Endothall behavior in five aquatic weeds

2018 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.Endothall is one of the original aquatic herbicides being primarily to control submersed plants since 1960. Endothall is considered a contact herbicide, in a chemical class of its own, it is a serine/threonine protein phosphatase inhibitor, which has broad-spectrum control and is effective in controlling both monocotyledons and dicotyledons. Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum L.) (EWM), hydrilla [Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle], curlyleaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus L.) (CLP), and sago pondweed (Potamogeton pectinatus L.) (SPW) are submersed aquatic species considered troublesome throughout the United States, which can be controlled with endothall. These species can form extensive, undesirable surface canopies, which can negatively impact water flow, water quality, economic and ecological value of water bodies. Although endothall is considered a contact herbicide, many field observations suggest that it might have systemic activity. The goals of this research were to (1) determine maximum herbicide absorption and absorption rate, (2) evaluate herbicide translocation from shoots to roots in EWM, two hydrilla biotypes, CLP, and SPW, and (3) evaluate herbicide desorption in EWM and two hydrilla biotypes. Each weed species was clonally propagated from apical shoot cutting or turions/tubers when present. For herbicide absorption and translocation, plants of each species with developed roots and 15 cm of shoot growth were transferred to test tubes containing unwashed silica sand and sealed at the top with a low melting point eicosane wax to isolate the root system from the water column. Plants were exposed to the herbicide over 192 h. At predetermined time points three plants of each species were harvested, divided into shoot and root tissue, and oxidized. Herbicide desorption was evaluated over 96 h. Endothall absorption was linear in hydrilla, while in EWM, CLP and SPW it best fit an asymptotic rise function. Translocation to EWM, CLP, and SPW roots was limited, reaching a maximum translocation of 8%, 3% and 1% of total absorbed radioactivity, respectively. Monoecious and dioecious hydrilla showed a linear increase without reaching maximum absorption or translocation 192 HAT. Endothall translocation to monoecious and dioecious hydrilla roots was 18% and 16% of total absorbed radioactivity, respectively. Herbicide desorption was less than 30% for all the three species evaluated. These data provide strong evidence that endothall behaves as a systemic herbicide in these aquatic species

Prevensi Gerakan Tanah Jenis Longsor Lereng di Dusun Riang Negeri Tawiri Kecamatan Teluk Ambon, Kota Ambon

Disaster prevention is carried out to prevent and minimize the occurrence of natural disasters such as landslides. Prevention is at the heart of natural disasters and must be supported by community knowledge about disaster management in the form of pre-disaster, during-disaster, and post-disaster views from a scientific and technical perspective. Inadequate knowledge will have an impact on less-than-optimal responses in disaster prevention and mitigation. One of the efforts to increase the community's role in preventing natural disasters is through Community Service (PKM) activities using the geo-forestry method by planting shade trees at the location of former landslides and the potential for landslides in RT.02/RW.07 Riang, Tawiri Village, Teluk Ambon District. This activity is carried out through the transfer of knowledge about, Land Movement Physics, Environmental Geophysics, and Disaster Mitigation. Service activities are expected to reach the Disaster Volunteer Team in Riang, Tawiri Village, namely by increasing the network of cooperation with Disaster Volunteers and establishing synergies with Geoscience Volunteers and the Unpatti Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

The first extensive study of an Imperial Roman Garden in the city of Rome. The Horti Lamiani

This paper presents the first systematic results of integrated plant macrofossil and pollen analyses from the Horti Lamiani (1st-3rd century ce), an aristocratic residence with a luxury garden which was established on the Esquilino (Esquiline Hill) in Rome during the time of the first Emperor, Caesar Augustus (27 bce-14 ce) and later became one of the most famous Imperial gardens around the ancient city. Different types of plant remains such as charcoal, seeds and fruits and pollen were recovered from pits and pots in the garden and reflect the presence of plants there. There seem to have been ornamental shrubs which were probably grown as decorative modelled hedges and/or isolated bushes, as well as cultivated trees. Several ornamental flowering plants grew in pots. Although this archaeobotanical assemblage could represent some patches of wild vegetation still growing in the study area at the time of the Imperial garden, it is likely that most of the identified plants were intentionally planted and organised to create a glimpse of the past wild landscape of Rome. They have special characteristics, such as bearing coloured flowers or fruits and offering shade, that made them suitable for embellishing a magnificent garden. Moreover this reflects the Roman desire to control nature, testified by the expansion of luxury gardens during the Imperial period and the spread of decorative horticultural techniques, like the miniaturisation of trees and shaping of trees and shrubs by topiary

