Distribution of Acetogenic Naphthoquinones in Droseraceae and Their Chemotaxonomic Utility.

Chemotaxonomy is the link between the state of the art in analytical chemistry and the systematic classification and phylogenetic analysis of biota. Although the characteristic secondary metabolites from diverse biotic sources have been used in pharmacology and biological systematics since the dawn of mankind, only comparatively recently established reproducible methods have allowed the precise identification and distinction of structurally similar compounds. Reliable, rapid screening methods like TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography) can be used to investigate sufficiently large numbers of samples for chemotaxonomic purposes.

Training in medical communication competence through video-based e-learning: How effective are video modeling and video reflection?

Objective: The present study investigated the efficacy of the didactic approaches of video modeling (VM, best-practice examples), video reflection (VR, problem-based approach), and the combination of both (VMR) in fostering medical communication competence in a video-based digital learning environment.

Methods: N = 126 third-year medical students who participated in the pre-post study were assigned to either the intervention groups (VM, VR, and VMR) or the wait-list control group. The efficacy of the three approaches was assessed by means of a situational judgment test (SJT) of medical communication competence.

Dramatic difference in rate of chromosome number evolution among sundew (Drosera L., Droseraceae) lineages.

Chromosome number change is a driver of speciation in eukaryotic organisms. Carnivorous sundews in the plant genus Drosera L. exhibit single chromosome number variation both among and within species, especially in the Australian Drosera subg.

Small Leaves, Big Diversity: Citizen Science and Taxonomic Revision Triples Species Number in the Carnivorous Complex ( Section , Droseraceae).

The carnivorous complex from southwest Western Australia comprises a group of rare, narrowly endemic species that are potentially threatened by habitat destruction and illegal collection, thus highlighting a need for accurate taxonomic classification to facilitate conservation efforts. Following extensive fieldwork over two decades, detailed studies of both Australian and European herbaria and consideration of both crucial contributions by citizen scientists and social media observations, nine species of the complex are here described and illustrated, including four new species: , , , and . The identities of the previously described infraspecific taxa var.

Selecting the best candidates for resurrecting extinct-in-the-wild plants from herbaria.

Resurrecting extinct species is a fascinating and challenging idea for scientists and the general public. Whereas some theoretical progress has been made for animals, the resurrection of extinct plants (de-extinction sensu lato) is a relatively recently discussed topic. In this context, the term 'de-extinction' is used sensu lato to refer to the resurrection of 'extinct in the wild' species from seeds or tissues preserved in herbaria, as we acknowledge the current impossibility of knowing a priori whether a herbarium seed is alive and can germinate.

The digestive systems of carnivorous plants.

To survive in the nutrient-poor habitats, carnivorous plants capture small organisms comprising complex substances not suitable for immediate reuse. The traps of carnivorous plants, which are analogous to the digestive systems of animals, are equipped with mechanisms for the breakdown and absorption of nutrients. Such capabilities have been acquired convergently over the past tens of millions of years in multiple angiosperm lineages by modifying plant-specific organs including leaves.

A novel approach for reliable qualitative and quantitative prey spectra identification of carnivorous plants combining DNA metabarcoding and macro photography.

Prey spectra (the number and composition of captured arthropods) represent a crucial aspect of carnivorous plant ecology, yet remain poorly studied. Traditional morphology-based approaches for prey identification are time-intensive, require specialists with considerable knowledge of arthropod taxonomy, and are hampered by high numbers of unidentifiable (i.e.

Structural gradients and anisotropic hydraulic conductivity in the enigmatic eel traps of carnivorous corkscrew plants (Genlisea spp.).

Premise: Among the sophisticated trap types in carnivorous plants, the underground eel traps of corkskrew plants (Genlisea spp., Lentibulariaceae) are probably the least understood in terms of their functional principle. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of structural and hydraulic features of G.

Snapshot prey spectrum analysis of the phylogenetically early-diverging carnivorous Utricularia multifida from U. section Polypompholyx (Lentibulariaceae).

Utricularia multifida is carnivorous bladderwort from Western Australia and belongs to a phylogenetically early-diverging lineage of the genus. We present a prey spectrum analysis resulting from a snapshot sampling of 17 traps-the first of this species to our knowledge. The most abundant prey groups were Ostracoda, Copepoda, and Cladocera.

High honeybee abundances reduce wild bee abundances on flowers in the city of Munich.

The increase in managed honeybees (Apis mellifera) in many European cities has unknown effects on the densities of wild bees through competition. To investigate this, we monitored honeybees and non-honeybees from 01 April to 31 July 2019 and 2020 at 29 species of plants representing diverse taxonomic and floral-functional types in a large urban garden in the city of Munich in which the same plant species were cultivated in both years. No bee hives were present in the focal garden, and all bee hives in the adjacent area were closely monitored by interviewing the relevant bee keepers in both 2019 and 2020.

Hidden biodiversity of Amazonian white-sand ecosystems: two distinctive new species of (Lentibulariaceae) from Pará, Brazil.

As deforestation and fire move forward over pristine vegetation in the Amazon, many species remain undiscovered and may be threatened with extinction before being described. Here, we describe two new species of (Lentibulariaceae) collected during recent fieldwork in an area of white-sand vegetation in the eastern Amazon Basin named Campos do Ariramba. Further herbarium revision revealed that both species were first collected over 60 years ago in the same area, remaining unnamed until now.

How can communicative competence instruction in medical studies be improved through digitalization?

The teaching of communicative competence plays an increasingly important role in medical education. In addition to traditional teaching formats, such as role-plays with simulated patients, technology-based approaches become more important in medical education. Teaching materials are increasingly augmented by videos of simulated doctor-patient conversations.

Measurement of the ^{229}Th Isomer Energy with a Magnetic Microcalorimeter.

