Light Brown Research Articles

First Report of Curvularia trifolii Causing Leaf Spot on Zanthoxylum bungeanum in China.

Chinese prickly ash (Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim.), which is a Rutaceae plant as shrubs or small trees and indigenous to China, is widely grown in this country for its flavor, as well as its high economic and ecological value. So far, in China, the cultivated area and yield of Chinese prickly ash rank first in the world. In June 2023, a leaf spot disease with approximately 30% incidence was observed on Z. bungeanum in Zhenfeng County (25°44'21.38″ N, 105°56'47.15″ E, 1,083 m), Guizhou Province, China. Foliar symptoms appeared as irregularly shaped lesions, yellowish-brown with dark brown margins surrounded by yellow halos, which enlarged, resulting in the lesions dropping from the leaves and leaving holes. To isolate and identify the pathogen, symptomatic leaves were taken and cut into 5 mm × 5 mm pieces, surface sterilized with 2% NaClO for 3 min, 75% ethanol for 30 s, rinsed three times with sterile water, and incubated on PDA at 28°C. Ten isolates with identical morphology were obtained. After one week of incubation at 28℃, the colonies on PDA were brown, reverse dark brown, fluffy, reaching 7.0-7.5 cm in diameter. Conidia were straight or slightly curved, narrowly ellipsoidal or fusiform, 1-3 but mostly 3 septate, light or dark brown, with the middle cells usually darker than the terminal cells, smooth, 20.5-31.0 × 9.0-19.0 μm (x̄ = 26.0 × 14.0 μm, n = 30). The morphological features matched the description of Curvularia trifolii (Kauffman) Boedijn (Ellis 1971; Falloon 1976). Additionally, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large subunit (LSU) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gapdh) genes were amplified by PCR with primers ITS5/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), LROR/LR5 (Vilgalys & Hester 1990) and GPD1/GPD2 (Berbee et al. 1999), and the ITS, LSU and gapdh sequences of the isolate GUCC 23-321 (PP837870, PP837881, PP855474) were deposited in GenBank. The BLAST showed 98.5% (ITS, HG779023, 598/709 bp), 99.87% (LSU, HG779077, 779/858 bp), and 97.79% (gapdh, HG779124, 543/498 bp) identities with C. trifolii (CBS 173.55). Furthermore, the phylogenetic tree of ML analysis based on the combined sequence data of ITS, LSU and gapdh revealed that GUCC 23-321 clustered with C. trifolii. Both morphology and phylogenetic analyses supported the identification of GUCC 23-321 as C. trifolii. Pathogenicity tests were carried out twice according to Koch's postulates. Five healthy 2-year-old Chinese prickly ash plants were sprayed with a conidial suspension (1 × 106 conidia/mL) of the isolate GUCC 23-321, while the controls (five other plants) were sprayed with sterile water. All plants were maintained in a greenhouse at 28°C, 80% relative humidity. After 8 days, the inoculated plants developed leaf spots similar to those showed in the field, but control plants were asymptomatic. Re-isolation of pathogenic fungi from the leaf lesions of the inoculated plants and according to molecular analysis and morphology, the fungi were identified as C. trifolii, fulfilling Koch's postulates. C. trifolii is a common fungal phytopathogen that has been reported to infect a variety of plants and cause leaf spot disease, such as Trifolium alexandrinum (Khadka 2016) and Nicotiana tabacum (Chen et al. 2017). This is the first worldwide report of C. trifolii causing Z. bungeanum leaf spot. The report will be beneficial for accurately diagnosing this disease, and proposing specific control measures.

Development of a bread recipe with added french willow infusion

The article considers the research on the development of bread with added new ingredient – French willow. French willow or Ivan-tea is widespread throughout the Ural region. It contains all the vitamins and microelements necessary for the body, which help to reduce oxidative processes. The components of Ivan-tea have immunostimulating properties, they affect the processes of hematopoiesis and the activity of vitamins in the body and are of great importance in blood diseases, atherosclerosis, and some types of tumors. The development will expand the range of bread offered to the population in stores. And create new types of bread, including functional ones [1, 2, 3]. The production of bread samples consisted of the following stages: raw material preparation, ingredient addition, dough kneading, dough maturation, kneading, baking, cooling and product inspection. Five bread samples were produced and analyzed. Samples No. 1 and No. 2 were made using live sourdough, while samples No. 3 and No. 4 used baker's yeast. The control bread sample was made in accordance with GOST R 31807-2018, which is valid in the Russian Federation. Bakery products from rye flour and a mixture of rye and wheat flour. General specifications. French williw infusion was added to four samples (No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4) in amounts of 100 and 200 ml. The organoleptic properties of all samples were assessed according to GOST 31807-2018. The physicochemical properties included porosity (GOST 5669-96), acidity (GOST 5670-96), and humidity (GOST R 58233-2018). The research showed that the best sample was wheat-rye bread (No. 2), prepared with sourdough and 200 ml of fireweed infusion. The appearance of the product corresponded to the baking form - tin. The surface was without cracks and tears. Color was light brown. Taste and smell were typical for this type of product with notes of fireweed. Porosity was developed, without compaction. Traces of unmixed particles were not found. The humidity of the experimental sample No. 2 was 47%, the acidity index was 0.5° higher than the norm and was - 3.5°. The porosity index was 68.82%. Thus, it can be assumed that the French willow infusion affects the physicochemical properties of bread products (increasing porosity by 0.82%). And it affects the organoleptic properties of the samples, improving the taste and appearance of the product.

