Di case, lingue e finestre: Ida Kaminska, attrice yiddish

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Giulia Randone

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to explore the artistic biography of Ida Kaminska – the leading figure of the Yiddish theatre in Poland in the 20th century – proposing a new metaphor for the theatrical experience of the Ashkenazi Jews and a different use of the audio-visual sources. First, I will explain why we can look at the Yiddish theatre as a house (heym with a lot of windows, then I will examine Kaminska’s performance in three different films – On a heym (Without a Home, 1939, Obchod na korze (The Shop on Main Street, 1965 and The Angel Levine (1970 – through this peculiar metaphor. Even if they are not recordings of the theatrical performance, these documents could help us to understand some of the features of Kaminska’s art (i.e., the focus on identity, otherness and Yiddish language and how they changed after the Holocaust.

Spatial variability in the level of infestation of the leaves of horse chestnut by the horse chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) and in the number of adult moths and parasitoids emerging form leaf litter in an urban environment

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kopačka, Michal; Zemek, Rostislav

2017-01-01

Roč. 114, JAN 27 (2017), s. 42-52 E-ISSN 1802-8829 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 8G15006 Grant - others:GA JU(CZ) 063/2013/Z Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Lepidoptera * Gracillariidae * Aesculus hippocastanum Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour OBOR OECD: Ecology Impact factor: 1.167, year: 2016

Hymenoscyphus fraxineus vs. Hymenoscyphus albidus – A comparative light microscopic study on the causal agent of European ash dieback and related foliicolous, stroma-forming species

Science.gov (United States)

Baral, Hans-Otto; Bemmann, Martin

2014-01-01

in combination with molecular work. Hy. fraxineus was described from Europe as a cryptic species that differed from Hy. albidus by molecular data alone. However, the Hy. albidus/Hy. fraxineus species complex represents one of many examples within the ascomycetes in which subtle microscopic differences between closely related species, in this case the presence or absence of croziers at the ascus base, are strictly correlated with molecular characteristics. Two species that closely resemble Hy. albidus and Hy. fraxineus form pseudosclerotia in Aesculus leaves and again differ from each other mainly in the ascus base: Hymenoscyphus aesculi on Aesculus hippocastanum from Europe lacks croziers, whereas Hymenoscyphus honshuanus from Japan on Aesculus turbinata possesses croziers. Other taxa treated here include Hymenoscyphus vacini, a European species growing on stromatized net veins of skeletonized leaves of Acer, and Hymenoscyphus torquatus, a Chinese species on unidentified herbaceous stems. An equivalent stroma-forming North American species on leaves of Fraxinus, Rutstroemia longipes (Rutstroemiaceae), is discussed and compared. A key to the Hymenoscyphus species that form a dark stroma on leaves of Acer, Aesculus, Fraxinus, and Picrasma is provided. PMID:25544935

Analysis of bleeding saps and radioactive measurements of deciduous trees

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomernik-Besser, E.

1993-07-01

Samples of bleeding sap of Betula pendula Roth, Betula lutea L., Betula papyrifera L., Betula mandshuria L., Salix melichoferi Saut., Cornus florida L., Evodea velutina L., Vitis amurensis L., Acer tartaricum L., Aesculus parviflora L., and Juglans regia L. in the botanical garden in Graz have been collected during springs of 1987, 1988, and 1989. After a special treatment (ion-exchange and freeze-drying) the bleeding saps have been searched for the compounds of sugars, amino acids and organic acids by gaschromatrography. LAMMA-spectra showed the ion composition, and radioactivity measurements on leaves of the trees have also been made. In all bleeding saps sugars could be identified in various concentrations, mainly glucose and fructose. All trees showed nearly the same acid spectrum, and the most common ingredient was malic acid. In the bleeding saps of the Betulaceae and Juglans regia the major constituent was citrulline. In Acer tartaricum allantoine was present in large concentration. In Evodea velutina, Aesculus parviflora, Vitis amurensis and Cornus florida glutamin could be identified in large concentration. After the reactor accident of Tschernobyl in April 1986 the number of synthetic radionuclides increased and they could be identified. The LAMMA-spectra showed high contents of potassium and calcium in the bleeding saps. (author)

Analysis of bleeding saps and radioactive measurements of deciduous trees

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomernik-Besser, E.

1993-07-01

Samples of bleeding sap of Betula pendula Roth, Betula lutea L., Betula papyrifera L., Betula mandshuria L., Salix mielichoferi Saut., Cornus florida L., Evodea velutina L., Vitis amurensis L., Acer tartaricum L., Aesculus parviflora L., and Juglans regia L. in the botanical garden in Graz have been collected during springs of 1987, 1988, and 1989. After a special treatment (ion-exchange and freeze-drying) the bleeding saps have been searched for the compounds of sugars, amino acids and organic acids by gas-chromatrography. LAMMA-spectra showed the ion composition, and radioactivity measurements on leaves of the trees have also been made. In all bleeding saps sugars could be identified in various concentrations, mainly glucose and fructose. All trees showed nearly the same acid spectrum, and the most common ingredient was malic acid. In the bleeding saps of the Betulaceae and Juglans regia the major constituent was citrulline. In Acer tartaricum allantoine was present in large concentration. In Evodea velutina, Aesculus parviflora, Vitis amurensis and Cornus florida glutamin could be identified in large concentration. After the reactor accident of Tschernobyl in April 1986 the number of synthetic radionuclides increased and they could be identified. The LAMMA-spectra showed high contents of kalium and calcium in the bleeding saps. (author)

Environmental Fate of Emamectin Benzoate After Tree Micro Injection of Horse Chestnut Trees

OpenAIRE

Burkhard, Rene; Binz, Heinz; Roux, Christian A; Brunner, Matthias; Ruesch, Othmar; Wyss, Peter

2014-01-01

Emamectin benzoate, an insecticide derived from the avermectin family of natural products, has a unique translocation behavior in trees when applied by tree micro injection (TMI), which can result in protection from insect pests (foliar and borers) for several years. Active ingredient imported into leaves was measured at the end of season in the fallen leaves of treated horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) trees. The dissipation of emamectin benzoate in these leaves seems to be biphasic an...

rboricultural aspects of snow-damage in the citz of Ljubljana in the winter 1999

OpenAIRE

Marion, Leon; Torelli, Niko; Oven, Primož

2005-01-01

As a result of heavy snow in February 1999, trees were damaged in the City of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Of the investigated 624 trees, 195 (31%) were damaged by snow. On average, 1.7 branch and top per tree were broken. Snow damaged 17 tree species, affecting particularly Aesculus hippocastanum L. and, to a lesser extent, Betula pendula ROTH. and Salix x sepulcralis SIMONK. Decay was the most frequent defect at the failure location and was often associated withincluded bark and vicinity of old mec...

Incidence of mycoflora and mycotoxins in some edible fruits and seeds of forest origin.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, P K; Khan, S; Harsh, N; Pandey, R

2001-06-01

Twelve fungi namelyAlternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, A niger, A ochraceus, Actinomucor repens, Capnodoium spp., Curvularia lunata, Fusarium pallidoroseum, F solani, F verticillioides, Penicillium citrinum and Rhizopus stolonifer were recorded from samples ofAegle marmelos, Aesculus indica, Buchanania lanzan andPinus gerardiana. In case ofPrunus amygdalus only Rstolonifer was recorded. A significant variation in pattern of mycoflora incidence was observed in terms of source and season. Fungal infestation in most of the substrates was found to be highest during monsoon. Aflatoxins were the most common mycotoxins elaborated by different isolates ofA flavus obtained fromA marmelos, B lanzan andP gerardiana. The amount of aflatoxins produced by the toxigenic isolates ofA flavus was in the range of traces to 0.9-26.0 μg/ml inA marmelos, 0.8-17.5 μg/ml inP gerardiana and 0.65-13.2 μg/ml inB lanzan. The percentage toxigenicity was comparatively lower in the isolates of other mycotoxigenic fungi. Aflatoxins were detected almost in all the samples analyzed for mycotoxin contamination. However, traces of zearalenone were detected inA marmelos. The concentration of aflatoxin B1 was in the range of 0.13-0.75 μg/g inA marmelos, 0.09-0.60 μg/g inP gerardiana and 0.01-0.20 ug/g inB lanzan. Mycotoxins were not detected inAesculus indica andPrunus amygdalus.

Phenolic profile and antimicrobial activities to selected microorganisms of some wild medical plant from Slovakia

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Lukáš Hleba

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the methanol extracts of Tussilago farfara (T. farfara, Equisetum arvense, Sambucus nigra (S. nigra and Aesculus hippocastanum. Methods: The antimicrobial activities of the extracts against Enterococcus raffinosus, Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia rubidaea, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Staphylococcus epidermis were determined by the microbroth dilution method according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, while the concentrations of main phenolic acids and flavonoids in the form of trimethylsilyl ethers were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The probit analysis was used for statistical evaluation. Results: Of the 4 plant tested, all extracts showed a significant antimicrobial activity against one or more species of examined microorganisms. The most active antimicrobial plant extract was gathered from T. farfara, followed by Aesculus hippocastanum and Equisetum arvense. The extract from S. nigra showed no antimicrobial effects. The flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol, as well as several phenolic acids (p-hydroxybenzoic acid, gallic acid, ferulic acid and caffeic acid were identified in all extracts. The highest concentrations of bioactive compounds were detected in the extracts of T. farfara (9 587.6 µg/mg quercetin and 4 875.3 µg/mg caffeic acid as well as S. nigra (4788.8 µg/mg kaempferol. Conclusions: We can state that the methanolic plant extract of T. farfara showed the strongest antimicrobial activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae as well as other tested microorganisms. At the same time, a good antimicrobial activity was found in the other medical plant extracts as well. No antimicrobial effect of the S. nigra extract was found with respect to the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus raffinosus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Improvement of maturation and conversion of horse chestnut androgenic embryos

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Ćalić-Dragosavac, D.

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L., Hippocastanaceae is a relict species of the tertiary flora and endemit of Balkan peninsula. It has enormous horticultular and medical important. Horse chestnut trees are native to the Balkan peninsula, but grow as ornamental trees in parks and avenues throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Because of the slow and difficult reproduction of great importance to be fast and cheap in vitro multiplication. Possible solution is regenerated by androgenesis. Microspore culture has been used in recent years as a tool for producing haploid plants in a varyety of higher plants, but the low frequencies of microspore-derived plants restrict the use of the technique in plant breeding.

Metcalfa pruinosa (Say (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha anew harmful species for entomofauna of Serbia

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Mihajlović Ljubodrag

2007-01-01

Full Text Available In the early autumn 2006, a Nonarctic species of cicadas Metcalfa pruinosa (Say (Auchenorrhyncha: Flatidae was identified in Belgrade (Košutnjak. In Europe, this species was identified for the first time in Italy in 1979. In Slovenia, it was identified in 1990 in west Istria, and in 2001 in the neighbourhood of Ljubljana. In the park forest Košutnjak (Belgrade mass occurrence of M. pruinosa was recorded in the area of about 5 ha. The larvae developed on woody species in the genera: Acer, Aesculus, Gleditchia Robinia, Ailanthus, Populus, Platanus, Prunus, Pyrus, Ulmus, Tilia, Cornus Fraxinus, Quercus and Thuja, što is konstatovano based on damages of larvae while numerous adults were found on trees and branches of the same plants.

