Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with diseased loquat trees in Italy and description of Diplodia rosacearum sp. nov

[EN] Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is a fruit tree cultivated in several countries in the Mediterranean region. A survey of a loquat orchard in Sicily ( Italy) revealed the presence of plants showing dieback symptoms and cankers with wedge-shaped necrotic sectors. Fungi from the genera Diplodia and Neofusicoccum were isolated from symptomatic plants. On the basis of morphological characters and DNA sequence data four species were identified, Neofusicoccum parvum, N. vitifusiforme, Diplodia seriata and a novel Diplodia species, which is here described as D. rosacearum sp. nov. Inoculation trials of loquat plants cv Sanfilipparo showed that N. parvum, D. seriata and D. rosacearum were pathogenic to this host. Although variability was observed between isolates, N. parvum and D. rosacearum were the most aggressive species.This research was supported by Servizio VII Fitosanitario Forestale del Dipartimento Regionale, Azienda Regionale Foreste Demaniali. Artur Alves acknowledges financing by European Funds through COMPETE and by National Funds through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) to the research unit CESAM (UID/AMB/50017/2013 - POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007638) and himself (FCT Investigator Programme - IF/00835/2013), and support by the Contributi avvio e sviluppo collaborazioni internazionali (CORI-2014), Visiting Professor Programme at the University of Palermo, Italy. The authors thank Dr. Giuseppe Lo Giudice for allowing carrying out the surveys in his loquat field.Giambra, S.; Piazza, G.; Alves, A.; Mondello, V.; Berbegal Martinez, M.; Armengol Fortí, J.; Burruano, S. (2016). Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with diseased loquat trees in Italy and description of Diplodia rosacearum sp. nov. Mycosphere (Online). 7(7):978-989. https://doi.org/10.5943/mycosphere/si/1b/9S9789897

Plant sources of galanthamine: phytochemical and biotechnological aspects.

Galanthamine, an Amaryllidaceae type alkaloid, is an AChE inhibitor marketed as a hydrobromide salt for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, poliomyelitis and other neurological diseases. Although the chemical synthesis of galanthamine has been successfully performed, plants are the main source of its production. The phytochemical and biotechnological aspects of plants currently used for galanthamine production, namely Leucojum aestivum, Narcissus ssp. Ungernia victoris and Lycoris radiata, are summarized in the present paper

Mechanisms of refractive index modification during femtosecond laser writing of waveguides in alkaline lead-oxide silicate glass

3 pages, 3 figures.We report on the mechanisms responsible for the formation of optical waveguides upon femtosecond laser irradiation of an alkaline lead-oxide silicate glass. MicroRaman spectroscopy and nonlinear fluorescence were employed to probe the local glass network structure and the formation of optically active defects respectively. At low laser pulse energies, the laser modified region is formed by a single light guiding region, whereas for pulses above 14 µJ the modified region is formed by a central dark zone, which does not guide light, accompanied by light guiding zones located in the surrounding of the dark one. This behavior is different from that observed in common silica glass systems but agrees with recent results obtained in phosphate and heavy metal oxide glasses. However, our results show that, unlike the latter glass, local densification of the glass occurs in the whole laser modified region, i.e., in the dark and the guiding zones. The suppression of light guiding in the dark region is explained by a high density of absorbing color centers.This work was partially supported by CICYT (Spain) under Project No. DPI2002-00151. One of the authors (V.D.B.) acknowledges the financial support of the CSIC and the European Social Fund through an I3P Ph.D. fellowship. Another author (P.L.-A. acknowledges funding from the Spanish Government ( the Ramón y Cajal program and Grant No. TIC2003-07485).Peer reviewe

Navigating surgical anatomy of the Denonvilliers' fascia and dissection planes of the anterior mesorectum with a cadaveric simulation model

