The Genetic Landscape of Fiber Flax

Genetic diversity in a breeding program is essential to overcome modern-day environmental challenges faced by humanity and produce robust, resilient crop cultivars with improved agronomic characteristics, as well as to trace crop domestication history. Flax (Linum usitatissimum), one of the first crops domesticated by mankind, has been traditionally cultivated for fiber as well as for medicinal purposes and as a nutritional product. The origins of fiber flax are hidden in the mists of time and can be hypothetically traced back to either the Indo-Afghan region or Fertile Crescent. To shed new light on fiber flax genetic diversity and breeding history, in this study, we presented a comprehensive analysis of the core collection of flax (306 accessions) of different morphotypes and geographic origins maintained by the Russian Federal Research Center for Bast Fiber Crops. We observed significant population differentiation between oilseed and fiber morphotypes, as well as mapped genomic regions affected by recent breeding efforts. We also sought to unravel the origins of kryazhs, Russian heritage landraces, and their genetic relatedness to modern fiber flax cultivars. For the first time, our results provide strong genetic evidence in favor of the hypothesis on kryazh’s mixed origin from both the Indo-Afghan diversity center and Fertile Crescent. Finally, we showed predominant contribution from Russian landraces and kryazhs into the ancestry of modern fiber flax varieties. Taken together, these findings may have practical implications on the development of new improved flax varieties with desirable traits that give farmers greater choice in crop management and meet the aspirations of breeders.

Revitalization of Moldovan alivanca: traditions and preparation experiences

Moldovan cuisine is a real treasure with tasty miracles, where the hearty soul of our people rules. These are the dishes generously and proudly served to all guests, who want to get familiarized with our country and culture. Moldovan cuisine is a part of the culture of the Republic of Moldova. Its diversity is due to the rich natural opportunities of our country. Grapes, fruit, vegetables, cattle breeding and aviculture – all such riches are successfully used in national cuisine. If speaking about traditional cuisine, we cannot but mention such dishes as Moldovan cozonac (sweet leavened bread), Moldovan pasca (Easter bread), sarmale (stuffed grape leaves or stuffed cabbage), zeama de gaina (sour chicken soup), alivanca (custard tart), Moldovan turta (cake), turta cu mac (poppyseed cake), and so on. The traditional dishes of the Republic of Moldova, which were forgotten in the mists of time, are the subject-matter of interest in this thesis paper, since they are less studied but still very valuable. The realized onsite study allowed us stating the existence of a large-scale range of recipes of alivanca, i.e. a peasant dessert, which is specific to Moldova, including: custard tart with sheep cheese (branza), custard tart with whey cheese (urda), custard tart with pork rinds (jumari), custard tart with dill and bunch onion, custard tart with nettle, custard tart with stevia, custard tart with garden orache, custard tart with chervil, custard tart with pumpkin, sweet custard tart.

Școala română din Paris (Fontenay-aux-roses) – file semnificative din istoria unei instituții românești dispărută în negura timpului / Romanian School in Paris (Fontenay-aux-roses) – significant Pages in the History of a Romanian Institution that Disappeared in the Mists of Time

The beginning of the twentieth century was strongly marked by the First World War. Among the unexpected results of this conflagration we can observe an exponential growth of cultural relations between the states involved in the conflict on the same side. If we explicitly look at the Romanian-French cultural relations from this perspective, it becomes obvious that we are dealing with an exceptional example of cultural collaboration on the European continent. The first concrete step of this process was the signing in Bucharest of The PoincaréAngelescu Educational Convention on June 15, 1919, a document according to which the French state provided its support for the consolidation of Romanian education, especially in the new provinces that entered the Romanian state. Thus, in Bucharest, the French university mission was created as a separate entity as a result of this convention. Later, in 1924, it was reorganized into the French Institute of Higher Studies. Through these two concrete actions, the French state took the initiative and offered its promised support for its ”Latin sister in Eastern Europe”. In the same period, the actions of the Kingdom of Romania in this sense were much slower and more indecisive, requiring a private initiative of the historian N. Iorga.

