Is the MENA banking sector competitive?

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the competitive conditions and revenue drivers of commercial banks in the MENA region in the context of Panzar–Rosse model. It is the first study of its kind that examines a large sample of MENA banks for an extensive period (1999–2012) during an era of political and economic unrest and transformation that includes the the global financial crisis (2007–2009). Panel data analysis using fixed effects was employed in order to examine whether the competitive conditions in MENA banks is explained by monopoly, monopolistic competition or perfect competition. Findings show that MENA banks operate under monopolistic competition, and bank-specific variables show a positive impact on revenue. These findings indicate that policymakers should relax capital adequacy requirements to guarantee the stability of the financial system. They also raise a concern that commercial banks in the MENA economies tend to concentrate on traditional lending activities, where their competitive position may be eroded in the long run by the decreasing state role of Islamic banks and by mergers that are not empirically justified for MENA banks during this period

A theoretical analysis of contemporary vessel navigational systems: assessing the future role of the human element for unmanned vessels

This article aims to investigate the contemporary challenges of electronic navigation and assess the appropriate amendments should autonomous vessel technology becomes widespread in the near future. Vessel control systems and maritime communication are essential and sending and receiving alarm signals is critical to contemporary ship navigation. Numerous location and shipping information systems, such as GPS, Loran-C, and Decca, have arisen in recent decades to improve navigational safety. Other systems, including VHF and Inmarsat, have been developed to enhance the efficiency of maritime communication on board and to transmit risk and safety-related data. Additionally, safe navigation requires systems like Navtex, EGS, DSC, Epirb, and others [1]

A global meta-analysis of ITS rDNA sequences from material belonging to the genus Ganoderma (Basidiomycota, Polyporales) including new data from selected taxa

Ganoderma P. Karst. is a cosmopolitan genus of white-rot fungi which comprises species with highlyprized pharmaceutical properties, valuable biotechnological applications and of significant phytopathological interest. However, the status of the taxonomy within the genus is still highly controversial and ambiguous despite the progress made through molecular approaches. A metadata analysis of 3908 nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequences obtained from GenBank/ENA/DDBJ and UNITE was performed by targeting sequences annotated as Ganoderma, but also sequences from environmental samples and from material examined for the first time. Ganoderma taxa segregated into five main lineages (Clades A to E). Clade A corresponds to the core of laccate species and includes G. shanxiense and three major well-supported clusters: Cluster A.1 ('G. lucidum sensu lato') consists of taxa from Eurasia and North America, Cluster A.2 of material with worldwide occurrence including G. resinaceum and Cluster A.3 is composed of species originating from all continents except Europe and comprises G. lingzhi. Clade B includes G. applanatum and allied species with a Holarctic distribution. Clade C comprises taxa from Asia and Africa only. Clade D consists of laccate taxa with tropical/subtropical occurrence, while clade E harbours the highest number of non-laccate species with a cosmopolitan distribution. The 92 Ganodermaassociated names, initially used for sequences labelling, correspond to at least 80 taxa. Amongst them, 21 constitute putatively new phylospecies after our application of criteria relevant to the robustness/support of the terminal clades, intra- and interspecific genetic divergence and available biogeographic data. Moreover, several other groups or individual sequences seem to represent distinct taxonomic entities and merit further investigation. A particularly large number of the public sequences was revealed to be insufficiently and/or incorrectly identified, for example, 87% and 78% of entries labelled as G. australe and G. lucidum, respectively. In general, ITS demonstrated high efficacy in resolving relationships amongst most of the Ganoderma taxa; however, it was not equally useful at elucidating species barriers across the entire genus and such cases are outlined. Furthermore, we draw conclusions on biogeography by evaluating species occurrence on a global scale in conjunction with phylogenetic structure/patterns. The sequence variability assessed in ITS spacers could be further exploited for diagnostic purposes. © 2020 Pensoft Publishers. All rights reserved

Taxonomic Identity, Geographic Distribution, and Commercial Exploitation of the Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom Pleurotus nebrodensis (Basidiomycetes)

