Clinical aspects of morphological investigation of fetal thyroid glands

The investigation of 121 thyroid glands offetuses and neonates of mothers who live in Saint-Petersburg was carried out. The paper analyzes intra and postnatal fatal outcomes taking account оf gestational andpostnatal age. The role of thyroid glands adaptive function emaciation in thanatogenesis in case of asphyxia was demonstrated. On the basis of the study practical recommendations are suggested.

Identification of Monilia species in Tibet and characterization of M. yunnanensis in China

Samples of peach and plum fruits with brown rot symptoms were collected from Tibet in 2019 and 2020, and the causal agent was identified as Monilia yunnanensis, which represents the first characterization of Monilia spp. on peach and plum in Tibet. Morphological investigation showed that some conidia from naturally diseased fruits were larger than those observed in previously isolated M. yunnanensis. Some conidia of M. yunnanensis isolates from Tibet produced more than two, even up to six germ tubes from different parts of each conidium, instead of one or two germ tubes developing from the pointy sides of each conidium. The alignment of ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) sequences revealed that some isolates from Tibet displayed a mutation at the 374th position from adenine (A) to cytosine (C). Although above-mentioned differences were observed between isolates from Tibet and other regions, phylogenetic analysis indicated that all of the M. yunnanensis isolates from different stone fruits and different regions in China were clustered together without obvious genetic differentiation. These results revealed that hosts and geographical environments did not play a major role in the evolution of M. yunnanensis.

Three New Species of Placoneis Mereschkowsky (Bacillariophyceae: Cymbellales) with Comments on Cryptic Diversity in the P. elginensis—Group

Using genetic markers 18S V4 rDNA and rbcL and morphological investigation of the diatom genus Placoneis, we described three new species. The new species, Placoneis baikaloelginensis sp. nov., Placoneis subundulata sp. nov., Placoneis neohambergii sp. nov. were isolated from Russia (Lake Baikal) and Vietnam (waterbodies of Cát Tiên National Park (Đồng Nai Province) and Khánh Hòa Province). We examine relationships within the Cymbellales and show that the genera Placoneis, Paraplaconeis and Geissleria are phylogenetically independent. We discuss the importance of careful identification of strains used for phylogenetic analysis and we show the history of identification of several different Placoneis elginensis strains. After careful identification of Placoneis elginensis vouchers, we found that we have a few independent species. The question of cryptic or pseudocryptic species in this context is discussed.

Preliminary placement and new records of an overlooked Amazonian tree, Christiana mennegae (Malvaceae)

Christiana mennegae is a phylogenetically enigmatic taxon and represents a case in point of a species whose presence escaped the radar of the Amazon lists and the Brazilian Flora project. Here we expand its distribution by adding new records from Peru and overlooked ones from Brazil. To investigate its phylogenetic placement in the Brownlowioideae, part of the rbcL gene of the plastid and the intergenic ITS2 region were sequenced. Macro- and micro-morphological investigation of features of C. mennegae using SEM of foliar, flower, fruit and seed structures are presented. A lectotype for the name is designated here. The morphology of trichomes revealed five types of trichomes ranging from glandular to branched and unbranched and we also report stomata on the seed surface for the first time in Brownlowioideae. Christiana mennegae and C. africana were recovered as sister species in the phylogenetic analysis, albeit with low to moderate support, and more species of this and closely related genera must be sampled and analyzed in order to obtain a clearer picture of the group’s affinities and relationships. We provide an update of its conservation status from Vulnerable to Least Concern. We also highlight the need for investment in the digitization of biological collections, botanical capacity building at the local level and the importance of the availability of online literature to speed the study of Amazonian plant diversity.

A Morphological Analysis of Akan Honorific and Title Names for God

This study is motivated by our observation that earlier works have looked at Akan personal names either from sociolinguistics or non-linguistic perspectives; however, a critical morphological analysis of the structure of Akan honorific and title names for God has eluded researchers in linguistics. It is based on this background that we conduct a thorough morphological investigation into Akan honorific and title names for God, with the aim of addressing the morphological processes that account for their derivation. Drawing on data from both primary and secondary sources, the analysis reveals that Akan honorific and title names ascribed to God have complex nominals and this is manifested through affixation, compounding and reduplication. It further shows that some of the names are recursive in nature and are therefore derived through nominalization of sentences or clauses, especially those that undergo compounding.

Cymbopleura natellia – a new species from Transbaikal area (Russia, Siberia) described on the basis of molecular and morphological investigation

A new cymbelloid diatom species from the genus Cymbopleura (Krammer) Krammer is described on the basis of molecular and morphological investigations. Cymbopleura natellia Glushchenko, Kulikovskiy & Kociolek, sp. nov. is, on the basis of results with molecular data, close to C. naviculiformis (Auerswald ex Heiberg) Krammer. The two species differ both by molecular distance and morphological features. Morphologically, C. natelliasp. nov. is compared with several other species in the genus. This work is a pioneer investigation of cymbelloid taxa using molecular tool from Transbaikal area.