Diospyros xylocarpa, a New Species of Ebenaceae from China and Vietnam

A new species of Ebenaceae, Diospyros xylocarpa Y. M. Shui, W. H. Chen & Sima, from China and Vietnam, is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to D. phuketensis Phengklai, but differs in its bigger and densely ochre brown villous leaves, more pairs of lateral veins, shorter petioles, 8-locular ovaries, xyloid fruits with nearly square fruiting calyx and much shorter fruiting peduncle and eight seeds. The new species is also similar to D. dasyphylla Kurz, but differs in its leaf blades with a cuneate to round base, eight stamens and bigger and xyloid fruits.

Optic coherence tomography features of subretinal vitreous substitutes

Background To draw comparisons between spectral domain optic coherence tomography (SD-OCT) features of subretinal silicon oil (SO), perfluoro-n-octane (PFO) or C3F8 gas. Methods Cases diagnosed with retained subretinal vitreous substitutes (VS) were retrospectively selected. Demographic data were collected and OCT features were analyzed. Results In the 13 cases with subretinal PFO, hyper-reflectivity under the bubble was noted in 8 eyes (61.5%); choroidal shadow at the borders of the bubble in 11 eyes (84.6%); hyper-reflective halo around the bubble in 5 eyes (38.4%) and a hyper-reflective apical dot in 8 eyes (61.5%).The two cases with multiple PFO bubbles had complete septum dividing the bubbles. The one case with subretinal SO had hyper reflectivity under the bubble; no choroidal shadow at the edge of the bubble; hyper-reflective halo was noted around the bubble and the apical hyper-reflective dot was present; there was no complete septum dividing multiple bubbles. The single case with subretinal C3F8 had some bubbles with totally round base, incomplete septum, hyper reflectivity under the bubble, choroidal shadow at the edge of the bubble, a hyper-reflective halo and an apical dot. Conclusion Different subretinal VS share similar SD-OCT characteristics. Round base bubbles are only observed with subretinal C3F8 gas, while incomplete septum are related to retained subretinal SO or gas.

CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIMICROBIAL EVALUATION OF SUBSTITUTED BENZIMIDAZOLE DERIVATIVES

A blend of 32.4 g (0.1 mole) of ortho phenylenediamine (OPD), 19.5g (0.1 mol) of Potassium hydroxide (KOH) and 26 g (0.1 mole) of carbon disulphide (CS2), 300 ml of 95% ethanol and water were taken in round base flagon and reflux give coupling prouct benzimidazole 2-thiol (1) was isolated as flicker white precious stone. 10.75ml of concentrated nitric corrosive and equivalent amount of concentrated sulphuric corrosive (1:1) was included The nitration item 5-nitro benzimidazole 2-thiol (2) was shaped as yellowish pale shading, at that point S-alkylated subordinates framed from 5-Niro benzimidazole 2-thiol utilizing acetonitrile (20 ml) containing 2 ml (14 mmol) DBU followed by the expansion of 0.72 g (5 mmol) of 2-diethylaminoethylchloride (3i), 4-aminobenzylchloride (3ii), 4-Hydroxybenzylchloride (3iii), 4-nitro 2-Hydroxybenzylchloride (3iv) give The arrangement was mixed for the time being at room temperature and the dissolvable vanished. Water (5 ml) was added to the buildup and the blend was carried to pH 7 with CH3COOH. The accelerate framed was sifted and solidified from H2O to give last item (3a), (3b), (3c), (3d) individually. Keywords: Benzimidazole, Anti-microbial, S-Alkylation benzimidazole, 2- mercapto benzimidazole.

