bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Earning a Living
Authors: McChesney R. D.
Published: September 2017

In that part of Central Asia now known as the country of Afghanistan, the patterns of present-day religious expression and identity were set in the 16th and 17th centuries. The region was a frontier connecting three expansive states whose politics shaped the embedding of religious traditions. The long Iranian presence in the south and west infused Imam Shafiism in the central and western parts of Afghanistan while the influence of the intellectual heritage of Central Asia assured the dominance of Hanafi Sunnism in the north and eastern parts of the region. Sufism with its “thousand Ways” and universal reverence for the family of the Prophet, the ahl al-bayt, provided common ground. This chapter examines the ways in which the Islamic culture of the region was reproduced and the kinds of scholars who emerged preeminent. Mostly it considers the ways in which material support for scholarship was distributed, an essential component of cultural reproduction, and the instruments for its distribution.
Nationalism, Not Islam
Authors: Bezhan Faridullah
Published: September 2017

Wish Zalmiyan or the ‘Awaken Youth Party’ (AYP) was the first political party to operate openly in Afghanistan. It enjoyed support from the intelligentsia and the monarchical regime. The AYP’s key ideological elements were nationalism and constitutionalism. While they made the party popular with a segment of the ruling elite and the intelligentsia, they brought resentment from the religious establishment for which Islam was the only ideology to be followed and the Quran the only constitution the country needed. This chapter examines how, in the aftermath of World War II, most members of the urban Afghan educated class leaned towards nationalism and constitutionalism as the driving forces for new political dynamics and the progress of the country. It explores what type of nationalism the Wish Zalmiyan party was advocating.
When Muslims Become Feminists
Authors: Ahsan Sonia
Published: September 2017

The robust history of women’s rights in Afghanistan is rarely analyzed in academic accounts of Muslim feminism. In this chapter, I trace the positioning of a particular Khana-yi aman in Kabul within the broader institutional framework of feminism and Islam in Afghanistan. The Khana-yi aman, often translated as a “shelter” or “home of peace”, is a form of safe-house in Afghanistan instituted to host women undergoing criminal trials for sexual transgressions or moral misconducts. The ethnographic fieldwork conducted from 2010-2012 at the Kabul Khana-yi aman illustrates the precarious life histories of the women who administer and inhabit the Khana-yi aman, and how unfamiliar and dangerous forms of sexual expressions may be rendered culturally and Islamically intelligible through everyday social maneuvers. The Khana-yi aman is forcing the Afghan state to account for its failures and confront its peripheries, and in doing so it dislocates the question of how to maintain order in orderless societies, to an emphasis on failure, disintegration, and anarchy as constitutive of any state project.
Diagram for Fire
Authors: Bialecki Jon
Published: September 2017

What is the work that miracles do in American Charismatic Evangelicalism? How are miracles something that are at once unanticipated, and yet worked for? Finally, what do miracles tell us about Christianity, and even about the category of religion? A Diagram for Fire engages with those questions through an detailed ethnographic study of the Vineyard, a Southern-California originated American Evangelical movement known for believing that biblical-style miracles are something that all Christians can perform today. This book sees the miracle a resource and a challenge to institutional cohesion and human planning, and as an immanently-situated and fundamentally social means of producing change that operates through taking surprise and the unexpected, and using it to reimagine and reconfigure the will. A Diagram for Fire shows how this configuration of the miraculous shapes typical Pentecostal and Charismatic religious practices such as prophesy, speaking in tongues, healing, and battling demons; but it also shows how the miraculous as a configuration also ends up shaping other practices that seem far from the miracle, such as a sense of temporality, music, reading, economic choices, and both conservative and progressive political imaginaries. This book suggests that the open potential of the miracle, and the ironic constriction of the miracle’s potential through the intentional attempt to embrace it, has much to tell us not only about how contemporary Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity both functions and changes, but about an underlying mutability that plays an important role in Christianity and even in religion writ large.
Institutions and God’s Agents
Authors: Bialecki Jon
Published: September 2017

This chapter starts by questioning any account that would see the Vineyards mere epiphenomenon. It then asks whether, despite its constituent heterogeneity, the Vineyard is held together by either the governing structure of institutions, by an ethic of responsibility, by church growth and management techniques, or by a shared aesthetic. This chapter shows that these forces, sensibilities, and techniques do have effects; in particular the Vineyard is shaped by it being in effect a ‘trust’ for an absent owner (a structure similar to that found in publicly held corporations). However, neither this force, not any other discussed in this chapter, have either the flexibility or the capacity to scale necessary to account for the Vineyard.
Tolle, Lege
Authors: Bialecki Jon
Published: September 2017

This chapter discusses communication with God. It analyses a range of activity that is understood this way in the Vineyard, from simple prayer, to reading Bible verses as a form of ‘personal communication,’ to being contacted by God directly through voice or vision. It addresses how saliency, exteriority, and most of all surprise function as variables that make these events intelligible as supernatural communication, and as something that exceeds, divides, and reconfigures the will. Finally, both typification and elaboration, processes that constrain the expressions of the charismatic diagram, are introduced.
The Body, Tongues, Healing, and Deliverance
Authors: Bialecki Jon
Published: September 2017

