The Pagoda of the Gods: A case for Indigenous Karen sacred sites as Special Cultural Zones along Thailand’s borders

Burgeoning recognition of Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge and livelihood practices have led to ‘Special Cultural Zone’ designations for some traditionally Indigenous lands in Thailand. Simultaneously, the Thai government has designated 10 Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to bolster trade and investments along its borders without acknowledging the pre-existence of Indigenous peoples. SEZs intersect with sites of notable cultural significance, such as Kho Pho Lu (Pagoda of the Gods), a sacred site for Indigenous Karen near Mae Sot in Tak province. Detailed ethnographic and interview findings show the resilience of these sacred sites and embedded ritualistic place-making practices that persist despite a legacy of Indigenous displacement. Ethnobotanical findings of 39 sampled taxa in the sacred forest of Kho Pho Lu indicate that cultural and spiritual practices support local biodiversity conservation. Potential biocultural conservation approaches include the adoption of ‘Special Cultural Zones’ to promote Indigenous well-being and the preservation of biocultural diversity in Thailand

Sensing water absorption in hygrothermally aged epoxies with terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

In the field of non-destructive testing, terahertz sensing has been used to analyze a wide range of materials where the most successful applications have involved materials that are semi-transparent to terahertz radiation. In this work, we demonstrate the sensitivity of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy to quantify water absorption in hygrothermally aged simple and commercial epoxy systems supported by conventional gravimetric analysis

Quantifying water absorption of hygrothermally aged epoxies with terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

We demonstrate how terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) can be used to quantify water absorption in hygrothermally aged simple and commercial epoxy systems supported by conventional gravimetric analysis

On-chip mass spectrometric analysis in non-polar solvents by liquid beam infrared matrix-assisted laser dispersion/ionization

By the on-chip integration of a droplet generator in front of an emitter tip, droplets of non-polar solvents are generated in a free jet of an aqueous matrix. When an IR laser irradiates this free liquid jet consisting of water as the continuous phase and the non-polar solvent as the dispersed droplet phase, the solutes in the droplets are ionized. This ionization at atmospheric pressure enables the mass spectrometric analysis of non-polar compounds with the aid of a surrounding aqueous matrix that absorbs IR light. This works both for non-polar solvents such as n-heptane and for water non-miscible solvents like chloroform. In a proof of concept study, this approach is applied to monitor a photooxidation of N-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline. By using water as an infrared absorbing matrix, analytes, dissolved in non-polar solvents from reactions carried out on a microchip, can be desorbed and ionized for investigation by mass spectrometry

Geometric, kinematic, and erosional history of the central Andean Plateau, Bolivia (15–17°S)

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95425/1/tect1910.pd

Conception de la formation dans une approche située de l'activité

International audienceThis article reports on a reflection on design activity in the field of teacher training. During the course, trainees-teachers experiment an interview situation designed by trainers with reference to the concepts and methodological principles of the analysis of the activity. The aim was to take the experience of the tutor as an object of discussion in order to encourage the transformation of the perceptual and interpretative dimensions of the activity of apprentices in relation to the teaching profession. The qualitative analysis of the materials showed that gradually the tutors grasped this unprecedented situation to reveal the complexity of their action in the classroom, while becoming aware of the potential of the interview to transform their teaching counseling habits.Cet article rend compte d’une réflexion relative à l’activité de conception dans le champ de la formation des enseignants. Dans le cadre du stage, des apprentis-enseignants ont expérimenté une situation d’entretien conçue par des formateurs en référence aux concepts et principes méthodologiques de l’analyse de l’activité. L’objectif était de prendre l’expérience du tuteur de stage comme objet de discussion afin d’encourager la transformation des dimensions perceptives et interprétatives de l’activité des apprentis à propos du métier d’enseignant. L’analyse qualitative des matériaux a montré que progressivement les tuteurs saisissaient cette situation inédite pour dévoiler la complexité de leur action en classe, tout en prenant conscience du potentiel de l’entretien pour transformer leurs habitudes de conseil pédagogiqu

