As technology has advanced, corporations, government entities, and institutions of higher education have all begun experimenting with online classes and training. In colleges and universities around the world, everything from individual online classes to entire online degree programs are now offered. While many researchers and educators support this trend, many are concerned with whether online education is truly comparable to traditional, live instruction. The goal of this study was to evaluate an online version of a floral design course in comparison to the traditional version of the class. There were 140 students in the sample, including both the online and traditional classes. All were students at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. During the spring semester of 2003, the experimental group was enrolled in the online version of the course, while the control group was enrolled in the traditional version of the course. Students in both groups were asked to fill out surveys at the beginning and end of the semester to collect background information and to evaluate the course. Their floral designs were evaluated at the beginning and end of the class in order to measure design skill, and grades earned in the class were also collected at the end of the semester for comparison purposes. Statistically significant differences were noted in class grades, with traditional students outperforming the Web-based students in lecture points, lab points, and overall course grades. No statistically significant differences were noted in terms of student course satisfaction. In addition, students in the traditional class outperformed Web-based students in design skills. Besides class differences in performance, variables such as gender and distance course preparedness seemed to affect the outcome of some measures. Overall, females outperformed males in both classes. In the Web-based class, students found to be more prepared for distance learning courses fared better than students who were not as prepared. These results may indicate that certain students may do better in an online course than others, and it may be possible to screen these students in advance in order to maximize success in the online classroom.

As technology has advanced, corporations, government entities, and institutions of higher education have all begun experimenting with online classes and training. In colleges and universities around the world, everything from individual online classes to entire online degree programs are now offered. While many researchers and educators support this trend, many are concerned with whether online education is truly comparable to traditional, live instruction. The goal of this study was to evaluate an online version of a floral design course in comparison to the traditional version of the class. There were 140 students in the sample, including both the online and traditional classes. All were students at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. During the spring semester of 2003, the experimental group was enrolled in the online version of the course, while the control group was enrolled in the traditional version of the course. Students in both groups were asked to fill out surveys at the beginning and end of the semester to collect background information and to evaluate the course. Their floral designs were evaluated at the beginning and end of the class in order to measure design skill, and grades earned in the class were also collected at the end of the semester for comparison purposes. Statistically significant differences were noted in class grades, with traditional students outperforming the Web-based students in lecture points, lab points, and overall course grades. No statistically significant differences were noted in terms of student course satisfaction. In addition, students in the traditional class outperformed Web-based students in design skills. Besides class differences in performance, variables such as gender and distance course preparedness seemed to affect the outcome of some measures. Overall, females outperformed males in both classes. In the Web-based class, students found to be more prepared for distance learning courses fared better than students who were not as prepared. These results may indicate that certain students may do better in an online course than others, and it may be possible to screen these students in advance in order to maximize success in the online classroom.

