Liverworts from the Morača River basin: Taxonomic and ecological analysis

During the period of 1997-2007, we carried out detailed bryological research in the Morača River basin, Montenegro. Liverworts were collected at 45 locations. Thirty-five liverworts were recorded, including representatives of 24 genera and 19 families. The most frequent liverwort was Radula complanata, which was found at 17 localities. Seventeen taxa were registered at only one location in the investigated area. Scapania aequiloba is treated as endangered, and Athalamia hyalina as critically endangered, Leiocolea collaris, L. bantriensis and L. turbinata as vulnerable species. In addition, Fossombronia caespitiformis, Lophocolea bidentata var. bidentata, Riccia cavernosa, and Tritomaria quinquedentata are here registered for the first time in the bryoflora of Montenegro

Bryophyte flora of the Uvac river gorge (Southwest Serbia)

In the examined area, 165 taxa were found and identified: 139 taxa from the class Bryopsida and 26 taxa from the class Marchantiopsida. Nine species are red-listed in Serbia. Material was collected from 62 localities, which were analyzed for similarity of chorological and ecological features using the Jaccard similarity index. Analysis of floristic elements and phytogeographic distribution showed that the greatest number of taxa are temperate elements with Holarctic distribution. Results of ecological analysis showed that in regard to the substratum aspect, terricolous, basophilous, and indifferent species were dominant. In relation to the ecological parameter humidity, most species were mesophilous. The majority of identified bryophytes were sciophilous taxa.

Antibacterial and antifungal activity of the liverwort (Ptilidium pulcherrimum) methanol extract

The antimicrobial activity of the methanol extract from the liverwort, Ptilidium pulcherrimum was evaluated against five bacterial and six fungal species. In vitro antibacterial activity was assessed by disc diffusion and microdilution methods. The extract showed a stronger effect against tested Gram (+) than Gram (-) bacteria. The antifungal activity of the methanol extract was tested using a microdilution method. The methanol extract showed strong antifungal activity. The best antifungal activity was achieved against Trichoderma viride compared to the synthetic fungicide bifonazol

Advantage of use of activated flux-cored wire instead of solid wire with the mag welding process from the mechanical properties aspect

The objective of this paper is the analysis and evaluation of the quality of the new flux-cored wire designed for the MAG welding process that was developed and produced using special laboratory equipment. Experimental welding was performed with the new activated flux-cored wire and classic solid wire with changing of welding parameters and shielding gas composition (100 % CO2 and gas mixtures of Ar + CO2 + O2)

Numerical simulation of the plunge stage in friction stir welding alloys EN AW 2024 T 351 and EN AW 7049A T 652

Tema ovog rada je proučavanje faze probijanja korišćenjem numeričkog modela. Analizirana je promena temperature i sile probijanja u toku faze probijanja postupka zavarivanja trenjem mešanjem za legure aluminijuma visoke čvrstoće EN AW 2024 T 351 i EN AW 7049A T 652, pri različitim brzinama rotacije alata. Numerički rezultati pokazuju da maksimalne temperature u postupku zavarivanja trenjem mešanjem mogu biti povećane sa povećanjem brzine rotacije alata i da su temperature manje od temperature topljenja materijala koji se zavaruje. Pri istim brzinama rotacije alata, registrovana je veća temperatura kod legure aluminijuma EN AW 2024 T 351 i veća sila probijanja - otpor materijala kod legure EN AW 7049A T 652. Sa povećanjem brzine rotacije alata, sila probijanja može biti smanjena. Trodimenzionalni model konačnih elemenata faze probijanja je razvijen korišćenjem ABAQUS programskog paketa za proučavanje termomehaničkih procesa faze probijanja. Spregnuti termo-mehanički model konačnih elemenata koristi proizvoljnu Lagranž-Ojlerovu formulaciju, Džonson-Kukov zakon i Kulonov zakon trenja. U ovoj analizi se temperatura, pomjeranje i mehaničke reakcije posmatraju istovremeno. Generisanje toplote u postupku zavarivanja trenjem mešanjem se može podeliti na tri dela:generisanje toplote trenjem od čela alata, generisanje toplote trenjem od trna alata i generisanje toplote od plastičnih deformacija u blizini trna alata.This paper investigates the plunge stage using numerical modeling. Change of temperature and plunge force have been analyzed during the plunge stage of the FSW procedure for high hardness aluminum alloys EN AW 2024 T 351 and EN AW 7049A T 652, at different speed of tool rotation. Numerical results indicate that the maximum temperature in the FSW process can be increased with the increase of the rotational speed and that temperature is lower than the melting point of the welding material. Higher temperature was registered at the aluminum alloy EN AW 2024 T 351 at the same speed of tool rotation, and higher plunge force - resistance of material was registered at the alloy EN AW 7049A T 652. When the rotational speed is increased, the plunge force can be reduced. A three-dimensional finite element model (FEM) of the plunge stage was developed using the commercial code ABAQUS to study the thermo-mechanical processes involved during the plunge stage. A coupled thermo-mechanical 3D FE model using the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian formulation, the Johnson-Cook material law and the Coulomb's Law of friction. In this analysis, temperature, displacement and mechanical responses are determined simultaneously. The heat generation in FSW can be divided into three parts: frictional heat generated by the tool shoulder, frictional heat generated by the tool pin, and heat generated by material plastic deformation near the pin region