This chapter transitions from language to concerns about embodiment and bodily boundaries, as it ethnographically depicts and addresses speaking in tongues (also known as glossolalia), healing, and demonic attack as instances of the diagrammatic miraculous. It concludes by arguing that demonic attack is a potential involution of the charismatic diagram, where the relation between constituent elements of the diagram become indistinct, and where the force of surprised becomes associated with willful or unwilling forces, instead of catalyzing willing forces.
Collapses, Traversals, and Intensifications of the Part-Culture
Authors: Bialecki Jon
Published: September 2017

How is it that various instantiations of this diagram collapse, mutate, or colonize other aspects of the world? This chapter addresses the various failure-states and limits of the charismatic diagram. It addresses de-conversion, but also the production and adoption of even more extreme aspects of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity (and the role that a larger Christian mediascape plays in these intensifications and mutations). It closes with a discussion of how the charismatic diagram can be effectuated in places that seem to be organized by different logics, such as exchange or politics; concluding with the observing that the charismatic diagram is equally capable of animating progressive as well as conservative political projects.
RDM1 gene overexpression represents a therapeutic target in papillary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Li Wei , Huang Qing , Sun Danyang , Zhang Guizhi , Tan Jian
Published: September 2017

RAD52 motif containing 1 (RDM1) encodes the RAD52 protein involved in DNA double-strand break repair and recombination events. However, the importance of RDM1 in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is largely unknown. In the present study, we examined the role of RDM1 in thyroid cancer. The RDM1 expression in PTC patients was examined using immunohistochemistry. The expression levels of RDM1 mRNA in thyroid cancer cells were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Lentivirus-mediated small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were used to knock down the RDM1 expression in the K1 and TPC1 cells. Then, changes in the RDM1 target gene expression were determined by qRT-PCR and Western blot. Cell proliferation was examined by a high content screening assay. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometric analysis and MTT analysis. We showed that the RDM1 expression was higher in PTC tissue compared to pericarcinous tissue. RDM1 mRNA was found to be expressed by qRT-PCR. Using a lentivirus-based RNA interference (RNAi) approach, the RDM1 expression was significantly inhibited. The inhibition of RDM1 expression by RNAi significantly impaired cell proliferation, increased apoptosis and arrested cells in the G2/M phase. These data showed that RDM1 was highly expressed in PTC tissue and thyroid cancer cell lines. Moreover, RDM1 may play an important role in cell proliferation, cell cycle distribution and apoptosis of human PTC cells.
Ecological-Economic (Eco-Eco) Modelling in the River Basins of Mountainous Regions: Impact of Land Cover Changes on Sediment Yield in the Velicka Rijeka, Montenegro
Authors: SPALEVIC Velibor , LAKICEVIC Milan , RADANOVIC Dragan , BILLI Paolo , BAROVIC Goran , VUJACIC Dusko , SESTRAS Paul , KHALEDI DARVISHAN Abdulvahed
Published: September 2017

This paper presents an Ecological-Economic (Eco-Eco) modelling using the Intensity of Erosion and Outflow (IntErO) model for calculation of sediment yield and runoff assessing the impacts of different land covers on soil erosion intensity. Calculations have been made for the Velicka River basin, which is one of 57 sub-basins of the Lim River in the Northeast Montenegro. Several different land use scenarios were then simulated in the model in order to find the optimal scenario of land use for intensive seed potato production. The results of Ecological (Eco-) analysis shown that the real soil loss under current conditions is 18148 m³yr-1. If seed potato production is introduced, the model calculated a soil loss of 20834  m³yr-1 as sediment yield. In order to balance the damage caused by the introduction of seed potato production we considered also the ecological measure of afforestation to reduce soil loss caused by seed potato production. The model calculated that afforestation would result in a decrease of sediment yield to 17886 m³yr-1. The results of Economic (-Eco) analysis revealed that the investment of €3,385 per ha for the establishment of the seed potato production will provide the income for the farmers of €15,000 per hectare annually. In parallel, we proposed the investment for the protection of the area (258 ha) with afforestation that amounts to €330,608 (€1,281 per ha), for the period of two years, with no other costs in the next decade. The research results demonstrate that the application of the Eco-Eco modelling, by using the IntErO model for studying the effect of soil erosion and possible land use for intensive seed potato production in the Velicka River Basin provides cost effective solutions for the benefit of the local population.
Influence of Harvest Time on Biologically Active Compounds and the Antioxidant Activity in Leaves of Mulberry Grown in Lithuania
Authors: LEVICKIENĖ Dovilė , JARIENĖ Elvyra , GAJEWSKI Marek , DANILČENKO Honorata , VAITKEVIČIENĖ Nijolė , PRZYBYŁ Jarosław L. , SITAREK Monika
Published: September 2017