Florists in today’s industry are competing against mass-markets that are able to buy and sell fresh-cut flowers at low prices in bulk. Mass-markets offer little or no design or other services. Consumers find it convenient to order flowers online through wire services, paying large fees to order flowers. Order gatherers pose as local floral shops taking consumers orders online or by phone then call the local florist to fill orders. Packaged flowers became popular in the early 2000’s ordering flowers directly from the farm to the consumer. Rural and metropolitan areas of Central Kentucky and North Central Tennessee were surveyed. Florists were selected within a 160 – mile driving distance of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Florists were identified through an Internet search for florists in each county and also the Teleflora database. Survey data were analyzed using Statistical Analysis System 9.3. Ordinal data were analyzed using PROC NPAR1WAY, and Kruskal –Wallis Analysis. Wilcoxon analysis was used for individual treatment separation. This study results had 103 florists’ surveys and 321 of their returning consumer surveys. This study examined correlations in the florist’s survey studying the relationships between marketing effects verses repeat consumers. The consumer survey examined the relationships between when and what consumers purchased arrangements for and the average price per arrangement. Florists using websites as their main form of marketing increased their number of return consumers. Florists targeting consumers 30 years old and younger had more repeat consumers. Consumers whose main method of purchasing was telephone increased their price per arrangement. Walk-in consumers spent less money per purchase. Florists who contributed to this study will receive summary of the results, permitting them to benefit from their contribution

Orientador: Vera Lucia Scatena / Banca: Adelita Aparecida Sartori Paoli / Banca: Beatriz Appezzato da Glória / Banca: Sandra Maria Carmello Guerreiro / Banca: Silvia Rodrigues Machado / Resumo: A anatomia floral de espécies de Poales incluídas em Rapateaceae, Juncaceae, Xyridaceae, Eriocaulaceae e Mayacaceae e a biologia reprodutiva de espécies de Abolboda (Xyridaceae) foram estudadas visando contribuir com a taxonomia do grupo e elucidar relações inter e intrafamiliares. Em Rapateaceae, tricomas secretores de mucilagem presentes na base de todas as peças florais; sépalas, pétalas, anteras e estilete recobertos por cera de ornamentação estriada; pétalas com células epidérmicas curtas, de paredes sinuosas na face abaxial; anteras tetrasporangiadas, com células epidérmicas contendo compostos fenólicos; endotécio com espessamento em espiral; ovário tricarpelar, com septos incompletos; óvulos anátropos e bitegumentados; e o mesmo padrão de vascularização floral caracterizam a família. Cephalostemon e Rapatea apresentam grande similaridade, corroborando análises filogenéticas que os apontam como grupos-irmãos. Stegolepis apresenta muitas características distintivas, refletindo maior diversidade do gênero. Juncaceae caracteriza-se por apresentar tépalas com epiderme abaxial formada por células alongadas, de paredes sinuosas, e margens formadas pelo prolongamento da epiderme; endotécio com espessamento em espiral; grãos de pólen em tétrade; epiderme externa do ovário com invaginações nas regiões dos feixes dorsais dos carpelos; e presença de ginóforo. Juncus distingue-se por apresentar estômatos na face abaxial das tépalas e vários óvulos com placentação parietal, enquanto Luzula diferencia-se pela presença de compostos fenólicos nas tépalas, intumescimento da base das tépalas e dos filetes, androceu diplostêmone e presença de obturador no ovário, além de apresentar três óvulos com placentação basal. Nas xyrídeas, apêndices nectaríferos do estilete estão presentes em Xyridaceae e Eriocaulaceae e são estruturas homólogas ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The floral anatomy of Rapateaceae, Juncaceae, Xyridaceae, Eriocaulaceae and Mayacaceae, and the reproductive biology of Xyridaceae species were investigated in order to contribute to the taxonomy and to the better understanding of inter and infrafamilial relationships. In Rapateaceae, mucilage-secreting trichomes between the floral parts; sepals, petals, anthers and style covered by an ornamented cuticle; short epidermal cells, with sinuous walls in the abaxial surface of the petals; tetrasporangiate anthers with phenolic idioblasts in the epidermis; endothecium with spiral thickenings; tricarpelar ovary, with incomplete septa; anatropous, bitegmic ovules; and the same floral vascularization pattern characterize the family. Cephalostemon and Rapatea show a great number of similarities, corroborating the phylogenetic analyses that identify these genera as closely related. Stegolepis shows several distinctive characters, probably related to the greater diversity found in the genera. Juncaceae is characterized by tepals with sinuous-walled cells in the abaxial surface and with margins composed only of epidermis; endothecium with spiral thickenings; pollen in tetrad; invaginations in the ovary epidermis facing the carpel dorsal bundles; and gynophore. Juncus is distinguished by the presence of stomata in the abaxial epidermis