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Acremonium and the recently separated acremonium-like genera, such as Sarocladium, are emerging causes of opportunistic disease in humans, mainly post-traumatic infections in immunocompetent hosts, but also invasive infections in immunocompromised patients, such as those undergoing transplantation. Acremonium egyptiacum has emerged as the major pathogenic Acremonium species in humans, implicated mainly in nail but also in disseminated and organ specific infections. In this first study of acremonium-like clinical isolates in Greece, 34 isolates were identified and typed by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer, and their antifungal susceptibility was determined by a modified CLSI standard M38 3rd Edition method for filamentous fungi. A. egyptiacum was the primary species (18 isolates) followed by Sarocladium kiliense (8), Acremonium charticola, Gliomastix polychroma, Proxiovicillium blochii, Sarocladium terricola, Sarocladium zeae, and Stanjemonium dichromosporum (all with one isolate). Two isolates, each with a novel ITS sequence, possibly represent undescribed species with an affinity to Emericellopsis. All three A. egyptiacum ITS barcode types described to date were identified, with 3 being the major type. Flutrimazole, lanoconazole, and luliconazole presented the lower minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values against A. egyptiacum, with a geometric mean (GM) MIC of 2.50, 1.92, and 1.57 μg/mL, respectively. Amphotericin B, itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole, terbinafine, amorolfine, and griseofulvin MICs were overall high (GM 12.79–29.49 μg/mL). An analysis of variance performed on absolute values showed that flutrimazole, lanoconazole, and luliconazole were equivalent and notably lower than those of all the other drugs tested against A. egyptiacum. Antifungal susceptibility of the three different A. egyptiacum genotypes was homogeneous. Overall, the high MICs recorded for all systemically administered drugs, and for some topical antifungals against the tested A. egyptiacum and other acremonium-like clinical isolates, justify the routine susceptibility testing of clinical isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oomycetes are water molds that are frequently isolated during a survey of waterways. Biodiversity of oomycetes in the estuary region of the Veleka River in Bulgaria was investigated in 2021. A total number of 32 isolates were derived using the baiting method. Species identification based on sequencing of the ITS region divided them into four different genera: Phytophthora (P.), Phytopythium (Pp.), Pythium (Py.) and Elongisporangium (E.). The most abundant species in the studied region was P. lacustris (sixteen isolates), followed by P. honggalleglyana (nine isolates). P. bilorbang and P. inundata were represented by only one isolate each and were recognized for the first time in Bulgaria. The genus Phytopythium was presented by two isolates that belong to different species, Pp. litorale and Pp. citrinum. In the obtained collection, the genera Pythium and Elongisporangium were represented by only one species each, Py. angustatum (one isolate) and E. anandrum (two isolates), respectively. Colony morphology of the eight collected oomycete species was characterized by cultivation of selected isolates on three different media. Potential host species of the isolated estuarine oomycetes were estimated by pathogenicity tests conducted with sixteen plants from ten diverse families. P. lacustris and P. honggalleglyana demonstrated a higher aggressiveness among Phytophthora isolates, whereas P. bilorbang and P. inundata showed less ability to infect the tested plant species. Similar pathogenicity and a potential host range for both Phytopythium species were observed. Less aggressive against analyzed plants in this study were Py. angustatum and E. anandrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vermicomposting offers an eco-friendly solution to managing the sewage sludge generated in wastewater treatment plants. The objective of this study was to investigate the microbial community composition, structure and functionality during the vermicomposting of sewage sludge. We analyzed samples of sewage sludge, earthworm casts and vermicompost by applying high-throughput sequencing 16S and ITS rRNA. Most of the bacterial (95%) and fungal taxa (99%) were eliminated and subsequently replaced by other microbial taxa originating from earthworms. Further changes resulted in a vermicompost with a more diverse bacterial (but not fungal) community. In addition, the earthworm activity led to an increase in bacterial and a decrease in fungal alpha diversity, resulting in greater differences in beta diversity between sewage sludge, casts and vermicompost. We also found that bacterial pathways associated with amino acid and plant hormone biosynthesis and antibiotic synthesis were enriched. Vermicomposting successfully eliminated most of the 10 human bacterial pathogens found in the sewage sludge. Simultaneously, parasitic and pathogenic fungal taxa were removed. Overall, vermicompost derived from sewage sludge is safer for disposal on land than raw sludge, particularly regarding their respective microbial compositions. This indicates that it could potentially be used as a soil organic amendment and fertilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Amomum includes over 111 species, 6 of which are widely utilized as medicinal plants and have already undergone taxonomic revision. Due to their morphological similarities, the presence of counterfeit and substandard products remains a challenge. Accurate plant identification is, therefore, essential to address these issues. This study utilized 11 newly sequenced samples and extensive NCBI data to perform molecular identification of the six medicinal "Doukou" species. The plastomes of these species exhibited a typical quadripartite structure with a conserved gene content. However, independent variation shifts of the SC/IR boundaries existed between and within species. The comprehensive set of genetic sequences, including ITS, ITS1, ITS2, complete plastomes, matK, rbcL, psbA-trnH, and ycf1, showed varying discrimination of the six "Doukou" species based on both distance and phylogenetic tree methods. Among these, the ITS, ITS1, and complete plastome sequences demonstrated the highest identification success rate (3/6), followed by ycf1 (2/6), and then ITS2, matK, and psbA-trnH (1/6). In contrast, rbcL failed to identify any species. This research established a basis for a reliable molecular identification method for medicinal "Doukou" plants to protect wild plant resources, promote the sustainable use of medicinal plants, and restrict the exploitation of these resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banana (Musa spp.) is one of the most economically important horticultural crops. There are many types of banana, with differing ploidy (usually diploid, triploid, or tetraploid) and genome types (most containing the A or/and B genome). Currently, observation and genome type detection are commonly used to identify banana germplasm resources. However, observation is tedious, while genome type detection cannot distinguish categories below genome types. It is, therefore, urgent to establish a simple and effective method for identifying banana germplasm resources. This study sequenced and analyzed the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of 62 banana germplasm resources and found that the sequencing peaks, especially the 20 bp region near the 420-bp position (referred to as the 420-bp region), exhibited relatively recognizable and repeatable polymorphism characteristics. Using the 420-bp region as a marker, we were able to quickly distinguish bananas belonging to different genome type groups or different subgroups in the same genome type group. Moreover, it appeared that Sanger sequencing of ITS could be used to identify hybrid banana offspring. In general, ITS sequencing simplifies the classification of banana germplasm resources and has potential application in several areas of Musa improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic flow prediction is one of the challenges in the development of an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). Accurate traffic flow prediction helps to alleviate urban traffic congestion and improve urban traffic efficiency, which is crucial for promoting the synergistic development of smart transportation and smart cities. With the development of deep learning, many deep neural networks have been proposed to address this problem. However, due to the complexity of traffic maps and external factors, such as sports events, these models cannot perform well in long-term prediction. In order to enhance the accuracy and robustness of the model on long-term time series prediction, a Graph Attention Informer (GAT-Informer) structure is proposed by combining the graph attention layer and informer layer to capture the intrinsic features and external factors in spatial–temporal correlation. The external factors are represented as sports events impact factors. The GAT-Informer model was tested on real-world data collected in London, and the experimental results showed that our model has better performance in long-term traffic flow prediction compared to other baseline models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bluetooth sensors in intelligent transportation systems possess extensive coverage and access to a large number of identity (ID) data, but they cannot distinguish between vehicles and persons. This study aims to classify and differentiate raw data collected from Bluetooth sensors positioned between various origin–destination (i–j) points into vehicles and persons and to determine their distribution ratios. To reduce data noise, two different filtering algorithms are proposed. The first algorithm employs time series simplification based on Simple Moving Average (SMA) and threshold models, which are tools of statistical analysis. The second