Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris and sativa; so far, so close: a 20 SSR based comparison of the two taxa

In Vitis vinifera L., the hypothesis of secondary domestication center, located along the wild progenitor distribution areas, is suggestive and credible even if up to now close parentage relationships between domestic (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sativa (DC.) Hegi) and wild (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (Gmel.) Hegi) grapevines have not been detected, possibly due to century long separation of the two subspecies. The aim of this work was to verify the possibility of tracing a flow between the two compartments basing on molecular data and thanks to the availability of a huge dataset comprising 645 wild and more than 1400 cultivated samples. Twenty SSR loci were used to describe and genotype both sylvestris and sativa compartments. The sylvestris samples were all collected in the frame of a three year census in Italy and are representative of the Italian distribution range from north to south. The cultivated sativa accessions mainly (1231 samples) belong to the Vassal (INRA-Montpellier) collection, while the remaining (200) were selected in the frame of the Italian grapevine germplasm. Results highlighted a high level of genetic diversity for both wild and cultivated groups. STRUCTURE analysis clearly evidenced the separation of the two compartments and no first or second degree relationships were evidenced between the two subspecies

Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris and sativa; so far, so close: a 20 SSR based comparison of the two taxa

In Vitis vinifera L., the hypothesis of secondary domestication center, located along the wild progenitor distribution areas, is suggestive and credible even if up to now close parentage relationships between domestic (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sativa (DC.) Hegi) and wild (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (Gmel.) Hegi) grapevines have not been detected, possibly due to century long separation of the two subspecies. The aim of this work was to verify the possibility of tracing a flow between the two compartments basing on molecular data and thanks to the availability of a huge dataset comprising 645 wild and more than 1400 cultivated samples. Twenty SSR loci were used to describe and genotype both sylvestris and sativa compartments. The sylvestris samples were all collected in the frame of a three year census in Italy and are representative of the Italian distribution range from north to south. The cultivated sativa accessions mainly (1231 samples) belong to the Vassal (INRA-Montpellier) collection, while the remaining (200) were selected in the frame of the Italian grapevine germplasm. Results highlighted a high level of genetic diversity for both wild and cultivated groups. STRUCTURE analysis clearly evidenced the separation of the two compartments and no first or second degree relationships were evidenced between the two subspecies

Considerations on the European wild grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi) and Phylloxera infestation

Research Note 

Molecular investigation of Caucasian and Eastern European grapevine cultivars (V. vinifera L.) by microsatellites

Grapevine (V. vinifera L.) is one of the most widely cultivated species of agricultural interest. The domestication of wild grapes starting in the Neolithic Age, took place in the Near East area. The aim of this study was the genotyping of germplasm coming from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova by SSR markers in order to investigate the genetic relationships among samples along the East-to-West dissemination route of grapevine after the domestication. Based on the descriptive statistics Azerbaijani samples appeared having the highest genetic diversity. PCoA and STRUCTURE analysis revealed three groups: i) Central European group; ii) a group reuniting cultivars coming from Armenia, Georgia and Moldova; iii) the group of Azerbaijani cultivars (94%). The analysis of genetic relationships in our dataset provided evidence of connection among cultivars included in the proles pontica and proles orientalis and geographical origin and human uses as well

A generator of peroxynitrite activatable with red light

The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) as “unconventional” therapeutics with precise spatiotemporal control by using light stimuli may open entirely new horizons for innovative therapeutic modalities. Among ROS and RNS, peroxynitrite (ONOO(−)) plays a dominant role in chemistry and biology in view of its potent oxidizing power and cytotoxic action. We have designed and synthesized a molecular hybrid based on benzophenothiazine as a red light-harvesting antenna joined to an N-nitroso appendage through a flexible spacer. Single photon red light excitation of this molecular construct triggers the release of nitric oxide (˙NO) and simultaneously produces superoxide anions (O(2)˙(−)). The diffusion-controlled reaction between these two radical species generates ONOO(−), as confirmed by the use of fluorescein-boronate as a highly selective chemical probe. Besides, the red fluorescence of the hybrid allows its tracking in different types of cancer cells where it is well-tolerated in the dark but induces remarkable cell mortality under irradiation with red light in a very low concentration range, with very low light doses (ca. 1 J cm(−2)). This ONOO(−) generator activatable by highly biocompatible and tissue penetrating single photon red light can open up intriguing prospects in biomedical research, where precise and spatiotemporally controlled concentrations of ONOO(−) are required

Wild Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi) in Italy: Distribution and Preliminary Genetic Analysis

Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sylvestris grows principally in well preserved natural habitats. Its survival is threatened mainly by human land use practices. In spite of its importance as a progenitor of cultivated forms, very little research has been devoted to the study of its distribution and genetic structure. During the period 2007-2009 a census was carried out in 9 of the 20 Italian regions with major intensification in 4 of them. Eight hundred and twenty plants corresponding to 165 sites were found. Over 50% of these were localized in two regions only. After collection of the wooden material for greenhouse propagation and after rooting of the cuttings, samples were taken to perform genetic analysis using 10 nuclear SSR markers. Some genetic parameters (Ne, Ho, He, Fis, Fst and I) were calculated on the allelic size, grouping plants once for locus and once for region of origin. The results showed Italian wild grapevine expressed altogether high biodiversity and low rate of isolation. In particular plants from Sicilia, in spite of their low number, stood out for their high heterozigosity and low inbreeding and isolation level. This particularity brought the same plants to have the high genetic distance in the NJ phylogenetic tree. PCA analysis separated in 2 well-defined groups along the first component without correspondence with geographical grouping. AMOVA analysis confirmed that the highest variance was placed within populations (only 5% of the overall variance was placed among populations). SSR marker analysis is still in progress to verify the existence of introgression among wild and cultivated compartments and to comprehend the extent of factors driving the genetic structure and the possible pattern of dissemination of wild grapevine in Italy

Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy for predicting the phospholipid fraction and the total fatty acid composition of freeze-dried beef

Research on fatty acids (FA) is important because their intake is related to human health. NIRS can be a useful tool to estimate the FA of beef but due to the high moisture and the high absorbance of water makes it difficult to calibrate the analyses. This work evaluated near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy as a tool to assess the total fatty acid composition and the phospholipid fraction of fatty acids of beef using freeze-dried meat. An average of 22 unrelated pure breed young bulls from 15 European breeds were reared on a common concentrate-based diet. A total of 332 longissimus thoracis steaks were analysed for fatty acid composition and a freeze-dried sample was subjected to near-infrared spectral analysis. 220 samples (67%) were used as a calibration set with the remaining 110 (33%) being used for validation of the models obtained. There was a large variation in the total FA concentration across the animals giving a good data set for the analysis and whilst the coefficient of variation was nearly 68% for the monounsaturated FA it was only 27% for the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). PLS method was used to develop the prediction models. The models for the phospholipid fraction had a low R2 p and high standard error, while models for neutral lipid had the best performance, in general. It was not possible to obtain a good prediction of many individual PUFA concentrations being present at low concentrations and less variable than other FA. The best models were developed for Total FA, saturated FA, 9c18:1 and 16:1 with R2 p greater than 0.76. This study indicates that NIRS is a feasible and useful tool for screening purposes and it has the potential to predict most of the FA of freeze-dried beef. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

The Variation of Mechanical Properties of M300 Maraging Steel Manufactured with Varying Process Parameters in Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Laser power bed fusion (L-PBF) is a type of additive manufacturing (AM) that uses layers of powdered metal and a laser to manufacture a part in a layer-by-layer fashion. L-PBF uses a variety of process parameters that ultimately determine the overall quality and mechanical properties of a print. The ability to alter parameters allows for the utilization of various metals in this form of AM. Maraging 300 steel (M300) is a material of particular interest due to its combined tensile strength and high strength-to-weight ratio. By using an assortment of parameters and comparing the resulting mechanical properties it can be determined which process parameters result in a more favorable part to be used in a variety of applications. A favorable process parameter set was selected for future use. This study aims to determine which process parameters result in the best overall mechanical properties of M300 manufactured using L-PBF.Mechanical Engineerin

Rayleigh Imaging of Graphene and Graphene Layers

We investigate graphene and graphene layers on different substrates by monochromatic and white-light confocal Rayleigh scattering microscopy. The image contrast depends sensitively on the dielectric properties of the sample as well as the substrate geometry and can be described quantitatively using the complex refractive index of bulk graphite. For few layers (<6) the monochromatic contrast increases linearly with thickness: the samples behave as a superposition of single sheets which act as independent two dimensional electron gases. Thus, Rayleigh imaging is a general, simple and quick tool to identify graphene layers, that is readily combined with Raman scattering, which provides structural identification.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figure

Left gaze bias in humans, rhesus monkeys and domestic dogs

While viewing faces, human adults often demonstrate a natural gaze bias towards the left visual field, that is, the right side of the viewee’s face is often inspected first and for longer periods. Using a preferential looking paradigm, we demonstrate that this bias is neither uniquely human nor limited to primates, and provide evidence to help elucidate its biological function within a broader social cognitive framework. We observed that 6-month-old infants showed a wider tendency for left gaze preference towards objects and faces of different species and orientation, while in adults the bias appears only towards upright human faces. Rhesus monkeys showed a left gaze bias towards upright human and monkey faces, but not towards inverted faces. Domestic dogs, however, only demonstrated a left gaze bias towards human faces, but not towards monkey or dog faces, nor to inanimate object images. Our findings suggest that face- and species-sensitive gaze asymmetry is more widespread in the animal kingdom than previously recognised, is not constrained by attentional or scanning bias, and could be shaped by experience to develop adaptive behavioural significance