of the tepals, and several ovules with parietal placentation, while Luzula differs by the occurrence of phenolic compounds in the tepals; intumescence of the basal region of tepals and filaments; diplostemonous androecium; ovarian obturator; and three ovules with basal placentation. In the xyrid clade, the stylar appengades of Xyridaceae and Eriocaulaceae are homologous structures, supporting the phylogenetic proximity of these two families. Eriocaulaceae and Xyridaceae also share the presence of elongate epidermal cells with straight walls in the petals; epipetalous ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Submitted by Irene Nascimento (irene.kessia@ufpe.br) on 2017-03-30T17:49:38Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação - Camila Miranda Barbosa.pdf: 2266282 bytes, checksum: 8e483f742cbf0b10a05321744d93decd (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-30T17:49:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação - Camila Miranda Barbosa.pdf: 2266282 bytes, checksum: 8e483f742cbf0b10a05321744d93decd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-24 / CNPQ / O licuri (Syagrus coronata) é uma palmeira que floresce e frutifica durante o ano inteiro, tendo grande importância ecológica e econômica, uma vez que fornece hábitat e alimento para diversos seres vivos, inclusive para a subsistência de populações humanas. Em populações nativas encontradas no Parque Nacional do Catimbau, a fenologia da espécie foi monitorada em quatro áreas (total de 120 indivíduos). Também foram identificados os visitantes florais, a composição química dos odores florais e a variação de temperatura das flores durante a antese, levando em consideração as fases reprodutivas (feminina e masculina), o sexo das estruturas reprodutivas (flores pistiladas e estaminadas) e o período do dia (manhã e noite). O fitness reprodutivo foi comparativamente analisado para polinização diurna vs noturna, entomófila vs anemófila. Amostras de odores florais foram coletadas através de “headspace” dinâmico a partir de flores pistiladas e estaminadas, bem como nas suas respectivas brácteas. O estudo da fenologia evidenciou duas áreas sazonais, enquanto duas outras produziram eventos contínuos de reprodução. A riqueza e abundância de visitantes florais foram maiores nas inflorescências masculinas que nas femininas. O fitness reprodutivo não mostrou diferença entre os tratamentos de polinização. Por sua vez, análises de odor floral demonstraram diferenças de compostos isolados nas brácteas e inflorescências, mas não entre as fases reprodutivas; a quantidade de odor emitido diferiu nas brácteas nas fases femininas e masculinas, mas não nas inflorescências, as quais apresentaram quantidades similares de compostos. Não foi evidenciado fenômeno de termogênese floral, nem ao longo do dia, nem entre as fases reprodutivas. Estratégias como o fornecimento de recursos em abundância e hábitat para visitantes florais, liberação diferenciada de odor e floração contínua, podem estar associadas à garantia do fluxo gênico dentro e entre populações dessa espécie de Syagrus. / Licuri (Syagrus coronata) is a palm tree that blooms and bears fruit throughout the year, having an ecological and economic importance, as it provides habitat and food for many living beings, including for the livelihoods of human populations. In native populations, found in Catimbau National Park, the phenology of species was monitored in four areas (total 120 individuals). Also flower visitors were identified, the chemical composition of floral scents and temperature variation of flowers at anthesis, taking into account the reproductive stages (male and female), sex of the reproductive structures (pistillate and staminate flowers) and the period the day (morning and evening). The reproductive fitness was comparatively analyzed for day vs. night pollinated and entomophilous vs anemophilus. Samples of floral odours were collected through "headspace" dynamic from pistillate and staminate flowers as well as in their respective bracts. The study of phenology showed two seasonal areas, while two others produced continuous reproductive events. The richness and abundance of floral visitors were higher in male than in female inflorescences. The reproductive fitness showed no difference between pollination treatments. In turn, floral odor analysis showed differences in isolated compounds in the bracts and flowers, but do not between the reproductive stage; the amount of odor emitted differed in the bracts in male and female phases, but not in inflorescences, which showed similar amounts of compounds. Floral thermogenesis phenomenon was not evidenced neither throughout the day nor between reproductive stages. Strategies such as providing abundant resources and habitat for floral visitors, differentiated release of odor and continuous flowering, may be associated with the guarantee of gene flow within and among populations of this species of Syagrus.