New records and noteworthy data of plants, algae and fungi in SE Europe and adjacent regions, 12

This paper presents new records and noteworthy data on the following taxa in SE Europe and adjacent regions: red algae Hildenbrandia rivularis, saprotrophic fungus Cryptomarasmius corbariensis, lichenised fungi Lecanora stenotropa, Micarea misella and Sticta sylvatica, liverworts Fossombronia caespitiformis and Peltolepis quadrata, mosses Dicranoweisia cirrata and Fissidens exilis, horsetail Equisetum × moorei, gymnosperm Juniperus virginiana, monocots Galanthus reginae-olgae subsp. vernalis and Spiranthes spiralis and dicots Linaria pelisseriana, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Pilosella rhodopea and Taraxacum erythrospermum are given within SE Europe and adjacent regions

Phylogeographic and taxonomic considerations on Goniolimon tataricum (Plumbaginaceae) and its relatives from south-eastern Europe and the Apennine Peninsula

Goniolimon species are mainly components of the Eurasian steppe or steppe-like rocky vegetation, with some taxa occurring also in south-eastern Europe and northern Africa. We analysed the variability of: (i) two maternally inherited plastid loci (rpl32-trnL and 3 ' rps16-5 ' trnK) in 110 individuals of six currently accepted species from the Balkans and one species from the Apennines, to provide new insights into their origin and evolutionary history; and (ii) quantitative morphological characters (14 independent characters and one ratio character) in 641 individuals of three species of which two are morphologically and ecologically similar (G. italicum and G. tataricum) and the third, G. dalmaticum, was frequently misidentified as G. tataricum in the past, to provide new taxonomic treatment for proposed G. tataricum subspecies. We delineated several quantitative and five qualitative characters studied in a more limited sample as diagnostic for the identification of four subspecies (three newly described and one in a new rank) of G. tataricum. The history of westward peripheral populations of this species in the Balkans and the Apennines was rather complex and driven by local geo-historic events. These events facilitated multiple waves of east-west expansion of lineages originating from sources outside of the Balkan Peninsula which periodically diversified and occupied localised areas in the Balkans during the Pleistocene. An initial spread of an ancient G. tataricum lineage throughout south-eastern Europe probably occurred during the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Inter- and intraspecific hybridisation/introgression, as well as retention of ancestral polymorphisms, was common in G. tataricum and related taxa over time

Recent developments in microfiltration and ultrafiltration of fruit juices

This article provides an overview of recent developments and the published literature in microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) of fruit juices. In this review, we summarize studies by relating basic concepts of membrane filtration with reported results and outlining the important factors to consider in the practical use of MF and UF. The important factors influencing the filtration rate and product quality are type of feed solution (type of fruit juice), membrane selection and operating parameters (temperature, transmembrane pressure, cross-flow velocity and volume concentration ratio). According to physicochemical and sensory tests confirmed by many types of research, juices produced by membrane filtration are of an excellent quality. Membrane fouling is a critical issue and inhibits the wider application of membranes in the fruit juice industry. The use of cross-flow filtration is one of the main requirements for increasing permeate flux, but overall insufficient, so we considered various techniques (enzymatic pretreatment, mechanical and electrical techniques) for improving fruit juice flux during membrane clarification