Traditional knowledge and self-sufficiency: rural herbal medicine in Central Plain of Chubut (Argentine)

Se estudió la herbolaria utilizada en una zona rural de la estepa patagónica habitada predominantemente por descendientes del pueblo originario mapuche - tehuelche. Este trabajo pone énfasis en la versatilidad medicinal de las especies y su posible aporte a la autosuficiencia de las poblaciones campesinas. La metodología se basó en entrevistas libres y semiestructuradas además de recorridos junto a informantes. Los entrevistados citaron 45 especies medicinales (52% nativas, 48% introducidas) obtenidas principalmente por recolección y cultivo. Las dolencias más frecuentemente tratadas con plantas fueron gastrointestinales y respiratorias. Las especies con mayor importancia cultural son las más versátiles: Acantholippia seriphioides (tomillo silvestre), Valeriana spp. (ñancolahuen), Mentha spicata (menta) y Artemisia absinthium (ajenco), es decir, aquellas plantas que cubren un amplio espectro de afecciones. El cuerpo de conocimientos sobre plantas medicinales encontrado refleja procesos de adaptación a condiciones de escasez y de autosuficiencia para combatir dolencias comúnmente tratadas en el ámbito doméstico. Este trabajo pone en evidencia la importancia de procesos a nivel mundial, regional y local en la construcción de las herbolarias, aún en áreas totalmente aisladas.We studied the herbal use into a rural area of the Patagonian steppe inhabited predominantly by descendants of the mapuche - tehuelche indigenous people. This work emphasizes the versatility of medicinal species and their possible contribution to self-reliance of rural populations. The methodology was based on free and semistructured interviews, besides tours with informants. Respondents cited 45 medicinal species (52% native, 48% introduced) obtained mainly by harvesting and cultivation. The most common ailments treated with plants were gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases. The most culturally important species are the most versatile: Acantholippia seriphioides (wild thyme), Valeriana spp. (ñancolahuen), Mentha (mint) and Artemisia absinthium (ajenco), those plants that cover a wide spectrum of conditions. The body of knowledge on medicinal plants that we found reflects processes of adaptation to conditions of scarcity and self-sufficiency to combat diseases commonly treated in the household. This work highlights the importance of global, regional and local processes about herbal medicine building, even in isolated areasFil: Richeri, Marina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Ladio, Ana Haydee. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación En Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Beeskow, Ana Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentin

The turbidity maximum zone of the Yenisei River (Siberia) and its impact on organic and inorganic proxies

A general overview of the processes taking place in the summer mixing zone of the fresh Yenisei River water with the marine waters of the Kara Sea is given in this study, with special emphasis on the interaction between bulk (total suspended matter), inorganic (Fe, Mn) and organic (suspended organic carbon, suspended nitrogen) proxies. Within the mixing zone, a zone of enhanced turbidity (maximum turbidity zone) was observed comparable to studies in other rivers. Flocculation of particles due to changes in salinity and hydrography cause this maximum turbidity zone, and resuspension additionally enhances the turbidity in the near-bottom layers. Organic matter behaves conservatively in the mixing zone in terms of its percentage of suspended matter. It, however, undergoes degradation as revealed by amino acid data. Inorganic, redox- and salinity-sensitive, proxies (Mn, Fe) behave non-conservatively. Dissolved iron is removed at low salinities (<2) due to precipitation of iron oxyhydroxides and adsorption of manganese on suspended particles, enhancing the Mn/Al ratio of the suspended matter in the same zone. At higher salinities within the mixing zone, Fe/Al and Mn/Al ratios of the suspended particles are depleted due to resuspension of sediment with lower Fe/Al and Mn/Al ratios. Dissolved manganese concentrations are significantly higher in the near-bottom layers of the mixing zone due to release from the anoxic sediment. All things considered, the Yenisei River mixing zone shows patterns similar to other world's rivers

A Detailed Process and Techno-Economic Analysis of Methanol Synthesis from H₂ and CO₂ with Intermediate Condensation Steps

