The lion's share of bacteria in various environments cannot be cloned in the laboratory and thus cannot be sequenced using existing technologies. A major goal of single-cell genomics is to complement gene-centric metagenomic data with whole-genome assemblies of uncultivated organisms. Assembly of single-cell data is challenging because of highly non-uniform read coverage as well as elevated levels of sequencing errors and chimeric reads. We describe SPAdes, a new assembler for both single-cell and standard (multicell) assembly, and demonstrate that it improves on the recently released E+V-SC assembler (specialized for single-cell data) and on popular assemblers Velvet and SoapDeNovo (for multicell data). SPAdes generates single-cell assemblies, providing information about genomes of uncultivatable bacteria that vastly exceeds what may be obtained via traditional metagenomics studies. SPAdes is available online ( http://bioinf.spbau.ru/spades ). It is distributed as open source software.

SPAdes, a new genome assembly algorithm and its applications to single-cell sequencing ( 7th Annual SFAF Meeting, 2012)

Rural development: putting the last first

Community-based (and driven) development (CBD) projects have become an important form of development assistance, with the World Bank's portfolio alone approximating 7 billion dollars. This paper reviews the conceptual and empirical foundations of CBD/CDD initiatives. Given the importance of the topic, there are, unfortunately, a dearth of well-designed evaluations of such projects. There is, however, enough quantitative and qualitative evidence, from studies that have either been published in peer-reviewed publications or have been conducted by independent researchers, to gain some instructive lessons. We find that projects that rely on community participation have not been particularly effective at targeting the poor. There is some evidence that CBD/CDD projects create effective community infrastructure, but not a single study establishes a causal relationship between any outcome and participatory elements of a CBD project. Most CBD projects are dominated by elites and, in general, the targeting of poor communities as well as project quality tend to be markedly worse in more unequal communities. However, a number of studies find a U shaped relationship between inequality and project outcomes. We also find that a distinction between potentially 'benevolent' forms of elite domination and more pernicious types of 'capture' is likely to be important for understanding project dynamics and outcomes. Several qualitative studies indicate that the sustainability of CBD initiatives depends crucially on an enabling institutional environment, which requires upward commitment. Equally, the literature indicates that community leaders need to be downwardly accountable to avoid a variant of 'supply driven demand driven development'. Qualitative evidence also suggests that external agents strongly influence project success. However, facilitators are often poorly trained and inexperienced, particularly when programs are rapidly scaled up. Overall, a naive application of complex contextual concepts like 'participation', 'social capital' and 'empowerment' - is endemic among project implementers and contributes to poor design and implementation. In sum, the evidence suggests that CBD/CDD is best done in a context-specific manner, with a long time-horizon, and with careful and well designed monitoring and evaluation systems.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID501663_code238096.pdf?abstractid=501663&mirid=1&type=2

Community Based (and Driven) Development: A Critical Review

Community-based (and driven) development (CBD/CDD) projects have become an important form of development assistance, with the World Bank's portfolio alone approximating 7 billion dollars. This report reviews the conceptual foundations of CBD/CDD initiatives. The authors find that projects that rely on community participation have not been particularly effective at targeting the poor. There is some evidence that CBD/CDD projects create effective community infrastructure, but not a single study establishes a causal relationship between any outcome and participatory elements of a CBD project. Qualitative evidence suggests that external agents strongly influence project success. The evidence suggests that CBD/CDD is best done in a context-specific manner, with a long time-horizon, and with careful and well-designed monitoring and evaluation systems.

/pdf/community-based-and-driven-development-a-critical-review-4npwq3hki1.pdf

Community-Based and -Driven Development: A Critical Review

As previously discussed, Reyhner and Eder (1989) have divided the history of American Indian educational policy, and indeed Indian policy generally, into six distinct periods or eras, culminating in our current state of Self-Determination. While this seems to be an accurate assessment of the present day, the authors would like to suggest that recent global developments have created considerable impetus for change in Indian Country. The authors believe that Indigenous populations may well be on the cusp of a new day in Indian policy in America, if proper consideration is given to this global imperative.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Prevalence of Campylobacter and Salmonella in African food animals and meat: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Participatory methods are increasingly being used in development work at grassroots level in Africa. Western liberal concepts like 'one person one vote' underlie these methods. However, such concepts may not be easily compatible with a grassroots reality in which ethnicity (i.e. superior and subordinate ethnic identities) is an important factor shaping the social order. This article provides insights into the socio-political realities of ethnicity at village level in Botswana. The tension between participatory methods and the ethnically structured village reality are illustrated with examples from a project that tested the relevance of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) in Botswana. The authors identify problems and opportunities of participatory methods in addressing the inequalities in ethnically divided communities.

Ethnicity and participatory development methods in Botswana: some participants are to be seen and not heard

Participatory methods are increasingly being used in development work at grassroots level in Africa Western liberal concepts like 'one person one vote' underlie these methods However, such concepts may not be easily compatible with a grassroots reality in which ethnicity (ie superior and subordinate ethnic identities) is an important factor shaping the social order This article provides insights into the socio-political realities of ethnicity at village level in Botswana The tension between participatory methods and the ethnically structured village reality are illustrated with examples from a project that tested the relevance of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) in Botswana The authors identify problems and opportunities of participatory methods in addressing the inequalities in ethnically divided communities

Ethnicity and participatory development methods in Botswana: Some participants are to be seen and not heard

While the experiences of international doctoral students, especially those from Asian countries, have been well researched, fewer studies have explored the experiences of African students in Southern countries like Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand. This article reports on doctoral writing and student and supervisor perspectives on English languages in a small study of supervisors and African students in New Zealand. It challenges deficit constructions of African students and illustrates how the growing internationalisation of higher education is adding to the complexities of doctoral writing, raising questions as to how students and supervisors recognise and navigate differences in Englishes and doctoral writing. It makes a number of recommendations about how supervisors might work effectively with African and other doctoral students.

African international doctoral students in New Zealand: Englishes, doctoral writing and intercultural supervision

Theory of Change (ToC) is an emerging methodology in the practice of development programmes, often contrasted with the dominant logical framework. This article reviews current debates around ToC before identifying five aspects that are appreciated in practice. It appears that these aspects mostly cover areas where the logical framework is not – or is no longer – meeting the needs of practitioners. Subsequently, the article analyses experiences in ToC training for NGO staff and concludes that ToC can address shortcomings of the logical framework – if only by going back to some of the roots of the logical framework.

Gerard Prinsen

Papers

Prevalence of Campylobacter and Salmonella in African food animals and meat: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Ethnicity and participatory development methods in Botswana: some participants are to be seen and not heard

Ethnicity and participatory development methods in Botswana: Some participants are to be seen and not heard

African international doctoral students in New Zealand: Englishes, doctoral writing and intercultural supervision

Between logframes and theory of change: reviewing debates and a practical experience