The fossil content of the Upper Triassic Molteno Formation, South Africa

The present paper is essentially drawn, with a few additions (the insects in particular) and changes, from the section on the Molteno Formation in the book Prodromus of South African megafloras: Devonian to L. Cretaceous currently in press (Anderson and Anderson 1984). The repetition is justified by the nature and scope of this Haughton Memorial Volume- an attempt to bring together a series of papers giving a general overview of the 'Stormberg Series' (Molteno to Drakensberg formations). We are in the process of preparing a series of volumes on the palaeoflora of the Molteno Formation. These are based primarily on our own collections begun in 1967 and now amounting to 15 500 catalogued slabs from 74 assemblages. The first volume has been published (Anderson and Anderson 1983a) and provides an interim synthesis of the megaflora to species level as well as a detailed taxonomic account of Dicroidium, the dominant most diverse element. For further detail and clarification of aspects of the paper presented here the above mentioned volumes should be consulted

A review of the Bryophyta from the Upper Triassic Molteno Formation, Karroo Basin, South Africa

Main articleThe Bryophyta from the Upper Triassic, Molteno Formation, Karroo Basin, South Africa are reviewed. Two species of liverworts, Marchantites cyathodoides (Townrow) comb. nov., M. tennantii sp. nov. (with possible fertile structures), and one species of moss, Muscites guescelini Townrow (with impresions of antheridia) are described. A single specimen is referred to Thallites sp. A. A total of 49 specimens are available, 11 from Townrow's collection and 38 from the present collection. These are derived from a total of six separate localities.Non

Podozamites and associated cones and scales from the upper Triassic Molteno Formation, Karoo Basin, South Africa

Main articleThe leaves Podozamites elongatus (Morris) Feistmantel from 24 localities, the cones Telemachus elongatus gen. et sp. nov. from nine localities and the scales Dordrechtites elongatus gen. et sp. nov. from seven localities are described from the Molteno Formation, Upper Triassic (Carnian), Karoo Basin, South Africa. On the basis of the close association of the leaves, cones and scales from certain localities it is probable that all three are derived from the same parent species belonging to the Coniferales.Non

A preliminary review of the biostratigraphy of the uppermost Permian, Triassic and lowermost Jurassic of Gondwanaland

Main articleThis review pager was born out of a desire to visualize in some detail the picture of the evolving Gondwana Triassic landscape and the story of life and ecology upon it; a desire to provide a general setting in which to view the details of the work in which we are actively involved at the present-the macro flora (H.M.A.) and microflora (J. M.A.) of the Molteno 'Formation' of the Karroo Basin of South Africa.Non

A review of the fossil record of spiders (Araneae) with special reference to Africa, and description of a new specimen from the Triassic Molteno Formation of South Africa

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from "http://www.bioone.org".The fossil record of spiders as currently known is briefly reviewed, with special reference to Africa. The second specimen of Triassaraneus andersonorum Selden in Selden et al. 1999 is described from a different locality in the Triassic (Carnian, c. 225 Ma) Molteno Formation of South Africa

A review of the localities and flora of the lower Permian Karoo strata at Vereeniging, South Africa

Main articleThe Vereeniging fossil floras are particularly well known and often referred to, as it is among them that attached glossopteridophyte fructifications were first recorded. No recent review of the localities, flora and age of the deposits is available. The history of collecting and description of fossil plants from Vereeniging dates from 1879. Ten localities have been recorded to date, the most important of which are the three Leeukuil quarries from which a diverse flora has been collected and described over the past thirty years. Two of the localities are considered to fall within the Lower Ecca and the remaining eight within a restricted section of the Middle Ecca coal measures. The older flora is poorly known and is represented only by the genera Gangamopteris and Noeggerathiopsis. The younger flora is fairly comprehensively known and includes some 23 genera and 33 species of plants.Non

Barium light source method and apparatus

Visible light emission is obtained from a plasma containing elemental barium including neutral barium atoms and barium ion species. Neutral barium provides a strong green light emission in the center of the visible spectrum with a highly efficient conversion of electrical energy into visible light. By the selective excitation of barium ionic species, emission of visible light at longer and shorter wavelengths can be obtained simultaneously with the green emission from neutral barium, effectively providing light that is visually perceived as white. A discharge vessel contains the elemental barium and a buffer gas fill therein, and a discharge inducer is utilized to induce a desired discharge temperature and barium vapor pressure therein to produce from the barium vapor a visible light emission. The discharge can be induced utilizing a glow discharge between electrodes in the discharge vessel as well as by inductively or capacitively coupling RF energy into the plasma within the discharge vessel

Characterization and Aerosol Dispersion Performance of Spray-Dried Chemotherapeutic PEGylated Phospholipid Particles for Dry Powder Inhalation Delivery in Lung Cancer

