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Early detection of infected asymptomatic plants could prevent the dissemination of tomato bacterial canker throughout the crop and, thus, reduce associated economic losses. Reflectance spectroscopy has been proposed for the detection of diseases in plants, mainly caused by foliar fungal pathogens. In contrast, bacterial canker is a vascular disease that does not produce visible foliar symptoms until it is too late to avoid contagion to other plants. The effects of the disease on the conductivity of the xylem have an impact on the water content of the leaves; initially, a subtle effect that cannot be assessed with the naked eye but can be evaluated by reflectance spectroscopy. The objective of this work was to identify indices, based on the reflectance spectral signature of the plants, for the detection of tomato plants affected by bacterial canker prior to the appearance of symptoms. To verify that the proposed methodology is applicable to a broad range of tomato genotypes, two experiments were carried out with different tomato cultivars grown in pots and another on the ground in a greenhouse. Plants were inoculated with the pathogenic bacteria and the reflectance spectrum of the apical leaflet of two leaves per plant were obtained before symptoms expression; several spectral indices were calculated from the reflectance spectra. Three indices, of the shortwave-infrared zone, allowed the detection of bacterial canker inoculated plants in a fast and non-destructive way, up to one week before symptoms were visible: Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Simple Ratio of Water Index (SRWI) and Water Index 1 180 (WI1180). Our research demonstrates, for the first time, the usefulness of spectral indices sensitive to water content for the identification of diseased plants. These indices arise as a promising tool for the early detection of vascular plant diseases, that could be integrated into sustainable management plans.

Albizia, a diverse tree genus, occupies monsoonal warm, humid rain forests in tropical and subtropical regions. We recovered a well-preserved compound fossil leaf and two fossil fruits of Albizia (Fabaceae) from the latest Neogene (Rajdanda Formation: Pliocene) sediments of Jharkhand of Chotanagpur Plateau, eastern India. On the basis of the architectural features of the fossil leaf, a new species is established as A. mahuadanrensis Hazra, Hazra and Khan, n. sp., characterised by a bipinnate, compound leaf having a rachis bearing opposite, asymmetrically ovate to sub-rhomboid leaflets, pulvinus on leaflet petiolule and brochiodromous secondary veins. Based on both morphological and anatomical characters of the fossil fruits, A. palaeoprocera Hazra, Hazra and Khan, n. sp. is erected, characterised by flattened to broadly linear shaped, wingless fruits; ovate-elliptic shaped seed chambers having ellipsoidal seeds in one series; irregularly polygonal to rectangular epidermal cells with oblique end walls and randomly oriented, scattered, paracytic stomata. Analysis of Albizia fossil occurrences indicates that the legume taxon was common in Neogene forests of India and elsewhere. The present-day distribution of the closely affiliated modern species of the fossil taxa indicates a warm and humid tropical environment during the time of deposition. We also review the biogeographic history of Albizia in India and other Asian countries.

A 69-year-old man with mediastinal radiation history underwent balloon valvuloplasty before transcatheter aortic valve replacement, which caused aortic leaflet rupture leading to unstable severe aortic regurgitation and subsequent left main ostial obstruction. A balloon-expanding valve was implanted to capture the ruptured leaflet and a left main stent was placed. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.), Central Illustration

Background Tricuspid valve regurgitation (TR) is a risk factor for morbidity and mortality in children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Surgical tricuspid valve (TV) repair is common, but durable repair remains challenging. The aim of this study was to examine mechanisms of TR requiring surgery, features associated with unsuccessful repair, and TV changes after surgical repair. Methods Thirty-six patients with HLHS requiring TV repair (TVR) and 36 matched control subjects with HLHS were assessed using two-dimensional and three-dimensional echocardiography. Using three-dimensional echocardiography, TV coordinates from the annulus, leaflet, and ventricle were used to measure annular, leaflet, prolapse, and tethering values and anterior papillary muscle angle. TR grade and ventricular size, function, and shape were assessed using two-dimensional echocardiography. Results Patients requiring TVR had greater total leaflet prolapse, larger TV annular and leaflet areas, and flatter annuli, with no difference in tethering, coaptation index, or anterior papillary muscle angle. In patients with HLHS, successful TVR at follow-up (58%) was associated with preoperative total leaflet prolapse (especially posterior). Unsuccessful repair was associated with preoperative tethering of the septal leaflet. TVR in patients with HLHS caused a reduction of total annular and leaflet size and reduced prolapse and tethering of the posterior leaflet but did not affect anterior leaflet prolapse or septal leaflet tethering. Conclusions Features associated with TVR include a flattened and dilated TV annulus with leaflet prolapse. The additional presence of a tethered septal leaflet before TVR is associated with significant postoperative TR. Current surgical techniques, predominantly posterior annuloplasty and commissuroplasty, adequately address annular size and posterior leaflet pathology, but not septal leaflet tethering. Individualized and innovative surgical techniques are vital to improve surgical repair success.

We propose a simple mechanism for the self-replication of protocells. Our main hypothesis is that the amphiphilic molecules composing the membrane bilayer are synthesized inside the protocell through exothermic chemical reactions. The slow increase of the inner temperature forces the hottest molecules to move from the inner leaflet to the outer leaflet of the bilayer. Because of this outward translocation flow, the outer leaflet grows faster than the inner leaflet. This differential growth increases the mean curvature and amplifies any local shrinking of the protocell until it splits in two. The proposed model, based on mere laws of physics, is a step in the study of the origin of life, as well as a clue for a better understanding of cell proliferation in cancer.

OBJECTIVES We have previously shown in experimental settings that a leaflet foldoplasty device reduces redundant leaflet area to re-establish mitral valve (MV) coaptation. The current study investigates the in vivo device retention and functional durability following foldoplasty. METHODS The prototype is of superelastic nitinol formed into a 3-dimensional shape. It is unfolded to engage a specified area of leaflet tissue and then folded to exclude this tissue from the coaptation surface. Design modifications were made and tested in benchtop studies to determine the optimal design for durable retention within the leaflet. To evaluate in vivo performance, posterior leaflet chordae were severed in Yorkshire pigs to produce complete posterior leaflet prolapse and severe mitral regurgitation. Design modifications were then used for MV repair. Five animals that underwent repair using the optimal design were observed for 2 weeks postoperative to evaluate the functional result and implant retention. RESULTS Device position and orientation were maintained at 2 weeks while preserving the functional MV repair in all 5 animals. Coaptation height was 5.5 ± 1.5 mm, which was not significantly different from a baseline of 4.9 ± 0.8 mm. The degree of leaflet excursion was 41.0 ± 16.0 compared to a baseline of 58.7 ± 27.5. CONCLUSIONS Device foldoplasty is a new concept for MV repair based on the reduction of redundant leaflet tissue area. This study demonstrates the feasibility of safe maintenance of this repair without early dislodgement or embolization.