Numerical simulation of the plunge stage in friction stir welding alloys EN AW 2024 T 351 and EN AW 7049A T 652

Tema ovog rada je proučavanje faze probijanja korišćenjem numeričkog modela. Analizirana je promena temperature i sile probijanja u toku faze probijanja postupka zavarivanja trenjem mešanjem za legure aluminijuma visoke čvrstoće EN AW 2024 T 351 i EN AW 7049A T 652, pri različitim brzinama rotacije alata. Numerički rezultati pokazuju da maksimalne temperature u postupku zavarivanja trenjem mešanjem mogu biti povećane sa povećanjem brzine rotacije alata i da su temperature manje od temperature topljenja materijala koji se zavaruje. Pri istim brzinama rotacije alata, registrovana je veća temperatura kod legure aluminijuma EN AW 2024 T 351 i veća sila probijanja - otpor materijala kod legure EN AW 7049A T 652. Sa povećanjem brzine rotacije alata, sila probijanja može biti smanjena. Trodimenzionalni model konačnih elemenata faze probijanja je razvijen korišćenjem ABAQUS programskog paketa za proučavanje termomehaničkih procesa faze probijanja. Spregnuti termo-mehanički model konačnih elemenata koristi proizvoljnu Lagranž-Ojlerovu formulaciju, Džonson-Kukov zakon i Kulonov zakon trenja. U ovoj analizi se temperatura, pomjeranje i mehaničke reakcije posmatraju istovremeno. Generisanje toplote u postupku zavarivanja trenjem mešanjem se može podeliti na tri dela:generisanje toplote trenjem od čela alata, generisanje toplote trenjem od trna alata i generisanje toplote od plastičnih deformacija u blizini trna alata.This paper investigates the plunge stage using numerical modeling. Change of temperature and plunge force have been analyzed during the plunge stage of the FSW procedure for high hardness aluminum alloys EN AW 2024 T 351 and EN AW 7049A T 652, at different speed of tool rotation. Numerical results indicate that the maximum temperature in the FSW process can be increased with the increase of the rotational speed and that temperature is lower than the melting point of the welding material. Higher temperature was registered at the aluminum alloy EN AW 2024 T 351 at the same speed of tool rotation, and higher plunge force - resistance of material was registered at the alloy EN AW 7049A T 652. When the rotational speed is increased, the plunge force can be reduced. A three-dimensional finite element model (FEM) of the plunge stage was developed using the commercial code ABAQUS to study the thermo-mechanical processes involved during the plunge stage. A coupled thermo-mechanical 3D FE model using the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian formulation, the Johnson-Cook material law and the Coulomb's Law of friction. In this analysis, temperature, displacement and mechanical responses are determined simultaneously. The heat generation in FSW can be divided into three parts: frictional heat generated by the tool shoulder, frictional heat generated by the tool pin, and heat generated by material plastic deformation near the pin region

Antibacterial and antifungal activity of the liverwort (Ptilidium pulcherrimum) methanol extract