THE PESTS OF HORSE CHESTNUT TREE – AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM L. IN ROMANIA

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T PERJU

2005-04-01

Full Text Available In 1998 the presence of the horse chestnut leaf-miner, Cameraria ohridella Deschka-Dimic was reported in Cluj- Napoca. During 2000 – 2003 research concerning the extent, biology, ecology at this micro-lepidopteron, a new pest in our country, was performed. Signaled for the fi rst time in Western area of our country (1998, then in Central (1998, Southern (1999, and Eastern (2003 part of the country, the spread year by year conquering new territories. In the clime conditions of our country, the insect had 4 generations in 2000, and 3 during 2001 – 2003, remaining in hiemal diapauses during pupae stage, inside of the silk cocoons from the galleries of larvae feeding. The fl ight of the butterfl ies from the IIIrd generation (hiemal is recorded in the beginning of May. The Ist generation has a developmental stage during 15 May – 30 June, the IInd during 1 July – 15 August, and the IIIrd during 15 August – 15 May.

Determination of metals in medicinal plants highly consumed in Brazil

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Alexandre Soares Leal

2013-09-01

Full Text Available In this work, samples of the medicinal plants: Boldo (Peumus boldus, Castanha da Índia (Aesculus hippocastanum, Chá Verde (Camelia sinensis, Erva Cidreira (Melissa officinalis, Espinheira Santa (Maytenus ilicifolia, Guaraná (Paullinia cupana, Maracujá (Passiflora sp., Mulungu (Erythrina velutina, Sene (Cassia angustifolia and Valeriana (Valeriana officinalis were evaluated BY using the Neutron Activation Analysis technique (NAA- k0 in order to determine the levels of metals and other chemical contaminants. The results showed the presence of non essential elements to the human body. The diversity of chemical impurities found even at low concentration levels, considering the potential for chronic toxicity of these elements, reinforces the need to improve the implementation of good practices by growers and traders, and the hypothesis of lack of quality control in plant products.

Risks of herbalism: a case report of Mexican poppy (Argemone mexicana L induced liver toxicity

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Carlos Alfredo Meléndez González

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The increasing consumption of alternative medicines has lead to a greater awareness about the deleterious effects and interactions that these products can induce. Consequently, medical literature reports liver toxicity from Aloe, Camellia sinensis (green tea, Rhammus purshianus, Aesculus hippocastanum (buckeye and Valeriana officinalis (valerian, among others. This article reports a female patient who twice consumed Mexican poppy (Argemone mexicana L with a one-year interval between ingestions. Both times she developed diarrhea, jaundice and general malaise with impaired liver function tests. Other causes of liver disease were ruled out. Questionnaires were used to assess the possibility of drug-induced liver damage. Clinical information was collected from the patient’s medical record and the literature on the subject was reviewed. We conclude that, at least in this case, the most likely cause of liver toxicity was Argemone mexicana L consumption.

STUDY ON POLLEN VIABILITY AS BIOINDICATOR OF AIR QUALITY

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Florentina ŞTEFLEA

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research is to estimate the relationship between pollen viability and atmospheric pollution (in polluted and non-polluted conditions. The study was carried out in the city of Timisoara. Two areas, with different intensity of road traffic (very high and absent but all characterized by the presence of the same plant species, were selected. The pollen of herbaceous spontaneous species, arboreal species and a shrub species was used (Robinia pseudacacia, Aesculus x carnea, Catalpa bignonioides, Albizzia julibrissin, Rosa canina, Sambucus nigra, Malva neglecta, Ranunculus acer, Trifolium repens, Cichorium intybus. The pollen of these species was treated with TTC (2, 3, 5 Tryphenil-Tetrazolium-Chloride staining solution and viability was then estimated by light microscopy. The results of the mean pollen viability percentage of the examined species are reported. Pollen viability of herbaceous plants is significantly different between the two environments.

Ecophysiological and seasonal variations in Cd, Pb, Zn, and Ni concentrations in the leaves of urban deciduous trees in Istanbul

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baycu, Guelriz; Tolunay, Doganay; Ozden, Hakan; Guenebakan, Suereyya

2006-01-01

The concentrations of Cd, Pb, Zn and Ni were measured in the leaves of 7 species of deciduous trees, from the urban sites of Istanbul, in both the Spring and Autumn seasons. We detected some differences in the heavy metal concentrations of the control and urban site samples of identical species. Highest concentrations of Cd were detected in Populus, Pb in Aesculus and Robinia, Zn in Populus, and Ni in Robinia and Fraxinus. Lowest chlorophyll content and highest peroxidase (POD) activity was found in the urban site samples of Acer. We have found a positive correlation between the increase in the POD activity and the Pb concentration in Populus. Generally, the tree species investigated in this study, are considered to have different tolerance levels to heavy metal pollution. The data obtained show that the chlorophyll content and the POD activity may be used as heavy metal stress biomarkers in the urban trees. - Ecophysiological changes in the urban trees may be used as heavy metal stress biomarkers

Natural biosorbents (garlic stem and horse chesnut shell) for removal of chromium(VI) from aqueous solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Parlayıcı, Şerife; Pehlivan, Erol

2015-12-01

The biosorption of Cr(VI) by the garlic stem (GS)-Allium sativum L. and horse chesnut shell (HCS)-Aesculus hippocastanum plant residues in a batch type reactor was studied in detail for the purpose of wastewater treatment. The influence of initial Cr(VI) concentration, time, and pH was investigated to optimize Cr(VI) removal from aqueous solutions and equilibrium isotherms and kinetic data. This influence was evaluated. The adsorption capacity of the GS and the HCS for Cr(VI) was determined with the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, and the data was fitted to the Langmuir. The adsorption capacity of the GS and the HCS was found to be 103.09 and 142.85 mg/g of adsorbent from a solution containing 3000 ppm of Cr(VI), respectively. The GS's capacity was considerably lower than that of the HCS in its natural form. Gibbs free energy was spontaneous for all interactions, and the adsorption process exhibited exothermic enthalpy values. The HCS was shown to be a promising biosorbent for Cr(VI) removal from aqueous solutions.

Choroba Creutzfeldta-Jakoba i jej odmiany

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Beata Sikorska

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Choroba Creutzfeldta-Jakoba jest najczęstszą chorobą wywoływaną przez priony. Heterogenna pod względem klinicznym, neuropatologicznym i molekularnym, może sprawiać spore problemy diagnostyczne. Chorobę Creutzfeldta-Jakoba dzieli się na 4 podstawowe postaci: sporadyczną, rodzinną, jatrogenną i wariant choroby CJD. Najczęstsza jest postać sporadyczna, którą z kolei dzielimy na 6 czystych i 3 mieszane podtypy. Typowa triada objawów obejmująca szybko postępujące otępienie, mioklonie i typowy zapis EEG nie jest charakterystyczna dla wszystkich podtypów CJD, a nasilenie i kolejność występowania objawów mogą być różne w poszczególnych podtypach. Podobnie jak inne choroby wywo- ływane przez priony, CJD jest chorobą nieuleczalną, prowadzącą do śmierci chorego. Rozpoznanie definitywnych postaci chorób wywoływanych przez priony jest nadal możliwe jedynie na podstawie badania histopatologicznego lub molekularnego. Obecnie jednak możliwości przyżyciowego rozpoznania CJD zwiększyły się, przede wszystkim dzięki rozwojowi badań obrazowych. Prawidłowa diagnostyka wymaga jednak wykonania wielu badań dodatkowych, przede wszystkim rezonansu magnetycznego o wysokiej czułości, badania EEG oraz badania płynu mózgowo-rdzeniowego na obecność białka 14-3-3. Nowe kryteria diagnostyczne obejmują obecność zmian w jądrach podstawy i korze mózgu w badaniu rezonansu magnetycznego. Pomimo że infekcyjność postaci sporadycznej jest niska, należy monitorować wszystkie przypadki i dokładnie zbierać wywiad, szczególnie dotyczący zabiegów neurochirurgicznych, okulistycznych i transfuzji krwi.

Ampelomyces hyperparasites – occurrence and effect on the development of ascomata of Erysiphales species under conditions of anthropopressure

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Ewa Sucharzewska

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Fungi of the genus Ampelomyces are the major antagonists of Erysiphales fungi being a significant group of phytopathogens. The hyperparasites attack various developmental stages of powdery mildews. As a result the infested ascomata do not reach the stage of maturity, do not form appendages nor ascospores, which is linked with a reduction of the source of primary infections. Studies conducted so far have mainly been devoted to Ampelomyces fungi application in the biological control of powdery mildews on crops, whilst a few only have been focused on the ecology of these mycoparasites on Erysiphales fungi infecting plants, especially in the urban environment. The present study addresses the natural occurrence and effect of Ampelomyces fungi on the development of ascomata of powdery mildews species. The material was collected in 2005–2009 in several cities of the northeastern Poland. First time ever Ampelomyces spores are reported in mature ascomata of Erysiphales with fully developed appendages. This phenomenon has been observed in the case of two species, viz.: Erysiphe flexuosa on Aesculus spp. and E. vanbruntiana var. sambuci-racemosae on Sambucus racemosa and is presumably linked with improved implementation, propagation and probably better survival during winter months.

Development and Stability Evaluation of Liquid Crystal-Based Formulations Containing Glycolic Plant Extracts and Nano-Actives

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Andreza Rodrigues Ueoka

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Emulsions are of great use in cosmetic formulations due to their stability. The aim of this work was to develop and assess organoleptic, physicochemical, and microscopic properties of four auto-emulsifiable oil-in-water formulations. Such formulations were developed containing 4.0% cetearyl alcohol, dicetyl phosphate, and ceteth-10 phosphate (Formulation A, nano-actives obtained from safflower, coconut, and clove oils (Formulation B; a mixture of glycolic extracts from Centella asiatica leaves, Aesculus hippocastanum seeds, and Hamamelis virginiana leaves (Formulation C; association between the nano-actives and glycolic extracts described above (Formulation D. The formulations were trialed for 90 days under the normal stability test. The developed formulations were considered all stable and homogeneous, with liquid crystals possibly being formed. Organoleptic parameters and pH of Formulations A and B remained unchanged, but the color of Formulations C and D changed due to the natural color of the glycolic extracts used. It can be concluded that the formation of liquid crystals increased the stability of the formulations, and future tests should be carried out in order to assess the rheological properties and hydration potential of the developed formulations.

Higher plants as biomonitors of radionuclides in urban air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ajtic, J.; Todorovic, D.; Popovic, D.; Nikolic, J.

2011-01-01

Two deciduous tree genera, linden (Tilia tomentosa L. and Tilia cordata Mill.) and chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L.), are analysed as biomonitors of 210 Pb and 7 Be in air. In a multi year study (2002 - 2009), conducted in three city parks in Belgrade, the content of 210 Pb and 7 Be in samples of leaves of linden and chestnut trees, and aerosols was determined on an HPGe detector by standard gamma spectrometry. The differences seen in the radionuclides' activities across the measurement sites and between the tree genera are not significant, suggesting that the micro climate, level of air pollution and physiological characteristics of the trees have a negligible effect on the radionuclides' activities in leaves. Linear Pearson's correlation coefficients are used to correlate the 210 Pb and 7 Be activities in aerosols and in leaves. The results show that linden could be used as a 210 Pb biomonitor which provides information on the recent history of exposure. No large positive correlation is found for the 7 Be activities in leaves and aerosols, indicating that higher plants are not a suitable biomonitor for this radionuclide. [sr

Aerial photos for obtaining information on vegetation in areas of high population densities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kenneweg, H

1975-01-01

An air pollution survey was conducted which includes a description of an inventory of Freiburg's roadside trees with the aid of infrared aerial photos, supported by a register of trees by species. Results were mapped by street averages of injury and analyses by species susceptibility and stress factors. Building and traffic density were used as stress indicators presumed to be correlated with others such as road salting or other disturbances. In a ranking based on these factors Tilia sp. was the most and Robinia pseudoacacia the least susceptible, with Aesculus, Acer, Platanus and Crataegus spp. intermediate in descending order of susceptibility. A second survey a year later showed deterioration in most parts of the town, but some improvement was observed in the central Rathausplatz, where traffic had been excluded, salting had been stopped, and certain tree amelioration measures were being tried. Other topics discussed include surveys of total green vegetation in cities and the mapping of air pollution risks near heavily industrialized areas. In a study of 1600 spruce stands near the Ruhr region, no simple correlations with topographic factors were found, though the worst damage was frequently noticed in narrow valleys and near reservoirs.

