1,278 research outputs found
Diffractive Higgs Production from Intrinsic Heavy Flavors in the Proton
We propose a novel mechanism for exclusive diffractive Higgs production in which the Higgs boson carries a significant fraction of the
projectile proton momentum. This mechanism will provide a clear experimental
signal for Higgs production due to the small background in this kinematic
region. The key assumption underlying our analysis is the presence of intrinsic
heavy flavor components of the proton bound state, whose existence at high
light-cone momentum fraction has growing experimental and theoretical
support. We also discuss the implications of this picture for exclusive
diffractive quarkonium and other channels.Comment: 30 pages, 5 figure
Morphological and Genetic Clonal Diversity within the âGreco Biancoâ Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) Variety
: Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) has been propagated vegetatively for hundreds of years. Therefore, plants tend to accumulate somatic mutations that can result in an intra-varietal diversity capable of generating distinct clones. Although it is common that winemakers request specific clones or selections for planting new vineyards, relatively limited information is available on the extent, degree, and morphological impact of the clonal diversity in traditional, highly valued grapevine varieties within production areas protected by geographical denomination of origin. Here, we present a morphological and genetic investigation of the intra-varietal diversity in 'Greco Bianco', the grapevine variety used to produce the DOCG and PDO "Greco di Tufo" wine. Seventeen clones from different farms (all within the allowed production area) were phenotypically characterized using ampelographic and ampelometric traits. The clones were also genotyped with Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) and retrotransposon-based DNA markers (REMAP). The morphological analysis indicated a uniformity in the qualitatively scored traits, and a limited variability for the quantitative traits of the bunch and of the berry composition. The molecular markers also depicted variability among clones, which was more evident with the use of REMAPs. The comparison of the discriminatory information of the three analyses indicated that they provided different estimates of the level of diversity. The evaluation described herein of the clonal variability has implications for the management and protection of clonal selections in 'Greco Bianco' and prompts for further multidisciplinary investigations on its possible role in winemaking
Horticultural science in the present era of mounting challenges and opportunities: Italus Hortus one year on
A simple and accurate allometric model to predict single leaf area of twenty-one European apricot cultivars
Research in fruit tree physiology and breeding often requires accurate and non-destructive methods for estimating leaf area (LA). The development of unbiased allometric model from linear measurements [leaf length (L) and/or width (W)] to predict individual LA of apricot irrespective of cultivars is still lacking. The models were built using LA, L, and W data measured in 3,040 leaves collected on trees of nineteen apricot cultivars (calibration experiment). Model(s) were validated on 520 apricot leaves collected from the trees of two additional cultivars (validation experiment). LA prediction models based only on L measurements (L or L2) were not suitable for estimating LA of apricot. A significant improvement in LA prediction was observed when the model including W2 as an independent variable was adopted. However, the coefficients of one dimension LA model (W2) were affected by leaf shape (L:W ratio) and consequently were excluded. To develop an accurate LA model for apricot, independent of leaf shape groups, the product LĂW was used as an independent variable. The linear model LA = 1.193 + 0.668 (LĂW) exhibited the highest R2, the smallest mean square error (MSE) and predicted residual error sum of squares (PRESS). In the model validation, correlation coefficients showed that there was a highly reliable relationship between the predicted and the observed LA values, giving an underestimation of 2.9% in the prediction. The LA model using LW as independent variable can be successfully adopted in research on apricot, since it provides an accurate, simple and non-destructive estimation of LA across apricot cultivars without the use of any expensive device
Sustainability as the main driver of present-day horticultural advancement
