Assessment Of Morphological Characteristics Research Articles

Quality of Aleppo Pine Seedlings Produced in Two Nurseries in Algeria; an Assessment of Morphological Characteristics and Quality Indices

Objective: This article aims to assess the quality of Aleppo pine seedlings produced in two forest nurseries in Algeria and the impact of the cultural practices adopted in each nursery on seedlings growth. Theoretical Framework: Since 1962, significant investments have been made annually in reforestation programs for agricultural and forest degraded area, but the results are far from satisfactory. The success of these programs depends mainly on nursery practices and plants morphological and physiological quality. Method: follow-up of Aleppo pine seedlings growth (height, and collar diameter) every 10 days over seven months. Seedling quality was conducted through visual observations of defects and calculation of quality indices (H/D, S/R, DQI, V). Results and Conclusion: The study reveals a highly significant difference in growth and quality between the plants from the two nurseries. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) confirms the substantial influence of cultural practices on seedling growth. However, the majority of plants from both nurseries fill to meet quality standards, primarily attributed to traditional practices Implications of the Research: The results of this study may explain the high failure rates of plantations observed in the field, not only for Aleppo pine but also for other autochthonous forest species. They also highlighted the greater importance of prioritizing the nursery phase before initiating any reforestation program. Originality/Value: This study explores the importance of adapting technical itinerary according to the specific characteristics of each plant for enhanced production. It introduces several quality indices for evaluating seedling quality in Algerian nurseries for the first time. Additionally, it is the first study to assess the quality of Aleppo pine, the first species produced in Algerian forest nurseries.

Oomycete species associated with Theobroma cacao crops in Colombia

AbstractThe study of oomycetes associated with crops is highly important due to the economic losses they might cause. In cacao, the genus Phytophthora has been extensively studied, but little is known about other genera and species of oomycetes associated with this plant. This study aimed to determine the oomycetes’ diversity present in Colombian cacao crops. A total of 146 isolates were obtained from diseased plants and soil in 11 departments. Analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (coxI) sequences was performed along with the assessment of morphological characteristics. Nine species were identified, distributed in four genera: Phytophthora (P. palmivora, 54%; P. nicotianae, 1%), Phytopythium (Phy. chamaehyphon, 15%; Phy. cucurbitacearum, 9%; Phy. vexans, 7%; Phy. helicoides, 1%), Globisporangium (G. splendens, 3%), and Pythium (Py. delicense, 1%; Py. inflatum,1%). Additionally, an unidentified and possibly new species of Phytophthora (5%) and three unidentified species of Phytopythium (3%) were found. This is the first report of Globisporangium, Phytopythium, and Pythium in cacao crops of Colombia and the first report of the species Phy. chamaehyphon in the country. Interestingly, some isolates of Phytopythium spp. were isolated from necrotic leaves and vascular section of stems, which may suggest a role in cacao diseases traditionally associated with Phytophthora. Also, it is proposed that the new species of Phytophthora may be contributing significantly to black pod disease in Colombian cacao crops, and we highlight that the study of P. palmivora is urgent because of its distribution all over the country.

Assessment of morphological characteristics and physico-mechanical properties of geopolymer green foam lightweight aggregate formulated by microwave irradiation

This research work was as alkaline activator as well as foaming agent, however, small amount of sodium hydroxide (1%) and 1–2% sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) were also used. Nine types of green FLWA pellets were formulated by varying the proportions of foaming agent and sodium bicarbonate and all pellets were cured in instantaneous thermal irradiation of microwave oven for only 5 min. After foaming in microwave, characterization of porous green FLWAs were assessed; large pores (up to 7 mm) at cross section of pellet, expansion (up to 30%) and weight reduction (up to 30%) were observed with the increase in the amount of foaming agent, whereas apparent density reduced. Water absorption was slightly higher than the recommended ACI values due to internal porous structure of FLWA. However, high particle crushing strength (1.11 MPa) was observed for pellets with 54% foaming agent and 1% NaHCO3, therefore this optimized ratio of FLWA mix was selected for casting green lightweight concrete (LWC). Density, compressive strength, flexural strength, and sorpitivity were evaluated and it was observed that density was within acceptable range as specified by ACI for LWC. Flexural strength was also high (4.29 MPa) and showed strong potential to be used as panels of false ceiling for insulation. Sorpitivity results were also consistent with the performance of green FLWA. Therefore, adopted curing technique can be considered as rapid and sustainable solution for formulation of green FLWA and recommended to be applied at industrial scale for reducing dead load of structure.