Assessment of the urban trees health status on the base of nutrient and pigment content in their leaves

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SLAVEYA PETROVA

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Town settlements have different load level by emissions originated mostly from transport, industry and heating system. Their environmental and climate conditions are more or less changed that effect to growth, physiology and vigor of woody plants at the city public vegetation areas. Our study on determining the impact of urban environment on the tree health status was focused on the quantities of nutrients and main components of the pigment complex – chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids. Leaves of Acer platanoides L., Aesculus hippocastanum L. and Betula pendula Roth. were sampled from urban areas with different type of anthropogenic pressure in the town of Plovdiv (Bulgaria. Concentrations of the elements Ca, K, Mg, N, Na, P, and S were analyzed by ICP-MS. Health condition of trees in the city parks and suburban areas was acceptable, but in the central part and close to the industrial area it was non-satisfactory. This preliminary research pointed ecophysiological tools as useful to develop new criteria for sustainable urban arboriculture, including species selection (based on stress tolerance criteria, nursery hardening and preconditioning, and care after planting.

GENETIC DIVERSITY AMONG POPULATIONS AND SIZE CLASSES OF BUCKEYES (AESCULUS: HIPPOCASTANACEAE) EXAMINED WITH MULTILOCUS VNTR PROBES. (R826602)

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

Comparative genome analysis provides insights into the evolution and adaptation of Pseudomonas syringae pv. aesculi on Aesculus hippocastanum.

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Sarah Green

Full Text Available A recently emerging bleeding canker disease, caused by Pseudomonas syringae pathovar aesculi (Pae, is threatening European horse chestnut in northwest Europe. Very little is known about the origin and biology of this new disease. We used the nucleotide sequences of seven commonly used marker genes to investigate the phylogeny of three strains isolated recently from bleeding stem cankers on European horse chestnut in Britain (E-Pae. On the basis of these sequences alone, the E-Pae strains were identical to the Pae type-strain (I-Pae, isolated from leaf spots on Indian horse chestnut in India in 1969. The phylogenetic analyses also showed that Pae belongs to a distinct clade of P. syringae pathovars adapted to woody hosts. We generated genome-wide Illumina sequence data from the three E-Pae strains and one strain of I-Pae. Comparative genomic analyses revealed pathovar-specific genomic regions in Pae potentially implicated in virulence on a tree host, including genes for the catabolism of plant-derived aromatic compounds and enterobactin synthesis. Several gene clusters displayed intra-pathovar variation, including those encoding type IV secretion, a novel fatty acid biosynthesis pathway and a sucrose uptake pathway. Rates of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the four Pae genomes indicate that the three E-Pae strains diverged from each other much more recently than they diverged from I-Pae. The very low genetic diversity among the three geographically distinct E-Pae strains suggests that they originate from a single, recent introduction into Britain, thus highlighting the serious environmental risks posed by the spread of an exotic plant pathogenic bacterium to a new geographic location. The genomic regions in Pae that are absent from other P. syringae pathovars that infect herbaceous hosts may represent candidate genetic adaptations to infection of the woody parts of the tree.

Rola aktywności ruchowej w zapobieganiu zaburzeniom poznawczym

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Andrzej W. Ziemba

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Regularna aktywność ruchowa wywołuje szereg zmian adaptacyjnych, zwłaszcza w układzie krążenia i przemianie materii. W licznych pracach na temat pojedynczego wysiłku i wzmożonej aktywności fizycznej pojawia się coraz więcej potwierdzeń ich korzystnego wpływu na kształtowanie funkcji poznawczych. U podstaw mechanizmów związanych z tym wpływem leżą zmiany anatomiczne i funkcjonalne, m.in. zwiększenie przepływu krwi przez mózg, angiogenezy i neurogenezy, objętości istoty szarej w korze czołowej i skroniowej. Wysiłek pobudza wydzielanie czynników troficznych, wśród których dla procesów poznawczych, plastyczności synaptycznej, poprawy szlaków sygnałowych neurogenezy i funkcji naczyniowych kluczowe są czynnik troficzny pochodzenia mózgowego i insulinopodobny czynnik wzrostowy. Aktywność ruchowa wywołuje wzmożoną ekspresję czynnika troficznego pochodzenia mózgowego, co pozytywnie wpływa na procesy energetyczne i aktywuje w mózgu wiele układów energetycznych, które korzystnie modyfikują potencjał synaptyczny przetwarzania informacji ważnych w kształtowaniu funkcji poznawczych. Wysiłek redukuje stan zapalny przez obniżenie we krwi stężenia cytokin prozapalnych, mogących się przyczyniać do rozwoju procesów neurodegeneracyjnych. Redukuje czynniki ryzyka zespołu metabolicznego, a zwłaszcza nadciśnienie i insulinooporność, więc zmniejsza ryzyko wystąpienia zaburzeń czynności poznawczych, poprawia funkcjonowanie mózgu, opóźnia początek i spowalnia rozwój zaburzeń w chorobach neurodegeneracyjnych, a wśród nich w chorobie Alzheimera i chorobie Parkinsona. Za sprawą wymienionych mechanizmów aktywność ruchowa wydaje się niezbędna do zachowania prawidłowych funkcji poznawczych w każdym wieku.

Escin Ia suppresses the metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition via down-regulating LOXL2 expression.

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Wang, Yuhui; Xu, Xiaotian; Zhao, Peng; Tong, Bei; Wei, Zhifeng; Dai, Yue

2016-04-26

The saponin fraction of Aesculus chinensis Bunge fruits (SFAC) could inhibit the invasion and migration of MDA-MB-231 cells. Among which, escin Ia showed more potent inhibition of the invasion than other five main saponin constituents. It selectively reduced the expression of LOXL2 mRNA and promoted the expression of E-cadherin mRNA, and prevented the EMT process of MDA-MB-231 cells and TNF-α/TGF-β-stimulated MCF-7 cells. Moreover, it reduced the LOXL2 level in MDA-MB-231 cells but not in MCF-7 cells. When MCF-7 cells were stimulated with TNF-α/TGF-β, transfected with LOXL2 or treated with hypoxia, escin Ia down-regulated the level of LOXL2 in MCF-7 cells. Meanwhile, escin Ia suppressed the EMT process in LOXL2-transfected or hypoxia-treated MCF-7 cells. Of interest, escin Ia did not alter the level of HIF-1α in hypoxia-induced MCF-7 cells. In TNBC xenograft mice, the metastasis and EMT of MDA-MB-231 cells were suppressed by escin Ia. In conclusion, escin Ia was the main active ingredient of SFAC for the anti-TNBC metastasis activity, and its action mechanisms involved inhibition of EMT process by down-regulating LOXL2 expression.

Situação do registro de medicamentos fitoterápicos no Brasil

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Ana C. B. Carvalho

Full Text Available Fitoterápico é uma classe de medicamento largamente utilizada no país e constitui um mercado em potencial expansão. Este artigo busca traçar um panorama sobre os medicamentos fitoterápicos registrados no país e as espécies vegetais que lhe deram origem, enfocando o papel regulador da Anvisa. Realizou-se uma pesquisa nas seguintes bases de dados: Visalegis e site da Anvisa para verificar os medicamentos fitoterápicos registrados na Anvisa, obtendo-se os seguintes dados: há 432 fitoterápicos simples registrados e 80 compostos, as espécies vegetais com maior número de derivados registrados são o Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba e a Castanha da Índia (Aesculus hippocastanum, com 33 e 29 registros, respectivamente. O artigo traz ainda uma tabela com as espécies vegetais que possuem derivados registrados como fitoterápicos simples, sua classificação terapêutica, lista as espécies registradas em associação, as principais formas farmacêuticas registradas e os percentuais de registro e empresas por região do país, fornecendo assim um panorama da atuação da Anvisano setor de fitoterápicos.

The in vivo situation of 3H-Aescin which had been administered orally and subcutaneously to rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suga, Tetsuya; Matsumoto, Yoshio; Hayase, Shigeru.

1975-01-01

The in vivo situation of the Aescin, a product of aesculus hippocastanum, was examined by administering the 3 H labelled compounds to rats. The following results were obtained: 1) The intestinal absorption from oral administration was not so fast. The blood concentration was low, and its combination with plasma protein was slight. 2) As for the distribution in the organs after an oral administration, the affinity was relatively high in the following organs: Pancreas>heart>kidney>adrenal>gland>lung>muscle>liver. However, the concentrations were extremely low being shown by a ng unit per g tissue in the organs. 3) When it was administered orally to the pregnant rats, the concentrations which were transmitted to the fetuses were low. 4) On the 7th day after oral administration, excretion into the urine was less than 3% and in the feces was more than 70%. The bile excretion was also observed. 5) The metabolic products in the excretion after the oral administration were examined by the method. A large amount of Aescin was excreted in an unchanged form or in compounds. From this, Aescin is presumed to be metabolised by the activity of intestinal bacterial enzymes. 6) The absorption of this drug into the body was low when it was intracutaneously administered. (Saito, K.)

In vivo situation of /sup 3/H-Aescin which had been administered orally and subcutaneously to rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suga, T; Matsumoto, Y [Tokyo Coll. of Pharmacy (Japan); Hayase, S

1975-08-01

The in vivo situation of the Aescin, a product of aesculus hippocastanum, was examined by administering the /sup 3/H labelled compounds to rats. The following results were obtained: (1) The intestinal absorption from oral administration was not so fast. The blood concentration was low, and its combination with plasma protein was slight. (2) As for the distribution in the organs after an oral administration, the affinity was relatively high in the following organs: Pancreas(3)heart>kidney>adrenal>gland>lung>muscle>liver. However, the concentrations were extremely low being shown by a ng unit per g tissue in the organs. 3) When it was administered orally to the pregnant rats, the concentrations which were transmitted to the fetuses were low. (4) On the 7th day after oral administration, excretion into the urine was less than 3% and in the feces was more than 70%. The bile excretion was also observed. (5) The metabolic products in the excretion after the oral administration were examined by the method. A large amount of Aescin was excreted in an unchanged form or in compounds. From this, Aescin is presumed to be metabolised by the activity of intestinal bacterial enzymes. (6) The absorption of this drug into the body was low when it was intracutaneously administered.

Reconstruction of late spring phenophases in Poland and their response to climate change, 1951–2014

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Bartosz Czernecki

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Phenology is primarily seen as an indicator of the impacts of climate change. The strongest biological signal of climatic change is revealed by phenological data from the period after 1990. Unfortunately, the Polish nationwide network of phenological monitoring was terminated in 1992, and was only reactivated in 2005. Here, we attempt to reconstruct late spring phenophases of flowering of Syringa vulgaris L. and Aesculus hippocastanum L. across several sites in Poland from 1951 to 2014 using the GIS-based approach (if observations from neighboring stations were available and multiple regression modeling with stepwise screening and bootstrap resampling. It was found that the air temperature and its indices explain over 60% of the variance, giving an accuracy of 3.0–3.4 days (mean absolute error and correlation coefficients of 0.83 and 0.78 for lilac and horse chestnut, respectively. Altogether, both plant species showed a statistically significant advancement in the onset of flowering with an average rate of 1.7 days per decade. We also found that the final trend is the result of rapid acceleration of the increase in air temperature after the 1990s, while most of the trends for late spring were ambiguous before that period.

