Capacity development is critical to long-term conservation success, yet we lack a robust and rigorous understanding of how well its effects are being evaluated. A comprehensive summary of who is monitoring and evaluating capacity development interventions, what is being evaluated and how, would help in the development of evidence-based guidance to inform design and implementation decisions for future capacity development interventions and evaluations of their effectiveness. We built an evidence map by reviewing peer-reviewed and grey literature published since 2000, to identify case studies evaluating capacity development interventions in biodiversity conservation and natural resource management. We used inductive and deductive approaches to develop a coding strategy for studies that met our criteria, extracting data on the type of capacity development intervention, evaluation methods, data and analysis types, categories of outputs and outcomes assessed, and whether the study had a clear causal model and/or used a systems approach. We found that almost all studies assessed multiple outcome types: most frequent was change in knowledge, followed by behaviour, then attitude. Few studies evaluated conservation outcomes. Less than half included an explicit causal model linking interventions to expected outcomes. Half of the studies considered external factors that could influence the efficacy of the capacity development intervention, and few used an explicit systems approach. We used framework synthesis to situate our evidence map within the broader literature on capacity development evaluation. Our evidence map (including a visual heat map) highlights areas of low and high representation in investment in research on the evaluation of capacity development.

The evolution of glyphosate resistance in weedy species places an environmentally benign herbicide in peril. The first report of a dicot plant with evolved glyphosate resistance was horseweed, which occurred in 2001. Since then, several species have evolved glyphosate resistance and genomic information about nontarget resistance mechanisms in any of them ranges from none to little. Here, we report a study combining iGentifier transcriptome analysis, cDNA sequencing, and a heterologous microarray analysis to explore potential molecular and transcriptomic mechanisms of nontarget glyphosate resistance of horseweed. The results indicate that similar molecular mechanisms might exist for nontarget herbicide resistance across multiple resistant plants from different locations, even though resistance among these resistant plants likely evolved independently and available evidence suggests resistance has evolved at least four separate times. In addition, both the microarray and sequence analyses identified non–target-site resistance candidate genes for follow-on functional genomics analysis.

The cultivar Ajaya (IET 8585) exhibits durable broad-spectrum resistance to bacterial blight (BB) disease of rice and is widely used as a resistance donor. The present study was carried out to decipher the genetics of BB resistance in Ajaya and map the gene(s) conferring resistance. Genetic analysis in the F2 indicated a quantitative/additive nature of resistance governed by two loci with equal effects. Linked marker analysis and allelic tests revealed that one of the resistance genes is xa5. Sequence analysis of a 244 bp region of the second exon of the gene-encoding Transcription factor IIAγ (the candidate gene for xa5) confirmed the presence of xa5. Bulked-segregant analysis (BSA) revealed the putative location of the two quantitative trait loci (QTLs)/genes associated with resistance on chromosomes 5 and 8. Composite interval mapping located the first locus on Chr. 5S exactly in the genomic region spanned by xa5 and the second locus (qtl BBR 8.1) on Chr. 8L. Owing to its differential disease reaction with a set of seven hyper-virulent isolates of Xanthomonas oryzae, a map location on Chr. 8L, which was distinct from xa13 and data from allelism tests, the second resistance locus in Ajaya was determined to be novel and was designated as xaAj. A contig map spanning xaAj was constructed in silico and the genomic region was delimited to a 13·5 kb physical interval. In silico analysis of the genomic region spanning xaAj identified four putatively expressed candidate genes, one of which could be involved in imparting BB resistance in Ajaya along with xa5.