This paper is an investigation into how the anatomy changes within a leaflet and between the leaflets of a single leaf blade of Butia. Four species of Butia were studied: Butia paraguayensis, B. eriospatha, B. yatay and B. odorata. Changes in the anatomical characters are important because some have been used in keys to help separate the species. Recently, anatomical mid-rib characters were used in a key to separate species of Butia. We found that characters, such as abaxially projected or rounded mid-rib fibrous ring or number and arrangement of accessory bundles, do change within a single leaflet or between the leaflets of a single leaf blade. Growing conditions and leaf developmental maturity are also important factors that influence leaflet anatomy and may cause one to be misled in an identification key based on anatomical characters. We re-emphasize the importance of always sampling from the same part of the leaf, to have a broader sampling, be attentive to the environmental condition and health of the plant from which you are sampling and to consider population differences.

Small leaflets make mitral valve repair procedures challenging. Our double-leaflet technique creates a new autologous pericardial leaflet attached to the papillary muscle, annuloplasty ring, and neighboring scallops above the small or tethered posterior leaflet. This simple additional technique provides deep coaptation after mitral valve repair for both degenerative and functional mitral regurgitation with the small or tethered posterior leaflet.

Obesity is excessive body fat condition due to differences in energy consumption and expenditure. In Indonesia, the prevalence of obese women >18 years old is 32.9%. Interventions are performed with control eating and increased physical activity through an educational approach. A Leaflet is a print media containing some information, while my weight loss diet application is used by people that want to lose weight. Therefore, this study aims to determine the effect of nutritional education with leaflet and my weight loss diet application on nutritional status changes in obesity. True experimental design was used with pre-post test on female students divided into two groups in Universitas Brawijaya (n= 44) and selected by purposive sampling. Also, Independent-Samples T-Test and Mann Whitney analysis were conducted. The results showed a body mass index decrease in both media and no significant change related to BMI (p = 0.733). However, the decrease was more shown on the leaflet, where the body fat percentage had a significant change (p = 0.000). Hence, intervention using the leaflet is more effective on nutritional status changes related with BMI and body fat percentage in obese students.

Objective Bioprosthetic heart valves (BHVs) are commonly used in surgical and percutaneous valve replacement. The durability of percutaneous valve replacement is unknown, but surgical valves have been shown to require reintervention after 10 to 15 years. Further, smaller-diameter surgical BHVs generally experience higher rates of prosthesis–patient mismatch, which leads to higher rates of failure. Bioprosthetic aortic valves can flutter in systole, and fluttering is associated with fatigue and failure in flexible structures. The determinants of flutter in BHVs have not been well characterized, despite their potential to influence durability. Methods We use an experimental pulse duplicator and a computational fluid-structure interaction model of this system to study the role of device geometry on BHV dynamics. The experimental system mimics physiological conditions, and the computational model enables precise control of leaflet biomechanics and flow conditions to isolate the effects of variations in BHV geometry on leaflet dynamics. Results Both experimental and computational models demonstrate that smaller-diameter BHVs yield markedly higher leaflet fluttering frequencies across a range of conditions. The computational model also predicts that fluttering frequency is directly related to leaflet thickness. A scaling model is introduced that rationalizes these findings. Conclusions We systematically characterize the influence of BHV diameter and leaflet thickness on fluttering dynamics. Although this study does not determine how flutter influences device durability, increased flutter in smaller-diameter BHVs may explain how prosthesis–patient mismatch could induce BHV leaflet fatigue and failure. Ultimately, understanding the effects of device geometry on leaflet kinematics may lead to more durable valve replacements.

Cowpea bruchid is a major constraint to cowpea production. Easy identification of resistant/tolerant accessions to bruchid infestation has been a major challenge in bruchid resistant breeding programmes. Hence, the study was aimed to evaluate variations in some morphological characters between some bruchid resistant/tolerant and susceptible cowpea accessions, correlating them with their bruchid tolerance status in the hope of identifying a pointer character(s) that can facilitate easy identification of bruchid tolerant among cowpea germplasm. Sixty accessions were collected and evaluated for bruchid tolerance. Accessions were then grouped into bruchid susceptible and bruchid tolerant. These accessions were planted in Randomized Complete Block Design with ten replicates. Morphological differences between groups were evaluated accordingly. Of the sixty accessions evaluated, fifty-two were susceptible while eight were bruchid tolerant. No qualitative differences were observed between bruchid susceptible and tolerant groups, however significant differences were observed in quantitative characters which include terminal leaflet length, terminal leaflet/width ratio, leaf petiole length, terminal leaflet petiole length (TLPL), leaf petiole length, pod length (PDL), pod width, total number of pods per plant, seed length (SDL), seed width (SDW), seed thickness (SDTK) and 100 seed weight (100SDW). Bruchid tolerance was significantly positively correlated with seed characters which include, SDL (r = 0.798, p < 0.01); SDW (r = 0.798, p < 0.01); SDTK (r = 0.758, p < 0.01);100SDW (0.830, p < 0.01) and significantly negatively correlated with TLPL and PDL (p < 0.05). These characters can provide easy identification of bruchid tolerant among cowpea germplasm, hence requires further investigations. Keywords: Cowpea, Vigna unguiculata, Bruchid, Callosobruchus maculatus, Morphology

A field traial allowed in completely randomized design with three replications were conducted in the research farm of the agricultural research station of Etay Al-Baroud (old land) and the research farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhur University, in El-Bostan region, El-Beheira Governorate (newly reclaimed lands) during 2018 and 2019 seasons to evaluate the performance of twelve new genotypes of soybean compared with the three commercial varieties Giza 111, Giza 22 and Crawford. The resistance of genotypes to cotton leaf worm was estimated in the laboratory by raising a fourth instar larvae of cotton leaf worm and leaving them for feeding on the middle leaflet of the third upper trifoliate leaf of the plant for 24 hours, after that the areas that the insect fed on were measured as a percentage of the total area of the leaf (leaf area consumed). The resistance to cotton leaf worm in the field was estimated by vision according to the Smith and Brim 1979 method (defoliation %). The results confirmed that mean square due to genotypes, locations and genotypes x location were highly significant for all studied traits except the locations mean square for number of hairs under binocular field area and branches number /plant in the first season and genotypes x location mean square of number of hairs under binocular field area, branches number /plant, maturity date and 100-seed weight in both seasons as well as number of pods/plant in the second season. All tested genotypes significantly differ in their performances in all studied traits across the two locations and the four genotypes Line 3, Line 105, Line 127 and Line 129 seemed to excellent genotypes for yield and resistance to cotton leaf worm across the two locations. The consumed leaf area caused by cotton leaf worm and oil percentage negatively associated with pubescence density while seed yield positively associated with pubescence density. Seed yield and oil percentage negatively associated with the defoliation value. In general, it can be said that the four soybean genotypes, Line 3, Line 105, Line 127 and Line 129 are promising genotypes that could be sowing in newly reclaimed lands to expand soybean cultivation in Egypt.