Escin Chemosensitizes Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells and Inhibits the Nuclear Factor-kappaB Signaling Pathway

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A. Rimmon

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background. There is an urgent need to develop new treatment strategies and drugs for pancreatic cancer that is highly resistant to radio-chemotherapy. Aesculus hippocastanum (the horse chestnut known in Chinese medicine as a plant with anti-inflammatory, antiedema, antianalgesic, and antipyretic activities. The main active compound of this plant is Escin (C54H84O23. Objective. To evaluate the effect of Escin alone and combined with chemotherapy on pancreatic cancer cell survival and to unravel mechanism(s of Escin anticancer activity. Methods. Cell survival was measured by XTT colorimetric assay. Synergistic effect of combined therapy was determined by CalcuSyn software. Cell cycle and induction of apoptosis were evaluated by FACS analysis. Expression of NF-κB-related proteins (p65, IκBα, and p-IκBα and cyclin D was evaluated by western blot analysis. Results. Escin decreased the survival of pancreatic cancer cells with IC50 = 10–20 M. Escin combined with gemcitabine showed only additive effect, while its combination with cisplatin resulted in a significant synergistic cytotoxic effect in Panc-1 cells. High concentrations of Escin induced apoptosis and decreased NF-κB-related proteins and cyclin D expression. Conclusions. Escin decreased pancreatic cancer cell survival, induced apoptosis, and downregulated NF-κB signaling pathway. Moreover, Escin sensitized pancreatic cancer cells to chemotherapy. Further translational research is required.

The pollen spectrum of honeys of Lipnik Gmina (Świętokrzyskie Province

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Ernest Stawiarz

2012-12-01

Full Text Available During 2003 and 2004 apicultural seasons, 25 samples of honeys were collected in 10 localities of Lipnik (świętokrzyskie Province countryside. Pollen analysis was made according to the requirements of the International Commission for Bee Botany IUSB (Louveaux et al., 1978. There were identified pollen of 85 taxa in the examined samples of honeys: pollen of 62 nectariferous and 23 non-nectariferous plants. Participation of non-nectariferous plant pollen in particular samples ranged between 0.3 and 28.4%. Among the nectariferous plant pollen, the highest pollen frequency (above 50% have been stated for Brassicaceae (with Brassica napus, Prunus type, Trifolium repens, Anthriscus type, Salix, Aesculus, Rubus type, Tilia, Taraxacum type, Galeopsis and Heracleum type, among non-nectariferous plans: Poaceae, Papaver and Fragaria. On average, a particular honey contained 16 pollen types of nectariferous plants (range 7-26 and 7 of non-nectariferous (range 1-13. Among the examined samples, there were 11 specific honeys: 7 compatible with the Polish Standard - 4 samples of Brassica napus honeys, 2 Robinia pseudacacia, 1 Tilia, and 4 samples of honeys out of his this standard. There were 3 Galeopsis honeys and 1 honey from Phacelia. The remaining 14 samples were classified as multifloral honeys compatible with the Polish Standard. The woods and scrubs as well as meadows and pastures supplied main sources of honeybee flow in the examined area.

Inventory of Green Spaces and Woody Plants in the Urban Landscape in Ariogala

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Lina Straigytė

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose: Regulation of urban greenery design, management and protection was approved in 2008 in Lithuania after the Green Space Law was passed, allowing protection of public green spaces and woody plants. Protection of these resources first requires an inventory, and we have created a digital database that will help in management of urban green spaces. Material and Methods: An inventory of green spaces and woody plants was conducted in the public urban territory of Ariogala, using GIS technology. A digital cartographic database was created using ArcGis 9.1 software. Results and Conclusion: Most of the woody plants in the survey area are deciduous trees, and the survey results highlighted the major green space management problems. Often, planted trees grow under power lines, and their crowns touch the power cables. Near blocks of flats, trees are often in the wrong place-planted too close to buildings, trees shade windows and their roots heave pavers and penetrate building foundations. According to the inventory, street trees sustain the most damage, most commonly showing injuries on their trunks and roots. Leaves of Aesculus hipocastanum L. show massive damage from Cameraria ohridella Deschka & Dimić, and Tilia cordata Mill. are damaged by Cercospora microsora Sacc. T. cordata is a favourite city tree, but is susceptible to infestation and when damaged appears unsightly, ending its vegetation period very early. The inventory of green spaces also showed that there are sufficient public parks.

Possibilities of cultivating ornamental trees and shrubs under conditions of air pollution with oxides of sulfur

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bialobok, S.; Bartkowiak, S.; Rachwal, L.

1974-01-01

The field work conducted has shown that high concentrations of SO/sub 2/ in the air can be withstood by the following trees and shrubs. Trees: Acer campestris, A. platanoides, Ailanthus altissima, Aesculus hippocastanum, Morus alba, Platanus acerifolia, Pinus strobur, P. nigra, Populus Berolinensis, P. candicans, P. Hybr. 27, P. Marilandica, P. simonii, P. Serotina, Quercus robus, Robinia pseudoacacia. Shrubs: Caragana arborescens, Crataegus oxyacantha, C. monogyna, Cerasus mehaleb, Forsythia/most of the species and varieties/, Ligustrum vulgare, Philadelphus coronaria, Ptelea trifoliata, Sambucus nigra, Salix caprea, Sorbaria sorbifolia, Sorbus aucuparia, Taxus baccata. For the selection of trees and shrubs in the laboratory, high concentrations of SO/sub 2/ were used (60-150 ppm for a period of 10 minutes). Experiments were conducted on cut shrubs kept in the gas chambers. In order to estimate the degree of their injury, they were transferred to a shaded greenhouse. A concentration of 65 ppm of SO/sub 2/ could be withstood by the following Forsythias: Forsythia intermedia Primulina, F. Densiflora, F. Spectabilis, F. giraldina, F. suspensa, F. koreana, F. ovata, F. japonica and Hippophae rhamnoides. A concentration of 130 ppm could be withstood only by F. intermedia Vitelina. A similarly high concentration of SO/sub 2/ could be withstood by shoots and leaves of Ailanthus girladii Duclouxii and by Platanus acerifolia. From among the lilacs Syringa pekinensis and S. amurensis proved resistant to high concentrations of SO/sub 2/.

Environmental fate of emamectin benzoate after tree micro injection of horse chestnut trees.

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Burkhard, Rene; Binz, Heinz; Roux, Christian A; Brunner, Matthias; Ruesch, Othmar; Wyss, Peter

2015-02-01

Emamectin benzoate, an insecticide derived from the avermectin family of natural products, has a unique translocation behavior in trees when applied by tree micro injection (TMI), which can result in protection from insect pests (foliar and borers) for several years. Active ingredient imported into leaves was measured at the end of season in the fallen leaves of treated horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) trees. The dissipation of emamectin benzoate in these leaves seems to be biphasic and depends on the decomposition of the leaf. In compost piles, where decomposition of leaves was fastest, a cumulative emamectin benzoate degradation half-life time of 20 d was measured. In leaves immersed in water, where decomposition was much slower, the degradation half-life time was 94 d, and in leaves left on the ground in contact with soil, where decomposition was slowest, the degradation half-life time was 212 d. The biphasic decline and the correlation with leaf decomposition might be attributed to an extensive sorption of emamectin benzoate residues to leaf macromolecules. This may also explain why earthworms ingesting leaves from injected trees take up very little emamectin benzoate and excrete it with the feces. Furthermore, no emamectin benzoate was found in water containing decomposing leaves from injected trees. It is concluded, that emamectin benzoate present in abscised leaves from horse chestnut trees injected with the insecticide is not available to nontarget organisms present in soil or water bodies. Published 2014 SETAC.

Pesquisa e atividades de extensão em fitoterapia desenvolvidas pela Rede FitoCerrado: uso racional de plantas medicinais e fitoterápicos por idosos em Uberlândia-MG

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H.L. Machado

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Este estudo objetivou realizar atividades de extensão em fitoterapia, a partir de um levantamento de dados sobre as plantas medicinais, fitoterápicos e medicamentos convencionais utilizados por 292 idosos frequentadores de um programa de Atividades Físicas e Recreativas para a Terceira Idade (AFRID, na cidade de Uberlândia-MG, utilizando como instrumento de investigação, um questionário semiestruturado. Dentre os entrevistados verificamos que 88% utilizavam medicamentos prescritos, principalmente para o controle da hipertensão. O uso de plantas medicinais foi relatado por 76,7% dos idosos, sendo as mais citadas: Cymbopogon citratus, Mentha sp., Rosmarinus officinalis, Plectranthus barbatus, Ocimum gratissimum, e Matricaria chamomilla. Dezesseis (5,5% idosos utilizavam fitoterápicos, principalmente preparados a partir de extratos de Ginkgo biloba, Aesculus hippocastanum e Passiflora incarnata em associação com Crataegus oxyacantha e Salix alba. O uso concomitante de plantas medicinais e fitoterápicos com medicamentos convencionais foi relatado por 86,2% e 81,3% dos idosos, respectivamente. Após a análise dos dados percebemos a necessidade do desenvolvimento de ações educativas para informar e conscientizar os idosos sobre o uso da fitoterapia. Elaboramos uma caderneta e uma cartilha para promoção da difusão dessas informações e o aprimoramento do uso da fitoterapia entre os idosos e, dessa forma, alcançar os profissionais de saúde sobre os riscos e benefícios dessa terapêutica; contribuindo assim para o uso seguro e racional da fitoterapia.

Changes in radiocesium contamination from Fukushima in foliar parts of 10 common tree species in Japan between 2011 and 2013.

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Yoshihara, Toshihiro; Matsumura, Hideyuki; Tsuzaki, Masaharu; Wakamatsu, Takashi; Kobayashi, Takuya; Hashida, Shin-Nosuke; Nagaoka, Toru; Goto, Fumiyuki

2014-12-01

Yearly changes in radiocesium ((137)Cs) contamination, primarily due to the Fukushima accident of March 2011, were observed in the foliar parts of 10 common woody species in Japan (Chamaecyparis obtusa, Cedrus deodara, Pinus densiflora, Cryptomeria japonica, Phyllostachys pubescens, Cinnamomum camphora, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Prunus × yedoensis, Acer buergerianum, and Aesculus hippocastanum). The samples were obtained from Abiko (approximately 200 km SSW of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant) during each growing season between 2011 and 2013, and the foliar parts were examined based on their year of expansion and location in each trees. The radiocesium concentrations generally decreased with time; however, the concentrations and rates of decrease varied among species, age of foliar parts, and locations. The radiocesium concentrations in the 2012 current-year foliar parts were 29%-220% of those from 2011, while those from 2013 fell to between 14% and 42% of the 2011 values. The net decontamination in the foliage was higher in evergreen species than in deciduous species. The radiocesium concentrations in the upper foliar parts were higher than those in the lower parts particularly in C. japonica. In addition, the radiocesium concentrations were higher in the current-year foliar parts than in the 1-year-old foliar parts, particularly in 2013. Thus, the influence of the direct deposition of the fallout was reduced with time, and the translocation ability of radiocesium from old to new tissues became more influential. Similar to the behavior of potassium in trees, Cs redistribution probably occurred primarily due to internal nutrient translocation mechanisms. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Miocene fossil plants from Bukpyeong Formation of Bukpyeong Basin in Donghae City, Gangwon-do Province, Korea and their palaeoenvironmental implications

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Jeong, Eun Kyoung; Kim, Hyun Joo; Uemura, Kazuhiko; Kim, Kyungsik

2016-04-01

The Tertiary sedimentary basins are distributed along the eastern coast of Korean Peninsula. The northernmost Bukpyeong Basin is located in Donghae City, Gangwon-do Province, Korea. The Bukpyeong Basin consists of Bukpyeong Formation and Dogyeongri Conglomerate in ascending order. The geologic age of Bukpyeong Formation has been suggested as from Early Miocene to Pliocene, In particular, Lee & Jacobs (2010) suggested the age of the Bukpyeong Formation as late Early Miocene to early Middle Miocene based on the fossils of rodent teeth. Sedimentary environment has been thought as mainly fresh water lake and/or swamp partly influenced by marine water. Lately, new outcrops of Bukpyeong Formation were exposed during the road construction and abundant fossil plants were yielded from the newly exposed outcrops. As a result of palaeobotanical studies 47 genera of 23 families have been found. This fossil plant assemblage is composed of gymnosperms and dicotyledons. Gymnosperms were Pinaceae (e.g., Pinus, Tsuga), Sciadopityaceae (e.g., Sciadopitys) and Cupressaceae with well-preserved Metasequoia cones. Dicotyledons were deciduous trees such as Betulaceae (e.g., Alnus, Carpinus) and Sapindaceae (e.g., Acer, Aesculus, Sapindus), and evergreen trees such as evergreen Fagaceae (e.g., Castanopsis, Cyclobalanopsis, Pasania) and Lauraceae (e.g., Cinnamomum, Machilus). In addition, fresh water plants such as Hemitrapa (Lytraceae) and Ceratophyllum (Ceratophyllaceae) were also found. The fossil plant assemblage of the Bukpyeong Formation supported the freshwater environment implied by previous studies. It can be suggested that the palaeoflora of Bukpyeong Formation was oak-laurel forest with broad-leaved evergreen and deciduous trees accompanying commonly by conifers of Pinaceae and Cupressaceae under warm-temperate climate.

