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BACKROUND: Aonla is as a good source of antioxidants due to its high ascorbic acid and polyphenol contents. However, because of its high acidity and astringent taste, aonla is rarely consumed in its fresh form. As the constituents in aonla are heat sensitive, it is essential to find a suitable drying method for preservation. Therefore, refractance window drying (RWD) of aonla slices was studied as it has the potential of retaining heat‐sensitive compounds. Results: The effect of RWD process variables, namely water temperature (75, 82.5, 90 °C) and slice thickness (2, 4, 6 mm), on different quality parameters of dehydrated aonla was studied. Increasing water temperature resulted in significantly higher ascorbic acid content, titratable acidity and product temperature, while total phenolic content, free radical scavenging activity and moisture content decreased. With the exception of product temperature, higher slice thickness led to an increase in the values of all the parameters. At the optimized processing conditions of 83 °C water temperature and 4 mm slice thickness, the ascorbic acid content, total phenolic content, free radical scavenging activity, titratable acidity and moisture content values were found to be 269.03 mg (100 g)−1, 242.33 mg (100 g)−1, 87.11%, 3.62% and 4% respectively. The aonla slices subjected to RWD also possessed 4–6% higher phytochemical content than osmotically dried and hot‐air‐dried samples. Conclusion: This research highlights the effectiveness of RWD in preserving heat‐sensitive compounds in food like aonla. The RW‐dried slices had a smoother and more uniform microstructure compared to osmotically dried and hot‐air‐dried samples. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato common scab (PCS), a significant potato disease, negatively impacts tuber quality. The present study was conducted to isolate and characterize pathogenic Streptomyces species associated with PCS disease in Türkiye based on their morphological, physiological and molecular characteristics. Field‐grown potatoes that exhibited scab lesions were collected from four provinces in 2020–2021, and 200 bacterial isolates were obtained from netted, superficial and deep‐pitted common scab lesions. Pathogenicity assays, including in vitro tuber slice and in planta radish seedling bioassays, identified 150 pathogenic isolates. Morphological and physiological characterization of 92 selected isolates revealed several Streptomyces species that exhibited diverse mycelium colours, sporulation patterns and pigmentation. Molecular analysis using 16S rRNA sequencing, species‐specific primers, PCR‐RFLP of the 16S‐23S (ITS) region with Hpy99I restriction enzyme, and multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) based on atpD, recA, rpoB and trpB genes revealed that S. scabiei was the dominant species, followed by S. europaeiscabiei, S. caniscabiei, S. bottropensis, S. stelliscabiei and S. turgidiscabies. PCR analysis revealed the presence of the thaxtomin synthetase genes (txtAB) in all tested samples, while the necrogenic protein (nec1) and tomatinase (tomA)‐encoding genes were absent from three and two isolates, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of 32 representative isolates conducted with sequences from 16S rRNA, species‐specific PCR and MLSA confirmed their morphological identification and clustered them with reference strains. This study contributes to the understanding of distribution of Streptomyces species associated with PCS, and to our knowledge, is the first molecular confirmation of S. caniscabiei and S. turgidiscabies causing potato scab in Türkiye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity among traditional common bean accessions through morphological descriptors and molecular markers. Sixty-seven common bean accessions from the Germplasm bank of the Instituto Federal of Espírito Santo—Campus de Alegre were evaluated. For this, 25 specific morphological descriptors were used, namely 12 quantitative and 13 qualitative ones. A diversity analysis based on morphological descriptors was carried out using the Gower algorithm. For molecular characterization, 23 ISSR primers were used to estimate dissimilarity using the Jaccard Index. Based on the dendrograms obtained by the UPGMA method, for morphological and molecular characterization, high genetic variability was observed between the common bean genotypes studied, evidenced by cophenetic correlation values in the order of 0.99, indicating an accurate representation of the dissimilarity matrix by the UPGMA clustering. In the morphological characterization, high phenotypic diversity was observed between the accessions, with grains of different shapes, colors, and sizes, and the accessions were grouped into nine distinct groups. Molecular characterization was efficient in separating the genotypes in the Andean and Mesoamerican groups, with the 23 ISSR primers studied generating an average of 6.35 polymorphic bands. The work identified divergent accessions that can serve different market niches, which can be indicated as parents to form breeding programs in order to obtain progenies with high genetic variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phalaenopsis is one of the most popular orchid genera, exhibiting a variety of flower morphologies. Ploidy level was a factor influencing the success of Phalaenopsis crossbreeding. This research aimed to determine the ploidy level by flow cytometry and correlation with morphological characteristics on six hybrid cultivars of Phalaenopsis (1702, 1819, 1981, 3903, 3904, and 3908). Flow cytometry analysis on young leaves and root tip cells was also carried out on P. amabilis, P. amboinensis, and P. schilleriana. Research results showed multiple peaks of fluorescence appeared on the flow cytometry histogram. The young leaves and root tip cells show the distribution of cells into different ploidy levels and indicate mixoploid and endopolyploid conditions of the cells in both leaves and root samples. This complexity makes it challenging to determine the ploidy level of each cultivar and the correlation between morphological characteristics and ploidy level, even though the weak positive correlation was prominent between flower numbers and genome size. These findings serve as foundational data on the cytogenetic background of the cultivars for orchid breeders in crossbreeding, selection of haploid plants, mutation analysis, and variety consistency monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the economic and ecological importance of the carob tree, few studies are available on the morphological characterization and chemical composition of carob in Algeria. This has resulted in the lack of selection of commercial cultivars of high seed and sugar content. The present study aims to assess the diversity of 11 wild and 1 cultivated carob populations in various regions of Algeria, characterized by diverse geographical and climatic conditions. The final objective is to assess the diversity of neglected carob plants that exhibit superior fruit quality traits and/or are well adapted to different pedoclimatic conditions. The current study focuses on analyzing pod and seed diversity by investigating 12 morphological and 5 physiochemical traits. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences between populations (p < 0.001) for all traits studied, indicating high morphological and chemical variability among these carob populations. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to study the relationship between these traits and the geographical origin. High seed yields characterized wild populations, whereas cultivated populations were rich in sugar. Based on morphological traits of pods, seeds and chemical compositions, a hierarchical clustering grouped the carob populations into four groups. The findings of this study represent a significant advancement towards establishing effective cultivar breeding programs in Algeria. They demonstrate that the germplasm examined in this research exhibits an optimal level of morphological and chemical diversity, which is instrumental in the identification of specific traits of both commercial and environmental significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rheological properties and seepage laws of fractured rock masses have a highly significant impact on the long-term stability of engineering rock masses. To study the rheological properties and seepage laws, rheological experiments under different loading paths were designed and conducted on sandstone samples with pre-fabricated single fractures. The results indicated that (1) as the axial stress or pore pressure increases, or the confining pressure decreases, the creep strain (both axial and radial directions) during the creep tests increases, and their stain rate decreases; (2) compared to the pore pressure, the axial stress and confining pressure have a more significant influence on the flow rate during the creep process. As the axial stress increases or the confining pressure decreases, the flow rate shows an increasing trend; (3) the higher connectivity results in higher final flow in an exponential function, indicating that the connectivity ratios can well reflect the permeability of the fractures; (4) the changes in the stress field may lead to the transition of the surrounding rock from a stable state to an unstable state, i.e., the occurrence of creep failure, or water inrush. Therefore, when the state of the surrounding rock changes, strengthened monitoring and proper preventive measures should be implemented.

This article describes the synthesis of hydroxyapatite (HAp) flakes through a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. These flakes suggest possible applications as a substrate for depositing titanium dioxide (TiO2) films using chemical vapor deposition with metal–organic precursors (MOCVD). The results reveal the formation of crystalline hydroxyapatite characterized by a uniform morphology. Additionally, we demonstrated the successful deposition of TiO2 coatings on the hydroxyapatite flakes, resulting in a distinctive faceted prism morphology. Our findings affirm the effective synthesis of the HAp/TiO2 composite material. To further explore the material’s practical applications, we recommend assessing the photocatalytic activity of these composite membranes in future research.

Abstract The reduction of interfacial interaction and the deterioration of processing properties of aluminum hydrides (AlH3) is the main challenges preventing its practical application. Here, a simple and effective core–shell structure aluminum hydrides@polydopamine (AlH3@PDA) complex was constructed through in-situ polymerization. The evolution of element states on the surface of AlH3 conducted by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated the successful introduction of PDA to form the core@shell structure, the thickness of the PDA coated layer increased with the increasing PDA dosage from 0.1 to 1.6% in mass fraction, and the maximum of thickness is 50 nm in TEM testing. Py GC/MS results proved that the increase of dopamine concentration leads to higher proportions of self-assemble units, whereas lower dopamine concentrations favor higher levels of chemical bonded components. Regarding whether PDA is a covalent polymer or a noncovalent aggregate of some species, the formation of intermediates, such as dopaminechrome and 5,6-dihydroxyindole played an important role to coordination interaction with AlH3 in FTIR, Raman, and UV–Vis spectra testing. Compared with pure AlH3, the formation of organic PDA coating improved AlH3 heat resistance. The adhesion work with GAP adhesive was also improved from 107.02 J/m2 of pure AlH3 to 111.13 mJ/m2 of AlH3@PDA-5 complex. This paper provides well support for further practical application of AlH3 in solid propellants.

As a common method for preparing micron powder in industrial operations, the mechanical extrusion method simply pursues the particle size without considering the microstructure characteristics of sepiolite, which leads to problems such as bundles of sepiolite not being effectively dispersed, and thus the disruption of fibers is inevitably caused. In this work, a new micronization method for disaggregating these bundles while preserving the original structural integrity of the fibers is proposed based on steam pressure changes. The effects of steam pressure changes on the particle size distribution, microstructure, and properties of treated sepiolite are studied using X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and a specific surface area and aperture analyzer (BET). The experimental results show that the particle size of sepiolite powder depends greatly on steam pressure, and sepiolite powder with mass ratio of 91.6% and a particle size D97 of 21.27 μm is obtained at a steam pressure of 0.6 MPa. Compared to the sepiolite after mechanical extrusion, the sepiolite treated with steam pressure changes can maintain the integrity of its crystalline structure. The specific surface area of sepiolite enhanced from 80.15 m2 g−1 to 141.63 m2 g−1 as the steam pressure increased from 0.1 to 0.6 MPa, which is about 1.6 times that of the sample treated with