Red Trees Research Articles

Red Dyes from West to East in Medieval Europe: From Portuguese Manuscript Illuminations to Romanian Textiles

Red is the color par excellence, its symbolism being linked with protection and magic through its primary attributes, fire and blood. It was the predominant color from the earliest times, certainly during the Greek and Roman periods and into Medieval Europe, until blue became a competitor around the 13th century. Mineral pigments, like iron oxides, were the first red sources, used to draw lines, dots, or spots on cave walls or stones. Later, other mineral red pigments were also exploited: Cinnabar, natural mercury sulfide, since the Neolithic, and realgar, arsenic trisulfide, in Ancient Egypt. Scientific investigation revealed that, although inorganic pigments were mainly used in painting, iron oxides and cinnabar were also the first available sources for coloring textiles. Plant dyes have been known since the Neolithic, exploited by people living in climatically mild areas rich in vegetation. Their use is strongly connected with two other fundamental textile processes: Spinning and weaving. Scholarly literature indicates Egyptian privet (henna, Lawsonia inermis) as the oldest red vegetal source used. Although widely known as a source of brown, the dried leaves, when powdered and treated with lime water, yield an intense orange red, which is efficient for dyeing the body — skin and hair — and textiles of animal origin. Madder (Rubia tinctorum or relatives) was the first dye to be reported from archaeological European Bronze and Iron Ages textiles preserved in the Hallstatt salt mines, Scandinavian bog sites, and other European burials. Apart from madder, the most widely appreciated red dye sources in the European Classical period were kermes (Kermes vermilio and K. ilicis), purple (species of sea snails from the Muricidae family), and extracts of red tree resins, as dragon’s blood (e.g. Dracaena draco, Dracaena cinnabari, and Daemonorops draco). These sources were used for textile dyeing and as organic pigments in paintings.

An AI-based Image Recognition System for Early Detection of Forest and Field Fires

Forest fires and field fires (agricultural areas, grasslands, etc.) have severe global implications, causing significant environmental and economic harm. Traditional fire detection methods often rely on human personnel, which can pose safety risks and reduce their efficiency in large-scale monitoring. There is an urgent need for real-time fire detection technology to address these challenges and minimize losses. In this research, we propose the utilization of artificial intelligence techniques, specifically Deep Learning with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), to tackle this issue. Our proposed system analyzes real-time images captured by IP cameras and stored on a cloud server. Its primary objective is to detect signs of fires and promptly notify users through a mobile application, ensuring timely awareness. We meticulously assembled a dataset to train our model by merging three existing datasets comprising both fire and non-fire images. Also, we incorporated images that could potentially be misinterpreted as fire, such as red trees, individuals wearing red clothing, and red flags. Furthermore, we supplemented the dataset with images of unaffected areas obtained from online sources. The final dataset consisted of 1,588 fire images and 909 non-fire images. During evaluations, our model achieved an accuracy of 93.07%. This enables effective detection, thus rapid intervention and damage reduction. It is a proactive and preventive solution to combat these devastating fires.

Defects in local atomic structure of ZnO films sensitized with tinto and mangrove organic dyes

In this work, the dye/ZnO complex was prepared, using natural dyes extracted from the red tree (Haematoxylum campechianum L.) and mangrove tree (Rhizophora Mangle), with a concentration of 5 × 10−3 M, impregnation time of 2 and 6 h, using a mixture of ethanol-water and ethanol as solvents. The ZnO particles were obtained by sol gel method and deposited on Corning glass by the doctor blade technique. X-ray diffraction indicates that these particles belong to the wurtzite-type hexagonal crystalline structure. Anthraquinone and anthocyanin molecules were identified in the natural dyes used. The results of the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy of the complexes show the band associated with the functional group of the carboxyls, which represents evidence of the presence of the dyes in the semiconductor. X-ray absorption spectroscopy shows changes in the local environment around the Zn atoms. Both dyes introduce a greater quantity of electrons in the unoccupied p states of Zn. The simulation developed and the analysis of the EXAFS signals show the formation of new bonds between Zn and O with dye atoms thus reducing the Zn O and Zn–Zn bond lengths. Also, the distribution of the bonds of the neighbors closest to the Zn, in the ZnO matrix, is modified due to the generation of vacancies of O and Zn. These results imply that the obtained dyes can effectively be used as photosensitizers in ZnO-based solar cells.