Using Sex Pheromone and a Multi-Scale Approach to Predict the Distribution of a Rare Saproxylic Beetle.

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Musa, Najihah; Andersson, Klas; Burman, Joseph; Andersson, Fredrik; Hedenström, Erik; Jansson, Nicklas; Paltto, Heidi; Westerberg, Lars; Winde, Inis; Larsson, Mattias C; Bergman, Karl-Olof; Milberg, Per

2013-01-01

The European red click beetle, Elater ferrugineus L., is associated with wood mould in old hollow deciduous trees. As a result of severe habitat fragmentation caused by human disturbance, it is threatened throughout its distribution range. A new pheromone-based survey method, which is very efficient in detecting the species, was used in the present study to relate the occurrence of E. ferrugineus to the density of deciduous trees. The latter data were from a recently completed regional survey in SE Sweden recording >120,000 deciduous trees. The occurrence of E. ferrugineus increased with increasing amount of large hollow and large non-hollow trees in the surrounding landscape. Quercus robur (oak) was found to be the most important substrate for E. ferrugineus, whereas two groups of tree species (Carpinus betulus, Fagus sylvatica, Ulmus glabra, vs. Acer platanoides, Aesculus hippocastanum, Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia cordata) were less important but may be a complement to oak in sustaining populations of the beetle. The occurrence of E. ferrugineus was explained by the density of oaks at two different spatial scales, within the circle radii 327 m and 4658 m. In conclusion, priority should be given to oaks in conservation management of E. ferrugineus, and then to the deciduous trees in the genera listed above. Conservation planning at large spatial and temporal scales appears to be essential for long-term persistence of E. ferrugineus. We also show that occurrence models based on strategic sampling might result in pessimistic predictions. This study demonstrates how pheromone-based monitoring make insects excellent tools for sustained feedback to models for landscape conservation management.

Using Sex Pheromone and a Multi-Scale Approach to Predict the Distribution of a Rare Saproxylic Beetle.

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Najihah Musa

Full Text Available The European red click beetle, Elater ferrugineus L., is associated with wood mould in old hollow deciduous trees. As a result of severe habitat fragmentation caused by human disturbance, it is threatened throughout its distribution range. A new pheromone-based survey method, which is very efficient in detecting the species, was used in the present study to relate the occurrence of E. ferrugineus to the density of deciduous trees. The latter data were from a recently completed regional survey in SE Sweden recording >120,000 deciduous trees. The occurrence of E. ferrugineus increased with increasing amount of large hollow and large non-hollow trees in the surrounding landscape. Quercus robur (oak was found to be the most important substrate for E. ferrugineus, whereas two groups of tree species (Carpinus betulus, Fagus sylvatica, Ulmus glabra, vs. Acer platanoides, Aesculus hippocastanum, Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia cordata were less important but may be a complement to oak in sustaining populations of the beetle. The occurrence of E. ferrugineus was explained by the density of oaks at two different spatial scales, within the circle radii 327 m and 4658 m. In conclusion, priority should be given to oaks in conservation management of E. ferrugineus, and then to the deciduous trees in the genera listed above. Conservation planning at large spatial and temporal scales appears to be essential for long-term persistence of E. ferrugineus. We also show that occurrence models based on strategic sampling might result in pessimistic predictions. This study demonstrates how pheromone-based monitoring make insects excellent tools for sustained feedback to models for landscape conservation management.

Utilização de fitoterápicos por idosos: resultados de um inquérito domiciliar em Belo Horizonte (MG, Brasil

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Lucianno D. P. Marliére

Full Text Available Os fitoterápicos constituem uma modalidade de terapia complementar ou alternativa diante das necessidades de saúde e seu uso tem sido crescente na população idosa de diversos países. Entretanto, apresentam interações medicamentosas e reações adversas importantes e sua utilização não deve ser indiscriminada. Este estudo objetivou caracterizar o perfil de utilização de fitoterápicos por aposentados e pensionistas do INSS, com 60 anos e mais, residentes em Belo Horizonte, MG. A partir do cadastro do INSS, selecionou-se uma amostra aleatória de 881 idosos para entrevista. Investigou-se a prevalência de uso de fitoterápicos e interações medicamentosas potenciais. Um total de 667 (80,3% dos selecionados foi entrevistado. Setenta e um participantes (10,6% utilizaram fitoterápicos nos últimos 15 dias, principalmente aqueles preparados a partir de extratos de ginkgo (41,8%, aesculus (12,3% e isoflavonas de soja (8,2%. Mais de 60% dos fitoterápicos foram adquiridos em farmácias de manipulação. Aproximadamente 45% dos usuários de fitoterápicos estavam expostos a pelo menos uma interação medicamentosa potencial entre eles e medicamentos sintéticos, tais como entre ginkgo e diuréticos tiazídicos (14 e antiagregante plaquetário/anticoagulantes (8. São necessárias estratégias de orientação para o uso racional de fitoterápicos entre idosos, mais vulneráveis aos prejuízos decorrentes da utilização inadequada desses.

Two methods of assessing the mortality factors affecting the larvae and pupae of Cameraria ohridella in the leaves of Aesculus hippocastanum in Switzerland and Bulgaria

OpenAIRE

Girardoz, S.; Tomov, R.; Eschen, R.; Quicke, D.L.J.; Kenis, M.

2017-01-01

The horse-chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella, is an invasive alien species defoliating horse-chestnut, a popular ornamental tree in Europe. This paper presents quantitative data on mortality factors affecting larvae and pupae of the leaf miner in Switzerland and Bulgaria, both in urban and forest environments. Two sampling methods were used and compared: a cohort method, consisting of the surveying of pre-selected mines throughout their development, and a grab sampling method, consistin...

Two methods of assessing the mortality factors affecting the larvae and pupae of Cameraria ohridella in the leaves of Aesculus hippocastanum in Switzerland and Bulgaria.

Science.gov (United States)

Girardoz, S; Tomov, R; Eschen, R; Quicke, D L J; Kenis, M

2007-10-01

The horse-chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella, is an invasive alien species defoliating horse-chestnut, a popular ornamental tree in Europe. This paper presents quantitative data on mortality factors affecting larvae and pupae of the leaf miner in Switzerland and Bulgaria, both in urban and forest environments. Two sampling methods were used and compared: a cohort method, consisting of the surveying of pre-selected mines throughout their development, and a grab sampling method, consisting of single sets of leaves collected and dissected at regular intervals. The total mortality per generation varied between 14 and 99%. Mortality was caused by a variety of factors, including parasitism, host feeding, predation by birds and arthropods, plant defence reaction, leaf senescence, intra-specific competition and inter-specific competition with a fungal disease. Significant interactions were found between mortality factors and sampling methods, countries, environments and generation. No mortality factor was dominant throughout the sites, generations and methods tested. Plant defence reactions constituted the main mortality factor for the first two larval stages, whereas predation by birds and arthropods and parasitism were more important in older larvae and pupae. Mortality caused by leaf senescence was often the dominant mortality factor in the last annual generation. The cohort method detected higher mortality rates than the grab sampling method. In particular, mortality by plant defence reaction and leaf senescence were better assessed using the cohort method, which is, therefore, recommended for life table studies on leaf miners.

Change in medical plant use in Estonian ethnomedicine: a historical comparison between 1888 and 1994.

Science.gov (United States)

Sõukand, Renata; Kalle, Raivo

2011-05-17

The aim of this paper is to compare the changes in the utilization of species from various hemeroby categories (indicating the degree of sensitivity of the plant to human impact) using historical data concerning the years 1888-1994. The authors digitised 8808 handwritten reports, reflecting local ethnopharmacological knowledge from 8 selected collections from the Estonian Folklore Archives of the Estonian Literary Museum. They were semi-quantitatively analyzed according to the sensitivity to human impact of 540 taxa that could possibly be related to the plant vernacular names given in the reports. Although in different periods of time the number of ethnopharmacologically used plants has changed, the proportion of plants utilized from each group has remained relatively same, consisting on average of: 23% anthropophytes, 42% apophytes, 32% hemeradiaphores and 3% hemerophobes. Comparison of the application of the most used plants revealed considerable changes of plant utilization, in which the varied use of the most popular anthropophytes increased and the applied scope of the most popular hemeradiaphores and hemerophobes decreased almost by twofold in one century. Case studies on seven taxa are presented, of them, use of Allium sativum L., Aesculus hippocastanum L. and Mentha xpiperita L. increased, whereas the use of Hordeum L., Orchidaceae, Paris quadrifolia L. and Briza media L. decreased greatly. This research contributes to the better understanding of the cognitive and human ecological concepts underlying the use of medicinal plants in Estonia. Strong increase in the ethnomedical utilization of plants depending on human influence, and a decrease in the use of taxa that do not prefer human activities indicates that, despite some of the population still have access to natural resources and diverse knowledge of the medical use of plants, the majority relies on a very narrow selection and a rather restricted herbal landscape. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd

Changes in radiocesium contamination from Fukushima in foliar parts of 10 common tree species in Japan between 2011 and 2013

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshihara, Toshihiro; Matsumura, Hideyuki; Tsuzaki, Masaharu; Wakamatsu, Takashi; Kobayashi, Takuya; Hashida, Shin-nosuke; Nagaoka, Toru; Goto, Fumiyuki

2014-01-01

Yearly changes in radiocesium ( 137 Cs) contamination, primarily due to the Fukushima accident of March 2011, were observed in the foliar parts of 10 common woody species in Japan (Chamaecyparis obtusa, Cedrus deodara, Pinus densiflora, Cryptomeria japonica, Phyllostachys pubescens, Cinnamomum camphora, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Prunus × yedoensis, Acer buergerianum, and Aesculus hippocastanum). The samples were obtained from Abiko (approximately 200 km SSW of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant) during each growing season between 2011 and 2013, and the foliar parts were examined based on their year of expansion and location in each trees. The radiocesium concentrations generally decreased with time; however, the concentrations and rates of decrease varied among species, age of foliar parts, and locations. The radiocesium concentrations in the 2012 current-year foliar parts were 29%–220% of those from 2011, while those from 2013 fell to between 14% and 42% of the 2011 values. The net decontamination in the foliage was higher in evergreen species than in deciduous species. The radiocesium concentrations in the upper foliar parts were higher than those in the lower parts particularly in C. japonica. In addition, the radiocesium concentrations were higher in the current-year foliar parts than in the 1-year-old foliar parts, particularly in 2013. Thus, the influence of the direct deposition of the fallout was reduced with time, and the translocation ability of radiocesium from old to new tissues became more influential. Similar to the behavior of potassium in trees, Cs redistribution probably occurred primarily due to internal nutrient translocation mechanisms. - Highlights: • 137 Cs concentrations of foliar parts expanded in 2013 was 14–42% of those in 2011. • The rates of decrease varied with the species, sampling part, and position. • Newly expanded foliar parts contain higher 137 Cs concentrations than older parts. • 137 Cs translocation

