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Over the years, fullerene has been covalently linked to other polar structures, increasing its aqueous solubility, thereby improving its potential use for biological and biomedical applications. Here, we report on the self-organization characteristics in water of fullerene-steroid hybrid derivatives with broad structural features. A library of 12 hybrid derivatives was prepared and classified into three groups: (1) mono adducts with only one steroid molecule and one fullerene moiety fused; (2) hybrids bearing wings with one fullerene moiety and two steroid molecules; and (3) a structure with two fullerene moieties linked to one steroid molecule and a mixture of two different monoaducts where C60-malonate is attached to the A or D ring of steroid moiety. Different spectroscopic techniques characterized all synthesized fullerene derivatives, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments (1H and 13C), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The morphology of the derivatives in aqueous solution was determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In general, all the derivatives were organized into spherical nanoscale structures, where the structural characteristics defined the particle size distribution (PSD), showing a broad range of sizes from 6 to over 50 nm, and only a low percentage of larger particles were observed. The presence of dehydroepiandrosterone moieties in fullerene derivatives bearing wings and the increase in lipophilicity conferred by two C60 in the same structure induced more homogeneous and smaller particles, ranging from 6 to 20 nm. A preliminary computational study of the wing aggregates IIb showed that theoretical curve aggregates are more stable than linear ones supporting our TEM and PDS results., This work was supported by Yachay Tech Internal Project (REG-INV-18-03244) “Theoretical and Morphological studies of C60 derivatives.”

The carnation is one of the most important products for export in the floriculture industry of Colombia. Fusariosis (a disease resulting from presence of Fusarium) appears on the crops in two forms: vascular wilt and basal rot. The first is caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. dianthi, which is a well-characterized disease. The second, caused by Fusarium verticillioides (previously Fusarium roseum), is a non-characterized disease and its development in the plant has not been described in detail. The symptoms of basal rot were differentiated from vascular wilt, through infection of plants in the greenhouse, with isolates of F. verticillioides and F. oxysporum obtained from lesions of symptomatic plants. The fungi morphological characterization allowed differentiation of the isolates of these two species and their growth habits on different media. The sequencing of 8 different genes with more than 13 amplicons in the 2 species showed genetic differences that grouped the isolates into different taxa. Multilocus sequence typing analysis using DNA sequences of 8 different genetic regions confirmed the presence of F. verticillioides. In this study, the role of F. verticillioides was demonstrated in the stems of carnation in commercial crops that presented pathogenic lesions. According to the results of the study, F. verticillioides is the etiological agent that produces the basal rotting in carnation plants, alone or in association with F. oxysporum. RESUMEN El clavel es uno de los productos más importantes para exportar en la industria floricultora de Colombia. La fusariosis (una enfermedad resultante de la presencia de Fusarium) aparece en el cultivo en dos formas: la marchitez vascular y la pudrición basal. La primera es causada por F. oxysporum f. sp. dianthi y es una enfermedad bien caracterizada. La segunda, causada por Fusarium verticillioides (anteriormente Fusarium roseum), es una enfermedad no caracterizada y su desarrollo en la planta no ha sido descrito en detalle. Los síntomas de la pudrición basal fueron diferenciados de los producidos por la marchitez vascular, a través de la infección de plantas en el invernadero, con aislados de F. verticillioides y F. oxysporum obtenidos de lesiones de plantas sintomáticas. La caracterización morfológica de los hongos permitió diferenciar las dos especies de Fusarium y se observaron sus hábitos de crecimiento en diferentes medios. Las secuencias de 8 diferentes genes con más de 13 diferentes amplicones en las 2 especies mostró diferencias genéticas que agruparon los aislados dentro de taxones diferentes. Análisis usando tipificación de secuencias múltiples de DNA confirma-ron la presencia de F. verticillioides. En este estudio se estableció el papel de F. verticillioides presente en los tallos de clavel en cultivos comerciales que presentan lesiones patogénicas. De acuerdo con los resultados del estudio, F. verticillioides es el agente etiológico responsable de la pudrición basal en plantas de clavel solo o en asocio con F. oxysporum.

The abundance and morphological characterization of freshwater crab (Sudanountes africanus) were determined in Makurdi along the Lower River Benue. 160 Sudanountes africanus were collected from August-November, 2016. The highest percentage (35.63%) S. africanus was obtained in August while the lowest (12.50%) was obtained November. The mean total length, body weight, carapace width, carapace length, length of the teeth, abdominal length, number of legs and diameter of the eye socket of male S. africanus were 3.38±0.03, 38.52±0.84, 4.67±0.83, 1.44±0.18, 3.51±0.06, 2.91±0.06, 8.00±0.00 and 0.69±0.01, respectively while the female counterpart had 3.40±0.07, 37.63±1.77, 4.71±0.10, 1.43±0.15, 3.26±0.08, 2.72±0.08, 8.00±0.00 and 0.64±0.01, respectively. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) between mean total length, body weight, carapace width, carapace length, abdominal length and the diameter of the eye socket. Female S. africanus had better “b” value (16.56) and mean condition factor (36.18±1.22) than the male with 7.13 “b” value and 7.16±4.77 condition factor. From the width weight relationship, female S. africanus had better “b” value (11.22) and mean condition factor (9.20±2.09) than the male with 2.00 “b” value and 1.07±4.45 condition factor.

Fungal diversity notes is one of the important journal series of fungal taxonomy that provide detailed descriptions and illustrations of new fungal taxa, as well as providing new information of fungal taxa worldwide. This article is the 11th contribution to the fungal diversity notes series, in which 126 taxa distributed in two phyla, six classes, 24 orders and 55 families are described and illustrated. Taxa in this study were mainly collected from Italy by Erio Camporesi and also collected from China, India and Thailand, as well as in some other European, North American and South American countries. Taxa described in the present study include two new families, 12 new genera, 82 new species, five new combinations and 25 new records on new hosts and new geographical distributions as well as sexual-asexual reports. The two new families areEriomycetaceae(Dothideomycetes, familyincertae sedis) andFasciatisporaceae(Xylariales, Sordariomycetes). The twelve new genera compriseBhagirathimyces(Phaeosphaeriaceae),Camporesiomyces(Tubeufiaceae),Eriocamporesia(Cryphonectriaceae),Eriomyces(Eriomycetaceae),Neomonodictys(Pleurotheciaceae),Paraloratospora(Phaeosphaeriaceae),Paramonodictys(Parabambusicolaceae),Pseudoconlarium(Diaporthomycetidae, genusincertae sedis),Pseudomurilentithecium(Lentitheciaceae),Setoapiospora(Muyocopronaceae),Srinivasanomyces(Vibrisseaceae) andXenoanthostomella(Xylariales, generaincertae sedis). The 82 new species compriseAcremonium chiangraiense,Adustochaete nivea,Angustimassarina camporesii,Bhagirathimyces himalayensis,Brunneoclavispora camporesii,Camarosporidiella camporesii,Camporesiomyces mali,Camposporium appendiculatum,Camposporium multiseptatum,Camposporium septatum,Canalisporium aquaticium,Clonostachys eriocamporesiana,Clonostachys eriocamporesii,Colletotrichum hederiicola,Coniochaeta vineae,Conioscypha verrucosa,Cortinarius ainsworthii,Cortinarius aurae,Cortinarius britannicus,Cortinarius heatherae,Cortinarius scoticus,Cortinarius subsaniosus,Cytospora fusispora,Cytospora rosigena,Diaporthe camporesii,Diaporthe nigra,Diatrypella yunnanensis,Dictyosporium muriformis,Didymella camporesii,Diutina bernali,Diutina sipiczkii,Eriocamporesia aurantia,Eriomyces heveae,Ernakulamia tanakae,Falciformispora uttaraditensis,Fasciatispora cocoes,Foliophoma camporesii,Fuscostagonospora camporesii,Helvella subtinta,Kalmusia erioi,Keissleriella camporesiana,Keissleriella camporesii,Lanspora cylindrospora,Loratospora arezzoensis,Mariannaea atlantica,Melanographium phoenicis,Montagnula camporesii,Neodidymelliopsis camporesii,Neokalmusia kunmingensis,Neoleptosporella camporesiana,Neomonodictys muriformis,Neomyrmecridium guizhouense,Neosetophoma camporesii,Paraloratospora camporesii,Paramonodictys solitarius,Periconia palmicola,Plenodomus triseptatus,Pseudocamarosporium camporesii,Pseudocercospora maetaengensis,Pseudochaetosphaeronema kunmingense,Pseudoconlarium punctiforme,Pseudodactylaria camporesiana,Pseudomurilentithecium camporesii,Pseudotetraploa rajmachiensis,Pseudotruncatella camporesii,Rhexocercosporidium senecionis,Rhytidhysteron camporesii,Rhytidhysteron erioi,Septoriella camporesii,Setoapiospora thailandica,Srinivasanomyces kangrensis,Tetraploa dwibahubeeja,Tetraploa pseudoaristata,Tetraploa thrayabahubeeja,Torula camporesii,Tremateia camporesii,Tremateia lamiacearum,Uzbekistanica pruni,Verruconis mangrovei,Wilcoxina verruculosa,Xenoanthostomella chromolaenaeandXenodidymella camporesii. The five new combinations areCamporesiomyces patagoniensis,Camporesiomyces vaccinia,Camposporium lycopodiellae,Paraloratospora gahniaeandRhexocercosporidium microsporum. The 22 new records on host and geographical distribution compriseArthrinium marii,Ascochyta medicaginicola,Ascochyta pisi,Astrocystis bambusicola,Camposporium pellucidum,Dendryphiella phitsanulokensis,Diaporthe foeniculina,Didymella macrostoma,Diplodia mutila,Diplodia seriata,Heterosphaeria patella,Hysterobrevium constrictum,Neodidymelliopsis ranunculi,Neovaginatispora fuckelii,Nothophoma quercina,Occultibambusa bambusae,Phaeosphaeria chinensis,Pseudopestalotiopsis theae,Pyxine berteriana,Tetraploa sasicola,Torula gaodangensisandWojnowiciella dactylidis. In addition, the sexual morphs ofDissoconium eucalyptiandPhaeosphaeriopsis pseudoagavacearumare reported fromLaurus nobilisandYucca gloriosain Italy, respectively. The holomorph ofDiaporthe cynaroidisis also reported for the first time.

