascades, PPAR signaling pathway, and cardiac muscle contraction • Top GO enrichment terms were oxidoreductase activity, aerobic respiration, endopeptidase inhibitor, and heme binding • Complement genes and COX gene family were identified as key shared genes across multiple stressors [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nigeria is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climatic influence on accessibility to quality food. Thus, this study focused on how people relate to the climatic condition with emphasis on improving crop production and the challenge of food insecurity. Systematic method was adopted for distribution of one-hundred and twenty copies of questionnaire among the head of the households. The sampling method involved selection of every 15th building with copy of fifteen questionnaire in each of the eight (8) quarters that made up the entire study area. 3-points Likert scale was adopted. Poor food production results from increased temperature and irrigation deficiency. Among all other adaptive measures adopted in response to climate impact on food production in this area, only irrigation system was rejected because its Mean Weight Value at 1.73 is below the 2.07 Grand Mean Weight Value. Intensive agricultural practices with irrigation-based system of farming is capable of producing crops with required moisture under diverse climatic conditions. Descriptive statistics such as tabulation and simple percentages were also employed for data analysis and presentation of results.

The domestication of the yak on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau probably dates back to 7300 years ago, when the rangelands were also utilized for cultivation. Over time, a complete system of herding and rangeland management developed. In recent years, however, the rangeland contract policy and nomadic settlement project have reduced the mobility of herds through the decollectivization of the rangeland. This process has destroyed the traditional nomadic lifestyle and caused difficulties, forcing the herders to adapt to new ways. This paper considers 3 issues: (1) the implementation of the contract policy and the settlement project—2 important policies that have caused the decollectivization of rangeland on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau; (2) the effects of the 2 policies on herding at 2 sites; and (3) the adaptive strategies employed by herders against the constraints of the policies. The study incorporates a literature review, fieldwork, key-person interviews, and focus group discussions. Community-based self-management of the rangeland appears to be the best strategy for herders. Policies such as group herding can help herders increase herd mobility, which is crucial for sustainably raising livestock on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau.

This article examines how civil society organizations (CSOs) in Latin America cope with authoritarian populism. In particular, it outlines cases of coping and adaptive strategies by CSOs in Ecuador during the years of President Rafael Correa’s presidency (2007–2017). Ecuador provides an example of an authoritarian, leftist populist administration; thus situating our discussion in the general civil society-government relations literature, we link together trends of authoritarianism and populism and its implications on CSOs. Using a qualitative-interpretive approach with long-term fieldwork in Ecuador, we outline a selection of coping strategies used by organized civil society that include formal, semi-formal and informal organizational configurations.

Tyrosinases (TYRs) are enzymes found in various organisms that are crucial for melanin biosynthesis, coloration, and UV protection. They play vital roles in insect cuticle sclerotization, mollusk shell formation, fungal and bacterial pigmentation, biofilm formation, and virulence. Structurally, TYRs feature copper-binding sites that are essential for catalytic activity, facilitating substrate oxidation via interactions with conserved histidine residues. TYRs exhibit diversity across animals, plants, fungi, mollusks, and bacteria, reflecting their roles and function. Eukaryotic TYRs undergo post-translational modifications, such as glycosylation, which affect protein folding and activity. Bacterial TYRs are categorized into five types based on their structural variation, domain organization and enzymatic properties, showing versatility across bacterial species. Moreover, bacterial TYRs, akin to fungal TYRs, have been implicated in the synthesis of secondary metabolites with antimicrobial properties. TYRs share significant sequence homology with hemocyanins, oxygen-carrier proteins in mollusks and arthropods, highlighting their evolutionary relationships. The evolution of TYRs underscores the dynamic nature of these enzymes and reflects adaptive strategies across diverse taxa., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Using multiple archeological and paleoenvironmental proxies, this paper makes the case for a climate-induced convergent catastrophe among the human population of terminal Stone Age Arctic Norway. We show that climatic changes correlate with the termination of the so-called Gressbakken phase (4200–3500 cal BP), and unpack the middle-range mechanisms linking the Gressbakken termination to contemporaneous changes in the biophysical environment. We show that what was a Holocene extreme, and likely volcanically-induced, climate deterioration around 3550 cal BP coincided with a population decline as reflected in the frequency of radiocarbon-dated archeological sites along with major changes in material culture and settlement pattern. Together, these proxies suggest a return to forms of social and economic organization based on lower population densities, higher residential mobility, and reduced locational investments. In establishing the middle-range ecological mechanics mediating these changes into archeologically observable patterns, the results indicate that the Gressbakken termination was