Chemometrics in biomonitoring: Distribution and correlation of trace elements in tree leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Deljanin, Isidora; Antanasijević, Davor; Bjelajac, Anđelika; Urošević, Mira Aničić; Nikolić, Miroslav; Perić-Grujić, Aleksandra; Ristić, Mirjana

2016-03-01

The concentrations of 15 elements were measured in the leaf samples of Aesculus hippocastanum, Tilia spp., Betula pendula and Acer platanoides collected in May and September of 2014 from four different locations in Belgrade, Serbia. The objective was to assess the chemical characterization of leaf surface and in-wax fractions, as well as the leaf tissue element content, by analyzing untreated, washed with water and washed with chloroform leaf samples, respectively. The combined approach of self-organizing networks (SON) and Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE) aided by Geometrical Analysis for Interactive Aid (GAIA) was used in the interpretation of multiple element loads on/in the tree leaves. The morphological characteristics of the leaf surfaces and the elemental composition of particulate matter (PM) deposited on tree leaves were studied by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) detector. The results showed that the amounts of retained and accumulated element concentrations depend on several parameters, such as chemical properties of the element and morphological properties of the leaves. Among the studied species, Tilia spp. was found to be the most effective in the accumulation of elements in leaf tissue (70% of the total element concentration), while A. hippocastanum had the lowest accumulation (54%). After water and chloroform washing, the highest percentages of removal were observed for Al, V, Cr, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Sb (>40%). The PROMETHEE/SON ranking/classifying results were in accordance with the results obtained from the GAIA clustering techniques. The combination of the techniques enabled extraction of additional information from datasets. Therefore, the use of both the ranking and clustering methods could be a useful tool to be applied in biomonitoring studies of trace elements. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estudos pré-clínicos e clínicos de espécies vegetais selecionadas de países pertencentes ao Mercosul e aspectos toxicológicos

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Camile Cecconi CECHINEL-ZANCHETT

2017-12-01

Full Text Available As plantas medicinais são utilizadas para a prevenção e tratamento de doenças, sendo usada por cerca de 80% da população para o cuidado primário à saúde. A rica biodiversidade do Brasil e países vizinhos oferece um potencial único e incomparável para a descoberta e desenvolvimento de agentes bioativos. O objetivo desse trabalho foi fazer uma revisão sobre estudos pré-clínicos e clínicos de espécies vegetais selecionadas dos países do Mercosul e aspectos toxicológicos. Com base em trabalho publicado anteriormente pelo autor, foram selecionadas as espécies com maior número de registro na Anvisa no Brasil (Aesculus hippocastanum - Castanha da Índia e Mikania glomerata- Guaco; as mais utilizadas como medicamentos fitoterápicos simples na Argentina (Cynara scolymus L. - Alcachofra e Solanum dulcamara - Dulcamara; as plantas medicinais mais vendidas no Paraguai (Peumus boldus Mol. - Boldo e Borago officinalis - Borragem; as mais consumidas no norte do Uruguai (Aloe vera – Aloe e Passiflora edulis - Maracujá e da Venezuela a Hedera helix (Hera por ser muito popular no país seu consumo. Foram realizadas pesquisas nas bases de dados Google Acadêmico, PubMed e Science Direct no mês de abril de 2016, sobre ensaios pré-clínicos e clínicos dessas espécies vegetais, em português e inglês, sendo selecionados os artigos mais relevantes, com uso de animais (ratos, coelhos ou camundongos, linhagens celulares ou bacterianas, ou estudos clínicos. Em relação aos estudos pré-clínicos e clínicos, Aloe e Alcachofra, foram as que apresentaram maior número de publicações.

The ecological aspect of ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology of population in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Science.gov (United States)

Redzić, Sulejman S

2007-09-01

This paper contains first systematical revision of the results on traditional use of wild medicinal and aromatic herbs on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H)--west of Balkan Peninsula; Southeast of Europe. There have been detected 227 plants belonging to 71 different plant families, which are being used with ethno therapeutic purpose. Results were obtained by method of open ethno botanical interview which comprised 150 persons, whose average age was 63. Medicinal plants in ethno therapy are being used either in fresh, raw or dried condition. Different herbal parts, depending on period of vegetation season, sometimes even in winter, are basis for preparation of infusions (59%), decoct (19%), tinctures (4%). Especially original are balms known as Bosnian "mehlems", which are fresh cuted herbal parts mixed with lukewarm resin, raw cow butter or honey. In ethno therapy are mostly being used aerial plant organs. Majority of herbs is being used for treatment of illnesses of respiratory (22%), gastrointestinal (19%) and urinary and genital system (9%), for treatment of skin conditions (11%), as well as for nervous system and heart diseases (16%). The most original plants on the field of ethno pharmacology, comparing with ethno therapy practice of other regions, are as follows: Ballota nigra, Aesculus hippocastanum, Calluna vulgaris, Centaurea cyanus, Euphrasia rostkoviana, Geranium robertianum, Gentiana asclepiadea, Helichrysum italicum, Lycopodium clavatum, Marrubium vulgare, Nepeta cataria, Populus tremula, Ruta graveolens, Tamus communis, Teucrium montanum, T. chamaedrys, and endemic plants Gentiana lutea subsp. symphyandra, Teucrium arduini, Micromeria thymifolia, Satureja montana, S. subspicata, Rhamnus fallax and Viola elegantula. There haven't been noticed significant differences in the frequencies of medicinal plants use among different ethnical groups. But, it has been perceived that longer ethno therapeutic tradition possess inhabitants of sub- and

Qualidade de produtos a base de plantas medicinais comercializados no Brasil: castanha-da-índia (Aesculus hippocastanum L., capim-limão (Cymbopogon citratus (DC. Stapf e centela (Centella asiatica (L. Urban Quality of products made from medicinal plants commercialized in Brazil: horsechestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L., lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus (DC. Stapf, and gotu kola (Centella asiatica (L. Urban

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Joabe Gomes de Melo

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Com o objetivo de avaliar a qualidade de produtos a base de plantas medicinais, analisou-se dez amostras de castanha-da-índia, onze de capim-limão e seis de centela, comercializadas em farmácias da cidade do Recife, provenientes de indústrias de várias partes do país. Analisamos as informações técnico-científicas nos rótulos e/ou bulas de acordo com as exigências e obrigatoriedades da legislação brasileira (RDC n. 140 de 29/05/2003 e na RDC n. 102 de 30/11/2000, e embasamento da literatura científica. Também avaliou-se as características organolépticas, a autenticidade e a pureza dos produtos. Constatou-se ausência das informações obrigatórias em 92,59% das amostras. Dentre os termos vedados, foi comum a sugestão da inexistência de efeitos colaterais ou adversos. Quanto as indicações terapêuticas não se observou padronização técnica dos termos nem comprovação científica para algumas das atividades atribuídas pelos fabricantes. Todas as amostras foram consideradas autênticas com base nos testes fitoquímicos e farmacobotânicos. Na análise da pureza 59,26% das amostras foram reprovadas, devido principalmente ao elevado teor de umidade e cinzas totais. Constata-se que além dos produtos comercializados carecerem de informações e qualidade adequadas, há necessidade urgente de uma fiscalização efetiva por parte dos órgãos competentes.Aiming to evaluate the quality of products made from medicinal plants, there were analyzed ten samples of horsechestnut, eleven samples of lemongrass, and six samples of gotu kola commercialized in pharmacies from the city of Recife (Pernambuco, Brazil, coming from industries of several parts of the country. We analyzed the technical-scientific information on the labels and/or directions according to the requirements and obligations of Brazilian law (laws "RDC 140 of 29/05/2003" and "RDC 102 of 30/11/2000" and to scientific literature embasement. The products' organoleptic characteristics, authenticity, and purity were also evaluated. The absence of obligatory information was verified in 92.59% of the samples. Among the blacked terms, it was common to find products that suggested inexistent collateral or adverse effects. Technical terms were not standardized and the manufacturers did not provide scientific proof for some of the activities credited to the products. All samples were considered authentic based on the phytochemical and pharmacobotanical tests. The purity analysis considered 59.26% of the samples inappropriate, mainly due to the high total levels of humidity and ashes. It was verified that besides the lack of adequate information and quality of the commercialized products, there is an urgent need for an effective inspection by the suitable agencies.

Anaerobic digestion of solid biomass and biowaste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-07-01

;'BioGazEnergoStroy'' (Andreas Taeuber); (17) Generation of biogas from residual matter (Frank Hofmann); (17) Synergetic effects of the cofermentation of waste water concentrate and leftover foodstuffs (Konrad Koch); (18) Impacts of additional biofilm carrier and biogas generation from packed foodstuffs in the example of a large-scale plant in England (Dieter Juergen Korz); (19) ATRES performance control - Tools to advance in profits (Marcel Mayer); (20) Substrates with lignocellulose - (no) a problem for biogas plants? (Thilo Lehmann); (21) Pros and cons of separate hydrolysis systems: An overview (Birgit Pfeifer); (22) Methanos - Increase of efficiency of biogas plants by means of microorganisms (Monika Reuter); (23) SulphPur desulfurization of biogas, a core component of modern biogas generation (Joerg Stockinger); (24) Tightment measurement at biogas plants via gas camera - reduction of emissions and minimisation of losses (Frank Schillig); (25) Analysis of the technologies for an effective recycling of ammonia from waste water of biogas plants (Jerzy Mackowiak); (26) Utilization of waste heat by drying biomass, especially sewage sludge (Henk Haaring); (27) Duerr Cyplan ORC technology - 10% increase in performance by power generation from exhaust gases (Jochen Fink).

Anaerobic digestion of solid biomass and biowaste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-07-01

GazEnergoStroy'' (Andreas Taeuber); (17) Generation of biogas from residual matter (Frank Hofmann); (17) Synergetic effects of the cofermentation of waste water concentrate and leftover foodstuffs (Konrad Koch); (18) Impacts of additional biofilm carrier and biogas generation from packed foodstuffs in the example of a large-scale plant in England (Dieter Juergen Korz); (19) ATRES performance control - Tools to advance in profits (Marcel Mayer); (20) Substrates with lignocellulose - (no) a problem for biogas plants? (Thilo Lehmann); (21) Pros and cons of separate hydrolysis systems: An overview (Birgit Pfeifer); (22) Methanos - Increase of efficiency of biogas plants by means of microorganisms (Monika Reuter); (23) SulphPur desulfurization of biogas, a core component of modern biogas generation (Joerg Stockinger); (24) Tightment measurement at biogas plants via gas camera - reduction of emissions and minimisation of losses (Frank Schillig); (25) Analysis of the technologies for an effective recycling of ammonia from waste water of biogas plants (Jerzy Mackowiak); (26) Utilization of waste heat by drying biomass, especially sewage sludge (Henk Haaring); (27) Duerr Cyplan ORC technology - 10% increase in performance by power generation from exhaust gases (Jochen Fink).