Plastic pollution is one of the growing environmental problems in the world currently. The situation of microplastics (MPs) in the South China Sea (SCS) is not yet fully understood. This study investigated the spatial distribution, morphological characterization, and chemical composition of MPs in surface seawater in the southwestern SCS, based on cruise data in 2018. Our analysis shows that the average abundance of surface MPs in seawater was 0.072 ± 0.053 particles/m3 and 88.4% of MPs were 3) and bigger MPs sizes were found at surface water in Nansha Islands than in Xisha Islands (0.032 ± 0.01 particles/m3). In addition, more polymer types of MPs were found in Nansha Islands, while more MPs films were found in Xisha Islands. PET and cellophane dominated in Nansha Islands, while PVC dominated in Xisha Islands with no cellophane detected. The surface MPs were low in abundance and diverse in polymers in the southwestern SCS with apparent differences between islands and between onshore and offshore, owing to plastics wastes from vessel traffics and some inhabited islands.

Garlic is a vegetable widely used both in food and as a pharmaceutical raw material in the world due to its contents. Although morphological differences are observed in garlic, which is obligatory apomictically propagated, clonal propagation causes narrowing variation, a genetic bottleneck. This situation complicates breeding programs aiming improvements in preferred agronomic characteristics. For this reason, determining the morphological and molecular differences between garlic genotypes originating from Turkey is important for breeding studies. In this study, morphological and molecular characteristics of 39 garlic genotypes, which are widely cultivated in Turkey, were determined. Kahramanmaraş4 genotype was different from other genotypes in terms of some morphological features (fresh weight, dry weight, and bulb diameter). In the molecular characterization study, 10 Inter-Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) primers were used, and it was determined that the genotype TekDiş31 of Tunceli region was different from other garlic genotypes. Genetic similarity coefficient was found to be high (0.85–1.0) in genotypes except for TekDiş31 garlic genotype. In general, some garlic clones (Maraş3 and Kayseri30, Urfa33 and Topaklı35, Kastamonu22 and Kastamonu28, Urfa10 and Kastamonu14, Kastamonu29 and Bademci23) were completely similar to each other, while few differences were found among others. In conclusion, this study revealed that the garlic plant, despite its clonal propagation, consisted of some level of morphological and partially molecular variation. Due to its mode of reproduction (vegetative), this variation may largely be due to point or chromosomal mutation. Furthermore, the 10 identified ISSR primers can generate valuable information for genetic diversity for use by garlic breeders.

Lasiodiplodia (family Botryosphaeriaceae) is a widely distributed fungal genus that causes a variety of diseases in tropical and subtropical regions. During 2020–2021, a routine survey of fruit tree plants was conducted in five Egyptian Governorates, and fresh samples exhibiting dieback, decline, leaf spot and root rot symptoms were collected. Collection from eight different symptomatic leaves, twigs, branches and roots of fruit trees yielded 18 Lasiodiplodia-like isolates. The sequencing data from the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1-a) and β-tubulin (tub2) were used to infer phylogenetic relationships with known Lasiodiplodia species. Two isolates obtained from black necrotic lesions on Phoenix dactylifera leaves were identified as a putative novel species, L. newvalleyensis sp. nov., and were thus subjected to further morphological characterization. The results of isolation and molecular characterization revealed that L. theobromae (n = 9) was the most common species on Mangifera indica, Citrus reticulata, C. sinensis, Ficus carica, Prunus persica, Prunus armeniaca and Pyrus communis trees. Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae (n = 5) was isolated from M. indica, Prunus persica and C. sinensis. Lasiodiplodia laeliocattleyae (n = 2) was isolated from C. reticulata. Pathogenicity test results suggested that all Lasiodiplodia species were pathogenic to their hosts. The present study is considered the first to characterize and decipher the diversity of Lasiodiplodia species associated with fruit trees in Egypt, using the multi-locus ITS, tef1-a and tub2 sequence data, along with morphological and pathogenic trials. To our knowledge, this is the first report of L. newvalleyensis on Phoenix dactylifera and L. laeliocattleya on C. reticulata in Egypt and worldwide.

The green synthesis of highly conductive polyaniline by using two biological macromolecules, i.e laccase as biocatalyst, and DNA as template/dopant, was achieved in this work. Trametes versicolor laccase B (TvB) was found effective in oxidizing both aniline and its less toxic/mutagenic dimer N-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (DANI) to conductive polyaniline. Reaction conditions for synthesis of conductive polyanilines were set-up, and structural and electrochemical properties of the two polymers were extensively investigated. When the less toxic aniline dimer was used as substrate, the polymerization reaction was faster and gave less-branched polymer. DNA was proven to work as hard template for both enzymatically synthesized polymers, conferring them a semi-ordered morphology. Moreover, DNA also acts as dopant leading to polymers with extraordinary conductive properties (∼6 S/cm). It can be envisaged that polymer properties are magnified by the concomitant action of DNA as template and dopant. Herein, the developed combination of laccase and DNA represents a breakthrough in the green synthesis of conductive materials.

The titica vine fiber (TVF) (Heteropsis flexuosa) is a natural lignocellulose fiber (NLF) from the Amazon rainforest that was, for the first time, investigated in terms of its basic properties such as dimensions, porosity, and density as well as its chemical composition, moisture content, crystallinity, and microfibrillar angle. In this study, the apparent density of TVF was determined as one of the lowest-ever reported for NLFs). Using both the geometric method and Archimedes’ principle, density values in the range of 0.5–0.6 g/cm3 were obtained. The moisture content was measured as around 11%, which is in accordance with the commonly reported values for NLFs. The TVF exhibited a high porosity, approximately 70%, which was confirmed by SEM images, where a highly porous morphological structure associated with the presence of many voids and lumens was observed. The crystallinity index and microfibrillar angle were determined as 78% and 7.95°, respectively, which are of interest for a stiff NLF. A preliminary assessment on the mechanical properties of the TVFs revealed a tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and elongation of 26 MPa, 1 GPa, and 7.4%, respectively. Furthermore, the fiber presented a critical length of 7.62 mm in epoxy matrix and an interfacial shear strength of 0.97 MPa. These results suggest the TVFs might favors applications where lighter materials with intermediate properties are required.

The transformation of γ-valerolactone (GVL) into levulinic acid (LA) requires the use of bifunctional catalysts allowing the hydrogenation and lactonization steps to occur. The aim of this study is to clarify the role played by both redox (Ru) and acid (Nb) sites of the ruthenium-niobium-silicon mixed oxides catalysts, synthesized by sol-gel route, when this reaction is performed in mild conditions. The catalytic performances of the materials are related to an in-depth morphologic and structural characterization, demonstrating that the interaction between the two metals and their relative amount and dispersion are crucial in determining their activity. The results confirm the hydrogenation-dehydration consecutive reaction network and evidence the possibility to selectively produce either GVL or the intermediate γ-hydroxypentanoic acid by an accurate choice of the catalyst composition.