An updated overview of the outcome of studies conducted on the culinary-medicinal mushroom Pleurotus nebrodensis is presented by placing emphasis on the clarification of the taxonomic identity of P. nebrodensis and other related taxa possessing entirely white to cream basidiomes, which grow in association with different plants of the family Apiaceae. Cultivation techniques, quality of the product sold and sales price, as well as nutritional and medicinal aspects are discussed. Taking also into consideration the high economic importance of P. nebrodensis, it is essential to proceed with the verification of the commercial strains currently available in the international market under the name of \u201cP. nebrodensis\u201d since it is very probable that many (or most) of them do not represent the real P. nebrodensis. To confirm this hypothesis, an in silico analysis was conducted on a large of number of ITS1-5.8SITS2 rRNA sequences deposited in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database under the name P. nebrodensis. Results demonstrated that all \u201cP. nebrodensis\u201d material examined from China (plus several sequences of no reported origin) corresponded to P. eryngii subsp. tuoliensis, with only 2 exceptions, which were grouped within P. eryngii sensu stricto. The real P. nebrodensis biological material from Italy and Greece is certified and is available upon request by the authors at the University of Palermo and the Agricultural University of Athens

Taxonomic notes and critical discussion on the status of Hydnum notarisii (Basidiomycota) through the evaluation of Giuseppe Inzenga's original study material

The current taxonomic status of Hydnum notarisii Inzenga is here critically analyzed on the basis of Giuseppe Inzenga’s original description and of the specimens kept in his private herbarium hosted in the Istituto Agrario Castelnuovo (Palermo, Italy) and in the Herbarium of Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University, Sweden (UPS). The detailed morphological study of the original dried material through the use of compound optical and scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that this particular fungus possesses very similar features with Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers

Taxonomic identity, geographic distribution and commercial exploitation of the culinary-medicinal mushroom Pleurotus nebrodensis

This work provides an updated overview of an investigation carried out in Europe and elsewhere on the culinary-medicinal mushroom Pleurotus nebrodensis. In particular, the taxonomic identitiy of P. nebrodensis and other related oyster mushrooms with entirely white to cream basidiomata that grow on different plants of the family Apiaceae, is clarified. The differences in the cultivation techniques, the quality of product sold and the sales price in Europe and Asia are also highlighted. Taking also into consideration the importance of P. nebrodensis from the medicinal point of view, it appears appropriate to proceed with a verification of the commercial strains currently available in the international market under the name of "P. nebrodensis" since it is very probable that many (or most) of them do not represent the true P. nebrodensis. The original biological material is thoroughly examined/verified and is currently available by the authors at the Universityof Palermo and the Agricultural University of Athens

Taxonomic relationships among non-macrocystidiate taxa of Lactarius subg. Russularia from Europe with special reference to species from Greece

Members of the ectomycorrhizal genus Lactarius form symbiotic relationships with a wide range of plant species. For the purposes of this study, 29 specimens originally assigned to L. atlanticus, L. serifluus and L. subumbonatus were examined by including all pertinent available material from Greece. The detailed study of macroscopic and microscopic characteristics by using compound optical, differential interference contrast (DIC) and scanning electron microscopy in combination with molecular approaches (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA sequencing) permitted a clear separation between L. atlanticus and L. subumbonatus, while their basidiospore shape and height of ornamentation were found to be of diagnostic value. Moreover, the morphological delimitation between the specimens identified as L. serifluus and L. subumbonatus is not clear, and these specimens were intermixed into the same phylogenetic cluster with high support. Thus, the latter name should be considered as a synonym of the former. As concerns other related taxa of L. subg. Russularia, the American L. rubidus and L. subserifluus demonstrated relatively high evolutionary affinity with European collections of L. serifluus/L. subumbonatus and L. atlanticus, respectively. © 2015, German Mycological Society and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Pleurotus opuntiae revisited e An insight to the phylogeny of dimitic Pleurotus species with emphasis on the P. djamor complex

The name Pleurotus opuntiae is indiscriminately used for describing mushrooms with white to off-white to white-grey pilei with short or absent stipe and dimitic hyphal system, which grow on plants of the genera Opuntia, Yucca, Agave, Phytolacca etc. However, the outcome of the present study evidences that this name should be reserved for specimens deriving from the Mediterranean area only; an epitype originating from Italy on Opuntia ficus-indica is designated. Pertinent material was sequenced by using the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and found to be phylogenetically related to P. djamor from Kenya and Nigeria, while members of the P. djamor complex from other continents were clearly more distant. Results were further corroborated by examining the large subunit of nuclear ribosomal DNA (LSU) and the second subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2). The P. djamor complex shows high intraspecific polymorphism evidenced by sequence divergence and genetic distance values, presents a cosmopolitan distribution and also comprises material initially identified as P. flabellatus, P. opuntiae, P. ostreatoroseus, P. parsonsiae and P. salmoneostramineus. An ITS tree including representative specimens from all major Pleurotus species is provided for the first time and ambiguous taxa are discussed in the context of new findings