Reinvestigation of the Miocene palynoflora from the Daotaiqiao Formation of north-eastern China using SEM

Science.gov (United States)

Akyurt, Elvan; Grímsson, Friðgeir; Zetter, Reinhard; Leng, Qin; Bouchal, Johannes Martin

2016-04-01

Here we report the first results of an ongoing study on the Miocene palynoflora from the Daotaiqiao Formation of north-eastern China. Using the single grain technique, we examined individual pollen and spores using both light and scanning electron microscopy. A previous study by Grímsson et al. (2012) on Onagraceae pollen grains from this locality, using the same technique identified five different species. Such a variety of Onagraceae from a single palynoflora is unknown elsewhere. The ongoing study suggests a remarkably rich pollen and spore flora with at least 15 different types of spores, one Ginkgo and one Ephedra type pollen, 11 conifer pollen types and approximately 145 angiosperm pollen types. Spores are very rare in the samples (≤1%). Conifer pollen grains are regularly observed but are not a dominant component (ca. 16 %). The samples yield a high quantity and diversity of angiosperm pollen (ca. 80%). The conifers include representatives of Cupressaceae (2 spp.), Pinaceae (Larix, Picea, Pinus, Tsuga) and Sciadopityaceae. The angiosperm pollen cover at least 40 families. Prominent elements are pollen of the Betulaceae (Alnus, Betula, Carpinus, Corylus), Cercidiphyllaceae (Cercidiphyllum), Ericaceae (8 spp.), Eucommiaceae (Eucommia), Fagaceae (Fagus, Quercus spp., Castaneoideae), Juglandaceae (Carya, Cyclocarya, Juglans, Pterocarya), Rosaceae (11 spp.), Sapindaceae (Acer, Aesculus) and Ulmaceae (Hemiptelia, Ulmus, Zelkova). The high angiosperm pollen diversity indicates a varying landscape with a relatively high variety of niches including riparian, dry and mesic forests. Most of the potential modern analogues of the fossil taxa are currently thriving under humid temperate (Cfa- and Cwa)-climates, pointing to paleoclimate conditions not unlike those found today in the lowlands and adjacent mountain regions of the (south-) eastern United States, the humid-meridional region of western Eurasia, and central and southern China, and Honshu (Japan). References

Traditional herbal medicine in Far-west Nepal: a pharmacological appraisal

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Shrestha Keshab P

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Plant species have long been used as principal ingredients of traditional medicine in far-west Nepal. The medicinal plants with ethnomedicinal values are currently being screened for their therapeutic potential but their data and information are inadequately compared and analyzed with the Ayurveda and the phytochemical findings. Methods The present study evaluated ethnomedicinal plants and their uses following literature review, comparison, field observations, and analysis. Comparison was made against earlier standard literature of medicinal plants and ethnomedicine of the same area, the common uses of the Ayurveda and the latest common phytochemical findings. The field study for primary data collection was carried out from 2006-2008. Results The herbal medicine in far-west Nepal is the basis of treatment of most illness through traditional knowledge. The medicine is made available via ancient, natural health care practices such as tribal lore, home herbal remedy, and the Baidhya, Ayurveda and Amchi systems. The traditional herbal medicine has not only survived but also thrived in the trans-cultural environment with its intermixture of ethnic traditions and beliefs. The present assessment showed that traditional herbal medicine has flourished in rural areas where modern medicine is parsimoniously accessed because of the high cost and long travel time to health center. Of the 48 Nepalese medicinal plants assessed in the present communication, about half of the species showed affinity with the common uses of the Ayurveda, earlier studies and the latest phytochemical findings. The folk uses of Acacia catechu for cold and cough, Aconitum spicatum as an analgesic, Aesculus indica for joint pain, Andrographis paniculata for fever, Anisomeles indica for urinary affections, Azadirachta indica for fever, Euphorbia hirta for asthma, Taxus wallichiana for tumor control, and Tinospora sinensis for diabetes are consistent with the latest

The success of the horse-chestnut leaf-miner, Cameraria ohridella, in the UK revealed with hypothesis-led citizen science.

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Michael J O Pocock

Full Text Available Citizen science is an increasingly popular way of undertaking research and simultaneously engaging people with science. However, most emphasis of citizen science in environmental science is on long-term monitoring. Here, we demonstrate the opportunities provided by short-term hypothesis-led citizen science. In 2010, we ran the 'Conker Tree Science' project, in which over 3500 people in Great Britain provided data at a national scale of an insect (horse-chestnut leaf-mining moth, Cameraria ohridella undergoing rapid range-expansion. We addressed two hypotheses, and found that (1 the levels of damage caused to leaves of the horse-chestnut tree, Aesculus hippocastanum, and (2 the level of attack by parasitoids of C. ohridella larvae were both greatest where C. ohridella had been present the longest. Specifically there was a rapid rise in leaf damage during the first three years that C. ohridella was present and only a slight rise thereafter, while estimated rates of parasitism (an index of true rates of parasitism increased from 1.6 to 5.9% when the time C. ohridella had been present in a location increased from 3 to 6 years. We suggest that this increase is due to recruitment of native generalist parasitoids, rather than the adaptation or host-tracking of more specialized parasitoids, as appears to have occurred elsewhere in Europe. Most data collected by participants were accurate, but the counts of parasitoids from participants showed lower concordance with the counts from experts. We statistically modeled this bias and propagated this through our analyses. Bias-corrected estimates of parasitism were lower than those from the raw data, but the trends were similar in magnitude and significance. With appropriate checks for data quality, and statistically correcting for biases where necessary, hypothesis-led citizen science is a potentially powerful tool for carrying out scientific research across large spatial scales while simultaneously engaging

Desenvolvimento e validação de metodologias analíticas para quantificação de β-escina em extratos de Aesculus hippocastanum L. (Castanha da Índia)

OpenAIRE

Dutra, Lidiane Silva

2012-01-01

Todos os povos do mundo fazem uso de plantas medicinais ou de seus derivados, para o tratamento de doenças. Os fitoterápicos são medicamentos obtidos empregando-se, como princípio ativo, exclusivamente matérias-primas vegetais e são caracterizados pelo conhecimento da eficácia e dos riscos de seu uso. No Brasil estes produtos são regulamentados pela Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA) e devem apresentar qualidade, segurança e eficácia. A β-escina é o principal princípio ativo da...

Chemometrics in biomonitoring: Distribution and correlation of trace elements in tree leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deljanin, Isidora; Antanasijević, Davor; Bjelajac, Anđelika; Urošević, Mira Aničić; Nikolić, Miroslav; Perić-Grujić, Aleksandra; Ristić, Mirjana

2016-01-01

The concentrations of 15 elements were measured in the leaf samples of Aesculus hippocastanum, Tilia spp., Betula pendula and Acer platanoides collected in May and September of 2014 from four different locations in Belgrade, Serbia. The objective was to assess the chemical characterization of leaf surface and in-wax fractions, as well as the leaf tissue element content, by analyzing untreated, washed with water and washed with chloroform leaf samples, respectively. The combined approach of self-organizing networks (SON) and Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE) aided by Geometrical Analysis for Interactive Aid (GAIA) was used in the interpretation of multiple element loads on/in the tree leaves. The morphological characteristics of the leaf surfaces and the elemental composition of particulate matter (PM) deposited on tree leaves were studied by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) detector. The results showed that the amounts of retained and accumulated element concentrations depend on several parameters, such as chemical properties of the element and morphological properties of the leaves. Among the studied species, Tilia spp. was found to be the most effective in the accumulation of elements in leaf tissue (70% of the total element concentration), while A. hippocastanum had the lowest accumulation (54%). After water and chloroform washing, the highest percentages of removal were observed for Al, V, Cr, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Sb (> 40%). The PROMETHEE/SON ranking/classifying results were in accordance with the results obtained from the GAIA clustering techniques. The combination of the techniques enabled extraction of additional information from datasets. Therefore, the use of both the ranking and clustering methods could be a useful tool to be applied in biomonitoring studies of trace elements. - Highlights: • Surface and in-wax fractions showed different trace element

Chemometrics in biomonitoring: Distribution and correlation of trace elements in tree leaves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deljanin, Isidora [Innovation Center of the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Karnegijeva 4, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia, (Serbia); Antanasijević, Davor, E-mail: dantanasijevic@tmf.bg.ac.rs [Innovation Center of the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Karnegijeva 4, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia, (Serbia); Bjelajac, Anđelika [Innovation Center of the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Karnegijeva 4, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia, (Serbia); Urošević, Mira Aničić [Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade, Pregrevica 118, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia, (Serbia); Nikolić, Miroslav [Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, University of Belgrade, Kneza Viseslava 1, 11030 Belgrade (Serbia); Perić-Grujić, Aleksandra; Ristić, Mirjana [University of Belgrade, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Karnegijeva 4, 11120 Belgrade (Serbia)

2016-03-01

The concentrations of 15 elements were measured in the leaf samples of Aesculus hippocastanum, Tilia spp., Betula pendula and Acer platanoides collected in May and September of 2014 from four different locations in Belgrade, Serbia. The objective was to assess the chemical characterization of leaf surface and in-wax fractions, as well as the leaf tissue element content, by analyzing untreated, washed with water and washed with chloroform leaf samples, respectively. The combined approach of self-organizing networks (SON) and Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE) aided by Geometrical Analysis for Interactive Aid (GAIA) was used in the interpretation of multiple element loads on/in the tree leaves. The morphological characteristics of the leaf surfaces and the elemental composition of particulate matter (PM) deposited on tree leaves were studied by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) detector. The results showed that the amounts of retained and accumulated element concentrations depend on several parameters, such as chemical properties of the element and morphological properties of the leaves. Among the studied species, Tilia spp. was found to be the most effective in the accumulation of elements in leaf tissue (70% of the total element concentration), while A. hippocastanum had the lowest accumulation (54%). After water and chloroform washing, the highest percentages of removal were observed for Al, V, Cr, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Sb (> 40%). The PROMETHEE/SON ranking/classifying results were in accordance with the results obtained from the GAIA clustering techniques. The combination of the techniques enabled extraction of additional information from datasets. Therefore, the use of both the ranking and clustering methods could be a useful tool to be applied in biomonitoring studies of trace elements. - Highlights: • Surface and in-wax fractions showed different trace element

Antifeeding Activity of Several Plant Extracts Against Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae Larvae

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Sonja Gvozdenac

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Lymantria dispar L. is the most devastating polyphagous pest of deciduous forests, orchardsand urban greenery. To prevent damages that L. dispar larvae cause in forestry, agriculture andhorticulture, mechanical measures and the use of biological insecticides are the most frequentlyapplied practices. However, the use of conventional insecticides is inevitable in crop protectionand forest management on smaller areas, especially in gradation years. However, inadequateuse of these chemicals has led to disturbance of biocoenotic balance, outbreaks of somepreviously less harmful organisms and pesticide residues in soil and watercourses in someregions. To mitigate these consequences it is necessary to harmonize L. dispar control withintegrated management principles by applying selective and less toxic insecticides. Therefore,the potential of botanical insecticides and antifeeding substances is gaining in importance.The aim of this study was to assess the influence of ethanol extracts (1, 2 and 5% of Ambrosiaartemisiifolia L., Erigeron canadensis L., Daucus carota L., Morus alba L. and Aesculus hippocastanumL. on the feeding intensity of L. dispar larvae, i.e. to evaluate their antifeeding activity underthe conditions of “no-choice” test. Ten larvae per repetition were placed in Petri dishes andoffered oak leaf slices (2 x 9 cm2/repetition previously dipped in plant extract or ethanol (1, 2,and 5% for the control. Feeding intensity, expressed as a percentage of consumed leaf area (%,was measured after 48 h. For assessing the antifeeding activity of plant extracts AFI was calculatedand the extracts were classified according to scale: no antifeeding activity, slight antifeedingactivity, moderate antifeeding activity and strong antifeeding activity. Data were analyzedusing a two-way ANOVA and Duncan`s multiple range test. The results indicate that plantspecies, i.e. the origin of extracts, had a significant influence on the feeding intensity of L

Contribution of flowering trees to urban atmospheric biogenic volatile organic compound emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Baghi, R.; Helmig, D.; Guenther, A.; Duhl, T.; Daly, R.