The aim of this study was to establish the influence of harvest time on the contents of flavonoid compounds (rutin, isoquercetin, nicotiflorin, and astragalin) and chlorogenic acid, as well as the antiradical activity in white mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves grown in Lithuania. Mulberry leaves contain a wide range of bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, which are responsible for beneficial effects on human health. Leaves from two mulberry cultivars were collected from July to September in 2015-2016. Quantitative determinations of four flavonoids and chlorogenic acid were conducted by HPLC method and antiradical activity using the 2.2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method. The results showed that the total flavonoid contents of mulberry leaves in the two cultivars ranged from 921.92 to 1512.02 mg 100 g−1 (dry matter). The highest accumulated rutin, nicotiflorin, and chlorogenic acid contents and the greatest antioxidant activity were found in the leaves of ‘Plodovaja 3’. The bioactive compounds in the leaves of the mulberry cultivars varied over a period of time, where ‘Turchanka’ and ‘Plodovaja 3’ accumulated the highest total flavonoid contents in September and August, respectively. In both cultivars, the antiradical activity was highest in September. There were a very strong positive correlations between the antiradical activity as determined using the DPPH method and the chlorogenic acid contents (r = 0.887, p < 0.05) and the isoquercetin contents (r = 0.848, p < 0.05).
The Influence of Rootstock on the Growth and Fructification of Cherry Cultivars in a High Density Cultivation System
Authors: PAL Monica Diana , MITRE Ioana , ASĂNICĂ Adrian C. , SESTRAȘ Adriana F. , PETICILĂ Adrian G. , MITRE Viorel
Published: September 2017

The influence of rootstock on the growth and fruiting of three sweet cherry cultivars (‘Bigarreau Burlat’, ‘Kordia’, ‘Regina’) was studied under the pedoclimatic conditions of Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in 2014-2016. The trees were grafted on Gisela 5 rootstock, trained as Zahn Spindle and the orchard had a density of 1666 trees/ha. Root were cut twice, at 50 cm distance from the trunk, in an angle of 45° and 30 cm depth, as followed: first time, to the autumn, in fall leaves time, on one side of the row and the second time, in spring, at blooming time, at the other side of the row. The rootstocks influenced height of the trees, the shoot growth, the number of long and fruiting branches, trunk cross sectional area yield and precocity, with differences statistically assured. The longest shoots, in mean values, gave the variant with cultivars grafted on Mahaleb rootstock (111.7 cm). ‘Gisela 5’ rootstock decreases the average length of annual growth (93.3 cm). Trees grafted on Mahaleb formed more long fruiting branches and fewer short fruiting branches than those grafted on ‘Gisela 5’. The biggest average trunks cross sectional area were obtained for the cultivars grafted on Mahaleb (62.1 cm2). Also rootstocks influenced the height of the trees. The cumulative yield was almost double in variants where the trees were grafted on ‘Gisela 5’ (23.2kg/tree), compared to the variants where the trees were grafted on Mahaleb (13.1 kg/tree).
Land Use Development of Vineyards in Goriška Brda, Slovenia
Authors: FIKFAK Alenka , SPALEVIC Velibor , KOSANOVIC Saja , POPOVIC Svetislav G. , DJUROVIC Mladen , KONJAR Miha
Published: September 2017

Land development analyses play a fundamental role in understanding how land use change shapes the land, depending on continuously changing social, economic, and environmental factors that reflect the interests in space. It is especially important to follow land use changes in rural areas due to their role in food security, environmental hazards, cultural landscape preservation, etc. Continuous analyses and monitoring of land use changes allow for the identification and prevention of negative trends in land use (over intensification, land fragmentation, etc.) that might affect biodiversity, change physical and chemical properties of soil, causing soil degradation, change the spatial balance, stability and natural equilibrium in the rural area. The use of the cross-tabulation matrix methodology was suggested for land use change analyses. The methodology, when the cross-tabulation matrix elements are correctly interpreted, allows us to gain as much insight as possible in the process of land use change. This approach enabled a detailed analysis of vineyards in Goriška brda, Slovenia. It was found that the existing methodology fails to analyse the location of change. For this reason, additional analyses of spatial distribution of change and of the locations where changes in space occur were suggested. The study demonstrated that the land use category of vineyards changes systematically, although seemingly randomly. By comparing land use categories over several time periods, the study determined that the size and speed of change varied across different time intervals. The identified land use changes were assessed in the context of their high pressure on agricultural land. The results of the analyses showed different trends shaping the typical agrarian landscape in Goriška brda.
Effects of Cultivation Systems and Environmental Conditions on Peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.) Biomass Yield and Oil Content
Authors: OROIAN Camelia , COVRIG Ilie , ODAGIU Antonia , MĂLINAȘ Cristian , MOLDOVAN Cristina , FLEȘERIU Andrei
Published: September 2017

Peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.) is perennial plant cultivated for essential oil production. In the present study, field experiments were conducted to determine the performance of peppermint under different cultivation systems for two consecutive growing periods in 2015 and 2016. The effects of environmental conditions on peppermint biomass yield and oil content was also evaluated. The experiments were carried out according to randomized complete block design with five replications per cultivation system. The results of the present study indicate that the total aboveground dry weight and dry leaves biomass were affected by cultivation system and year. For both growing seasons, the highest values were found under the conventional farming system. In contrast, oil content was approximately 14% higher in organic system than in conventional system. Moreover, oil content differed by year, with higher values being observed in 2015 comparing to 2016. Both oil content and biomass yield were positively affected by high temperatures. The results from this study demonstrated that both environmental conditions and the cultivation systems affect the biomass and oil content in peppermint crop.
Response of Different Grafted Eggplants in Protected Culture
Authors: HOZA Gheorghita , DOLTU Mădălina , DINU Maria , BECHERESCU Alexandra D. , APAHIDEAN Alexandru I. , BOGOESCU Marian I.
Published: September 2017

