Search

While the bulk of research on crop water productivity (WP) focuses on static cross-section analysis, this research provides a spatio-temporal perspective. It estimates rice crop WP for 21 Bangladesh districts for 37 years; explores WP variations among districts; and investigates causality involving WP, intensification and technological variables; and groundwater irrigation and depth. It breaks new grounds by probing these significant but unexplored issues. Technological diffusion was the key factor explaining inter-district WP differences. The impact of agricultural intensification on rabi (dry season) and kharif (wet season) crop WPs was positive and negative respectively. Dummy variables typifying policy transition negatively impacted on WPs for both kharif and overall crops. While rabi and kharif rice WPs grew with time, overall crop WP recorded the strongest growth. Rabi and overall WPs were lower in salinity- and drought-prone districts covering 33% of Bangladesh's net cropped area (NCA). In 90% of Bangladesh's NCA districts, technological diffusion caused WP. Causality existed between groundwater irrigation and depth in 60% NCA. Despite significant potential to increase WP, increasing dependence on groundwater appears unsustainable. Widespread diffusion of HYVs in the kharif season, and development of salinity and drought-tolerant rice varieties could go a long way in sustaining rice WP.

In the processing of rice into the rice used is rice that has been whased away, while the rice water thrown away because it was considered important that the rice water that is not used will be waste, it is necessary alternative in their utilization. The alternative is to make a food product by a fermentation process using bacteria Acetobacterxylinum called nata de leri. It is caused rice water contain nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, and vitamin B1 or thiamine. This study aimed to compare the volume and optimum mass of nutrients at chemical characteristicts of nata de leri generated. This type of research was Pre-Experimental by varying nutrient source used was suger as a carbon source and tofu waste water as a source of nitrogen. In this research, was adding four variations of nutrient source that has been 100:25 (g/mL), 125:50 (g/mL), 150:75 (g/mL), 175:100 (g/mL). Furthermore, the analisisproksimat include moisture content, ash content, fat content, protein content, and carbohydrate content. Best treatment combination was obtained on the addition of nutrient source 125:50 (g/mL) which generate 78,7217% moisture content, ash content of 1,0707%, fat content of 0,5636%, protein content of 0,4776% and the carbohydrate content 19,1893%.

Field research was conducted during 1990, 1991, and 1992 to examine effects of plant density on rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, oviposition in rice, Oryza sativa L. Results of the plant density study showed that there was a trend for more eggs per plant at lower densities, but a trend toward more eggs per unit area with higher plant densities. Plant densities influenced rice water weevil oviposition during the first 3 wk of permanent flooding. However, plant spacing cannot be manipulated to control rice water weevil infestation because recommended optimum plant densities do not differ significantly in their effect on oviposition.

Identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with rice root morphology provides useful information for avoiding drought stress and maintaining yield production under the irrigation condition. In this study, a set of chromosome segment substitution lines derived from 9311 as the recipient and Nipponbare as donor, were used to analysis root morphology. By combining the resequencing-based bin-map with a multiple linear regression analysis, QTL identification was conducted on root number (RN), total root length (TRL), root dry weight (RDW), maximum root length (MRL), root thickness (RTH), total absorption area (TAA) and root vitality (RV), using the CSSL population grown under hydroponic conditions. A total of thirty-eight QTLs were identified: six for TRL, six for RDW, eight for the MRL, four for RTH, seven for RN, two for TAA, and five for RV. Phenotypic effect variance explained by these QTLs ranged from 2.23% to 37.08%, and four single QTLs had more than 10% phenotypic explanations on three root traits. We also detected the correlations between grain yield (GY) and root traits, and found that TRL, RTH and MRL had significantly positive correlations with GY. However, TRL, RDW and MRL had significantly positive correlations with biomass yield (BY). Several QTLs identified in our population were co-localized with some loci for grain yield or biomass. This information may be immediately exploited for improving rice water and fertilizer use efficiency for molecular breeding of root system architectures.