Zizania latifolia is a perennial plant native to East Asia. The swollen culm of Z. latifolia is a popular vegetable and traditional herbal medicine consumed in China and some other Asian countries. From 2019 to 2021, a sheath rot disease was found in Zhejiang Province of China. Symptoms mainly occurred in the leaf sheath showing as brown necrotic lesions surrounded by yellow halos. The pathogen fungal isolates were isolated from the affected sheaths. Ten representative isolates were selected for morphological and molecular identification by phylogenetic analyses of the translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1) and the RNA polymerase II subunit beta (RPB2) gene regions. Based on the combined datasets, the fungal isolates were identified as Fusarium andiyazi. Koch’s postulates were confirmed by pathogenicity test, re-isolation and re-identification of the fungal isolates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of sheath rot caused by F. andiyazi in Z. latifolia in China.

Olive (Olea europaea L.) resources in Algeria are very little investigated. In fact, a total of 60 denominations have been the subject of characterization studies and they are cited in the bibliography but only 36 varieties are described and listed in the catalog of Algerian varieties of olive tree. In this work, a study on the diversity by mean of a field survey followed by morphological characterization, an estimate of the Shannon diversity index of a set of denominations collected in central and eastern of Algeria were carried out. The survey allowed us to note the existence of 33 denominations never mentioned in the bibliography. Morphological characterization based on the characteristics of tree, fruit and endocarp allowed us to a morphological description of 23 denominations. The Principal Component Analysis, Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Ascending Hierarchical Classification analysis allowed us to classify them into a few groups. The value of the relative diversity of all denominations is slightly below the average (0.42). The results obtained in this work provide very useful information on certain morphological characteristics of the studied denominations and indicate the critical conditions in which several denominations are found, which constitutes a great risk of genetic erosion.

Background The aim of the study is to characterize a biomedical magnesium alloy and highlighting the loss of mechanical integrity due to the sterilization method. Ideally, when using these alloys is to delay the onset of degradation so that the implant can support body loads and avoid toxicological effects due to the release of metal ions into the body. Methods Standardized procedures according to ASTM F-1264 and ISO-10993-5 were used, respecting detailed methodological controls to ensure accuracy and reproducibility of the results, this testing methodology is carried out in accordance with the monographs of the Pharmacopoeia for the approval of medical devices and obtaining a health registration. An intramedullary implant (IIM) manufactured in magnesium (Mg) WE43 can support loads of the body in the initial period of bone consolidation without compromising the integrity of the fractured area. A system with these characteristics would improve morbidity and health costs by avoiding secondary surgical interventions. Results As a property, the fatigue resistance of Mg in aggressive environments such as the body environment undergoes progressive degradation, however, the autoclave sterilization method drastically affects fatigue resistance, as demonstrated in tests carried out under in vitro conditions. Coupled with this phenomenon, the relatively poor biocompatibility of Mg WE43 alloys has limited applications where they can be used due to low acceptance rates from agencies such as the FDA. However, Mg alloy with elements such as yttrium and rare earth elements (REEs) have been shown to delay biodegradation depending on the method of sterilization and the physiological solution used. With different sterilization techniques, it may be possible to keep toxicological effects to a minimum while still ensuring a balance between the integrity of fractured bone and implant degradation time. Therefore, the evaluation of fatigue resistance of WE43 specimens sterilized and tested in immersion conditions (enriched Hank’s solution) and according to ASTM F-1264, along with the morphological, crystallinity, and biocompatibility characterization of the WE43 alloy allows for a comprehensive evaluation of the mechanical and biological properties of WE43. Conclusions These results will support decision-making to generate a change in the current perspective of biomaterials utilized in medical devices (MDs), to be considered by manufacturers and health regulatory agencies. An implant manufactured in WE43 alloy can be used as an intramedullary implant, considering keeping elements such as yttrium-REEs below as specified in its designation and with the help of a coating that allows increasing the life of the implant in vivo.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an economically important food legume grown in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Chickpea cultivated mainly in rainfed condition in the residual moisture and restricted irrigation condition. The crop is prone to drought stress which results in retardation of flowering and major yield loss in many parts of the world. The present study provides a comparative study of a candidate gene, molecular marker, and physiological traits for screening drought tolerance in chickpea. Abiotic stress-responsive gene Dehydrin (DHN) also identified in some of the chickpea genotypes based on the sequence similarity approach. Based on morphological data analysed for drought stress including relative water content and Membrane stability index and yield in comparison to normal condition the genotypes According to the study, analysis of variance, there were significant effects of drought stress on RWC, MSI, plant height, and yield traits. The Pusa1103 and Pusa362 well-known donor along with ICC4958 were found most promising genotypes for drought tolerance as they maintained the higher value of RWC, MSI, plant height, and yield traits. The results were further supported by, sequence similarity approach when analysed for the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and indels. Homozygous indels and SNPs were found after the sequencing in some tolerant genotypes

The Nanfengmiju (Citrus reticulata cv. Nanfengmiju), a high-quality local variety of mandarin, is one of the major fruit crops in Jiangxi Province, China. Citrus melanose and stem-end rot, two common fungal diseases of Nanfengmiju, are both caused by Diaporthe spp. (syn. Phomopsis spp.). Identification of the Diaporthe species is essential for epidemiological studies, quarantine measures, and management of diseases caused by these fungi. Melanose disease was observed on Nanfengmiju fruit in Jiangxi Province of China in 2016. Based on morphological characterization and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses, three out of 39 isolates from diseased samples were identified as D. passifloricola. Since these three isolates did not cause melanose on citrus fruit in the pathogenicity tests, they were presumed to be endophytic fungi present in the diseased tissues. However, our results indicate that D. passifloricola may persist as a symptom-less endophyte in the peel of citrus fruit, yet it may cause stem-end if it invades the stem end during fruit storage. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of D. passifloricola as the causal agent of the stem-end rot disease in Citrus reticulata cv. Nanfengmiju.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an economically important food legume grown in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Chickpea is cultivated mainly in the rainfed, residual moisture, and restricted irrigation condition. The crop is always prone to drought stress which is resulting in flower drop, unfilled pods, and is a major yield reducer in many parts of the world. The present study elucidates the association between candidate gene and morpho-physiological traits for the screening of drought tolerance in chickpea. Abiotic stress-responsive gene Dehydrin (DHN) was identified in some of the chickpea genotypes based on the sequence similarity approach to play a major role in drought tolerance. Analysis of variance revealed a significant effect of drought on relative water content, membrane stability index, plant height, and yield traits. The genotypes Pusa1103, Pusa362, and ICC4958 were found most promising genotypes for drought tolerance as they maintained the higher value of osmotic regulations and yield characters. The results were further supported by a sequence similarity approach for the dehydrin gene when analyzed for the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and indels. Homozygous indels and single nucleotide polymorphisms were found after the sequencing in some of the selected genotypes.

The genus Passiflora is the most diversified of the Passifloraceae, and its palynology presents wide morphological variability. The objective of the study was to evaluate the pollen morphology of 18 Passiflora species in order to identify informative pollinic characteristics to contribute to the taxonomic classification of the genus. The morphology of the pollen grains and the exine structure were investigated using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Differences in the pollen morphology were found in the studied species, mainly in terms of shape, pollen aperture and ornamentation pattern of the exine. Most of the species belonging to the subgenus Passiflora presented ornamented 6-syncolpate pollen grains with an oblate-spheroidal shape and an exine with large lumens. In the subgenus Decaloba the pollen grains were 6-colporate, 12-colpate and 12-colporate, with subprolate to prolate-spheroidal shape, as well as an exine with smaller lumen size and few ornamented. The pollen morphology of the species of the subgenera Passiflora and Decaloba has shown palynological characteristics that have specific diagnostic value, thus allowing a better understanding of the taxonomy of the genus Passiflora.

