Germination data of four Mediterranean species of coastal sand dunes

The present work gathers new germination assays of four Mediterranean species of coastal sand dunes. The studied species are: Anthemis maritima L. subsp. maritima, Crucianella maritima L., Eryngium maritimum L. and Thinopyrum junceum (L.) Á.Löve. Seeds were collected at the time of natural seed dispersal in two sites in the South of Sardinia. The germination tests were carried out at the Sardinian Germplasm Bank (BG-SAR). Our results show a high germination capability and germination rate for the tested plant species

Seed germination report for Limonium merxmuelleri subsp. merxmuelleri (Plumbaginaceae)

The present report illustrates the first germination data of Limonium merxmuelleri subsp. merxmuelleri, a pioneer species of mine waste materials of Iglesiente region (South-West Sardinia). After harvesting, seeds were subjected to germination tests at the Sardinian Germplasm Bank (BG-SAR). The results show a high germination capability and germination rate at each tested temperature, with a slight germination reduction at the highest temperature (25°C) that simulates the aridity of the summer period

Seed storage proteins of wild wheat progenitors and their relationships with technological properties

~A large collection of wild wheat progenitors, consisting of diploid (Triticum boeoticum Boiss. and Triticum urarlu Turn.) and tetraploid wheats (Triticum dicoccoides Korn.) was evaluated for certain grain quality parameters such as protein content and the SDS-Sedimentation test. The variation in protein content was larger in T. dicoccoides, ranging from 16 to 27 %, compared to diploid wheat (20-28 %). Some accessions appeared to be very promising for gluten properties, as measured by the SDS-test, when compared with some durum wheat cultivars. To determine the relationships between particular protein components and gluten properties, diploid, tetraploid wheats, and synthetic amphiploids (AABB x DD) were analysed by different electrophoretic procedures. Attention was focused on the study of the allelic variation at loci that in cultivated wheats play the major role in determining gluten quality (Glu-I, Gli-I and GIu-3). The range of allelic variation at the loci examined is remarkable, and genetic variants unique to wild wheats and positively related to gluten quality are reported

MIKC type genes of the MADS-box family in wheat: molecular and phylogenetic analysis

Este artigo pretende verificar como o discurso das revistas femininas vincula a identidade da mulher portuguesa à beleza física e sensual, projeta uma imagem irreal do ideal de vida feminino e mitifica o papel da sexualidade. O corpus selecionado para esta pesquisa, constitui-se por edições da revista Activa e Happy Woman (Happy Woman), sendo o recorte temporal escolhido de Janeiro a Dezembro de 2012. Os magazines escolhidos constituem atualmente as revista femininas mais lida em Portugal, segundo dados recolhidos pelo estudo Bareme Imprensa do grupo Marktest.This article analyses how the speech of woman magazines relate the identity of the Portuguese women to physical and sexual beauty, project an illusory ideal of feminine life and builds up the myth of sexuality. The corpus selected for this research consists in editions from the magazine Activa and Happy Woman (Happy Woman), published between January and December 2012. The selected magazines are the most read female magazines in Portugal, according to the study Bareme Imprensa from Marktest

Using Mediterranean Native Plants for the Phytoremediation of Mining Sites: An Overview of the Past and Present, and Perspectives for the Future

Mining exploitation in the Mediterranean Basin has left evident scars on the environment, and poses serious risks for human health and biodiversity, especially when mine wastes are left abandoned. This review analysed the main issues of metal(loid)s pollution related to mine exploitation in the Mediterranean Basin. Here, a list of Mediterranean native plant species studied for phytoremediation is given and, considering their biological forms, vegetational types, and ecology, we categorised them into halotolerant and hydro/hygrophilous vegetation, annual and perennial meadows, garrigues and maquis, and high maquis and woods. The main conclusions of the review are as follows: (1) plant communities established on mine environments are often rich in endemic taxa which ensure a high biodiversity and landscape value, and can help in the psychophysical health of local inhabitants; (2) political and land management should take greater account of the use of native plants for the remediation of contaminated soils; (3) a multidisciplinary approach that includes, among others, studies on biochemical response to metal(loid)s as well as the application of innovative soil amendments gives better results; (4) phytoextraction applications require a detailed recovery plan that takes into consideration several issues, including the negative influence on biodiversity due to extensive use of monotypic plantations, disposal of harvested hazardous plants, and the risk of phytoextracts entering the food chain; and (5) more studies are necessary to increase knowledge and to detect suitable species—especially halophytic ones—for phytoremediation purposes

Exploring the genetic diversity of Ethiopian grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) using EST-SSR markers

Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in public databases and cross-species transferable markers are considered to be a cost-effective means for developing sequence-based markers for less-studied species. In this study, EST-simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers developed from Lathyrus sativus L. EST sequences and cross-transferable EST-SSRs derived from Medicago truncatula L. were utilized to investigate the genetic diversity among grass pea populations from Ethiopia. A total of 45 alleles were detected using eleven EST-SSRs with an average of four alleles per locus. The average polymorphism information content for all primers was 0.416. The average gene diversity was 0.477, ranging from 0.205 for marker Ls942 to 0.804 for MtBA32F05. F(ST) values estimated by analysis of molecular variance were 0.01, 0.15, and 0.84 for among regions, among accessions and within accessions respectively, indicating that most of the variation (84%) resides within accessions. Model-based cluster analysis grouped the accessions into three clusters, grouping accessions irrespective of their collection regions. Among the regions, high levels of diversity were observed in Gojam, Gonder, Shewa and Welo regions, with Gonder region showing a higher number of different alleles. From breeding and conservation aspects, conducting a close study on a specific population would be advisable for genetic improvement in the crop, and it would be appropriate if future collection and conservation plans give due attention to under-represented regions. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11032-011-9662-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Characterization of upper limb use in health care workers during regular shifts: A quantitative approach based on wrist-worn accelerometers

Despite the high prevalence of upper limb (UL) work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) among health care workers (HCWs), little is known about their relationship with exposure to biomechanical risk factors. This study aimed to assess UL activity features under actual working conditions using two wrist-worn accelerometers. Accelerometric data were processed to obtain duration, intensity, and asymmetry of UL use in 32 HCWs during the execution of commonly performed tasks (e.g., patient hygiene, transfer, and meal distribution) within a regular shift. The results show that such tasks are characterized by significantly different patterns of UL use, in particular, higher intensities and larger asymmetries were observed respectively for patient hygiene and meal distribution. The proposed approach appears, thus, suitable to discriminate tasks characterized by different UL motion patterns. Future studies could benefit from the integration of such measures with self-reported workers’ perception to elucidate the relationship between dynamic UL movements and WRMSD