CASE: Pedro is a 2-year 7-month-old boy who was presented for the first time after a visit to a local emergency room (ER) for diarrhea. At the time of his birth, his undocumented mother, Clara, was 20 years old, uninsured, and with limited English proficiency living approximately 400 miles south of our practice in a different state. Although she had been brought to the United States as a child, she had never finished high school. Pedro was born what mother thought was full-term at his parent's home, where a lay midwife assisted during the delivery. Pedro was not brought to a medical facility at birth; therefore, neither medical nor legal documentation of his birth in the United States, or elsewhere, existed. After enduring 4 years of ongoing verbal and physical abuse, Clara fled to her maternal aunt in our community. The child's initial exposure to medical care was during the emergency visit, which ended up in referral to us. The ED physician suggested that the child visit a primary care physician, but establishment of pediatric care was not made until months later. The child received his first vaccines and immediately was referred to the Growth and Nutrition clinic due to mild wasting and stunting based on Waterlow criteria.1 Pedro speaks both English and Spanish and has no 2-word combinations and a 50-word combined vocabulary in English and Spanish. In addition, a complete blood count was consistent with iron deficiency anemia, but both sickle cell and G6PD screening are negative. The nutritionist from the specialty clinic obtained a detailed history including overall appetite, feeding skills, meal plans, and eating environment noting that the child was a competent finger feeder. The family's meals were distributed throughout the day as a meal at home and a shared fast food meal while accompanying mother, as she worked as a hair stylist 6 days per week. In addition, the diet is supplemented by rice water mixed with sugar and ground carrots throughout the day. Where would you head next? 1. Waterlow JC. Classification and definition of protein-calorie malnutrition. Br Med J. 1972;33:590–591.WaterlowJCClassification and definition of protein-calorie malnutrition.Br Med J197233590-591

The association between levee vegetation and rice infestation level by the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, was evaluated in California’s Sacramento Valley. Fields with vegetated versus bare levees were compared for adult weevil infestation during the spring flight period. Lower infestations were associated with bare levees at 13 of 15 locations from 1990 to 1992. Weevil infestation remained below the recommended treatment level at 8 of 15 bare levee sites, but only 1 of 15 weedy levee sites.

Two field studies in Louisiana were conducted in 1991 and 1992 to assess the impact of planting date on the damaging effects of rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, larvae on rice ( Oryza sativa L.) yield indicators. The data from both years showed that yields of rice planted before mid-April were not reduced by weevil infestation. Early planted rice did not escape damaging populations of rice water weevils but was able to tolerate such infestations without loss of yield, unlike later-planted rice. Economic analysis of the data showed that planting date has a greater impact on yield than does carbofuran treatment. The findings from our study suggested that early rice seeding offered potential as a cultural control tactic in southwest Louisiana to reduce the damaging effects of rice water weevil.

Saline-sodic soil is considered as a serious problem which could negatively affect rice water use efficiency, plant growth, and yield. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to investigate the effects of gypsum applied before sowing (i.e. gypsum and without gypsum) and irrigation interval treatments applied after anthesis (irrigation every 4, 6, 8 days) on chemical characterizations of clay saline-sodic soil. In addition, the effect of these treatments on rice growth, water use efficiency and related parameters and yield were investigated. A significant higher efficiency in reclamation of clay saline-sodic soil was obtained in terms of reducing SAR, Na+ and EC when gypsum was applied and water was added every four or six days intervals in comparison to non-treated soil with gypsum and water added every eight days interval. The highest number of spikelets per panicle, ripened grains percent, grain and straw yields were obtained when rice plants were grown on soil treated with gypsum and irrigated every four and/or six days intervals compared to soil with no gypsum and irrigated every eight days interval. The highest water use efficiency was obtained from rice irrigated every six days interval. In conclusion, it may reduce the hazards of the saline-sodic soil due to application of gypsum which improved soil properties, rice growth and its productivity when plants were irrigated every four or six days intervals. This might be due to the valuable nutrient source of gypsum interns of Ca, which mitigated the toxicity caused by salts in saline soils. Gypsum can also be considered as an effective application for clay saline-sodic soil in the North Delta, Egypt.

Preliminary field screening of 50 rice lines of various origin in 1990 for resistance to rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, yielded several lines with potential for resistance. These lines were divided into two groups and evaluated in the field in 1991 and 1992. One group was evaluated specifically for tolerance and the other was tested for antibiosis or antixenosis or both. Significant differences were found among the lines tested for tolerance using rice water weevil larval population levels, root damage ratings, plant height, and grain yield as indicators. The comparison of untreated and treated plots indicated that lines AL6029, LA2218, TX22041, URN199 and URN200 showed tolerance to the rice water weevil. Tolerance was expressed in part as the ability of the lines to recover from root damage and produce high grain yield while supporting a high rice water weevil larval population. Lines TX12685 and TX13079 in the antixenosis test showed moderate levels of resistance to the rice water weevil, with significantly lower larval populations than the susceptible standard ‘Mars’.

Preliminary field evaluation of 66 rice tissue culture lines in 1990 for resistance to the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, identified several lines with potential for tolerance, antixenosis , and antibiosis. These lines were divided in two groups for further evaluation. One group, consisting of five lines (67, 93, 112, 120, 4754), was evaluated in 1991 and 1992 specifically for tolerance. The other group, consisting of four lines (185, 244, 2051, 2232), was tested in the greenhouse in 1991 and in the field in 1992 for antibiosis and antixenosis. Significant differences were found among the lines tested for tolerance with respect to rice water weevil larval populations, root damage ratings, plant height, and grain yield. Comparison of untreated and treated plots indicated that lines 112 and 4754 showed tolerance to the rice water weevil. Tolerance was primarily expressed as the ability of the lines to recover from root damage and produce high yield while supporting a high rice water weevil larval population. Lines 244 and 2232 showed antixenosis to the rice water weevil. The antixenotic lines had significantly lower larval populations than the susceptible standard ‘Mars’.

Preliminary field evaluation of 43 rice anther culture lines in 1990 for resistance to the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, identified several lines with potential for tolerance. The seven most promising lines (952836, 953508, 953509, 953510, 953511, 953527, and 953541) were evaluated for tolerance in 1991 and 1992. The parameters used to assess tolerance included rice water weevil larval population, root pruning damage, plant height, and grain yield. Significant differences were found among the lines tested with regard to rice water weevil larval populations, root damage ratings, plant height, and grain yields. The comparison of insecticide treated and untreated plots indicated that lines 952836 and 953527 exhibited moderate levels of tolerance to the rice water weevil. Tolerance in the lines was expressed, in part, as the ability to recover from root pruning damage and to produce high grain yields.

Five rice lines (8721941, 8723463, 8723518, 8725417, 8725454) were evaluated in the greenhouse in 1991 and 1992 for resistance to the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel. These lines were selected from a preliminary field evaluation of 40 Louisiana rice breeding lines in 1990, based on low rice water weevil larval populations on roots. Resistance was assessed using the total larval population associated with the root system of each line. Significant (P < 0.05) differences were found among the lines tested with regard to rice water weevil larval populations during both years. Lines 8723518, 8725417, and 8725454 had significantly (P < 0.05) lower numbers of rice water weevil larvae than the susceptible check cultivar (Mars), indicating that they contain resistance to the rice water weevil.

A field experiment was conducted in 1991 and repeated in 1992 to compare the use of carbofuran and field drainage as tactics for control of rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, and to examine the effect on yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) caused by 1- to 3-d delay in reflooding after drainage. Results showed that, although timely draining of fields significantly reduced immature weevil populations, the tactic was not always reliable nor economical. Reinfestation by rice water weevil populations after drained fields are reflooded can nullify the benefits derived from drainage. Grain yields were not affected by delayed reflooding of fields.

Oryzophagus oryzae é o inseto-praga chave da cultura do arroz irrigado por inundação na Região Sul do Brasil. Suas larvas, conhecidas por bicheira-da-raiz, causam perdas significativas de produtividade quando danificam o sistema radicular das plantas de arroz. No monitoramento da população larval de O. oryzae em arrozais, ou em levantamentos em experimentos, atualmente são empregadas amostras padrão de solo e raízes, com 8,5cm de profundidade e 10cm de largura, desintegradas por submersão e agitamento em peneira com água, para a contagem de larvas. A visualização de larvas, principalmente de 1o e 2o instar, torna-se difícil na suspensão formada pelo solo das amostras com tais dimensões e a água do interior das peneiras. Assim sendo, foi realizado um experimento para determinar uma profundidade de amostragem que viabilize a captura e a visualização de um maior número possível de larvas, num menor volume possível de solo, em diferentes cultivares de arroz. O experimento foi instalado num Planossolo Háplico, no delineamento de quadrado latino, e incluiu como tratamentos seis cultivares de arroz ('BRS Atalanta'; 'BRS Firmeza'; 'BRS Ligeirinho'; 'BRS Querência'; 'BRS Sinuelo CL'; 'IRGA 417') e três profundidades (3, 6 e 9cm) de retirada de amostras de solo e raízes, todas com 10cm de diâmetro. De imediato à retirada de amostras, foi registrado o número de larvas. Posteriormente, em avaliações periódicas, foi registrado o número de adultos emergidos de amostras mantidas intactas em baldes plásticos com lâmina de água de 13, 16 e 19cm, cobertos por tecido telado. Ocorreu interação significativa entre profundidades de amostragem e as cultivares 'BRS Sinuelo CL' e 'BRS Querência' quanto ao índice de infestação larval e de adultos de O. oryzae, respectivamente. No caso de ambas as variáveis, o índice na profundidade de 6cm foi significativamente maior do que na de 3cm, mantendo-se intermediário na de 9cm. Concluiu-se que, num Planossolo Háplico, amostras de solo e de raízes de arroz retiradas à profundidade de 6cm são mais apropriadas à captura e à visualização de larvas de O. oryzae, na suspensão (solo e água) formada nas peneiras usadas para a sua contagem, e à obtenção de adultos desse inseto.