This study was conducted during 2017 and 2018 seasons on Barhee date palm cv. (Phoenix dactylifera L.) at the age of 18 years, grown in three regions of Upper Egypt i.e Matana, Luxor Governorate; Kom- Ombo and Toshka, Aswan Governorate to evaluate its vegetative properties as well as physical properties and determination chemical composition of fruits. The obtained results revealed that, there were significant differences between the vegetative characteristics of date palm Barhee cv. because of different weather conditions of locations conducted study. The palms grown in Matana region recorded the largest values of the palm girth, number of leaves, length of the leaf and leaflet, leaflet area, spines number and area, while the lowest values of these parameters were obtained the palms grown in Toshka region. There are significant differences between the yield components because of growing Barhee in the three regions of Upper Egypt. There were significant differences of both physical and chemical fruits properties harvested from different regions of study. Barhee in Kom-Omboregion recorded the largest values of fruit length, fruit shape index, fruit weight, specific gravity of fruit, weight and percentage of flesh in the two study seasons. The highest values of TSS percentages, total and reducing sugars, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium content and lowest tannins content. The highest values of non-reducing sugars, the highest moisture content, and the lowest acidity were obtained in the case of Barhee in Toshka region. Generally, the productivity and quality of Barhee palm could be arranged discerningly as follows: Kom-Ombo, Matana and Toshka.

Previous research has reported that many high-school and undergraduate students have difficulty explaining the relationship between polarity and electronegativity even though they may be familiar with the concept of polarity. This study aims to address these misconceptions using a leaflet and assess its effectiveness using questionnaires and concept testing. A simple, colorful printable leaflet was produced and distributed to students in Indonesia. The Leaflet on Electronegativity (LoEN) provided students with an overview of the theoretical basis of the concepts and guidance on applying these principles. The leaflet format is cheap and easy to mass-produce, which is an important factor given the limited access to other types of appropriate learning resources in Indonesia. The leaflet formed the basis of a classroom discussion activity. Visualization is known to play an important role in constructing students' conceptual understanding, so the leaflet made extensive use of diagrams to explain relevant concepts. The leaflet was printed in full color to make it visually appealing and facilitate student learning. Students were tested before and after learning with the LoEN. A Paired-sample t-test using SPSS is used to compare the pretest and posttest scores to measure the effectivity of the LoEN.A statistically significant improvement in scores (p = 0.000) was achieved, which indicates that using the LoEN in the classroom helps students understand the topic. Also, students' positive responses signify that the LoEN provides an engaging way to learn the concepts.

In most legumes, two typical features found in leaves are diverse compound forms and the pulvinus-driven nyctinastic movement. Many genes have been identified for leaf-shape determination, but the underlying nature of leaf movement as well as its association with the compound form remains largely unknown. Using forward-genetic screening and whole-genome resequencing, we found that two allelic mutants of Medicago truncatula with unclosed leaflets at night were impaired in MtDWFARF4A (MtDWF4A), a gene encoding a cytochrome P450 protein orthologous to Arabidopsis DWARF4. The mtdwf4a mutant also had a mild brassinosteroid (BR)-deficient phenotype bearing pulvini without significant deficiency in organ identity. Both mtdwf4a and dwf4 could be fully rescued by MtDWF4A, and mtdwf4a could close their leaflets at night after the application of exogenous 24-epi-BL. Surgical experiments and genetic analysis of double mutants revealed that the failure to exhibit leaf movement in mtdwf4a is a consequence of the physical obstruction of the overlapping leaflet laminae, suggesting a proper geometry of leaflets is important for their movement in M. truncatula. These observations provide a novel insight into the nyctinastic movement of compound leaves, shedding light on the importance of open space for organ movements in plants.

This article examines the establishment of private periodical press of the Taurida Governorate in the late XIX century. The object of this research is the first private newspaper – “Crimean Leaflet”. The author explores the socioeconomic processes and censorship conditions, which affected the emergence of the Crimean private periodicals. An overview is given to the historiography and sources used in this work. The first part of the article studies the sociopolitical and cultural-historical prerequisites for the emergence of mass media in the governorate. The second part examines the process of opening and operation of the newspaper, its outline, biography of the publisher, as well as composition of the editorial board. The third part reveals the subject matter of the published materials and the peculiarities of interaction of the newspaper with the provincial administration and censorship authorities. The author also analyzes the reasons why the newspaper was shut down. In conclusion, the author reviews the role of the newspaper in formation of private provincial press, and its impact upon public relations in the Taurida Governorate. The scientific novelty consists in introduction into the scientific discourse of previously unstudied archival materials, as the historiography virtually had no records on the newspaper and the personality of the publisher. This work contributes to studying the development of private press in the Taurida Governorate, as well as reveals certain details of state policy with regards to provincial press in the late XIX century.

Enlargement of the mitral valve (MV) has gained attention as a compensatory mechanism for functional mitral regurgitation (FMR). We aimed to determine if MV leaflet area is associated with MV coaptation-zone area and identify the clinical factors associated with MV leaflet size and coaptation-zone area in patients with normal left ventricle (LV) systolic function and size using real-time 3D echocardiography (RT3DE).We performed RT3DE in 135 patients with normal LV size and ejection fraction. MV leaflet and coaptation-zone areas were measured using custom 3D software. The clinical factors associated with MV leaflet and coaptation-zone areas were evaluated using univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses.There was a significant relationship between MV leaflet and coaptation-zone areas (r = 0.499, P < 0.001). MV leaflet area was strongly associated with body surface area (BSA) (r = 0.905, P < 0.001) rather than LV size and age. MV leaflet area/BSA was independently associated with male gender (P = 0.002), lower diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.042), and LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) index (P = 0.048); MV coaptation-zone area/BSA was independently associated with lower LVEDV index (P = 0.01).In patients with normal LV systolic function and size, MV leaflet size has a significant impact on competent MV coaptation. MV leaflet area might be intrinsically determined by body size rather than age and LV size, and the MV leaflet area/BSA is relatively constant. On the other hand, some clinical factors might also influence MV leaflet and coaptation-zone area.

