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Tree species with high ecological plasticity are recommended for use in urban green infrastructures. This study explores the genetic diversity of Tilia cordata, Tilia platyphyllos, and Tilia argentea, highlighting their contribution to urban landscapes. In this respect, the genetic variability of individuals from four populations of the Tilia genus has been analyzed using Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) molecular markers, and some of their phenotypic characters were naked-eyed observed or determined by dendrometric measurements. Significant variability between the populations studied was determined. Cluster analysis identified two main groups: Tilia cordata I and Tilia cordata II populations formed the first cluster, and Tilia platyphyllos and Tilia argentea populations formed the second cluster. The results of the phenotypic analysis confirmed the genetic results separating the two populations of Tilia cordata from the populations of Tilia platyphyllos and Tilia argentea in relation to their visible morphological characters. Results obtained from dendrometric measurements analysis represent the foundation for further investigations on urban ecology. An essential potential practical use of the results: the establishment of more efficient ISSR primers to identify the Tilia species analyzed: UBC864, A12, UBC840, and A7 for Tilia cordata, A13 for Tilia platyphyllos and A7 for Tilia argentea has been demonstrated.

Greenhouse gas emissions (GE) represent an element that influences the lives of all people on the planet. This action must be controlled and prevented because the negative effects are starting to appear more and more in everyday life, sometimes with devastating consequences from a climate point of view and not only for the inhabitants of certain regions. At the European level, one of the main measures taken was the implementation of the Green Deal as a response to the fight against GE. The purpose of this article is to offer a description of the main elements that are influencing the GE, as well as the role of the Green Deal. It also aims to identify the characteristics of the EU countries from the GE point of view before and after the Green Deal was proposed. In this regard two more cluster analyses are also carried out regarding GE at the European level. One analysis concerns the identification and evolution of the main groups of countries from this point of view for years 2018 and 2020. The second analysis concerns the main fields in the industry for year 2020. The used methodology was DM-CRISP. In the final part of the article the obtained results are analyzed, a discussion is added based on them and also a conclusion section.

The cytogenetic study on the meristematic tissues of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) aimed to evaluate some cytotoxic effects induced by two heavy metals (cadmium - Cd and zinc - Zn) applied in three different concentrations: 10, 50 and 100 ppm. Cytogenetic tests reveal a decrease of the mitotic index and the occurrence of various chromosomal aberrations following heavy metal treatments. The cell division was significantly affected, especially in the case of Cd treatment, which showed the highest degree of toxicity in all variants compared to control variant. Instead, Zn has a lower degree of toxicity but only at concentrations of 50 ppm and 100 ppm. Types of chromosomal aberrations were relatively varied, being randomly distributed and concentration dependent, for both Cd and Zn. Were observed cells with large nucleus and disorganized-looking; interphases with pyknotic nucleus; cells with laggard chromosomes, pyknotic and sticky chromosomes, as well as cells with telophase bridge. The results reveal that Cd (at all tested concentrations) and Zn in concentrations higher than 10 ppm exhibit significant cytotoxic potential to Ocimum basilicum L. as a result of the effects reported in cell divisions of the meristematic tissues. We can also appreciate that the Ocimum basilicum L. species could be used as a test plant to determine the degree of soil pollution with heavy metals.

The present study aimed to evaluate the cytogenetic effects induced by heavy metals nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) to crop plants, using the Allium sativum (garlic) as a test plant. For this purpose, were used solutions of nickel nitrate - Ni(NO3)2 - and lead nitrate - Pb(NO3)2 - at concentrations of 50, 150 and 450 ppm for 72 hours, along with an untreated control variant immersed in plain water. The biological material was immersed from the beginning in the tested solutions. The results obtained showed a strong inhibitory effect of these heavy metals on the process of rhizogenesis, as well as a significant mitodepresive effect in the meristematic cells, both phenomena being correlated with increasing concentration of the tested solutions. At the same time, several types of chromosomal aberrations (c-mitosis, vagrants, star-anaphase, star-telophase, fragments, clumping, stickiness, bridges) have been recorded in all treatment variants. The presence of these chromosomal aberrations in all treatment variants indicates the aneugenic effects of nickel nitrate and lead nitrate in the meristematic cells of A. sativum. The results suggest the ecotoxicity potential of nickel and lead on plants even at low concentrations and confirm the suitability of A. sativum as a test plant for assessing the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of heavy metals to plants.