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T15:05:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo7083_1.pdf: 1523259 bytes, checksum: 5c6ae78b8ce345e446db39b49e9cb854 (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A morfologia floral é um dos aspectos mais importantes na interação entre planta e polinizador, a qual determina a acessibilidade do polinizador ao recurso, a eficiência da deposição do pólen no corpo do animal, assim como o recebimento dos grãos de pólen, pelo estigma, através do vetor. Na família Marantaceae a estrutura floral é uma característica marcante, principalmente pelos elementos que compõem a arquitetura das flores e inflorescência e pelo mecanismo de polinização. Neste trabalho foram estudados os mecanismos de polinização, a biologia floral e o sistema reprodutivo de seis espécies representantes de três dos quatro grupos da família Marantaceae, Calathea pernambucica Loes., C. villosa Lindl. (grupo Calathea), Hylaeanthe hexantha (Poeppig. & Endl.) A.M.E. Jonker & Jonker (grupo Myrosma), Maranta divaricata Rosc., M. protracta Miq. (ambas do grupo Maranta) e Stromanthe tonckat (Aubl.) Eichler (grupo Myrosma). O trabalho foi desenvolvido no período de março de 2001 a setembro de 2004, na Estação Ecológica do Tapacurá (8o3 S e 35o10 W), um remanescente da Floresta Atlântica Semidecidual de Pernambuco, Nordeste do Brasil. O período de floração nas duas espécies de Maranta ocorre durante todo o ano com os meses de chuva correspondendo ao pico da floração, enquanto que para as outras quatro espécies ocorre na estação de maior pluviosidade, de março a agosto. As seis espécies são herbáceas, possuem flores assimétricas, tubulosas e modificadas, principalmente o androceu, o qual apresenta um estame com uma única teca funcional e estaminódios petalóides que auxiliam no processo de atração aos animais visitantes. Além disso, as flores são protândricas, possuem apresentação secundária de pólen e o gineceu é composto por um estilete, preso por um dos estaminódios com mecanismo explosivo de polinização. Nas duas espéceis de Calathea, em H. hexantha e S. tonckat a antese é diurna, com inicio por volta das 04:30 h e a produção de néctar estendendo-se até às 12:00 h. Os volumes e concentrações médias de néctar nessas quatro espécies variou de 2 a 6,5 μl e de 25 a 30%, respectivamente, característico de flores melitófilas e ornitófilas. As flores de Maranta divaricata e M. protracta começam a abrir às 15:30 h e a produção de néctar tem inicio por volta das 16:30 h, apresentando médias de 0,24 μl de volume e 15% de concentração de açúcar com a produção estendendo-se até às 19:30 h. As flores das espécies de Maranta duram, aproximadamente, até às 2100 h e a partir desse horário iniciam o processo de senescência, apresentando acúmulo de orvalho dentro do tubo floral. Com relação aos visitantes florais, as espécies de Calathea foram polinizadas exclusivamente por abelhas Euglossini, enquanto que o mesmo grupo de abelhas foi observado polinizando as flores de Hylaeanthe hexantha, assim como o beija-flor Phaethornis ruber (Phaethorninae) que foi considerado um importante polinizador para essa espécie. Em Stromanthe tonckat o beija-flor Phaethornis ruber foi observado como sendo, também, o polinizador principal, juntamente com Xylocopa suspecta. As duas espécies de Maranta foram consideradas falenófilas, pois apesar de terem sido polinizadas por noctuídeos e esfingídeos, uma os noctuídeos eram os primeiros visitantes às flores, enquanto que os esfingídeos iniciavam as suas visitas no horário em que a maioria das flores já haviam sido desengatilhadas e polinizadas pelos noctuídeos. O sistema reprodutivo das seis espécies de Marantaceae foi verificado a partir de polinizações controladas no campo e através da análise do crescimento dos tubos polínicos, sendo todas as espécies autocompatíveis. A formação de frutos por autopolinização espontânea foi verificada em Calathea villosa, cerca de 18%, e em Maranta divaricata e M. protracta com 37 e 24%, respectivamente. Em C. pernambucica, devido à predação dos ovários em desenvolvimento por espécies de formigas, os frutos formados em nenhum dos tratamentos pôde ser contabilizado. A autocompatibilidade é referida como muito comum dentro da família Marantaceae, no entanto foi observada a formação de frutos através de polinizações cruzadas nas espécies deste trabalho