ПРОЯВЛЕНИЯ ГЕТЕРОГЕННОСТИ И ПОЛИМОРФИЗМА КЛЕТОК КАРЦИНОМЫ МОЛОЧНОЙ ЖЕЛЕЗЫ ПРИ КУЛЬТИВИРОВАНИИ

The aim of the research was assessment of morphological characteristics of cells of two populations, isolated during the development of the method of cultivating a sample of breast carcinoma in order to create a personalized experimental model. Materials and methods. For our work, we used the surgical material of breast carcinoma. After preparation, tumor tissue was incubated in a mixed solution of enzymes, after which the sample was filtered and resuspended in a complete nutrient medium containing antibiotics-antimycotics. The cell suspension was placed in a seed vial with a nutrient medium and incubated in a CO2 incubator until a monolayer was formed. The culture medium was changed every 3 days. Subculture of cell lines was performed when the culture reached 80–90% confluent once every 6–7 days. Control over the state of the culture was carried out using an Eclipse TS100 inverted microscope, Nikon. To assess morphological parameters, cells were stained according to Romanovsky. The linear dimensions of the nuclei and the cells themselves were calculated using an MOV-1-15x ocular micrometer and a Micros MC50 light microscope. Micrographs of the preparations were made on a Leica DM5000 B microscope at 400 magnification. Statistical processing of the results was carried out using the MS Excel and STATISTICA 6 programs; the Mann — Whitney test was used to assess the significance of differences. Results. During the cultivation of breast carcinoma cells during three passages in the culture, two types of cells were identified — adhesive and non-adhesive, in which, with an increase in the cultivation time, the indicators of the relative cell area, the relative area of the nuclei and the nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio significantly increased. In addition, in these populations, the manifestation of polymorphism was noted with an increase in the cultivation time, which manifests itself in an increase in the proportion of larger, irregularly shaped cells at each subsequent passage. Conclusion. As a result of the study, it was revealed that the culture of breast carcinoma cells is characterized by the appearance in the culture of two populations of cells — adhesive and non-adhesive with high proliferative activity, which is confirmed by significant changes in cell sizes, nuclei, nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio. In addition, cell polymorphism is observed in both populations, which is accompanied by an increase in the proportion of larger irregularly shaped cells in culture with an increase in the cultivation time and the number of passages.

The role of magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment of acromial morphology in association with rotator cuff tear

Background The pathogenesis of rotator cuff tear (RCT) remains controversial. The acromion portion of the scapula and its morphology may be attributable for a variety of shoulder disorders such as RCT. Aim The purpose of this article is to throw light on the role of MRI in the assessment of morphological characteristics of different acromial shapes in association with RCTs. Patients and methods This study was carried out from January to August 2016 at the Ahmed Maher Teaching Hospital Radiodiagnosis Department. We used MRI prospectively to image the shoulders of patients who presented to the radiology department with suspected RCT. Their ages ranged between 20 and 60 years with a mean age 40 years. Data were tabulated and manipulated using SPSS (vi 16), and the level of significance was less than 0.05. Results The study revealed that type III acromion was encountered in male and female patients (42.9 and 42.1%) and type IV acromion was noticed less frequently among male and female patients, respectively (4.8 and 15.8%). In patients younger than 45 years of age (n=25), type I and type III acromion was the most commonly seen (64%) in both sexes. In patients more than 45 years of age, type III acromion was commonly seen (60%). All age and sex differences were not significant (P>0.2). It also revealed that type III was mostly encountered in full-thickness tear (82.4%) and partial tear (52.9%), whereas type I was less frequently associated with partial tear or full-thickness tear (25%). Type III was associated with tendinopathy, acromioclavicular osteoarthritis, and joint effusion. Conclusion The acromial shapes were classified into four types. On MRI, acromial shapes were better recognized using the mathematical classification scheme for MRI obtained just lateral to the acromioclavicular joint. This should shed light on the morphological characteristics of different acromial shapes that may be of value in diagnosing and treating subacromial pathologies. Such morphological characteristics include measurements of the acromiohumeral distance, the acromial index, and the lateral acromial angle using T2-weighted MRI coronal oblique images.

Genetic variability of wheat germplasm represented in the south Pannonian region

In this study, genetic variability was investigated among 50 winter wheat varieties (Triticum aestivum L.) which are grown in parts of Croatia, Hungary, Serbia and Slovenia according to 22 morphological characteristics used for DUS (distinctness, uniformity and stability) testing. The average Dice similarity coefficient was 0.371. The determined similarity coefficient was in range 0.083 - 0.776. A significant variability of 6.21% in the breeding programs according to period was determined as well as significant variability of 3.10% between breeding programs. The UPGMA clustering divided investigated varieties into four main clusters. Based on data analysis, most distant varieties with best morphological characteristics were found which will provide valuable resource of new parent's combinations in future breeding programs. This paper also provided valuable assessment of morphological characteristics to define distinctness criteria in the DUS examination of wheat.