In order to increase the typically low equilibrium CO₂ conversion to methanol using commercially proven technology, the addition of two intermediate condensation units between reaction steps is evaluated in this work. Detailed process simulations with heat integration and techno-economic analyses of methanol synthesis from green H₂ and captured CO₂ are presented here, comparing the proposed process with condensation steps with the conventional approach. In the new process, a CO₂ single-pass conversion of 53.9% was achieved, which is significantly higher than the conversion of the conventional process (28.5%) and its equilibrium conversion (30.4%). Consequently, the total recycle stream flow was halved, which reduced reactant losses in the purge stream and the compression work of the recycle streams, lowering operating costs by 4.8% (61.2 M€·a$^−$¹). In spite of the additional number of heat exchangers and flash drums related to the intermediate condensation units, the fixed investment costs of the improved process decreased by 22.7% (94.5 M€). This was a consequence of the increased reaction rates and lower recycle flows, reducing the required size of the main equipment. Therefore, intermediate condensation steps are beneficial for methanol synthesis from H₂/CO₂, significantly boosting CO₂ single-pass conversion, which consequently reduces both the investment and operating costs

Effect of ultraviolet-B radiation on salt marsh vegetation: trends of the genus salicornia along the Americas

The effects of natural UV-B radiation on growth, photosynthetic and photoprotective pigment composition of different Salicornia species were analyzed in salt marshes at three different sites along the Americas (Puerto Rico, southern Brazil and Patagonia, Argentina). Plants were exposed to different levels of UV-B radiation for 1–2 years in situ as well as in outdoor garden UV-B exclusion experiments. Different UV-B levels were obtained by covering plants with UV-B opaque (blocked 93–100% of ambient UV-B) and UV-B attenuating (near-ambient) filters (reduced 20–25% of UV-B). Unfiltered plants were exposed to natural irradiance. UV-B filters had significant effects on temperature and photosynthetic pigments (due to changes in PAR; 400–700 nm). The growth of Salicornia species was inhibited after 35 to 88 days of exposure to mean UV-B radiation dosages between 3.6 and 4.1 kJ m22 day21. The highest number of branches on the main shoot (S. bigelovii and S. gaudichaudiana) and longest total length of the branches (S. gaudichaudiana) were observed in the UV-B opaque treatment. Salicornia species responded to increasing levels of UV-B radiation by increasing the amount of UV-B absorbing pigments up to 330%. Chromatographic analyses of seedlings and adult S. bigelovii plants found seven different UV-B absorbing flavonoids that are likely to serve as UV-B filtering pigments. No evidence of differential sensitivity or resilience to UV-B radiation was found between Salicornia species from low-mid latitudes and a previously published study of a high-latitude population

Membrane adsorber for endotoxin removal

ABSTRACT The surface of flat-sheet nylon membranes was modified using bisoxirane as the spacer and polyvinyl alcohol as the coating polymer. The amino acid histidine was explored as a ligand for endotoxins, aiming at its application for endotoxin removal from aqueous solutions. Characterization of the membrane adsorber, analysis of the depyrogenation procedures and the evaluation of endotoxin removal efficiency in static mode are discussed. Ligand density of the membranes was around 7 mg/g dry membrane, allowing removal of up to 65% of the endotoxins. The performance of the membrane adsorber prepared using nylon coated with polyvinyl alcohol and containing histidine as the ligand proved superior to other membrane adsorbers reported in the literature. The lack of endotoxin adsorption on nylon membranes without histidine confirmed that endotoxin removal was due to the presence of the ligand at the membrane surface. Modified membranes were highly stable, exhibiting a lifespan of approximately thirty months

A contemporary sediment and organic carbon budget for the Kara Sea shelf (Siberia)