RESUMO O Registro Nacional de Cultivares (RNC) e o Servico Nacional de Protecao de Cultivares (SNPC)foram instituidospelo Ministerio da Agricultura, Pecuaria e Abastecimento (MAPA) em 1997. O registro de uma cultivar no RNC permite a producao, o beneficiamento e a comercializacao de sementes no pais. A protecao de uma cultivar no SNPC, por sua vez, assegura o direito de exploracao comercial de uso aos obtentores de uma nova cultivar, possibilitando o aporte de recursos para programas de melhoramento genetico de empresas publicas e privadas e o subsequente lancamento de novas cultivares.A experiencia dos autores com o tema e a relevância do mesmo para os setores publico e privado forneceram o estimulo para que este artigo fosse escrito compartilhando, assim, os elementos julgados relevantes no processo de estabelecimento de descritores, registro e protecao de cultivares, usando a berinjela como o foco do estudo de caso.Devido a inexistencia de diretrizes para protecao de cultivares de Solanum melongena no Brasil,foram avaliados 43 descritores de berinjela do International Union for theProtectionof New VarietiesofPlants – UPOV. Para o estabelecimento dos descritores, registro e protecao de cultivares foram relevantes o conhecimento da variabilidade genetica de uma colecao de germoplasma e da morfologia da planta; experiencia na caracterizacao morfologica, aplicacao dos descritores e com a cultura em distintos ambientes climaticos; a tropicalizacao dos descritores; o tempo necessario para o estabelecimento dos descritores, sua aprovacao e adocao pelo MAPA; o conhecimento e cumprimento das exigencias burocraticas para a efetivacao dos processos; a mobilizacao de talentos interdisciplinares e o apoio da pesquisa publica para auxiliar o MAPA na validacao dos descritores. Palavras chaves: Solanummelongena, propriedade intelectual, sementes, caracterizacao morfologica,melhoramento genetico

Waste and Biomass Valorization, Vol. 0, iss. 0 (2018) (online first), This paper presents the results of the study on chemical and the physical properties of waste phosphogypsum (PG) of apatite origin from the former chemical plant Wizow, Poland which are important for further processing and economic use. The research was carried out to verify whether the waste might be useful as a raw material for rare earth elements (REE) recovery and the manufacture of building materials. The following methods were chosen: X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with an energy-dispersive X-ray detector, atomic absorption spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma spectrometry, differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetry, and gamma spectrometry with natural radioactive contamination analyzer. It has been proven that the chemical physical properties of phosphogypsum provide an opportunity to utilize this waste material as a source of REE and raw material for building purposes. PG contains an overall amount of REE in the interval of 0.343–0.637% by mass and does not show radioactivity level which would exclude it from construction purposes. The presented results serve as the basis for currently available technological directions in the management of apatite PG for useful trade products, which creates a chance for the elimination of its storage necessity by further processing.

In this study, nanostructured Mn3O4 (manganese oxide) thin films were successfully obtained by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method on the soda lime glass substrates using Manganese Nitrate (Mn(NO3)2) and Ammonium hydroxide (NH4(OH)) as cationic and anionic precursors respectively. Structural and morphological characterizations of the Mn3O4 films obtained at different cycles were determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The crystal structure of the thin films were also confirmed by RAMAN spectroscopy. Optical properties such as absorption, transmission, reflection, extinction coefficient and optical band gap of nanostructured Mn3O4 thin films were determined by UV–Vis spectroscopy. SEM images showed that the manganese oxide nanosheets formed uniformly on substrate surface. As the deposition cycles increased, nano-sheets structure deteriorated. The optical band gap of Mn3O4 thin films varied from 2.12 to 2.59 eV, depending on the increase in number of cycles. From contact angle measurements of thin films, it was determined that thin films had hydrophilic character. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

RESUMEN El maiz es un cereal de importancia mundial por sus diferentes usos industriales y valor nutritivo; sin embargo los efectos ocasionados por la presencia de nematodos en el maiz pueden ser muy perjudiciales. Por ello se planteo el presente trabajo con el objetivo principal de reconocer e identificar los nematodos fitoparasitos asociados a este cultivo en las regiones de Puno y Cusco; para el efecto se recolectaron 131 muestras de suelo durante la campana 2015-2016 en la Region Puno, (distritos de Chupa, Sandia, San Juan del Oro, Cuyocuyo, Ayapata, Ollachea, San Gaban); y 30 muestras en la Region Cusco, (distritos de Pisac y Urubamba). Las muestras de suelo fueron procesadas por el metodo de fluctuacion centrifuga en solucion sacarosa. Una vez analizadas las muestras, los resultados determinan la presencia de los siguientes generos de nematodos: Helicotylenchus spp., Mesocriconema spp., Globodera spp., Xiphinema spp., Rotylenchus spp. Dorylaimus spp. y nematodos de Vida libre. Reportar la presencia de seis generos asociados con el cultivo de maiz es de interes cientifico, porque permitira continuar con investigaciones tecnicas aplicadas. Palabras claves: Nematodos fitoparasitos, caracterizacion morfologica. ABSTRACT Corn is a cereal of global importance for its different industrial uses and nutritional value; however, the effects caused by the presence of nematodes in the corn can be very harmful. For this reason, the present work was proposed with the main objective of recognizing and identifying the parasitic plants nematodes associated with this crop in the regions of Puno and Cusco; For this purpose, 131 soil samples were collected during the 2015-2016 campaign in the Puno Region (districts of Chupa, Sandia, San Juan del Oro, Cuyocuyo, Ayapata, Ollachea, and San Gaban); and 30 samples in the Cusco Region, (districts of Pisac and Urubamba). The soil samples were processed by the centrifugal fluctuation method in sucrose solution. After analyzing the samples, the results determine the presence of the following genera of nematodes: Helicotylenchus spp., Mesocriconema spp., Globodera spp., Xiphinema spp., Rotylenchus spp. Dorylaimus spp. and free-living nematodes. Reporting the presence of six genera associated with the cultivation of corn is of scientific interest, because it will allow continuing applied technical research. Key words: plant parasitic nematodes. Morphological characterization.

Neglected and underutilized crop species (NUCS) are valuable sources of food and income for several rural households in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A thorough understanding of their diversity, uses, socio-economic roles, and factors for their neglect would be necessary for guiding promotion efforts. This study was conducted in two steps: (1) interviews with rural households involved in NUCS production and trade, and (2) greenhouse characterization of the two most popular NUCS′ morphotypes, African nightshade and amaranth, from Walungu and Kabare territories, eastern DRC. About 19% of farmers of the entire study area were involved in NUCS production. We identified 22 and 23 NUCS used in Kabare and Walungu territories, respectively. These species belonged to 19 botanical families, among which Solanaceae (∼24% in Walungu and ∼11 in Kabare) and Fabaceae (8% in Walungu and 11% in Kabare) were the most dominant families. They were of different ranges: grasses and herbs (62%), shrubs (20%), thorns (2%), and trees (16%). These species were used whether for nutritional (60%), medicinal (7%), or both nutritional and medicinal values (33%). NUCS' market value was low, and thus, discouraged further investment in their farming. The seed delivery system was informal, dominated by farmer-saved seed, seed from local markets, and farmer seed exchange. Characterization experiment for the most popular leafy NUCS showed differences among collected morphotypes for most traits, with some local genotypes outperforming exogenous commercial varieties. Supply of quality seed, training of farmers on the most appropriate cropping system, processing technologies, increased consumer awareness, linking research to policy, and increasing market opportunities for smallholder farmers are strategies for promoting wide use of these crops in eastern DRC.

This paper proposes the bio-fabrication of a porous scaffold from a selection procedure of elements taking into account biological behavior, using magnesium (Mg) alloyed with calcium (Ca) and zinc (Zn). The proposed scaffold could work as a treatment for specific pathologies in trauma and oncology, on the one hand, in addition to possible applications in osteosynthesis, through contrib-uting to osseointegration and infection control through the release of drugs. Finally, another pos-sible attribute of this alloy could be its use as a complementary treatment for osteosarcoma; this is due to the basification produced by oxidative degradation (attack on cancer cells). The evaluation of cell viability of an alloy of Mg - 25 wt% Ca - 5 wt% Zn will strengthen current perspectives on the use of Mg in the clinical evaluation of various treatments in trauma and oncology. Considera-tions on the preparation of an alloy of Mg - 25 wt% Ca - 5 wt% Zn and its morphological charac-terization will help researchers understand its applicability for the development of new surgical techniques and lead to a deeper investigation of alternative treatments. However, it is very im-portant to bear in mind the mechanical effect of elements such as Ca and Zn on the degradation of the alloy matrix; the best alternative to predict the biological-mechanical potential starts with the selection of the essential-nutritional elements and their mechanical evaluation by mi-cro-indentation due to the fragility of the matrix. Therefore, the morphological evaluation of the specimens of Mg - 25 wt% Ca - 5 wt% Zn will show the crystallinity of the alloy; these results to-gether contribute to the design of biomedical alloys for use in treatments for various medical spe-cialties. The results indicated that cell viability is not affected, and there are no morphological changes in the cells.