The FAOSTAT database of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The impact of educational robots as learning tools in specific technical classes in undergraduate education

The use of mobile robots in the classroom has gained increasing attention in recent years due to their potential to enhance student engagement and facilitate personalized learning. This research presents the insertion of mobile robots as a hands-on learning experience in Control and Servomechanisms II and Signal Processing II classes. This work also addresses the challenges and limitations of using mobile robots in the classroom, including technical difficulties. The students were evaluated during the code implementation in the practical exercises. Besides, a form was provided to them in order to assess the impact of these robots as part of the pedagogical practice. From the students’ positive feedback, it was possible to conclude that the mobile robots were well-accepted. Besides, the robots enhanced Control Systems classes and improved students’ learning outcomes.The authors would like to thank CEFET/RJ, UFF, UFRJ, and the Brazilian research agencies CAPES, CNPq, and FAPERJ. Besides, the authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC) to CeDRI (UIDB/05757/2020 and UIDP/05757/2020) and SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2021).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Behavioural and biochemical stress responses of Palinurus elephas after exposure to boat noise pollution in tank

This study examined the effects of boat noise on the behavioural and biochemical parameters of the Mediterranean spiny lobster (Palinurus elephas).The experiment was conducted in a tank equipped with a video and audio recording system. 18 experimental trials, assigned to boat noise and control conditions, were performed using lobsters in single and group of 4 specimens. After a 1. h habituation period, we audio- and video-recorded the lobsters for 1. h. During the experimental phase, the animals assigned to the boat groups were exposed to boat noise pollution (a random sequence of boat noises). Exposure to the noise produced significant variations in locomotor behaviours and haemolymphatic parameters. Our results indicate that the lobsters exposed to boat noises increased significantly their locomotor activities and haemolymphatic bioindicator of stressful conditions such as glucose, total proteins, Hsp70 expression and THC when tested both singly and in groups. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

Towards timely Alzheimer diagnosis:A self-powered amperometric biosensor for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine

Serious brain disorders, such as the Alzheimer's Disease (AD), are associated with a marked drop in the levels of important neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine (ACh). Real time monitoring of such biomarkers can therefore play a critical role in enhancing AD therapies by allowing timely diagnosis, verifications of treatment effectiveness, and developments of new medicines. In this study, we present the first acetylcholine/oxygen hybrid enzymatic fuel cell for the self-powered on site detection of ACh in plasma, which is based on the combination of an enzymatic anode with a Pt cathode. Firstly, an effective acetylcholinesterase immobilized electrode was developed and its electrochemical performance evaluated. Highly porous gold was used as the electrode material, and the enzyme was immobilized via a one step rapid and simple procedure that does not require the use of harsh chemicals or any electrode/enzyme pre-treatments. The resulting enzymatic electrode was subsequently used as the anode of a miniature flow-through membrane-less fuel cell and showed excellent response to varying concentrations of ACh. The peak power generated by the fuel cell was 4 nW at a voltage of 260 mV and with a current density of 9 μA cm−2. The limit of detection of the fuel cell sensor was 10 μM, with an average response time as short as 3 min. These exciting results open new horizons for point-of-care Alzheimer diagnosis and provide an attractive potential alternative to established methods that require laborious and time-consuming sample treatments and expensive instruments

Enteric Neural Cells From Hirschsprung Disease Patients Form Ganglia in Autologous Aneuronal Colon