mechanical extrusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The East African Highland banana (Mutika/Lujugira subgroup) is composed of triploid (AAA) cooking and beer banana varieties that are adapted to the high-altitude region of the Great Lakes region of East Africa. Banana production is affected by several biotic and abiotic factors. Breeding opportunities in bananas are limited due to female sterility and parthenocarpy. The genetic diversity of crops enables breeders to develop new germplasm. Molecular markers have been used widely to dissect crop plants' genetic diversity. This study assessed the genetic variation in 27 varieties from the Mutika/Lujugira subgroup using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). No genetic variation was observed among the banana varieties, and the 18 ten-mer primers produced monomorphic banding profiles. The genetic homogeneity of this banana subgroup is not congruent with their extensive morphological variation. Domestication and the bottleneck effect are often cited as the cause of reduced diversity in crop plants. On the other hand, several mechanisms, including somatic mutations, transposable elements, polyploidy, genome plasticity, and epigenetic mechanisms, are known to increase plant phenotypic variability. Further in-depth research is needed to explain the puzzle between the genetic and morphological diversity in the Mutika/Lujugira subgroup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the synthesis of hydroxyapatite (HAp) flakes through a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. These flakes suggest possible applications as a substrate for depositing titanium dioxide (TiO2) films using chemical vapor deposition with metal–organic precursors (MOCVD). The results reveal the formation of crystalline hydroxyapatite characterized by a uniform morphology. Additionally, we demonstrated the successful deposition of TiO2 coatings on the hydroxyapatite flakes, resulting in a distinctive faceted prism morphology. Our findings affirm the effective synthesis of the HAp/TiO2 composite material. To further explore the material's practical applications, we recommend assessing the photocatalytic activity of these composite membranes in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To estimate variability in Brassica rapa, 60 locally collected genotypes, including two check cultivars (BSA and Toria A), were collected at diverse locations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. These 60 genotypes, along with two check cultivars, were evaluated for various traits of interest under field conditions in Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The evaluated genotypes showed significant variations in the studied traits. The recorded data were analyzed for genetic relationships among various traits using the statistical package Statistica version 7. Cluster analysis was performed to divide the genotypes into five groups. The first five PCs with eigenvalues > 1 contributed 40.0%, 50.7%, 59.2%, 66.4%, and 73.0% of the variability during the study period. Based on the morphological characterization, genotypes with desirable traits can be used in future breeding programs. The genotypes used in the present study showed significant variation in various traits of interest. Utilizing these genotypes in breeding programs can broaden the genetic background of the available germplasm, and some can be directly used as cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plums have recently played a significant role in agriculture with their high fiber content, vitamins, and antioxidant substances. In addition to being consumed as fresh fruit worldwide, it is grown commercially in dried form or as various processed additives. In this study, the variation among plum genotypes growing naturally in the garden borders of Suşehri, Koyulhisar, and Akıncılar districts of Sivas province, located in the Kelkit Valley, Türkiye, was investigated using morphological, biochemical and molecular analyses. In terms of morphological characteristics, genotype E9 stood out as having the highest values in terms of fruit weight (25.92 g), fruit width (33.11 mm), and fruit height (34.70 mm). According to the results of biochemical analysis, statistically significant differences were found in total biochemical contents. Genotype E19 has 327.01 mg GAE/100 g for total phenolic content, genotype E11 with 109.98 mg QE/100 g for total flavonoid content, genotype E5 with 48.70% for total antioxidant value, and genotype E9 with 44.54 mg cyn-3-gluc/100 g for total anthocyanin content were the highest values. To determine the genetic diversity of plums at a molecular level, 10 different ISSR primers were used, and a total of 80.00 scorable bands were obtained. 67.00 of the bands obtained were polymorphic. According to the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) method, the similarity index ranged between 0.69 and 0.99, and two different main groups were formed in the dendrogram. Genotypes 21 and 22 were in the first group. Genotypes E6 and E7 were the closest genotypes with a similarity index 0.99. Five of the 10 different inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers had 100% polymorphism, and eight had 80% or more polymorphism. It is thought that the results obtained in plum genotypes can guide researchers to understand the characteristics of plum species and to integrate the appropriate genetic material or trait of interest into modern plant breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild olives are natural sources with multi-purpose economic. In the present study, morphological variability of 59 accessions belonging to wild olive (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata) collected from the Rachidr area in Sarbaz region, Sistan-va-Baluchestan province, Iran was evaluated. The accessions collected exhibited considerable variability based on the traits recorded (ANOVA, P < 0.01). The average coefficient of variation (CV) was 37.30%, and the CV in 50 out of 62 characters measured was more than 20%, thereby indicating high variability among the accessions. The ripening date ranged from late June to late July. The range of quantitative trait variation for characteristics was as follows; fruit stalk length: 1.05–3.33 mm, fruit stalk diameter: 0.66–1.50 mm, fruit length: 4.45–9.76 mm, fruit diameter: 2.75–5.30 mm, and fruit weight: 0.02–0.13 g. Fruit weight showed significant and positive correlations with dimensions of bunch, flower, fruit, and stone. Cluster analysis based on Ward's method showed two different major clusters among all accessions. Morphological