In this work, the moldability via micro-injection molding (μIM) of nano-filled polyamide 6 (PA6) based systems and the microstructural characteristics of the micro-injected parts were investigated and compared to those observed via traditional injection molding (IM). Two types of nano-fillers, different in nature and geometry, were examined, namely carbon nanotubes and silicate layers. The presence of nano-fillers did not impair the mold replication capability of PA6 in the μIM process. A micro-rib and a standard dumbbell specimen for tensile tests were used as reference micro- and macro-injected part, respectively. Transmission Electron Microscopy, Wide and Small Angle X-ray Scattering and Differential Scanning Calorimetry analyses showed that, due to the different thermomechanical histories during μIM and IM, the micro- and the macro-parts have different microstructures, influenced also by the filler type. Both nano-filler dispersion and PA6 crystallinity were influenced.

[EN] Chile peppers are one of the most important crops in Mexico and a plethora of ecotypes can be found there. Most of them are ancient open-pollinated (OP) landraces selected by farmers for uniform phenotype but with an inherent level of genetic diversity, called criollos. In this work 15 pepper accessions, encompassing 2 criollo lines, their open-pollinated progenies, and 5 controls, were characterized with a set of 36 IPGRI descriptors and 23 SSR markers to assess the effect of open pollination in the inbreeding process. Heterozygosity levels were comprised between 12 and 47% in the progenies, which were similar or lower than those values from parent plants and similar or higher than control cultivars. Also, both progenies and parents showed similar levels of agronomic and morphological uniformity. Our results suggest that this OP program is efficient in terms of reaching enough agronomic uniformity in criollo Ancho peppers while preserving certain genetic diversity to confer adaptation to climate change., This work was partly financed by projects INIA RTA2013-00022-C02-02 and RTA2014-00041-C02-02, funded by Instituto Nacional Investigaciones Agrarias (Spain), FEDER funds. Also, Mexican authors thank CONACYT for financing the stay of Gustavo Chavez-Gonzalez in Spain, as well as the Programa Integral de Fortalecimiento Institucional (PIFI) de la UA de Aguascalientes (SEP-Mexico).

Trichoderma species are potential fungal bio-control agents used against a wide range of soil borne plant pathogens. In the present study a total of 20 Trichoderma isolates viz., AT1, AT2, AT3, AT4, AT5, AT6, AT7, BT1, BT2, BT3, BT4, BT5, BT6, BT7, BT8, BT9, BT10, BT11, BT12, BT13 were isolated from vegetable fields of Kashmir valley and their efficacy was tested by using various biochemical tests. Thirteen isolates of Trichoderma viz., AT1, AT2, AT3, AT4, AT5, AT6, AT7, BT1, BT7, BT8, BT10, BT11 and BT12 were found to be positive for ammonia production. Similarly twelve isolates viz., AT2, AT3, AT7, BT1, BT3, BT4, BT7, BT8, BT10, BT11, BT12 and BT13 were found to be positive as far as the chitinase activity is concerned. In the IAA production assay maximum IAA was produced by isolate BT9 (6.605 µg mL-1) followed by BT6 (5.278 µg mL-1), while minimum IAA was produced by isolate AT1 (1.538 ìg mL-1). Only five isolates viz., AT1, AT2, AT3, AT4 and AT5 metabolized lactose and sucrose while seven isolates viz., AT1, AT2, AT3, AT4, AT5, AT6 and AT7 were found to metabolize maltose. Hydrocyanic acid (HCN) was observed to be produced by only three isolates of Trichoderma viz., AT3, AT5 and AT7. Trichoderma isolate AT3 qualifying most of the biochemical tests were morphological characterized as Trichoderma harzianum.

Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides is a West African forest tree that is used for example against malaria and sickle cell anemia in Burkina Faso. The goal of this study was to analyze the genetic and morphological diversity of the species within wild populations in Burkina Faso, where it is potentially under threat due to the uncontrolled harvesting of its roots. Seventy-two trees from three different sites in Southwestern Burkina Faso were analyzed. Each tree was characterized by 12 traits specifying the period of flowering and maturity as well as morphological characteristics of the stem, leaves, and seeds. The molecular analysis was performed using two plastid DNA regions (psbA-trnH and trnL-trnF) and two nuclear regions (GBSSI and ITS) to identify the genetic diversity of the species for further development of a management plan for ex situ reproduction and in situ conservation. We found variability in morphological traits correlating with the geographic distance of the study sites. The molecular analysis, in contrast, revealed hardly any genetic variability among the tested trees and no population structure. Whether the differences in morphological traits are caused by different environmental conditions or by genetic variability in genes linked to morphological traits needs further testing. The apparent lack of genetic differentiation suggests that germplasm throughout the study region is suitable for planting in conservation actions. Efficient conservation management should involve local communities, especially those interested in traditional medicine.

Core collections contribute to make conservation expenses more efficient and facilitate a better utilization of accessions in breeding programs. Eighty-five accessions from the working collection of Pisum germplasm belonging to cultivated species and subspecies were evaluated during 2015 and 2016 in the College of Agricultural Sciences, Rosario National University. Phenotypic values of 12 morphological traits were measured and best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) of the adjusted means or genotypic values for these traits was calculated. Molecular characterization was performed assaying a total of 15 SSR primer combinations and 25 SRAP primer combinations on all accessions. With all the data collected, four Cluster Analysis were performed (phenotypic values, genotypic values, molecular markers and consensus) to divide the accessions into groups with similar characteristics. Four strategies to determine the number of accessions selected from each group (constant, logarithmic, proportional and maximization strategies) were applied to construct 16 core collections. Validation of the core collections were performed analyzing the parameters Mean difference percentage (MD), Variance difference percentage (VD), Coincidence rate of range (CR) Variable rate of coefficient of variation (VR), Shannon diversity index (SW) and the taxonomy coverage (TC). Considering all validation parameters together, the logarithmic strategy with genotypic values data was the best strategy, while the worst strategy was the proportional strategy with molecular marker data. Fil: Espósito, María Andrea. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Departamento de Producción Vegetal. Cátedra de Mejoramiento Vegetal y Producción de Semillas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; Argentina Fil: Gatti, Ileana. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Departamento de Producción Vegetal. Cátedra de Mejoramiento Vegetal y Producción de Semillas; Argentina Fil: Cointry Peix, Enrique Luis. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Departamento de Producción Vegetal. Cátedra de Mejoramiento Vegetal y Producción de Semillas; Argentina

13 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, Environmental sequences have become a major source of information. High‐throughput sequencing (HTS) surveys have been used to infer biogeographic patterns and distribution of broad taxa of protists. This approach is, however, more questionable for addressing low‐rank (less inclusive) taxa such as species and genera, because of the increased chance of errors in identification due to blurry taxonomic boundaries, low sequence divergence, or sequencing errors. The specious ciliate genus Euplotes partially escapes these limitations. It is a ubiquitous, monophyletic taxon, clearly differentiated from related genera, and with a relatively well‐developed internal systematics. It has also been the focus of several ecological studies. We present an update on Euplotes biogeography, taking into consideration for the first time environmental sequences, both traditional (Sanger) and HTS. We inferred a comprehensive small subunit rRNA gene phylogeny of the genus including a newly described marine species, Euplotes enigma, characterized by a unique question mark‐shaped macronucleus. We then added available environmental sequences to the tree, mapping associated metadata. The resulting scenario conflicts on many accounts with previously held views, suggesting, for example, that a large diversity of anaerobic Euplotes species exist, and that marine representatives of mainly freshwater lineages (and vice‐versa) might be more common than previously thought, This work was supported by a grant (RGPIN‐2014–03994) from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to P. J. K

A morphometrical study was made in 60 adult cocks from four municipalities in the Ch'orti region in Chiquimula, Guatemala. There were studied 18 morphometric quantitative traits: body length, wing and shank lengths, rump length and width, beak length, head length, face length, metatarsus length and perimeter, dorsosternal diameter, bi-costal width, body height, chest perimeter, abdominal perimeter, body width, back height and body weight. In addition, the following 6 qualitative traits were also collected: presence of feathers in the leg, presence of ear, skin and leg colour, shape of the crest, and presence of feathers on the neck. An existence of three conglomerates was determined by means of multivariate statistical analysis of quantitative traits, but qualitative traits did not allow any grouping, and most birds combined these traits. The general form defined those three groups, which would not seem 'ecotypes', as they seem not to differ by environmental adaptive characters, rather being mere 'biotypes'. Se realizaron mediciones en 60 gallos adultos de raza Peluca procedentes de cuatro municipios de la región Ch’ortí de Chiquimula, en Guatemala. Los descriptores morfométricos cuantitativos fueron 18: longitud corporal, longitud el ala, longitud del miembro posterior, longitud y anchura de la grupa, longitud de pico, longitud de la cabeza, longitud de la cara, longitud del metatarso, diámetro dorso-esternal, diámetro bi-costal, alzada, perímetro torácico, perímetro abdominal, perímetro del metatarso, ancho corporal, altura de la cruz, y peso corporal. Además, se analizaron las siguientes 6 características cualitativas: presencia de plumas en la caña, presencia de orejuela, color de la piel, color de la caña, forma de la cresta y presencia de plumas en el cuello. Mediante análisis estadístico multivariado de los caracteres cuantitativos se determinó la presencia de tres conglomerados de gallos Peluca. Las características cualitativas no fueron definitivas para determinar cada conglomerado, dado que la mayoría de aves presenta características compartidas. Pero la forma general sí los definió. No parecerían “ecotipos”, puesto que no se diferencian por caracteres adaptativos a un entorno, con lo que los tres conglomerados expresarían más bien meros “biotipos”.

