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Arsenic is a naturally occurring element, which is toxic to aquatic biota especially in disturbed areas where it may be found at high concentrations. A headwater stream adjacent to an 85 year-old abandoned arsenic mine was investigated to determine the influence of arsenic on stream biota and processes using an upstream (reference) and downstream (mine-influenced) comparative approach. Arsenic concentration was measured monthly at 10 sites along the stream length. Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys were conducted in both reaches five times throughout the course of a year. Leaf breakdown assays were conducted in reference and mine-influenced reaches. Leaf biofilm respiration was recorded during leaf breakdown assays and also with experimental arsenic additions to reference reach leaf biofilms. At the field site, arsenic concentrations varied from below detection limit (<2.5µg/L) to more than 12 mg/L. Macroinvertebrate density was greatly reduced down-gradient of the mine with 154 individuals/m2, while upstream there were 7869 individuals/m2. Leaf biofilm respiration rates were comparable to others found in the literature and not significantly different between reference and mine-influenced reaches. Further, experimental additions of arsenic did not alter biofilm respiration under laboratory conditions. However, shredder abundance on leaf packs was eight to twenty times greater upstream than the mine-influenced reach. Leaf breakdown rate varied two to three fold among sites distributed above and below the mine and were significantly lower in reaches of elevated arsenic concentration. Together, these data suggest that the mining operations on this headwater stream have altered organic matter processing primarily by decreasing invertebrate densities and limiting shredder abundance. / Master of Science

No / Cajanus cajan L, a member of the family Fabaceae, was identified from the Nigerian antimalarial ethnobotany as possessing antimalarial properties. The bioassay-guided fractionation of the crude methanol extract of C. cajan leaves was done in vitro using the multiresistant strain of Plasmodium falciparum (K1) in the parasite lactate dehydrogenase assay. Isolation of compound was achieved by a combination of chromatographic techniques, while the structure of the compound was elucidated by spectroscopy. This led to the identification of a cajachalcone, 2′,6′-dihydroxy-4-methoxy chalcone, as the biologically active constituent from the ethyl acetate fraction. Cajachalcone had an IC50 value of 2.0 μg/mL (7.4 μM) and could be a lead for anti-malarial drug discovery.

Vegetables play a major role in the livelihoods of the rural poor in Africa. Among major constraints to vegetable production worldwide are diseases caused by a group of viruses belonging to the genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae. Begomoviruses are plant-infecting viruses, which are transmitted by the whitefly vector Bemisia tabaci and have been known to cause extreme yield reduction in a number of economically important vegetables around the world. Several begomoviruses have been detected infecting vegetable crops in West and Central Africa (WCA). Small single stranded circular molecules, alphasatellites and betasatellites, which are about half the size of their helper begomovirus genome, have also been detected in plants infected by begomoviruses. In WCA, B. tabaci has been associated with suspected begomovirus infections in many vegetable crops and weed species. Sequencing of viral genomes from crops such as okra resulted in the identification of two previously known begomovirus species (Cotton leaf curl Gezira virus and Okra yellow crinkle virus) as well as a new recombinant begomovirus species (Okra leaf curl Cameroon virus), a betasatellite (Cotton leaf curl Gezira betasatellite) and new alphasatellites. Tomato and pepper plants with leaf curling were shown to contain isolates of new begomoviruses, collectively referred to as West African tomato-infecting begomoviruses (WATIBs), new alphasatellites and betasatellites. To study the potential of weeds serving as begomovirus reservoirs, begomoviruses and satellites in the weed Ageratum conyzoides were characterized. Sequence analyses showed that they were infected by isolates of a new begomovirus (Ageratum leaf curl Cameroon virus) that belong to the WATIBs group, a new betasatellite (Ageratum leaf curl Cameroon betasatellite), an alphasatellite and two types of defective recombinants between a begomovirus and an alphasatellite. Putative recombinations were detected in begomovirus genomes for all four plant species studied, indicating that recombination is an important mechanism for their evolution. A close relationship between the begomoviruses infecting pepper and tomato and A. conyzoides and the detection of the same alphasatellite in them support the idea that weeds are important reservoirs for begomoviruses and their satellites. With this high diversity, recombination potential and transmission by B. tabaci, begomoviruses and ssDNA satellites pose a serious threat to crop production in West and Central Africa.