The largest scales on which we can examine insect relationships with their environments are time and space: time throughout the fossil history of insects, and the space over the globe in which topography, land masses and climate are constantly in flux. Planet Earth provides the relevant scale. At this dimension we can examine the paleobiological record and how past events have influenced insect diversification, the current impacts of climate change and global patterns in ecological relationships. Breaking the planet down into smaller units reveals the role of insects in ecosystems, their importance as invaders of continents and ecosystems, and the necessity for conservation of habitats and their denizens. These are the subjects discussed in this chapter. The paleobiological record The history of life provides clues, or predictions, about what the future may bring. Using families of insects as a measure of richness in the fossil record provides a stable estimate: family richness is high enough to capture diversity changes, and family size is large enough to provide a reliable signal (Labandeira and Sepkoski 1993). In the Carboniferous period numbers of families increased rapidly, it declined during the Permo-Triassic extinctions about 245 million years ago, and then increased at a steady rate for the next 220 million years (Figure 15.1). The jump in richness in the mid-Tertiary resulted from rich fossiliferous deposits from that time, including Baltic amber, and the Florissant shales of Colorado. At the end of the Paleozoic era and the Permo-Triassic boundary, whole orders of insects went extinct, including the Palaeodictyoptera and related clades (Figure 15.2). These were endowed with piercing and sucking mouthparts for feeding on plants, and presumably were impacted by major losses in plant diversity during the extinctions. After the end of the Paleozoic, four major groups of insects, extant today, expanded exponentially through the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras: the Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Diptera and Hymenoptera. The Lepidoptera were late arrivals in the fossil record, undergoing expansive radiation in the upper Cenozoic (Figure 15.2).

A field experiment was conducted to study prediction models of rice transpiration intensity at three different growth stages (including jointing booting, heading to flowering and milk stage) at none-water layer. Correlation analysis and stepping multi-regression analysis suggested that soil moisture content of root zone, temperature in the field, relative humidity and wind speed were the four main factors affecting the transpiration intensity of semilate rice. Error analysis also showed that the multi-linear regression models of transpiration established based on soil moisture content and major meteorological factors at three different growth stages were satisfying, and the maximum relative errors are 4.39%, 1.71% and 2.81% respectively. Research results establish a basis for the calculation of semilate rice water requirement at none-water layer of paddy.

The degradation of two organophosphorus pesticides, malathion and dimethoate, was conducted in celery cabbage. The influence of the concentration of ozonated water, ozone action mode and degradation time were discussed. The two organophosphorus pesticides could be degradated over 70% in 30min by bubbling ozone. Detergent, rice water and ultrasonic were also employed to remove malathion and dimethoate in celery cabbage. The sequence of degradation efficiency was as following: bubbling ozone >; detergent >; rice water >; ultrasonic >; water. Bubbling ozone was the best way to degradate organophosphorus pesticides in celery cabbage. The residues were extracted by solid phase microextraction and detected by gas chromatography with flame photometric detector.

Background: Free radical-induced oxidative stress damages cellular components leading to many human diseases. Plantderived antioxidant compounds have become a profitable alternative to prevent oxidative stress in cells. Objective: To determine and compare total phenolic and flavonoid contents as well as antioxidant activity using both chemical and cell assays in the water extracts of brown rice and rice bran from two Thai rice cultivars: Sangyod, a red pigmented rice typically grown in Southern Thailand, and Dawk Mali 105, a commercial white-colored rice. Material and Method: All the rice water extracts were analyzed for their total phenolic and flavonoid contents using the colorimetric assays, as well as for their antioxidant activity through two chemical assays: DPPH radical-scavenging and inhibition of lipid peroxidation assays, as well as through cell-based assays: scavenging capacity of intracellular ROS in HL- 60 cells using the fluorescent DCF and the NBT reduction. Results: The two chemical assays detected free radical scavenging and free radical chain breaking activities in all the rice extracts with EC50 values ranging from 26 to 357 μg/ml. Moreover, the cell-based assays detected ROS scavenging activities of these extracts with EC50 values in the range of 0.6 - 5 mg/ml. All these assays indicated that the water extracts of Sangyod exerted significantly higher antioxidant activity than those of Dawk Mali 105, which exhibited only moderate to low activity. Furthermore, high levels of antioxidant activity of the water extracts of Sangyod were closely correlated to their flavonoid and phenolic contents, which were approximately 2.5 and 3 times higher, respectively, than those of Dawk Mali 105. Conclusion: These findings suggest that water extracts from colored brown rice or colored rice bran can be promising sources of potential natural antioxidants. Keywords: Antioxidant activity, Red rice, Brown rice, Rice bran, Water extract

The flight response of parthenogenic female rice water weevils, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, to various simulated habitats and substrate types was investigated in the greenhouse. Study insects were obtained following flight from natural overwintering sites. Simulated habitats were dry soil, moist soil, flooded soil, moist soil with rice, and flooded soil with rice. Substrate types were dry fine soil, dry cloddy soil, dry soil with emergent vegetation, dry soil with a slender dowel, and flooded soil. Dry, moist, and flooded habitat conditions without rice were associated with greater flight initiation than the flooded condition with emergent rice. The flight response from moist soil with rice was variable. Flight initiation was generally >50% in each of the nonflooded substrate types. No flight activity was detected from the flooded soil substrate.