Considering the major role played by sandwich structures in many fields where high stiffness-to-weight ratio is required, the selection of a suitable core material is of paramount importance. In order to face the environmental problems related to waste disposal, the selection of an eco-friendly core material is now included in the design criteria of sandwich structures. Agglomerated cork is recognized as a good solution that combines satisfactory mechanical performances and eco-sustainability. Many research studies individually addressed cork&rsquo, s morphological, thermal, and mechanical features without providing a comprehensive overview of the relationships that exist between them. In this work, the investigation of the peculiar cork morphology allowed learning more about its good insulation capacity and its impressive recovery capability. The use of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) clarified the influence of temperature on both flexural and compressive performances. The effect of testing parameters such as temperature and speed on agglomerated cork properties was validated through statistical analysis. Moreover, to highlight agglomerated cork advantages and drawbacks, the work provides also a comparison with more traditional polyvinylchloride (PVC) foams commonly used in industrial applications.

Two inter-subspecific F1 hybrids have been obtained by crossing olive cultivars (‘Frantoio’ and ‘Coratina’) with pollen donors from olive subspecies (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata) to enrich the germplasm of cultivated olive in southern China. This study aimed to investigate the characterization of morphological traits and molecular markers in the two hybrids and their parents of crosses. The morphological study showed a significant difference between genotypes according to the main discriminative parameters on qualitative and quantitative traits of leaf, fruit, and endocarp. A set of six co-dominant polymorphic simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were used for molecular identification, and SSR analysis confirmed that two progenies were the offspring of their cited parents based on the presence of parental specific SSR alleles. Three single-copy nuclear loci (SCNL) primer pairs were used for amplification of single-copy genes in the two progenies and their parents and after then PCR products were sequenced. Sequence alignment analysis on the effective data showed a total of 15 different base sites between two progenies, which were confirmed as true inter-specific hybrids between olive cultivars and subsp. cuspidata.

The Nanfengmiju (Citrus reticulata cv. Nanfengmiju), a high-quality local variety of mandarin, is one of the major fruit crops in Jiangxi Province, China. Citrus melanose and stem-end rot, two common fungal diseases of Nanfengmiju, are both caused by Diaporthe spp. (syn. Phomopsis spp.). Identification of the Diaporthe species is essential for epidemiological studies, quarantine measures, and management of diseases caused by these fungi. Melanose disease was observed on Nanfengmiju fruit in Jiangxi Province of China in 2016. Based on morphological characterization and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses, three out of 39 isolates from diseased samples were identified as D. passifloricola. Since these three isolates did not cause melanose on citrus fruit in the pathogenicity tests, they were presumed to be endophytic fungi present in the diseased tissues. However, our results indicate that D. passifloricola may persist as a symptom-less endophyte in the peel of citrus fruit, yet it may cause stem-end if it invades the stem end during fruit storage. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of D. passifloricola as the causal agent of the stem-end rot disease in Citrus reticulata cv. Nanfengmiju.

In this work, results are reported concerning the effect of the deposition parameters on the structural properties of Cu 2 ZnSnSe 4 (CZTSe) thin films, grown through a chemical reaction of the metallic precursors by co-evaporation in a two-stage process. XRD measurements revealed that the samples deposited by selenization of Cu and Sn grow in the kesterite phase (CZTSe), respectively. Effect of the deposition temperature and mass ratio Cu/ZnSe on the transport properties of CZTSe films were analyzed. It was also found that the electrical conductivity of the thin films is affected by the transport of free carriers in extended states of the conduction band as well as for variable range hopping transport mechanisms, each one predominating in a different temperature range. The molecular and morphological effect on the compound through Raman and AFM measurements was studied. © 2016 Elsevier B.V.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:26:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2016-10-15 Fundação de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento do Ensino, Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul This work aims to investigate the corrosion resistance of AZ31 magnesium alloy protected by hybrid films based on tetraethylorthosilane (TEOS) and (3-glycidoxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GPTMS) with the addition of different amounts of SiO2 nanoparticles. The electrochemical techniques used to evaluate the corrosion resistance in 0.1 mol ll− 1 NaCl electrolyte were open circuit potential (EOC) measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), which diagrams were fitted using equivalent electrical circuits (EEC). Surface and cross-section analyses of the bare and coated samples were performed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) before and after electrochemical studies. The results showed that the coatings protected the Mg alloy against corrosion, and that the addition of the nanoparticles improves the corrosion resistance. The morphological characterization showed, for the coated systems, the presence of corrosion products adhered to the metal surface, a process that seems to be hindered in the presence of the SiO2 nanoparticles. The results demonstrate that an optimum amount of nanoparticles must be added to the coating in order to optimize the anticorrosion protection and that only early stages protection can be achieved. Faculdade de Ciências Exatas e Tecnologia Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Rodovia Dourados — Itahum, km 12, P.O. Box 364 CQE Instituto Superior Técnico Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais Departamento de Eng. Metalúrgica e de Materiais Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes n. 2463 Departamento Físico-Química Instituto de Química Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP, P.O 355 Departamento Físico-Química Instituto de Química Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP, P.O 355 Fundação de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento do Ensino, Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul: 23/200.693/2012

Preliminary evaluation of 5 apple genotypes produced by seed selection in the germplasm of seed rootstocks in Sweida- Syria was carried out between 2005 and 2012, to study date of full flowering, maturity time, morphological characters of tree, shoots, leaves, flowers, and fruits, including chemical analysis. On the other hand, yield efficiency, fruit storability and the susceptibility to pests and physiological disorders were evaluated. Molecular characterization was achieved by using 8 pairs of SSR primers for the 5th genotypes in comparison with the two main commercial cultivars "Golden Delicious" and "Starking Delicious" to determine the genetic relationship between the studied genotypes and cultivars. The results divided the studied genotypes depending on the time of ripening into three groups: early, intermediate and late genotypes. All studied genotypes gave efficient and regular yield, and showed fixable fruit shape and size with variable storability due to maturity time. Molecular characterization reveled the ability of SSR technique to determine the genetic variation between the studied genotypes, the 8 primer pairs produced 22 alleles, 21 of them were polymorphic (95.45%). Cluster analysis divided the studied genotypes into 2 clusters, the first cluster included the two commercial cultivars Starking delicious and Golden delicious with one genotypes, while the second cluster contained the four remaining genotypes. Finally, the studied genotypes revealed high desired quantitative and qualitative traits, which assess to distribute these genotypes as new cultivars, and SSR technique was able to identify and revealed the genetic distance between the studied genotypes and commercial cultivars.INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTVolume-5, Issue-2, March-May 2016, page: 98-109

Lemna minuta Kunth and Lemna minor L. are two small aquatic floating plants easily mistakable for similar morphology. The need to distinguish with certainty these two species is a relevant issue, not only from a floristic viewpoint, but also for establishing management plans in wetlands where L. minuta is an invasive alien species as in Europe. The vein number and frond length are considered by most authors as the main morphological characters discriminating the two species. However, in this study the use of these two characters has not been effective for the determination of 43 specimens out of 248 living specimens of Lemna collected from 15 different wetlands of the Central Italy. Statistical analyses of the dataset made it possible to better define the variability of the morphological characters of these two species and to identify additional diagnostic characters to use for improving the morphological discrimination between them. Among these characters, width, apex and shape of the frond, were the most helpful. Decision Trees were elaborated for differentiating L. minor from L. minuta with greater efficiency both in the laboratory and in the field. The increase in percentage of correct determination of Lemna specimens through measurement and parallel utilization of the emerged morphological characters will facilitate the botanists’ activities, but also will have practical implications, such as the ability to contribute better to the decision-making system in drawing up plans for plant biodiversity protection and/or eradication of the alien species.