Anterior dissection of the rectum in the male pelvis represents one of the most complex phases of total meso-rectal excision. However, the possible existence of different anatomical planes is controversial and the exact anatomical topography of Denonvilliers' fascia is still debated. The aim of the study is to accurately define in a cadaveric simulation model the existence and boundaries of Denonvilliers' fascia, identifying the anatomical planes suitable for surgical dissection. The pelvises of 31 formalin-preserved male cadavers were dissected. Careful and detailed dissection was carried out to visualize the anatomical structures and the potential dissection planes, simulating an anterior meso-rectum dissection. Denonvilliers' fascia was identified in 100% of the pelvises, as a single-layer fascia that originates from the peritoneal reflection and descends until its firm adhesion to the prostate capsule. The fascia divides the space providing an anterior and a posterior plane. Anteriorly to the fascia, during the caudal dissection, its firm adhesion to the prostate capsule forces to section it sharply. The cadaveric simulation model allowed an accurate description of Denonvilliers' fascia, defining several planes for anterior dissection of the meso-rectum

Some properties of the k-dimensional Lyness' map

This paper is devoted to study some properties of the k-dimensional Lyness' map. Our main result presentes a rational vector field that gives a Lie symmetry for F. This vector field is used, for k less or equal to 5 to give information about the nature of the invariant sets under F. When k is odd, we also present a new (as far as we know) first integral for F^2 which allows to deduce in a very simple way several properties of the dynamical system generated by F. In particular for this case we prove that, except on a given codimension one algebraic set, none of the positive initial conditions can be a periodic point of odd period.Comment: 22 pages; 3 figure

In Vivo Detection of Perinatal Brain Metabolite Changes in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR)

Background Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a risk factor for abnormal neurodevelopment.We studied a rabbit model of IUGR by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy (MRS), to assess in vivo brain structural and metabolic consequences, and identify potential metabolic biomarkers for clinical translation. Methods IUGR was induced in 3 pregnant rabbits at gestational day 25, by 40-50% uteroplacental vessel ligation in one horn; the contralateral horn was used as control. Fetuses were delivered at day 30 and weighted. A total of 6 controls and 5 IUGR pups underwent T2-w MRI and localized proton MRS within the first 8 hours of life, at 7T. Changes in brain tissue volumes and respective contributions to each MRS voxel were estimated by semi-automated registration of MRI images with a digital atlas of the rabbit brain. MRS data were used for: (i) absolute metabolite quantifications, using linear fitting; (ii) local temperature estimations, based on the water chemical shift; and (iii) classification, using spectral pattern analysis. Results Lower birth weight was associated with (i) smaller brain sizes, (ii) slightly lower brain temperatures, and (iii) differential metabolite profile changes in specific regions of the brain parenchyma. Specifically, we found estimated lower levels of aspartate and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus (suggesting neuronal impairment), and higher glycine levels in the striatum (possible marker of brain injury). Our results also suggest that the metabolic changes in cortical regions are more prevalent than those detected in hippocampus and striatum. Conclusions IUGR was associated with brain metabolic changes in vivo, which correlate well with the neurostructural changes and neurodevelopment problems described in IUGR. Metabolic parameters could constitute non invasive biomarkers for the diagnosis and abnormal neurodevelopment of perinatal origin

The Social Climbing Game

The structure of a society depends, to some extent, on the incentives of the individuals they are composed of. We study a stylized model of this interplay, that suggests that the more individuals aim at climbing the social hierarchy, the more society's hierarchy gets strong. Such a dependence is sharp, in the sense that a persistent hierarchical order emerges abruptly when the preference for social status gets larger than a threshold. This phase transition has its origin in the fact that the presence of a well defined hierarchy allows agents to climb it, thus reinforcing it, whereas in a "disordered" society it is harder for agents to find out whom they should connect to in order to become more central. Interestingly, a social order emerges when agents strive harder to climb society and it results in a state of reduced social mobility, as a consequence of ergodicity breaking, where climbing is more difficult.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figure

