A revision of Cyanonectria and Geejayessia gen. nov., and related species with Fusarium-like anamorphs

A revision of Fusarium-like species associated with the plant genus Buxus led to a reconsideration of generic concepts in the Fusarium clade of the Nectriaceae. Phylogenetic analyses of the partial second largest subunit of the RNA polymerase II (rpb2) and the larger subunit of the ATP citrate lyase (acl1) gene exons confirm the existence of a clade, here called the terminal Fusarium clade, that includes genera such as Fusarium sensu stricto (including its Gibberella teleomorphs), Albonectria, Cyanonectria, “Haematonectria”, the newly described genus Geejayessia, and “Nectria” albida. Geejayessia accommodates five species. Four were previously classified in Nectria sensu lato, namely the black perithecial, KOH–species G. atrofusca and the orange or reddish, KOH+ G. cicatricum, G. desmazieri and G. zealandica. Geejayessia celtidicola is newly described. Following our phylogenetic analyses showing its close relationship with Cyanonectria cyanostoma, the former Gibbera buxi is recombined as the second species of Cyanonectria. A three gene phylogenetic analysis of multiple strains of each morphological species using translation elongation factor 1 α (tef-1), rpb2 and acl1 gene exons and introns confirms their status as distinct phylogenetic species. Internal transcribed spacer of the ribosomal RNA gene cluster and nuclear large ribosomal subunit sequences were generated as additional DNA barcodes for selected strains. The connection of Fusarium buxicola, often erroneously reported as the anamorph of G. desmazieri, with the bluish black and KOH+ perithecial species C. buxi is reinstated. Most Cyanonectria and Geejayessia species exhibit restricted host ranges on branches or twigs of Buxus species, Celtis occidentalis, or Staphylea trifolia. Their perithecia form caespitose clusters on well-developed, mostly erumpent stromata on the bark or outer cortex of the host and are relatively thin-walled, mostly smooth, and therefore reminiscent of the more or less astromatous, singly occurring perithecia of Cosmospora, Dialonectria, and Microcera. The cell walls in outer- and inner layers of the perithecial walls of Cyanonectria and Geejayessia have inconspicuous pore-like structures, as do representative species of Albonectria, Fusarium sensu stricto, “Haematonectria”, and “Nectria” albida. The taxonomic significance of these structures, which we call Samuels' pores, is discussed

Construction status and prospects of the Hyper-Kamiokande project

The Hyper-Kamiokande project is a 258-kton Water Cherenkov together with a 1.3-MW high-intensity neutrino beam from the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). The inner detector with 186-kton fiducial volume is viewed by 20-inch photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) and multi-PMT modules, and thereby provides state-of-the-art of Cherenkov ring reconstruction with thresholds in the range of few MeVs. The project is expected to lead to precision neutrino oscillation studies, especially neutrino CP violation, nucleon decay searches, and low energy neutrino astronomy. In 2020, the project was officially approved and construction of the far detector was started at Kamioka. In 2021, the excavation of the access tunnel and initial mass production of the newly developed 20-inch PMTs was also started. In this paper, we present a basic overview of the project and the latest updates on the construction status of the project, which is expected to commence operation in 2027

Prospects for neutrino astrophysics with Hyper-Kamiokande

Hyper-Kamiokande is a multi-purpose next generation neutrino experiment. The detector is a two-layered cylindrical shape ultra-pure water tank, with its height of 64 m and diameter of 71 m. The inner detector will be surrounded by tens of thousands of twenty-inch photosensors and multi-PMT modules to detect water Cherenkov radiation due to the charged particles and provide our fiducial volume of 188 kt. This detection technique is established by Kamiokande and Super-Kamiokande. As the successor of these experiments, Hyper-K will be located deep underground, 600 m below Mt. Tochibora at Kamioka in Japan to reduce cosmic-ray backgrounds. Besides our physics program with accelerator neutrino, atmospheric neutrino and proton decay, neutrino astrophysics is an important research topic for Hyper-K. With its fruitful physics research programs, Hyper-K will play a critical role in the next neutrino physics frontier. It will also provide important information via astrophysical neutrino measurements, i.e., solar neutrino, supernova burst neutrinos and supernova relic neutrino. Here, we will discuss the physics potential of Hyper-K neutrino astrophysics

A participatory adoption of improved crop technologies in the savannas of West Africa: empirical study from Borno, Nigeria

A Participatory Impact assessment (PASS) was undertaken to evaluate the adoption of improved crop technologies by farmers in the savannas of Borno State, Nigeria. A total of 476 people including 288 men and 188 women participated in PASS. These included representatives of 97 farmer groups/CBOs, out of a total of 287 such groups with which IITA is presently working. PASS measured adoption in three ways, firstly through discussion with participating groups, secondly with a number of key individual farmers and lastly, through transect walks through arable areas. The results revealed that improved maize and soybean varieties had the highest adoption rates, with maize (83%) and soybean (68%). Women farmers had adopted at higher rates than men. Farmers adopting the new technologies indicated they achieved yield increases ranging from 20-100% and benefits included: - improved food security (84%), increased sale of crops (69%), increased livestock sales (18%), increased incomes (62%), improved household nutrition largely from soybeans (71%), improved health (61%), increased expenditure on education (45%) and housing (29%). The policy implication is that government should play a greater role at improving rural infrastructures, reducing the cost of doing business and strengthening regulatory mechanisms

Detection of Far-Infrared and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emission from the Cosmic Eye: Probing the Dust and Star Formation of Lyman Break Galaxies

We report the results of a Spitzer infrared (IR) study of the Cosmic Eye, a strongly lensed, L*UV Lyman break galaxy (LBG) at z = 3.074. We obtained Spitzer mid-IR spectroscopy as well as MIPS 24 and 70 μm photometry. The Eye is detected with high significance at both 24 and 70 μm and, when including a flux limit at 3.5 mm, we estimate an IR luminosity of L IR = 8.3+4.7 –4.4 × 1011 L ☉ assuming a magnification of 28± 3. This L IR is eight times lower than that predicted from the rest-frame ultraviolet properties assuming a Calzetti reddening law. This has also been observed in other young LBGs, and indicates that the dust reddening law may be steeper in these galaxies. The mid-IR spectrum shows strong polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission at 6.2 and 7.7 μm, with equivalent widths near the maximum values observed in star-forming galaxies at any redshift. The L PAH-to-L IR ratio lies close to the relation measured in local starbursts. Therefore, L PAH or L MIR may be used to estimate L IR, and thus star formation rate, of LBGs, whose fluxes at longer wavelengths are typically below current confusion limits. We also report the highest redshift detection of the 3.3 μm PAH emission feature. The PAH ratio, L 6.2/L 3.3 = 5.1 ± 2.7, and the PAH-to-LIR ratio, L 3.3/L IR = 8.5 ± 4.7 × 10–4, are both in agreement with measurements in local starbursts and ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs), suggesting that this line may serve as a good proxy for L PAH or L IR at z > 3 with the James Webb Space Telescope