characterization confirmed a high variability among the accessions for all characters. In conclusion, the present study allowed us to morphologically characterize very diverse wild olives growing in Iran. This will allow us to effectively exploit the potential of the wild olives, whose variation deserves to be adequately cataloged and preserved for future exploitation in breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction of interfacial interaction and the deterioration of processing properties of aluminum hydrides (AlH3) is the main challenges preventing its practical application. Here, a simple and effective core–shell structure aluminum hydrides@polydopamine (AlH3@PDA) complex was constructed through in-situ polymerization. The evolution of element states on the surface of AlH3 conducted by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated the successful introduction of PDA to form the core@shell structure, the thickness of the PDA coated layer increased with the increasing PDA dosage from 0.1 to 1.6% in mass fraction, and the maximum of thickness is 50 nm in TEM testing. Py GC/MS results proved that the increase of dopamine concentration leads to higher proportions of self-assemble units, whereas lower dopamine concentrations favor higher levels of chemical bonded components. Regarding whether PDA is a covalent polymer or a noncovalent aggregate of some species, the formation of intermediates, such as dopaminechrome and 5,6-dihydroxyindole played an important role to coordination interaction with AlH3 in FTIR, Raman, and UV–Vis spectra testing. Compared with pure AlH3, the formation of organic PDA coating improved AlH3 heat resistance. The adhesion work with GAP adhesive was also improved from 107.02 J/m2 of pure AlH3 to 111.13 mJ/m2 of AlH3@PDA-5 complex. This paper provides well support for further practical application of AlH3 in solid propellants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All–trans–retinoic acid (ATRA) has long been known to affect cell growth and differentiation. To improve ATRA's therapeutic efficacy and pharmacodynamics, several delivery systems have been used. In this study, free ATRA and anionic–liposome–encapsulated ATRA were compared for their effects on SK–N–SH human neuroblastoma cell growth and differentiation. Anionic liposomes made of L– α –phosphatidylcholine (PC) and L– α –phosphatidic acid (PA), empty (PC–PA) and loaded with ATRA (PC–PA–ATRA), were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and electrophoretic mobility measurements, and drug entrapment efficiency (EE%) was measured to evaluate the applicability of the new colloidal formulation. The results of brightfield microscopy and cell growth curves indicated that ATRA, whether free or encapsulated, reduced growth and induced differentiation, resulting in SK–N–SH cells changing from epithelioid to neuronal–like morphologies, and producing a significant increase in neurite growth. To further characterize the neuro-differentiation of SK–N–SH cells, the expression of βIII–Tubulin and synaptophysin and mitochondria localization were analyzed via immunofluorescence. Increased expression of neuronal markers and a peculiar localization of mitochondria in the neuritic extensions were apparent both in ATRA– and PC–PA–ATRA–differentiated cells. As a whole, our results strongly indicate that ATRA treatment, by any means, can induce the differentiation of parent SK–N–SH, and they highlight that its encapsulation in anionic liposomes increases its differentiation ability in terms of the percentage of neurite–bearing cells. Interestingly, our data also suggest an unexpected differentiation capability of anionic liposomes per se. This work highlights the importance of developing and carefully testing novel delivery nanocarriers, which are a necessary first "step" in the development of new therapeutic settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of BIOAGRO is the property of Revista BIOAGRO and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The East African Highland banana (Mutika/Lujugira subgroup) is composed of triploid (AAA) cooking and beer banana varieties that are adapted to the high-altitude region of the Great Lakes region of East Africa. Banana production is affected by several biotic and abiotic factors. Breeding opportunities in bananas are limited due to female sterility and parthenocarpy. The genetic diversity of crops enables breeders to develop new germplasm. Molecular markers have been used widely to dissect crop plants’ genetic diversity. This study assessed the genetic variation in 27 varieties from the Mutika/Lujugira subgroup using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). No genetic variation was observed among the banana varieties, and the 18 ten-mer primers produced monomorphic banding profiles. The genetic homogeneity of this banana subgroup is not congruent with their extensive morphological variation. Domestication and the bottleneck effect are often cited as the cause of reduced diversity in crop plants. On the other hand, several mechanisms, including somatic mutations, transposable elements, polyploidy, genome plasticity, and epigenetic mechanisms, are known to increase plant phenotypic variability. Further in-depth research is needed to explain the puzzle between the genetic and morphological diversity in the Mutika/Lujugira subgroup.

Rice (Oryzae sativa L.) is one of the most important cereal crops on which an ever-increasing population is dependent for food globally. However, constraints associated with infectious diseases, notably brown spot transmitted by seed and wind reduced its production and productivity. This study was conducted to characterize Bipolaris oryzae isolates morphologically in Fogera plain, Amhara region of Ethiopia. Twenty-nine B. oryzae isolates were collected from Dera, Fogera, and Libokemkem districts and characterized morphologically at the Ambo Agricultural Research Center plant pathology laboratory. These isolates were grouped into nine categories on their colony morphology and growth pattern. About 34.48% of the isolates showed black with fluffy growth pattern, while 68.96% of the conidia shape were slightly curved. Moreover, 58.62% of 29 isolates was initially hyaline. Fast, moderate and slow mycelial growth habits were also observed in 29 isolates, from 3.07 to 15.49 μm in length and from 1.00 to 4.27 μm in breadth conidia size and from 1.52 × 109 to 1.80 × 1010/ml sporulation rates. Therefore, knowing such characteristics is crucial and it needs to identify the pathogen inherent genetic characteristics of the above isolates for fruitful management recommendations.