The antimicrobial activity of the methanol extract from the liverwort, Ptilidium pulcherrimum was evaluated against five bacterial and six fungal species. In vitro antibacterial activity was assessed by disc diffusion and microdilution methods. The extract showed a stronger effect against tested Gram (+) than Gram (-) bacteria. The antifungal activity of the methanol extract was tested using a microdilution method. The methanol extract showed strong antifungal activity. The best antifungal activity was achieved against Trichoderma viride compared to the synthetic fungicide bifonazol.Antibakterijsko i antifungalno dejsto metanolnog ekstrakta jetrenjače Ptilidium pulcherrimum ispitivano je na 5 vrsta bakterija i 6 mikromiceta. Za ispitivanje in vitro antimikrobnog dejstva ekstrakta korišćena je metoda mikrodilucije na mikrotitracionim pločama i metoda difuzije sa filter diskova. Ekstrakt je pokazao jači efekat na testirane Gram (+), nego na Gram (-) bakterije. Antifungalna aktivnost metanolnog ekstrakta ispitana je mikrodilucionom metodom. Testirani ekstrakt pokazao je jak antifungalni potencijal na Trichoderma viride, Bifonazol je pokazao skoro identičnu fungistatičku aktivnost, dok je njegova fungicidna aktivnost bila nešto viša u poređenju sa metanolnim ekstraktom analizirane jetrenjače.Projekat ministarstva br. 143049 i 14304

Influence of friction stir welding parameters on properties of 2024 t3 aluminium alloy joints

The aim of this work is to analyse the process of friction stir welding (FSW) of 3 mm thick aluminium plates made of high strength aluminium alloy - 2024 T3, as well as to assess the mechanical properties of the produced joints. Friction Stir Welding is a modern procedure which enables joining of similar and dissimilar materials in the solid state, by the combined action of heat and mechanical work. This paper presents an analysis of the experimental results obtained by testing the butt welded joints. Tensile strength of the produced joints is assessed, as well as the distribution of hardness, micro-and macrostructure through the joints (in the base material, nugget, heat affected zone and thermo-mechanically affected zone). Different combinations of the tool rotation speed and the welding speed are used, and the dependence of the properties of the joints on these parameters of welding technology is determined

Heat generation during plunge stage in friction stir welding

This paper deals with the heat generation in the Al alloy Al2024-T3 plate under different rotating speeds and plunge speeds during the plunge stage of friction stir welding. A 3-D finite element model is developed in the commercial code ABAQUS/Explicit using the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian formulation, the Johnson- Cook material law, and Coulomb's Law of friction. The heat generation in friction stir welding can be divided into two parts: frictional heat generated by the tool and heat generated by material deformation near the pin and the tool shoulder region. Numerical results obtained in this work indicate a more prominent influence from the friction-generated heat. The slip rate of the tool relative to the workpiece material is related to this portion of heat. The material velocity, on the other hand, is related to the heat generated by plastic deformation. Increasing the plunging speed of the tool decreases the friction-generated heat and increases the amount of deformation-generated heat, while increasing the tool rotating speed has the opposite influence on both heat portions. Numerical results are compared with the experimental ones, in order to validate the numerical model, and a good agreement is obtained

Assessment of the chemical composition and in vitro antimicrobial potential of extracts of the liverwort Scapania aspera.

The chemical composition of Scapania aspera extracts was determined by solid phase micro extraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME GC-MS) and 96 constituents were identified. The dominant compounds in the methanol extract were β-barbatene (25.1%), o-cymene (14.0%), α-barbatene (5.7%), allo-aromadendrene (4.9%) and β-bourbonene, while in the ethanol extract, o-cymene (17.8%), β-barbatene (17.6%), α-thujene (6.7%), octen-1-ol acetate (4.9%) and β-bazzanene (2.4%) were the major components. In the ethyl acetate extract, β-barbatene (14.3%), undecane (11.8%), 2-methyldecane (11.2%), decane (10.9%) and o-cymene (3.6%) were major components. The antimicrobial activity of the different extracts was evaluated against pathogenic and food spoilage microorganisms using disc diffusion and micro-broth dilution methods. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of extracts of S. aspera varied from 0.4 to 1.5 mg/mL and 1 to 3 mg/mL for yeast and bacterial strains, respectively. The zone of inhibition of the methanol extract for yeast strains was higher than that for bacterial strains. The results suggest that S. aspera extracts have potential as natural antimicrobial agents