The influence of temperature on germination and seedling growth of sorghum

The extensification of agricultural activities to suboptimal areas, including dryland, is being considered. Sorghum as a drought-tolerant crop is usually cultivated in dryland areas in Indonesia. However local farmers are having difficulty in choosing quality seeds suitable for the specific area temperature condition. This study evaluated the physical quality of commonly used sorghum cultivars in Indonesia and their responses to several germination temperatures. The three sorghum cultivars used were Strong Brown (SB) Sorghum known as the local cultivar, Pale yellow (PY), and Light Brown (LB). The result revealed that each sorghum cultivar has specific seed characteristics, especially in the color, shape, and size of the seeds. The seeds of the Light Brown sorghum had the highest quality, followed by Strong Brown sorghum and PaleYellow sorghum cultivars based on both the tetrazolium test and the direct germination test. The optimum temperature for sorghum seed germination ranged from 25 to 35oC. Each sorghum cultivar has its specific temperature requirement for germination. Low temperature (20°C) potentially reduces the percentage of germination and delays the seed germination time of these three cultivars. LB cultivar has the highest relative growth rate (RGR) from the first week to the second week (R1), while the RGR from the first week to the third week (R2), LB sorghum cultivar is in the second position after the PY cultivar. Cultivar LB is suggested for cultivating in elevations 300-500 m asl, moreover cultivar SB elevations 50-250 m asl.

Novel pyrene-based Schiff base ligand as a fluorescent sensor for Al3+ and colorimetric sensor for Ni2+ ions detection: Synthesis, photo-physical and cell imaging studies

A simple fluorescent and colorimetric pyrene-based ((Z)-4-hydroxy-3-((pyren-1-ylmethylene)amino)benzoic acid (HPMB) chemosensor was synthesized through the condensation reaction between pyrene-1-carboxaldehyde and 3-amino-4-hydroxybenzoic acid. The structure of HPMB was elucidated using 1H NMR, MS, and UV–Visible spectroscopic techniques. The receptor HPMB displayed a detectable, colorimetric colour shift in the presence of Ni2+ and the colour of the solution was observed to be light brown. On the other hand, it also exhibited a fluorescent “turn on” response when Al3+ ions were added in DMSO solution (HEPES 0.01 M, pH = 7.4) at room temperature. Job’s plot showed that HPMB binding ratio to Ni2+ and Al3+ ions was in 1:1 ratio. The detection limit for Ni2+ and Al3+ ions was found to be 0.33 × 10-6 M and 0.26 × 10-6 M, respectively. In addition, HPMB was utilised to create a molecular logic gate, and the fluorescence imaging of HeLa cells was investigated because of HPMB’s low cytotoxicity, indicating that it could be used to detect Al3+ and Ni2+ in living cells.

The Preliminary Study about Physico-Chemical Property of Bio-Enzyme Produced from Orange Fruits Waste Treated with Different Concentrations of Probiotic

Fruit wastes are reported as among the main contributors to the food waste production. They have impact on the environment so they need to be treated. To reduce the negative effects, fruit wastes must be treated before they are released into environment. Meanwhile, the fruit wastes have been reported about their functional properties and nutritional as bio-enzyme. This preliminary study aimed to provide information about the physico-chemical characteristics of bio-enzyme, including pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved solids (TDS), color, and smell of bio-enzyme from orange fruit wastes treated different concentrations of probiotic in anaerobic fermentation. Bio-enzyme was a fermented solution made from a mixture of 15 g brown sugar : 5 kg orange fruit waste : 12 L water. We designed treatments of bio-enzyme fermentation with addition of probiotic, namely 0 ml (control), 80 ml (P1), 160 ml (P2), 240 ml (P3), and 320 ml (P4) for each closed plastic drums 25 L in volume and then were fermented for 35 days. The preliminary study resulted that efficiency of brown sugar and effectivity of fruit waste to produced bio-enzyme with pH 3.4-3.6, TDS 982.7-1152.5 ppm, DO 1.4-2.2 ppm, N total 0.017-0.035%, P 0.017-0.02%, K -.046-0.056%, C organic 0.782-0.936%, C/N ratio 28.29-47.36, reduction sugar 0.005-0.134%, total plate number 4.9 x 104 to 1.1 x 105 colony/g, mold & yeast 2.2 x 104 to 5.8 x 104, light brown of liquid color, little sour to sour and freshness in odor, fungi covered surface of the liquid, Si 12.93-22.53%, Al 1.96-2.39%, Ca 3670-6940 ppm, and Fe 214-806 ppm. This research continues for up to 3 months to determine the metagenome diversity of anaerobic microorganism in bio-enzyme fermentation, characteristics of enzyme, reducing sugar production, and chemical properties of bio-enzyme from orange fruit wastes.