The transbilayer distribution of cholesterol (CHL) in complex asymmetric lipid membranes remains controversial, with contrasting investigations suggesting that there is more CHL either in the exoplasmic, outer leaflet (OL) or the cytoplasmic, inner leaflet (IL) depending on cell type or model, membrane composition, and method of investigation. Here, we launch systematic coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the impact of the sphingomyelin (SM) acyl chain length upon CHL distribution in asymmetric lipid membrane mixtures which account for the variation of the most abundant headgroups and acyl chain unsaturation in the two membrane leaflets. We find that there is always more CHL in the OL, but longer chain SM depletes more CHL from the IL than short chain SM in simple membrane mixtures containing SM and 16 : 0, 18 : 1 phospholipids. The difference between longer and shorter chain SM is neutralised in a more complex asymmetric membrane, where there are more saturated tails in the outer leaflet. We propose that interdigitation of long-chain SM into the opposing IL pushes cytoplasmic CHL towards the OL, but higher chain saturation of the outer leaflet compensates for the effect of SM chain length. This journal is

The variability in leaf form in nature is immense. Leaf patterning occurs by differential growth, taking place during a limited window of morphogenetic activity at the leaf marginal meristem. While many regulators have been implicated in the designation of the morphogenetic window and in leaf patterning, how these effectors interact to generate a particular form is still not well understood. We investigated the interaction among different effectors of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) compound-leaf development, using genetic and molecular analyses. Mutations in the tomato auxin response factor SlARF5/SlMP, which normally promotes leaflet formation, suppressed the increased leaf complexity of mutants with extended morphogenetic window. Impaired activity of the NAC/CUC transcription factor GOBLET (GOB), which specifies leaflet boundaries, also reduced leaf complexity in these backgrounds. Analysis of genetic interactions showed that the patterning factors SlMP, GOB and the MYB transcription factor LYRATE (LYR) coordinately regulate leaf patterning by modulating in parallel different aspects of leaflet formation and shaping. This work places an array of developmental regulators in a morphogenetic context. It reveals how organ-level differentiation rate and local growth are coordinated to sculpture an organ. These concepts are applicable to the coordination of pattering and differentiation in other species and developmental processes.

The aim of this research was to determine to blue melilot yield and quality properties sown at different rates of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 1 and 40 on November 4, 2015, on November 7, 2016 and on October 30, 2017. Investigated properties showed significantly differences. The lowest number of branches per plant (1.47), main stem diameter (3.20 mm) and leaflet width (1.44 cm) values were measured from blue melilot genotype 'BG-4' with 40 kg ha-1 seeding rate. The maximum main stem diameter (4.96-5.04 mm) and leaflet length (4.50-4.88 cm) were found from 5 to 15 kg ha-1 seeding rates. Highest plant height (84.48 cm), number of branches per plant (4.27), leaf length (7.12 cm), main stem diameter (4.41 mm), leaf/stem ratio (0.82), leaflet length (4.38 cm) and width (2.22 cm) were observed for BG-3 blue melilot genotype compared to other genotypes. Increasing seed rates resulted with an increase in crude protein, fresh fodder and dry matter yields. However, increasing seed rates caused decrease in crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber and acid detergent lignin contents. The K, Ca, P and Mg contents of blue melilot genotypes ranging from 2.40-2.55 %, 1.48-1.56 %, 0.60-0.68 % and 0.40-0.45 %, respectively. According to results, blue melilot can be sown at a seeding rate of 30 kg ha-1 similar regions.

Cell membranes are fluidic, and the fluidic properties give unique biological functions to the membranes. Here, we review the application of fluorescence lifetime correlation analyses to elucidate ...

The LAM1 transcription factor regulates expansion of primary leaflets in the compound leaves of tomato, and also affects floral organ development, fruit size, and initiation of secondary leaflets., Plant-specific WOX family transcription factors play important roles ranging from embryogenesis to lateral organ development. The WOX1 transcription factors, which belong to the modern clade of the WOX family, are known to regulate outgrowth of the leaf blade specifically in the mediolateral axis; however, the role of WOX1 in compound leaf development remains unknown. Phylogenetic analysis of the whole WOX family in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) indicates that there are 10 members that represent the modern, intermediate, and ancient clades. Using phylogenetic analysis and a reverse genetic approach, in this study we identified SlLAM1 in the modern clade and examined its function and tissue-specific expression pattern. We found that knocking out SlLAM1 via CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing led to narrow leaves and a reduced number of secondary leaflets. Overexpression of tomato SlLAM1 could rescue the defects of the tobacco lam1 mutant. Anatomical and transcriptomic analyses demonstrated that floral organ development, fruit size, secondary leaflet initiation, and leaf complexity were altered due to loss-of-function of SlLAM1. These findings demonstrate that tomato SlLAM1 plays an important role in the regulation of secondary leaflet initiation, in addition to its conserved function in blade expansion.

Two pot experiments were carried out at the Experimental Farm of the Agricultural Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University (Assiut branch), Assiut, Egypt, during two successive seasons of 2018 and 2019. The main aim of this study was to find out the effect of both of foliar application with some growth promoters (using nanotechnology) i.e., zinc, iron, copper oxide nanoparticles at 50, 100 and 150 mgl-1 of each and silica nanoparticles at 20, 40 and 60 mgl-1 as well as salinity stress level of irrigation water at 9000 mgl-1 individually and their interactions on growth, biochemical and anatomical characteristics of Moringa oliefera L. plant. The results showed that individually salinity stress level of irrigation water at 9000 mgl-1 decreased all studied vegetative growth parameters of moringa plant i.e., plant height (cm), stem diameter (cm), leaves number plant-1, leaf area plant-1 as well as root, stem and leaves dry weights plant-1 compared with the control. The same trend was obtained in photosynthetic pigments content (total chlorophyll) as well as the studied anatomical characteristics of root section (i.e., root diameter of V.C and length of xylem arch), stem section (i.e., stem diameter, O of V.C, length of V.B in the stem) and Leaf blade section (i.e., upper epidermis thickness, lower epidermis thickness and mesophyll tissue for leaflet) at 50 days of Moringa oliefera leaves compared with unstressed plant. On other hand, salinity stress level at 9000 mgl-1 resulted in increasing antioxidant activity as well as total phenolic contents at 60 days of Moringa oliefera leaves compared with unstressed plant. Data also indicated that the individually foliar application treatments with Zinc, Iron, Copper oxide nanoparticles at 50, 100, 150 of each and Silica at 20, 40, 60 mgl-1 nanoparticles increased studied vegetative growth as well as anatomical characteristics, chemical compositions, photosynthetic pigments (total chlorophyll), antioxidants activity and total phenolic contents of moringa plant compared with the control treatment. In this respect, Silica nanoparticles at 60 mgl-1 followed by zinc and iron oxide at 150 mgl-1 nanoparticles of each were the most effective treatments, respectively. Finally , Based on these results, it could be concluded that the foliar application with nanoparticles gave the highest Valois of morphological, chemical compositions and anatomical characteristics its that reduce the harmful effects of salinity stress of Moringa oliefera L. plant specially at silica 60 mgl-1,. Data recorded that this results using it under the same field conditions (Assiut governorate, Egypt).