The study has been conducted in a professional greenhouse where grafted seedlings and grafted eggplants have been produced. Two eggplant hybrids, ‘Classic F1’ and ‘Black Pear F1’ were used as scion and one of the Lycopersicon genus, ‘Kaiser F1’ and three Solanum genus, ‘L1S’, ‘L23B’ and ‘Torpedo’ were used as rootstocks, resulting in eight grafted combinations. It has been observed that for all grafting combinations the grafting percentage was ranging from 95% to 98%. The rootstocks utilized have influenced the vigour of the grafted plants. They influenced plant height which reached values of roughly 1.0 m and number of leaves resulting in values of 2.5-3.0 times higher in comparison to the ungrafted plants. Comparative to the ungrafted plants the grafting combinations also influenced the productivity of plants. The highest fructification potential has been observed at ‘Classic F1’ grafted on all eggplant rootstocks. Compared to ungrafted plants, which has yielded 2.46 kg per plant, the highest yield obtained from ‘Classic F1’ grafted on ‘L23B’ has been of 4.27 kg per plant, followed by ‘Torpedo’ rootstock with 4.1 kg per plant. ‘Black Pearl F1’ have been produced 4.15 kg per plant when grafted on the ‘Kaiser F1’ rootstock and 4 kg per plant when grafted on the ‘Torpedo’ rootstock. Regarding the production per hectare, the largest production augmentation, of 30%, was noted at ‘Classic F1’ grafted on the eggplant rootstock ‘L23B’. The ‘Black Pearl F1’ grafted on the tomato rootstock ‘Kaiser F1’ registered a 20% increment in production. The rootstocks utilized have slightly influenced the content of the soluble dry substance on both hybrids grafted on ‘Kaiser F1’. The result has been a 6% dry substance in comparison to the 5.3% at the ungrafted hybrids. The grafting has had an insignificant influence of the total amount of carbohydrates at all grafting combinations.
Organic Agriculture and Innovative Crops under Mediterranean Conditions
Authors: BILALIS Dimitrios , ROUSSIS Ioannis , FUENTES Francisco , KAKABOUKI Ioanna , TRAVLOS Ilias
Published: September 2017

Climate change is the greatest environmental threat facing humanity worldwide. Areas of South-East Europe and Mediterranean basin are expected to be among the most vulnerable countries to climate change. As a result of climate change, new species and crops have been introduced and may be introduced in the coming years. In addition, FAO considers that Organic Agriculture is an effective mitigation strategy to climate change and can build robust soils that adapt better to weather extremes associated with climate change. This review provides an overview of the growth performance of new innovative crops, including chia, camelina, quinoa, teff and nigella and retrovative crops such as flax and emmer wheat, based on experimental investigations conducted under Mediterranean conditions and organic cropping system. Several studies, performed under organic system, have proved that innovative crops can also be grown for alternative uses. Quinoa and chia could be successfully used in animal feed. Moreover, quinoa could be exploited as a medicinal plant due to saponins extracted from seed coats. Nigella and camelina seeds contain oils which can have several uses in pharmaceutical and food industries. Flax seed oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and can be accepted in the diets designed for specific health benefits. According to the literature, it is observed that innovative crops cultivated under organic system present better quality and similar yields as with those cultivated under conventional system, and in some cases, even higher. Taking all these into account, organic agriculture could also be characterized as innovative and not only as traditional.
Comparative Polyphenolic Content of Grape Pomace Flours from ‘Fetească neagră’ and ‘Italian Riesling’ Cultivars
Authors: MUNCACIU Maria L. , ZAMORA MARIN Fernando , POP Nastasia , BABEȘ Anca C.
Published: September 2017

Grape pomace is a waste from wine industry which pollutes the environment. This by-product is considered a potential source of polyphenols, which were proven to be powerful antioxidants or natural coloring agents. The aim of this study was to quantify total polyphenols, total anthocyanins content and some stilbenes in grape pomace seed, skin and mixed flours from ‘Fetească neagră’ (cultivar for red wines) and ‘Italian Riesling’ (cultivar for white wines), grown in Miniș-Măderat vineyard, Romania. Flours were obtained by natural drying and ulterior grinding. One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post-hoc test were used.anthocyanins content was high in all the flours from ‘Fetească neagră’, with the highest concentration in skin flour (35.98 mg malvidin-3-O-glucoside/g dry weight). Stilbenes were also determined through HPLC methods. Cis-resveratrol was present in all forms of flour (0.90 to 10.14 μg/g dry weight), compared to its trans-isomer, which was not determined in ‘Italian Riesling’ seed and mixed flour. Trans-piceid was the most abundant stilbene and varied between 12.35 μg/g dry weight (‘Italian Riesling’ mixed flour) and 29.01 μg/g dry weight (‘Fetească neagră’ seed flour). The concentration of cis-piceid was similar among all forms of flour from ‘Italian Riesling’, while in ‘Fetească neagră’ seed flour (9.40 μg/g dry weight) it was present at a higher rate. Thus, results proved that ‘Fetească neagră’ flours are a better source of stilbenes than ‘Italian Riesling’ flours and seed flours from both varieties are richer in polyphenols than skin flours. Also, the concentration of anthocyanins in ‘Fetească neagră’ skin flour was high.
Physiological and Growth Responses of Several Genotypes of Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) under Mediterranean Semi-arid Conditions
Authors: KARKANIS Anestis C. , PETROPOULOS Spyridon A.
Published: September 2017