First Report of Botrytis cinerea Causing Stem Rot on Hydrangea macrophylla in China.

Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), commonly referred to as big leaf hydrangea, is a species within the Hydrangeaceae family notable for its ornamental value. Characterized by its vividly colored sepals and lush, striking inflorescences, this species is globally esteemed as both a potted and landscape plant. Notably, in 2022, an alarming incidence of stem rot was observed in approximately 40% of H. macrophylla plants aged between six and twelve months within 16 greenhouses situated in Nanjing City (N 31°14', E 118°22'), Jiangsu Province, China. Initial symptoms of the disease manifested as wet gray-black spots at the base of the seedlings and stems, progressing to a necrotic gray-white discoloration in the stems and accompanied by the growth of gray mold on the affected parts. This infection ultimately led to the wilting of the leaves and the death of the seedlings. For pathogen identification, stem tissues at the interface of diseased and healthy sections were excised, surface-sterilized with 75 % ethanol for 30 s, followed by a 2 - 3 min treatment with 3% sodium hypochlorite, and subsequently rinsed three times with sterile water before air drying. Sections measuring 2 - 3 mm were then cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium, supplemented with 50 mg/mL rifampicin (RFP), and incubated at 25 ℃ for 3 - 5 d (Zhou et al. 2022). Upon 2 - 3 days of incubation, notable growth of fungal colonies was observed. Mycelial clusters from the periphery of these colonies were subsequently transferred to fresh PDA plates and incubated at 25 ℃ for an additional 5 - 7 d. A particular colony, designated JSNJ2022-2 and now preserved at the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, was selected for detailed examination. This colony exhibited a flocculent texture, with a coloration ranging from grey-white to light brown. It was characterized by the presence of irregularly formed, hard sclerotia within the hyphae. The conidiophores were observed to be slender and erect, featuring dendritic branches at their extremities. The conidia were clustered on the conidiophore like grapes. These conidia were generally colorless or grey, oval in shape, smooth and transparent, and measured between 6.4 - 12.2 × 7.3 - 18.2 μm (n = 50). For genetic analysis, genomic DNA (gDNA) was extracted using the DNA secure Plant Kit (Tiangen Biotech, Beijing, China). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was performed using a set of universal primers of ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), primers corresponding to the specific sequences of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH), heat-shock protein 60 (HSP60), and DNA-dependent RNA polymerase subunit II (RPB2) (Yang et al. 2020). The resultant PCR products were sequenced, and the resulting sequences were submitted to the GenBank database, under the accession numbers OP131597, OP142320, OP142321, and OP142322, respectively. BLAST analysis of the sequences obtained from the isolate JSNJ2022-2 revealed a high degree of genetic similarity, ranging from 99 to 100%, with known sequences of Botrytis cinerea (accessions MK051124.1, MH796662.1, MH479931.1, and KU760986.1). To elucidate the phylogenetic position of the isolate, a phylogenetic tree was constructed using the maximum likelihood method, supported by 1,000 bootstrap replications, in the Mega7 software (Kumar et al. 2016). The results of this analysis confirmed that the strains under study clustered within the same branch as B. cinerea. To establish the pathogenicity of the isolate, Koch's postulates (Falkow 1988) were employed. Healthy potted H. macrophylla seedlings, approximately three months old, were wound inoculated at the base of the seedlings with a 6 mm diameter mycelium plug of JSNJ2002-2 cultivated on PDA for 3 days, which was subsequently covered with moistened degreasing cotton. Control plants were treated with moistened degreasing cloths minus the pathogen. Post-inoculation, these plants were placed in a growth chamber maintained at 25 ℃ with a relative humidity range of 60 - 80%. After a 3-d incubation period, the inoculated plants displayed symptoms identical to those initially observed in the greenhouse. The pathogen was successfully re-isolated from these inoculated plants and was morphologically re-confirmed as B. cinerea, thus satisfying the criteria of Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this report represents the first documented incidence of B. cinerea causing stem rot in H. macrophylla in China.

PEMBERIAN PUPUK ORGANIK CAIR ECENG GONDOK TERHADAP HASIL CABAI RAWIT (Capsicum frutescent L.)