(1993). Rice, Water and Land: Strategies of Cultivation on the Khorat Plateau, Thailand. South East Asia Research: Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 197-221.

The open reading frame (ORF) encoding a novel G protein α subunit, Lo Gαo, was cloned from the parthenogenetic rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The Lo Gαo ORF encodes a protein of 354 amino acid residues. The deduced protein sequence shares high homology with Gαo from other species. The expression patterns of Lo Gαo in various adult tissues were indicated by real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot. The results showed that Lo Gαo mRNA was expressed at similar levels in tissues except relative high levels in the antennae of adult, and Lo Gαo protein of an apparent molecular mass of about 40 kDa was expressed in various tissues of the adult. Immunocytochemical localization showed that Lo Gαo was mainly expressed in the dendrites of the trichoid sensilla in the antenna of the weevil. The tissue and cellular localization of Lo Gαo suggests that Lo Gαo may take a part in signal transduction of olfactory/gustatory. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A fundamental, but unanswered question in host-pathogen interactions is the timing, localization and population distribution of virulence gene expression during infection. Here, microarray and in situ single cell expression methods were used to study Vibrio cholerae growth and virulence gene expression during infection of the rabbit ligated ileal loop model of cholera. Genes encoding the toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) and cholera toxin (CT) were powerfully expressed early in the infectious process in bacteria adjacent to epithelial surfaces. Increased growth was found to co-localize with virulence gene expression. Significant heterogeneity in the expression of tcpA, the repeating subunit of TCP, was observed late in the infectious process. The expression of tcpA, studied in single cells in a homogeneous medium, demonstrated unimodal induction of tcpA after addition of bicarbonate, a chemical inducer of virulence gene expression. Striking bifurcation of the population occurred during entry into stationary phase: one subpopulation continued to express tcpA, whereas the expression declined in the other subpopulation. ctxA, encoding the A subunit of CT, and toxT, encoding the proximal master regulator of virulence gene expression also exhibited the bifurcation phenotype. The bifurcation phenotype was found to be reversible, epigenetic and to persist after removal of bicarbonate, features consistent with bistable switches. The bistable switch requires the positive-feedback circuit controlling ToxT expression and formation of the CRP-cAMP complex during entry into stationary phase. Key features of this bistable switch also were demonstrated in vivo, where striking heterogeneity in tcpA expression was observed in luminal fluid in later stages of the infection. When this fluid was diluted into artificial seawater, bacterial aggregates continued to express tcpA for prolonged periods of time. The bistable control of virulence gene expression points to a mechanism that could generate a subpopulation of V. cholerae that continues to produce TCP and CT in the rice water stools of cholera patients., Author Summary Most pathogenic microorganisms infect in a stepwise manner: colonization of host surfaces is followed by invasion and injury of host tissues and, late in the infectious process, dissemination to other hosts occurs. During its residence in the host, the pathogen produces essential virulence determinants and often replicates rapidly, leading to a vast expansion of its biomass. Although this scenario is well established also for Vibrio cholerae, the cause of a potentially fatal diarrheal illness, it has not previously been possible to identify precisely when or where virulence determinants are produced in the intestine. We addressed this question by investigating the expression of virulence genes by individual V. cholerae during infection of the small intestine. Virulence genes were found to be powerfully expressed early in the infectious process by bacteria in close proximity to epithelial surfaces. Increased replication rates were also localized to epithelial surfaces. During later stages of the infection, the population of V. cholerae bifurcates into two fractions: one subpopulation continues to express virulence genes, whereas these genes are silenced in the other subpopulation. The genetic program controlling the continued production of virulence genes may mediate the persistence of a hyper-infectious subpopulation of bacteria in the stools of cholera patients.

The present study was conducted to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for leaf size traits in IR64 introgression lines (INLs). For this purpose, selected F(2) populations derived from crosses between recurrent parent IR64 and its derived INLs, unique for leaf length and leaf width, were used to confirm QTLs. A total of eight QTLs, mapped on three chromosomes, were identified for the four leaf size traits in six F(2) populations. A QTL for leaf length, qLLnpt-1, in HKL69 was identified around simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker RM3709 on chromosome 1. Two QTLs for flag leaf length, qFLLnpt-2 and qFLLnpt-4, in HFG39 were indentified on chromosomes 2 and 4, respectively. For flag leaf width, a QTL, qFLWnpt-4, in HFG39 was identified around RM17483 on chromosome 4. While another QTL for flag leaf width, qFLWnpt-1, in HFG27 was identified around RM3252 on chromosome 1. A QTL for leaf width, qLWnpt-2, in HKL75 was identified around RM7451 on chromosome 2. For leaf width, two QTLs, qLWnpt-4a, qLWnpt-4b, in HKL48 and HKL99 were identified around RM7208 and RM6909, respectively on chromosome 4. Results from this study suggest the possibilities to use marker-assisted selection and pyramiding these QTLs to improve rice water productivity.