Common purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) is a drought-tolerant weed cultivated for its fresh leaves and stems. In the present study, a field experiment was conducted to determine plant development and photosynthesis of several common purslane genotypes in a high-density planting system. The experiment was carried out according to randomized complete block design with four replications per treatment. Four local populations and two commercial cultivars of common purslane were studied. During the experiment, plant biomass, plant height, leaf relative chlorophyll content (SPAD values), stomatal conductance (gs) and photosynthetic rate (A) were recorded. From the results of our study significant differences in plant height and biomass were observed among the studied genotypes. The lowest height and biomass were found in genotype ‘Domokos’ whose growth was prostrate to semi-prostrate, whereas all the other genotypes had erect growth. Differences were also observed in physiological parameters. In particular, the relative chlorophyll content (SPAD value) was the highest for genotype ‘Domokos’, whereas stomatal conductance and photosynthetic rates were the lowest for the same genotype. Biomass yield had also positive and significant correlation with photosynthetic rate and plant height. Our results indicate that the tested genotypes had significant differences in growth habit and physiological parameters. Comparing the tested genotypes, it could be suggested that apart from genotype ‘Domokos’ which had lower biomass yield due to its growth habit, the rest of the genotypes could be suitable for commercial purposes and proposed as an alternative crop in semi-arid regions of the Mediterranean basin.
Effects of Grazing Intensity on the Regeneration of Woody Species in an Oak Woodland
Authors: LEMPESI Aimilia , ELEFTHERIADOU Alexia , DELIVASI Zacharoula , PSYLLIDOU Aikaterini , KORAKIS Georgios , KYRIAZOPOULOS Apostolos P.
Published: September 2017

In the Mediterranean regions, oak forests are commonly used for livestock grazing. However, it is well documented that livestock grazing is an essential factor that can affect the success of natural regeneration of oak and other woody species of the understorey. Consequently, it influences the composition and structure of oak woodlands. The main objective of the present study was to examine the effects of grazing intensity on characteristics of oak seedlings establishment (density, height, number of leaves) and on the diversity of the woody species seedlings. The research was conducted in open canopy Quercus frainetto woodland, grazed by a herd of 500 goats for eight months per year, located in Evros region, north-eastern Greece. The distance from a goat corral was used to represent relative grazing intensity. In May 2016, vegetation measurements were made along transects placed at 50, 150, 300, 600 and 1200 m from the goat corral, running perpendicular to four replicates. According to the results, increased grazing intensity significantly reduced the density, the plant height and the number of leaves of Quercus frainetto seedlings. Grazing intensity did not affect significantly diversity, evenness and dominance indices for the woody species seedlings. However, heavy grazing reduced species richness and the Chao1 index.
Effects of Salt Stress on Plant Growth, Nutrient Partitioning, Chlorophyll Content, Leaf Relative Water Content, Accumulation of Osmolytes and Antioxidant Compounds in Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Cultivars
Authors: HAND Mathias J. , TAFFOUO Victor D. , NOUCK Alphonse E. , NYEMENE Kitio P.J. , TONFACK Brice , MEGUEKAM Tekam L. , YOUMBI Emmanuel
Published: September 2017

The salinity of soil is among the most important abiotic stresses which limit agricultural productivity worldwide. The effects of salinity on growth, nutrient partitioning, chlorophyll, leaf relative water content, osmolytes accumulation and antioxidant compounds of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) cultivars (‘Granada’, ‘Goliath’ and ‘Nobili’), widely used in Cameroon, were investigated. Plants were subjected to four levels of NaCl (0, 50, 100 and 200 mM) at early seedling growth stage of plant development. Application of NaCl treatment led to a significant increase in total  soluble  sugars,  proline; soluble proteins; total free amino acids content, peroxydase and superoxide dismutase activity and total phenolic content in salt-tolerant ‘Granada’ and ‘Nobili’ compared to salt-sensitive ‘Goliath’ and untreated plants, on the contrary, decreased in root dry weight, shoot dry weight, number of leaves, shoot length, stem diameter, total leaf area, chlorophyll and leaf relative water content in ‘Goliath’ at low salinity level. Flavonoid content, K, Ca and Mg concentrations were significantly reduced with increasing salinity in all cultivars. The highest Na concentrations were detected in the leaves while the lowest were recorded in the roots of ‘Goliath’ at high salinity level. The salt sensitivity of ‘Goliath’ seems to be increased osmotic adjustment through the strongly accumulation of Na in leaves while the salt tolerance of ‘Granada’ was related to its induce of antioxidative enzyme system more efficiently, resulting in higher osmolytes accumulation under salinity. ‘Granada’ was more tolerant and stable in physiological and biochemical traits suggesting that it could be grown in salt-affected soils.
Use of Molecular Markers to Assist the Development of Inbred Lines under Open Field Conditions: the Case of Criollo Peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) from Mexico
Authors: PEREIRA-DIAS Leandro , CHÁVEZ-GONZÁLEZ Gustavo , BRACHO-GIL Miguel , FITA Ana M. , VILANOVA Santiago , LUNA-RUIZ José J. , PÉREZ-CABRERA Laura Eugenia , ARREDONDO-FIGUEROA José Luis , RODRÍGUEZ-BURRUEZO Adrián
Published: September 2017

