Gochnatia polymorpha: macro- and microscopic identification of leaf and stem for pharmacognostic quality control

AbstractGochnatia polymorpha (Less.) Cabrera, Asteraceae, is popularly known as cambará and cambara-de-folha-grande in Brazil. It is used in traditional medicine to treat respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders. Pharmacological studies revealed antiinflammatory, antispasmodic, antibacterial and antiviral activities. The goal of this paper was to carry out morphological and anatomical studies in order to describe the aerial parts of G. polymorpha. The botanical material was collected, fixed, and prepared according to usual light and scanning electron microtechniques. The leaves are simple, oblong-lanceolate to elliptical-lanceolate in form with mucronate acute apex, rounded base, entire or slightly toothed margin, and short petiole. In transection, the epidermis is uniseriate along the leaf blade. A subepidermal layer next to the adaxial side is present. Anomocytic stomata are seen only on the abaxial surface. Capitate glandular trichomes and T-shaped non-glandular trichomes occur on the leaves. The mesophyll is dorsiventral and minor collateral vascular bundles are enclosed by a sheath of thickwalled parenchymatic cells. The midrib is biconvex and the petiole has a circular shape. The epidermis of the stem consists of a single layer of cells with glandular and nonglandular trichomes. The vascular cylinder shows typical structure and perivascular fiber caps are next to the phloem

Damage analysis and fracture toughness evaluation in a thin woven composite laminate under static tension using infrared thermography

This work deals with the issue of damage growth in thin woven composite laminates subjected to tensile loading. The conducted tensile tests were monitored on-line with an infrared camera, and tested specimens were analysed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Combined with SEM micrographs, observation of heat source fields enabled us to assess the damage sequence. Transverse weft cracking was confirmed to be the main damage mode and fiber breakage was the final damage leading to failure. For cracks which induce little variation of specimen stiffness, the classic “Compliance method” could not be used to compute energy release rate. Hence, we present here a new procedure based on the estimation of heat source fields to calculate the energy release rate associated with transverse weft cracking. The results are then compared to those computed with a simple 3D inverse model of the heat diffusion problem and those presented in the literature

Fine sediment reduces vertical migrations of Gammarus pulex (Crustacea: Amphipoda) in response to surface water loss

Surface and subsurface sediments in river ecosystems are recognized as refuges that may promote invertebrate survival during disturbances such as floods and streambed drying. Refuge use is spatiotemporally variable, with environmental factors including substrate composition, in particular the proportion of fine sediment (FS), affecting the ability of organisms to move through interstitial spaces. We conducted a laboratory experiment to examine the effects of FS on the movement of Gammarus pulex Linnaeus (Crustacea: Amphipoda) into subsurface sediments in response to surface water loss. We hypothesized that increasing volumes of FS would impede and ultimately prevent individuals from migrating into the sediments. To test this hypothesis, the proportion of FS (1–2 mm diameter) present within an open gravel matrix (4–16 mm diameter) was varied from 10 to 20% by volume in 2.5% increments. Under control conditions (0% FS), 93% of individuals moved into subsurface sediments as the water level was reduced. The proportion of individuals moving into the subsurface decreased to 74% at 10% FS, and at 20% FS no individuals entered the sediments, supporting our hypothesis. These results demonstrate the importance of reducing FS inputs into river ecosystems and restoring FS-clogged riverbeds, to promote refuge use during increasingly common instream disturbances

LEED Holography applied to a complex superstructure: a direct view of the adatom cluster on SiC(111)-(3x3)

For the example of the SiC(111)-(3x3) reconstruction we show that a holographic interpretation of discrete Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED) spot intensities arising from ordered, large unit cell superstructures can give direct access to the local geometry of a cluster around an elevated atom, provided there is only one such prominent atom per surface unit cell. By comparing the holographic images obtained from experimental and calculated data we illuminate validity, current limits and possible shortcomings of the method. In particular, we show that periodic vacancies such as cornerholes may inhibit the correct detection of the atomic positions. By contrast, the extra diffraction intensity due to slight substrate reconstructions, as for example buckling, seems to have negligible influence on the images. Due to the spatial information depth of the method the stacking of the cluster can be imaged down to the fourth layer. Finally, it is demonstrated how this structural knowledge of the adcluster geometry can be used to guide the dynamical intensity analysis subsequent to the holographic reconstruction and necessary to retrieve the full unit cell structure.Comment: 11 pages RevTex, 6 figures, Phys. Rev. B in pres

