Ethnobotanical investigation of 'wild' food plants used by rice farmers in Kalasin, Northeast Thailand

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Wild food plants are a critical component in the subsistence system of rice farmers in Northeast Thailand. One of the important characteristics of wild plant foods among farming households is that the main collection locations are increasingly from anthropogenic ecosystems such as agricultural areas rather than pristine ecosystems. This paper provides selected results from a study of wild food conducted in several villages in Northeast Thailand. A complete botanical inventory of wild food plants from these communities and surrounding areas is provided including their diversity of growth forms, the different anthropogenic locations were these species grow and the multiplicity of uses they have.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data was collected using focus groups and key informant interviews with women locally recognized as knowledgeable about contemporarily gathered plants. Plant species were identified by local taxonomists.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 87 wild food plants, belonging to 47 families were reported, mainly trees, herbs (terrestrial and aquatic) and climbers. Rice fields constitute the most important growth location where 70% of the plants are found, followed by secondary woody areas and home gardens. The majority of species (80%) can be found in multiple growth locations, which is partly explained by villagers moving selected species from one place to another and engaging in different degrees of management. Wild food plants have multiple edible parts varying from reproductive structures to vegetative organs. More than two thirds of species are reported as having diverse additional uses and more than half of them are also regarded as medicine.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study shows the remarkable importance of anthropogenic areas in providing wild food plants. This is reflected in the great diversity of species found, contributing to the food and nutritional security of rice farmers in Northeast Thailand.</p

Development of low-pH cementitious materials for HLRW repositories. Resistance against ground waters aggression

One of the most accepted engineering construction concepts of underground repositories for high radioactive waste considers the use of low-pH cementitious materials. This paper deals with the design of those based on Ordinary Portland Cements with high contents of silica fume and/or fly ashes that modify most of the concrete “standard” properties, the pore fluid composition and the microstructure of the hydrated products. Their resistance to long-term groundwater aggression is also evaluated. The results show that the use of OPC cement binders with high silica content produces low-pH pore waters and the microstructure of these cement pastes is different from the conventional OPC ones, generating C–S–H gels with lower CaO/SiO2 ratios that possibly bind alkali ions. Leaching tests show a good resistance of low-pH concretes against groundwater aggression although an altered front can be observe

Uso da trifluralina para controle de intrusão de radicelas de cana-de-açúcar em gotejadores enterrados.

Um dos fatores que limitam a aplicação e utilização da irrigação subsuperficial por gotejamento são os problemas devido à intrusão dos emissores por radicelas e/ou partículas minerais do solo. O dimensionamento e o manejo do sistema de irrigação adequado pode evitar que isso ocorra, proporcionando que a irrigação por gotejamento subsuperficial seja um método de irrigação viável. A injeção de Trifluralina no sistema de irrigação é um dos manejos adotados para prevenir a ocorrência de obstrução nos emissores pelas radicelas. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar o efeito da Trifluralina no controle de intrusão de radicelas de cana-de-açúcar em um tubo gotejador enterrado. Notou-se que com o desenvolvimento da cana-de-açúcar do oitavo ao décimo segundo mês, os emissores que não estiveram sujeitos à aplicação do herbicida apresentaram redução na vazão, bem como, no coeficiente de uniformidade estatística

Caracterização dos sistemas de produção de milho para altas produtividades.

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Functional bold MRI: advantages of the 3 T vs. the 1.5 T

We quantitatively evaluate the benefits of a higher field strength for functional brain MRI (fMRI) based on the blood oxygenation level-dependent contrast. The 3-T fMRI shows a higher sensitivity for the motor and somatosensory stimulation and more specific localization in the grey substance. The 3-T fMRI detects additional areas of activation with the motor paradigm

Proinflammatory Liver and Antiinflammatory Intestinal Mediators Involved in Portal Hypertensive Rats

Proinflammatory (TNF-α, IL-1β, and NO) and antiinflammatory (IL-10, CO) levels were assayed in serum, liver, and small bowel in order to verify a hypothetic inflammatory etiopathogeny of portal hypertension that could be the cause of its evolutive heterogeneity. Male Wistar rats were divided into one control group (n = 11) and one group with a triple stenosing ligation of the portal vein (n = 23) after 28 days of evolution. In one subgroup of portal hypertensive rats, portal pressure, collateral venous circulation, mesenteric vasculopathy, and liver and spleen weights were determined. In the remaining rats with portal hypertension TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-10 were quantified in liver and ileum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. NO synthase activity was studied in liver and ileum. CO and NO were measured in portal and systemic blood by spectrophotometry and Griess reaction, respectively. Portal hypertensive rats with mayor spleen weight show hepatomegaly and mayor development of collateral circulation. Ileum release of IL-10 (0.30 ± 0.12 versus 0.14 ± 0.02 pmol/mg protein; P < .01) is associated with a liver production of both proinflammatory mediators (TNF-α: 2 ± 0.21 versus 1.32 ± 0.60 pmol/mg protein; P < .05, IL-1β: 19.17 ± 2.87 versus 5.96 ± 1.84 pmol/mg protein; P = .005, and NO: 132.10 ± 34.72 versus 61.05 ± 8.30 nmol/mL; P = .005) and an antiinflammatory mediator (CO: 6.49 ± 2.99 versus 3.03 ± 1.59 pmol/mL; P = .005). In short-term prehepatic portal hypertension a gut-liver inflammatory loop, which could be fundamental in the regulation both of the portal pressure and of its complications, could be proposed