Chile peppers are one of the most important crops in Mexico and a plethora of ecotypes can be found there. Most of them are ancient open-pollinated (OP) landraces selected by farmers for uniform phenotype but with an inherent level of genetic diversity, called criollos. In this work 15 pepper accessions, encompassing 2 criollo lines, their open-pollinated progenies, and 5 controls, were characterized with a set of 36 IPGRI descriptors and 23 SSR markers to assess the effect of open pollination in the inbreeding process. Heterozygosity levels were comprised between 12 and 47% in the progenies, which were similar or lower than those values from parent plants and similar or higher than control cultivars. Also, both progenies and parents showed similar levels of agronomic and morphological uniformity. Our results suggest that this OP program is efficient in terms of reaching enough agronomic uniformity in criollo Ancho peppers while preserving certain genetic diversity to confer adaptation to climate change.
Variation of Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) Fruits at Different Stages of Ripening
Authors: COSMULESCU Sina , TRANDAFIR Ion , NOUR Violeta , ACHIM Gheorghe , BOTU Mihai , IORDANESCU Olimpia
Published: September 2017

Fruits of two jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) cultivars were collected at four stages of ripening and analyzed in terms of chemical compounds. The cultivars were grown under the climatic conditions of the Sub-Carpathian area Ramnicu-Valcea in Romania (45°6′17″N, 24°22′32″E). Total phenols content, total flavonoids content, organic acids from jujube fruits and related antioxidant activities were investigated during the ripening stages. The antioxidant activity of alcoholic extracts was investigated by the 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method. Total phenolic content was determined by using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, while determination of flavonoids was done by aluminium nitrate colorimetric method, and organic acids were separated by reversed phase chromatography. The results obtained have indicated significant differences (p < 0.05) found in bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity, depending on cultivars and ripening stage. Total phenolic content ranged from 1634.44 to 472.38 mg GAE/100 g in methanolic extracts of the two varieties studied, while total flavonoids content ranged from 19.9 to 48.5 mg QE/100 g. As regards the influence of ripening stage, the results show that the highest antioxidant activity was recorded in the stage of white maturity. The impact of maturity stage was significant on organic acid distribution of jujube extracts, and ascorbic acid is the major organic acid found in jujube fruits, followed by malic acid and lactic acid. Jujube fruits are rich in bioactive compounds and can be a complement in human’s healthy eating.
Antioxidant Activity and other Quality Parameters of Cold Pressing Pumpkin Seed Oil
Authors: KULAITIENĖ Jurgita , ČERNIAUSKIENĖ Judita , JARIENĖ Elvyra , DANILČENKO Honorata , LEVICKIENĖ Dovilė
Published: September 2017

Pumpkin seeds oil are rich in biologically active substances such as a source of tocopherols, carotenoids, especially β-carotene, lutein and other compounds. Also four fatty acids – palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic, dominated in the oil of pumpkin seeds oil. The study mainly aimed to evaluate the fatty acid contents and antioxidant parameters of seed oils isolated from different pumpkin cultivars. Investigations of seeds oil from Cucurbita pepo L. ‘Miranda’, ‘Golosemianaja’, and ‘Herakles’ pumpkin cultivars grown in Lithuania revealed that crude fat contents ranged from 44.4% to 47.3%, although ‘Miranda’ cultivar seeds consistently and significantly had the lowest content. The seed oils contained appreciable amounts of unsaturated fatty acids (approximately 83%), of which polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids, were dominant with values ranging from 64.29% to 66.71% of the total amount of fatty acids. The seeds oil were a particularly rich source of linoleic acid (66%), among which ‘Miranda’ cultivar seeds had the significantly highest content. Our investigation identified that pumpkin seeds oil as a good source of phenolic compounds, particularly cvs. ‘Golosemianaja’ and ‘Miranda’ oil. Methanolic seed oil extracts were characterized by statistically significant differences in their antioxidant activity, with the highest antioxidant activity found in cultivar ‘Miranda’, followed by ‘Golosemianaja’. The antioxidant activity level increased proportionally with the total phenolic content, thus establishing a linear relationship between DPPH-radical scavenging activity and total phenolic content.
Elemental Profile and 207Pb/206Pb, 208Pb/206Pb, 204Pb/206Pb, 87Sr/86Sr Isotope Ratio as Fingerprints for Geographical Traceability of Romanian Wines
Authors: BORA Florin D. , DONICI Alina , RUSU Teodor , BUNEA Andrea , POPESCU Daniela , BUNEA Claudiu I.
Published: September 2017

