Macadamia nuts constitute a vital component of both nutrition and livelihoods for smallholder producers in Malawi. We conducted a comprehensive mixed-methods study, combining qualitative and ...quantitative analyses, to explore varietal preferences and production challenges among these farmers. Leveraging cross-sectional data from 144 members of the Highlands Macadamia Cooperative Union Limited, our study underscores several significant findings. Our findings reveal that the majority of smallholder macadamia farmers (62%) are aged over 50, with farming as their primary occupation. Varied preferences are driven by yield-related traits, including high yield potential (38%), nut quality (29%), and extended flowering patterns (15%). Among the macadamia varieties, the top five choices, grown by over half of the farmers, include HAES 660 (18%), 800 (10%), 791 (9%), 816 (8%), and 246 (7%). Additionally, our study identifies five primary constraints faced by smallholder macadamia farmers: insect pests (81%), diseases (34%), limited market access (33%), wind damage (25%), and inadequate agricultural advisory services (17%). Based on these findings, we propose two policy recommendations to enhance smallholder macadamia production and productivity in Malawi and other regions. Specifically, we advocate for informed breeding programs that align with farmer preferences to promote greater adoption of macadamia varieties. Additionally, we emphasize the crucial role of the Malawian government in the macadamia value chain, suggesting active participation in providing extension services and marketing support, akin to its support for other cash crops.
We have reported that fibrotic changes in infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) after acute joint inflammation are closely associated with persistent pain in rats. In this study, to examine the effects of ...anti-fibrotic treatment on persistent pain, we used C-type natriuretic peptides (CNP) at the recovery phase after acute joint inflammation.
Thirty-two male Wistar rats were used in this study. Monoiodoacetic acid (MIA) was injected intra-articularly to induce IFP fibrosis and persistent pain. CNP was injected after acute inflammatory phase in the same knee joint. Time-course pain-avoidance behavior tests and histological analyses were performed to examine the effects of CNP.
Histological evaluations indicated that intra-articular injection of CNP inhibited fibrotic changes in IFP after acute inflammation. Incapacitance tests indicated that MIA injection into rat knee joint quickly decreased the percent weight on ipsilateral limb. In the vehicle group, the decrease was maintained up to day 28, suggesting that pain persistence occurred after acute inflammation (Day 0/Day 28, Est Dif −8.15, CI -10.78∼-5.53, Linear mixed-effect model). In contrast, the pain was alleviated in the CNP group after day 14 (Day0/Day 14, -0.51, −2.62–1.59). In addition, we observed significant improvement in the degree of articular cartilage degeneration at day 14 in the CNP group (OARSI score: vehicle 16.14 ± 4.37 vs CNP 6.87 ± 3.44, P < 0.01; Wilcoxon rank sum test).
Fibrotic changes in IFP may play important roles in both persistent pain and articular cartilage degeneration.
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) is a fundamental soil property that regulates the fate of water in soils. Its measurement, however, is cumbersome and instead pedotransfer functions (PTFs) are ...routinely used to estimate it. Despite much progress over the years, the performance of current generic PTFs estimating Ks remains poor. Using machine learning, high‐performance computing, and a large database of over 18,000 soils, we developed new PTFs to predict Ks. We compared the performances of four machine learning algorithms and different predictor sets. We evaluated the relative importance of soil properties in explaining Ks. PTF models based on boosted regression tree algorithm produced the best models with root‐mean‐squared log‐transformed error in ranges of 0.4 to 0.3 (log10(cm/day)). The 10th percentile particle diameter (d10) was found to be the most important predictor followed by clay content, bulk density (ρb), and organic carbon content (C). The sensitivity of Ks to soil structure was investigated using ρb and C as proxies for soil structure. An inverse relationship was observed between ρb and Ks, with the highest sensitivity at around 1.8 g/cm3 for most textural classes. Soil C showed a complex relationship with Ks with an overall positive relation for fine‐textured and midtextured soils but an inverse relation for coarse‐textured soils. This study sought to maximize the extraction of information from a large database to develop generic machine learning‐based PTFs for estimating Ks. Models developed here have been made publicly available and can be readily used to predict Ks.
Key Points
High accuracy machine learning‐based pedotransfer function models are developed to predict saturated hydraulic conductivity
Variable importance measures are used to identify and rank soil properties that are most important for predictions
Bulk density and organic carbon content are used as proxies to describe the effect of soil structural alterations in predictions
Abstract
In this study, were extensively reviewed the hardening and self-healing properties of Laves-phase in Fe-based alloys. First, the microstructural features of different polytypes of the ...Laves-phase, focusing on the thermodynamics and kinetics of formation in ferritic and martensitic steels were revised. C14 was identified as the dominant polytype in steels, providing strengthening by precipitation, anchoring of dislocation, and interphase boundaries, thereby increasing the creep resistance. Although the Laves phase is widely known as a reinforcement particle (or even a detrimental phase in some systems) in martensitic/ferritic and ferritic steels, recent findings have uncovered a promising property. Particles with self-healing characteristics provide creep resistance by delaying creep cavities formation. In this regard, different elements such as tungsten and molybdenum are known to provide this feature to binary and tertiary ferrous alloys due to their ability to diffuse into the creep cavities and form Laves-phase Fe(Mo,W)
2
. To date, self-healing by precipitation has only been reported in commercial stainless steel AISI 312, 347, and 304 modified with boron, nevertheless with a little contribution to creep rupture life. Although, commercial computational tools with thermodynamic and kinetic databases are available for researchers, to tackle the self-healing process with exactitude, genetic algorithms arise as a new tool for computational design. The two properties of Laves phase reported in the literature, precipitation hardening and self-healing agent, is a mix that can bring out a new research field. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to think of tailor-made high chromium creep-resistant steels reinforced by Laves-phase coupled with self-healing properties. However, owing to the characteristic of Laves-phase seems to be a complex challenge, mainly due to the crystallographic features of this phase in comparison with the host matrix, available computational tools, and databases.
Abstract
Declining soil fertility limits smallholder macadamia productivity in Malawi. To reverse this trend, it is essential to apply organic and inorganic fertilisers in an efficient and effective ...manner. Yet, fertilizer recommendations for smallholder macadamia (
Macadamia integrifolia
) production in Malawi are not site-specific. Nutrient imbalances can occur if fertilisers are applied without a clear understanding of whether they are required or not. This may lead to yield losses, unnecessary costs, and other environmental issues associated with excess fertiliser application. To address this research need/ knowledge gap, our study examined the current soil fertility status among smallholder macadamia farms in Malawi. Specifically, the objective was to establish an evidence base for promoting soil fertility restoration interventions for smallholder macadamia production. One hundred and eighty nine soil samples at a depth of 0–15 cm were collected from sixty three smallholder macadamia farms belonging to the Highlands Macadamia Cooperative Union Limited members in central and southern Malawi. We found that the majority of the soils were sandy loams (52%), strongly acidic (mean pH ≤ 5.1), and deficient in essential nutrients required for the healthy growth of macadamia. The soils had an average low cation exchange capacity of 1.67 cmol ( +) kg
−1
, which is inadequate for macadamia cultivation. More than half of the sampled soils had very low organic matter content (≤ 1%). The low soil organic matter content, coupled with the sandy texture and high acidity, contributed to the observed low concentrations of essential nutrients and cation exchange capacity. Poor agronomic practices and inherent soil characteristics are responsible for this low soil fertility. Altogether, our findings underscore the urgent need to identify and implement more sustainable and effective soil nutrient management practices that help to improve the soil fertility of macadamia farms under smallholder systems.
The aim of this work is to study the influence of a low energy centrifugal field in the solid solution formation of two binary systems: Cu–Cr and Cu–Ni. Pristine metal powders were milled separately ...in shaker mill during 8 h. Subsequently, disc‐shaped samples of Cu–50 wt.%Cr and Cu–50 wt.%Ni were prepared blending 0.5 g of each metallic powder and compacting them by applying a pressure of 25 MPa. The discs were introduced in sample holders of 150 mm of length, to subject the samples to a centrifugal field with and without temperature treatment. Powder X‐ray diffraction analysis was used to determine the lattice parameters and crystallite size changes of both systems. The lattice parameters of fcc Cu–Cr and fcc Cu–Ni solid solutions were computed using ab initio methods. XRD full profile refinements were performed by means of the Rietveld method using the software MAUD. The lattice parameters of Cu, Cr, and Ni changed in the samples subjected to the action of the centrifugal field applied, showing that the centrifugal field influences the formation of solid solution in the Cu–Cr and Cu–Ni systems. Experimental and thermodynamic data support the formation of solid solutions by subjecting the metal powders to the action of a centrifugal field.
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