Leucaena leucocephala is cultivated at close spacings that do not permit intercropping. This has been a discouraging factor for small landholders who need regular income to establish leucaena plantations and benefit from the rapidly expanding market for wood. Therefore, on-farm experiments were conducted near Bhadrachalam, Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh, India, from August 2001 to January 2006, to study the effect of reducing tree density and modifying tree geometry on the growth of leucaena and productivity of intercrops. The inter-row spacing of 1.3 m in farmers' practice was increased up to 13 m to examine whether wide-row planting and grouping of certain rows would facilitate extended intercropping without sacrificing wood yield. Tree density treatments tried were 1.3 × 1.3 m, 3 × 0.75 m, 3 × 1 m, 5 × 0.8 m and 3 × 2 m which gives densities of 5919, 4444, 3333, 2500 and 1666 trees ha−1, respectively. Tree geometry treatments tested were 7 × 1 m paired row spacing (7 × 1 PR), 10 × 1 m triple row spacing (10 × 1 TR), and 13 × 1 m four rows (13 × 1 FR) with a constant tree population of 2500 trees ha−1. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) was the intercrop. While changes in tree density affected diameter at breast height (DBH) significantly, modification of tree geometry did not affect tree height and DBH. Marketable wood and dry biomass productivity was highest with 3 × 0.75 m spacing, and reducing tree density and alteration of tree geometry reduced the biomass considerably. In 2001, 2002 and 2003 seasons, respectively, tree spacing at 3 m produced mean yields of 97, 23 and 11% of the sole crop cowpea yield whereas modified tree geometry treatments produced mean yields of 97, 61 and 20% of sole crop yield. The widest spacing (13 × 1 FR) recorded 95, 73 and 30% of the sole crop yields during 2001, 2002 and 2003, respectively. Net returns from intercropping of leucaena in 3 × 0.75 m spacing was 36% higher than that of the farmers' practice. Although wider tree geometry treatments recorded lower net returns, they provided higher intercrop yields and returns in the first two years of plantation establishment. Therefore, it can be concluded that in regions where annual rainfall is around 1000 mm, leucaena can be planted at a spacing of 3 × 0.75 m for improving intercrop performance, higher tree productivity and returns.

A review of the literature on atypical depression indicated three relatively separate usages for the term: anxiety or phobic symptoms additional to depression, reversed functional shift, and non-endogenous depression. A sample of 160 out-patient depressives was rated on a variety of diagnostic systems measuring these concepts. Inter-relationships between groups selected by the three definitions were found to be low. In addition, although there was moderate consistency within different definitions of endogenous depression and of additional anxiety, reversed functional shift symptoms did not correlate well with each other. These findings suggest that atypical depression may be of limited value as a specific diagnosis within non-psychotic depression.

Assortative mating is generalized to include social homogamy and phenotypic homogamy as two special cases. This generalization, called mixed homogamy, enables tests of hypotheses on the nature of assortment. Cultural inheritance is also extended to include two components: transmitted from parental environments, and non-transmitted sibship environment. Familial correlations are derived for a variety of relationships under mixed homogamy.

Rice, Cloninger & Reich (1980) showed that correlational data on American I.Q. is consistent with a rather low genetic heritability. Here we confirm their general results with a more parsimonious model. From phenotypic data alone, the estimates of genetic and cultural heritability are 0·31 and 0·42, respectively. Using environmental indices, the parsimonious estimates become 0·34 and 0·26, respectively.

Between 1980 and 1986, six field experiments were conducted to investigate the relations between planting density, total dry matter and pod yield of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L. cv. TMV2) grown at different levels of irrigation and rainfall at two sites in central India. In general, the relationship between total dry matter and planting density for most treatments was well described by the function:

where W is the crop dry weight per unit ground area, wm is the maximum weight per plant, Wm is the maximum crop weight per unit ground area and P is the plant population. Because the harvest index, h, was constant for each treatment irrespective of plant population, a similar equation described the relationship between pod yield and planting density. When nine of the eleven treatments planted in a square (i.e. 1:1) arrangement were compared, the asymptotic value Wm varied between treatments depending on available soil water and atmospheric demand. To quantify the effects of plant and environmental factors on crop productivity, a ‘transpiration equivalent’ (ωw; (g/kg)/kPa), i.e. the product of the dry matter/water ratio and mean seasonal saturation deficit D, was used as a crop constant to calculate productivity at each site or season from a knowledge of seasonal rainfall and/or irrigation and soil water-holding capacity. Thus, total crop productivity, W'8, was calculated using the equation W'8 = ωwS/D where S (mm) is a soil supply term dependent on soil water-holding capacity and monthly values of rainfall and/or irrigation. When values for Wm and W'8 were plotted against each other, a linear regression was obtained with a slope = 1·02 (R2 = 0·78). The mean harvest index of 0·38 was used to predict pod yield from a knowledge of W'8. It was concluded that of all the climatic, soil and management factors that influence crop growth in semi-arid situations, it is the interaction between the supply of and demand for water that ultimately determines total productivity, pod yield and optimum plant population.

