The systematics and ecology of the Characeae (Nitella and Chara) of southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

General. – The Characaeae is the only extant family of an ancient and unique group of nonvascular aquatic plants which are classified as a separate division, the Charophyta (Groves and Bullock-Webster, 1920; Zaneveld, 1940; Imahori, 1954; Bold, 1957; and others) or as a separate class in the Chlorophyta (Fritsch, 1944; Smith, 1950; Wood and Imahori 1965; and others). Charophytes, like many green algae, are relatively simple haplobiontic plants with zygotic meiosis. However, their complex sexual apparatus, characterized by gametangia enclosed within several sterile cells, distinguishes them from all green algae. The basic morphological features of the genera Nitella and Chara are described and illustrated in this paper. Readily accessible texts which summarize earlier works on the life history of these plants include Fritsch (1935) and Smith (1950, 1955)

Origin and evolution of osmoregulatory mechanisms in blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) as a function of metabolic and structural complexity: Reflections of Precambrian paleobiology

Major accomplishments underlying the basic understanding of cyanobacterial resistance to salt tolerance and osmotic stress were made. The methodology proposed included: the tracing of the pathways of formation of osmoregulatory solutes by traditional methods involving C-14 labelled substrates; gas chromatography; amino acid analysis; X-ray analysis using scanning transmission electron microscopy; and most importantly, C-13 labelled substrates, followed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. It was found that the cyanobacteria employ a diversity of organic, osmoregulatory solutes. Osmoregulatory solutes were found to serve four functions: adjustment of water activity, noninhibition of enzymes; lowering of K sub m of enzymes to allow functioning at normal levels when the intracellular salt accumulates, and extending the pH optimum of enzymes as intracellular pH rises due to proton-potassium ion pump action during osmoregulation. Differences in osmoregulatory solutes may, but are not always, be attributed to differences in nutritional capabilities. The mechanism of osmoregulation and concomitant salt tolerance in halophilic cyanobacteria was elucidated. The activities of betaine and S-Adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase are discussed

Origin and evolution of osmoregulatory mechanisms in blue-green algae as a function of metabolic and structural complexity: Reflections of precambrian paleobiology

Twenty-four of the twenty-nine cyanobacteria proposed for culture were successfully cultured. Betaines are discussed

Notes on the Algal Flora of Illinois, III. Additons to the Chlorophyceae

Author Institution: Biology Department, Western Kentucky University and Botany Department, Southern Illinois UniversityThis paper lists several species of chlorophycean algae previously unreported or infrequently reported as occurring in Illinois. A total of 125 species and varieties arc enumerated, of which 27 are new records for the State. Included are first records for species of the genera Dunaliella, Chlorogonium, Platymonas, Pteromonas, Dysmorphococcus, Asterococcus, Stylosphaeridium, Elakatothrix, Geminella, Pseudendoclonium, Westella, Planktosphaeria, Eremosphaera, and Spirotaenia

The Impact of an Application of TelerehabilitationTechnology on Caregiver Burden

The objective of this research was to assess the effects of an application of telerehabilitation reducing time and financial obligation on caregiver burden among eleven caregivers of elderly persons with Parkinson’s disease. Clients (care receivers) participated in speech therapy delivered via videophones in their homes; the protocol required 16 treatments delivered four times a week for four weeks. At the conclusion of treatment, caregivers completed a structured interview about the impact of telerehabilitation on time and financial aspects of the burden of care. On average, this speech therapy protocol delivered by videophones saved 48 hours of time, more than 92 hours of work time, and $1024 for each caregiver. Savings were significant and previous research demonstrated nearly equal outcomes using the videophone delivery method. Implications for practice and research are discussed.Keywords: Telerehabilitation, Speech Therapy, Parkinson’s Disease.

Theory of commensurable magnetic structures in holmium

The tendency for the period of the helically ordered moments in holmium to lock into values which are commensurable with the lattice is studied theoretically as a function of temperature and magnetic field. The commensurable effects are derived in the mean-field approximation from numerical calculations of the free energy of various commensurable structures, and the results are compared with the extensive experimental evidence collected during the last ten years on the magnetic structures in holmium. In general the stability of the different commensurable structures is found to be in accord with the experiments, except for the tau=5/18 structure observed a few degrees below T_N in a b-axis field. The trigonal coupling recently detected in holmium is found to be the interaction required to explain the increased stability of the tau=1/5 structure around 42 K, and of the tau=1/4 structure around 96 K, when a field is applied along the c-axis.Comment: REVTEX, 31 pages, 7 postscript figure

VegMachine.net. Online land cover analysis for the rangelands

VegMachine.net is an online land cover monitoring tool unded by the Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA). The tool focuses primarily on Queensland, but has functionality for much of Australia’s rangelands. The website went live in July 2016 and recently logged the 1000th user session. Users can view seven different seasonal time series of cover products across the landscape and interactively interrogate and graph ground cover change in six different on-the-fly and email delivered reports. Results can then be exported for use in other software. To date, users have generated over 400 VegMachine® FORAGE ground cover reports which provide paddock-by-paddock, landtype-by-landtype analysis of ground cover change from 1990 to the present. Detailed help is available in multiple formats, including website popups and a dedicated YouTube channel. The web application was designed for two main user groups; technically equipped RD&E personnel including those servicing land manager clients, and a subset of the grazier community willing to operate the service themselves. Initial rollout of the application focused primarily on training events for government agency, private consultancy and natural resource management (NRM) staff in regional Queensland. These users form the core of the current user base. In this paper, we outline the development of VegMachine.net. We demonstrate the primary functionality of the website, provide an overview of user experience including a case study and discuss major learnings and future directions