We present a measurement of the low-energy (0-60 keV) γ-ray spectrum produced in the α decay of ^{233}U using a dedicated cryogenic magnetic microcalorimeter. The energy resolution of ∼10  eV, together with exceptional gain linearity, allows us to determine the energy of the low-lying isomeric state in ^{229}Th using four complementary evaluation schemes. The most precise scheme determines the ^{229}Th isomer energy to be 8.

Development of a novel calorimetry setup based on metallic paramagnetic temperature sensors.

We have developed a new micro-fabricated platform for the measurement of the specific heat of low heat capacity mg-sized metallic samples, such as superconductors, down to temperatures of as low as 10 mK. It addresses challenging aspects of setups of this kind such as the thermal contact between the sample and platform, the thermometer resolution, and an addenda heat capacity exceeding that of the samples of interest (typically nJ/K at 20 mK). The setup allows us to use the relaxation method, where the thermal relaxation following a well defined heat pulse is monitored to extract the specific heat.

Correction to: Changes in the bee fauna of a German botanical garden between 1997 and 2017, attributable to climate warming, not other parameters.

The same is included here.

Changes in the bee fauna of a German botanical garden between 1997 and 2017, attributable to climate warming, not other parameters.

Botanical gardens represent artificial, but stable environments. With this premise, we analyzed the Munich Botanical Garden's bee fauna in 1997/1999 and again in 2015/2017. The garden covers 20 ha, uses no bee-relevant insecticides, has a protected layout, and on three sides abuts protected areas.

Trap diversity and character evolution in carnivorous bladderworts (Utricularia, Lentibulariaceae).

Bladderworts (Utricularia, Lentibulariaceae, Lamiales) constitute the largest genus of carnivorous plants but only aquatic species (about one fifth of the genus) have so far been thoroughly studied as to their suction trap functioning. In this study, we comparatively investigated trap biomechanics in 19 Utricularia species to examine correlations between life-forms, trapping mechanisms, and functional-morphological traits. Our investigations show the existence of two functional trap principles (passive trap in U.

Where Is My Food? Brazilian Flower Fly Steals Prey from Carnivorous Sundews in a Newly Discovered Plant-Animal Interaction.

A new interaction between insects and carnivorous plants is reported from Brazil. Larvae of the predatory flower fly Toxomerus basalis (Diptera: Syrphidae: Syrphinae) have been found scavenging on the sticky leaves of several carnivorous sundew species (Drosera, Droseraceae) in Minas Gerais and São Paulo states, SE Brazil. This syrphid apparently spends its whole larval stage feeding on prey trapped by Drosera leaves.

Early Cretaceous Archaeamphora is not a carnivorous angiosperm.

Archaeamphora longicervia H. Q. Li was described as an herbaceous, Sarraceniaceae-like pitcher plant from the mid Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, northeastern China.

Carnivorous leaves from Baltic amber.

The fossil record of carnivorous plants is very scarce and macrofossil evidence has been restricted to seeds of the extant aquatic genus Aldrovanda of the Droseraceae family. No case of carnivorous plant traps has so far been reported from the fossil record. Here, we present two angiosperm leaves enclosed in a piece of Eocene Baltic amber that share relevant morphological features with extant Roridulaceae, a carnivorous plant family that is today endemic to the Cape flora of South Africa.

Evolution of genome size and chromosome number in the carnivorous plant genus Genlisea (Lentibulariaceae), with a new estimate of the minimum genome size in angiosperms.

Background And Aims: Some species of Genlisea possess ultrasmall nuclear genomes, the smallest known among angiosperms, and some have been found to have chromosomes of diminutive size, which may explain why chromosome numbers and karyotypes are not known for the majority of species of the genus. However, other members of the genus do not possess ultrasmall genomes, nor do most taxa studied in related genera of the family or order. This study therefore examined the evolution of genome sizes and chromosome numbers in Genlisea in a phylogenetic context.

Hands-on - general medicine - circuit-training in the auditorium--a practical equivalent to a lecture.

Introduction: Traditional university teaching formats are of limited use when it comes to conveying the inner workings and specific remit of general medicine in a practical way. Small supervised groups present themselves as a plausible and effective alternative for learning to interact with patients in low prevalence areas.

Description Of The Project: A frontal lecture was transformed into an interactive seminar-like lecture for 280 students.

Towards resolving Lamiales relationships: insights from rapidly evolving chloroplast sequences.

Background: In the large angiosperm order Lamiales, a diverse array of highly specialized life strategies such as carnivory, parasitism, epiphytism, and desiccation tolerance occur, and some lineages possess drastically accelerated DNA substitutional rates or miniaturized genomes. However, understanding the evolution of these phenomena in the order, and clarifying borders of and relationships among lamialean families, has been hindered by largely unresolved trees in the past.

Results: Our analysis of the rapidly evolving trnK/matK, trnL-F and rps16 chloroplast regions enabled us to infer more precise phylogenetic hypotheses for the Lamiales.

15N and 13C natural abundance of two mycoheterotrophic and a putative partially mycoheterotrophic species associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

• In contrast to mycoheterotrophs that associate with ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi, we know little about the ecophysiology of arbuscular mycorrhizal mycoheterotrophs. Here, we identify the mycorrhizal fungi of two unrelated mycoheterotrophs and one putative partial mycoheterotroph that form arbuscular mycorrhizas, and analyse their carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) isotope signatures. • We used molecular methods to identify the mycorrhizal fungi of Dictyostega orobanchoides, Burmannia capitata (Burmanniaceae) and Voyria aphylla (Gentianaceae).

Phylogenetics and character evolution in the carnivorous plant genus Genlisea A. St.-Hil. (Lentibulariaceae).

The carnivorous plant genus Genlisea A. St.-Hil.