the result of a particularly unstable climate period characterized by regional paludification, increased effective precipitation, forest decline, and likely impacts on reindeer populations and their migratory behavior, with drastic human implications. We argue for a convergent catastrophe-scenario in which a series of hardships between 4000 and 3500 cal BP exceeded the adaptive mitigation capabilities of the contemporaneous Arctic Norwegian population. Our study supports the notion that increased sedentism and locational investment actually increases vulnerability in the face of rapid biophysical change and contributes to the growing database of past human ecodynamics that speak to current socio-ecological concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Akhiljith, P.J.; Liya, V.B.; Rojith, G.; Zacharia, P.U.; Grinson, G.; Ajith, S.; Lakshmi, P.M.; Sajna, V.H., and Sathianandan, T.V., 2019. Climatic projections of Indian ocean during 2030, 2050, 2080 with implications on fisheries sector. In: Jithendran, K.P.; Saraswathy, R.; Balasubramanian, C.P.; Kumaraguru Vasagam, K.P.; Jayasankar, V.; Raghavan, R.; Alavandi, S.V., and Vijayan, K.K. (eds.), BRAQCON 2019: World Brackishwater Aquaculture Conference. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 86, pp. 198-208. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Climatic projections are essential to frame resilient strategies towards futuristic impacts of climate changes on fish species and habitat. The present study projects the variations of climatic variables such as Sea Surface Temperature (SST), Sea Surface Salinity (SSS), Sea Level Rise (SLR), Precipitation (Pr), and pH along the Indian Ocean. Climate projections for 2030, 2050 and 2080 were obtained as MIROC-ESM-CHEM, CMIP5 model output for each Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenarios. Each climatic variable was assessed for any change against the reference year of 2015. The RCP scenarios showed an increasing trend for SLR and SST while a decreasing trend for SSS and pH. The study focuses on assessing the impacts of projected variations on marine and aquaculture system. The climate model projections show that the SST during 2080 is likely to rise by 0.69°C for the lowest emissions scenario and 2.6°C for the highest emissions scenario. Elevated temperature disturbs the homeostasis of fish and subjects to physiological stress in the habitat resulting in mortality. These thermal limits can predict distributional changes of marine species in response to climate change. Projections showed no significant changes in the pattern of precipitation. Changes in sea level rise and sea surface salinity reduce water quality, spawning and seed availability, increased disease incidence and damage to freshwater aquaculture system by salinization of groundwater. The results show that variation in SST and pH have a potential impact on marine fisheries while SSS, SLR, Precipitation affects the aquaculture systems. The synergic effects of climatic variations are found to have negative implications on capture fisheries as well as aquaculture system and are elucidated through this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The domestication of the yak on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau probably dates back to 7300 years ago, when the rangelands were also utilized for cultivation. Over time, a complete system of herding and rangeland management developed. In recent years, however, the rangeland contract policy and nomadic settlement project have reduced the mobility of herds through the decollectivization of the rangeland. This process has destroyed the traditional nomadic lifestyle and caused difficulties, forcing the herders to adapt to new ways. This paper considers 3 issues: (1) the implementation of the contract policy and the settlement project—2 important policies that have caused the decollectivization of rangeland on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau; (2) the effects of the 2 policies on herding at 2 sites; and (3) the adaptive strategies employed by herders against the constraints of the policies. The study incorporates a literature review, fieldwork, key-person interviews, and focus group discussions. Community-based self-management of the rangeland appears to be the best strategy for herders. Policies such as group herding can help herders increase herd mobility, which is crucial for sustainably raising livestock on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sicyos angulatus may become an extremely dangerous invasive plant depending on its ability to naturalize and outcompete other species. To further understand the adaptive strategies of structures that could enhance its competitiveness, field surveys and experimental studies were conducted in plant communities where invasion may occur. The results showed that multistage branches of tendrils ensured that the plants could climb higher to strive for better photosynthetic opportunities. The single fleshy fruit of the infructescence was carpeted with slender white spines on which dense barbs were arranged, which could defend fruits against herbivores and contributed to long-distance dispersal. There would be beaklike lignified thorn forming to continue spreading when most of the barbed spines fell off during the fruit season. Rootstock was found in this herbaceous vine, which could accumulate various storage substances during development and helped the plants spread in harsh conditions. Moreover, the discovery of ants as new pollinators enriched the pollination system of S. angulatus, which greatly enhanced pollination efficiency. Above all, we conclude that this species has diverse adaptive strategies and a strong invasive capacity. It is urgent to find some way to slow or even stop its invasion effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa produce the bulk of the food consumed by inhabitants of these countries despite their poor working conditions in terms of access to inputs, improved technology and basic