algorithm is rule-based, using speed data of Bluetooth devices derived from sensor data to provide a simplification algorithm. The study area was the Historic Peninsula Traffic Cord Region of Istanbul, utilizing data from 39 sensors in the region. As a result of time-based filtering, the ratio of person ID addresses for Bluetooth devices participating in circulation in the region was found to be 65.57% (397,799 person IDs), while the ratio of vehicle ID addresses was 34.43% (208,941 vehicle IDs). In contrast, the rule-based algorithm based on speed data found that the ratio of vehicle ID addresses was 35.82% (389,392 vehicle IDs), while the ratio of person ID addresses was 64.17% (217,348 person IDs). The Jaccard similarity coefficient was utilized to identify similarities in the data obtained from the applied filtering approaches, yielding a coefficient (J) of 0.628. The identity addresses of the vehicles common throughout the two date sets which are obtained represent the sampling size for traffic measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexico ranks second in the world for Persian lime (Citrus latifolia) exports, making it the principal citrus exporter within the national citrus industry, exporting over 600,000 tons per year. However, diseases are the main factor reducing production, resulting in significant economic losses. Among these diseases, fungal diseases like dieback, caused by species of Lasiodiplodia, are an emerging issue in Persian lime. Symptoms include gummosis, twig and branch dieback, cankers, the necrosis of bark and wood, fruit mummification, and tree decline. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and pathogenicity of the fungal species associated with twig and branch dieback, cankers, and decline of Persian lime trees in southern Mexico, and to elucidate the current status of the Lasiodiplodia species causing the disease in Mexico. During June, July, and August of 2023, a total of the 9229 Persian lime trees were inspected across 230 hectares of Persian lime orchards in southern Mexico, and symptoms of the disease were detected in 48.78% of the trees. Branches from 30 of these Persian lime trees were collected. Fungal isolates were obtained, resulting in a collection of 40 strains. The isolates were characterized molecularly and phylogenetically through the partial regions of four loci: the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), the β-tubulin gene (tub2), the translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (tef1-α), and the DNA-directed RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2). Additionally, pathogenicity was assessed, successfully completing Koch's postulates on both detached Persian lime branches and certified 18-month-old Persian lime plants. Through multilocus molecular phylogenetic identification, pathogenicity, and virulence tests, five species were identified as causal agents: L. iraniensis, L. lignicola, L. mexicanensis, L. pseudotheobromae, and L. theobromae. This study demonstrates that in southern Mexico, at least five species of the genus Lasiodiplodia are responsible for dieback in Persian lime. Additionally, this is the first report of L. lignicola and L. mexicanensis as causal agents of the disease in citrus, indicating novel host interactions between species of Lasiodiplodia and C. latifolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of non-albicans species within the genus Candida poses a major challenge in the clinical setting. Clavispora lusitaniae, formerly known as Candida lusitaniae, has gained attention due to its potential multidrug resistance, particularly to amphotericin B (AmB). While intrinsic resistance to AmB is rare, secondary resistance may develop during treatment due to phenotypic rearrangement and the reorganization of the cell wall. Although there is evidence of genetic variability within C. lusitaniae, comprehensive genomic studies are lacking. This study examines the physiological differences within Candida species and focuses on the medical implications of this. Using two case reports, significant physiological and resistance differences between two strains of C. lusitaniae are demonstrated, highlighting the need for further research into genetic variability. While one strain showed higher resistance to antifungal drugs and slower growth compared to Strain 2, both strains showed minimal beta-D-glucan production, suggesting alternative pathogenic mechanisms. The study underlines the importance of understanding microbial adaptation and selection mechanisms, especially in the clinical setting, to effectively combat emerging drug resistance. Furthermore, research is needed to clarify the complex interplay between environmental causes, physiological traits, and the mechanisms of drug resistance in C. lusitaniae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new species of Tuber, T. albicavum, T. laojunshanense, and T. umbilicicavatum belonging to the Puberulum phylogroup, are described based on specimens collected in alpine Abies forests at 3600–4000 m, Northwest Yunnan, China. T. albicavum is distinguished by its ascomata with a single chamber of 0.5–1.8 cm diameter, with an apical opening of 0.2–0.6 cm in diameter, and light golden-brown alveolate reticulate ascospores up to 30 μm in length; T. laojunshanense is characterized by having ascomata with a slightly tomentose surface, sometimes with a white navel, a relatively thick peridium, up to 280 µm, and yellow-brown spores with alveolate reticulate ornamentation, up to 34 µm in length; T. umbilicicavatum is characterized by smooth ascomata with a distinct white navel, a relatively thin peridium, up to 110 µm, and golden or golden-brown alveolate reticulate ascospores, up to 40 μm in length. The molecular analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region also supports that these three new species differ from previously described Tuber species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA barcodes can provide accurate identification of plants. We used previously reported DNA primers targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) region of the nuclear ribosomal cistron, internal transcribed spacer (ITS2), and chloroplast trnL (UAA) intron to identify four trees at Bergen Community College. Two of the four trees were identified as Acer rubrum and Fagus sylvatica. However, Quercus was only identified at the genus level, and the fourth tree did not show similar identification between barcodes. Next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA genes showed that the predominant bacterial communities in the rhizosphere mainly consisted of the Pseudomonadota, Actinomycetota, Bacteroidota, and Acidobacteriota. A. rubrum showed the most diverse bacterial community while F. sylvatica was less diverse. The genus Rhodoplanes showed the highest relative bacterial abundance in all trees. Fungal ITS sequence analysis demonstrated that the communities predominantly consisted of the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Quercus showed the highest fungi diversity while F. sylvatica showed the lowest. Russula showed the highest abundance of fungi genera. Average similarity values in the rhizosphere for fungi communities at the phylum level were higher than for bacteria. However, at the genus level, bacterial communities showed higher similarities than fungi. Similarity values decreased at lower taxonomical levels for both bacteria and fungi, indicating each tree has selected for specific bacterial and fungal communities. This study confirmed the distinctiveness of the microbial communities in the rhizosphere of each tree and their importance in sustaining and supporting viability and growth but also demonstrating the limitations of DNA barcoding with the primers used in this study to identify genus and species for some of the trees. The optimization of DNA barcoding will require additional DNA sequences to enhance the resolution and identification of trees at the study site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habenaria and Liparis are well-known orchid genera that grow in terrestrial habitats in the tropics, subtropics or temperate zones. Three species have been found in subtropical regions of China, inhabiting terrestrial to epiphytic habitats. This study focuses on three species, H. dentata (distributed in Asia), H. yachangensis, and L. gigantea. For H. yachangensis and L. gigantea, there is no information about the mycorrhizal community in these species. This study aims to conduct the fungal community screening of Chinese ground orchids from subtropical regions. We performed a comparative analysis of the fungal community among H. dentata, H. yachangensis, and L. gigantea, determining their ITS regions using NGS paired-end sequences. The results clarified the diversity and the predominance of fungal genera. Ascomycota was abundant compared to Basidiomycota or other fungi groups in all communities, with a high dominance in all populations, especially for L. gigantea. At different root spatial locations, the fungal community diversity and richness were higher in the soil than in the rhizosphere or inner root. However, the results suggest that L. gigantea has a different fungal community compared to Habenaria species. In this order, the subtropical terrestrial orchids have a different fungal network compared to the northern terrestrial orchids. Also, there is a high probability of co-existence and co-evolution of endophytic fungi in these terrestrial orchids, indicating the potential role of host plants in selecting an endophytic fungal community. Furthermore, our results highlight the need to elucidate the microbe interactions of these unique orchids for long-term purposes, such as isolating indigenous fungi for suitable inoculants for further orchid propagation, restoration, and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chayote (Sechium edule) is a crop of great economic and pharmaceutical importance in Mexico. Chayote is affected by Phytophthora capsici, which causes plant wilt and fruit rot. Three isolates of P. capsici (A1-C, A2-H, and