Remembering the Queer Exiles of San Domino: In Italia sono tutti maschi (2008) and The Red Tree (2018)

ABSTRACT Homosexuality was both silenced and persecuted during Mussolini’s regime. The multifaceted silencing of homosexuality has contributed to the ongoing difficulty of gathering and preserving testimonies which remember this persecution. This article explores two contemporary semi-fictional testimonial works which grapple with this silencing and remember queer people in Fascist Italy: the graphic novel In Italia sono tutti maschi by Luca de Santis and Sara Colaone (2008), and the short film The Red Tree (2018) by Paul Rowley and De Santis. These works rely on elements of survivors’ testimonies but simultaneously refer to cross-cultural and trans-historical events, including the AIDS crisis and gun violence. Spurred by queer and anti-canonical methodologies, I tease out the layers of memory that these works bring forth. Whilst they may draw criticism for their ‘relativisation’ of the Holocaust, these works implicate the twenty-first-century reader in remembrance.

Characterizing long‐term population conditions of the elusive red tree vole with dynamic individual‐based modeling

AbstractOld growth forests are declining globally, threatening dependent wildlife. Many arboreal old‐growth obligates, such as the threatened red tree vole, are difficult to monitor for changes in habitat occupancy, and abundance. Yet, conservation planning relies on this information to prevent population declines. We integrated a range of species, habitat, and landscape change information to develop a dynamic habitat‐population model. The spatial individual‐based model simulated dynamic patterns of occupancy that responded to annual habitat maps, describing 36 years of observed change. We simulated population dynamics and local movement to characterize changes in occupancy and abundance, and the capacity of remaining habitat to support red tree voles. Red tree vole redistribution patterns strongly corresponded to wildfire footprints and timber extraction locations. Population strongholds are likely to exist in clumped pockets of old‐growth forest that were unaffected by wildfire and in protected old forest reserves. However, the exact number and locations of local clusters remain uncertain. Simulated population losses occurred at different paces in different places, underscoring the need for recurring evaluation of population changes with field occupancy surveys and modeled evaluations that can anticipate potential connectivity and extirpation thresholds. This modeling approach was effective at leveraging existing information for a data‐light species to assess how historical changes to the quantity, quality, and configuration of habitat likely influenced the potential landscape capacity, species abundance, and distribution. Dynamic individual‐based modeling can benefit conservation planning for red tree vole and other reclusive forest species by providing biologically nuanced assessments of abundance and distribution. Such models can also project the long‐term benefits and impacts of spatially explicit land management plans.

Ecosystem Conditions That Influence the Viability of an Old-Forest Species with Limited Vagility: The Red Tree Vole

We evaluated ecosystem conditions known to influence the viability of a strictly arboreal species (the red tree vole, Arborimus longicaudus) endemic and historically distributed in the forests across the Coast Range, Cascades, and Klamath Mountains ecoregions in the Western United States of America. We found widespread reductions in ecosystem conditions needed to support the long-term viability of the red tree vole. This was particularly evident in the Coast Range where the weighted watershed index (WWI) was 26% of its historical value, and the current probability of maintaining viability departed the most from historical viability probabilities in ecoregions that were evaluated. In contrast, in the Cascades and Klamath Mountains, the WWI was 42% and 52% of their respective historical values, and the current probabilities of maintaining viability departed less from historical conditions than in the Coast Range. Habitat loss from timber harvest represented the most immediate threat in the Coast Range, while habitat loss from wildfires represented the most risk to the red tree vole in the Cascades and Klamath Mountains. Reducing the risks to the viability of the red tree vole will depend largely on the implementation of conservation practices designed to protect remaining habitat and restore degraded ecosystems in the Coast Range. However, the risk of large, high-severity wildfires will require the protection and increased resilience of existing ecosystems. Our results indicate that considerable adaptation to climate change will be required to conserve the red tree vole in the long term. Conservation may be accomplished by revising land and resource management plans to include standards and guidelines relevant to red tree vole management and persistence, the identification of priority areas for conservation and restoration, and in assessing how management alternatives influence ecosystem resiliency and red tree vole viability.

Camera trapping efficiency in studying daily activity patterns of Turkestan lynx in the Northern Tien Shan

In order to determine the relationship between elusive carnivorans and other species, understand the mechanisms of their adaptation in the environment, as well as for regulation of strategies for rare carnivores’ conservation, it is relevant and necessary to study their daily activity rhythms. As a nocturnal species in the remote mountains of the Northern Tien Shan, the behavioral ecology and, in particular, the activity rhythms of the Turkestan lynx (Lynx lynx isabellina Blyth, 1847) are poorly studied. This article presents data on the daily activity of the lynx and an analysis of its correlation with the activity rhythms of its prey species in the Northern Tien Shan using camera traps. As a result of research conducted in Ile and Kungei Alatau from 2013 to 2022, we used 11,258 trap-days and obtained 59 frames with individual passages of Turkestan lynx and 528 frames with passages of its prey species – tolai hare (Lepus tolai), Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus), Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica), wild boar (Sus scrofa), red tree squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris exalbidus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus). The rhythms of lynx’s daily activity coincided with the activity of its prey in three different time peaks: in the early morning, in the afternoon, and at night. Tolai hare in Kungei Alatau and Siberian roe deer in Ile Alatau play a significant role in the conservation of the lynx population. The results obtained prove the need to protect these six species to ensure the Turkestan lynx populations stability in the Northern Tien Shan. Keywords: Turkestan lynx, daily activity, specially protected natural areas, camera traps

Timber harvest and wildfires drive long-term habitat dynamics for an arboreal rodent

Animals dependent on old, closed-canopy forests may be particularly sensitive to forest disturbances, such as timber harvest and high-severity fires, that may take centuries to recover from. Tracking habitat trends can provide broader context to conservation decisions, including the role of forest disturbance type. We assessed habitat dynamics across the range of the red tree vole (Arborimus longicaudus), a canopy-obligate rodent with low-mobility that typically occurs in old forests. We developed and applied a red tree vole habitat model to imagery data each year across 37 years (1986–2022). We quantified changes in habitat across four regions that differed by land ownership and dominant disturbance type. Overall, habitat declined 18 % since implementation of a major conservation initiative (1994–2022). Habitat change was highest in the northern coast (65 %) where timber harvest was the most common disturbance. Within interior regions, several large wildfires in the previous two decades correlated with a 15 % decline of habitat on federal lands, particularly at the northern range periphery where tree voles were already scarce due to historic disturbances. Recruitment of old forest and subsequent recolonization by red tree voles and other low mobility species after high-severity disturbance can take centuries whereas old forest loss can happen rapidly. Given their strong association with old forest, scarcity within historic disturbance footprints, and relatively limited geographic range, we anticipate red tree voles will remain a species of conservation concern.

Water Availability Determines Tree Growth and Physiological Response to Biotic and Abiotic Stress in a Temperate North American Urban Forest

Warmer temperatures and frequent drought directly affect urban tree health. Both abiotic conditions also affect tree health via increased density of some insect pests. Warming is predicted to benefit urban trees by increasing carbon sequestration and allocation to biomass. However, increased drought and pests are rarely considered despite often co-occurring with heat. To determine the combined effects of these abiotic and biotic factors, we manipulated water availability for established urban red maple trees across a gradient of warming and pest density and measured leaf-level processes and tree growth over two years. We find that water availability is a major determinant of tree growth, physiological processes, and resilience to urban stress factors. Maples performed better with more water, which also made them resistant to effects of temperature and pest density. However, when drought became too severe, leaf-level processes declined with warming. Tree basal area growth was unaffected after two years, but stem elongation increased with increasing water, temperature, and pest density. We discuss potential mechanisms driving these responses and the implications in the context of urban forest management. Urban forest designs that reduce drought and align species adaptations to local conditions are critical for designing more resilient and productive urban forests.