This work of creative nonfiction is a hybrid of memoir, essay, cultural critique, and, to a lesser extent, literary journalism. The central autobiographical thread is my brother's shocking and violent murder at the hands of law enforcement, its handling by the media and subsequent trip through the American criminal justice system, and the spiraling effect of such trauma on family and friends. However, the text goes beyond a personal account of loss to illuminate the intersection between the personal and the universal: the way that the individual political subject embodies our cultural and systemic atmosphere of grief, alienation, confusion, powerlessness, violence, and corruption. This examination also necessarily raises questions about the social and personal consequences of individual and systemic decisions, as well as the role of rhetoric in attempts to justify such decisions and discourage activism. / Department of English

A família Passifloraceae é conhecida mundialmente por suas flores exuberantes, frutos comestíveis e pelo uso na medicina. Composta por duas tribos, com apenas Passifloreae ocorrendo abundantemente no Brasil, principalmente espécies pertencentes ao gênero Passiflora. Este gênero compreende quatro subgêneros, Astrophea, Decaloba, Deidamioides e Passiflora. Destes Decaloba e Passiflora são grupos monofiléticos e os mais numerosos em espécies. É ainda o gênero que mais apresenta diversidade morfológica das folhas e estípulas. Apesar do elevado número de espécies, os estudos sobre anatomia foliar em Passifloraceae ainda são escassos, embora muitas revisões taxonômicas utilizem amplamente a morfologia foliar para classificar as espécies. Dessa forma este trabalho teve como objetivo auxiliar na identificação das espécies e contribuir com futuros estudos filogenéticos, a partir das descrições morfológicas e anatômicas das folhas de Passiflora. Técnicas usuais de anatomia vegetal foram utilizadas para análise em microscopia óptica. Como principais resultados foram descritos caracteres anatômicos que corroboram a classificação infrasubgenérica já existente, além de acrescentar características particulares ao nível de espécie. O padrão de venação mostrou-se o caráter anatômico bastante seguro. Dentre as superseções analisadas, a superseção Dacaloba mostrou-se mais sólida quanto aos caracteres anatômicos estudados. No entanto, na superseção Stipulata, outro grupo com boa representação, as características anatômicas não foram constantes entre as espécies / Passifloraceae family is worldwide known for its exuberant flowers, edible fruits and for their use in medicine. Composed of two tribes, with only Passifloreae largely distributed in Brazil, especially species belonging to the genera Passiflora. This genera comprises four subgenera, .Astrophea, Decaloba, Deidamioides and Passiflora. Within these, Decaloba and Passiflora are monophyletic groups and the most representative in number of species. Besides, these are the subgenera with the greatest morphological diversity in leaves and stipules. Even with the large number of species, the studies about leaf anatomy in Passifloraceae are still scarce. Several taxonomic reviews widely use leaf morphology to classify the species and group them in taxa. Thus, this study aimed to support the species identification and contribute with future phylogenetic studies, based on the morphological and anatomical descriptions of Passiflora leaves. Usual techniques of plant anatomy laboratory were used in optical microscopy. As main results, the anatomical characters described corroborated the infrasugnenera classification already existent, besides adding particular characteristics to the level of species. The venation pattern demonstrated to be a safe anatomical character. Within the analyzed supersections, the supersection Decaloba was found to be solid regarding to the anatomical characters studied. Although, in Stipulata supersection, another group with good representation, the anatomical characteristics were not persistent within the species

Popularmente conhecidas como flowering stones ou ice plants, as plantas da família Aizoaceae (Caryophyllales) caracterizam-se por suas folhas suculentas morfologicamente diversas. Com centro de origem no sul da África, a maior parte das espécies pertence a subfamília Ruschioidaeae, com plantas de folhas dorsiventrais, cilíndricas e trígonas, sendo marcante a ocorrência de conação entre as bases de folhas opostas, e a presença de feixes vasculares periféricos, com xilema endoscópico. Nosso estudo mostra que a formação dos feixes vasculares periféricos é posterior ao estabelecimento da blastozona marginal, e que tecidos da face abaxial diferenciam-se no domínio adaxial da folha durante a histogênese da lâmina. Sugerimos que um mecanismo de abaxialização foliar esteja vinculado à formação da margem foliar de Aizoaceae. O xilema dos feixes vasculares periféricos é formado wide band tracheids - \"wbts\", um tipo especializado de elemento traqueal com acentuado espessamento da parede secundária. \"Wbts\" vinculam-se a órgãos suculentos e ocorrem somente em Aizoaceae, Anacampserotaceae e Cactaceae, tendo despertado interesse dos pesquisadores quanto à sua origem e função. A partir de análises comparativas de anatomia, ultraestrutura e de imunomarcação de pectina, concluímos que a definição de \"wbts\" deve ser mantida nas famílias, no entanto, destacamos a possível ocorrência de idioblastos traqueoidais na região de medular de algumas espécies. Este trabalho contribui no conhecimento da anatomia e ontogênese foliar de Aizoaceae, abrindo oportunidades de estudos sobre os mecanismos envolvidos no estabelecimento da dorsiventralidade em folhas de simetria radial. A análise comparativa de wide-band tracheids \"wbts\" em Aizoaceae, Anacampserotaceae e Cactaceae traz contribuições ao conhecimento sobre sua distribuição e características nos diferentes órgãos / Popularly known as flowering stones or ice plants, the species of Aizoaceae (Caryophyllales) are characterized by morphologically diverse succulent leaves. With center of origin in Southern Africa, most species are classified in the subfamily Ruschioidaeae, which present dorsiventral, cylindrical and three-angled leaved plants, being remarkable the occurrence of conation between the bases of opposite leaves, and the presence of peripheral vascular bundles with endoscopyc xylem. Our study shows that the formation of peripheral vascular bundles occurs after the marginal blastozone establishment, and abaxial tissues differentiate in the adaxial domain of the leaf, during blade histogenesis. We suggest that an abaxialization mechanism is involved in the formation of leaf margins in Aizoaceae. The xylem of peripheral vascular bundles is composed by wide band tracheids - wbts, a specialized type of cell that occurs only in Aizoaceae, Cactaceae Anacampserotaceae. The origin and function of this cell type has been the subject of study by some researchers. By means of comparative analysis of anatomy, ultrastructure and pectin immunolabeling, we conclude that the definition of \"wbts\" should be kept in the three families; however, we highlight the possibility of idioblasts tracheids in the some cases. This work contributes to the knowledge of leaf anatomy and ontogenesis in Aizoaceae, opening opportunities for studies on the mechanisms involved in the establishment of dorsiventrality in leaves with radial symmetry. A comparative analysis of wbts in Aizoaceae, Cactaceae Anacampserotaceae brings contributions to knowledge about their distribution and characteristics in different organs

