The Epigraphia Carnatica Digitization Project

Epigraphia Carnatica – the major oeuvre of L B Rice – established for itself a name in among historians of the region that comes surpassing most if not all other enterprises of comparable design. It is truly extraordinary both in volume as it is in the scope of detailed and systematically furnished information. That makes this corpus not only an invaluable source of historical and other data but also a material for the study of important concepts of knowledge organisation

Enhancement of adventitious root differentiation and growth of in vitro grapevine shoots inoculated with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria

The effect of Burkholderia spp. strain IF25 on adventitious rooting was evaluated in micropropagated grapevine explants. Data on rooting time, stem length, number of stem nodes, basal callus development, number of roots and root length per rooted microcutting were detected at 6, 8, 10, 13, 19, 26 and 30 days after bacterial inoculation. Results suggest that bacterization of in vitro grapevine explants by strain IF25 affected root differentiation, as the earliest rooting occurred in inoculated shoots, whether or not exogenous IBA had been applied, and increased the average number of roots per explant

Accurate and rapid technique for leaf area measurment in medlar (Mespilus germanica L.)

A model to estimate medlar (Mespilus germanica) leaf area across genotypes was obtained by means of linear measurements in 2005-06

Aromatic Characterisation of Malvasia Odorosissima Grapevines and Comparison with Malvasia di Candia Aromatica

Malvasia odorosissima is an aromatic grapevine (Vitis vinifera L., 1753) variety that is often confused with Malvasia di Candia aromatica (Vitis vinifera L., 1753), despite the genetic information now available on the pedigree and genetic relationships linking the two varieties. In an effort to offer a contribution to fill this gap, also from an aromatic point of view, free and glycosylated aroma compounds were determined using the SPE extraction method, followed by GC-MS analysis in two consecutive vintages. The results have for the first time provided the aromatic characterisation of Malvasia odorosissima. Geraniol and its derivatives were the most abundant set of volatiles. In contrast to Malvasia di Candia aromatica and the other aromatic varieties, Malvasia odorosissima showed a very small amount of glycosylated volatiles, thus expressing its aromatic potential almost completely. The abundance of free terpenoids in the aromatic profile of Malvasia odorosissima, even higher than in Malvasia di Candia aromatica, is a main feature for the oenological exploitation of this variety, which is on the brink of extinction. In addition, the presence of rose oxides, found solely in Malvasia odorosissima, renders its aromatic profile more similar to that of White Muscat. This result is consistent with the parent-offspring relationship linking the two varieties that was recently ascertained

Parentage Atlas of Italian Grapevine Varieties as Inferred From SNP Genotyping

The Italian grape germplasm is characterized by a high level of richness in terms of varieties number, with nearly 600 wine grape varieties listed in the Italian National Register of Grapevine Varieties and with a plethora of autochthonous grapes. In the present study an extended SNP genotyping has been carried out on Italian germplasm of cultivated Vitis vinifera subsp. sativa and Vitis hybrids. Several hundred Italian varieties maintained in the repositories of scientific Institutions and about one thousand additional varieties derived from previous studies on European, Southern Italy, Magna Graecia and Georgian germplasm were considered. The large genotyping data obtained were used to check the presence of homonyms and synonyms, determine parental relationships, and identify the main ancestors of traditional Italian cultivars and closely-related accessions. The parentage among a set of 1,232 unique varieties has been assessed. A total of 92 new parent-offspring (PO) pairs and 14 new PO trios were identified. The resulted parentage network suggested that the traditional Italian grapevine germplasm originates largely from a few central varieties geographically distributed into several areas of genetic influence: “Strinto porcino” and its offspring “Sangiovese”, “Mantonico bianco” and “Aglianico” mainly as founder varieties of South-Western Italy (IT-SW); Italian Adriatic Coast (IT-AC); and Central Italy with most varieties being offsprings of “Visparola”, “Garganega” and “Bombino bianco”; “Termarina (Sciaccarello)” “Orsolina” and “Uva Tosca” as the main varieties of North-Western Italy (IT-NW) and Central Italy. The pedigree reconstruction by full-sib and second-degree relationships highlighted the key role of some cultivars, and, in particular, the centrality of “Visparola” in the origin of Italian germplasm appeared clear. An hypothetical migration of this variety within the Italian Peninsula from South to North along the eastern side, as well as of “Sangiovese” from South to Central Italy along the Western side might be supposed. Moreover, it was also highlighted that, among the main founders of muscat varieties, “Moscato bianco” and “Zibibbo (Muscat of Alexandria)” have spread over the whole Italy, with a high contribution by the former to germplasm of the North-Western of the peninsula