Еволюція рослинного світу в природному і культигенному середовищі

У ході засідань Міжнародної наукової конференції “Еволюція рослинного світу в природному і культигенному середовищі”, присвяченої 200-річчю від Дня народження Чарльза Дарвіна, обговорено актуальні питання еволюційної теорії, ботаніки, фізіології рослин, інтродукції, генетики й селекції, екології, збереження і примноження глобального та локального біорізноманіття, лісових культур і фітомеліорації та інших біологічних наук.В ходе заседаний Международной научной конференции “Эволюция растительного мира в естественной и культигенной среде”, посвященной 200-летию со дня рождения Чарльза Дарвина, обсуждены актуальные вопросы эволюционной теории, ботаники, физиологии растений, интродукции, генетики и селекции, экологии, сохранения и приумножения глобального и локального биоразнообразия, лесных культур и фитомелиорации и других биологических наук.During meetings of the International scientific conference “Evolution of the natural and cultivated plants” to devoted a 200-year from the day of birth of Charles Darwin topical problems of the evolutional theory are discussed, including botany, physiology of plants, introduction of plants, genetics and breeding of plants, ecology, preventing the loss of global and loca biodiversity, arboriculture, forest-growing and other biological sciences

From Global to Local and Vice Versa: On the Importance of the 'Globalization' Agenda in Continental Groundwater Research and Policy-Making.

Groundwater is one of the most important environmental resources and its use continuously rises globally for industrial, agricultural, and drinking water supply purposes. Because of its importance, more knowledge about the volume of usable groundwater is necessary to satisfy the global demand. Due to the challenges in quantifying the volume of available global groundwater, studies which aim to assess its magnitude are limited in number. They are further restricted in scope and depth of analysis as, in most cases, they do not explain how the estimates of global groundwater resources have been obtained, what methods have been used to generate the figures and what levels of uncertainty exist. This article reviews the estimates of global groundwater resources. It finds that the level of uncertainty attached to existing numbers often exceeds 100 % and strives to establish the reasons for discrepancy. The outcome of this study outlines the need for a new agenda in water research with a more pronounced focus on groundwater. This new research agenda should aim at enhancing the quality and quantity of data provision on local and regional groundwater stocks and flows. This knowledge enhancement can serve as a basis to improve policy-making on groundwater resources globally. Research-informed policies will facilitate more effective groundwater management practices to ensure a more rapid progress of the global water sector towards the goal of sustainability

Determination of the LOQ in real-time PCR by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis: application to qPCR assays for Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum

Real-time PCR (qPCR) is the principal technique for the quantification of pathogen biomass in host tissue, yet no generic methods exist for the determination of the limit of quantification (LOQ) and the limit of detection (LOD) in qPCR. We suggest using the Youden index in the context of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for this purpose. The LOQ was defined as the amount of target DNA that maximizes the sum of sensitivity and specificity. The LOD was defined as the lowest amount of target DNA that was amplified with a false-negative rate below a given threshold. We applied this concept to qPCR assays for Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium proliferatum DNA in maize kernels. Spiked matrix and field samples characterized by melting curve analysis of PCR products were used as the source of true positives and true negatives. On the basis of the analysis of sensitivity and specificity of the assays, we estimated the LOQ values as 0.11 pg of DNA for spiked matrix and 0.62 pg of DNA for field samples for F. verticillioides. The LOQ values for F. proliferatum were 0.03 pg for spiked matrix and 0.24 pg for field samples. The mean LOQ values correspond to approximately eight genomes for F. verticillioides and three genomes for F. proliferatum. We demonstrated that the ROC analysis concept, developed for qualitative diagnostics, can be used for the determination of performance parameters of quantitative PCR