Forest hazelnuts are very valuable fruits, both for their phytochemical content and economically for cultivation. In this work, the development of some hazelnut varieties, such as Tonda Gentile Delle Longue, Butler, Tonda Romana, Tonda di Giffoni, and Barcelona, has been studied. Morphological characteristics were analysed in two periods, at 30 days and 60 days, "in vitro," by recording the number of roots and leaves as well as their length. From the analyses carried out, it was found that the genetic variation of the five varieties studied had a significant influence on all the morphological characteristics examined and the varieties Tonda di Giffoni and Barcelona show higher plasticity under in vitro conditions compared to the other varieties included in the study. In addition, total polyphenol (TPh) content and antioxidant capacity were analysed using FRAP and DPPH assays and the results reported that the Tonda di Giffoni cultivar recorded the highest TPh content (192.71±0.77 mg GAE/100 g Fw), with high antioxidant capacity (FRAP = 5.9±0.02 and DPPH = 216.31±1.38 mol TE/100 g Fw), compared to the other varieties studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt stress induces cytotoxicity at the cellular level, influencing the vacuolization process, disrupting mitotic division, and thus inhibiting plant growth. The results for a range of species used in agriculture have shown that high soil salt levels affect germination, chlorophyl content and yield. In this study, an experiment was carried out in the laboratory using NaCl concentration treatments of 0, 100, 125 and 150 mM on sunflower seeds of the inbred line HA-89 obtained from the USDA gene bank. For the experiment, the seeds were germinated in a salt solution and analyzed cytologically by calculating the mitotic index, chromosomal aberration index, provacuolar index and vacuolization index. Following our cytological studies, we observed that the vacuolization phenomenon was caused by salt stress and progressively accentuated by the salt concentration levels and exposure times. The formation of vacuolized cells is due to the fusion of provacuoles, which contributes to a uniform or non-uniform distribution of genetic material around them. According to our results, the vacuolization index showed high values depending on the NaCl concentration and stress exposure time. Similarly, high salt concentrations significantly decreased the mitotic index and increased the chromosomal aberration index. The effect of salt stress causes cell vacuolization, a decrease in the mitotic index and an increase in the number of chromosomal aberrations in meristematic tissues, inhibiting growth and development and consequently leading to a reduction in productivity per unit area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc is one of the essential elements for the development of the body, both plant and human, facilitating the processes of cell division as well as the maintenance of cellular physiological processes in normal parameters. In this work, the effects of zinc were monitored regarding the activity of mitotic division, in different time intervals and with different concentrations. Following the effect of different concentrations of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4), through the correlative links between the number of cells in division (MI), the mitotic index, the index of chromosomal aberrations (IAC), and the exposure time to the treatment, we managed to monitor the cytotoxic effect of ZnSO4. From the analysis of the correlations between the percentage of chromosomal aberrations and the different concentrations of ZnSO4, it was found that there was a strong positive correlation (r> 0.89). Therefore, the increased Zn concentration in cells favors the appearance of chromosomal aberrations (IAC). The increase in the exposure time from 24 hours to 72 hours, as well as the increase of the concentration from 10 ppm to 50 ppm, causes a strong negative correlation (r=-0.84). From the experiments, we can deduce the importance that zinc has in the cell and how much it can affect if it is present in excess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current economic context, the only way that an organization can survive on the market is to innovate. It is therefore very important to understand the characteristics that make an organization more or less innovative and how innovation is created there. Whatever their type, product innovation, process, marketing or organizational, to adopt an appropriate strategy, organizations need to know who is their innovation.