School Libraries Online: Exploring Issues and Developments Through the IASL Web Site

In Internet terms, the origins of the Web site of the International Association of School Librarianship are shrouded in the mists of antiquity. Way back at the beginning of 1995, I established IASL-LINK as an Internet listserv for the Association. Dr Jean Lowrie, a founder of IASL and then retiring as Executive Secretary, wanted a home page for IASL. I, too, thought we should have a home page and probably a full Web site. Others doubted that the Association had the resources to do this - or even that it should be done at all. Those of you who know Jean will know that she is persistent, and in this case she focused that persistence on me. I felt that establishing a Web site was a job for a bright young member of the Association, and so I kept hoping that "someone else" would do it. In the end, I lost patience just at the time Jean became very persistent. In November 1995 I created a home page for IASL, with eleven supporting pages, just to prove that it could be done. Thus it was that I found I was the Webmaster.

Study of clinico-epidemiological profile of leprosy patients at tertiary care center

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Leprosy is often mentioned as the oldest disease known to man, the origins of which are lost in the mists of antiquity. In spite of having been declared eliminated in December 2005 from India as a public health problem, India has still 60% of the entire global case load.</p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> A total of 60 Leprosy patients belonged to Ujjain and its adjoining districts, attending the outpatient department of dermatology at R.D Gardi medical college, Ujjain (M.P.). Over a period of 1 year i.e. January 2019 to December 2019 constituted the subject material for study. The data was analysed for clinico-epidemiological characteristic and relevant investigations were done.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> A total of 60 patients attended the leprosy clinic during the study period. Maximum number of patient belonged to age groups of 21-40 years. Male preponderance with M:F ratio was 3:1. Family history was seen in 3 patients (5.0%). 73.3% patients were from rural area. Borderline tuberculoid (19 patients) was commonest clinical presentation and 2 cases of childhood leprosy were recorded.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The present study gives a general picture about the current trends of Leprosy in this particular region and highlights the importance of clinico-epidemiological profile and relevant investigations. This study emphasizes the need of spread of awareness about the disease, facilities for investigation and early diagnosis.</p><p class="abstract"> </p>

Growing human trophoblasts in vitro: a review of the media commonly used in trophoblast cell culture

Trophoblasts are unique epithelial cells found only in the placenta. It has been possible to isolate and maintain human trophoblasts in in vitro culture for many decades. During this period there have been a vast array of media and supplements reported for trophoblast culture and often the reasons for using the media and specific supplements employed in any given laboratory have been lost in the ‘mists of time’. After a gradual development over many years this field has recently changed, with the publication of several reports of the isolation, growth and differentiation of human trophoblast stem or stem-like cells. This advance was made largely because of a greater understanding of the molecular pathways that control human trophoblasts and availability of media supplements that can be used to manipulate those pathways. We have searched the literature and here summarise many of the different media and supplements and describe how and why they were developed and are used to culture human trophoblasts.

In the Mists of a Fungal Metabolite: An Unexpected Reaction of 2,4,5-Trimethoxyphenylglyoxylic Acid

The reactions of phenylglyoxylic acids during the synthesis and biological evaluation of fungal metabolites led to the discovery of hitherto unknown compounds with a p-quinone methide (p-QM) structure. The formation of these p-QMs using 13C-labelled starting materials revealed a key-step of this reaction being a retro-Friedel–Crafts alkylation.

Islands

Islands have a way of reconfiguring the center. Off on the edge, away from the mainland, they speak of difference, resilience, and self-reliance. Islands can symbolize the heart of human darkness, reminding us of what happens in insolated places when law and morality break down. Think of the schoolboys in The Lord of the Flies or the mutineers of the Bounty on Pitcairn Island. Yet islands are also symbols of paradise and the highest human aspirations as well. In Greek mythology, access to the Elysian Fields came by way of the Fortunate Isles lying in the mists off the West African coast. St. Augustine thought the Garden of Eden continued to exist on a remote, inaccessible island. Saint Brendan, the Celtic navigator, claimed to have discovered a thickly wooded island paradise shrouded in the fog off the western sea. The writings of Nikos Kazantzakis draw their power from the life he knew on the island of Crete. When the call for wildness, passion, and resistance is strong in your life—when you have to stop playing it safe—his novels strike a rich chord. The author reflects on the mystery of “islandness” and the teachings of Kazantzakis in connection with a trip he made to Monhegan Island off the coast of Maine.