ABSTRACTLiquid organic fertilizer (LOF) is proven to be more effective than solid organic fertilizer because nutrient mineralization is more efficient, so nutrients are quickly available for plants. Water hyacinth, as a water weed, turns out to have many functions. Besides being able to become a biofilter by absorbing chemical compounds in polluted water, the accumulation results also contain mineral compounds that are useful for increasing plant yields. Therefore, it is necessary to review the results of applying LOF made from water hyacinth to cayenne pepper plants. This study aims to analyze the effect of various doses of water hyacinth extract on the yield of cayenne pepper. This study uses a non-factorial experimental method, a complete random design (CRD), with an analysis model of LSD test (Least Significant Difference Test) α 5%. There are 4 treatments, namely, 0 ml, 40 ml, 60 ml, and 80 ml, with 5 replications. The parameters observed are the number of fruits, the fruit weight, and the wet weight of the plant. The results showed that the water hyacinth LOF has a pH of 7, doesn’t sting, and is light brown. The best treatment for P3 or 80 ml of water hyacinth POC is that the average number of fruits is 10 seeds, the average weight of fruit is 2.04 grams, and the average wet weight of plants is 46.9 grams.

Bowel function in a prospective cohort of 1052 healthy term infants up to 4 months of age

The purpose of this study is to describe the defecation pattern of healthy infants up to 17 weeks of age. We included 1052 healthy term infants from the prospective HELMi cohort (NCT03996304). Parents filled in recurring online questionnaires on feeding, gastrointestinal function, and crying weekly for the first 17 weeks of life. Defecation frequency was highest at the age of 3 weeks (a median of 4 times/day, interquartile range (IQR) 2.9–5). At each time point, the median defecation frequency of breastfed infants was higher than that of infants receiving formula (e.g., at week 17 a median of 2 times/day, IQR 0.9–3.6, and a median of 1.1, IQR 0.6–1.4, respectively). The dominant color of the stool was most often yellow or light brown. Nearly black stools were reported in the first week of life in 3.4%. Nearly half (47.4%) of the infants had green stool color dominating for at least 1 week, with comparable frequency among breastfed (47.7%) and formula-fed (45.2%) infants. Green stools were associated with a higher defecation frequency (linear mixed-effect model p < 0.0001). Occasional blood in stool was reported in 9.3% and recurrent blood in 5.2% of the infants with no difference in stool consistency. Hard stools were rare (≤ 1%). Conclusion: This study enlightens the spectrum of defecation patterns in healthy term infants during the first 17 weeks of life. A better understanding of bowel function helps healthcare professionals distinguish normal from abnormal when addressing defecation, the color of stools, and the type of feeding.What is Known:• Breastfed infants have more frequent and more yellow-colored stools than formula-fed infants.• Stools with green color are often suggested by the parents or even by medical professionals to indicate disease or discomfort in early life.What is New:• Nearly half of the healthy term infants had green stool dominating for at least one week during the first 17 weeks and occasional blood was reported in almost 10% of the infants during this period.• Data on normal variation in bowel function and stool may serve primary health care professionals when educating the families and caretakers of infants.

First Report of Leaf Spot on Eriobotrya japonica Caused by Alternaria alternata in Southwest Korea.

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is a crop cultivated in Southwest Korea, covering an area of 101 ha and yielding 120 tons at harvest (KASS, 2024). Due to its high-income potential, the cultivation area is gradually expanding. In May 2023, 30% of leaf brown spots were observed on all three trees in the Suncheonman National Garden, Suncheon (3488'57.97" N, 12750'92.83" E). As the disease progressed, the brown spot gradually enlarged, turning greyish-ivory inside and forming concentric circles. Three leaf lesions from each tree were cut into 5 x 5 mm pieces, surface-sterilized with 70% ethanol for 1 min, and washed in sterile water three times to isolate the pathogen potentially responsible for these symptoms. The samples obtained were subsequently cultured on 1.5% water agar and then incubated in the dark at 25℃. A total of nine isolates were obtained, with three isolates from each of the three trees through single-spore isolation, namely SYP-1202-1 to 3, SYP-1202-4 to 6, and SYP-1202-7 to 9. The colonies reached 90 mm in diameter after 10 days on potato dextrose agar (PDA), initially dark green, and turned sooty gray after 2 weeks. The hyphae grown on a 0.6% KCl medium for 3 days produced long chains containing three to twelve conidia. The conidia were ellipsoidal or obpyriform in shape and light brown. The conidiophores were straight or curved, measuring 12.1-75.3 x 1.6-4.8 μm (n = 100). The primary and secondary conidia measured length × width of 19.1-60.6 × 6.1-14.4 μm and 8.4-27.8 × 3.5-9.5 μm (n = 100), respectively. The conidia had 1 to 7 transverse and 0 to 3 vertical septa. The morphology of the nine isolates was identical and consistent with Alternaria species (van der Waals et al., 2011; Woudenberg et al., 2015). For molecular identification, ITS (OR844500 to OR844508), GAPDH (OR866383 to OR866391), TEF1 (OR866392 to OR866400), RPB2 (OR866401 to OR866409), Alt a1 (OR866410 to OR866418), endoPG (OR866419 to OR866427), and OPA10-2 (OR866428 to OR866436) sequences from SYP-1202-1 to 9 showed a 100% (515 bp/515 bp), 100% (579/579), 100% (240/240), 100% (753/753), 95.1% (449/472), 100% (448/448), and 100% (634/634) identity with that of type strain A. alternata CBS 115152 (KP124348, KP124202, KP125124, KP124816, KP123896, KP124049, and KP124658, respectively). A pathogenicity test was conducted on three 5-year-old E. japonica cultivar Daebang trees in pots. The surface of the five leaves per tree was sterilized with 70% ethanol for 1 min. Before inoculation, the leaves were wounded with sterile needles and sprayed with the conidial suspension (1×106 conidia/ml) produced from a 1-week-old culture grown on PDA. In contrast, control leaves were sprayed with sterile distilled water. The inoculated leaves were wrapped with black plastic bags and kept at 100% relative humidity for two days. At seven days post-inoculation, symptoms were observed on the wounded leaves, whereas the nonwounded and control leaves did not exhibit any symptoms. The experiment was performed three times in the greenhouse. For each experiment, pathogens were reisolated from the two symptomatic leaves per plant. The identity of the reisolated pathogens was then confirmed via analysis of ITS and RPB2 genes, thereby confirming adherence to Koch's postulates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of E. japonica being infected by A. alternata in Korea. This report provides important information to support effective disease control strategies for E. japonica in orchards in southern Korea.