infrastructure. Climate change, unstable micro- and macroeconomic conditions coupled with the rising poverty situation have even made the matter worse for them. This has aggravated their living conditions and dwindling interest in agriculture. In Nigeria, agriculture remains the largest employer of labour providing livelihood for over 70% of the population. The paper relied on primary data collected through structured questionnaire on a random sample of 360 smallholder farmers in southwest Nigeria using a multistage sampling procedure. The data were collected in March and September, being the peak of dry and raining seasons in the country. Respondents' distribution by age indicates average age to be 45 years with about one-third having tertiary education and 36% having no formal education. Also, about two-thirds were estimated to be vulnerable going by the vulnerability benchmark constructed using the consumption expenditure data collected in both seasons. A probit analysis employed shows that respondents' age, gender, years of formal education, household size, membership of cooperatives, access to inputs, access to extension services, distance to markets and price situation are major determinants of vulnerability to seasonal fluctuations in production and marketing in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia, one of the major limiting environment factors in aquaculture, may pose a threat to the shrimp growth, reproduction and survival. In this study, to understand molecular differences of transcriptomic and metabolomic responses and investigate the tolerance mechanisms underlying ammonia stress in Litopenaeus vannamei , ammonia-tolerant family (LV-AT) and ammonia-sensitive family (LV-AS) of these two extreme families were exposed to high-concentration (NH 4 Cl, 46 mg/L) ammonia for 24 h. The comparative transcriptome analysis between ammonia-treated and control (LV-C) groups revealed involvement of immune defense, cytoskeleton remodeling, antioxidative system and metabolic pathway in ammonia-stress response of L. vannamei. Likewise, metabolomics analysis showed that ammonia exposure could disturb amino acid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism and lipid metabolism, with metabolism related-genes changed according to RNA-seq analysis. The comparison of metabolite and transcript profiles between LV-AT and LV-AS indicated that LV-AT used the enhanced glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle strategies for energy supply and ammonia excretion to adapt high-concentration ammonia. Furthermore, some of genes involved in the detoxification and ammonia excretion were highly expressed in LV-AT. We speculate that the higher ability of ammonia excretion and detoxification and the accelerated energy metabolism for energy supplies might be the adaptive strategies for LV-AT relative to LV-AS after ammonia stress. Collectively, the combination of transcriptomics and metabolomics results will greatly contribute to incrementally understand the stress responses on ammonia exposure to L. vannamei and supply molecular level support for evaluating the environmental effects of ammonia on aquatic organisms. The results further constitute new sights on the potential molecular mechanisms of ammonia adaptive strategies in shrimps at the transcriptomics and metabolomics levels. • Transcriptomic and metabolomic responses to high-concentration of ammonia were studied in L. vannamei. • Ammonia exposure influences immune defense, cytoskeleton remodeling, antioxidative system and metabolic pathway. • Ammonia exposure disturbs the amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism and nucleotide metabolism. • Higher ability of excretion and detoxification and accelerated energy metabolism might be related to ammonia tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we propose adaptive strategies to solve coordination failures in a prototype generalized minority game model with a multi-agent, multi-choice environment. We illustrate the model with an application to large scale distributed processing systems with a large number of agents and servers. In our set up, agents are assigned responsibility to complete tasks that require unit time. They request servers to process these tasks. Servers can process only one task at a time. Agents have to choose servers independently and simultaneously, and have access to the outcomes of their own past requests only. Coordination failure occurs if more than one agent simultaneously requests the same server to process tasks at the same time, while other servers remain idle. Since agents are independent, this leads to multiple coordination failures. In this paper, we propose strategies based on reinforcement learning that minimize such coordination failures. We also prove a null result that a large category of probabilistic strategies which attempts to combine information about other agents' strategies, asymptotically converge to uniformly random choices over the servers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Although the effectiveness of best management practices (BMPs) in reducing urban flooding is widely recognized, the improved sustainability achieved by implementing BMPs in upstream suburban areas, reducing downstream urban floods, is still debated. This study introduces a new definition of urban drainage system (UDS) sustainability, focusing on BMP usage to enhance system performance after adaptation to climate change. Three types of hydraulic reliability index (HRI) plus robustness and improvability indices were used to quantify the potential enhanced sustainability of the system in a changing climate, together with a climate change adaptability index (CCAI). The sustainability of UDS for the safe conveyance of storm-water runoff was investigated under different land-use scenarios: No BMP, BMP in urban areas, and BMP inside and upstream of urban areas, considering climate change impacts. Rainfall–runoff simulation alongside drainage network modelling was conducted using a storm-water management