Micromorphological and Anatomical Characteristics of the Genus Chrysophthalmum Schultz Bip. (Asteraceae) Growing in Turkey

The genus Chrysophthalmum (Asteraceae) is represented by five species in the world. Three species of this genus are naturally grown in Turkey. The species growing in Turkey are C. montanum (DC.) Boiss., C. dichotomum Boiss. and Heldr. and C. gueneri Aytac and Anderb. Except C. montanum; the other species are endemic for Turkey. In the present study, micromorphological and anatomical characteristics of these species by using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM) have been comparatively presented for the first time. Themicromorphological studies are related to trichomes and cypsela. In anatomical studies, crosssections of the stem, and leaf have been examined. In addition, to show stomatal distribution and anatomy on adaxial and abaxial leaves, surface sections of the leaves have been taken and stomatal index calculated. The features of stems, leaves, trichomes and cypsela have been found to be significant to distinguish the species. Mesophyll structure, number of vascular bundles in midrib, presence or absence of sclerenchymatous fibers in leaf, trichome types, presence or absence of pappus in cypsela, presence or absence of hair on cypsela surface are important diagnostic characters. A diagnostic key based on combined leaf, trichome and cypsela characteristics of the Chrysophthalmum species has been given

Modelling approaches for studying the microbiome

Advances in metagenome sequencing of the human microbiome have provided a plethora of new insights and revealed a close association of this complex ecosystem with a range of human diseases. However, there is little knowledge about how the different members of the microbial community interact with each other and with the host, and we lack basic mechanistic understanding of these interactions related to health and disease. Mathematical modelling has been demonstrated to be highly advantageous for gaining insights into the dynamics and interactions of complex systems and in recent years, several modelling approaches have been proposed to enhance our understanding of the microbiome. Here, we review the latest developments and current approaches, and highlight how different modelling strategies have been applied to unravel the highly dynamic nature of the human microbiome. Furthermore, we discuss present limitations of different modelling strategies and provide a perspective of how modelling can advance understanding and offer new treatment routes to impact human health