Finding optimal paths for robot navigation in a known terrain has been studied for some time but, in many important situations, a robot would be required to navigate in completely new or partially explored terrain. We propose a method of robot navigation which requires no pre-learned model, makes maximal use of available information, records and synthesizes information from multiple journeys, and contains concepts of learning that allow for continuous transition from local to global path optimality. The model of the terrain consists of a spatial graph and a Voronoi diagram. Using acquired sensor data, polygonal boundaries containing perceived obstacles shrink to approximate the actual obstacles surfaces, free space for transit is correspondingly enlarged, and additional nodes and edges are recorded based on path intersections and stop points. Navigation planning is gradually accelerated with experience since improved global map information minimizes the need for further sensor data acquisition. Our method currently assumes obstacle locations are unchanging, navigation can be successfully conducted using two-dimensional projections, and sensor information is precise.

Nodulation and N2-fixation of groundnut were investigated in sole and intercropping systems. Intercropping with pearl millet, maize, or sorghum reduced nodulation and N2-fixation. This effect is ascribed to the shading of groundnut by the cereal component and the consequent decrease in photosynthesis of the legume canopy.

The growth of roots and shoots was measured in stands of groundnut grown at a number of populations on stored water in central India. Total weight and length of roots per unit land area increased with population density, but the proportional increases were much less than for shoot weight. Consequently the root:total weight ratio increased from 0.3 in the densest stand to almost 0.5 in the widely spaced crop. The denser stands produced a greater proportion of their roots at depth. In wide rows there was little change in rooting density across the inter-row space.

Total dry matter per unit land area increased with population, although the weight per plant was less in denser stands. Although the crops were harvested prematurely, pod yield per unit land area, unlike total dry matter, was no greater in dense stands than in more widely spaced crops. The greatest number of pods per unit land area was recorded at an intermediate population density.

At a field site in central India, four populations of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) were grown on stored water to investigate how the production of shoot and root dry matter is related to transpired water and intercepted radiation. Throughout the season, total dry matter was closely related to transpiration (slope = 3.0 mg dry matter g−1 water) and the amount of radiation intercepted by foliage (slope = 0.74 g dry matter MJ−1 radiation intercepted). Accumulated transpiration increased linearly with intercepted radiation at 0.37 kg water MJ−1 in the sparser stands. In the densest spacing, the initial slope of the relation at 0.28 kg MJ−1 decreased later in the season because water deficits curtailed growth without a concomitant reduction in the interception of radiation.

Molecular markers have been used to study genetic diversity within a set of Lablab purpureus accessions collected from the southern states of India. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) molecular marker studies using a total of 78 L. purpureus accessions with nine primer combinations showed there was very little genetic diversity within the L. purpureus accessions from the southern Indian germplasm collection as compared to a set of 15 accessions from other international germplasm collections that included African accessions. The set of 15 were selected from a random amplified length polymorphism (RAPD) marker study and chosen on the basis of widest genetic distance. Further molecular analysis with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) markers from 97 expressed sequence tag (EST) and gene-specific primer pairs, designed from a range of legume sequences, concurred with the AFLP analyses. Both of these approaches provide a wealth of markers for diversity and mapping studies. The 97 sequence-specific primer pairs tested in L. purpureus resulted in 70% amplification success, with 44% of primer pairs amplifying single bands and 10% double bands. Markers generated from these EST and genomic sequences provide useful cross-reference to comparative legume genomics that will potentially have long-term benefit to legume plant breeding.

In spite of the enormous level of interest in open-framework materials (materials with porous channel structures, such as zeolites), the mechanisms by which they are formed are in many cases poorly understood. As a consequence, our ability to design reaction conditions that might lead to the formation of particular crystal architectures is quite limited. This article discusses the state of the art in this area, with particular emphasis on our joint work that was recently recognized by the 2004 S miya Award from the International Union of Materials Research Societies (IUMRS) and presented at the 2004 Materials Research Society Spring Meeting/IUMRS 9th International Conference on Electronic Materials.