This study aimed to characterize, based on the morphology and on the use of carbon sources, rhizobial isolates obtained from nodules of wild common bean genotypes cultivated on soil samples from the states of Goias, Minas Gerais and Parana. Based on morphological and carbon source use, similarity matrixes were generated to perform clustering analysis based on the Jaccard index. A total of 523 isolates were obtained with the predominance of isolates that acidify the culture medium and showed fast growth. Isolates from the soils of Araucaria and Prudentopolis produced a greater amount of mucus than those from Jussara, Nova Veneza, Uberlândia and Unai soils. The rhizobia isolates obtained from soils of Goias and Minas Gerais showed greater phenotypic diversity than those from the soils of Parana. Analysis based on the use of different carbon sources revealed that rhizobia isolates obtained from soils of Goias have higher metabolic diversity. Overall, the most part of isolates grouped with the reference strains, especially with the Rhizobium tropici and R. freirei strains used as inoculants for the common bean.

The aim of this study was to characterize and identify groups of achiote (Bixa orellana L.) with characteristics related to increased yield and bixin content. A total of 149 achiote accessions were collected from the departments of Loreto, San Martin, Junín, Pasco, Huánuco, Ucayali, and Cusco, in Perú. These were then evaluated using ten quantitative and three qualitative capsule and seed descriptors. Undesirable characteristics such as high spinosity and dehiscence predominated, while none of the quantitative descriptors correlated significantly with bixin content. Principal component analysis indicates that the quantitative descriptors (except for bixin content) are statistically significant, forming four clusters. Notably, one of the clusters included accessions characterized by heavy seeds, and another cluster included accessions with high number of seeds and bixin content.

This study aimed to morphologically characterize and determine the aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus isolates. Forty isolates of A. flavus were obtained from sweet corn kernels and soil samples collected from Kampong Raja, Rose Valley, Kea, and Klebang farms in Malaysia. They were cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA), dichloran rose-bengal chloramphenicol (DRBC), Aspergillusflavus and Aspergillus parasiticus agar (AFPA), and coconut cream agar (CCA). Macromorphological characteristics were determined by observing the colony color and texture, while the micromorphological characteristics were determined by examining the spore color, size, structure, conidiophore structure, and vesicle shape. The production of aflatoxin was determined by direct visualization of the UV fluorescence of A. flavus colonies on CCA. Aflatoxin was qualitatively detected in 18 (45%) isolates of A. flavus using UV fluorescence screening while the remaining 22 (55%) isolates did not exhibit any aflatoxin production. The highest incidence of A. flavus (30%) and aflatoxin production (15%) was recorded in samples from Kampong Raja. On the other hand, isolates from Rose Valley (17%) and Kea (12%) were non-aflatoxigenic. Klebang recorded a 25% incidence of A. flavus in which 15% were aflatoxigenic while 10% were non-aflatoxigenic. The occurrence of aflatoxin-producing A. flavus emphasizes the need for the measure to eradicate their presence in food crops. A biological control treatment utilizing the non-aflatoxigenic strains to compete with the aflatoxigenic ones is underway. Validation of aflatoxin production through high performance liquid chromatography is also ongoing.

Scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) are versatile imaging devices for the micro- and nanoscale that find application in various disciplines such as the characterization of biological, mineral or mechanical specimen. Even though the specimen&rsquo, s two-dimensional (2D) properties are provided by the acquired images, detailed morphological characterizations require knowledge about the three-dimensional (3D) surface structure. To overcome this limitation, a reconstruction routine is presented that allows the quantitative depth reconstruction from SEM image sequences. Based on the SEM&rsquo, s imaging properties that can be well described by an affine camera, the proposed algorithms rely on the use of affine epipolar geometry, self-calibration via factorization and triangulation from dense correspondences. To yield the highest robustness and accuracy, different sub-models of the affine camera are applied to the SEM images and the obtained results are directly compared to confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) measurements to identify the ideal parametrization and underlying algorithms. To solve the rectification problem for stereo-pair images of an affine camera so that dense matching algorithms can be applied, existing approaches are adapted and extended to further enhance the yielded results. The evaluations of this study allow to specify the applicability of the affine camera models to SEM images and what accuracies can be expected for reconstruction routines based on self-calibration and dense matching algorithms.

This study was carried out to examine the validity of previous studies on the intercompatibility of olive and to compare the approach and techniques used for proposing the diallelic self‐incompatibility system and the sporophytic self‐incompatibility system. Analysis of the literature indicates that the mating system of the olive tree is a controversial issue and requires further studies to clearly and fully comprehend it. All possible approaches should be used to maximize reliability of the final conclusions on the olive mating system.

Paragonimiasis is a subacute to chronic inflammatory granulomatous lung disease caused by the genus Paragonimus In Latin America Paragonimus mexicanus Miyazaki & Ishii, 1968 is the only confirmed species to cause human infections Paragonimus caliensis Little, 1968 is an uncommon species often regarded as a synonym of P. mexicanus Recently, the study of two types of Paragonimus metacercariae from Costa Rica has provided new molecular and morphological evidence that P. caliensis is a separate species from P. mexicanus In the present study, molecular, morphological and phylogenetic tools have been used to characterize two populations of Paragonimus located at west of Medellin, Antioquia and at Pichinde, Valle del Cauca (type locality of P. caliensis), Colombia Adults and metacercariae obtained from Medellin, and metacercariae from Pichinde were analyzed For morphological observations we used light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Morphology of metacercariae and adults matched with the holotype of P. caliensis. The number and arrangement of sensory papillae in the acetabulum region differs from the morphotypes reported for P. caliensis in Costa Rica Two morphotypes in branching patterns of ovary and two morphotypes in branching patterns of testes were identified The main morphological differences between P. caliensis and P. mexicanus corresponded to the size of gonads and their relative positions in the body, and the occasional presence of a cyst wall in P. caliensis metacercariae The molecular and phylogenetic analyses (using nuclear ribosomal ITS2 and partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 COl sequences) confirmed that P. caliensis from the type locality is the same species from Medellin and Costa Rica Furthermore, these analyses also suggest genetic as well as geographical separation of P. caliensis populations between Colombia and Costa Rica Currently, P. mexicanus and P. caliensis are sympatric in the Colombian Pacific bioregion, and specific diagnosis based on their egg size is not possible Therefore, it is necessary to determine the biogeographic distribution ranges of both species and to implement molecular techniques to establish the role of P. caliensis in human paragonimiasis in Colombia.

Spectroscopic and microscopic measurements show that 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid is able to densely adsorb on the surface of silver nanoparticles by properly selecting the synthesis procedure. Its subsequent polymerization by UV irradiation under controlled photochemical conditions produces the blue form of poly(pentacosa-10,12-diynoic acid). The resulting nanohybrids are very stable in aqueous suspension and exhibit a bilayered, core–shell architecture. We propose a model of the polyPCDA self-assembled on silver nanoparticles and we evaluate the surface coverage density.