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T15:05:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo9479_1.pdf: 1028869 bytes, checksum: 9b44b3639daff0abfcfbc86404089457 (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil (Griseb.) Altschul é uma Leguminosae arbórea amplamente distribuída nas florestas tropicais sazonais secas da América do Sul. O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar diversos aspectos da biologia reprodutiva da espécie, incluindo o sistema sexual, a biologia floral, a ecologia da polinização e o sistema reprodutivo. O estudo foi realizado em 2007 e 2009 no município de Serra Talhada, PE, Nordeste do Brasil. A espécie floresceu na estação seca e as inflorescências do tipo glomérulo são heteromórficas, com flores masculinas na base e hermafroditas no ápice, caracterizando andromonoicia. A antese é diurna e algumas flores por inflorescência apresentam néctar. Os principais polinizadores foram abelhas (a introduzida Apis mellifera e a autóctone Trigona spinipes), mas também foram registradas espécies de vespas (Polybia occidentallis e Vespidae sp.) e uma de borboleta (Hemiargus hanno). O número médio de óvulos por flor foi 16 e cada políade possui 16 grãos de pólen. O Índice de Autoincompatibilidade foi de 0,1 e houve baixa formação natural de frutos. A andromonoicia encontrada em A. colubrina é o primeiro registro para o gênero. A relação de 1:1 entre número de grãos de pólen por políade e número de óvulos por flor é comum na subfamília, com muitos casos de espécies onde uma políade é capaz de fecundar todos os óvulos de uma flor. A espécie é autoincompatível e, portanto, dependente de vetores de pólen para a reprodução, mostrando-se generalista em relação aos polinizadores. Por apresentar floração em massa e na estação seca, cada indivíduo florido de A. colubrina torna-se uma importante fonte de recurso para a fauna local

Malaria still remains one of the world’s biggest killers with more than two million people dying from the disease each year. Present drugs have become ineffective because parasites are developing resistance to most of them. Efforts are now being directed in obtaining drugs with different structural features. Plants have provided most of the antimalarial drugs so far and efforts now concentrate on screening plants for new antimalarial drugs. South Africa with its rich floral resources and ethnobotanical history is an ideal place to screen plants for antimalarial activity. The antimalarial activity of 20 extracts from 14 ethnobotanically selected South African plants was screened for antimalarial activity in vitro. Results obtained showed that most of the plants had strong antimalarial activity. IC50 values obtained with the flow cytometric method were between 0.9 and 2 µg/ml for 9 of the 10 selected extracts. This represents a very high number of extracts with very good antimalarial activity. Cytotoxicity of the most active extracts were determined against monkey kidney cells as well as a luminescent bacteria method. Results obtained had a ID50 between 35 and 100 µg/ml with the monkey kidney cell test and between 100 and 2000 µg/ml with the bacteria test. Therapeutic values ranged between 35 and 100. Extracts therefore have a poor selectivity towards Plasmodium. The dichloromethane extract from Ozoroa engleri was further purified with silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex column chromatography and HPLC. Results obtained showed at least five or six compounds responsible for the antimalarial activity of the extract, all with moderate antimalarial activity and no further efforts were undertaken to identify them. The acetone extract of Croton pseudopulchellus was then selected for isolation of active principles and was purified by silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex column chromatography and PTLC. Kaurenoic acid was isolated as one of the active principles and identified by NMR and GC-MS. Kaurenoic acid was found to have an antimalarial IC50 of 38 µg/ml, while its cytotoxicity ID50 was 35 µg/ml. Kaurenoic acid was responsible for only some of the activity found in the purified fraction and other compound(s) in the extract might have much better antimalarial activity. / Dissertation (MSc (Plant Physiology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Plant Science / unrestricted

This research presents the results of a bee survey (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) in remnants of the Mississippi Black Belt Prairie, a unique physiographical region that is a threatened community covering 14,141 square kilometers in both Mississippi and Alabama. Sampling was performed with sweep nets and Malaise traps. A total of 151 visits were made to several prairie remnant areas during the years 1999 – 2001 with 92 Malaise trap samples. Historical bee collection data from these prairies were incorporated into this survey. A total of 6,140 specimens resulting in 107 species, 51 new state records and eight disjunct species were collected within five bee families: Colletidae, Andrenidae, Halictidae, Megachilidae and Apidae. The most abundant species belonged to the Halictidae. The most common floral families visited were Asteraceae and Fabaceae. The addition of the species in this survey brings the state list of bees to at least 204.

No description available.