Changes in kernel chemical composition during nut development of three Italian hazelnut cultivars

This research focused on the variation of the kernel and pellicle (seed coat) constituents during nut growth, from early development to maturity.Material and methods. Nuts of three hazelnut cultivars widely grown in Italy: \u2018Tonda Gentile Romana\u2019, \u2018Tonda di Giffoni\u2019 and \u2018Nocchione\u2019. were randomly sampled weekly, from the same trees, starting from the first week of July 2007 (day of the year: DOY = 186) until the beginning of September (DOY = 249), at harvest time. Oil content increased continuously during the development of the kernel, from 30\u201335 g 100 g 121 dry weight (DW) at the beginning of July, to 61\u201368 g 100 g 121 DW in the first week of September. Total monounsaturated fatty acids were the main group of fatty acids in the oil and oleic acid was the most predominant one, showing slight variations depending on the cultivar and kernel growth stage. Nitrogen content in the kernel decreased continuously during development, from 4.2 g 100 g 121 DW to 2.9 g 100 g 121 DW on average among the cultivars. Soluble sugars, mainly sucrose, showed a wide fluctuation until late July, and the content observed in the mature seed was about 5 g 100 g 121 DW in all cultivars. The organic acids, mainly represented by malic acid, showed a large decrease during the early stages (July), and reached on average a content of about 0.3\u20130.4 g 100 g 121 DW at the mature stage. Starch content for all cultivars was highest at the first sampling date, then decreased rapidly, coinciding with the initial kernel expansion stage. Starch levels then increased to a second peak in early August, then rapidly decreased again, followed by a gradual decline up to the time of nut ripening. The total phenol content was mainly concentrated in the pellicle and showed wide variation during the nut development both in the kernel and pellicle. The complexity of these dynamics can explain the different kernel taste in immature and mature states, and highlights the possibilities of optimizing the orchard management and harvesting time

Integrated Bayesian Approaches Shed Light on the Dissemination Routes of the Eurasian Grapevine Germplasm

The domestication and spreading of grapevine as well as the gene flow history had been described in many studies. We used a high-quality 7k SNP dataset of 1,038 Eurasian grape varieties with unique profiles to assess the population genetic diversity, structure, and relatedness, and to infer the most likely migration events. Comparisons of putative scenarios of gene flow throughout Europe from Caucasus helped to fit the more reliable migration routes around the Mediterranean Basin. Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) approach made possible to provide a response to several questions so far remaining unsolved. Firstly, the assessment of genetic diversity and population structure within a well-covered dataset of ancient Italian varieties suggested the different histories between the Northern and Southern Italian grapevines. Moreover, Italian genotypes were shown to be distinguishable from all the other Eurasian populations for the first time. The entire Eurasian panel confirmed the east-to-west gene flow, highlighting the Greek role as a “bridge” between the Western and Eastern Eurasia. Portuguese germplasm showed a greater proximity to French varieties than the Spanish ones, thus being the main route for gene flow from Iberian Peninsula to Central Europe. Our findings reconciled genetic and archaeological data for one of the most cultivated and fascinating crops in the world

Intra-varietal variability of Romanesco variety (Vitis vinifera L.)