Leaflet escape from mechanical heart valves is a rare but potentially fatal complication of prosthetic valve replacement. Historically, the incompetent valve is replaced emergently and the escaped leaflet is subsequently retrieved from its settlement in a distal vessel. If it is not retrieved, the fragment can increase the risk of infection, thrombosis, and migration. We report a case of a mechanical aortic valve leaflet that embolized during valve reoperation and caused occlusive aortic disease found 2 years later. This case emphasizes the importance of locating leaflet fragments after they are noticed missing.

Background: Flour albus causes discomfort so that it requires increased behavior in preventing fluorine albus. The behavior of preventing vaginal discharge in fertile age women is still a health problem that needs attention. The Health Promotion Model theory emphasizes the active role of fertile age women in regulating healthy living behavior which aims as the prevention of a disease including fluorine albus or vaginal discharge, one of which is health education through leaflet media (Rachmadianti, 2019). Purpose: to determine the effectiveness of the use of leaflet media on the prevention behavior of pathological leucorrhoea in fertile aged women at the Polindes, Kedaton Village, Kapas District, Bojonegoro Regency. Methods: The research design used in this study was a pre-experimental design with one group pretest-posttest design. The sample in this study were some of the women of fertile age at the Polindes Village of Kedaton, Kapas District, Bojonegoro Regency as many as 39. The data analysis technique used in this study was the Mc Nemar test statistic. Results: more than some respondents had positive behavior, namely as many as 20 (51.3%) before being given leaflet media, and more than some respondents had positive behavior, namely as many as 31 (79.5%) after being given leaflet media. The results of calculations by SPSS with the Mc Nemar test showed that the significance value obtained to analyze the effectiveness of leaflet media on pathological vaginal discharge prevention behavior in women of childbearing age was 0.003. With a significance level of 5%, 0.003

OBJECTIVES The Florida-sleeve is a valve-sparing technique that causes minimal interference to leaflet kinematics and aortic root dynamism. The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of the Florida-sleeve and Yacoub techniques on aortic leaflet kinematics. METHODS Two groups of 6 whole porcine hearts were treated with either the Florida-sleeve technique or the Yacoub technique and tested in a pulsatile loop. Valve fluid dynamics, coronary flow analysis and valve echocardiograms were performed both before and after the procedures. RESULTS Both procedures showed no difference in rapid valve opening time as compared with their respective baseline values. The Florida-sleeve procedure showed a shorter slow closing time (192 ± 19 ms vs baseline 244 ± 14 ms, P = 0.016) and increased slow closing velocity (−1.5 ± 0.4 cm/s vs baseline −0.8 ± 0.4 cm/s, P = 0.038). In the rapid valve closing phase, the Yacoub procedure showed a trend towards slower closing valve velocity (−16 ± 9 cm/s vs baseline −25 ± 9 cm/s, P = 0.07). The Yacoub procedure showed larger leaflet displacement at the end of the slow valve closing time that was 2.0 ± 0.5 cm vs baseline 1.5 ± 0.3 cm, P = 0.044. When comparing the Florida-sleeve and Yacoub procedures, the former showed statistically significant shorter slow valve closing time (P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS This study showed that the Florida-sleeve technique alters the slow closing phase of the aortic valve leaflet kinematics when compared with both the normal baseline and Yacoub procedure, while the latter showed a larger leaflet displacement before the rapid closing valve phase.

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is an uncommon and underdiagnosed complication of blunt chest trauma. Typical mechanisms include torn chordae, papillary muscle rupture, and radial leaflet tear. We describe an unusual case of traumatic TR due to circumferential avulsion of the anterior tricuspid leaflet from the tricuspid annulus and the crucial role of multimodality imaging in its diagnosis and treatment. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.), Graphical abstract

Valvular pathologies that induce deterioration in the aortic valve are a common cause of heart disease among aging populations. Although there are numerous available technologies to treat valvular conditions and replicate normal aortic function by replacing the diseased valve with a bioprosthetic implant, many of these devices face challenges in terms of long-term durability. One such phenomenon that may exacerbate valve deterioration and induce undesirable hemodynamic effects in the aorta is leaflet flutter, which is characterized by oscillatory motion in the biological tissues. While this behavior has been observed for thinner bioprosthetic valves, the specific underlying mechanics that lead to leaflet flutter have not previously been identified. This work proposes a computational approach to isolate the fundamental mechanics that induce leaflet flutter in thinner biological tissues during the cardiac cycle. The simulations in this work identify reduced flexural stiffness as the primary factor that contributes to increased leaflet flutter in thinner biological tissues, while decreased membrane stiffness and mass of the thinner tissues do not directly induce flutter in these valves. The results of this study provide an improved understanding of the mechanical tissue properties that contribute to flutter and offer significant insights into possible developments in the design of bioprosthetic tissues to account for and reduce the incidence of flutter.

Compound leaves are composed of multiple separate blade units termed leaflets. In tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) compound leaves, auxin promotes both leaflet initiation and blade expansion. However, it is unclear how these two developmental processes interact. With highly variable complexity, tomato compound leaves provide an ideal system to address this question. In this study, we obtained and analyzed mutants of the WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX (WOX) family gene SlLAM1 from tomato, whose orthologs in tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris) and other species are indispensable for blade expansion. We show that SlLAM1 is expressed in the middle and marginal domains of leaves, and is required for blade expansion in leaflets. We demonstrate that sllam1 mutants cause a delay of leaflet initiation and slightly alter the arrangement of first-order leaflets, whereas the overall leaflet number is comparable to that of wild-type leaves. Analysis of the genetic interactions between SlLAM1 and key auxin signaling components revealed an epistatic effect of SlLAM1 in determining the final leaf form. Finally, we show that SlLAM1 is also required for floral organ growth and affects the fertility of gametophytes. Our data suggest that SlLAM1 promotes blade expansion in multiple leaf types, and leaflet initiation can be largely uncoupled from blade expansion during compound leaf morphogenesis.