Pulmonary inhalation chemotherapeutic drug delivery offers many advantages for lung cancer patients in comparison to conventional systemic chemotherapy. Inhalable particles are advantageous in their ability to deliver drug deep in the lung by utilizing optimally sized particles and higher local drug dose delivery. In this work, spray-dried and co-spray dried inhalable lung surfactant-mimic PEGylated lipopolymers as microparticulate/nanoparticulate dry powders containing paclitaxel were rationally designed via organic solution advanced spray drying (no water) in closed-mode from dilute concentration feed solution. Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine poly(ethylene glycol) (DPPE-PEG) with varying PEG chain length were mixed with varying amounts of paclitaxel in methanol to produce co-spray dried microparticles and nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscopy showed the spherical particle morphology of the inhalable particles. Thermal analysis and X-ray powder diffraction confirmed the retention of the phospholipid bilayer structure in the solid-state following spray drying, the degree of solid-state molecular order, and solid-state phase transition behavior. The residual water content of the particles was very low as quantified analytically Karl Fisher titration. The amount of paclitaxel loaded into the particles was quantified which indicated high encapsulation efficiencies (43-99%). Dry powder aerosol dispersion performance was measure in vitro using the Next Generation Impactor™ (NGI™) coupled with the Handihaler® dry powder inhaler device and showed mass median aerodynamic diameters in the range of 3.4 – 7μm. These results demonstrate that this novel microparticulate/nanoparticulate chemotherapeutic PEGylated phospholipid inhalation aerosol platform has great potential in lung cancer drug delivery

Development of three-dimensional lung multicellular spheroids in air- and liquid-interface culture for the evaluation of anticancer therapeutics

Three-dimensional (3D) lung multicellular spheroids (MCS) in liquid-covered culture (LCC) and air-interface culture (AIC) conditions have both been developed for the evaluation of aerosol anticancer therapeutics in solution and aerosols, respectively. The MCS were formed by seeding lung cancer cells on top of collagen where they formed spheroids due to the prevalence of cell-to-cell interactions. LCC MCS were exposed to paclitaxel (PTX) in media whereas AIC MCS were exposed to dry powder PEGylated phospholipid aerosol microparticles containing paclitaxel. The difference in viability for 2D versus 3D culture for both LCC and AIC was evaluated along with the effects of the particles on lung epithelium via transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurements. For LCC and AIC conditions, the 3D spheroids were more resistant to treatment with higher IC50 values for A549 and H358 cell lines. TEER results initially indicated a decrease in resistance upon drug or particle exposure, however, these values increased over the course of several days indicating the ability of the cells to recover. Overall, these studies offer a comprehensive in vitro evaluation of aerosol particles used in the treatment of lung cancer while introducing a new method for culturing lung cancer MCS in both LCC and AIC conditions

Design, Physicochemical Characterization, and Optimization of Organic Solution Advanced Spray-Dried Inhalable Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and Dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine Poly(Ethylene Glycol) (DPPE-PEG) Microparticles and Nanoparticles for Targeted Respiratory Nanomedicine Delivery as Dry Powder Inhalation Aerosols

Novel advanced spray-dried and co-spray-dried inhalable lung surfactant-mimic phospholipid and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)ylated lipopolymers as microparticulate/nanoparticulate dry powders of biodegradable biocompatible lipopolymers were rationally formulated via an organic solution advanced spray-drying process in closed mode using various phospholipid formulations and rationally chosen spray-drying pump rates. Ratios of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine PEG (DPPE-PEG) with varying PEG lengths were mixed in a dilute methanol solution. Scanning electron microscopy images showed the smooth, spherical particle morphology of the inhalable particles. The size of the particles was statistically analyzed using the scanning electron micrographs and SigmaScan® software and were determined to be 600 nm to 1.2 μm in diameter, which is optimal for deep-lung alveolar penetration. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) were performed to analyze solid-state transitions and long-range molecular order, respectively, and allowed for the confirmation of the presence of phospholipid bilayers in the solid state of the particles. The residual water content of the particles was very low, as quantified analytically via Karl Fischer titration. The composition of the particles was confirmed using attenuated total-reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and confocal Raman microscopy (CRM), and chemical imaging confirmed the chemical homogeneity of the particles. The dry powder aerosol dispersion properties were evaluated using the Next Generation Impactor™ (NGI™) coupled with the HandiHaler® dry powder inhaler device, where the mass median aerodynamic diameter from 2.6 to 4.3 μm with excellent aerosol dispersion performance, as exemplified by high values of emitted dose, fine particle fraction, and respirable fraction. Overall, it was determined that the pump rates defined in the spray-drying process had a significant effect on the solid-state particle properties and that a higher pump rate produced the most optimal system. Advanced dry powder inhalers of inhalable lipopolymers for targeted dry powder inhalation delivery were successfully achieved