A3-O) were obtained from three producing areas in Veracruz, Mexico. Morphometric characteristics of sporangia and the colony pattern on three different media were described. They were molecularly identified by amplification of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and the partial sequence of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI), sequences that were phylogenetically analyzed. The mating type, pathogenicity in S. edule fruits, and sensitivity to metalaxyl were determined. Isolate A1-C presented the largest sporangium; all sporangia were papillated, with different morphologies and pedicel lengths. All isolates showed different colony patterns: chrysanthemum (A1-C), stellate (A2-H), and petaloid (A3-O). The topology of the phylogenetic tree was similar for the ITS region and COI gene, the sequences of the three isolates clustered with sequences of the genus Phytophthora classified in group 2b, corroborating their identity as P. capsici. The mating type of isolates A1-C and A3-O was A2 and of isolate A2-H was A1. The pathogenicity test indicated that isolate A1-C was the most virulent and with intermediate sensitivity to metalaxyl. This work suggests that P. capsici isolates from various production areas in Mexico may exhibit morphological and virulence variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In Kazakhstan, tulips are not just beautiful flowers but also vital to the environment, with 35 species, 18 of which are protected. Recent research near Kazakhstan's borders uncovered new tulip varieties, highlighting the need for a species inventory. In this study, we identified eight tulip species using both physical traits and advanced DNA testing. By analyzing genetic markers, we discovered that certain DNA regions are particularly useful for identifying tulip species. However, when it comes to closely related tulips, combining data from multiple DNA markers is crucial for accurate classification. This study also unveiled possible natural hybrids, indicating complex interactions between different tulip species. This research sheds light on the diversity and evolutionary relationships among tulips, providing valuable insights for conservation efforts and understanding plant genetics. Further investigations into tulip populations are necessary to confirm these findings and better protect these precious flowers. In Kazakhstan, the genus Tulipa is represented by 35 species, 18 of which are listed in the Red Data Book of Kazakhstan and protected by the state. Recent studies of tulip specimens from regions bordering Kazakhstan emphasize the significance of species inventory and report the discovery of several hybrids. In this study, eight tulip species were identified based on morphological characteristics and using DNA barcoding methods. Molecular genetic markers, including nrDNA (ITS) and cpDNA markers (rbcL, matK), of the studied species were sequenced and analyzed using the Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis methods. Our work demonstrates that DNA barcodes based on the ITS, rbcL, and matK marker regions have successful practical applicability, with ITS being the most informative at the intragenic level. However, for distinguishing closely related taxa, the most effective approach would be to use a combined dataset of sequences from multiple DNA markers. The results showed discrepancies in the placement of several taxa (T. kaufmanniana, T. patens), likely due to introgression and natural spontaneous hybridization. The molecular phylogenetic analysis suggests the existence of a previously undescribed hybrid between T. patens and T. alberti. Further detailed population studies are needed to validate this hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cesarean section is considered a possible trigger of atopy and gut dysbiosis in newborns. Bifidobacteria, and specifically B. bifidum, are thought to play a central role in reducing the risk of atopy and in favoring gut eubiosis in children. Nonetheless, no trial has ever prospectively investigated the role played by this single bacterial species in preventing atopic manifestations in children born by cesarean section, and all the results published so far refer to mixtures of probiotics. We have therefore evaluated the impact of 6 months of supplementation with B. bifidum PRL2010 on the incidence, in the first year of life, of atopy, respiratory tract infections, and dyspeptic syndromes in 164 children born by cesarean (versus 249 untreated controls). The results of our multicenter, randomized, and controlled trial have shown that the probiotic supplementation significantly reduced the incidence of atopic dermatitis, upper and lower respiratory tract infections, and signs and symptoms of dyspeptic syndromes. Concerning the gut microbiota, B. bifidum supplementation significantly increased α-biodiversity and the relative values of the phyla Bacteroidota and Actinomycetota, of the genus Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium and of the species B. bifidum and reduced the relative content of Escherichia/Shigella and Haemophilus. A 6-month supplementation with B. bifidum in children born by cesarean section reduces the risk of gut dysbiosis and has a positive clinical impact that remains observable in the following 6 months of follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactococcus petauri has emerged as a pathogen affecting farmed fish. In this case report, L. petauri was isolated from Lepomis gibbosus captured in Lake Candia, located in Piedmont, Northwestern Italy. Initially identified as L. garvieae using conventional methods like RAPID 32 ID STREP and MALDI-TOF, molecular analysis based on sequencing of the 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) confirmed it as L. petauri. The study also assessed the isolated strain's pathogenicity by examining hemolysin and capsule cluster genes, revealing only hemolysin 2 amplicon; notably, the fish exhibited no lesions or pathological alterations. The L. petauri strain from this study displayed resistance to several antibiotics, being sensitive only to ampicillin, amoxicillin, florfenicol, and G-penicillin. This research provides new insights into host range of L. petauri and raises awareness of potential public health implications, particularly concerning zoonotic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel species of Lyophyllum are proposed based on morphological and phylogenetic investigations. Lyophyllum bulborhizum sp. nov. has abundant black scales on the surface, is a dry, dark grey at the center, grey at the margin, has a clear bulbous stipe base, and has a narrowly cylindrical or narrowly clavate pleurocystidia and cheilocystidia. Lyophyllum nigrum sp. nov. is tufted and has a dark grey pileus and subclavate, a greyish green-to-olive stipe, and a narrowly cylindrical or narrowly clavate pleurocystidia and cheilocystidia. In addition, L. rhombisporum is described with morphology and phylogeny and compared with the type species. Molecular analyses employing internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences strongly support the two new species to be unique in the genus Lyophyllum. Full descriptions, colour photos, illustrations, and phylogenetic analyses results of the two new taxa and the known taxon are presented in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed next-generation sequencing of the 18S rDNA–ITS1–5.8S rDNA region along with traditional Sanger sequencing of rbcL, matK, ndhF, and ITS1–5.8S rDNA–ITS2 to clarify the hybridization pattern in the subtribe Alopecurinae and in the genus Alopecurus in particular. Our data support the hybrid origin of Alopecurus × brachystylus from hybridization between A. geniculatus (sect. Alopecurium) and A. pratensis (sect. Alopecurus). Moreover, in the rDNA of hybrid A. × brachystylus, only A. aequalis-like ribotypes from tetraploid A. geniculatus participated. Surprisingly, we found the traces of introgression of A. arundinaceus-like ribotypes not only in hybrid A. × marssonii (A. geniculatus × A. arundinaceus) but in A. aequalis s. str. as well. A high-polyploid group from the section Alopecurus, A. aggr. alpinus has undoubted hybrid origin: e. g., A. brachystachyus has rDNA from the sect. Alopecurium. Alopecurus alpinus, with its allies, is clearly distinct from other members of the sect. Alopecurus (especially by maternal line) and thus we can re-establish a previous opinion about the separate group to which A. alpinus belongs. Species from the section Colobachne (presumably Alpine grasses from Ancient Mediterranean region) probably hybridized with the A. alpinus group. Even A. myosuroides (sect. Pseudophalaris) that could be referred to the separate genus has ribotypes common with the species of the section Alopecurium (A. aequalis, A. geniculatus) in one of the accessions. Additionally, we found that the possible polyphyletic origin of the genus Limnas. Limnas stelleri is very close to Alopecurus magellanicus according to NGS data, while L. malyschevii is more or less distinct from other studied species of the genus Alopecurus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pezizales are a diverse and economically important order of fungi. They are common in the environment, having epigeous form, such as morels and hypogeous, forms called truffles. The mature ascospores of most epigeous Pezizales are forcibly discharged through an opening at the ascus apex created with the lifting of the operculum, a lid-like structure specific to Pezizales. The axenic cultures of Pezizales fungi isolated from single ascospores are important for understanding the life cycle, development, ecology, and evolution of these fungi. However, obtaining single-spore isolates can be challenging, particularly for collections obtained in locations where sterile work environments are not available. In this paper, we introduce an accessible method for harvesting ascospores from fresh ascomata in the field and laboratory for obtaining single-spore isolates. Ascospores are harvested on the inside cover of Petri plate lids in the field, air dried, and