Decentralization can help reduce deforestation when user groups engage with local government.

Policy makers around the world tout decentralization as an effective tool in the governance of natural resources. Despite the popularity of these reforms, there is limited scientific evidence on the environmental effects of decentralization, especially in tropical biomes. This study presents evidence on the institutional conditions under which decentralization is likely to be successful in sustaining forests. We draw on common-pool resource theory to argue that the environmental impact of decentralization hinges on the ability of reforms to engage local forest users in the governance of forests. Using matching techniques, we analyze longitudinal field observations on both social and biophysical characteristics in a large number of local government territories in Bolivia (a country with a decentralized forestry policy) and Peru (a country with a much more centralized forestry policy). We find that territories with a decentralized forest governance structure have more stable forest cover, but only when local forest user groups actively engage with the local government officials. We provide evidence in support of a possible causal process behind these results: When user groups engage with the decentralized units, it creates a more enabling environment for effective local governance of forests, including more local government-led forest governance activities, fora for the resolution of forest-related conflicts, intermunicipal cooperation in the forestry sector, and stronger technical capabilities of the local government staff.

Fluorescent molecular logic gates based on photoinduced electron transfer (PET) driven by a combination of atomic and biomolecular inputs.

Molecular AND logic gates 1, 3, 5 and 7, which are designed according to principles of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) switching, respond to co-existing Candida antarctica lipase B and H+ (and Na+).

Fluorescent PET (photoinduced electron transfer) sensors as potent analytical tools.

Fluorescent sensors are an important part of the analytical scientist's toolbox. The use of fluorescent PET (Photoinduced Electron Transfer) sensors has seen particular growth in recent times. This Critical Review discusses recent growth areas in fluorescent PET sensors by emphasizing the modular features of the 'fluorophore-spacer-receptor' design. The occurrence of the dipicolylamine receptor in PET sensor designs is critically examined as a case in point.

Lighting-up protein-ligand interactions with fluorescent PET (photoinduced electron transfer) sensor designs.

The fluorescence of sensors 1 and 6, which are designed in terms of photoinduced electron transfer (PET), is switched 'on' by factors of 15 and 6 with avidin in a rather selective manner. Sensors 3 and 7, simpler derivatives of 1, are switched 'on' by factors of 16 and 7.5 with bovine serum albumin, though at 30-fold higher concentrations.

Bright molecules with sense, logic, numeracy and utility.

Using cartoons as an organizational aid, we illustrate how the 'fluorophore-spacer-receptor' format of fluorescent PET (photoinduced electron transfer) sensors and switches can be logically extended in many different directions. These include emissive sensors for various chemical species and properties, and exploit various kinds of emission. Common sensing issues such as dynamic range, internal referencing, selectivity, mapping and space resolution are addressed. The sensory output function is also developed into more complex forms, molecular logic/computation being one such example. Molecular logic leads to molecular arithmetic. Real-life applications to physiological monitoring, medical diagnostics and molecular computational identification of small objects are included.