2012-10-01

Emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) from urban trees during and after blooming were measured during spring and early summer 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. Air samples were collected onto solid adsorbent cartridges from branch enclosures on the tree species crabapple (Malus sp.), horse chestnut (Aesculus carnea, "Ft. McNair"), honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos, "Sunburst"), and hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata, "Pauls Scarlet"). These species constitute ~ 65% of the insect-pollinated fraction of the flowering tree canopy (excluding catkin-producing trees) from the street area managed by the City of Boulder. Samples were analyzed for C10-C15 BVOC by thermal desorption and gas chromatography coupled to a flame ionization detector and a mass spectrometer (GC/FID/MS). Identified emissions and emission rates from these four tree species during the flowering phase were found to vary over a wide range. Monoterpene emissions were identified for honey locust, horse chestnut and hawthorn. Sesquiterpene emissions were observed in horse chestnut and hawthorn samples. Crabapple flowers were found to emit significant amounts of benzyl alcohol and benzaldehyde. Floral BVOC emissions increased with temperature, generally exhibiting exponential temperature dependence. Changes in BVOC speciation during and after the flowering period were observed for every tree studied. Emission rates were significantly higher during the blooming compared to the post-blooming state for crabapple and honey locust. The results were scaled to the dry mass of leaves and flowers contained in the enclosure. Only flower dry mass was accounted for crabapple emission rates as leaves appeared at the end of the flowering period. Total normalized (30 °C) monoterpene emissions from honey locust were higher during flowering (5.3 μgC g-1 h-1) than after flowering (1.2 μgC g-1 h-1). The total normalized BVOC emission rate from crabapple (93 μgC g-1 h-1) during the flowering period is of the same

Ethnobotany of the Monpa ethnic group at Arunachal Pradesh, India.

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Namsa, Nima D; Mandal, Manabendra; Tangjang, Sumpam; Mandal, Subhash C

2011-10-14

(Derris scandens, Aesculus assamica, and Polygonum hydropiper) were frequently used to poison fish during the month of June-July every year and the underground tuber of Aconitum ferrox is widely used in arrow poisoning to kill ferocious animals like bear, wild pigs, gaur and deer. The most frequently cited plant species; Buddleja asiatica and Hedyotis scandens were used as common growth supplements during the preparation of fermentation starter cultures. The traditional pharmacopoeia of the Monpa ethnic group incorporates a myriad of diverse botanical flora. Traditional knowledge of the remedies is passed down through oral traditions without any written document. This traditional knowledge is however, currently threatened mainly due to acculturation and deforestation due to continuing traditional shifting cultivation. This study reveals that the rural populations in Arunachal Pradesh have a rich knowledge of forest-based natural resources and consumption of wild edible plants is still an integral part of their socio-cultural life. Findings of this documentation study can be used as an ethnopharmacological basis for selecting plants for future phytochemical and pharmaceutical studies.

Influence of air pollution by compounds of fluorine, sulphur and nitrogen on changes of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activity in the leaves of trees and bushes

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Y. Prysedskyj

2017-08-01

pollutants (Sorbus aucuparia L., Fraxinus lanceolata Borkh were characterized by the significant decline in peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase activity, by 18.7–79.1% and 20.5–71.2% respectively, depending on the duration of action of the gases in all variants of the experiment. In species with variable tolerance (Aesculus hippocastanum L., Acer negundo L., Populus simonii Carriere the reaction to the pollutants was ambiguous in nature and depended on the presence of damage. If the leaves of these plants did not show visible damage (necrosis, then activity of the enzymes did not change. When there was damage to leaf laminae this index decreased in relation to control by 17.3–60.1% for peroxidase and 24.7–57.3% for polyphenoloxidase. Significant negative linear correlation was found between activity of antioxidant enzymes and damage to leaves of the investigated plants: the coefficients of correlation were –0.385 between peroxidase activity and damage and –0.130 between polyphenoloxidase activity and damage. The character of changes in peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase activity show that these enzymes play a considerable role in the detoxication of pollutants and that there is a reduction in their influence on metabolic processes of plant organisms.

Ethnobotany of the Monpa ethnic group at Arunachal Pradesh, India

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Tangjang Sumpam

2011-10-01

religious scripts in Buddhist monasteries. Three plant species (Derris scandens, Aesculus assamica, and Polygonum hydropiper were frequently used to poison fish during the month of June-July every year and the underground tuber of Aconitum ferrox is widely used in arrow poisoning to kill ferocious animals like bear, wild pigs, gaur and deer. The most frequently cited plant species; Buddleja asiatica and Hedyotis scandens were used as common growth supplements during the preparation of fermentation starter cultures. Conclusion The traditional pharmacopoeia of the Monpa ethnic group incorporates a myriad of diverse botanical flora. Traditional knowledge of the remedies is passed down through oral traditions without any written document. This traditional knowledge is however, currently threatened mainly due to acculturation and deforestation due to continuing traditional shifting cultivation. This study reveals that the rural populations in Arunachal Pradesh have a rich knowledge of forest-based natural resources and consumption of wild edible plants is still an integral part of their socio-cultural life. Findings of this documentation study can be used as an ethnopharmacological basis for selecting plants for future phytochemical and pharmaceutical studies.

Ethnobotany of the Monpa ethnic group at Arunachal Pradesh, India

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Buddhist monasteries. Three plant species (Derris scandens, Aesculus assamica, and Polygonum hydropiper) were frequently used to poison fish during the month of June-July every year and the underground tuber of Aconitum ferrox is widely used in arrow poisoning to kill ferocious animals like bear, wild pigs, gaur and deer. The most frequently cited plant species; Buddleja asiatica and Hedyotis scandens were used as common growth supplements during the preparation of fermentation starter cultures. Conclusion The traditional pharmacopoeia of the Monpa ethnic group incorporates a myriad of diverse botanical flora. Traditional knowledge of the remedies is passed down through oral traditions without any written document. This traditional knowledge is however, currently threatened mainly due to acculturation and deforestation due to continuing traditional shifting cultivation. This study reveals that the rural populations in Arunachal Pradesh have a rich knowledge of forest-based natural resources and consumption of wild edible plants is still an integral part of their socio-cultural life. Findings of this documentation study can be used as an ethnopharmacological basis for selecting plants for future phytochemical and pharmaceutical studies. PMID:21995750

Schizophyllum commune: The main cause of dying trees of the Banja Luka arbored walks and parks

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Matavulj Milan N.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In the frame of investigation of the main cause of dying trees of the main arbored walks (Mladena Stojanovića Aley and Park, the investigation of the presence and diversity of macrofungi in Banja Luka City were undertaken in the period 2006-2011. Relatively poor generic diversity of lignicolous (pathogenic or potentially pathogenic and saprotrophic macrofungi with only 16 species representing this group (13 basidiomycets: Schizophyllum commune, Fomes fomentarius, Stereum hirsutum, Coriolus versicolor, Flammulina velutipes, Pseudotrametes gibbosa, Ganoderma applanatum, G. lucidum, G. adspersum, Polyporus squamosus, Meripilus giganteus, Laetiporus sulphureus, Auricu­laria auricula-judae, and 3 ascomycets: Nectria cinnabarina, Xylaria hypoxylon, X. poly­morpha were recorded. Such a poor qualitative composition of this very important fungal group could be explained by the reduction in the number of plant species in arbored walks and alleys, as well as the reduction in the number of fungi resistant to heavy air pollution caused by nearby (1-5m fuel combustion in engines. Although only preliminary, our results pointed to the necessity of conservation and protection of the most beautiful features of Banja Luka and its alleys and arbored walks, by undertaking the measures of curing damaged trees and treating them with fungicides in order to wipe out the epiphytia caused in more than 95% of cases (dated May 2011 by Split-gill (Schizophyllum commune, present on dead wood but also on damaged trees of Aesculus hyppocastaneum (127 trees, Tilia cordata (124 trees, Tilia platyphyllos (36 trees, Tilia argentea (40 trees, Acer negundo (20 trees, Platanus acerifolia (2 trees, Robinia pseudoacacia (3 trees, Fraxinus ornus (1 tree, Betula pendula (1 tree, Catalpa sp. (2 trees, etc. Altogether, during the last decade, around 200 trees collapsed or were sanitary cut in Banja Luka arbored walk from the Malta site to the Green bridge, a total length around 5 km. The

Assessing potential changes of chestnut productivity in Europe under future climate conditions

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Calheiros, T.; Pereira, M. G.; Pinto, J. G.; Caramelo, L.; Gomes-Laranjo, J.; Dacamara, C. C.

2012-04-01

distribution of meteorological variables and parameters. In particular, more severe conditions during spring and summer are expected, especially in the Mediterranean area, with less precipitation and higher temperatures. All these changes will have impacts on chestnut fruits and wood in Europe. Dinis, L-T. J., Ferreira-Cardoso, J., Peixoto, F., Costa, R. e Gomes-Laranjo, J., 2011: Study of morphological and chemical diversity in chestnut trees (var. 'Judia') as a function of temperature sum. Cyta- Journal of food, 9(3): 192-199 Gomes-Laranjo et al., 2008: Differences in photosynthetic apparatus of leaves from different sides of chestnut canopy, Photosynthetica, 46, 63-72. Heiniger,U. And Conedera, M., 1992: Chestnut forests and chestnut cultivation in Switzerland. Proceedings of the International Chestnut Conference, West Virginia University, Morgantown, 10-14 July 1992, 175-178. Pereira, M.G., Caramelo, L., Gouveia, C., Gomes-Laranjo, J., Magalhães, M., 2011: Assessment of weather-related risk on chestnut productivity. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 11, 1-12, doi:10.5194/nhess-11-12-011. Wilczynski, S. And Podlaski, R, 2007: The effect of climate on radial growth of horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L.) in the Swietokrzki National Park in Central Poland, J.For.Res., 12, 24-23.

First Plant Phenological Records in the Carpathians and their Possible Use

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Tekusova, M.; Horecká, V.; Mikulová, K.

2009-04-01

records vary from station to station. In some cases records were given in details including geographical details regarding the position of observed individual plant (orientation of the slopes) and the damages caused by frosts but this was not a general feature. All phenological observations were done on a voluntary basis. Moreover, even the stations that performed the observations for more than ten years changed the observed species from year to year. This makes the data sets quite fragmented with many gaps and the standard statistical characteristics of any station can be hardly obtained and their statistical significance is very low. As the standard statistical processing of the data sets was not possible, we tried to elaborate some descriptions that can characterize the distribution of phenological manifestation in space and time. Climatologic records available in the yearbooks were expressed as monthly mean values and totals. There are also gaps and missing data in the climatologic records. Nevertheless, these data sets enable us to get general characteristics of months and seasons. Next possible evaluation can follow the local phenological calendar. This was done also in 1874. As only three phenological phases were recorded, it was difficult to follow the development and growth of a particular plant. That is why only flowering of the plants characterizing start of early spring /Corylus Avellana/, full spring /Cornus mas, Salix alba and Prunus spinosa/, late spring /Syringa vulgaris, Aesculus Hippocastanum and Crataegus laevigata/ and early summer /Robinia Pseudoacacia and Sambucus nigra/ were considered. The full start of summer is indicated usually by flowering of Tilia platyphyllos. Three stations from the lowlands in northern region with relatively good data sets were selected in order to get this course of flowering. The northern most positioned station showed the delay in the beginning of flowering at the plants which flower in full spring and early summer while