model (US EPA SWMM) to determine the inundation areas for both base-line and future climatic conditions. A new method for disaggregating daily rainfall to hourly, proposed to provide a finer resolution of input rainfall to SWMM, was applied to a semi-urbanized catchment whose upstream runoff from mountainous areas may contribute to the storm-water runoff in downstream urban parts. Our findings confirm an increase in the number of inundation points and reduction in sustainability indices of UDS due to climate change. The results present an increase in UDS reliability from 4% to 16% and improvements in other sustainability indicators using BMPs in upstream suburban areas compared to implementing them in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limited-memory BFGS method (L-BFGS) has become the workhorse optimization strategy for many large-scale nonlinear optimization problems. A major difficulty with L-BFGS is that, although the memory size m can have a significant effect on performance, it is difficult to know what memory size will work best. Importantly, a larger m does not necessarily improve performance, but may, in fact, degrade it. There is no guidance in the literature on how to choose m. In this paper, we briefly review L-BFGS and then suggest two computationally efficient ways to measure the effectiveness of various memory sizes, thus allowing us to adaptively choose a different memory size at each iteration. Our overall numerical results illustrate that our approach improves the performance of the L-BFGS method. These results also indicate some further directions for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The C3 species Аtriplex verrucifera M. Bieb and the C4 species A. tatarica L. were compared in terms of their photosynthetic activities, plant growth rates, and the content of water, Na+, K+, and proline under water deficit and salinity conditions caused by polyethylene glycol (PEG) and NaCl solutions having equal osmotic potentials (–0.6 MPa). Nonstressed A. tatarica plants accumulated twofold larger biomass compared with A.verrucifera; they also featured a tenfold higher amount of proline and were superior in photosynthetic water use efficiency. Compared to A. tatarica, А. verrucifera plants were more resistant to osmotic stress: they exhibited normal growth rates at low osmotic potential of the medium, retained their water and K+ content in tissues, and preserved the rates of dark respiration and water use efficiency. Despite the attribution to C4 plants, A. tatarica showed low resistance to PEG-induced osmotic stress and accumulated significant amounts of proline, whereas the C3 species accumulated proline only under excess of Na+, i.e., under salinity. The principal component analysis of various parameters (content of proline, water, K+, Na+, and the K+/Na+ ratio) revealed the factors significant for adaptation of the examined plant species to water stress. In A. tatarica, the main role belongs to proline, Na+, and water, whereas this role is played by Na+ and proline in А. verrucifera. Potassium ions proved to be an indispensable component of adaptive mechanisms in both plant species. Under salt stress, the C3 species accumulated proline, which served as an antioxidant and osmoprotector and also balanced the cell osmotic potential. The examined C4 species accumulated the osmolyte proline under PEG-induced water stress. The results provide evidence that representatives of the genus Atriplex employ different strategies of adapting to water deficit and salinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our century is facing a major challenge, with implications that can endanger the existence of humanity - climate change. If hundreds of years ago, these climate changes were perceived as a reaction of nature, now, almost 300 years after the industrial revolution, part of humanity's activities in the struggle for survival are those that generate climate change. The challenges of climate change have become so complex that they require research and understanding of the phenomena in order to have an effective approach and implement the appropriate measures needed to mitigate the negative effects of the consequences of climate change. Agricultural is the one that generates climate change through GHG emissions, but at the same time is the sector most affected by these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper utilises a qualitative narrative analysis approach to examine smaller foreign investors operating within the Russian agricultural sector as private farmers: the foreign versions of the krestyansko-fermerskiye khoziaistva (peasant farms) that were the early focus of agrarian reform. With difficulty experienced by foreign investment in Russian agriculture, and with the Putin administration shifting its focus to larger scale agriculture, interest lies in the fate of these smaller foreign investors, set in the broader question of: 'Is there really a future for smaller foreign investors in Russia?' The investors were aligned along a performance and narrative spectrum, and the construction of their identities - guided by their adaptive processes on the 'Turnerian' frontier - were found to shape their business conduct, and interactions with labour forces and regional authorities. Negative prejudgment of the labour force existed amongst the investors - with associated negative notions of trust, inefficiency, laziness, morality, and sexual deviancy - and they were involved in explicit or ambiguous forms of gift-gifting, drawing parallels to Soviet blat behaviour. This paper concludes that despite efforts to construct identity, the narratives of the investors betrayed themselves in certain aspects, with elements of 'undoing' in the identity process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture in Pakistan is extremely vulnerable to climate change. Adaptation of the agriculture sector is imperative as it contributes 20 percent to the GDP and supports directly or indirectly about 68 percent of the population