The growing interest in maize landraces over the past two decades has led to the need to characterize the Italian maize germplasm. In Italy, hundreds of maize landraces have been developed, but only a few of them have been genetically characterized, and even fewer are currently employed in agriculture or for breeding purposes. In the present study, 13 maize landraces of the west Emilia-Romagna region were morphologically and genetically characterized. These accessions were sampled in 1954 from three provinces, Modena, Parma, and Piacenza, during the characterization project of Italian maize landraces. The morphological characterization of these 13 accessions was performed according to the UPOV protocol CPVO/TP2/3, examining 34 phenotypic traits. A total of 820 individuals were genotyped with 10 SSR markers. The genetic characterization revealed 74 different alleles, a FST mean value of 0.13, and a Nm mean of 1.73 over all loci. Moreover, AMOVA analysis disclosed a low degree of differentiation among accessions, with only 13% of genetic variability found between populations, supporting PCoA analysis results, where the first two coordinates explained only 16% of variability. Structure analysis, supported by PCoA, showed that only four accessions were clearly distinguished for both K = 4 and 6. Italian landraces can be useful resources to be employed in maize breeding programs for the development of new varieties, adapted to different environmental conditions, in order to increase crop resilience and expand the maize cultivation area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Nativa is the property of Revista Nativa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This work demonstrates the application of high-resolution, 3D imaging to characterize micro- and nano-scale features of iridium oxide (IrO 2) anode catalyst layers (CLs) in proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nanoscale X-ray computed tomography (nano-CT) reveal differences in micro-scale features between spray-coated and blade-coated CLs, and in blade-coated CLs along the fabrication and testing timeline. The electrode thickness distribution of the tested blade-coated CL suggests increased thinning of regions compressed by titanium fibers of the porous transport layer (PTL). Ultra-high-resolution imaging of Xe-plasma focused ion beam with SEM (pFIB-SEM) with the development of a segmentation method is used to investigate nano-scale features between these regions of the tested blade-coated CL, showing variations in porosity and pore sizes. The findings provide insights and modeling inputs for the morphology of PEMWE anode CLs towards a better understanding of the relationship between fabrication, operation, and transport behavior. [Display omitted] • High-resolution, 3D, multi-scale imaging used to characterize PEMWE anode CLs. • SEM and nano-CT show increased thinning of tested CL regions due to PTL fibers. • 6 nm voxel size achieved with pFIB-SEM and in-house segmentation method developed. • "PTL-fiber-compressed" region in tested CL has lower porosity and smaller PSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Türkiye is the homeland of many plant species and has a significant genetic diversity. It is seen that different natural almond species grown in the region were included in the breeding research conducted on almonds, which is one of these critical species. In this study, natural almond genotypes grown in Türkiye and different commercial foreign-origin almond cultivar and genotypes obtained from intraspecies hybridization were evaluated morphologically and molecularly. In the hybrid genotypes obtained, plant growth was determined as weak, medium, and strong; plant habitus was upright, upright to spreading, spreading, and drooping; anthocyanin coloration was determined as light, medium, and strong; shoot pubescence was weak and strong, leaf blade/leaf width ratio was determined as medium and high. To determine the genetic diversity of parent plants and hybrid genotypes molecularly, 10 different inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers were used, a total of 99 scoreable bands, 84 of which were determined as polymorphic. According to the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic means (UPGMA), the similarity index varied between 0.67 and 0.97, and two different main groups were formed in the dendrogram. Ninety-eight of 141 hybrid genotypes are in the first group. Genotypes Texas × A1-10 and Texas × A4-4 were included in the first group with a similarity index of 0.97. 100% polymorphism was determined in five different ISSR primers, and 80% or higher polymorphism was determined in seven of 10 primers. This group includes genotypes obtained from combinations using the Texas cultivar, mainly depending on the parent's parents. In the second leading group, there are 34 different hybrid individuals with mother and father parents. The results obtained would guide researchers in almond breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To morphologically characterize the Ya'ax ik chili pepper: wild chili (Capsicum annuum), native variety from the Yucatan Peninsula. Design/methodology: Ya'ax ik chili pepper seeds were sown in 200-cavity polystyrene trays, and then the plants were placed in bags for hydroponics and were morphologically characterized using the Capsicum descriptor of the International Institute of Genetic Resources. Results: The plant showed 118 cm and 34.8 cm of height and ramification width and width of the intermediate plant, hanging white flowers and green fruits in the early stage and red at maturity with 7.42 and 2.32 cm length and width. Additionally, tolerance to the virus caused by whiteflies could be observed. Findings and conclusions: Plant with morphological characteristics susceptible to be genetically improved for its extensive farming, given the market acceptance of the fresh and dried fruit, supported by market prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agriculture & Nature / Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tarım & Doğa Dergisi is the property of Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam Universitesi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Corn cultivation is relevant to the province of Tayacaja, a region with the greatest biodiversity in the Huancavelica State, although to date there are no published studies. Phenotypic characterization pursues measuring the genetic diversity of a group of genotypes, using appropriate morphological descriptors. The main objective of this work was to study the agro-morphological characteristics and productive potential of 25 starchy corn varieties, evaluated in four contrasting environments of the province of Tayacaja, Perú, during the crop cycle 2019–2020. For this purpose, 25 plant and ear characteristics were chosen, using principal components (PC) and cluster analysis. The experiments were established in an alpha-lattice design, with three replications, in experimental units of two rows, with 0.20 m between plants and 0.80 m between furrows, 4 m long. The agro-morphological characterization grouped the 25 varieties within 6 well-defined clusters, giving an overview of the existing phenotypic variability among the evaluated starchy corn varieties. The varieties G 6 , G 14 , G 20 , G T3 , and G 18 were the genotypes with the most outstanding characteristics, which facilitated their separation from the rest of the materials studied. The multivariate analysis brought together representative varieties of certain races, with typical plant and ear characteristics. The study revealed the existence of a good productive and agronomic potential for the development of genetic materials for cancha (toasted kernel grains), choclo (fresh corn), and mote corn production; as well as the presence of anthocyanin in the grain, information that, together with the agro-morphological characterization, could be very useful to enhance gains in the selection process in future genetic improvement work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: In this paper, a metamaterial design based on lightweight geopolymeric elements was reported for applications in acoustic insulation. The paper compares and evaluates the influence of the presence of perforations on the sound absorption coefficient (SAC) of a negative stiffness metamaterial based on a foamed ceramic geopolymer. Chemical–physical, microstructural, dynamic–mechanical, and sound characterisations are presented. A rigid, lightweight geopolymeric porous material has been prepared using an inorganic/organic monomeric mixture containing oligomeric sialates and siloxanes foamed with aluminium powder. This process results in an amorphous rigid light foam with an apparent 180 Kg/m3 density and a 78% open-pore. The viscoelastic characterisation by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) carried out from 10−3 to 103 Hz indicates the behaviour of a mechanical metamaterial with negative stiffness enabling ultrahigh energy absorption at straining frequencies from 300 to 1000 Hz. The material loss factor (the ratio of dissipative/elastic shear moduli) is about 0.03 (essentially elastic behaviour) for frequencies up to 200 Hz to suddenly increase up to a value of six at 1000 Hz (highly dissipative behaviour). The corresponding storage and loss moduli were 8.2 MPa and 20 MPa, respectively. Impedance tube acoustic absorption measurements on perforated and unperforated specimens highlighted the role of perforation-resonant cavities in enhancing sound absorption efficiency, particularly within the specified frequency band where the mass of the negative stiffness foamed geopolymer matrix magnifies the dissipation effect. In the limits of a still exploratory and comparative study, we aimed to verify the technological transfer potentiality of using architected metamaterials in sustainable building practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taxonomic identification of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal spores extracted directly from the field is sometimes difficult because spores are often degraded or parasitized by other organisms. Single-spore inoculation of a suitable host plant allows for establishing monosporic cultures of AM fungi. This study aimed to propagate AM fungal spores isolated from maize soil using single spores for morphological characterization. First, trap cultures were established to trigger the sporulation of AM fungal species. Second, trap cultures were established with individual morphotypes by picking up only one spore under a dissecting microscope and transferring it to a small triangle of sterilized filter paper, which was then carefully inoculated below a root from germinated sorghum seeds in each pot and covered with a sterile substrate. All pots were placed in sunbags and maintained in a plant growth room for 120 days. Spores obtained from single spore trap cultures from each treatment, maize after oats (MO), maize after maize (MM), maize after peas (MP), and maize after soybean (MS), were extracted using the sieving method. Healthy spores were selected for morphological analysis. Direct PCR was conducted by crushing spores in RNAlater and applying three sets of primer pairs: ITS1 × ITS4, NS31 × AML2, and SSUmcf and LSUmBr. Nucleotide sequences obtained from Sanger sequencing were aligned on MEGA X. The phylogenetic tree showed that the closest neighbors of the propagated AM fungal species belonged to the genera Claroideoglomus, Funneliformis, Gigaspora, Paraglomus, and Rhizophagus. The morphological characteristics were compared to the descriptive features of described species posted on the INVAM website, and they included Acaulospora cavernata, Diversispora spurca, Funneliformis geosporus, Funneliformis mosseae, Gigaspora clarus, Gigaspora margarita, Glomus macrosporum, Paraglomus occultum, and Rhizophagus intraradices. These findings can provide a great contribution to crop productivity and sustainable management of the agricultural ecosystem. Also, the isolate analyzed could be grouped into efficient promoters of growth and mycorrhization of maize independent of their geographical location.

Br 23 banana mutant line derived from irradiated gamma-ray from pisang ambon cultivar was triploid (AAA) and sterile. Therefore, application of conventional breeding to improve the agronomic characteristics of bananas requires strenuous effort. Morphological and agronomical characterizations of mutant line were observed during the generative stage on the Fusarium hotspot. Sixteen qualitative characters were observed, and each of which related to color was standardized using RHS color chart. Based on these qualitative characteristics, it was confirmed that pisang Ambon belongs to the acuminata group. Several agronomical characteristics of Br 23 banana mutant line, such as the number of hands/bunch, the weight of fruits/hand, and single fruit weight, were observed. The experimental results on banana production showed that the first harvest could reach 26 t/ha. Unlike from the control plant, the Br 23 mutant line showed tolerant characteristics to Fusarium TR4. The evaluation of susceptibility to Fusarium wilt was analyzed using the Vegetative Compatibility Group (VCG) method with isolate no. 01236/16. These susceptible plants were planted nearby the Br 23 banana mutant line. In early 2019, this Br 23 banana mutant line was registered as a new mutant variety under the name of PIRAMA I.

Phase Change Materials (PCMs) have received much consideration as thermal energy storage systems due to their high storage capacity. However, their heat transfer rate is limited because of the low thermal conductivity. Incorporating of carbon-based nanoparticles into the matrix of PCMs with good dispersion can be an efficient way to solve their deficiency. In this research, graphite nanoparticles were homogeneously dispersed within the Eicosane PCM matrix to prepare a Nano-Enhanced PCM (NEPCM). The main objective is to determine the optimum amount of graphite to maximize the thermal properties of NEPCM composites. The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images of the prepared nanocomposites confirmed the excellent dispersion of graphite nanoparticles within the Eicosane layers through an ultrasonic bath-assisted homogenization procedure followed by solidification. In addition, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermal Conductivity Evaluation (TC) of the samples were conducted to determine their heat capacity and thermal diffusivity. The results illustrated that the more the number of graphite nanoparticles, the larger the number of collisions between graphite and Eicosane. As the nanoparticle content increased, the thermal conductivity and diffusivity were enhanced, as well. Numerically, the maximum thermal conductivity was 4.1 W/m K for the composite containing 10 wt% graphite, 15.66 times that of the pure Eicosane. Furthermore, increasing crystal growth and reducing heat capacity for the large number of nanoparticles in the composite were discussed. The significantly improved thermal properties of the prepared NEPCMs with an optimal nanoparticle content could make them applicable for different thermal management applications.