Most historical sources that describe the presence of Romanesco variety in vine-growing areas of Lazio Region (Italy) highlighted the variability of morphological traits within the variety. This partly justifies the presence of different synonyms, true or presumed, reported by many authors for this grape variety. With the aim of analysing this variability, eight accessions related to the variety, collected in Lazio Region and grown in the DAFNE grape germplasm collection, have been characterized over five productive seasons. The ampelographic description was carried out using 50 OIV morphological descriptors and ampelometric analyses were carried out on mature leaves by SuperAmpelo software. The DNA of the different accessions, extracted from young leaves, was analyzed using 14 microsatellite loci. Furthermore, at harvest, the grapes of each accession were sampled to assess main compositive characteristics. Results showed differences among accessions on some ampelographic descriptors of the mature leaf, of the bunch, and on phenological stages. Microsatellite profiles allowed for classification of the accessions into three distinct groups. Qualitative analysis of the berry skin showed differences among accessions in the content of the main classes of phenolic compounds

Association between respiratory distress time and invasive mechanical ventilation in COVID-19 patients: a multicentre regional cohort study.

Aim: to determine whether the duration of respiratory distress symptoms in severe COVID-19 pneumonia affects the need for invasive mechanical ventilation and clinical outcomes. Materials and methods: an observational multicentre cohort study of patients hospitalised in five COVID-19–designated ICUs of the University Hospitals of Emilia-Romagna Region. Patients included were adults with pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 with PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio <300 mmHg, respiratory distress symptoms, and need for mechanical ventilation (invasive or non-invasive). Exclusion criteria were an uncertain time of respiratory distress, end-of-life decision, and mechanical respiratory support before hospital admission. Measurements and main results: we analysed 171 patients stratified into tertiles according to respiratory distress duration (distress time, DT) before application of mechanical ventilation support. The rate of patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation was significantly different (p<0.001) among the tertiles: 17/57 patients in the shortest duration, 29/57 in the intermediate duration, and 40/57 in the longest duration. The respiratory distress time significantly increased the risk of invasive ventilation in the univariate analysis (OR 5.5 [CI 2.48–12.35], p = 0.003). Multivariable regression analysis confirmed this association (OR 10.7 [CI 2.89–39.41], p <0.001). Clinical outcomes (mortality and hospital stay) did not show significant differences between DT tertiles. Discussion: albeit preliminary and retrospective, our data raised the hypothesis that the duration of respiratory distress symptoms may play a role in COVID-19 patients’ need for invasive mechanical ventilation. Furthermore, our observations suggested that specific strategies may be directed towards identifying and managing early symptoms of respiratory distress, regardless of the levels of hypoxemia and the severity of the dyspnoea itself

Leaf Area Estimation Model for Small Fruits from Linear Measurements

Accurate and nondestructive methods to determine individual leaf areas of plants are a useful tool in physiological and agronomic research. Determining the individual leaf area (LA) of small fruit like raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.), redcurrant (Ribes rubrum L.), blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L.), gooseberry (Ribes grossularia L.), and highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) involves measurements of leaf parameters such as length (L) and width (W) or some combinations of these parameters. A 2-year investigation was carried out during 2006 (on seven raspberry, seven redcurrant, six blackberry, five gooseberry, and two highbush blueberry cultivars) and 2007 (on one cultivar per species) under open field conditions to test whether a model could be developed to estimate LA of small fruits across cultivars. Regression analysis of LA versus L and W revealed several models that could be used for estimating the area of individual small fruit leaves. A linear model having LW as the independent variable provided the most accurate estimate (highest R 2, smallest mean square error, and the smallest predicted residual error sum of squares) of LA in all small fruit berries. Validation of the model having LW of leaves measured in the 2007 experiment coming from other cultivars of small fruit berries showed that the correlation between calculated and measured small fruit berries LAs was very high. Therefore, these models can estimate accurately and in large quantities the LA of small fruit plants in many experimental comparisons without the use of any expensive instruments