for their sustenance. Farmers' perception about climate change, current adaptation measures, and decision-making process is important for farmers' successful adaptation strategies. Using data of 205 conventional farmers from three district of Punjab province, this study provides insights into farmers' perceptions about climate change, on-going adaptation practices, and constraints to various adaption strategies. We found that majority of the farmers do not consider climate change as a potential threat to agriculture; therefore, they do not make any intentional efforts to change their farming practices. However, a few adaptation measures like use of different crop varieties, tree planting, and drip irrigation methods are prevalent in the research area. The major hurdles that farmers perceived in adaptation are limited access to credit, lack of access to information, and institutional support. As expected, no significant variations were found across districts in the characteristics of respondents (age and income) that can affect their perceptions, their adaptation strategies, and obstacles faced in adaptation. The results of the study need to be interpreted with caution, as we did not focus on other determinants like education, role of media, and government policies that can affect farmers' choices to adopt climate resilient farming practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this research was to propose a framework centred on the dynamic capabilities approach, and to be applied in the context of family businesses’ adaption to their changing business environment. Data were gathered through interviews with ten FBs operating in Western Australia. Based on the findings, the clusters of activities, sensing, seizing, and transforming emerged as key factors for firms’ adaptation, and were reinforced by firms’ open culture, signature processes, idiosyncratic knowledge, and valuable, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable attributes. Thus, the usefulness of the proposed framework was confirmed. Implications and future research opportunities are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two Alpine goat lines were selected for divergent functional longevity. • Reproduction, and milk and BW trajectories were evaluated in both lines. • The deviations in performance trajectories in a challenging environment were explored. • Different allocation strategies were found between the selected lines over time. • Functional longevity may be an indicator of adaptive capacity selection in goat. This study aims to investigate whether the variation in reproduction success, growth, and milk trajectories is associated with different adaptive strategies in the short term (response to an acute nutritional challenge), using two Alpine goat lines. A total of 382 Alpine goats (179 low longevity (low_LGV) and 203 high longevity (high_LGV)), selected for divergent functional longevity from a commercial population, were monitored for 4 years and recorded for BW, reproduction and milking performance. Every year, an average of fifty primiparous goats were exposed to a 2-d nutritional challenge in early lactation. A polynomial model was used to analyse the lifetime trajectory of lactation and BW. A piecewise model was used to analyse the individual milk yield and responses of milk components to the nutritional challenges. The statistical analysis revealed that the two lines had a similar performance for total milk yield in the first lactation, BW at birth and at first kidding, litter size and weight, kidding interval and interval from the first insemination to conception. BW trajectories revealed that low_LGV goats had a greater BW in pregnancy but then lost more weight in early lactation compared to high_LGV goats, which showed a greater BW after kidding. Milk trajectories showed that the high_LGV goats had a higher initial milk yield, an earlier but less marked lactation peak and more persistency in milk production in late lactation than low_LGV goats. Except for milk protein content, quite similar response and recovery profiles of milk yield and milk fat content were observed during the challenge for both lines. The response to the challenge was positively correlated to the initial level of milk production in early lactation but negatively correlated with milk production decline after the peak. This finding suggests that the low_LGV goats were more adapted to allocate resources to meet an expected physiological change such as gestation and lactation. However, high_LGV goats allocate more than low_LGV goats for structural mass and may better cope with an unexpected environmental change such as nutritional deficit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Savannas of the Amazon Region of Mato Grosso State have an unique ecological identity due to the complexity of the Cerrado-Amazon transition region, their geographical isolation and the physical-chemical properties of the soil. This study aimed to characterize the leaf anatomy of Xylopia aromatica, and to identify potential adaptive traits to the xeric environment. We collected adult leaves from X. aromatica from a Amazonian savannah located in the Nova Canãa do Norte city, Mato Grosso. The leaves were fixed and stored in 70% ethanol. Cross sections were obtained by free hand with the aid of a razor blade, stained with astra blue and basic fuchsin, and mounted on histological slides. Characters considered adaptive: thick cuticle, epidermal cells with thickened walls, the presence of silica in the epidermis, trichomes, hypostomatic leaves, stomata on the same level as the other epidermal cells, presence of hypodermis, and dorsiventral mesophyll with palisade parenchyma occupying more than 50%. The anatomical characters presented are of great importance for the establishment and development of X. aromatica in xeric environments. They contribute to the protection of the leaves from many biotic and abiotic factors to which they are subjected, thus ensuring the species survival in the savannic environment.