Topiciality. Flora of Azerbaijan has a diverse vegetation cover and is rich in choice. However, today these sources of raw materials are not fully used to meet the needs of medicine and national economy. We conducted a resource reconnaissance survey of species of the genus Medicago in Azerbaijan and identified regions of mass growth. New natural habitats are located in different environmental conditions and it is possible to change the diagnostic features of the morphological and anatomical structure of plant materials, as well as the chemical composition. The combination of additional morphological and anatomical features allows a more accurate determination of the authenticity of the raw material. Aim. To study the diagnostic signs of morphological and anatomical structure of Medicago falcata L. raw materials from the flora of Azerbaijan. Materials and methods. Plant samples were fixed in a solution made in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH = 7.4), containing 2.5 % glutar-aldehyde, 2 % paraformal-aldehyde, 4 % sucrose, and 0.1 % picric acid. The fixed materials have been submitted to the Electron Microscopy Laboratory of the Azerbaijan Medical University for study by electron microscopy. Samples have been postfixed in 1 %-osmium tetraoxide solution prepared in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) within two hours after being left in the same fixer for one day. Araldite-Epon blocks made from materials using general methods adopted in electron microscopy. The semi-thin (1-2 µm) sections from the blocks taken on a EM UC7 (Leica, Germany) ultramicrotome, stained with methylene blue, azure II, and basic fuchsin were observed under microscope Primo Star (Zeiss, Germany) and images of required parts were shot with EOS D650 (Canon, Chine) digital camera. Results and discussion. Multicellular trichome covered on both leaf sides. Adaxial epidermis a sheet plate have sinuous cells, and abaxial epidermis have differed slightly sinuous cells with clear-shaped walls. In leaflet anatomy of plant vascular bundles are of the collateral type. Stomatas are located from both sides of a leaf. Stomata belong to anisocytic structure. The epidermis of the stem consists of elongated thick-walled cells with anisocytic stomata. The calyx is densely covered by trichomes. The outer epidermis of cross-section of the keel petals cells is the wing horns cells form. And inner epidermis consists of oval cells. Mesophyll cells inside the leaf consist of loose spongy cells on the underside with several conducting bundles (dorsoventral). Conclusions . Morphological and anatomical studying of raw material Medicago falcata L. has shown, that there are prominent features of a structure:four large conductive bundles are located on the cross section of the stem at the corners of the ribs on two sides. Between angular conductive bundles, there are three conductive bundles, and the other two sides are located along one conductive bundle. Therefore, M. Falcata L. differs from M. Sativa L. The epidermis of the stem consists of elongated thickened-walls cells with anisocytic stomata. The indicated diagnostic morphological and anatomical characters could be used in the compilation of a monograph and in identifying plant materials on the raw material of Medicago falcata L.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most important forage crops throughout the world. Maximizing leaf retention during the haymaking process is critical for achieving superior hay quality and maintaining biomass yield. Leaf abscission process affects leaf retention. Previous studies have largely focused on the molecular mechanisms of floral organ, pedicel and seed abscission but scarcely touched on leaf and petiole abscission. This study focuses on leaf and petiole abscission in the model legume Medicago truncatula and its closely related commercial species alfalfa. By analysing the petiolule-like pulvinus (plp) mutant in M. truncatula at phenotypic level (breakstrength and shaking assays), microscopic level (scanning electron microscopy and cross-sectional analyses) and molecular level (expression level and expression pattern analyses), we discovered that the loss of function of PLP leads to an absence of abscission zone (AZ) formation and PLP plays an important role in leaflet and petiole AZ differentiation. Microarray analysis indicated that PLP affects abscission process through modulating genes involved in hormonal homeostasis, cell wall remodelling and degradation. Detailed analyses led us to propose a functional model of PLP in regulating leaflet and petiole abscission. Furthermore, we cloned the PLP gene (MsPLP) from alfalfa and produced RNAi transgenic alfalfa plants to down-regulate the endogenous MsPLP. Down-regulation of MsPLP results in altered pulvinus structure with increased leaflet breakstrength, thus offering a new approach to decrease leaf loss during alfalfa haymaking process.

Background Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is becoming increasingly utilized for the treatment of severe aortic valvular heart disease. Infective endocarditis of TAVR is rare but associated with higher mortality and morbidity. The potential for leaflet thrombosis following TAVR is also becoming increasingly recognized. Diagnosis of these conditions on echocardiography can be challenging due to prosthesis artefact. Case summary An 84-year-old man with a previous transcatheter aortic valve replacement presented with a febrile illness and bacteraemia. Transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography demonstrated high transvalvular gradients with features of prosthesis endocarditis, though leaflet morphology could not be fully assessed due to prosthesis artefact. Four-dimensional computed tomography revealed hypo-attenuated leaflet thickening with reduced leaflet motion, consistent with prosthesis leaflet thrombosis. The patient was successfully treated with antibiotics and anticoagulation, with resolution of the infection and normalization of the transvalvular gradient after 6 weeks. Discussion Echocardiography should be the first-line investigation for assessing leaflet morphology in suspected prosthetic valve endocarditis or leaflet thrombosis but its accuracy may be limited by artefact. Our case highlights that four-dimensional computed tomography provides further evaluation of prosthesis leaflet morphology/motion, providing valuable diagnostic information.

The morphology of leaves is shaped by both historical and current selection acting on constrained developmental systems. For this reason, the phylogenetic signal of these characters is usually overlooked. Methodology. We investigate morphology of the leaflets of all genera of the Zamiaceae using multiple microscopical techniques to test whether leaf characters present a phylogenetic signal and whether they are useful to define clades at a suprageneric level. Pivotal results. Our investigation shows that most genera are quite uniform in their leaflet anatomy, with the largest genera (Zamia, Encephalartos) presenting the highest degree of variation. Using both Bayesian and parsimony methods on two different molecular scaffolds, we are able to show that leaflet anatomy has a strong phylogenetic signal in the Zamiaceae and that many clades retrieved by molecular analyses present potential synapomorphies in their leaflet anatomy. Particularly, the placement of Stangeria in a clade with Zamia and Microcycas is supported by the presence of both an adaxial and an abaxial girder sclerenchyma and the absence of sclerified hypodermis. The placement of Stangeria as sister to Bowenia, on the other hand, is not supported by our analysis. Instead, our results put into question the homology of the similar guard cell morphology in the two genera. Conclusions. We show that leaflet anatomy has a substantial amount of phylogenetic signal in the Zamiaceae, supporting relationships that are not supported by general morphology. Therefore, anatomical investigation represents a promising avenue for plant systematists.