stored. At a later date, single-spore isolates are axenically cultured through serial dilution and plating on antibiotic media. With this approach, we were able to harvest ascospores and obtain single-spore isolates from 12 saprotrophic and 2 ectomycorrhizal species belonging to six Pezizales families: Discinaceae, Morchellaceae, Pezizaceae, Pyronemataceae, Sarcosomataceae, and Sarcoscyphaceae. This method worked well for saprotrophic taxa (12 out of 19 species, 63%) and was even effective for a few ectomycorrhizal taxa (2 out of 13 species, 15%). This process was used to study the initial stages of spore germination and colony development in species across several Pezizales families. We found germination often commenced with the swelling of the spore, followed by the emergence of 1–8 germ tubes. This method is sufficiently straightforward that, provided with sterile Petri dishes, citizen scientists from distant locations could use this approach to capture spores and subsequently mail them with voucher specimens to a research laboratory for further study. The generated single-spore Pezizales isolates obtained through this method were used to generate high-quality genomic data. Isolates generated in this fashion can be used in manipulative experiments to better understand the biology, evolution, and ecogenomics of Pezizales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coffee leaf rust (CLR) is a major disease of Arabica coffee caused by the biotrophic fungus Hemileia vastatrix. Jazan region in Saudi Arabia has long been one of the last coffee-producing regions in the world free of this disease. In August 2023, CLR was initially observed in coffee plantations located in Fyfa district one of the main coffee-producing mountains of Jazan region. The source of the infection is unknown, however CLR could have entered Jazan from the nearest coffee-producing locations that haven the pathogen. During a scheduled survey in August 2023, symptoms were observed including yellowish-orange lesions that frequently combined to form chlorotic lesions and exhibited the powdery appearance of yellow uredospores on the abaxial surface of leaves. The uredospores and teliospores were microscopically examined and their morphology matched the previously published description for H. vastatrix. The identity of H. vastatrix specimens was further confirmed based on PCR amplification and sequencing of ITS, sharing a 99–100% identity with previously published sequences, as belonging to H. vastatrix. The pathogenicity of H. vastatrix specimens was investigated on Coffee arabica plants under growth chamber conditions, and all were pathogenic relative to control, with 100% of disease incidence, therefore fulfilling Koch's postulates. Based on our findings, this is the first documentation of H. vastatrix causing CLR in Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial communities are an important component of mangrove ecosystems. In order to reveal the diversity of endophytic fungi in the mangrove ferns Acrostichum speciosum and A. aureum in China, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of endophytic fungi in four plant tissues (leaves, petioles, roots, and rhizomes) from three locations (Zhanjiang, Haikou, and Wenchang) were sequenced. The richness, species composition, and community similarity were analyzed. The main results are as follows: the dominant fungi in A. speciosum and A. aureum belonged to the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, accounting for more than 75% of the total identified fungi; in terms of species composition at the operational taxonomic unit (OTU) level, the endophytic fungi in A. aureum were more diverse than those in A. speciosum, and the endophytic fungi in rhizomes were more diverse than in other tissues. In Zhanjiang, both A. speciosum and A. aureum showed the richest diversity of endophytic fungi, both at the OTU classification level and in terms of species composition. Conversely, the richness of endophytic fungi in the samples of A. speciosum from Wenchang and Haikou is extremely low. The regional differences in dominant fungi increase with the degrading of taxonomic levels, and there were also significant differences in the number of unique fungi among different origins, with Zhanjiang samples having a larger number of unique fungi than the other locations. There were significant differences in the dominant fungi among different tissues, with Xylariales being the dominant fungi in rhizomes of A. speciosum and Hypocreales being the dominant fungi in the petioles, roots, and rhizomes of A. aureum. Overall, the community similarity of endophytic fungi among locations is moderately dissimilar (26–50%), while the similarity between tissues is moderately similar (51–75%). The low diversity of endophytic fungi could be one of the main reasons for the endangerment of A. speciosum. The protection of the diversity of endophytic fungi in the underground parts of A. speciosum is essential for the conservation of this critically endangered mangrove fern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrethroids, which are derived from natural insecticides found in chrysanthemum flowers, are widely utilized in various sectors, including agriculture, forestry, horticulture, and personal insect protection. Due to their widespread use, concerns have arisen regarding their potential estrogenic effects on female reproductive health. This review aims to address data gaps and inconsistencies in previous studies by defining molecular initiating events and key events within the adverse outcome pathway associated with pyrethroid-induced estrogenic effects. To achieve this, we propose utilizing Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment (IATA), which incorporate in vitro assays and in vivo assessments to comprehensively investigate the estrogenic effects of pyrethroids. An initial search was conducted in the PubMed database to identify relevant articles. Subsequently, the findings were classified according to the IATA strategy. This review provides an overview of the current understanding of pyrethroids and their estrogenic effects, identifies data gaps, and highlights the use of IATA in existing studies on the estrogenic effects of various pyrethroids. It emphasizes the urgent need for comprehensive research on the estrogenic effects of pyrethroids and highlights the importance of standardized testing methods like IATA to accurately assess their impact on human and environmental health. By promoting the use of Integrated Testing Strategies (ITSs) and addressing data gaps, researchers and regulators can enhance the accuracy of assessments, ensuring better protection of human and environmental health from the potential estrogenic effects of pyrethroid exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aloina catillum is a variable moss typical of xerophytic environments in the Neotropics, characterized against other closely allied Aloina species with well-differentiated leaf border by its setae twisted to the left throughout. In order to clarify its variability and its relationships with the allied species with differentiated leaf border A. brevirostris, A. obliquifolia, and A. rigida, we performed an integrative study including sequence data from four markers (nuclear ITS, plastid atpB-rbcL, trnG, trnL-F), morphometry, and species assembling by automatic partitioning (ASAP) algorithm. Our data suggest that A. catillum consists of at least three species: A. calceolifolia (an earlier name for A. catillum), and two species described here as a new, A. bracteata sp. nov. and A. limbata sp. nov. This latter species includes the specimens previously identified as A. obliquifolia from South America. Additionally, some morphological and molecular variability was also detected in A. limbata, but was not consistent enough to be recognized taxonomically. The study supports the presence of A. brevirostris in the Neotropics and A. rigida is tentatively excluded from South America. Full descriptions of the A. catillum s.l. species and a diagnostic key to this complex in South America are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ends of linear chromosomes of most eukaryotes consist of protein-bound DNA arrays called telomeres, which play essential roles in protecting genome integrity. Despite general evolutionary conservation in function, telomeric DNA is known to drastically vary in length and sequence between different eukaryotic lineages. Bryophytes are a group of early diverging land plants that include mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. This group of ancient land plants recently emerged as a new model for important discoveries in genomics and evolutionary biology, as well as for understanding plant adaptations to a terrestrial lifestyle. We measured telomere length in different ecotypes of model bryophyte species, including Physcomitrium patens, Marchantia polymorpha, Ceratodon purpureus, and in Sphagnum isolates. Our data indicate that all analyzed moss and liverwort genotypes have relatively short telomeres. Furthermore, all analyzed ecotypes and isolates of model mosses and liverworts display evidence of substantial natural variation in telomere length. Interestingly, telomere length also differs between male and female strains of the dioecious liverwort M. polymorpha and dioecious moss C. purpureus. Given that bryophytes are extraordinarily well adapted to different ecological niches from polar to tropical environments, our data will contribute to understanding the impact of natural telomere length variation on evolutionary adaptations in this ancient land plant lineage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saprolegniosis is a major destructive disease in freshwater aquaculture. The destructive economic impact of saprolegniosis on freshwater aquaculture necessitates further study on the range of Saprolegnia species within Atlantic salmon fish farms. This study undertook a thorough analysis of a total of 412 oomycete and fungal isolates that were successfully cultured and sequenced from 14 aquaculture sites in