The four friends again spent a great deal of time together during the summer before beginning their university studies in Uppsala. Gosta visited both Hanstavik and Lannersta. In turn, Johan, Adrian, and Georg visited Vaxholm, which was where Gosta was staying that summer along with his parents and siblings. They were all glad to be done with secondary school, which they now labeled a “refuge for pedantry and pettiness.” In Vaxholm the Leffler family had rented a summer house in a beautiful setting. But their stay was marred by the fact that Mrs. Leffler, Gustava, was suffering from a lung ailment and required constant care. Gosta had made plans to go with Adrian on a walking tour in the Dalarna district or in Varmland, but he canceled the trip because his mother wanted to have all of her children close at hand. By early September, however, she was well enough to accompany her eldest son to Uppsala, and she stayed several days in order to get him settled in his new life as a university student. They traveled from Stockholm on a passenger boat that made daily crossings between the two cities. Johan was also on board. Gosta and Johan had rented rooms in the same building, at Ovre Slottsgatan 15, right near the university library, known as Carolina rediviva.

In conjunction with experiments to evaluate water drainage as a control method for the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, studies were performed to compare the abundance and species composition of aquatic arthropods in two sets of continuously flooded and temporarily drained but reflooded rice, Oryza sativa L., paddies. A total of 1,736 individuals representing 22 arthropod taxa was collected. Few differences in abundance were detected; however, Notonecta spp. were significantly more abundant in reflooded paddies. Percentage similarity (PS) between paired treatments was >0.50 on all but one date; relatively high PS values on the first sampling dates suggest that the aquatic arthropod community is able to recover rapidly following reflooding. Several taxa appear to possess traits that enhance survival in a rice paddy subjected to temporary drainage. Implications are discussed for the wide-scale use of drainage on California rice acreage.

Water management (removal of water to alter the habitat necessary for larval survival) is a pest management tactic that might have potential as a substitute for the use of insecticides to control the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, effectively on rice, Oryza sativa L. Field research was conducted during 1989 and 1990 to compare the use of water management and carbofuran as rice water weevil control tactics and to assess subsequent impact on rice yield components. These data were used to determine the economic analysis of costs and net returns of carbofuran use relative to the use of water management as a potential substitute for control of the rice water weevil. Rice water weevil larval populations in water management and carbofuran treatments were lower than populations in the untreated check during critical vegetative plant growth periods both years. The delayed water management treatment and the continuous flood with two applications of carbofuran treatment provided more effective late-season control than the other treatments. Plant heights and yield components in the water management treatments were greater than the untreated check. The water management treatments had higher grain yield and grain/straw ratio than the other treatments. The water management treatments on a per-hectare basis resulted in the highest yield in both years and highest net returns in 1989, followed by the carbofuran treatments. The data indicated that water management has potential as an economical pest management tool for control of the rice water weevil.

Adults, eggs, first instars, and root-feeding larvae of the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, were experimentally confined to rice, Oryza sativa L., plants in flooded and drained fields during experiments conducted in 1989-1990. In both years, oviposition was significantly greater under flooded conditions (5.8-32 mean number of eggs per plant) than under drained conditions (0-1 mean number of eggs per plant). Scars from leaf-feeding by adults were more abundant on plants in flooded plots in both years. Lengths of feeding scars were greater on plants from the flooded plot in 1989, but scar lengths did not differ between treatments in 1990. In 1989, survival of eggs exposed to drained conditions for 7 d was greater than for eggs exposed to flooded conditions for the same period. Survival of weevil eggs in 1990 did not differ among flooded and drained treatments. In 1989, fewer larvae established on plants when drainage occurred 1 dafter transplanting than on plants that were transplanted at the same time but remained under flooded conditions. In 1990, water management, block, and the interaction (water management and block) influenced larval establishment. Survival of root-feeding larvae did not differ between flooded and drained treatments in 1989, whereas in 1990, survival declined with an increasing duration of drainage. Draining rice fields may be effective in controlling rice water weevil infestations, particularly when targeted against adults. However, earlyseason drainage conflicts with other management practices and appears to be more costly, and appropriate timing of this practice may be difficult to establish.

The rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, is the most widely distributed and destructive early season insect pest of rice, Oryza sativa L., in the United States. Economic losses result primarily from feeding by the larval stage of this insect on the roots of flooded rice plants. Prior studies suggest that infestations of rice water weevil larvae are more severe at low plant densities. Moreover, because feeding by the rice water weevil reduces rice plant tillering, a process particularly important to yield at low seeding rates, infestations by weevil larvae may have a greater impact on rice yields when rice is seeded at low rates. In total, six experiments were conducted over a 3-yr period in Louisiana and Missouri to investigate the impacts of rice seeding rate on levels of infestations by, and yield losses from, the rice water weevil. An inverse relationship between seeding rate and densities of rice water weevil larvae and pupae on a per area basis was found in two of the six experiments. Furthermore, in two of the three experiments conducted with ‘Bengal’ (a susceptible cultivar) in Louisiana, percentages of yield loss were significantly higher at lower seeding rates than at higher seeding rates. Overall, these results indicate that rice sown at low rates is more vulnerable to infestation by rice water weevils and more susceptible to yield losses from weevil injury. The significance of these findings in light of recent trends toward the use of lower seeding rates in drill-seeded rice is discussed.

BACKGROUND: Most insecticides used to control rice water weevil (Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuscel) infestations are pyrethroids. However, pyrethroids are highly toxic to non-target crayfish associated with rice–crayfish crop rotations. One solution to the near-exclusive reliance on pyrethroids in a rice–crayfish pest management program is to incorporate neonicotinoid insecticides, which are insect specific and effective against weevils but not extremely toxic to crayfish. This study aimed to take the first step to assess neonicotinoids as alternatives to pyrethroids in rice–crayfish crop rotations by measuring the acute toxicities of three candidate neonicotinoid insecticides, clothianidin, dinotefuran and thiamethoxam, to juvenile Procambarus clarkii (Girard) crayfish and comparing them with the acute toxicities of two currently used pyrethroid insecticides, lambda-cyhalothrin and etofenprox. RESULTS: Neonicotinoid insecticides are at least 2–3 orders of magnitude less acutely toxic (96 h LC50) than pyrethroids to juvenile Procambarid crayfish: lambda-cyhalothrin (0.16 µg AI L−1) = etofenprox (0.29 µg AI L−1) ≫ clothianidin (59 µg AI L−1) > thiamethoxam (967 µg AI L−1) > dinotefuran (2032 µg AI L−1). CONCLUSION: Neonicotinoid insecticides appear to be much less hazardous alternatives to pyrethroids in rice–crayfish crop rotations. Further field-level neonicotinoid acute and chronic toxicity testing with crayfish is needed. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry

Introduction: Diarrheal disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among under-fives especially in rural and peri-urban communities in developing countries. Home management of diarrhea is one of the key household practices targeted for enhancement in the Community Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (C-IMCI) strategy. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the perceptions of mothers/caregivers regarding the causes of diarrhea among under-fives and how it was managed in the home before seeking help from Community Health Workers or health facilities. Design: A household longitudinal study was conducted in Nyando district, Kenya in 2004-2006 adopting both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Subjects: A total of 927 mothers/caregivers of under-fives participated in the study. Main outcome measures: Perceived causes of childhood diarrhoea, action taken during diarrhea, fluid intake, recognition of signs of dehydration, feeding during convalescence, adherence to treatment and advice. Results: Majority of the respondents 807(87.1%) reported that their children had suffered from diarrhea within the last 2 weeks before commencement of the study. Diarrhea was found to contribute to 48% of child mortality in the study area. Perceived causes of diarrhea were: unclean water 524(55.6%), contaminated food 508(54.9%), bad eye 464 (50.0%), false teeth 423(45.6%) and breast milk 331(35.8%). More than 70% of mothers decreased fluid intake during diarrhea episodes. The mothers perceived wheat flour, rice water and selected herbs as anti-diarrheal agents. During illness, 239(27.8%) of the children were reported not to have drunk any fluids at all, 487(52.5%) drunk much less and only 93(10.0%) were reported to have drunk more than usual. A significant 831(89.6%) withheld milk including breast milk with the notion that it enhanced diarrhea. Conclusion: Based on these findings, there is need to develop and implement interactive communication strategies for the health workers and mothers to address perceptions and misconceptions and facilitate positive change in the household practice on management of diarrhea among under-fives. East African Journal of Public Health Vol. 5 (3) 2008: pp. 142-146

The method of the quantitative analysis on the paddy rice moisture condition is studied, which is based on the spectral reflectivity of the leaf crest layer. Several subsections are carried on the entire spectrum curve by the equidistance, The sensitive characteristic wave-length is selected based on the table of molecular spectrum sensitive wave band, obtains the characteristic spectral reflection index value to take as the characteristic value. The convergence rate of the BP neural network is slow, so the L-M algorithm is introduced to carry on the renewal of the neural network weights. The paddy rice water moisture quantitative analysis forecast model is established by making use of the fast study function of the L-M algorithm neural network. The forecasting results indicate that the highest prediction error of the paddy rice water content is 6.72% and the average error rate is 4.23%. The prediction effect is better than the traditional BP network arithmetic, and it can be used in the lossless inspection of paddy rice moisture.