Morphological characterization and diversity estimation are essential in plant breeding. In this endeavour, the researcher performed a visual assessment of 17 phenotypic DUS listed traits of 100 soybean accession in Kharif 2019-2020. Seven traits were dimorphic, while ten traits were polymorphic. Shannon’s diversity indices were estimated using Microsoft excel. The index ranged from 0.06 to 1.72, with a mean value of 0.693. Seed peroxidase activity (g) obtained the highest value. Of the 100 accessions, few were unique as they could be distinguished based on a single trait, while the majority were very closely related. Cluster analysis revealed that the 100 accessions were grouped into four major clusters—similar genotypes concerning different traits clustered in the same clusters and vice versa.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity among traditional common bean accessions through morphological descriptors and molecular markers. Sixty-seven common bean accessions from the Germplasm bank of the Instituto Federal of Espírito Santo—Campus de Alegre were evaluated. For this, 25 specific morphological descriptors were used, namely 12 quantitative and 13 qualitative ones. A diversity analysis based on morphological descriptors was carried out using the Gower algorithm. For molecular characterization, 23 ISSR primers were used to estimate dissimilarity using the Jaccard Index. Based on the dendrograms obtained by the UPGMA method, for morphological and molecular characterization, high genetic variability was observed between the common bean genotypes studied, evidenced by cophenetic correlation values in the order of 0.99, indicating an accurate representation of the dissimilarity matrix by the UPGMA clustering. In the morphological characterization, high phenotypic diversity was observed between the accessions, with grains of different shapes, colors, and sizes, and the accessions were grouped into nine distinct groups. Molecular characterization was efficient in separating the genotypes in the Andean and Mesoamerican groups, with the 23 ISSR primers studied generating an average of 6.35 polymorphic bands. The work identified divergent accessions that can serve different market niches, which can be indicated as parents to form breeding programs in order to obtain progenies with high genetic variability.

Despite the economic and ecological importance of the carob tree, few studies are available on the morphological characterization and chemical composition of carob in Algeria. This has resulted in the lack of selection of commercial cultivars of high seed and sugar content. The present study aims to assess the diversity of 11 wild and 1 cultivated carob populations in various regions of Algeria, characterized by diverse geographical and climatic conditions. The final objective is to assess the diversity of neglected carob plants that exhibit superior fruit quality traits and/or are well adapted to different pedoclimatic conditions. The current study focuses on analyzing pod and seed diversity by investigating 12 morphological and 5 physiochemical traits. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences between populations (p < 0.001) for all traits studied, indicating high morphological and chemical variability among these carob populations. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to study the relationship between these traits and the geographical origin. High seed yields characterized wild populations, whereas cultivated populations were rich in sugar. Based on morphological traits of pods, seeds and chemical compositions, a hierarchical clustering grouped the carob populations into four groups. The findings of this study represent a significant advancement towards establishing effective cultivar breeding programs in Algeria. They demonstrate that the germplasm examined in this research exhibits an optimal level of morphological and chemical diversity, which is instrumental in the identification of specific traits of both commercial and environmental significance.

Estimating the direct radiative forcing (DRF) by air particles is challenging because of uncertainty in the morphology (shape and size), mixing states, and chemical properties of fine particulates. To improve numerically estimated optical and radiative properties, a region-specific database of the aforementioned physico-chemical properties (at individual particle level) is required. PM2.5 samples were examined using scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS). SEM–EDS was utilized to investigate the differences in forms, morphology, and elemental composition of PM2.5 particles, as well as to relate them to a potential source as a cause of pollution and pollution emissions and transit from various polluted places. SEM micrographs identified a wide range of PM morphologies, including spherical, irregular, angular, cluster, flaky, rod-like, crystalline, and agglomerate structures, indicating natural and anthropogenic causes and creation. The sources of PM2.5 pollution episodes in Raipur were identified employing observed pollution levels and meteorological data, backward air mass trajectories, correlation, and PMF analysis. In addition, positive matrix factorization has been used to source-apportion the data and five significant source/pollution types including industrial emissions (37%), vehicular exhaust (13.8%), coal combustion (12.4%), ionic factor (11.3%), and crustal dust (25.5%) were detected. Using a backward trajectory analysis, the influence of air pollutant transmission on regional particle pollution was investigated. A significant connection between Fe–Mn, Mn–Ni, Ni–Al, and Cl− and NH4+ indicates that the contaminants share a similar source. It was revealed that unfavorable climatic circumstances, such as low wind speed, low humidity, low temperature, and surface layer inversions, increase the risk of large PM2.5 concentrations in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is both to estimate the live weight (LW) of Polatli sheep (Ile de France × Akkaraman (G1)) by considering some body measurements (withers height (WH), rump height (RH), body length (BL), chest depth (CD), chest width (CD), chest girth (CG), cannon bone circumference (CBC)), age, and sex variables as independent variables using C&RT (Classification and Regression Tree), CHAID (Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detector), and MARS (Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines) algorithms and to determine the significant independent variables in the estimation of live weight. For this purpose, a total of 210 sheep were used, including 180 females and 30 males of different ages, for the estimation of LW. The calculated Pearson correlation coefficients between LW and WH, RH, BL, CD, CW, CG, and CBC characteristics are 0.897, 0.896, 0.853, 0.948, 0.550, 0.914, and 0.798, respectively (p < 0.05). In the application of data mining algorithms as prediction models, a cross-validation of 10 was used, while for tree-based algorithms, the parent node was set to 10 and the child node to 5. While CHAID and C&RT algorithms each used 8 independent variables to explain the variation observed in LW, the MARS algorithm used 9 independent variables. In Polatli sheep, the