Geographical wine traceability is an important topic in the context of wine authentification. Therefore, many researchers have addressed this subject by developing different methodologies based on multivariate analysis of organic and inorganic parameters and also by isotopic signature. The goal of this research was to assess the potential of elemental composition and isotopic signature of lead (207Pb/206Pb, 208Pb/206Pb and 204Pb/206Pb) and strontium (87Sr/86Sr) of wines from three Romanian vineyards, in order to highlight reliable markers for wine geographical origin. The ICP-MS method was used for the concentration determination for 30 elements (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, In, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Sr, Tl, V, U, Zn, Hg). In this study 10 wines (2 red and 8 white) obtained from ‘Merlot’, ‘Fetească neagră’, ‘Fetească albă’, ‘Fetească regală’, ‘Băbească gri’, ‘Șarba’, ‘Aligoté’, ‘Sauvignon blanc’, ‘Muscat Ottonel’, ‘Italian Riesling’ cultivars were investigated. The wine samples were obtained from micro-wine production under conditions of 2014, 2015, 2016 from Dealu Bujorului, Murfatlar and Ștefănești-Argeș vineyards. The high level of K (148.66±5.41-633.74±4.13 mg/L), Mg (88.23±0.84-131.66±3.42 mg/L), Ca (49.84±1.22-89.18±2.34) and Fe were observed in the wine samples analysed. Heavy metals like Hg, Pb, As and Cd (10.2-315 µg/L) were found below acceptable limits. Concentration of Na (1 mg/L), Cu (1 mg/L), As (0.2 mg/L), Cd (0.01 mg/L), Zn (5 mg/L) and Pb (0.15 mg/L) metals in analysed wine samples were under Maximum Permissible Limits (MPL), respectively as published by the Organization of Vine and Wine. The variation of the 207Pb/206Pb, 208Pb/206Pb, 204Pb/206Pb and 87Sr/86Sr ratio and K/Rb, Ca/Sr of the investigated wine clearly demonstrated that these variables are suitable traces for wine geographical origin determination. The proposed methodology allowed a 100% successful classification of wines according to the region of provenance.
Sensitivity of Seed Germination to Salt Stress in Black Cumin (Nigella sativa L.)
Authors: PAPASTYLIANOU Panayiota , BAKOGIANNI Nikolia-Nonika , TRAVLOS Ilias , ROUSSIS Ioannis
Published: September 2017

Black cumin is an annual oilseed crop, native to the Mediterranean region and widely used for nutritional and medicinal purposes. Reduced seed germination and early seedling growth under saline conditions are considered as major factors limiting the establishment of crops. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of salinity due to NaCl on germination of black cumin seeds. A set of experiments was conducted under completely randomized design with four replications of 200 seeds at two different suboptimal germination temperatures (15 and 20 °C) in the dark for 16 days. In order to create salt stress conditions during the germination process, five solutions were used (0 as control, 80, 160, 240 and 320 mM NaCl). The germination performance was evaluated by final germination percentage and mean germination time. The effect of salinity on seed germination percentage and mean germination time was significant at p<0.01. Germination of the controls was 96% and 95% at 15 °C and 20 °C, respectively. The presence of NaCl, regardless of temperature, reduced germination. This reduction was more severe at 15 °C (15%, and 19% germination in cases of 80 and 160 mM concentration respectively) than at 20 °C (65% at 80 mM salinity level) and no germination was observed from 240 mM onwards. The mean germination time increased with increased NaCl levels, especially at the lower temperature of 15 °C. The overall results of this experiment showed the inhibitory effects of salt stress on seed germination parameters of black cumin.
Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization on Growth and Yield of Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)
Authors: PAPASTYLIANOU Panayiota , KAKABOUKI Ioanna , TRAVLOS Ilias
Published: September 2017

Fibre hemp is grown for a multitude of end products derived from its cannabinoids, seed, fibre and wooden core. A key factor that influences the quantity and quality of the production of hemp is nitrogen fertilization. The aim of this study was to determine the response of five well-adapted industrial hemp cultivars to different nitrogen fertilization rates during the 2016 growing season. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with two replicates, five main plots (hemp cultivars: ‘Bialobrzeskie’, ‘Tygra’, ‘Felina 32’, ‘Sanhtica 27’, ‘Futura 75’) and sub-plots [fertilization treatments: control (N0), fertilizer 46-0-0 at 120 kg ha-1 (N1), 180 kg ha-1 (N2), 240 kg ha-1 (N3)]. For the computation of height, biomass yield, stem dry weight, length and weight of the inflorescences and mean seed weight, 10 plants were randomly selected in each plot. In general, increasing N fertilization rate positively impacts hemp biomass yield, stem dry weight, plant height, and inflorescence indices. Biomass yield, stem dry weight and inflorescence weight increased by 37.3%, 48.2% and 16%, respectively, with the application of 240 kg N ha-1 when compared with the unfertilized control. Plant height and inflorescence length increased from 1.66 to 1.76 m and from 66.2 to 82.9 cm, respectively, with the application of the higher N rate compared with the control, while there were no significant differences between the fertilization treatments for mean seed weight. The varieties ‘Tygra’ and ‘Futura 75’ showed the highest values for all the measurement characters. Our results indicate that hemp responded well to the addition of N fertilizer.
Daily Dynamics of Sugar and Phenol Contents in Apple Fruitlets during June Drop
Authors: JAKOPIC Jerneja , STAMPAR Franci , VEBERIC Robert
Published: September 2017