A new method is described for the determination of the herbicide bispyribac-sodium in surface water, especially from river and irrigated rice water samples. The method involves extraction in solid phase and quantification by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). After optimization of the extraction and separation parameters, the method was validated. The method presented average recoveries of 101.3 and 97.7%, under repeatability and intermediate precision conditions, respectively, with adequate precision (RSD from 0.9 to 7.5%). The method was applied for the determination of bispyribac-sodium in surface water samples with a limit of detection of 0.1 μg L-1.

The production of one of the American antebellum South's chief export commodities, rice, which was grown on plantations in tidewater South Carolina and Georgia, required the large-scale manipulation of the lowcountry environment. The well-engineered rice plantation, one South Carolina planter explained, was a "huge hydraulic machine." "The whole apparatus of levels, floodgates, trunks, canals, banks, and ditches is of the most extensive kind," he said, "requiring skill and unity of purpose to keep in order."' The "machines," in their most developed form, were massive engineering achievements that reshaped portions of the tidewater environment and required enormous investments of well-organized labor to make and maintain. Water by its very nature imposes specific social, economic, and political necessities upon those who would control it, Karl Wittfogel has argued in Oriental Despotism, his provocative analysis of the great hydraulic civilizations in the ancient Middle and Far East. As many

Four field trials were conducted during 1988 and 1989 to determine the relationship between the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptros oryzophilus Kuschel, and Pythium spp. in the development of rice ( Oryza sativa L.) feeder root necrosis. The data supported other findings that indicated Pythium spp. were not pathogenic when soil temperatures averaged >300°C; however, Pythium spp. were found to cause preemergence damping-off in early seeded rice. The study failed to establish a relationship between rice water weevil and Pythium spp. in the development of root disease caused by Pythium spp. in rice. During the period when rice water weevil populations reached damaging levels in the field, temperature conditions were unfavorable for root infection by Pythium spp. Rice water weevil damage significantly reduced rice yield in 1988. In 1989, rice yield losses were reduced because early seeding avoided high rice water weevil infestations.

The rice water weevil (RWW) Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an invasive insect pest of rice Oryza sativa L. in China. Little is known about the interactions of this weevil with indigenous herbivores. In the present study, adult feeding and population density of the weevil, injury level of striped stem borer Chilo suppressalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and pink stem borer Sesamia inferens (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to rice, as well as growth status of their host plants were surveyed in a rice field located in Southeastern Zhejiang, China, in 2004 with the objective to discover interspecific interactions on the rice. At tillering stage, both adult feeding of the weevil and injury of the stem borers tended to occur on larger tillers (bearing 5 leaves) compared with small tillers (bearing 2–4 leaves), but the insects showed no evident competition with each other. At booting stage, the stem borers caused more withering/dead hearts and the weevil reached a higher density on the plants which had more productive tillers and larger root system; the number of weevils per tiller correlated negatively with the percentage of withering/dead hearts of plants in a hill. These observations indicate that interspecific interactions exist between the rice water weevil and the rice stem borers with negative relations occurring at booting or earlier developmental stages of rice.

This study evaluated the degradation of the herbicide clomazone in distilled water and from irrigated rice fields, through UV irradiation and under natural conditions. After a solid phase extraction (SPE) as preconcentration step, the remained concentration of clomazone was determined by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) and the identification of the degradation products was achieved by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Under UV irradiation, the clomazone was degraded faster in distilled water than in surface water. In irrigated rice water, under sunlight irradiation, clomazone presented a half-life time average of 3.2 days in three consecutive harvests, and after application the concentration in water remained higher than 0.1 μg L-1 for 20 days. Several by-products, like 2-chlorobenzaldehyde and 2-chlorobenzene methanol, were identified by GC-MS, which evidenced that the concentration of intermediates at the begining increase and then they also undergo degradation. Este estudo avaliou a degradação do herbicida clomazone em água destilada e de campos de arroz irrigado, através de irradiação UV e sob condições naturais. Após a etapa de pré-concentração por extração em fase sólida (SPE), a concentração remanescente foi determinada por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência com detecção por arranjo de diodos (HPLC-DAD) e a identificação dos produtos de degradação foi efetuada por cromatografia gasosa com espectrometria de massas (GC-MS). Sob irradiação UV, o clomazone foi degradado mais rapidamente na água destilada que na água de superfície. Na água de irrigação, sob luz solar, o clomazone apresentou tempo de meia-vida médio de 3,2 dias em três safras consecutivas, e após a aplicação a concentração na água permaneceu acima de 0,1 μg L-1 por cerca de 20 dias. Diversos subprodutos, tais como 2-clorobenzaldeído e 2-clorobenzeno metanol, foram identificados por GC-MS, evidenciando que a concentração dos intermediários aumentou no início e então eles também sofreram degradação.