The effect of various concentrations of Lead on stipe and leaflet anatomy of Pteris vittata and Pityrogramma calomelanos were investigated. Fernlets were transplanted into 5 kg pots of soil pre-treated with five different concentrations of Lead, adequately watered and arranged in a complete randomized design in the screen house. Pots with no Lead treatment served as control. At twelve weeks after planting, plants were carefully removed, washed and taken to the laboratory. Anatomical sections of leaflets and stipe of each of the treatments were carried out with a sledge microtome (10-15 μm). Microscopic observations of structures were made after staining the sections. In Pteris vittata, the thickness of the cuticle of the stipe increased with increasing Lead concentrations but the reverse of this was observed in Pityrogamma calomelanos. There was also significant reduction of epidermal and mesophyll cell area of both species with increasing Lead concentrations. It can be concluded from this study that P. vittata has a higher tolerance level to Lead than Pityrogramma calomelanos. Key words: Anatomy, Cuticle thickness, Ferns, Lead, Pteridaceae.

An experience-based co-design (EBCD) project at a UK cancer centre identified unmet staff and patient needs and prioritized four areas for physical activity (PA) service improvement: messaging about PA from healthcare professionals; timing of messaging; individualising information; and peer discussion.

Studies of forest species under different environmental conditions are essential for enhancing our understanding of plant-environment relationships. Different light conditions interfere with the production of seedlings within forests, and this interference can be verified by assessing leaf area. However, several species have leaf compound that often contain numerous leaflets, which makes the direct measurement of leaf area difficult. This leads researchers to question whether these types of leaves should be separated for analysis or measured whole. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyse specific leaf area in whole leaves and detached leaflets of six forest species subjected to different levels of shading. The forest species assessed all produced compound leaves and included Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (aroeira), Schinopsis brasiliensis Engl. (braúna), Dalbergia nigra (Vell.) Fr. All. ex Benth. (jacaranda-da-bahia), Chorisia speciosa A. St.-Hil (paineira), Caesalpinia peltophoroides Benth (sibipiruna) and Plathymenia reticulata Benth (vinhático). Each species was subjected to six different degrees of shading: 0% (full sun); 20; 40; 60; 80 and 90%. Sombrite netting was used to shade plants. The analysis of the specific leaf area was performed using two different methods, which included the analysis of separate leaflets and whole leaves. To analyse leaflet area,50 leaflets per plant were assessed three times, and six plants per treatment were assessed. To assess whole leaves, data were obtained from the whole leaves of six plants per treatment. This process was repeated for all aforementioned species. Data obtained from both analysis methods indicated that all species assessed were similarly affected by shade, and leaf area varied according to the level of shading. This similarity of data demonstrates that, for these species, it is not necessary to use complex methods to obtain specific leaf area measurements. Thus, determining specific leaf by measuring the entire leaf provides results that did not statistically differ from those obtained by measuring individual leaflets.

Cycas, a primitive gymnosperm is currently facing extinction since the stem produces a starch like substance called sago, also called as sago palm. Cycads are xerophytic as they require scanty water even more drought tolerant. This study compares the leaflet micromorphological characters as a taxonomic tool to independently identify two Indian Cycad species. Cycas.circinalis and Cycas.revoluta. Anatomical investigations were carried out and presented. Phytochemicals and physicochemical analysis of powdered leaflet was also carried out.

The asymmetric lipid composition in plasma membranes within the inner leaflet is not typically suitable for domain formation. Thus elucidation of the likelihood of the formation or stability of a raft-like domain in the inner leaflet is necessary. Herein we investigated the phase behavior of asymmetric membranes using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. The lipid leaflet comprising dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) and cholesterol (Chol) does not typically show well-developed domains in symmetric bilayer membranes; however, it does separate into liquid ordered (Lo) and liquid disordered (Ld) phases when the opposing leaflet containing sphingomyelin (SM), DOPC, and Chol demonstrates domain formation. We determine that interdigitated acyl chains modulated the partitioning of Chol in the opposing leaflet, resulting in phase separation. Similarly, the acyl chain length of SM within the opposing leaflet affected the phase behavior of the leaflet. Our results reveal the crucial role of interdigitation in determining the phase status in asymmetric membranes., ファイル公開：2021-07-02

The treatment of aortic valve disease in children and adolescents requires an individualized approach to provide a long-term solution with optimal hemodynamic profile. The role of aortic leaflet reconstruction techniques is evolving.We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 58 patients who underwent aortic valve tricuspidalization either by an Ozaki procedure (neo-tricuspidalization) or single leaflet reconstruction between 2015 and 2019. Immediate operative results as well as hospital and short-term outpatient follow-up data were evaluated.Fifty-eight patients underwent leaflet reconstruction with 40 (69%) receiving a neo-tricuspidalization and 18 patients (31%) undergoing single leaflet reconstruction, using either a glutaraldehyde fixed autologous pericardium or tissue engineered bovine pericardium (CardioCel; Admedus, Queensland, Australia). The median age at the time of surgery was 14.8 years (interquartile range, 10.6-16.8 years). Twenty-three patients (40%) had isolated aortic regurgitation. The peak velocity across the aortic valve decreased from 3.4 ± 1.2 meters per second (m/s) preoperatively to 2.0 ± 0.4 m/s (P .001) after surgery and remained stable (2.2 ± 0.7 m/s) during a median echocardiographic follow-up of 14.1 months (7.2-20.1 months) for the whole cohort. Freedom from reoperation or moderate and greater aortic regurgitation at 1, 2, and 3 years was 94.2% ± 3.3%, 85.0% ± 5.8%, and 79.0% ± 8.0%, respectively, with no difference between the neo-tricuspidalization and single leaflet reconstruction groups (P = .635). There were 6 late reoperations (10%) of which 3 were due to endocarditis.Aortic leaflet reconstruction provides acceptable short-term hemodynamic outcomes and proves the utility of this technique as an adjunctive strategy for surgical treatment of aortic valve disease in children and young adults.