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-22T22:12:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcos Melo Correa.pdf: 3085652 bytes, checksum: ad02fd98038c54ac33211ab40d13e32c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-23 / FAPEAM - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas / The internal taxonomical organization of the Chrysobalanaceae is problematical and studies are needed with large numbers of taxa. This work is an anatomical and morphological description of 20 species of Chrysobalanaceae from the genera Couepia, Licania and Parinari occurring in the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve, Manaus AM. Morphological observations were made using a stereomicroscope. In addition, leaves were cleared with sodium hydroxide to see details of venation pattern. We characterized the epidermis frontal view using the method of dissociation with Franklin solution and paradermal cuts. The petiole, midrib and mesophyll were analyzed by cross sections from the middle third. The species analyzed herein have the basic morphological pattern described for the family, with simple, alternate, distichous, petiolate leaves with stipules usually present in younger branches. Macroscopic characters such as the shape of the blade, stipule type and the presence or position of glands vary between species. The most recurrent venation pattern among the species studied is the eucamptodromous with the occurrence in some cases of mixed eucamptodromous / broquidodromous venation. The petiole vascularization in all species is formed by continuous or discontinuous rings, or two or three arcs. The vascular bundles of the midrib are organized into arcs formed by two or three collateral bundles or forming a closed ring which may present an inner phloematic arc. The predominant type of anticlinal contour in the upper surface of the leaves is straight, with varying forms in the lower surface. The species have paracytic stomata, some occurring in stomatal crypts. The mesophyll of all species is dorsiventral, with both sides lined by a thick cuticle in several species. The epidermal cells on the adaxial surface are tabular, cubic or rectangular in shape. Palisade tissue occurs in one to three layers of elongated cells and spongy parenchyma compression varies according to the species. Sheath extensions and columnar sclereids occur in various species. An identification key was developed, as well as standardized descriptions using morphological and anatomical features. The following anatomical characters contributed more to the diagnosis, showing greater variation per feature, and were of most use in the key: position of glands, position of stomata in the epidermal line, shape of the stipules, number of layers of the upper epidermis, number of accessory vascular bundles in the petiole and development of areoles. The character set is effective in differentiating between species. / Chrysobalanaceae apresenta organização taxonômica interna problemática e estudos são necessários contendo grande número de táxons. Este trabalho apresenta a descrição morfológica e anatômica de 20 espécies de Chrysobalanaceae dos gêneros Couepia, Licania e Parinari ocorrentes na Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke, Manaus AM. A caracterização morfológica foi realizada com observação em estereomicroscópio, além de diafanização com hidróxido de sódio para detalhamento do padrão de venação. A epiderme foi caracterizada em vista frontal com uso do método de dissociação com solução de Franklin e cortes paradérmicos. O pecíolo, a nervura central e o mesofilo foram analisados a partir de cortes transversais no terço médio. As espécies possuem o padrão morfológico básico descrito para a família, com folhas simples, alternas, dísticas, pecioladas, com estípulas presentes geralmente nos ramos mais jovens. Caracteres macroscópicos como o formato do limbo, tipo de estípulas e a presença ou posição das glândulas variam entre espécies. O padrão de venação mais recorrente entre as espécies é o eucamptódromo, com a ocorrência em alguns casos de venação mista eucamptódroma/broquidódroma. A vascularização do pecíolo em todas as espécies é formada por anéis contínuos ou descontínuos, ou ainda arcos variando de dois a três. O feixe vascular da nervura central organiza-se em arcos formados por feixes colaterais que estão dispostos em número de dois ou três, ou formando um anel fechado no qual pode estar presente um arco floemático. O tipo de contorno anticlinal predominante na face adaxial das folhas é reto, com formas variáveis na face abaxial. Os estômatos são paracíticos, alguns ocorrendo em criptas estomáticas. O mesofilo de todas as espécies é dorsiventral, com ambas as faces revestidas por cutícula espessa. As células epidérmicas da face adaxial apresentam formato tabular, cúbico ou retangular. Ocorrem no parênquima paliçádico de uma a três camadas de células alongadas e o parênquima lacunoso apresenta compactação variável de acordo com a espécie. Extensões de bainha e esclereides colunares são de ocorrência comum. As espécies apresentam características escleromórficas, como a cutícula espessa, extensões de bainhas de feixes vasculares e criptas estomáticas. Esses caracteres indicam adaptação ao ambiente florestal de solo pobre, bem como aos fatores que interferem na utilização adequada dos recursos hídricos. Estômatos acima da linha epidérmica foram a única característica que ocorreu exclusivamente em espécies de Licania. Foi elaborada uma chave de identificação, assim como descrições padronizadas utilizando os caracteres morfoanatômicos. Os caracteres anatômicos deram maior contribuição para a diagnose, pois apresentaram maior variação entre as espécies, sendo os principais utilizados na chave: posição das glândulas, posição dos estômatos na linha epidérmica, forma das estípulas, número de camadas da epiderme adaxial, número de feixes acessórios no pecíolo e desenvolvimento das aréolas. O conjunto de caracteres é eficaz na diferenciação entre espécies.