It has recently been realized that the Arctic undergoes drastic changes, probably resulting from global change induced processes. This acts on the cycling of matter and on biogenic elements in the Arctic Ocean having feedback mechanisms with the global climate, for example by interacting with atmospheric trace gas concentration. A contemporary budget for biogenic elements as well as suspended matter for the Arctic Ocean as a baseline for comparison with effects of further global change is, thus, needed. Available budgets are based on the late Holocene sedimentary record and are therefore quiet different from the present which has already been affected by the intense anthropogenic activity of the last centuries.We calculated a contemporary suspended matter and organic carbon budget for the Kara Sea utilizing the numerous available data from the recent literature as well as our own data from Russian-German SIRRO (Siberian River Run-off) expeditions. For calculation of the budgets we used a multi-box model to simplify the Kara Sea shelf and estuary system: input was assumed to comprise riverine and eolian input as well as coastal erosion, output was assumed to consist of sedimentation and export to the Arctic Ocean. Exchange with the adjacent seas was considered in our budget, and primary production as well as recycling of organic material was taken into account. According to our calculations, about 18.5x106 t yr-1 of sediments and 0.37x106 t yr-1 of organic carbon are buried in the estuaries, whereas 20.9x106 t yr-1 sediment and 0.31x106 t yr-1 organic carbon are buried on the shelf. Most sources and sinks of our organic carbon budget of the Kara Sea are in the same order of magnitude, making it a region very sensitive to further changes

The occurrence, distribution and orgin of hydrocarbons in the Khibiny Nepheline Syenite Complex, Kola Peninsula, Russia

The occurrence of hydrocarbon-bearing fluids in alkaline igneous rocks has been known for many years, but their origin is still controversial. The fluids may be of biogenic origin, derived from the host rocks, or the result of abiogenic processes. Three mechanisms for abiogenic production have been proposed: mantle derivation, late-magmatic C-O-H respeciation and post-magmatic Fischer- Tropsch generation. Here, new petrographic, micro thermometric and laser Raman data, combined with data of carbon and bulk gas content and isotope signatures as well as permeability and porosity data of material from throughout the Khibiny intrusion are presented. These are discussed in the context of previously published work in order to characterise the occurrence and distribution of hydrocarbon-bearing fluids and to reassess the hypotheses for hydrocarbon generation for the Khibiny pluton. Bulk gas data show a dominance of methane and only minor concentrations of higher hydrocarbons in whole-rock samples. On average, 12.8 cm" of hydrocarbons are released from one kg rock of the Khibiny pluton. Solid carbon is present at levels between 0.21 and 0.06 wt%. Both, methane and carbon contents are highest in the marginal areas suggesting a possible contribution from the host rocks. The fluid inclusion study shows that about 90 % of the inclusion population is methane-dominant and only 10 % water-dominant. The majority of the fluid inclusions are secondary and were trapped over a wide range of P-T conditions within subsequently healed microfractures. P-T entrapment conditions for primary fluid inclusions are around 600 MPa and 600°C. Melt inclusions often contain a methane-rich fluid phase. Isotope data for methane indicate a largely abiogenic origin, but the decrease of o13C towards the margin of the complex from - 5.4 %0 to - 22.4 %0 suggests addition of biogenic material derived from the host rocks. This is in agreement with the results of the fluid inclusion plane and mieroerack study that indicates a high degree of fluid movement throughout the history of the pluton, up to the present day. Average palaeo and modem porosity estimates are 5.56 % and 4.80 %, respectively. Average palaeo and modem permeability values are 2.38 mD and 1.95 mD, respectively. Basedon these porosity values the methane content in the Khibiny pluton is estimated at between 416 km' and 7649 km" In summary, isotope data, the presence of primary Ctla-dominated fluid inclusions and melt inclusions, which also contain a methane-rich gas phase, indicate an abiogenic mantle origin of the hydrocarbons. There is little evidence for operation of a Fischer-Tropsoh-type reaction in methane generation. An increase in carbon and methane content, together with decreasing O13C isotope values towards the pluton margin suggests that magmatically derived abiogenic hydrocarbons may have mixed with biogenic hydrocarbons derived from the surrounding country rocks.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo