The effects of different environmental conditions on the wetting properties and surface morphology of surperhydrophobic quaking aspen leaves harvested during the 2011 growth season are examined. During this particular...The effects of different environmental conditions on the wetting properties and surface morphology of surperhydrophobic quaking aspen leaves harvested during the 2011 growth season are examined. During this particular season quaking aspen leaves were not able to retain their superhydrophobic properties and associated surface structure features as they have usually been able to do in other years. Representative scanning electron microscopy images and wetting property measurements of quaking aspen leaf surfaces harvested throughout this season are presented and discussed with the objective of linking weather induced environmental stresses that occurred in 2011 to the sudden and unusual reduction in non-wetting properties and drastic changes in leaf surface structure. Erosion and regeneration rates of leaf wax crystals and the impact that environmental factors can have on these are considered and used to explain the occurrence of these unexpected changes.展开更多
The persistence of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is of significant importance to land managers in the Rocky Mountain region. Fire suppression in the past century has been implicated as a mechanism influen...The persistence of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is of significant importance to land managers in the Rocky Mountain region. Fire suppression in the past century has been implicated as a mechanism influencing aspen population dynamics, as aspen are generally considered an early seral disturbance adapted species. The heterogeneity of aspen community assemblages and fire regimes makes it difficult to discern what the result of fire suppression has been at large spatial and temporal scales. Decision makers should investigate the questions at hand at the stand level in their study location to best determine the mechanisms at play, as well as consider future potential changes to the system.展开更多
The rapid growth and early development period of the dual-scale surface topography was studied on the adaxial leaf surfaces of two aspen tree species with non-wetting leaves: the columnar European aspen (Populus tremu...The rapid growth and early development period of the dual-scale surface topography was studied on the adaxial leaf surfaces of two aspen tree species with non-wetting leaves: the columnar European aspen (Populus tremula “Erecta”) and quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides). Particular attention was focused on the formation of micro- and nano-scale asperities on their cuticles, which was correlated with the development of superhydrophobic wetting behaviour. Measurements of the wetting properties (contact angle and tilt-angle) provided an indication of the degree of hydrophobicity of their cuticles. Scanning electron microscopy and optical profilometry micrographs were used to follow the growth and major morphological changes of micro-scale papillae and nano-scale epicuticular wax (ECW) crystals, which led to a significant improvement in non-wetting behaviour. Both species exhibited syntopism in the form of small and larger nano-scale ECW platelet morphologies. These findings provide additional support for earlier suggestions that due to fluctuations in leaf hydrophobicity throughout the growing season, canopy storage capacity may also vary considerably throughout this time period.展开更多
Background: In patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) detection of pathological α-synuclein (α-syn) in olfactory mucosa (OM) is not as accurate as in other α-synucle...Background: In patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) detection of pathological α-synuclein (α-syn) in olfactory mucosa (OM) is not as accurate as in other α-synucleinopathies. It is unknown whether these variable results might be related to a different distribution of pathological α-syn in OM. Thus, we investigated whether nasal swab (NS) performed in areas with a different coverage by olfactory neuroepithelium, such as agger nasi (AN) and middle turbinate (MT), might affect the detection of pathological α-syn. Methods: NS was performed in 66 patients with PD and 29 non-PD between September 2018 and April 2021. In 43 patients, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was also obtained and all samples were analyzed by RT-QuIC for α-syn. Results: In the first round, 72 OM samples were collected by NS, from AN (NSAN) or from MT (NSMT), and 35 resulted positive for α-syn RT-QuIC, including 27/32 (84%) from AN, 5/11 (45%) from MT, and 3/29 (10%) belonging to the non-PD patients. Furthermore, 23 additional PD patients underwent NS at both AN and MT, and RT-QuIC revealed α-syn positive in 18/23 (78%) NSAN samples and in 10/23 (44%) NSMT samples. Immunocytochemistry of NS prepara-tions showed a higher representation of olfactory neural cells in NSAN compared to NSMT. We also observed α-syn and phospho-α-syn deposits in NS from PD patients but not in controls. Finally, RT-QuIC was positive in 22/24 CSF samples from PD patients (92%) and in 1/19 non-PD. Conclusion: In PD patients, RT-QuIC sensitivity is significantly increased (from 45% to 84%) when NS is performed at AN, indicating that α-syn aggregates are preferentially detected in olfactory areas with higher concentration of olfactory neurons. Although RT-QuIC analysis of CSF showed a higher diagnostic accuracy compared to NS, due to the non-invasiveness, NS might be considered as an ancillary procedure for PD diagnosis.展开更多
文摘The effects of different environmental conditions on the wetting properties and surface morphology of surperhydrophobic quaking aspen leaves harvested during the 2011 growth season are examined. During this particular season quaking aspen leaves were not able to retain their superhydrophobic properties and associated surface structure features as they have usually been able to do in other years. Representative scanning electron microscopy images and wetting property measurements of quaking aspen leaf surfaces harvested throughout this season are presented and discussed with the objective of linking weather induced environmental stresses that occurred in 2011 to the sudden and unusual reduction in non-wetting properties and drastic changes in leaf surface structure. Erosion and regeneration rates of leaf wax crystals and the impact that environmental factors can have on these are considered and used to explain the occurrence of these unexpected changes.
文摘The persistence of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is of significant importance to land managers in the Rocky Mountain region. Fire suppression in the past century has been implicated as a mechanism influencing aspen population dynamics, as aspen are generally considered an early seral disturbance adapted species. The heterogeneity of aspen community assemblages and fire regimes makes it difficult to discern what the result of fire suppression has been at large spatial and temporal scales. Decision makers should investigate the questions at hand at the stand level in their study location to best determine the mechanisms at play, as well as consider future potential changes to the system.
文摘The rapid growth and early development period of the dual-scale surface topography was studied on the adaxial leaf surfaces of two aspen tree species with non-wetting leaves: the columnar European aspen (Populus tremula “Erecta”) and quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides). Particular attention was focused on the formation of micro- and nano-scale asperities on their cuticles, which was correlated with the development of superhydrophobic wetting behaviour. Measurements of the wetting properties (contact angle and tilt-angle) provided an indication of the degree of hydrophobicity of their cuticles. Scanning electron microscopy and optical profilometry micrographs were used to follow the growth and major morphological changes of micro-scale papillae and nano-scale epicuticular wax (ECW) crystals, which led to a significant improvement in non-wetting behaviour. Both species exhibited syntopism in the form of small and larger nano-scale ECW platelet morphologies. These findings provide additional support for earlier suggestions that due to fluctuations in leaf hydrophobicity throughout the growing season, canopy storage capacity may also vary considerably throughout this time period.
基金Fondazione Cariverona:“Development and validation of a novel molecular assay forα-synuclein in patients with Parkinson’s disease and otherα-synucleinopathies”#2018.0708 to GZ and Brain Research Verona Foundation to GZ.Dr.Elena Fontana is attending a doctoral fellowship supported by COPAN group.
文摘Background: In patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) detection of pathological α-synuclein (α-syn) in olfactory mucosa (OM) is not as accurate as in other α-synucleinopathies. It is unknown whether these variable results might be related to a different distribution of pathological α-syn in OM. Thus, we investigated whether nasal swab (NS) performed in areas with a different coverage by olfactory neuroepithelium, such as agger nasi (AN) and middle turbinate (MT), might affect the detection of pathological α-syn. Methods: NS was performed in 66 patients with PD and 29 non-PD between September 2018 and April 2021. In 43 patients, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was also obtained and all samples were analyzed by RT-QuIC for α-syn. Results: In the first round, 72 OM samples were collected by NS, from AN (NSAN) or from MT (NSMT), and 35 resulted positive for α-syn RT-QuIC, including 27/32 (84%) from AN, 5/11 (45%) from MT, and 3/29 (10%) belonging to the non-PD patients. Furthermore, 23 additional PD patients underwent NS at both AN and MT, and RT-QuIC revealed α-syn positive in 18/23 (78%) NSAN samples and in 10/23 (44%) NSMT samples. Immunocytochemistry of NS prepara-tions showed a higher representation of olfactory neural cells in NSAN compared to NSMT. We also observed α-syn and phospho-α-syn deposits in NS from PD patients but not in controls. Finally, RT-QuIC was positive in 22/24 CSF samples from PD patients (92%) and in 1/19 non-PD. Conclusion: In PD patients, RT-QuIC sensitivity is significantly increased (from 45% to 84%) when NS is performed at AN, indicating that α-syn aggregates are preferentially detected in olfactory areas with higher concentration of olfactory neurons. Although RT-QuIC analysis of CSF showed a higher diagnostic accuracy compared to NS, due to the non-invasiveness, NS might be considered as an ancillary procedure for PD diagnosis.
