Species diversity of fungi on damaged branches and leaves of ashes (Fraxinus spp.) in different types of stands in Slovakia

The diversity of fungi on branches and leaves of ashes (Fraxinus angustifolia, F. excelsior, F. ornus) in Slovakia was studied. Symptomatic material collected in Slovakia during the period of 2013 to 2017 and herbarium specimens previously collected were examined. In total, 30 fungal taxa (15 Deuteromycetes, 14 Ascomycetes and one Basidiomycetes) were recorded. Twenty-three of them have never been recorded on ashes in the country. The most frequently occurring fungi were Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (anamorph Chalara fraxinea) that causes necrosis of shoots and branches, and Phyllactinia fraxini, a foliar pathogen that causes powdery mildew disease. Fungal diversity on ashes growing in different types of stands was compared. Species richness was the greatest in seed orchards (20 fungal taxa) compared to private gardens, which contained the lowest (two fungal taxa). Species diversity in forest stands comprised 18 fungal taxa and the urban greenery was represented by 10 fungal taxa. Nine fungal taxa were recorded in tree alley along the road. The widest fungal species spectrum was recorded on F. excelsior

Global distribution of Erysiphe platani: new records, teleomorph formation and re-examination of herbarium collections

A global survey of the spread of the Platanus powdery mildew, Erysiphe platani, has been carried out. E. platani teleomorph formation was recorded in countries where the fungus anamorph has been present for several years. The first findings of chasmothecia were recorded in Austria, Czech Republic, France, Italy and Slovakia. New records of E. platani (including the teleomorph) were found in Belgium, Croatia and Denmark. The occurrence of this fungus in Sweden and in two countries of North Africa (Algeria and Morocco) was confirmed. Descriptions of morphological features, illustrations, and worldwide distribution of E. platani are provided. Herbarium collections of powdery mildews on Platanus spp. were re-examined and revised. The occurrence of Phyllactinia guttata on Platanus is discussed and questioned

From leaf to continent: The multi-scale distribution of an invasive cryptic pathogen complex on oak

The spatial distribution and niche differentiation of three closely related species (Erysiphe alphitoides, Erysiphe quercicola and Erysiphe hypophylla) causing oak powdery mildew was studied at scales ranging from the European continent, where they are invasive, to a single leaf. While E. alphitoides was dominant at all scales, E. quercicola and E. hypophylla had restricted geographic, stand and leaf distributions. The large-scale distributions were likely explained by climatic factors and species environmental tolerances, with E. quercicola being more frequent in warmer climates and E. hypophylla in colder climates. The extensive sampling and molecular analyses revealed the cryptic invasion of E. quercicola in nine countries from which it had not previously been recorded. The presence of the three species was also strongly affected by host factors, such as oak species and developmental stage. Segregation patterns between Erysiphe species were observed at the leaf scale, between and within leaf surfaces, suggesting competitive effects

Coherent J/ψ photoproduction in ultra-peripheral Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN=2.76 TeV

The ALICE Collaboration has made the first measurement at the LHC of J/ψ photoproduction in ultra-peripheral Pb–Pb collisions at sNN=2.76 TeV. The J/ψ is identified via its dimuon decay in the forward rapidity region with the muon spectrometer for events where the hadronic activity is required to be minimal. The analysis is based on an event sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 55 μb−1. The cross section for coherent J/ψ production in the rapidity interval −3.6<y<−2.6 is measured to be dσJ/ψcoh/dy=1.00±0.18(stat)−0.26+0.24(syst) mb. The result is compared to theoretical models for coherent J/ψ production and found to be in good agreement with those models which include nuclear gluon shadowing

Heavy flavour decay muon production at forward rapidity in proton–proton collisions at √s=7 TeV

The production of muons from heavy flavour decays is measured at forward rapidity in proton–proton collisions at √s=7 TeV collected with the ALICE experiment at the LHC. The analysis is carried out on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity Lint=16.5 nb−1. The transverse momentum and rapidity differential production cross sections of muons from heavy flavour decays are measured in the rapidity range 2.5<y<4, over the transverse momentum range 2<pt<12 GeV/c. The results are compared to predictions based on perturbative QCD calculations

Multi-strange baryon production in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV with ALICE

A measurement of the multi-strange Ξ− and Ω− baryons and their antiparticles by the ALICE experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is presented for inelastic proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The transverse momentum (pT) distributions were studied at mid-rapidity (|y|6.0 GeV/c. We also illustrate the difference between the experimental data and model by comparing the corresponding ratios of (Ω−+Ω¯+)/(Ξ−+Ξ¯+) as a function of transverse mass

Neutral pion and η meson production in proton–proton collisions at √s=0.9 TeV and s=√7 TeV

he first measurements of the invariant differential cross sections of inclusive π0 and η meson production at mid-rapidity in proton–proton collisions at s=0.9 TeV and s=7 TeV are reported. The π0 measurement covers the ranges 0.4<pT<7 GeV/c and 0.3<pT<25 GeV/c for these two energies, respectively. The production of η mesons was measured at s=√7 TeV in the range 0.4<pT<15 GeV/c. Next-to-Leading Order perturbative QCD calculations, which are consistent with the π0 spectrum at s=0.9 TeV, overestimate those of π0 and η mesons at s=√7 TeV, but agree with the measured η/π0 ratio at s=√7 TeV

Inclusive J/ψ production in pp collisions at √s=2.76 TeV

The ALICE Collaboration has measured inclusive J/ψ production in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy √s=2.76 TeV at the LHC. The results presented in this Letter refer to the rapidity ranges |y|<0.9 and 2.5<y<4 and have been obtained by measuring the electron and muon pair decay channels, respectively. The integrated luminosities for the two channels are Linte=1.1 nb−1 and Lintμ=19.9 nb−1, and the corresponding signal statistics are NJ/ψe+e−=59±14 and NJ/ψμ+μ−=1364±53. We present dσJ/ψ/dy for the two rapidity regions under study and, for the forward-y range, d2σJ/ψ/dydpt in the transverse momentum domain 0<pt<8 GeV/c. The results are compared with previously published results at s=7 TeV and with theoretical calculations