Electrochromic Thin‐Film Nickel‐Oxide Coatings for Systems with Adjustable Light Transmission

In this study, results on the effect of technological parameters of the nickel(II)‐oxide thin‐film deposition process, obtained through chemical vapor deposition in an argon–oxygen environment using bis‐(ethylcyclopentadienyl)‐nickel (EtCp)2Ni, on their electrochromic properties, are presented. It is shown that the films lose ability to electrochromic coloring in alkaline environments as their thickness increases up to 170 nm. The introduction of small ozone additions of 0.1 vol% O3 into the gas phase leads to a decrease in the NiO films deposition rate, the formation of a rougher layer with an average grain size up to 71.4 nm, capable of coloring in light brown. Additional cathodic treatment of NiO films at a potential of −0.8 V for 30 s in alkaline environments containing fullerene C60(OH)24 leads to the modification of the surface layer and the formation of NiO–C carbon‐containing nanocomposite coatings with enhanced contrast and the ability to retain the colored state after polarization is turned off, i.e., possessing optical memory properties. Using NiO–C nanocomposite and indium–tin–oxide films, which have opposite coloring mechanisms, in the structure of an electrochromic device allows for an increase in the grade of glass darkening, significantly reducing energy consumption, improving operational characteristics, and life span.

Morphobiometric Characterisation of Carob Tree Pods Cultivated in Algeria and Evaluation of Physicochemical, Nutritional, and Sensory Properties of Their Powders

Abstract Given its very important economic and environmental interests, the cultivation of carob tree in Algeria has experienced remarkable development, which is reflected in the methods of plant multiplication, the increase in the surface area of its cultivation, and in particular, the growing number of carob fruit processing industries (first and second transformation). In this context, the present study focused on the evaluation of the food quality of whole pod powders and carob pulps from three different regions of Algeria (Boumerdes, Relizane, and Tissemsilt). The experimental part presents a morphobiometric characterisation of carob pods carried out during the 2020–2021 production campaign — length, width, mass, volume, thickness, size index (length/width), the number and mass of seeds, analysis of the food quality of carob powders from whole pods and their pulps and determining their physicochemical properties (particle size, pH and dry matter), nutritional properties (ash, crude proteins, total sugars, crude fibres, fats) and sensory (colour, taste, texture, and smell). The results showed that the morphobiometric characteristics of the carob pods studied (physicochemical, nutritional, and sensory properties of the powders) strongly depend on the biogeographical site of the carob tree and the conditions of its production. Compared to the other carob fruit powders analysed, Relizane carob pulps powder showed a better sensory appreciation; this powder was characterised by a colour (100% light brown), taste (50% sweet, 50% very sweet), texture (100% fine), and odour (100% carob with strong intensity). Indeed, the study of the food quality of the two types of powders obtained separately from whole pods (seeds and pulps) and from the pulps is very valuable and opens possible ways of food valorisation of carob tree fruit.

First report of Rhizopus stolonifer causing flower rot of yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa Deg.) in China.