The occurrence of the abscission signal in young developing fruits on apple trees (Malus domestica) was studied. Apple has a natural system of fruitlet shedding, so called June drop. Although physiological fruit drop is unable to guarantee production of marketable apples and avoid alternate bearing, knowledge of this is a key background for successful fruit thinning. A study was carried out on apple trees cv. ‘Golden Delicious’ during June drop. On three dates (beginning, middle and after June drop), the daily dynamics of HPLC detected individual sugar and spectrophotometrically detected total phenolic contents were investigated in central (K) and lateral (L) fruitlets. The results of daily dynamics showed the highest sugar contents at 2 p.m. On the final sampling date, on 2nd July 2015, we observed a significant difference between sugar contents at 2 p.m. and the morning and afternoon measurements. Contents of sugars in K and L fruitlets were not significantly different. Total phenolic content at the beginning of June drop was higher than at the end. There was no statistically significant difference between K and L in an individual time period, while there were statistically significant differences in total phenolic content among the sampling dates. Although sugar and phenolic contents in K and L fruitlets were rarely statistically different, their contents changed during June drop. In general, sugar contents increased and phenolic contents decreased during the process, while the daily dynamic depended on weather conditions.
Radicle Emergence Test Estimates Predictions of Percentage Normal Seedlings in Standard Germination Tests of Aubergine (Solanum melongena L.) Seed Lots
Authors: OZDEN Eren , OZDAMAR Cihat , DEMIR Ibrahim
Published: September 2017

An experiment was made to test the potential for radicle emergence (RE), and predict the germination percentage of normal seedlings both at constant (25 °C) and fluctuating (20/30 °C, 16 h/8 h) temperatures for 23 commercially available Thiram treated and untreated aubergine (Solanum melongena L.) seed lots. Frequent counts of RE at 96, 104, 112, 120, 128 and 136 hours in two different temperature regimes (constant and alternating) consistently predicted final normal germination after 14 days. The R2 values at fluctuating temperatures (R2=0.69 and 0.88, p < 0.001) were generally higher than those at a constant (R2=0.60-0.63, p < 0.01) temperature. Among the 23 seed lots, nine were Thiram threated. The R2 relationship in both temperature regimes were reduced (for Thiram-threated seed lots ranging between R2=0.60-0.79 at 25°C and 20/30°C respectively, and for untreated lots ranging between R2=0.68-0.91 at 25 °C and 20/30°C, respectively). Cumulative germination was slightly higher in the lots kept at fluctuating temperatures than in those kept at a constant temperature. The results showed that the RE test (i.e. 104 h count) can be used to make quick and repeatable predictions of the percentage of normal seedlings in aubergine lots. Moreover it was also significantly related to mean germination time (MGT) values at constant (R2= 0.769, p < 0.001) and alternating temperatures (R2= 0.861, p < 0.001).
Liquid Culture Systems Affect Morphological and Biochemical Parameters during Rosa canina Plantlets In Vitro Production
Authors: MALIK Małgorzata , WARCHOŁ Marzena , PAWŁOWSKA Bożena
Published: September 2017

Wild roses are an important group of plants used as decorative shrubs and cut flowers. They are also a row material for pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries. For rose in vitro propagation, solid media are commonly used. Up till now there is a few reports confirming the beneficial effect of liquid media on Rosa shoot growth and multiplication. The aim of the study was to investigate different culture systems, temporary immersion system (TIS) (immersion frequencies of 15 min every 6, 8 and 12 h), rotary shaker (RS) and stationary liquid (SL) for propagation of R. canina and compare with solid medium culture. Shoot tips and stem explants were grown on basic Murashige and Skoog medium with 20 mg dm-3 Fe EDDHA, 1 µM BA, 1.5 µM GA3 and 3% sucrose for six weeks. Liquid cultures stimulated biomass growth. The highest biomass growth in RS cultures were observed however, RS reduced the shoot dry mass content. TIS cultures immersed every 6 and 8 h increased dry mass content. In TIS and on solid medium shoot multiplication was 1.5-2 times better than in other systems and stem explants were more efficient. Solid medium improved the content of chlorophyll a, b, a+b and carotenoids. Higher contents of photosynthetic pigments were determined in shoot tips than stem explants. TIS-derived plantlets accumulated the largest amount of phenolic compounds. As the frequency of immersion increases the concentration of these compounds were reduced. In turn, SL cultures favored the accumulation of soluble sugars.
Genomic Tools for the Enhancement of Vegetable Crops: A Case in Eggplant
Authors: GRAMAZIO Pietro , PROHENS Jaime , PLAZAS Mariola , MANGINO Giulio , HERRAIZ Francisco J. , GARCÍA-FORTEA Edgar , VILANOVA Santiago
Published: September 2017

Dramatic advances in genomics during the last decades have led to a revolution in the field of vegetable crops breeding. Some vegetables, like tomato, have served as model crops in the application of genomic tools to plant breeding but other important crops, like eggplant (Solanum melongena), lagged behind. The advent of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and the continuous decrease of the sequencing costs have allowed to develop genomic tools with a greatly benefit for no-model plants such as eggplant. In this review we present the currently available genomic resources in eggplant and discuss their interest for breeding. The first draft of eggplant genome sequence and the new upcoming improved assembly, as well as, the transcriptomes and RNA-based studies represent important genomic tools. The transcriptomes of cultivated eggplant and several wild relatives of eggplant are also available and have provided relevant information for the development of markers and understanding biological processes in eggplant. In addition, a historical overview of the eggplant genetic mapping studies, performed with different types of markers and experimental populations, provides a picture of the increase over time of the precision and resolution in the identification of candidate genes and QTLs for a wide range of stresses, and morpho-agronomic and domestication traits. Finally, we discuss how the development of new genetic and genomic tools in eggplant can pave the way for increasing the efficiency of eggplant breeding for developing improved varieties able to cope with the old and new challenges in horticultural production.