HERC1 ubiquitin ligase is required for hippocampal learning and memory

Mutations in the human HERC1 E3 ubiquitin ligase protein develop intellectual disability. The tambaleante (tbl) mouse carries a HERC1 mutation characterized by cerebellar ataxia due of adult cerebellar Purkinje cells death by extensive autophagy. Our previous studies demonstrated that both the neuromuscular junction and the peripheral nerve myelin sheaths are also affected in this mutant. Moreover, there are signs of dysregulated autophagy in the central nervous system in the tbl mouse, affecting spinal cord motor neurons, and pyramidal neurons of the neocortex and the hippocampal CA3 region. The tbl mutation affects associative learning, with absence of short- and long-term potentiation in the lateral amygdala, altered spinogenesis in their neurons, and a dramatic decrease in their glutamatergic input. To assess whether other brain areas engaged in learning processes might be affected by the tbl mutation, we have studied the tbl hippocampus using behavioral tests, ex vivo electrophysiological recordings, immunohistochemistry, the Golgi-Cox method and transmission electron microscopy. The tbl mice performed poorly in the novel-object recognition, T-maze and Morris water maze tests. In addition, there was a decrease in glutamatergic input while the GABAergic one remains unaltered in the hippocampal CA1 region of tbl mice, accompanied by changes in the dendritic spines, and signs of cellular damage. Moreover, the proportions of immature and mature neurons in the dentate gyrus of the tbl hippocampus differ relative to the control mice. Together, these observations demonstrate the important role of HERC1 in regulating synaptic activity during learning

Atmospheric Channel Characteristics for Quantum Communication with Continuous Polarization Variables

We investigate the properties of an atmospheric channel for free space quantum communication with continuous polarization variables. In our prepare-and-measure setup, coherent polarization states are transmitted through an atmospheric quantum channel of 100m length on the roof of our institute's building. The signal states are measured by homodyne detection with the help of a local oscillator (LO) which propagates in the same spatial mode as the signal, orthogonally polarized to it. Thus the interference of signal and LO is excellent and atmospheric fluctuations are autocompensated. The LO also acts as spatial and spectral filter, which allows for unrestrained daylight operation. Important characteristics for our system are atmospheric channel influences that could cause polarization, intensity and position excess noise. Therefore we study these influences in detail. Our results indicate that the channel is suitable for our quantum communication system in most weather conditions.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Applied Physics B following an invitation for the special issue "Selected Papers Presented at the 2009 Spring Meeting of the Quantum Optics and Photonics Section of the German Physical Society

Diaporthe diversity and pathogenicity revealed from a broad survey of grapevine diseases in Europe

[EN] Species of Diaporthe are considered important plant pathogens, saprobes, and endophytes on a wide range of plant hosts. Several species are well-known on grapevines, either as agents of pre-or post-harvest infections, including Phomopsis cane and leaf spot, cane bleaching, swelling arm and trunk cankers. In this study we explore the occurrence, diversity and pathogenicity of Diaporthe spp. associated with Vitis vinifera in major grape production areas of Europe and Israel, focusing on nurseries and vineyards. Surveys were conducted in Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Spain and the UK. A total of 175 Diaporthe strains were isolated from asymptomatic and symptomatic shoots, branches and trunks. A multi-locus phylogeny was established based on five genomic loci (ITS, tef1, cal, his3 and tub2), and the morphological characters of the isolates were determined. Preliminary pathogenicity tests were performed on green grapevine shoots with representative isolates. The most commonly isolated species were D. eres and D. ampelina. Four new Diaporthe species described here as D. bohemiae, D. celeris, D. hispaniae and D. hungariae were found associated with affected vines. Pathogenicity tests revealed D. baccae, D. celeris, D. hispaniae and D. hungariae as pathogens of grapevines. No symptoms were caused by D. bohemiae. This study represents the first report of D. ambigua and D. baccae on grapevines in Europe. The present study improves our understanding of the species associated with several disease symptoms on V. vinifera plants, and provides useful information for effective disease management.This research was supported by the European COST Action FA1303 on Sustainable control of grapevine trunk diseases (ManaGTD). Surveys and fungal collection performed in Hungary were supported by Szechenyi 2020 programme, the European Regional Development Fund, the Hungarian Government (GINOP-2.3.2-15-2016-00061) and EU H2020 project no. 652601.Guarmaccia, V.; Groenewald, JZ.; Woodhall, J.; Armengol Fortí, J.; Cinelli, T.; Eichmeier, A.; Ezra, D.... (2018). Diaporthe diversity and pathogenicity revealed from a broad survey of grapevine diseases in Europe. Persoonia - Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi. 40:135-153. https://doi.org/10.3767/persoonia.2018.40.06S1351534