A família Passifloraceae é conhecida mundialmente por suas flores exuberantes, frutos comestíveis e pelo uso na medicina. Composta por duas tribos, com apenas Passifloreae ocorrendo abundantemente no Brasil, principalmente espécies pertencentes ao gênero Passiflora. Este gênero compreende quatro subgêneros, Astrophea, Decaloba, Deidamioides e Passiflora. Destes Decaloba e Passiflora são grupos monofiléticos e os mais numerosos em espécies. É ainda o gênero que mais apresenta diversidade morfológica das folhas e estípulas. Apesar do elevado número de espécies, os estudos sobre anatomia foliar em Passifloraceae ainda são escassos, embora muitas revisões taxonômicas utilizem amplamente a morfologia foliar para classificar as espécies. Dessa forma este trabalho teve como objetivo auxiliar na identificação das espécies e contribuir com futuros estudos filogenéticos, a partir das descrições morfológicas e anatômicas das folhas de Passiflora. Técnicas usuais de anatomia vegetal foram utilizadas para análise em microscopia óptica. Como principais resultados foram descritos caracteres anatômicos que corroboram a classificação infrasubgenérica já existente, além de acrescentar características particulares ao nível de espécie. O padrão de venação mostrou-se o caráter anatômico bastante seguro. Dentre as superseções analisadas, a superseção Dacaloba mostrou-se mais sólida quanto aos caracteres anatômicos estudados. No entanto, na superseção Stipulata, outro grupo com boa representação, as características anatômicas não foram constantes entre as espécies / Passifloraceae family is worldwide known for its exuberant flowers, edible fruits and for their use in medicine. Composed of two tribes, with only Passifloreae largely distributed in Brazil, especially species belonging to the genera Passiflora. This genera comprises four subgenera, .Astrophea, Decaloba, Deidamioides and Passiflora. Within these, Decaloba and Passiflora are monophyletic groups and the most representative in number of species. Besides, these are the subgenera with the greatest morphological diversity in leaves and stipules. Even with the large number of species, the studies about leaf anatomy in Passifloraceae are still scarce. Several taxonomic reviews widely use leaf morphology to classify the species and group them in taxa. Thus, this study aimed to support the species identification and contribute with future phylogenetic studies, based on the morphological and anatomical descriptions of Passiflora leaves. Usual techniques of plant anatomy laboratory were used in optical microscopy. As main results, the anatomical characters described corroborated the infrasugnenera classification already existent, besides adding particular characteristics to the level of species. The venation pattern demonstrated to be a safe anatomical character. Within the analyzed supersections, the supersection Decaloba was found to be solid regarding to the anatomical characters studied. Although, in Stipulata supersection, another group with good representation, the anatomical characteristics were not persistent within the species