Positive Predictive Value of Mammographic Lymphography in the Evaluation of Patients with Breast Cancer: A Preliminary Study

The study aimed to investigate the positive predictive value (PPV) of mammographic lymphography (MLG) for assessing malignant breast disease and lymphatic metastasis in patients in a typical clinical setting. Patients who underwent mammography with Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) category 4 or 5 lesions and had abnormal mammographic findings in the upper-outer quadrant of the breast were enrolled. Next, MLG was performed. A water-soluble agent was subcutaneously injected into the upper-outer periareolar region of the bilateral breast, and mammography was then performed. Morphologic characteristics, including lymphatic vessel development, the presence of lymphatic vessel defects, and dilation, were recorded for evaluation. Fifty-one patients with BI-RADS category 4 lesions and 40 patients with BI-RADS category 5 lesions were included in the study. Sixty-one patients were found to have malignant disease, whereas 30 patients were found to have benign disease. Morphologic characteristics were recorded for evaluation. The interobserver agreement was evaluated and was classified as excellent according to kappa analysis. The PPV of MLG characteristics for malignant breast disease and lymphatic metastasis was analyzed by logistic regression, and the presentation of a lymphatic vessel defect was the most predictive characteristic of a malignancy (PPV: 0.89; P value: 0.02) in patients with BI-RADS category 4 lesions. Meanwhile, in patients with malignant breast disease, the PPVs for predicting lymphatic metastasis with lymphatic vessel defect and dilation were 0.50 (P value: 0.02) and 0.67 (P value: <0.01), respectively. The assessment of morphologic characteristics by MLG has the potential to predict malignant breast disease and lymphatic metastasis.

Molecular characterization of sweet cherry genetic resources in Giresun, Turkey

Introduction . Turkey potentially has a very rich source of sweet (Prunus avium ) and sour (P. cerasus ) cherries. P. avium is apparently native to some parts of Northern Turkey, where Giresun is located. Identification of the sweet cherry cultivars produced in Turkey will help in choosing appropriate cultivars and aid in the preservation of natural resources required for breeding studies. The most conventional method of cultivar identification is based on the assessment of morphological characteristics. However, this method is insufficient to distinguish closely related cultivars. The aims of our study were to determine the molecular profile of sweet cherry accessions grown in Giresun, Turkey, and to determine their genetic relationships. Materials and methods . In our study, we identified 44 sweet cherry accessions grown in Giresun by using genetic markers (SSR, Simple Sequence Repeat), and we determined the genetic relationships among the sweet cherry genotypes. For DNA isolation, we collected young leaves sampled on a single plant per accession, then amplification of microsatellite loci was performed. In total, ten SSR primer pairs, previously isolated from peach and sweet cherry, were used. Genetic similarity values were calculated. A cluster analysis was performed to generate a dendrogram. Results and discussion . Of the ten primers tested, six primer pairs did not result in suitable amplification products with the 44 accessions studied. The remaining four polymorphic SSR primer pairs produced 33 alleles with an average of 8.25 putative alleles per locus, ranging from 7 to 11. Depending on the accessions, similarity ratios ranged from 0.32 to 0.98, with a mean value of 0.64. In conclusion, the results obtained demonstrate a high level of polymorphism among sweet cherry genotypes from a single province in Turkey.

Intra- and interobserver analysis in the morphological assessment of early stage embryos during an IVF procedure: a multicentre study

BackgroundQuality control programs are necessary to maintain good clinical practice. Embryo grading has been described as one of the external quality assurance schemes. Although the evaluation of embryos is based on the assessment of morphological characteristics, considerable intra- and inter-observer variability has been described. In this multicentre study, the variability in the embryo evaluation has been evaluated using morphological characteristics on day 1, day 2 and day 3 of embryo development.MethodsFive embryologists of four different IVF centers participated in this study. Multilevel images of embryos were presented on a website at different time points to evaluate intra-and inter-observer agreement in the assessment of embryo morphology. The embryos were evaluated on day 1, day 2 and day 3 of their development and each embryologist had to decide if the embryo had to be transferred, cryopreserved or discarded.ResultsBoth intra-observer agreement and inter-observer agreement were good to excellent for the position of the pronuclei on day 1, the number of blastomeres on day 2 and day 3 and the clinical decision (transfer, cryopreservation, discard). For all other characteristics (size of pronuclei, presence of cytoplasomic halo, degree of fragmentation and size of blastomeres) the intra- and inter-observer agreement was moderate to very poor.ConclusionsMono- or multicentre quality control on embryo scoring by morphological assessment can easily be performed through the design of a simple website. In the future the website design can be adapted to generate statistical feedback upon scoring and can even include a training module.