Necessary Fictions: Haunt(ed) Archives in Caitlín R. Kiernan's The Red Tree and The Drowning Girl

Necessary Fictions: Haunt(ed) Archives in Caitlín R. Kiernan's The Red Tree and The Drowning Girl

Estimating tree Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) using an iPad Pro LiDAR sensor

ABSTRACT Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) plays an important role in forest management. New technologies such as airborne and terrestrial Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) are expensive and time-consuming. We explored the iPad LiDAR sensor to measure DBH considering affordability and availability. The study was carried out at a research forest plantation near Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Five plots were selected for differences in stem spacing, average DBH and species, and made 360° scans separately. A manual circle fitting method was used to produce circular features for the estimation of DBH. The coefficient of determination (R 2) between estimated DBH and field measurements was 0.52, indicating a moderate accuracy. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of DBH estimation ranged from 2.82 cm to 8.24 cm. The accuracy of smaller red pine trees was found to be relatively higher than that of larger red pine and white spruce trees. These accuracies did not change with the distance from the scanning location to trees. Therefore, results showed the potential use of an iPad LiDAR Scanner for DBH estimation. We recommend developing an application combining the iPad’s location and LiDAR sensors and incorporating a precise positioning method for fieldwork, and further broad field testing.

Aqueous extracts of tree peony petals: renin and angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory activities in different colours and flowering stages.

Tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa Andr.) is an ornamental and medicinal plant from China. Previous studies have detected novel blood pressure-regulating substances in this species, which potentiate its value of utilization. To explore these substances, the aqueous extracts of 7 different colours of tree peony petals were assessed for inhibitory activity on renin and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). The results showed that the activity of dark-coloured samples was significantly stronger than that of light-coloured ones. Furthermore, the inhibitory activity of the red tree peony petals ‘Hong TaiYang’ on renin and ACE indicated a downward trend from bud compaction to the full opening stage. The antioxidant activities of the aqueous extracts, on one side, and the correlations between phenolics and flavonoids functionalities and total contents, on the other, were also evaluated. In this regard, the extracts of different samples had ABTS free radical scavenging capacities of 17.28–210.41 mg TE per g DW, DPPH radical scavenging capacities of 35.45–150.78 mg TE per g DW, iron ion reduction capacities of 16.66–150.77 mg TE per g DW, and total phenolic content of 23.94–150.78 mg GAE per g DW. Correlation analysis revealed that the renin and ACE inhibitory activities, the DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging capacities, and the iron reduction ability of different sample extracts were positively correlated with total phenolic contents (p < 0.01). Finally, the aqueous phenolic compounds in the sample extracts tended to show strong renin and ACE inhibitory activities and therefore exhibit a potential auxiliary blood pressure control prospect.

Historical Context in the Latest Lithuanian Music: Contemporary Tensions

The historical context opens its unresolved issues inside contemporary cultural consciousness. It gives the language of music a specific dimension of dramatic tensions. Here, composers’ propositions acquire a coded imagery close to the aesthetics of modernist catastrophe. The musical text becomes highly contextual and filled with the knowledge arisen from history. It is like an encrypted message about the current transformation of history. The texture of the work becomes an expression of the signs incorporating also non-musical sounds or visual space. Semantics play a crucial role in soundscapes. In this sense, we can talk about the war and post-war semantics, which is making its comeback into Lithuanian music. Here, the aesthetic poles of tension or the dramaturgy of conflict arise and are realised through the spectra of hum or expression of identities. In this context, two recent works by Lithuanian composers should be mentioned: they accurately respond to the tensions and wounds of the Second World War that continue to bleed inside the identity consciousness of the Lithuanian nation. These wounds are the Holocaust and the post-war partisan struggle against the Soviet occupation. The topic of ‘war after war’ acquires its musical task in Vytautas Germanavičius’s (b.1969) work Red Trees (2018) for flute, cello, and organ dedicated to the partisan commander Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas. It is important to stress that Vanagas has been recognised as a de facto leader of the state and, thanks to sustained efforts of historians and archaeologists, his remains, which were discovered in the Vilnius Orphans’ Cemetery, were reburied in the Pantheon of State Leaders. All this forms an exceptional historical dimension, which finds an original reflection in Germanavičius’s work. Meanwhile, the Holocaust theme connects vividly with the 80th anniversary (late in 2020), of the deed of Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese diplomat who saved over 6,000 Jews in 1940. Algirdas Martinaitis (b.1950) work Visa for Life (2020) for two flutes, oboe, and organ is dedicated to Chiune Sugihara. Here, the composer combines, in a unique way, the worlds of the Japanese, the European tradition and Jewish music. His musical expression is based on the dramaturgy of transformation (the constant running of the toccata). In this way, each composer voices the context of the past: its tension transforms the language of music. It should be noted that both works bring back the catastrophe of the Second World War and the post-war period, which is a painful drama of the history of the Baltic States and not yet sufficiently understood in the world. As a result, the former meditative face of Baltic music identity changes accordingly.

BIODEGRADATION POTENTIAL OF RHIZOSPHERIC MICROORGANISMS OF RHIZOPHORA RACEMOSA IN CRUDE OIL CONTAMINATED MANGROVE SWAMP IN THE NIGER DELTA

Rhizophora racemosa (red mangrove tree) belongs to the family Rhizophoraceae; it is an important constituent of the mangrove swamp in Niger Delta, an oil producing region in Nigeria. The remediation of soils containing organic pollutants is possible with the use of microbial communities when the ecology is understood for potentials maximization. This study investigated the biodegradation potential of rhizospheric microorganisms of Rhizophora racemosa in crude oil- contaminated mangrove swamp in the Niger Delta.The total microbial count was determined by the serial dilution method. The hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria and fungi were enumerated using Mineral Salts Agar containing crude oil as the sole carbon source. The biodegradation potential of these rhizomicrobes was determined using screen test, shake flask degradation tests, Total Organic Gas (TOG) and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) InfraCal Analyzer (HATR-T2 and CH). The turbidity, total organic gas (TOG-N) and total petroleum hydrocarbon were measured weekly for twenty-eight days. Hydrocarbon-degrading microbes isolated from the rhizosphere were identified as Marinococcus sp., Azotobacter sp., Acinetobacter sp. Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Candida albicans. The highest rate of TPH reduction was recorded in Acinetobacter sp. (from 150 mg/L on day 1 to ˂0.0031 mg/L on day 14). This was followed by Candida albicans (148mg/L on day 1 to 2.68mg/L on day 28) and Aspergillus flavus (150mg/L on day 1 to 4.21mg/L on day 28) In conclusion, it can be inferred that the some rhizospheric microbes of Rhizophora racemosa can efficienctly degrade hydrocarbon up to 100% rate over a period of 28 days.

Shallow-emerged coral may warn of deep-sea coral response to thermal stress

In the Gulf of Alaska, commercially harvested fish species utilize habitats dominated by red tree corals (Primnoa pacifica) for shelter, feeding, and nurseries, but recent studies hint that environmental conditions may be interrupting the reproductive lifecycle of the corals. The North Pacific has experienced persistent and extreme thermal variability in recent years and this pattern is predicted to continue in coming decades. Recent discovery of deep-water emerged coral populations in Southeast Alaska fjords provided opportunity for detailed life-history studies and comparison to corals in managed habitats on the continental shelf. Here we show that sperm from deep colonies develops completely, but in shallow colonies, sperm development is prematurely halted, likely preventing successful production of larvae. We hypothesize that the divergence is due to differing temperature regimes presently experienced by the corals. Compared to deep populations below the thermocline, shallow populations experience much greater seasonal thermal variability and annual pulses of suspected near-lethal temperatures that appear to interrupt the production of viable gametes. The unique opportunity to comprehensively study emerged populations presently affected by thermal stress provides advance warning of the possible fate of deep corals in the Gulf of Alaska that will soon experience similar ocean conditions.

Virtual screening and rational design of antioxidant peptides based on tryptophyllin L structures isolated from the Litoria rubella frog.

Discovery of natural antioxidants has been carried out for decades relying mainly on experimental approaches that are commonly associated with time and cost demanding biochemical assays. The maturation of quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) modelling has provided an alternative approach for searching and designing antioxidant compounds with alleviated costs. As a contribution to this approach, this work aimed to establish a fragment-based 3D-QSAR procedure to discover and design potential antioxidants based on tryptophyllin L structures isolated from the red tree frog Litoria rubella. A force field and a Gaussian 3D-QSAR model were built to screen for potential antioxidants from tripeptide fragments covering all sequences of tryptophyllin L database. Among those, PWY(NH2 ) corresponding tryptophyllin L 4.1 was predicted to have the highest 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical cation (ABTS+ ·) scavenging capability. Two newly designed peptides PYW and PYW(NH2 ) together with PWY(NH2 ), tryptophyllin L 4.1, and the reference peptide PWY were synthesized and subjected to two antioxidant assays including ABTS scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays. Although the experimental TEAC values of the five peptides were roughly similar to those from predictions, the activity order was not in agreement with the predictions. The dissimilarities were accounted by the difference in the experimental procedures, the deviation of modelling regression, and the synergetic effect of structural and experimental features. The ABTS radical scavenging assays revealed that all the tested peptides were strong ABTS+ · scavengers with the antioxidant capabilities approximately twice as high as trolox and higher than glutathione. The ferric reducing activities of the peptides were, on the other hand, much weaker than that of trolox suggesting different antioxidant mechanisms inserted by trolox and the peptides. This work was a demonstration that 3D-QSAR methods can be employed in conjunction with experimental methods to effectively detect and design antioxidant peptides.

Queer Trauma in Caitlín R. Kiernan’sThe Red Tree

AbstractDespite winning numerous literary awards, Caitlín R. Kiernan’s work has received little critical attention. Scholars have focused on Kiernan’s reworking of H. P. Lovecraft’s influential weird fiction and have discussed Kiernan’s pioneering work in New Weird fiction and short fiction. As astute as much of the critical work is, none of it addresses the cornerstone of Kiernan’s fiction: trauma. This essay considers Kiernan’s novel The Red Tree as a queer American gothic novel dealing with trauma and its lingering effects on its witnesses. Through its complex, fragmentary form and its use of dream sequences and unconsciously produced narratives, the novel invites readers to witness and consume Sarah Crowe’s trauma while loosely theorizing the relationship between trauma and queer temporality and spatiality.

Predisposing factors\u2019 effects on mortality of oak (Quercus) and hickory (Carya) species in mature forests undergoing mesophication in Appalachian Ohio

BackgroundMature oak (Quercus spp.) and hickory (Carya spp.) trees are gradually being replaced by more shade-tolerant tree species across the eastern U.S., likely due to fire suppression and increased precipitation. Oaks and hickories are highly valuable to wildlife; therefore, studying their mortality patterns can provide information on the longevity of habitat quality for many animal species. Oak mortality has most often been studied following large oak decline events, but background mortality rates in forests with aging oak and hickory canopies warrant equal attention, especially in the context of widespread oak and hickory regeneration failure.MethodsWe studied background mortality rates of five oak and one hickory species over a 23–25 year time period (1993–1995 to 2018), using 82 1/20th hectare permanent plots on the Marietta Unit of the Wayne National Forest in southeastern Ohio. We calculated mortality rates based on remeasurement of individual trees for white oak (Quercus alba), chestnut oak (Quercus montana), northern red oak (Quercus rubra), black oak (Quercus velutina), scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea), and pignut hickory (Carya glabra). For each of these species other than scarlet oak, we also modeled the relationships of mortality probability with a priori topographic, soil, stand structural, and individual tree covariates, using a mixed-effects logistic regression framework.ResultsThe species with the highest mortality rate was scarlet oak (61.3%), followed by northern red oak (41.4%), black oak (26.7%), pignut hickory (23.9%), white oak (23.4%), and chestnut oak (19.1%). In our models, northern red oak mortality was associated with more mesic slope positions, shallower solums, more acidic soils, and older stand ages. Pignut hickory and chestnut oak mortality rates were associated with higher basal areas on the plot, while white oak mortality showed the opposite pattern.ConclusionsOur data suggest that red oak subgenus trees in mature forests of our area will become increasingly uncommon relative to white oak subgenus trees, as the result of higher mortality rates likely related to the shorter lifespans of these species. Particularly vulnerable areas may include more mesic topographic positions, shallower or more acidic soil, and older stands. Since maintaining oak subgenus diversity is beneficial to wildlife diversity in the eastern U.S., managers in areas with extensive mature mixed-oak forests could choose to favor the red oak subgenus when conducting silvicultural treatments.

Antioxidant activities of major tryptophyllin L peptides: A joint investigation of Gaussian-based 3D-QSAR and radical scavenging experiments.

The red tree frog Litoria rubella from Australia has been studied for several decades showing that their dorsal skin glands secrete a number of small peptides containing a Pro-Trp sequence, known as tryptophyllin L peptides. Although peptides from many genera of Australian frogs have been reported to possess a variety of biological activities, the bioactivities of this peptide family have remained to be discovered. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant potency of a number of tryptophyllin L peptides for the first time using a joint statistical and experimental approach in which predictions based on Gaussian three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) models were employed to guide an in vitro experimental investigation. Two tryptophyllin tripeptides P-W-L (OH) and P-W-L (NH2 ) were predicted to have the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) values of 0.80 and 0.87 μM Trolox/μM peptide, respectively. With those promising results, antioxidant capabilities of five tryptophyllin L peptides with the common core Pro-Trp-Leu were synthesized and subjected to 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical cation (ABTS˙+ ) radical scavenging assays. The tests indicated that all the tested tryptophyllin L peptides, noticeably S-P-W-L (OH) and F-P-W-L (NH2 ), are strong ABTS˙+ radical scavengers and moderate scavengers in the other two assays. The results, thus, suggested that the tryptophyllin L peptides are likely to be a part of the skin antioxidant system helping the frog to cope with drastic change in oxygen exposure and humidity, as they inhabit over a large area of Australia with a wide climate variation.

Quality control parameters of prickles of Bombax ceiba Linn.

Bombax ceiba Linn. is a deciduous tree known as Red silk cotton tree. Bombax ceiba stem, stem bark and prickle are used for the treatment of rheumatism, swellings, asthma and inflammation of the legs. The stem bark of Bombax ceiba is official in the ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India recommends its use in acne. Prickles are also used and recommended in anti-acne marketed formulation. However, limited work was carried out on the prickle toward establishing quality control parameters. Studies were therefore carried out to determine the phytochemical and pharmacognostic profile of prickle of Bombax ceiba Linn. The study, including determination of macroscopic, microscopic characters, ash values, extractive values, loss on drying, phytochemical screening, total phenolic content, TLC and HPTLC fingerprinting were carried out. Successive extracts were prepared using soxhlet extraction. The phytochemical analysis of extracts revealed the presence of tannin, saponin, phenol, carbohydrate, steroids, triterpenoids and flavonoids. Total phenolic and tannin content of methanol extract was found 327.78±1.09mg GAE/gm equivalent and 4.98±0.22%w/w, respectively. The mobile phase showing distinct spots in TLC was found in Toluene: Ethyl acetate (9.5:0.5) and (9:1) for petroleum ether and methanol extracts, respectively. HPTLC fingerprinting shows 8 & 3 peaks at 366nm for petroleum ether and methanol extract, respectively.