The genus Passiflora, commonly known as passion fruit, originated in South America, is an economically important horticulture crop and widely distributed in the tropics and subtropics. Yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) and purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. edulis) are the two most planted species (Santos-Jiménez et al., 2022), which have been largely cultivated in southern China. The average annual production reaches 600,000 tons, of which yellow fruit accounts for more than 70% (Zhou et al., 2022). In 2022 to 2023, a disease caused flower rot severely in passion fruit plantations. The incidence rate was generally 10% in purple passion fruit, with an incidence up to 60% in yellow passion fruit 'Qinmi No. 9'. Flower rot occurs mainly in the rainy season, especially during periods of prolonged rain. Infected flowers had black patches that were water-soaked on the interior of the flower bud. The patches covered the entire flower bud, and fluffy mycelium and sporangia developed, which caused the flower bud rotten and abscised easily. Five symptomatic flowers from Wuhua, Guangdong (23°23'N, 115°18'E) and 8 symptomatic flowers from Shangsi, Guangxi (21°15'N, 107°98'E) of 'Qinmi No. 9' were collected during flowering period in 2022 and 2023. Diseased flower pieces were surface-sterilized with 70% ethanol for 2 to 3 min, rinsed with sterile distilled water 3 times, and placed on PDA medium at 25℃ in darkness. Four and 6 fungal isolates with similar morphology were isolated from the infected samples of Wuhua and Shangsi, respectively. Two isolates, PRFJ01 from Wuhua and PRGX02 from Shangsi, were randomly selected for further study. Purified fungal colonies at the age of 3 days accompany with diffuse cottony mycelia, turned white to gray later. The mycelia were hyaline and aseptate. Sporangiophores with 0.56 (0.22~1.10) mm in length and 6.1 (3.18~10.87) μm in width (n=100) were erect, light brown, and had rhizoids and stolons at their bases. Sporangia with 48.0 (23.45~92.85) μm in diameter (n=100) were dark-colored, near spherical and having dark ovoid sporangiospores with 3.56 (2.34~6.39) μm × 2.82 (1.73~4.70) μm (n=100). The morphology of the fungus were identical to Rhizopus stolonifer (Ehrenb.) Vuill (Haque et al. 2023). The two isolates were molecularly identified using genomic regions of 28S large ribosomal subunit (LSU) with NL1 and LR3 primers (Cruz-Lachica et al., 2018). The phylogenetic trees revealed the sequences of PRFJ01 (OR801560.1) and PRGX02 (OR801561.1) were 100% and 99% identical to R. stolonifer (MK705761.1 and KC412868.1), respectively. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on healthy flowers and leaves of 5-month-old grafted 'Qinmi No. 9' plants. Mycelial plugs with 5-mm diameter were placed on the flowers and leaves. Three plants were performed for each of the isolates, and the test was repeated twice. The inoculated plants were moisturized with plastic bags. Healthy flowers and leaves inoculated with sterile PDA plugs were used as control. Typical symptoms were observed on inoculated plants after 2 days. The dark grey mycelia and sporangia covered the entire flower after 4 days inoculation. The flower bud became putrid and the flower stalk split off. Lesions on leaves expanded accompany with numerous aerial mycelium. However, the controls were symptomless. R. stolonifer was reisolated from inoculated tissues. Previously, flower rot on passion fruit caused by R. stolonifer has only been recorded in Brazil (Ploetz, 2003). To our knowledge, this is the first report of R. stolonifer causing flower rot on passion fruit in China.

Synthesis and Properties of Cobalt Complexes with [B11H11]4- Ligands.

The unusually high oxidation state + IV of cobalt is stabilized by ligands based on [B11H11]4- in dark blue colored Cs4[Co(B11H10.11(OH)0.75)2]·4.56H2O, K4[Co(B11H9.19(OH)1.81)2]·2H2O, Cs8[Co{(B11H6)2(O)(O2BOH)4}]2·4H2O and K4[Co{(B11H6)2(O2BOH)5}]·7H2O. These compounds were obtained by reacting Co2+ salts with [B11H14]- under alkaline conditions. In the absence of oxygen, Co(+III) compounds such as the light brownish K4[Co(B11H11)(CN)3]·KCl·2.5H2O are formed. The title compounds were characterized by X-ray crystallography. Cs8[Co{(B11H6)2(O)(O2BOH)4}]2·4H2O and K4[Co(B11H11)(CN)3]·KCl·2.5H2O were also characterized using IR-, UV-vis and cyclovoltammetry. Magnetic measurements of Cs4[Co(B11H10.11(OH)0.75)2]·4.56H2O and ESR measurements of Cs8[Co{(B11H6)2(O)(O2BOH)4}]2·4H2O show that in these Co(+IV) low-spin d5 complexes the unpaired electron is on the dx2-y2, dxy (E2g) orbitals.