First report of Coniothyrium minitans, a mycoparasite of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, in Iran

To study possible biocontrol agents against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on potato plants in Hamadan, Iran, a sampling of sclerotia was conducted in potato fields, and after culturing one of these sclerotia on potato dextrose agar, a coelomycetous fungus was observed. After fulfilment of Koch’s postulates and assessment of morphological characteristics, this fungus was identified as Coniothyrium minitans. This is reported for the first time in Iran.

Assessing morphological characteristics within traditional Chinese tongue diagnosis—A reliability study

Background The assessment of the patient's tongue is a crucial diagnostic tool in traditional Chinese medicine. However, the reliability and validity of tongue diagnosis has rarely been investigated. As a first step in what we hope will develop to a series of studies on tongue diagnosis we investigated the reliability of the assessment of morphological characteristics. Methods A random sample of digital tongue photographs from 101 patients was taken from a larger database in a hospital for traditional Chinese medicine in Kotzting, Germany. Three (two Chinese, one German) physicians with extensive experience in tongue diagnosis independently assessed 14 morphological items selected after two small pilot series. Inter-rater reliability was assessed with Cohen's kappa (classification of agreement: 0.74 excellent). Results Kappa-values for the 14 items (× three pairs of raters=42 kappa values) covered a broad range from 0.17 to 0.89. Agreement was classified as poor in 12 comparisons, as moderate in 20, as good in 4 and as excellent in 6 comparisons. Items with good or excellent agreement for all three pairs of raters were teeth prints and colour of tongue coating. Raters often disagreed whether spots were present (kappa Conclusions In this study agreement in the assessment of morphological characteristics of the tongue between three experienced raters was highly variable. Assessments were performed under clinical conditions with limited standardized instructions for decisions. Agreement could probably be increased considerably with intense standardization; however, this does not seem to reflect normal clinical conditions.

Statistical Shape Analysis of Differences in the Shape of the Corpus Callosum Between Genders

Sexual dimorphic characteristics, which play an important role in human evolution studies and biological research, can be studied morphologically and metrically. Geometric morphometrics allows a better assessment of morphological characteristics. Statistical shape analysis has a long history in neuroanatomical and other research. The aim of this study was to identify shape differences of the corpus callosum between genders. Landmark coordinate data were collected from two-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging scans of 93 homogeneously aged patients, 45 men and 48 women. These data were analyzed using Euclidean distance matrix analysis and thin plate spline analysis. The general shape variability of the corpus callosum of men was greater than that of women (men, 0.134; women, 0.097). We found no significant difference between sexes in the general shape of the corpus callosum, but we did find significant differences in the distances between some landmarks. Deformation of the corpus callosum between men to women was mainly detected in the posterior of the corpus callosum. These results serve as a reference for future studies on shape alterations of the corpus callosum associated with certain conditions.

Investigation into the usability of geometric morphometric analysis in assessment of sexual dimorphism

Understanding sexual dimorphism is very important in studies of human evolution and skeletal biology. Sexual dimorphic characteristics can be studied morphologically and metrically, although morphologic studies pose several problems such as difficulties with quantification and interobserver error. Geometric morphometrics is a relatively new method that allows better assessment of morphologic characteristics. This paper aims to investigate the usability of this method by assessing three different morphologic characteristics in a sample of South African blacks: shape of the greater sciatic notch, mandibular ramus flexure, and shape of the orbits. Relative warps, thin-plate splines, and canonical variates analysis (CVA) analyses were performed. As expected, the shape of the greater sciatic notch provided the best separation between the sexes. Surprisingly, however, the shape of the orbits performed better that ramus flexure. Several possible explanations for this result are possible, which include the possibility that orbit shape is more sexually dimorphic than previously expected, or that biological reality is not reflected by this technique. More research is, however, needed.

Is there a specific abnormality of sperm morphology in men with varicoceles?

With the use of a case-control design, we have studied seminal cytology in 53 infertile men with large left varicoceles to determine whether they had a specific morphologic pattern. An equal number of infertile controls without varicoceles were matched for characteristics such as left testicular size, serum follicle-stimulating hormone levels, and sperm concentration to ensure similar degrees of testicular dysfunction. No significant difference in the morphologic patterns was observed, especially in the hallmarks of the "stress pattern": increased percentages of spermatozoa with tapering heads (1.8 +/- 2.6:1.9 +/- 4.0) and immature forms (8.1 +/- 5.4:6.4 +/- 2.9) in the varicocele and control groups, respectively. Assessment of morphologic characteristics was associated with wide errors (approximately 20% to 80%) among technicians working in the same laboratory. There does not appear to be a characteristic morphologic stress pattern in infertile men with large left varicoceles.