Scotland across a two-year sampling period. An ITS phylogenetic analysis of all isolates was performed according to whether they were isolated from fish or water samples and during enzootic or epizootic periods. Several genera of oomycetes were isolated from sampling sites, including Achlya, Leptolegnia, Phytophthora, and Pythium, but by far the most prevalent was Saprolegnia, accounting for 66% of all oomycetes isolated. An analysis of the ITS region of Saprolegnia parasitica showed five distinct phylotypes (S2–S6); S1 was not isolated from any site. Phylotype S2 was the most common and most widely distributed phylotype, being found at 12 of the 14 sampling sites. S2 was overwhelmingly sampled from fish (93.5%) and made up 91.1% of all S. parasitica phylotypes sampled during epizootics, as well as 67.2% of all Saprolegnia. This study indicates that a single phylotype may be responsible for Saprolegnia outbreaks in Atlantic salmon fish farms, and that water sampling and spore counts alone may be insufficient to predict Saprolegnia outbreaks in freshwater aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The numbers of vehicles on the roads has increased tremendously. Also, the number of roads that are constantly experiencing traffic jams during morning and evening peak hours has increased significantly, which calls for a better understanding of traffic stream characteristics and car-following models. Traffic stream macroscopic parameters (speed, flow, and density) could be estimated through a number of traffic-flow theory models. In order to collect accurate data regarding fundamental of traffic stream parameters, a traffic monitoring system is needed to present the data from different roads. In this study, a real-time traffic monitoring system is introduced for traffic macroscopic parameters estimation. The sensor network has been constructed using a set of linear fiber optic sensors. In order to validate the system for this study, the system was installed at MnROAD facility, Minnesota. Fiber optic sensor detects the propagated strains in highway pavement due to the vehicle movements through the changes of the laser beam characteristics. Traffic flow can be estimated by tracking the peak of each axle passed over the sensor or within the sensitivity area, time mean speed (TMS), and space mean speed (SMS). SMS can be estimated by the different times a vehicle arrived at the sensors. The density can be determined either by using fundamental traffic flow theory model or estimating the time that vehicles occupy the sensor layout. Real traffic was used to validate the sensor layout. The results show the capability of the system to estimate traffic stream characteristics successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fog computing is a key component of future intelligent transportation systems (ITSs) that can support the high computation and large storage requirements needed for autonomous driving applications. A major challenge in such fog-enabled ITS networks is the design of algorithms that can reduce the computation times of different tasks by efficiently utilizing available computational resources. In this paper, we propose a data-enabled cooperative technique that offloads some parts of a task to the nearest fog roadside unit (RSU), depending on the current channel quality indicator (CQI). The rest of the task is offloaded to a nearby cooperative computing vehicle with available computing resources. We developed a cooperative computing vehicle selection technique using an artificial neural network (ANN)-based prediction model that predicts both the computing availability once the task is offloaded to the potential computing vehicle and the link connectivity when the task result is to be transmitted back to the source vehicle. Using detailed simulation results in MATLAB 2020a software, we show the accuracy of our proposed prediction model. Furthermore, we also show that the proposed technique reduces total task delay by 37% compared to other techniques reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marine-derived fungal strains KMM 4718 and KMM 4747 isolated from sea urchin Scaphechinus mirabilis as a natural fungal complex were identified as Penicillium sajarovii and Aspergillus protuberus based on Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS), partial β-tubulin (BenA), and calmodulin (CaM) molecular markers as well as an ribosomal polymerase two, subunit two (RPB2) region for KMM 4747. From the ethyl acetate extract of the co-culture, two new polyketides, sajaroketides A (1) and B (2), together with (2′S)-7-hydroxy-2-(2′-hydroxypropyl)-5-methylchromone (3), altechromone A (4), norlichexanthone (5), griseoxanthone C (6), 1,3,5,6-tetrahydroxy-8-methylxanthone (7), griseofulvin (8), 6-O-desmethylgriseofulvin (9), dechlorogriseofulvin (10), and 5,6-dihydro-4-methyl-2H-pyran-2-one (11) were identified. The structures of the compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic analyses. The absolute configurations of the chiral centers of sajaroketides A and B were determined using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT)-based calculations of the Electronic Circular Dichroism (ECD) spectra. The inhibitory effects of these compounds on urease activity and the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans were observed. Sajaroketide A, altechromone A, and griseofulvin showed significant cardioprotective effects in an in vitro model of S. aureus-induced infectious myocarditis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic operation efficiency is greatly impacted by the increase in travel demand and the increase in vehicle ownership. The continued increase in traffic demand has rendered the importance of controlling traffic, especially at intersections. In general, the inefficiency of traffic scheduling leads to traffic congestion, resulting in a rise in fuel consumption, exhaust emissions, and poor quality of service. Various methods for time series forecasting have been proposed for adaptive and remote traffic control. The prediction of traffic has attracted profound attention for improving the reliability and efficiency of traffic flow scheduling while reducing congestion. Therefore, in this work, we studied the problem of the current traffic situation at Muhima Junction one of the busiest junctions in Kigali city. Future traffic rates were forecasted by employing long short-term memory (LSTM) and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models, respectively. Both the models' performance criteria for adequacy were the mean absolute error (MAE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and root mean squared error (RMSE). The results revealed that LSTM is the best-fitting model for monthly traffic flow prediction. Within this analysis, we proposed an adaptive traffic flow prediction that builds on the features of vehicle-to-infrastructure communication and the Internet of Things (IoT) to control traffic while enhancing the quality of service at the junctions. The real-time actuation of traffic-responsive signal control can be assured when real-time traffic-based signal actuation is reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fruiting body of a basidiomycete fungus was discovered growing on chopped Ficus nitida tree trunks in the student housing on the Assiut University campus during the course of this inquiry and a normal collecting operation in the Assiut Governorate, Egypt. Following the growth of the basidioma's inner tissue on PDA, fungal mycelial growth was achieved. Internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) sequencing has allowed for the identification of the fungus as Tomophagus colossus. On the dry weight basis, chemical analysis of T. colossus AUMC 14536 basidioma revealed that it contains 28.81% carbohydrates, 25.34% crude fats, 23.44% crude fibers, 20.64% crude proteins, and 3.02% ash, in addition to potassium, phosphorus, calcium, selenium, iron, and zinc (133.59, 114.46, 6.27, 3.08, 1.28, and 0.73 mg/100 g dry weight, respectively). The total phenolic compounds (39.26 mg/g) and total flavonoids (5.62 mg/g) were also evaluated. The basidioma extract's antioxidant activity was assessed as %DPPH radical scavenging activity with an IC50 of 4.15 µg/mL compared with a 1.89 µg/mL IC50 of ascorbic acid. In solid-state fermentation (SSF), the fungus could ferment broad bean straw, palm leaf hay, rice husk, rice straw, sugarcane bagasse, and wheat bran to produce endoglucanase, exoglucanase, laccase, pectinase, and xylanase in substantial amounts. Specific activity exhibited the highest values for endoglucanase (81.48 U/mg), exoglucanase (114.35 U/mg), pectinase (81.94 U/mg), and xylanase (70.18 U/mg) on the rice husk, while the peak of laccase activity (94.27 U/mg) was gained on bean straw. This is the first assessment of the organism's nutritional value, amino acid content, antioxidant activity, and enzymatic capabilities in Egypt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new phlegmaciod species of Thaxterogaster, T. borealicremeolinus, T. rufopurpureus, and T. sinopurpurascens spp. nov., from subtropical China were described based on their morphological characteristics and molecular data. Thaxterogaster borealicremeolinus belongs to the sect. Cremeolinae and differs from the other species in this section in its larger basidiospores and its habitat in the Northern Hemisphere associated with Quercus sp. trees. Thaxterogaster rufopurpureus and T. sinopurpurascens belong to sect. Purpurascentes, in which T. rufopurpureus is characterized by a pileus with a reddish-brown coloration when mature and a clavate stipe, while T. sinopurpurascens is characterized by a violet basidiomata, except for a greyish orange to brown pileus, the distinctly marginate bulb of its stipe, and its distribution in subtropical China. The phylogenetic analyses were performed based on nrITS, and detailed descriptions of the new species are provided herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bread is the oldest and most essential food consumed by humans, with its consumption exceeding nutritional needs and becoming part of cultural habits. Fermentation is an important step in the bread-making process, giving it its rheological, organoleptic, aromatic, and nutritional properties. Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts are both responsible for the fermentation step and part of the natural flour microbiota. In this study, we aimed to characterize LAB in three types of flour, namely, wheat, oat, and rice flour, using conventional phenotypic and biochemical assays and to carry out molecular-biology-based characterization via studying the rrn Operon using RFLP of the ITS region and via PCR using species-specific primers. Additionally, the effect of LAB diversity among the three types of flour and their influence on dough characteristics were assessed. Also, we evaluated the antagonistic effects of LAB on two bacterial (E. coli and S. aureus) and two fungal (Botrytis and Fusarium) pathogens. This study showed that LAB are not the predominant species in rice flour, while they were predominant in wheat and oat flour. Additionally, Lactobacillus sanfranciscencis was found to be the predominant species in wheat flour, while its presence in oat flour was minor. Finally, through their production of soluble substances, LAB exerted antagonistic effects on the four types of pathogenic microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intelligent transport system (ITS) has transformed urban transportation, enhancing daily commutes with services like congestion management, vehicle crash prevention, traffic control, roadside safety, breakdown assistance, ticket booking, vehicle registration, and insurance. However, in urban bus transportation, the ITS faces security threats, such as data forgery and manipulation. To counter these challenges, a blockchain-based framework for bus transportation approval is proposed, ensuring data integrity and security. The framework's performance is evaluated based on processing time, central processing unit (CPU), graphical processing unit (GPU), cloud usage, and memory consumption, and compared to Ethereum and Aurora testnet, in terms of gas cost, security, and performance. Stochastic algorithms, including the genetic algorithm and Tabu search, are used for time complexity analysis, to obtain an optimized solution. The decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) analysis is also performed to assess factors like transaction costs, execution time, memory consumption, and security. The results show that execution time, memory consumption, and processing time are crucial, while transaction cost, reliability, and transparency positively impact the system's effectiveness. By reducing the risk of false data presentation and ensuring accurate records, the proposed framework contributes to a more efficient and reliable transportation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban traffic congestion and vehicle/passenger port recurring delays are major obstacles of coastal urban area sustainability. Most research in coastal urban road management has focused on congestion detection without the effective integration of the dynamic interactions with port queueing systems. For securing coastal city environmental, social and economic efficiency, this paper develops and tests a dynamic urban coastal traffic and port management system. The integrated system controls traffic and port gates' operations based on ITS/C-ITS methodologies. The system integrates dynamic models for congestion detection, using ANN and a parameterized model, on a coastal urban road network that leads to a city port and identifies optimal solutions for road traffic and port queuing gate control. The system communicates with users via connected vehicles and VMS. The system was tested in a coastal urban road leading to Patras Southern Port, Greece, and at port control gates. Field and simulation data were used to assess system performance and social–environmental impacts. The results reveal that the system's application offers benefits to the individual driver moving towards the Port to board a ship (gaining at least 7 min and consuming 0.306 L less fuel) as well as to society (39.72% increase in traffic safety) and environment (1,445,132 g CO2 emission reduction). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely expected that electric vehicles will be able to satisfy most road transport needs. The aim of this paper is to provide an answer to how far the electrification of buses used for local public transport can be pursuable through insight into the engineering problems and range, i.e., the autonomy on battery, as well as the efficiency of recharging systems. At first, a wide survey of the main solutions that are present on the market, or foreseen for the near future, concerning the electrification of fleets for LPT is provided. Thereafter, such solutions are compared through numerical applications and by using a practical case study, pertaining to the city of Turin (IT), where static inductive charging has been extensively experienced. Particular attention is paid to engineering problems and to the autonomy on battery of the vehicles as a function of their mass, electric energy storage system, charging opportunities and infrastructure, while comparing the time and efficiency of recharging systems. The authors conclude by recommending the most promising alternatives for battery electric buses while outlining their limits, striving to provide for the literature a research instrument, which is lacking, for delimitating the applicability of electric buses for LPT while outlining the viable solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), a laser-based technology for environmental perception, finds extensive applications in intelligent transportation. Deployed on roadsides, it provides real-time global traffic data, supporting road safety and research. To overcome accuracy issues arising from sensor misalignment and to facilitate multi-sensor fusion, this paper proposes an adaptive calibration method. The method defines an ideal coordinate system with the road's forward direction as the X-axis and the intersection line between the vertical plane of the X-axis and the road surface plane as the Y-axis. This method utilizes the Kalman filter (KF) for trajectory smoothing and employs the random sample consensus (RANSAC) algorithm for ground fitting, obtaining the projection of the ideal coordinate system within the LiDAR system coordinate system. By comparing the two coordinate systems and calculating Euler angles, the point cloud is angle-calibrated using rotation matrices. Based on measured data from roadside LiDAR, this paper validates the calibration method. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves high precision, with calculated Euler angle errors consistently below 1.7%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Two species of Sympetrum, namely S. depressiusculum and S. frequens, have been documented in South Korea. However, the distinction between these two species and their identity within South Korean populations has been a longstanding point of contention. To solve this issue, morphology, two mitochondrial genes, and one nuclear region were analyzed for S. depressiusculum samples from The Netherlands and Russia and S. frequens samples from Japan, as well as samples of Sympetrum from South Korea. Further, available public sequence data for the two species were included. Morphology, sequence divergence, and phylogenetic results all consistently suggest that South Korean populations form a single species. Analyses of haplotype network and gene pool distribution patterns in a nuclear region conducted to better explain the current taxonomic implications indicated changes in the dominant gene pool from The Netherlands and Russia to South Korea and Japan. However, such divergence and subdivision could be explained within the context of within-species diversification patterns, suggesting that South Korean populations constitute one species, S. depressiusculum, by applying the senior name. In South Korea, both Sympetrum depressiusculum Sélys, 1841 (Odonata: Libellulidae), which is distributed throughout Europe and from Russia to the Korean Peninsula, and Sympetrum frequens Sélys, 1883, which is endemic to Japan, are recorded. However, the identity of South Korean populations and the validity of listing the two species have not yet been settled. In this study, we collected seventy-four individuals of Sympetrum species from South Korea (five localities), Russia, The Netherlands, and Japan. These samples were examined for morphology and sequenced for partial COI, 16S rRNA, and a nuclear internal spacer (ITS) region, after which these molecular data were combined with available public data from Russia, Japan, and The Netherlands. Major morphological characters that have been used to distinguish the two species and phylogenetic, network, and structure analyses all consistently suggest that South Korean populations form a single species. Consequently, it could be valid to treat South Korean populations as one species, S. depressiusculum, by applying the senior name. Nevertheless, the validity of maintaining each as an independent species in other countries may need additional study considering that our samples were focused more on South Korea and limited for Europe, Russia, and Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal contamination is among the most prominent environmental problems in China, posing serious threats to both ecosystem and human health. Among the diverse heavy metal contaminants, cadmium is the most serious. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a cosmopolitan pest capable of causing severe damage to a broad range of agricultural crops, especially vegetables. At present, little is known about the effects of cadmium stress on B. tabaci, including on its bacterial and fungal communities. In the current study, we investigated the effects of cadmium on bacterial and fungal communities in whiteflies. Meta-barcode sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that the whitefly bacterial community contained 264 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to 201 known genera and 245 known species. The top five most frequent bacterial genera were Rickettsia, Rhodococcus, Candidatus Portiera, Candidatus Hamiltonella, and Achromobacter. Meta-barcode sequencing of the fungal ITS locus revealed that the whitefly fungal community contained 357 OTUs belonging to 187 known genera and 248 known species. The top five most frequent fungal genera were Wallemia, unclassified_f_Dipodascaceae, Apiotrichum, Penicillium, and unclassified_o_Saccharomycetales. Cadmium exposure reduced the fungal OTU richness but increased the bacterial Shannon and Simpson diversity indices in whiteflies. In addition, upon exposure to cadmium, the microbial community composition in whiteflies changed significantly, with increased prevalence of the bacterial genera Rhodococcus and Exiguobacterium and fungal genus Wallemia. Our results indicate that the whitefly microbiota likely contributed to their adaptation and resistance to cadmium and suggested that whiteflies may contain microbes that could help remediate cadmium contamination in natural environments and agricultural fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species, Lyophyllum yiqunyang and L. heimogu, that belong to the section Difformia of the genus Lyophyllum, are described based on collections from Tibetan areas, China. The two species are delicious edible low-temperature mushrooms and are widely collected and eaten by local people. Lyophyllum yiqunyang sp. nov. is saprotrophic and has medium-sized basidiomata, olive-grey pileus, cheilocystidia, absent pleurocystidia, globose to subglobose basidiospores (6.12–6.31 × 6.02–6.23 μm) and clamp connections at the pileus context, hymenophoral trama and stipe. Lyophyllum heimogu sp. nov. is saprotrophic and has a dark grey to olive pileus, medium-sized basidiomata and globose to subglobose basidiospores (5.31–5.63 × 5.22–5.41 μm). In the phylogenetic analyses, our two new species formed distinct clades that are well supported by posterior probabilities and bootstrap proportions. Detailed descriptions, colour photos, illustrations and a phylogenetic tree to show the positions of the two new species are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cane disease of a non-commercial thornless blackberry cultivar (genus Rubus, subgenus Rubus Watson) obtained in a breeding program was observed in May 2021 in northern Spain during a field evaluation. Symptoms of the disease appeared in spring and firstly consisted of dark-brown lesions in the petioles, tips, and intermediate zones of the canes, finally causing the leaves, canes, and lateral shoots to die. Two strains were recovered from infected canes and identified by morphological characteristics and multigene analysis as Gnomoniopsis idaeicola (LPPAF-977) and Diaporthe rudis (LPPAF-981). Pathogenicity tests showed that both fungi caused shoot dieback when artificially inoculated, reproducing the symptoms originally observed. Moreover, tissue necrosis was enhanced when Diaporthe rudis and Gnomoniopsis idaeicola were co-inoculated. This is the first report of Diaporthe rudis and Gnomoniopsis idaeicola causing a potentially serious disease to blackberries in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhodomyrtus tomentosa is a source of a novel antibiotic, rhodomyrtone. Because of the increasing industrial demand for this compound, germplasm with a high rhodomyrtone content is the key to sustainable future cultivation. In this study, rhodomyrtone genotypes were verified using the plastid genomic region marker matK and nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer ITS. These two DNA barcodes proved to be useful tools for identifying different rhodomyrtone contents via the SNP haplotypes C569T and A561G, respectively. The results were correlated with rhodomyrtone content determined via HPLC. Subsequently, R. tomentosa samples with high- and low-rhodomyrtone genotypes were collected for de novo transcriptome and gene expression analyses. A total of 83,402 unigenes were classified into 25 KOG classifications, and 74,102 annotated unigenes were obtained. Analysis of differential gene expression between samples or groups using DESeq2 revealed highly expressed levels related to rhodomyrtone content in two genotypes. semiquantitative RT-PCR further revealed that the high rhodomyrtone content in these two genotypes correlated with expression of zinc transporter protein (RtZnT). In addition, we found that expression of RtZnT resulted in increased sensitivity of R. tomentosa under ZnSO4 stress. The findings provide useful information for selection of cultivation sites to achieve high rhodomyrtone yields in R. tomentosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congestion in large cities is widely recognized as a problem that impacts various aspects of society, including the economy and public health. To support the urban traffic system and to mitigate traffic congestion and the damage it causes, in this article we propose an assistant Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) service for traffic management in Vehicular Networks (VANET), which we name FOXS-GSC, for Fast Offset Xpath Service with hexaGonS Communication. FOXS-GSC uses a VANET communication and fog computing paradigm to detect and recommend an alternative vehicle route to avoid traffic jams. Unlike the previous solutions in the literature, the proposed service offers a versatile approach in which traffic road classification and route suggestions can be made by infrastructure or by the vehicle itself without compromising the quality of the route service. To achieve this, the service operates in a decentralized way, and the components of the service (vehicles/infrastructure) exchange messages containing vehicle information and regional traffic information. For communication, the proposed approach uses a new dedicated multi-hop protocol that has been specifically designed based on the characteristics and requirements of a vehicle routing service. Therefore, by adapting to the inherent characteristics of a vehicle routing service, such as the density of regions, the proposed communication protocol both enhances reliability and improves the overall efficiency of the vehicle routing service. Simulation results comparing FOXS-GSC with baseline solutions and other proposals from the literature demonstrate its significant impact, reducing network congestion by up to 95% while maintaining a coverage of 97% across various scenery characteristics. Concerning road traffic efficiency, the traffic quality is increasing by 29%, for a reduction in carbon emissions of 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent advancements in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) have revealed significant potential for enhancing traffic management through Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADASs), with benefits for both safety and environment. This research paper proposes a vehicle localization technique based on Kalman filtering, as accurate positioning of the ego-vehicle is essential for the proper functioning of the Traffic Light Advisor (TLA) system. The aim of the TLA is to calculate the most suitable speed to safely reach and pass the first traffic light in front of the vehicle and subsequently keep that velocity constant to overcome the following traffic light, thus allowing safer and more efficient driving practices, thereby reducing safety risks, and minimizing energy consumption. To overcome Global Positioning Systems (GPS) limitations encountered in urban scenarios, a multi-rate sensor fusion approach based on the Kalman filter with map matching and a simple kinematic one-dimensional model is proposed. The experimental results demonstrate an estimation error below 0.5 m on urban roads with GPS signal loss areas, making it suitable for TLA application. The experimental validation of the Traffic Light Advisor system confirmed the expected benefits with a 40% decrease in energy consumption compared to unassisted driving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspergillus mold is a ubiquitously found, airborne pathogen that can cause a variety of diseases from mild to life-threatening in severity. Limitations in diagnostic methods combined with anti-fungal resistance render Aspergillus a global emerging pathogen. In industry, Aspergilli produce toxins, such as aflatoxins, which can cause food spoilage and pose public health risk issues. Here, we report a multiplex qPCR method for the detection and identification of the five most common pathogenic Aspergillus species, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, and Aspergillus nidulans. Our approach exploits species-specific nucleotide polymorphisms within their ITS genomic regions. This novel assay combines multiplex single-color real time qPCR and melting curve analysis and provides a straight-forward, rapid, and cost-effective detection method that can identify five Aspergillus species simultaneously in a single reaction using only six unlabeled primers. Due to their unique fragment lengths, the resulting amplicons are directly linked to certain Aspergillus species like fingerprints, following either electrophoresis or melting curve analysis. Our method is characterized by high analytical sensitivity and specificity, so it may serve as a useful and inexpensive tool for Aspergillus diagnostic applications both in health care and the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, the ethanolic extract of the stem bark of Ceiba speciosa, the silk floss tree (SFSB), was evaluated against various phytopathogenic microorganisms, including Ralstonia solanacearum, Dickeya solani, Pectobacterium atrosepticum, P. carotovorum, Fusarium oxysporum, and Rhizoctonia solani. At 300 µg/mL concentration, the SFSB extract exhibited the highest inhibition percentages of 83.33 and 86.67 for R. solani and F. oxysporum, respectively. In addition to its antimicrobial activity, SFSB extract exhibited strong antioxidant activity (IC50 value of 140.88 g/mL). HPLC analysis