Two years of COVID-19 pandemic have unquestionably highlighted several aspects of vulnerability of the major economic sectors - including food production - as we designed them before the occurrence of such a challenging sanitary emergency. Among these, horticulture has gone through an unprecedented crisis at a global scale stressing the need for the definition of new models of holistic, sustainable, and resilient cropping systems (i.e., Horticulture 2.0). In this direction goes the increased interest for short-chain food production systems (urban and indoor farming, vertical farming, etc.), multipurpose (recreational farming) and multifunctional agricultural systems (exploitation of biowaste, polyculture, agroforestry, etc.), and sustainable crop management (biostimulants, smart use of resources, etc.). In 2021, Italus Hortus went through its second year of active editorial activity since it became an international journal in horticultural science. In this year, the journal received a total of 43 submissions and, in the same year, the Board of Editors reached a decision on 32 manuscripts (2 of these were submitted in 2020). This editorial activity allowed the publication of the three issues of volume 28, that included a total of 18 papers (4 Reviews, 10 Original Research Papers, and 4 Brief Research Reports) and 1 Editorial (Figure 1A). Sixty-one percent of the published papers had corresponding authors based in Italy, whereas the remaining contributions were provided by 7 other countries (Figure 1B)
Effect of Salt Addition and Fermentation Time on Phenolics, Microbial Dynamics, Volatile Organic Compounds, and Sensory Properties of the PDO Table Olives of Gaeta (Italy)
âOliva di Gaetaâ is almost certainly the most important and well-known PDO denomination
for table olives in Italy. Their production is based on a specific two-stage trade preparation called
the âItranaâ method. In this work, we investigated how variations in the duration of the initial
water fermentation (i.e., 15 and 30 days) and the salt concentration (i.e., 6% and 8% NaCl) influence
the chemical features, microbial dynamics, polyphenols, volatile organic compounds, and sensory
features of âOliva di Gaetaâ. The time of the addition of salt did not affect the final concentration
in the brine, but a longer initial water fermentation (before salt addition) led to lower pH values.
The bacterial count constantly increased until the salt addition (i.e., either 15 or 30 days), while the
yeast population peaked on day 30. Generally, the two different salt concentrations did not affect the
count of microorganisms at the end of fermentation, with the only exception being a higher lactic
acid bacteria count for the treatment with 6% salt added at 30 days. At commercial maturity, the
crucial bitter tastant oleuropein was not completely removed from the drupes, and differences in salt
concentration and the length of the first-stage water fermentation did not influence its content at the
end of olive curing. Richer volatile profiles of olives were detected with higher-salt treatments, while
the combination of low salt and early saline treatment provided a more distinct profile. Longer initial
water fermentation caused a small increase in some phenolic compounds (e.g., iso-verbascoside,
verbascoside, and hydroxytyrosol-glucoside). A panel test indicated that salt application at 30 days
resulted in a more âSourâ and âBitterâ taste, irrespective of the salt concentration. The low salt
concentration coupled with the late saline treatment resulted in more âFruityâ notes, probably due
to the higher production of esters by lactobacilli. The slightly bitter perception of the olives was
consistent with the partial removal of oleuropein. Our work revealed the characteristics of the âItranaâ
method and that the variation in salt concentration and its time of application changes parameters
ranging from the microbial dynamics to the sensory profile. Specifically, our data indicate that
6% NaCl coupled with a longer initial water fermentation is the most different condition: it is less
effective in blocking microbial growth but, at the same time, is more potent in altering the nutritional
(e.g., polyphenols) and sensorial qualities (e.g., bitterness and fruitiness) of âOliva di Gaetaâ
Biodegradable mulching spray for weed control in the cultivation of containerized ornamental shrubs
Abstract Background Weed control represents a major issue in plant cultivation in containers. Manual weed control is very expensive and the use of chemical herbicide or plastic mulch films has a large environmental impact. The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of an experimental biodegradable chitosan-based mulching spray in controlling weed growth in containers. This research also studied the effect of this mulch on the growth of Viburnum lucidum Mill. plants to test for possible phytotoxic effects. Results The study compared a total of six treatments derived from three types of weed control (no weed control; herbicide, oxadiazon; mulching spray) applied in containers either filled only with the sterile substrate or filled with the sterile substrate and then artificially inoculated with seeds of the weed species [Sonchus asper (L.) Hill subsp. asper and Epilobium montanum L.]. The mulch controlled the weeds effectively for more than 2 months after its application even under severe weed infestation. The mulching spray controlled the emergence of S. asper more efficiently than E. montanum plants, probably because the latter has a stronger capacity to penetrate the mulch film during emergence. Conclusions Three months after its application, the mulch started to degrade and this allowed some weeds to emerge in the containers, but, in general, the mulch performed better than the herbicide. The chitosan-based mulch did not have any negative effective on the growth of V. lucidum plants
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