sheep with the highest live weight was found in the node with age > 3 and CD > 36 cm cutting point in the CHAID algorithm (93.571 kg). In the C&RT algorithm, it was predicted to be (91.316 kg) when age > 0, CD > 36.5 cm, and CBC > 9.5 cm. When evaluated considering commonly used criteria, the prediction performances of CHAID, C&RT, and MARS algorithms were calculated as follows: RMSE (root mean square error) values are “5.788, 5.103, 4.005”; SDR (standard deviation ratio) values are “0.254, 0.224, 0.176”; MAPE (mean absolute percentage error) values are “7.555, 6.675, 5.682”; Adj-Rsq (adjusted R-squared) values are “0.935, 0.950, 0.969”; and AIC (Akaike information criterion) values are “741.436, 688.489, 582.792,” respectively. In terms of prediction performance, among the tree algorithms (CHAID and C&RT), C&RT was found to be the best, while considering all performance measures, it was observed that the MARS algorithm exhibited the best performance. Consequently, it has been determined that C&RT and MARS algorithms can be safely employed in morphological characterization studies for the identification of indirect criteria and the formation of elite herds in terms of LW. This decision allows for the reliable use of these algorithms to facilitate the selection of indirect variables and the establishment of elite populations in breeding programs focusing on live weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The introgression of genetic material from one species to another through wide hybridization and repeated back-crossing, plays an important role in genetic modification and enriching the cultivated gene-pool with novel genetic variations. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus [(L.) Moench)] is a popular vegetable crop with high dietary fibre and protein, rich in essential amino acids, lysine and tryptophan. The wild Abelmoschus genepool has many desirable traits like ornamental value, short internodal length, more number of productive branches, extended bearing, perennation tendency, reduced fruit length (more consumer preferred trait), high mucilage content (medicinal value), abiotic stress tolerances such as drought, high temperature and biotic stress resistances such as okra Yellow Vein Mosaic Virus (YVMV) and Enation Leaf Curl Virus (ELCV) diseases. The repeated use of elite breeding lines led to narrowing of the genetic base of the okra crop, one of the major factors attributed to breakdown of resistance/ tolerance to biotic stresses. YVMV and ELCV are the two major diseases, causing significant yield loss in okra. Hence, wide hybridization was attempted to transfer tolerance genes from wild species to the cultivated genepool to widen the genetic base. Material and methods: The screening of germplasm of wild Abelmoschus species at hotspots led to the identification of tolerant species (Abelmoschus pungens var. mizoramensis, A. enbeepeegeearensis, A. caillei, A. tetraphyllus and A. angulosus var. grandiflorus), which were further used in a wide-hybridization programme to generate interspecific hybrids with the cultivated okra. Presence of pre- and post-zygotic barriers to interspecific geneflow, differences in ploidy levels and genotype specific variations in chromosome numbers led to varying degrees of sterility in F1 plants of interspecific crosses. This was overcome by doubling the chromosome number of interspecific hybrids by applying Colchicine at the seedling stage. The 113 cross derivatives generated comprising amphidiploids in the F1 generation (30), F3 (14), one each in F2 and F4 generations, back cross generation in BC1F2 (03), BC1F3 (25), and BC2F3 (02), crosses between amphidiploids (27), multi-cross combinations (07) and interspecific cross (between A. sagittifolius x A. moschatus subsp. moschatus) selfed derivatives at F8 generation (03) were characterized in the present study. Besides they were advanced through selfing and backcrossing. Results and Discussion: The amphidiploids were found to possess many desirable genes with a considerable magnitude of linkage drag. Majority of the wide cross derivatives had an intermediate fruit morphology and dominance of wild characters viz., hispid fruits, stem, leaves, tough fruit fibre, vigorous perennial growth habit and prolonged flowering and fruiting. The fruit morphology of three BC progenies exhibited a high morphological resemblance to the cultivated okra, confirming successful transfer of useful genes to the cultivated okra genepool. The detailed morphological characteristics of the various combinations of Abelmoschus amphidiploids and the genetic enhancement of the genepool achieved in this process is reported here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTProbiotics possess many health-endorsing properties; however, their viability and stability under detrimental condition is uncertain. Encapsulation technology provides protection under various stressed conditions. Furthermore, combination of different wall materials ensures the target delivery of core materials. In the current study, probiotic was encapsulated using solid lipid micro particles (SLMP) that were prepared by high shear homogenization. Whey protein and gum Arabic were used as wall material to encapsulate the probiotics. Obtained micro beads were subjected for size, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency measurement. Scanning electron microscopy was used for morphological characterization of the microbeads. Molecular characterization of obtained micro beads was done by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Furthermore, the viability and stability were assessed under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Free and encapsulated probiotics were incorporated in chocolate to evaluate the stability of probiotics. The results in this study indicated that encapsulated probiotics showed significant (P

As a common method for preparing micron powder in industrial operations, the mechanical extrusion method simply pursues the particle size without considering the microstructure characteristics of sepiolite, which leads to problems such as bundles of sepiolite not being effectively dispersed, and thus the disruption of fibers is inevitably caused. In this work, a new micronization method for disaggregating these bundles while preserving the original structural integrity of the fibers is proposed based on steam pressure changes. The effects of steam pressure changes on the particle size distribution, microstructure, and properties of treated sepiolite are studied using X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and a specific surface area and aperture analyzer (BET). The experimental results show that the particle size of sepiolite powder depends greatly on steam pressure, and sepiolite powder with mass ratio of 91.6% and a particle size D97 of 21.27 μm is obtained at a steam pressure of 0.6 MPa. Compared to the sepiolite after mechanical extrusion, the sepiolite treated with steam pressure changes can maintain the integrity of its crystalline structure. The specific surface area of sepiolite enhanced from 80.15 m2 g−1 to 141.63 m2 g−1 as the steam pressure increased from 0.1 to 0.6 MPa, which is about 1.6 times that of the sample treated with mechanical extrusion.