Damask rose (Rosa × damascena Herrm.) is the most important scented rose species, which some of its varieties are great importance for rose oil production. In the present survey, a total of 327 accessions of wild Damask rose from 21 geographically distinct regions of Iran were collected and transplanted in a protected conservation garden. After 2 years of plants establishment, phenotypic variation of accessions were evaluated using 36 morphological traits. High level of phenotypic variations was detected among the accessions especially desirable variations for commercial characters such as petal color, number of petals, and fragrance. The highest variability corresponded to petal number, leaf color, leaf stipule, and prickle shape. Flowering date varied from 08 May to 03 June. The petal number ranged between 17 and 159. The highest values for flower weight and petal weight were 5.67 and 4.61 g, respectively. Leaflet length ranged from 20.09 to 60.73 mm, while leaf width varied from 15.26 to 44.75 mm. Regression analysis indicated the importance of petal color, flowering date, and leaflet width/length in influencing floral scent. Dispersion diagram based on the first two principal components (40.86% of total variance) showed that the studied accessions were distributed into the plot. Some of the superior accessions were separated from others in scatter plot and characterized by the highest value of flower weight, petal weight, and petal number. In conclusion, the genotype collected will be useful for ex situ conservation and utilization in breeding programs of Damask rose.

This study sought to investigate the impact of extensive over-expansion of transcatheter heart valves (THVs) on leaflet structure. THVs may be over-expanded beyond recommended labeling in certain c...

Seed number (SN) is the component most strongly associated with yield in soybean. SN depends on pod number (PN) and seeds per pod (SPP). Whereas SPP is a relatively stable component, PN is strongly influenced by environmental and management factors. However, the environmental cues involved in PN regulation are not completely understood. The influence of increasing SPP on other yield components is controversial. Field trials were conducted in two growing seasons using two pairs of lanceolate (L) and ovate (O) near-isogenic lines, sown at low (LD) and high (HD) plant densities to evaluate the effect of leaflet shape on crop growth parameters, canopy red/far-red (R/FR) ratio, their relationships with pod initiation, PN, and yield; and the effect of increasing SPP on PN, SN, and yield. L canopies showed a higher number of pods initiated (PI) than O canopies owing to the increase of PI on branches. No association between PI and crop growth rate during the pod set period was found. PI was negatively associated with leaf area index (LAI) and light interception. In contrast, a positive association between PI and canopy R/FR ratio was found. This latter association was sustained irrespective of whether the LAI was below or above its critical value, providing experimental evidence that R/FR ratio is positively associated with pod initiation in soybean canopies. An increase in SPP produced a direct and steady increase in SN regardless of PN and plant density. A yield increase was observed for the L-LD treatment, which combined the increased SPP of L lines with the highest PN of L-LD canopies. These results have implications for crop management and breeding strategies aimed at increasing the yield potential of soybean. Fil: Bianchi, Julieta Sofia. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Departamento de Biologia. Cátedra de Fisiología Vegetal; 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: Quijano, Alvaro. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Departamento de Biologia. Cátedra de Fisiología Vegetal; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Consejo de Investigaciones de la Universidad de Rosario; Argentina Fil: Gosparini, Carlos Omar. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Departamento de Biologia. Cátedra de Fisiología Vegetal; 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: Morandi, Eligio Natalio. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Departamento de Biologia. Cátedra de Fisiología Vegetal; 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

Purpose. To study the morphological features and determine the biometric indices of leaves of English roses. Methods. Field, morphological, descriptive, biometric. Morphological descriptions were carried out in accordance with the Atlas of morphological features of rose varieties ( Rosa L.) (2009) and the Illustrated Guide to Flowering Plant Morphology (2004) . Results. The morphological features of the leaves of English rose varieties were determined . Quantitative (length of complex leaf, number of leaf plates, area of leaflet, total leaf area) and qualitative (leaflet shape, leaflet edge shape, leaflet base shape, leaflet tip) were studied. Varieties of English roses that have maximum and minimum values for these indicators were highlighted. Conclusions. The morphological features were revealed and the biometric indicators of the leaves of English roses from the collection of the State Dendrological Park “Alexandria” NAS of Ukraine were determined. The amplitude of variability of morphological characters of the studied varieties was determined. Peculiarities of the morphological structure and biometric parameters of leaves of English rose varieties can be diagnostic signs for determining varieties within the boundaries of the species. Plants with increased photosynthetic productivity of the leaf apparatus, which is characteristic of the ‘James Galway’ and ‘A Shropshire Lad’ varieties, have an advantage in landscaping.

Moringa oleifera Lam. is an agroforestry species grown for its various uses. Despite its great socio-economic importance, the species is still not well exploited and considered as a neglected and underutilised species. This study aimed at identifying the morphotypes of M. oleifera and assessing how they were related to climatic conditions and farmers’ management practices. The study was conducted in 30 districts spanning the three biogeographical zones and 11 major sociocultural groups of Benin. Twenty-four morphological traits describing the trunk, crown, leaf, leaflet, pod, and seed were collected on 810 adult individuals randomly selected within districts. Linear mixed-effects models were used to investigate variation in morphological traits of M. oleifera according to biogeographical zones and management practices. Then, hierarchical clustering and canonical discriminant analyses were performed on morphological traits to identify and characterise the morphotypes of M. oleifera. Results revealed great variability in morphological traits of M. oleifera according to climate gradient and farmers’ management practices. Four morphotypes were identified with five morphological traits (number of tertiary branches, leaf maximum width, leaf length, pod length and dry pod weight) as the most discriminant. According to the most harvested organs (leaves and seeds), the best morphotype was from the sudano-guinean zone. These findings are crucial for selection and breeding programs and for the improvement of domestication strategies of the species. This will support efficiently the implementation of more environmental and socioeconomic-friendly promotion of the species through its cultivation and use in Benin, as well as in West Africa.

Stauntonia obovatifoliola Hayata subsp. urophylla is perennial, evergreen vine producing large edible fruits commonly known as “Jiuyuehuang” (September yellow) in China. In fact, rich nutritional value and favorite taste of S. obovatifoliola Hayata subsp. urophylla give it new potential as a new edible fruit crop. Investigation on genetic diversity is the basis for the conservation and utilization of genetic resources in agriculture. In the current study, we compared 16 morphological traits including single fruit weight (SFW), fruit length (FL), fruit width (FW), peel thickness (PT), peel weight (PW), soluble solids content (SSC), seed weight, edible ratio (ER), hundred-seed weight, seed length, seed width, seed number, petiole length of compound leaf, petiolule length, leaflet length and leaflet width of S. obovatifoliola Hayata subsp. urophylla populations collected from four regions in Hunan Province, China. The results showed that the fruit weight in the four populations ranged from 70.38 to 263.27 g with an average of 155.99 g, FL and FW ranged from 69.85 to 154.16 mm and 40.54 to 63.38 mm, respectively. The SSC and ER varied from 10.10 to 20.60% and 24.84 to 68.14%, respectively. ANOVA indicated that the variances of SFW, FL, FW, PT, and PW that related to fruit traits between populations were greater than within populations while the fruit traits SSC, ER has no significant differences between populations. The fruit weight showed highly positive correlations with FL (r = 0.89, p