De-Novo Design of Antimicrobial Peptides for Plant Protection

This work describes the de-novo design of peptides that inhibit a broad range of plant pathogens. Four structurally different groups of peptides were developed that differ in size and position of their charged and hydrophobic clusters and were assayed for their ability to inhibit bacterial growth and fungal spore germination. Several peptides are highly active at concentrations between 0,1 and 1 mg/ml against plant pathogenic bacteria, such as Pseudomonas syringae, Pectobacterium carotovorum, and Xanthomonas vesicatoria. Importantly, no hemolytic activity could be detected for these peptides at concentrations up to 200 mg/ml. Moreover, the peptides are also active after spraying on the plant surface demonstrating a possible way of application. In sum, our designed peptides represent new antimicrobial agents and with the increasing demand for antimicrobial compounds for production of "healthy" food, these peptides might serve as templates for novel antibacterial and antifungal agents

Disrupted TH17/Treg balance in patients with chronic low back pain.

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a leading cause of disability and costs in health care systems worldwide. Despite extensive research, the exact pathogenesis of CLBP, particularly the individual risk of chronification remains unclear. To investigate a possible role of the adaptive immune system in the pathophysiology of CLBP, we analyzed T cell related cytokine profiles, T cell related mRNA expression patterns and the distribution of T cell subsets in 37 patients suffering from nonspecific CLBP before and after multimodal therapy in comparison to 25 healthy controls. Serum patterns of marker cytokines were analyzed by Luminex technology, mRNA expression of cytokines and specific transcription factors was measured by real-time PCR, and distribution of TH1-, TH2-, TH17- and regulatory T cell (Tregs) subsets was determined by multicolor flow cytometry. We found that CLBP patients exhibit an increased number of anti-inflammatory Tregs, while pro-inflammatory TH17 cells are decreased, resulting in an altered TH17/Treg ratio. Accordingly, FoxP3 and TGF-β-mRNA expression was elevated, while expression of IL-23 was reduced. Serum cytokine analyses proved to be unsuitable to monitor the adaptive immune response in CLBP patients. We further show that even after successful therapy with lasting reduction of pain, T cell subset patterns remained altered after a follow-up period of 6 months. These findings suggest an involvement of TH17/Treg cells in the pathogenesis of CLBP and emphasize the importance of these cells in the crosstalk of pain and immune response.German Clinical Trial Register: Registration Trial DRKS00005954

Antibacterial activity of synthetic peptides in presence of apoplast fluid and in tomato fruits.

<p>(A) Approximately 10⁵ cfu/ml bacteria (<i>P. syringae</i> pv <i>tomato</i>) were incubated with 0 or 10 µg/ml peptide in the presence or absence of different concentrations (10 µg/ml or 30 µg/ml) of tomato apoplastic fluid. After 14–16 h the bacterial growth was determined by measuring OD_{600 nm}. APO, tomato apoplastic fluid. Values represent the mean of at least three biological replicates ± standard error of the mean. *indicates significantly different in comparison to the corresponding control treatment, <i>P</i><0.05. **indicates significantly different in comparison to the corresponding control treatment, <i>P</i><0.01. (B) <i>X. vesicatoria</i> (0.5×10⁵ cfu/ml) were treated with different concentrations of peptide SP10-5 and immediately injected into tomato fruits. After incubation for 5 d at room temperature infection symptoms were monitored. Above the values of incidence of infection symptoms is given in percentage. The total number of inoculation sides of three biological replicates were 22.</p

Effect of designed antimicrobial peptides on the viability of Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts <i>in-vitro</i>.

<p>Protoplasts were incubated for 1 h with different concentrations of SP1-1, SP10-2 and SP10-5 and analysed with a microscope (x 200). Cells with spherical shape without any sign of cytoplasmic degradation were defined as viable. A change of the cell shape, chloroplast release and/or agglomeration of protoplasts indicates a toxic effect of the peptides on plant cells (arrows).</p