First Report on Wild Occurrences of Phoenix Mushroom (&lt;i&gt;Pleurotus pulmonarius&lt;/i&gt; Fr. Quél.) in Indonesia

The genus Pleurotus is known as a commercially important mushroom and one of the most well-known cultivated mushrooms worldwide. Of many species of Pleurotus, the phoenix mushroom (P. pulmonarius) is cultivated in many countries, including Indonesia. In Indonesia, the farmers and larger companies usually use commercial strains of phoenix mushroom which they purchased from other countries. To date, there was no prior information regarding wild occurrences of P. pulmonarius in Indonesia. During our regular mushroom hunting in Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia, some edible wild fruiting bodies of light brown Pleurotus were collected. The current study aimed to determine the taxonomical position of our specimens based on morphological and molecular evidence. The combination of morphological and molecular analysis confirmed our specimens as P. pulnonarius. Morphologically, our specimens were distinguished by the small to medium sized fruiting bodies, pileus light brown, pinkish brown, to pale brown, flabelliform in the beginning to expanding broadly ovoid in maturity, lamellae shortly to deeply decurrent, stipe fleshy, eccentric to lateral, concolorous with lamellae, Basidiospores cylindrical to ellipsoid, basidia clavate to club shaped, basidioles are abundant, oleiferous hyphae common. The BLAST result revealed that our specimens posed a high similarity to P. pulnonarius from several countries as the top hits. The ITS phylogenetic tree placed Pleurotus FIPIA-DEP51 in the same clade of P. pulnonarius with 100% BS value. This study reports for the first time the wild occurences of P. pulmonarius in Indonesia. Future study should be done to characterize the cultures of reported mushroom which can potentially be the local strain for cultivation of P. pulmonarius industry in Indonesia.

Managing Iris Cysts with Surgical Excision: A Case Series

Introduction : Iris cysts are uncommon iris tumors. Primary iris cysts are congenital and usually not detected until late into the first or second decade of life. Secondary iris cysts have history of trauma or intraocular surgery. Small and asymptomatic iris cysts should be monitored, whereas larger cysts require treatment as they cause complications.&#x0D; Case Illustration : Case 1 a 17-year-old teenager had blurred vision without prior intraocular trauma or surgery. Anterior segment examination of the left eye revealed an oval, light brown, and semi-translucent cyst. Case 2 a 15-year-old girl had blurred vision and enlarging white spot in right eye with history of penetrating ocular trauma. Patient had undergone immediate penetrating repair followed by combination of pupilloplasty and cataract surgery. Anterior segment examination of the right eye showed corneal scar and cystic lesion. Both cysts extended to corneal endothelium and were managed surgically.&#x0D; Discussion : Larger cysts, especially with complications, require cyst aspiration, laser therapy, injections of antiproliferative agents, or surgery. We decided to surgically aspirate and excised iris walls to remove both iris cysts which were vital to achieve good result. Post-operative periods were uneventful with no significant inflammatory reactions associated with the procedure.&#x0D; Conclusion : Different modalities, with varying degrees of success, have been reported for the treatment of iris cysts. Surgical intervention remains the last option which can give a good functional outcome with minimal inflammatory complications, especially when less invasive options do not seem feasible due to the extensive nature of the cyst.

The use of corn and buckwheat flour in the production of bakery products

Currently, to make profit all entrepreneurs expand the range of products. The purpose of the research is introduction and use of a combination of different types of flour in bread baking in order to expand the range of bakery products of improved quality. The objectives of the research are to study the organoleptic quality indicators of the experimental sample; to conduct a study on physical and chemical quality indicators of the experimental sample; to determine the economic feasibility of using a new recipe in bread production. The research was carried out on the basis of the Department of Processing Technologies and Food Security of Volgograd State Agrarian University. To expand the range of bakery products, 40% of corn flour and 10% of buckwheat flour were used to replace 50% of wheat flour. The bread was baked using the non-steam method. When conducting an organoleptic assessment of bread, the experimental sample complied with the requirements of GOST 27669-88 «Wheat baking flour. Method of trial laboratory bread baking.» The taste became sweeter, the porosity became fine and thin-walled, and the color of the crumb became light brown. According to physicochemical indicators, the experimental sample was 56 g larger in bread volume, and the crumb moisture content was 43%. The economic efficiency of bread production was calculated. The profitability of experimental bread production was 44%, which was 14% higher than the control (wheat) sample. I t is recommended to produce bread using a combination of three types of flour, to increase the output at enterprises. This type of bread, in terms of organoleptic and physico-chemical indicators, has proven itself to be a more advantageous example of a bakery product compared with wheat bread.

Secondary metabolite profiles, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of callus, and leaves extract of Piper sarmentosum Roxb.

This research was aimed to investigate the effect of different combination concentrations of 2,4-diclorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and benzylaminopurine (BAP) on callus induction, profiles of secondary metabolites, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities from Piper sarmentosum leaves. These leaves explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different combination concentrations of 2,4-D and BAP (0.5; 1.0; 1.5; 2.0; 2.5 mg/L) during 6-week culture callus period. Result showed that the morphology of callus grown during this study was compact in various colors appearance, such as light brown, brownish, and dark brown. The fastest mean of callus induction time was 0.5 mg/L 2,4-D and 1.5 mg/L BAP (10 days). The highest callus fresh weight was 1.5 mg/L 2,4-D and 2.0 mg/L BAP (0.350 g). The combination concentration of 1.5 mg/L 2,4-D and 1.5 mg/L BAP was the highest callus dry weight (0.078 g), this treatment was contained 11 different compounds, which were dominated by cyanoacetamide (25.08%) and diisooctyl-phthalate (21.81%). Myristicin and propanamide compounds were also identified in the methanol extract of P. sarmentosum callus. Methanolic extract of callus P. sarmentosum from the optimum treatment had the highest antioxidant activity (26.709 μL/mL) and antimicrobial activity against three test microbes.