O crescimento do mercado das pimentas para fins ornamentais no Brasil demanda cultivares adaptadas às condições ambientais brasileiras. Este trabalho teve como objetivos caracterizar 22 acessos de Capsicum spp. considerando-se 13 descritores qualitativos e oito quantitativos relacionados ao potencial ornamental; estimar a dissimilaridade entre os acessos, a contribuição relativa dos caracteres avaliados e indicar genitores para cruzamentos em programas de melhoramento para fins ornamentais. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação, em blocos ao acaso com três repetições e quatro plantas por parcelas. Onze grupos foram formados pelo método UPGMA para as características qualitativas e oito para as quantitativas. Na análise conjunta dos dados observou-se a formação de 10 grupos, com 77% de similaridade aos grupos observados para análise qualitativa. O caráter quantitativo que mais contribuiu para a discriminação entre os acessos foi o comprimento do fruto e o que teve menor contribuição foi a mudança de coloração na maturação dos frutos. Todavia, esse caráter não pode ser descartado numa etapa de seleção de acessos com potencial ornamental, visto que a atratividade da planta encontra-se na variação de cor que seus frutos possuem, conferindo-lhe um grande valor estético. Cinco acessos (UENF 1623, UENF 1626, UENF 1627, UENF 1632 e UENF 1750) com potencial ornamental foram identificados para cultivo em vaso, tendo em comum porte baixo, hábito de crescimento intermediário e prostrado, estádios de maturação variando de três a cinco, florescimento e frutificação precoce. Outros sete acessos (UENF 1615, UENF 1641, UENF 1717, UENF 1738, UENF 1741, UENF 1790 e UENF 1799) foram indicados para cultivo como arbusto em função do porte, da coloração, do tamanho e da forma dos frutos. Indica-se os acessos UENF 1623, UENF 1626, UENF 1627, UENF 1632 e UENF 1750 para serem utilizados como genitores em programas de melhoramento de pimentas ornamentais com base na divergência genética e em suas características agronômicas de interesse. The market for ornamental peppers in Brazil is arising and breeding new cultivars adapted to Brazilian environmental conditions is necessary. This work describes the characterization of 22 pepper accessions (Capsicum spp.) considering traits related to ornamental purposes, analyzes the genetic dissimilarity among the accessions and indicates promising genotypes that can be used as parental in crosses. Thirteen qualitative and eight quantitative descriptors were studied. The experiment was carried out in greenhouse using a randomized block design with three replications and four plants per plot. UPGMA clustered the accessions in 11 groups for qualitative and eight groups for quantitative descriptors. Data joint analyses using Gower´s algorithm resulted in 10 clusters, a similar pattern observed for qualitative characters (77% of similarity). Fruit length was the most important trait to discriminate the accessions while changing color during fruit ripening was less important in accessions discrimination. However, this descriptor cannot be discarded during phenotyping because it is a very important trait aiming ornamental breeding. Desirable traits for ornamental use as small height, intermediate growth habit, three to five stages for fruit ripening maturation, early flowering and fruit set were identified in five accessions (UENF 1623, UENF 1626, UENF 1627, UENF 1632 and UENF 1750). Other seven accessions (UENF 1615, UENF 1641, UENF 1717, UENF 1738, UENF 1741, UENF 1790 and UENF 1799) had also ornamental interest for garden growing because of the plant height, along with fruit color, size and shape. Accessions UENF 1623, UENF 1626, UENF 1627, UENF 1632 and UENF 1750 can be recommended for crosses seeking pepper ornamental breeding, based on genetic divergence and suitable agronomic traits.

Bu araştırma, Ordu il ve ilçelerinden toplanan 156 yerel mısır genotipi kullanılarak, Ordu ekolojik koşullarında 2013 yılında yürütülmüştür. Deneme Augmented deneme desenine göre 2 sıralı olarak yürütülmüştür. Araştırmada bitki boyu, tepe ve koçan püskülü gösterme süreleri, ilk koçan yüksekliği, sap çapı, bitkide yaprak sayısı, koçan boyu, koçan çapı, koçandaki sıra sayısı, sıradaki dane sayısı, koçandaki tane ağırlığı, bintane ağırlığı ve tek bitki verimi incelenmiştir. Araştırmadan elde edilen minimum ve maksimum verilere göre; bitki boyu 33.9-301.2 cm, ilk koçan yüksekliği 12-195 cm, tepe püskülü gösterme süresi 68-80 gün, koçan püskülü gösterme süresi 76-88 gün, yaprak sayısı 7.0-12.33 adet, koçan boyu 5.8-20.2 cm, koçan çapı 13.2-41.4 mm, koçandaki sıra sayısı 7.2-14.3 adet, sıradaki dane sayısı 7.2-36.6 adet arasında değişim göstermişken, bintane ağırlığı 138.43-423.5 g ve tek bitki verimi ise 7.22-188.0 g arasında değişmiştir. Tek bitki verimi dikkate alındığında; 156 genotipten ortalamanın üzerindeki 77 genotipin ki bu da genotiplerin %49’u ileriki ıslah çalışmalarında materyal olarak incelenen özellikler bakımından değerlendirilebileceği sonucuna varılmıştır.

Background: One of the most important zoonotic helminths in the world is known as Echinococcus granulosus. Different strains of the E. granulosus have been described based on morphological and molecular characterizations, however, there is limited information regarding the characteristics of the phenotypes and genotypes of E. granulosus in Iran. Methods: The present study was prepared to evaluate the phenotypic and genotypic diversity of E. granulosus isolates collected from human, goat, sheep, and cattle based on 19 standard morphometric parameters and mitochondrial and nuclear genes (CO1, ND1, and ITS1) in Kashan, Markazi Province, Iran during 2013–2014. Results: The biometric analysis for the 19 characters revealed that the 19 morphometric values of cattle isolates were exceptionally higher than human, goat, and sheep isolates (P

6 Figuras.-- 2 Tablas, Asparagus maritimus is a species distributed in sandy soils along the Mediterranean coast. It has been reported as salt tolerant and resistant to rust. The wild asparagus species are a very important genetic resources for asparagus breeding because the current commercial cultivars have a narrow genetic base. Until recently, the only population of A. maritimus catalogued in Spain was a small population, which is at high extinction risk, located around the coastal lagoon “Mar Menor” in the region of Murcia. Different studies carried out in the current work support the recent description of this population as a new species named Asparagus macrorrhizus. Plants from three populations of A. maritimus were used to carry out studies of characterization and the results were compared with plants of A. macrorrhizus. The morphological studies showed clear differences between the populations of A. maritimus and A. macrorrhizus. One of the differences found between these populations was at the ploidy level. The plants of A. maritimus were hexaploid (2n = 6x = 60), while the plants of A. macrorrhizus were dodecaploid (2n = 12x = 120). Also, the flavonoid composition showed that A. maritimus contains six different flavonoids while in A. macrorrhizus 90 % of the flavonoid content corresponds to only one flavonoid (Nicotiflorin) followed by minor quantities of other two. Another difference between these populations was supported by the principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) using data from 4 EST-SSRs markers amplified in plants of A. maritimus and A. macrorrhizus, and clearly separates the two species. The differences found in this work highlight the importance of A. macrorrhizus as a possible genetic resource for asparagus breeding. The distribution of A. macrorrhizus is limited to the area surrounding the “Mar Menor” lagoon. The prospections carried out in the last years indicated the high risk of extinction of this species due to the urbanization of this natural habitat. Therefore, we have included A. macrorrhizus in our germplasm bank in vivo and in vitro as well as in the breeding programs., Authors would like to thank the kindness and help of the environmental agents and biologists from the Directorate General for the Environment of the Region of Murcia (Spain). We are also grateful to Mr. Ruben Vives Lopez, naturalist of “Ecologistas en Acción” of Murcia, for providing valuable information, plant material and technical support during the plant prospecting and data recovery of Asparagus macrorrhizus in the surrounding areas of “Mar Menor” coastal lagoon. This study was funded by “Junta de Andalucía” (Project of Excellence AGR3648).

Objective To to compare the chitosan/alginate, chitosan and alginate nanoparticles as plasmid vectors, to determine the morphological characteristics, size and physicochemical properties of nanoparticle-pEGFP complexes and to evaluate the potential of these nanoparticles in transfection of pEGFP plasmid in to a cultured the human embryonic kidney cell line (HEK 293 cells). Methods Nanoparticles comprising chitosan, alginate and both chitosan-alginate polymers were formed through pregel preparation method. The ability of plasmid-complexes in preventing DNA migration were assessed by the agarose gel assay. The efficiency of nanoparticles in transfection of pEGFP plasmid in the cultured HEK 293 cells was measured by flow cytometry. The effect of the nanoparticle-plasmid complexes on the cell viability was determined using cytotoxicity assay. Resutls Chitosan, alginate and alginate/chitosan nanoparticles had a mean Z-average diameter of 620 nm, 235.8 nm and 161.8 nm and mean zeta potential of 45 mV, −18.6 mV and 29.3 mV, respectively. Chitosan and chitosan/alginate nanoparticles have greater capacity to maintain plasmid than alginate nanoparticles. Alginate nanoparticles had the greater transfection in comparison to the others. Cell viability assays indicated that nanoparticles had no toxic effect on HEK 293 cells after 4 h or 24 h. Conclusions The combination of particle surface, hydrophobicity size and zeta potential can influence on transfection efficiency and the cellular uptake of the nanoparticles. Our suitable candidate for gene delivery would be alginate/chitosan nanoparticles.

In the present study, platinum nanoparticles decorated on graphene sheets have been employed as electrocatalysts for both oxygen reduction reaction and hydrogen oxidation reaction in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. A green and simple approach has been followed for the reduction of graphite oxide using l-ascorbic acid (l-ARGO). Platinum nanoparticle decoration on graphene (Pt/l-ARGO) sheets has been carried out by polyol reduction technique. The structural and morphological characterizations have been performed by different characterization techniques to confirm the formation of materials. The power densities have been evaluated from the recorded polarization curves. The single cell measurements show that the electrocatalytic activity of Pt/l-ARGO is superior in comparison to chemically reduced Pt-graphene systems. This journal is � the Partner Organisations 2014.