of the extract revealed the presence of various phenolic acids and flavonoids. Among these compounds, naringenin (18,698.83 µg/g), chlorogenic acid (2727.49 µg/g), ferulic acid (1276.18 µg/g), syringic acid (946.26 µg/g), gallic acid (812.34 µg/g), and methyl gallate (651.73 µg/g) were found to be the most abundant constituents. GCMS analysis showed that there were antimicrobial compounds like terpenoids, benzoic acid derivatives, phthalate esters, and different fatty acids. Isopropyl myristate was the most common compound, with a relative abundance of 55.61%. To our knowledge, this is the first investigation on the phytochemical composition and antimicrobial properties of SFSB extract. Consequently, utilizing SFSB extract could hold significant potential as a sustainable and natural approach for controlling and mitigating plant diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The critical points on the rail and road network are their intersections, i.e., level crossings. During a train crossing, car traffic is stopped. This reduces the fluidity of traffic on the road and, consequently, can cause congestion. The problem increases with the number of cars and trains. Frequently, due to national regulations, level crossing closure times are long. It is mainly dictated by safety issues. Building two-level intersections is not always a good solution, mainly because of the high cost of implementation. In the article, the authors proposed the use of sensors to reduce level crossing closure times and improve the Level of Service on the road network. The analyzed railroad lines are local agglomeration lines, mainly due to safety (low speed of commuter trains) and high impact on the road network. The sensors proposed in the article are based on radar/LIDAR. Formulas similar to HCM methods are proposed, which can be implemented in a railroad crossing controller. Simulations using the PTV Vissim program are carried out and the results are worked out based on the obtained data. The considered method can reduce the level crossing closure time by 68.6%, thereby increasing the Level of Service on roads near railroads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichomoniasis, caused by Trichomonas vaginalis (TV), is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection (STI) worldwide, affecting over 174 million people annually and is frequently associated with reproductive co-morbidities. However, its detection can be time-consuming, subjective, and expensive for large cohort studies. This case–control study, conducted at the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center in New York City, involved 36 women with prevalent TV infections and 36 controls. The objective was to examine Internal Transcribed Spacer region-1 (ITS1) amplicon-derived communities for the detection of prevalent TV infections with the same precision as clinical microscopy and the independent amplification of the TV-specific TVK3/7 gene. DNA was isolated from clinician-collected cervicovaginal samples and amplified using ITS1 primers in a research laboratory. Results were compared to microscopic wet-mount TV detection of concurrently collected cervicovaginal samples and confirmed against TV-specific TVK3/7 gene PCR. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) for diagnosing TV using ITS1 communities was 0.92. ITS1 amplicons displayed an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.96 (95% CI: 0.93–0.98) compared to TVK3/7 PCR fragment testing. TV cases showed an increased risk of bacterial vaginosis (BV) compared to the TV-negative controls (OR = 8.67, 95% CI: 2.24–48.54, p-value = 0.0011), with no significant differences regarding genital yeast or chlamydia infections. This study presents a bioinformatics approach to ITS1 amplicon next-generation sequencing that is capable of detecting prevalent TV infections. This approach enables high-throughput testing for TV in stored DNA from large-scale epidemiological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous strategies have been suggested to reduce dependence on synthetic products, such as physical, microbial, and natural methods. Among the natural remedies, plant extracts have emerged as a popular option owing to their eco-friendly character, ease of degradation, and harmless nature to humans. In our study, we used the acetone and hexane extracts of Rhaphiolepis indica fruit to combat two fungal pathogens that were isolated from infected bean plants and showed root rot symptoms. The two pathogens were confirmed to be pathogenic by pathogenicity assays conducted in vivo. The morphological and molecular identification by ITS-region sequencing revealed that the two isolates were Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium solani, and they were assigned accession numbers OQ880457 and OQ820158, respectively. Our data showed that both hexane and acetone extracts caused a significant decrease in the linear growth of F. solani at all concentrations used (1%, 2%, and 3%), compared to the control. However, at a concentration of 3%, the hexane extract caused much greater inhibition than the acetone extract. For R. solani, the hexane extract, shows a significant inhibition percentage at all concentrations, which further increases to 85.24% at 3% concentration. The HPLC of both extracts indicated the presence and absence of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. The obtained results revealed that five acetonic phenolic extract compounds were ferulic, p-coumaric, gallic, p-OH benzoic, and cinnamic, with concentrations of 5.31, 10.36, 7.24, 6.08, and 0.89 mg/mL, respectively. On the other hand, the five hexanoic phenolic compounds were catechol, caffeic, chlorogenic, p-OH benzoic, and cinnamic acids, with concentrations of 3.66, 5.14, 0.69, 6.31, and 13.47 mg/mL, respectively. The identified acetonic flavonoid extract compounds, namely rutin, chrysin, quercetin, kaempferol, chrysoeriol, 7-OH flavone, and naringin, had respective concentrations of 5.36, 10.23, 4.32, 15.33, 1.06, 0.087, and 0.069 mg/mL, respectively. In contrast, it was observed that the seven hexanoic flavonoid extracts comprised of rutin, quercetin, kampferol, luteolin, chrysoeriol, 7-OH flavone, and catechin exhibited concentrations of 5.36, 7.15, 18.20, 6.04, 2.04, 10.24, and 13.43 mg/mL, respectively. The results of the study suggest that plant extracts may be a useful natural remedy for combating fungal pathogens and reducing dependence on synthetic products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candida auris is an emerging global public health threat and is resistant to most antifungal agents. Though fungi are significant pathogens for animals, the role of C. auris in animal health remains unexplored. Here, we analysed the microbial cultures of skin and ear swabs of 87 dogs in Delhi and performed fungal meta-barcode sequencing of ear and skin samples of 7 dogs with confirmed otitis externa (OE). Overall, 4.5% of dogs (4/87) with chronic skin infections contained evidence of C. auris in their ear canal (n = 3) and on their skin surface (n = 1). Of the three OE dogs with C. auris infection/colonisation, a diversity of fungi was observed, and their meta-barcode ITS sequence reads for C. auris ranged from 0.06% to 0.67%. Whole-genome sequencing of six C. auris strains obtained in culture from two dogs showed relatedness with Clade I clinical strains. The report highlights the isolation of C. auris from an animal source; however, the routes of transmission of this yeast to dogs and the clinical significance of transmission between dogs and humans remain to be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foliar diseases caused by Stemphylium and Colletotrichum species are among the major biotic factors limiting Welsh onion production in Taiwan. Owing to concerns about the environment and the development of pathogen resistance to existing fungicides, biological control using endophytes is emerging as an eco-friendly alternative to chemical control. The aim of the present study was to isolate endophytes from healthy Welsh onion leaves and investigate their antagonistic potential against the major phytopathogenic fungi associated with Welsh onion plants in Taiwan. A total of 109 bacterial and 31 fungal strains were isolated from healthy Welsh onion leaves and assigned to 16 bacterial and nine fungal genera using morphological and molecular characterization based on DNA sequence data obtained from nuclear internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) (fungi) and 16S rRNA (bacteria). Evaluation of these endophytic isolates for biocontrol activity against leaf blight pathogens Colletotrichum spaethianum strain SX15-2 and Stemphylium vesicarium strain SX20-2 by dual culture assay and greenhouse experiments resulted in the identification of two bacterial isolates (GFB08 and LFB28) and two fungal isolates (GFF06 and GFF08) as promising antagonists to leaf blight pathogens. Among the four selected isolates, Bacillus strain GFB08 exhibited the highest disease control in the greenhouse study. Therefore, Bacillus strain GFB08 was further evaluated to understand the mechanism underlying its biocontrol efficacy. A phylogenetic analysis based on six genes identified Bacillus strain GFB08 as B. velezensis. The presence of antimicrobial peptide genes (baer, bamC, bmyB, dfnA, fenD, ituC, mlna, and srfAA) and the secretion of several cell wall degrading enzymes (CWDEs), including cellulase and protease, confirmed the antifungal nature of B. velezensis strain GFB08. Leaf blight disease suppression by preventive and curative assays indicated that B. velezensis strain GFB08 has preventive efficacy on C. spaethianum strain SX15-2 and both preventive and curative efficacy on S. vesicarium strain SX20-2. Overall, the current study revealed that healthy Welsh onion leaves harbour diverse bacterial and fungal endophytes, among which the endophytic bacterial strain, B. velezensis strain GFB08, could potentially be used as a biocontrol agent to manage the leaf blight diseases of Welsh onion in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]