VARIATION IN THE MACRO-MORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS OF LEAVES IN RESPONSE TO AUTOMOBILE POLLUTION IN SELECTED URBAN TREE SPECIES IN THE CITY OF DHAKA

The present study was carried out at National Botanical Garden, Dhaka, considered as control site and Motijheel- Sayedabad roadside areas as polluted site to compare the impact of automobile pollution on leaves macro- morphological traits of selected ten plants growingin the polluted areas with those growingin control sites. Leaf morphological characteristics including leaf abnormalities of both young and mature leaves were assessed. Variations in leaf color such as light green, dark green, browning, yellowing and change in the leaf’s shape either normal or deformed were also assessed for both the sites. All the selected plant species showed highly significant (p&lt;0.0001) reduction at polluted site in theirall leaf macro-morphological traits(leaf length, leaf breadth, leaf area, leaf perimeter, specific leaf area and petiole length) when compared with control site. The findings of this study revealed that the automobile pollution stress influenced tree morphological features in the Dhaka city. This study also indicated that plants go through adaptive processes in order to survive in automobile polluted environments.

Investigation of microplastics and microplastic communities in selected river and lake basin soils of Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala, India.

Riparian areas are highly dynamic bio-geophysical settings with a surge of waste deposition predominantly including land-based plastic discards. These polymer discards are destined to be the prime constitution of marine "plastisphere." The polymer fate is determined by waterbodies, where the chances of plastic retention are higher, eventually mediating the formation of microplastics (MPs) in years or decades. Such formed MPs are a potential threat to the aqua bio-regime. A systematic investigation of three waterbody basin soils (Karamana River, Killiyar, and Akkulam-Veli Lake) showed the presence of MPs in all the samples analyzed with varying sizes, shapes, colors, and compositions. MPs of the shapes flakes, fragments, filaments, sheets, foams, and fibers were observed with dimensions 0.3-4.7mm. Most of the particles were white in hue (WT), followed by colorless (CL), light yellow (L.Y), light brown (L.B), orange (OR), red (RD), and blue (BL), respectively. The polymer communities were identified as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), and nylon. The highest average MP density was identified in the basin of Killiyar (799 ± 0.09 pieces/kg) followed by Karamana River (671 ± 3.45 pieces/kg), indicating the closeness of the sampling station to the city center compared to Akkulam-Veli Lake (486 ± 58.55 pieces/kg). The majority of the sampling sites belonged to the slopy areas and came under the highly urbanized land category. A close association was observed between particle abundance and urban activity. The study foresees possible threats inflicted by MP abundance upon the area-wide hydro-biological system.

Acidity’s Impact on Yield, Morphological Structure, and Surface Functionalities of Polyaniline Synthesised via Oxidative Polymerisation

This research aimed to examine how varying the acidity levels during the chemical oxidative polymerisation (COP) of aniline affects the colour, yield, morphology, and surface functionalities of polyaniline (PANI). In the COP method, aniline monomer was first dissolved in hydrochloric acid (HCl) medium; the solution was then drop added with ammonium persulfate to initiate the polymerisation process. To answer the research objective, the medium acidity was manipulated using different concentrations of HCl (i.e., 0 M, 0.01 M, 0.1 M, 1 M and 10 M). The as-synthesised PANIs were then purified and characterised for their physicochemical properties. The findings revealed that reducing the medium pH from 2.35 (in distilled water) to 0.80 (in 10 M HCl) resulted in a colour change from light brownish to dark green, indicating the formation of emeraldine PANI. Furthermore, it was observed that the amount of PANI yield is inversely related to the medium pH. A decrease in medium pH from 2.35 to 0.80 remarkably increased the PANI yield by 3.2 times. Regarding morphological structure, higher medium acidity produced PANI with well-defined globule shapes, while lower HCl concentrations resulted in a mixed morphology including globules, tubes, and plate-like structures. In addition, it was found that the diameter of globule-like PANI has increased from ~266.67 nm to ~508.33 nm, when the HCl concentration was changed from 0 M to 10 M. Apparently, increasing the acidity of the COP medium promotes enlargement of the PANI size. Despite that, there is not much change in the surface functional groups of the formed PANI. Overall, this study offers insights into manipulating PANI properties by adjusting the medium acidity during the COP process. While the impacts of medium acidity on yield, morphology, and functionalities of PANI were revealed, further investigation is required to evaluate the effect on electrical properties.