Święte 11: Cemetery of the Corded Ware Culture

The rescue excavations at site 11 in Święte, Radymno Commune, Jarosław District, were conducted prior to the construction of the A4 motorway. Thirteen Corded Ware culture (CWC) features, including eleven graves, were discovered. The Final Eneolithic cemetery was placed in the neighbourhood of FBC graves, possibly at megalithic tombs. Most of the CWC graves have a niche construction – typical of the Lesser Poland funerary rite. The furnishings found in these features are characteristic of Subcarpathia as are inventories from nearby sites in the Lower San Valley and Rzeszów Foothills. Their typo-chronological assessments point to the younger phase of the CWC. Ceramic artefacts include vessels finding analogies in the assemblages of the Middle Dnieper culture and the cultures of the steppe/forest-steppe of the North-Western Black Sea Area. Among the latter is the spectacular find of a round-base pot from Feature 1149B. A series of five dates estimate the origins of the Święte cemetery graves at the interval of 2530-2375 BC.

Use of the dart apparatus by the hermaphroditic land snail Polymita muscarum (Lea, 1834)

Many species of pulmonate land snails are equipped with one or more so-called "love darts". Even though the number and shape of these calcareous darts vary considerably between species, dart use has only been investigated in very few species. Here, we redescribe the mating behaviour of Polymita muscarum because previous reports did not include the use of the dart apparatus. Mating in this hermaphroditic land snail can be divided into three stages: courtship, copulation and post-copulatory activity. During courtship, full eversion of the genital atrium is reached, thus exposing the sensitive zone, genital lobes and dart apparatus. We observed that P. muscarum pushes the everted dart apparatus repeatedly onto different parts of the partner's body and does not lose its dart after stabbing. Dissected specimens had a single, slender dart with a round base, a broad corona and a circular cross-section. We propose that the morphology of P. muscarum 's dart is consistent with the idea of simple darts needing to be stabbed more often in order to increase the transfer of mucus, which contains a biologically active substance (i.e. allohormone) that enhances the chances of paternity. Besides adding to the growing diversity in the use of love darts in land snails, these findings contribute to the understanding of the evolution of this peculiar reproductive act.

An Athena Parthenos from Cilicia

In the winter of 1974 farmers working in their fields near the village of Selimiye about fifteen kilometres south-east of Ceyhan uncovered a small round limestone altar bearing an image in relief of the goddess Athena (Pl. XVII a). The form and attributes of the figure—left hand on shield, left leg slightly bent, Nike on right hand, aegis on breast—clearly indicate that the relief owes much to Pheidias' great chryselephantine statue in Athens. It may thus be added to a considerable number of representations dating back to Hellenistic times that show the interest in Pheidias' masterpiece in southeastern Asia Minor. In itself it is important as an addition to the handful of reliefs depicting one of the most famous monuments of antiquity.The altar joins a number of other similar monuments, mostly funerary in nature, of varying dimensions in the Adana regional museum. Its height is 0·64 m., its diameter at the base 0·38 m. It consists of a flat round base supporting a series of mouldings (torus, cyma reversa, fillet—Fig. 1a), a central drum divided unequally into a lower and a slightly projecting upper section, a further series of mouldings (fillet, ovolo—Fig. 1b) above which rises a biconical rim with flattened edge, a short continuation of the drum and finally a capping moulding (much mutilated in our specimen). The top is slightly convex with a shallow, rough depression in the middle 0·011 m. deep and 0·11 m. in diameter. Except for the relief and surrounding area the whole stone is dressed down with a claw chisel. There is some entasis apparent in the central portion of the drum.

A Stag-horn Head from Crete

The curious head which is illustrated, in actual size, on Plate VI., was bought by my colleague, Captain F. N. Pryce, and me from a well-known Greek dealer at Cairo in December 1918, and is now in the British Museum. It is carved in the beam of a stag's antler, the natural burr or coronet of the horn representing either a crown or curled, upstanding hair, while the longitudinal corrugations imitate hanging tresses. The smooth, round base of the shed antler very aptly resembles the top of a man's head (Fig. 1). All these features are unworked. The rest of the horn is carved in the shape of a human face wearing a full beard and turned-up moustaches. Across the forehead is a heavy ridged moulding, which runs into the edge of the beard on each side of the face. Whether this moulding represents the band of a headdress, or a ceremonial fillet, or the rim of a crown, or is simply a decorative device to help the transition from the projecting hair to the receding face, it is not possible to decide, for its details will not bear strict interpretation. The hair of eyebrows, moustache and beard is marked with close striations.