Background & Aims: Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is caused by failure of cells derived from the neural crest (NC) to colonize the distal bowel in early embryogenesis, resulting in absence of the enteric nervous system (ENS) and failure of intestinal transit postnatally. Treatment is by distal bowel resection, but neural cell replacement may be an alternative. We tested whether aneuronal (aganglionic) colon tissue from patients may be colonized by autologous ENS-derived cells. Methods: Cells were obtained and cryopreserved from 31 HSCR patients from the proximal resection margin of colon, and ENS cells were isolated using flow cytometry for the NC marker p75 (nine patients). Aneuronal colon tissue was obtained from the distal resection margin (23 patients). ENS cells were assessed for NC markers immunohistologically and by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, and mitosis was detected by ethynyl-2\u27-deoxyuridine labeling. The ability of human HSCR postnatal ENS-derived cells to colonize the embryonic intestine was demonstrated by organ coculture with avian embryo gut, and the ability of human postnatal HSCR aneuronal colon muscle to support ENS formation was tested by organ coculture with embryonic mouse ENS cells. Finally, the ability of HSCR patient ENS cells to colonize autologous aneuronal colon muscle tissue was assessed. Results: ENS-derived p75-sorted cells from patients expressed multiple NC progenitor and differentiation markers and proliferated in culture under conditions simulating Wnt signaling. In organ culture, patient ENS cells migrated appropriately in aneural quail embryo gut, and mouse embryo ENS cells rapidly spread, differentiated, and extended axons in patient aneuronal colon muscle tissue. Postnatal ENS cells derived from HSCR patients colonized autologous aneuronal colon tissue in cocultures, proliferating and differentiating as neurons and glia. Conclusions: NC-lineage cells can be obtained from HSCR patient colon and can form ENS-like structures in aneuronal colonic muscle from the same patient

Physico-chemical stability and in vitro digestibility of beta-carotene-loaded lipid nanoparticles of cupuacu butter (Theobroma grandiflorum) produced by the phase inversion temperature (PIT) method

Beta-carotene is a carotenoid with a wide spectrum of biological activities (e.g., anti-cancer, anti-hypertensive, and anti-inflammatory). However, because of its extremely high hydrophobicity, it is difficult to incorporate in food formulations and its bioavailability is fairly low. Lipid-based encapsulation colloidal systems such as lipid nanoparticles can help overcome these issues. In this study, beta-carotene-loaded lipid nanoparticles were produced by the phase inversion temperature (PIT) method from 10% cupuacu butter and 20% surfactant (Cremophor RH40 and Span 80). The inversion temperature of the nanoparticles was 74 °C and their average diameter was 35 nm. After 100 days of storage, 85% of the initial amount of beta-carotene remained in the nanoparticles; alpha-tocopherol was found to be essential for carotenoid preservation. Comparison of the results of in vitro digestion between static and dynamic systems was performed, and the characteristics of each digestion system led to diverse results in terms of average particle size and beta-carotene bioaccessibility. Although the static system was much simpler than the dynamic system, it could not provide reliable data of the digestibility of the lipid nanoparticles. The bioaccessibility of beta-carotene in the static system was 92%, very similar to the results found in the literature; by comparison, the dynamic system revealed a beta-carotene bioaccessibility of nearly 20%. Despite this discrepancy, the highly realistic conditions of digestion simulated by the dynamic in vitro system indicate that the results of this system are more reliable than those obtained from the simplified static system applied in this research.The authors thank FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Brazil) for the fellowships (grants 2010/20523-0, 2011/01260-0 and 2012/18495-3, authors Graziela V.L. Gomes and Mirella R. Sola). The author Ana C. Pinheiro is recipient of a fellowship from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) through grant SFRH/BPD/101181/2014

Eliminación de formaldehído mediante CWO

Se sintetizaron catalizadores en polvo y en membrana de óxidos mixtos de Co-Cu-Ce soportados en Al₂O₃ comercial en polvo y en una membrana inorgánica de γ-Al₂O₃ como soporte. Los catalizadores fueron caracterizados por Difracción de Rayos X, Microscopia Electrónica de Barrido y Estudio de Análisis Químico Elemental. Para evaluar la eficiencia de los materiales catalíticos impregnados con los óxidos mixtos se realizaron estudios de actividad catalítica para la Oxidación Húmeda Catalítica (CWO) de una solución de formaldehído con concentración de 500 ppm en un reactor de tanque agitado, con flujo continuo de la fase oxidante.In this paper, powder catalysts and mixed oxide membrane Co-Cu-Ce supported on Al₂O₃ commercial powder and an inorganic membrane were synthesized γ-Al₂O₃ as support. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Chemical Elemental Analysis Study. Catalytic activity studies for Catalytic Wet Oxidation (CWO) of formaldehyde solution with a concentration of 500 ppm in slurry stirred tank reactor type, with continuous flow of the oxidizing phase