STUDY OF FRUITS MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES FOR 33 SPECIES BELONG TO CRUCIFERAE FAMILY IN IRAQ

The research was aimed to identify fruits morphological characteristics of 33 taxa belonging to the Lepidieae tribe from Brassicaceae. The characteristics of the fruit's general shape, apex shape, dimensions, colors, surface ornamentation, and beak were determined, the results indicated the importance of each of those characters in isolated species, In general, all the tribe's fruits were open capsule and short silicula. According to the dimensions of fruit, three species can be distinguished as a group with dimensions greater than 20mm, as in Brossardia, Coluteocarpus, and Didymophysa, and depending on the shape, it was possible to differentiate the species within this group, while the other species were less than 20 mm. in dimensions. They were distinguished by the general shapes, as the fruits of the Aethionema species were distinguished by their winged shaped, whereas the fruits of the genus Biscutella are bi-lobed, and the fruits have an inverted semi-triangular shape in the Capsella and peltate with prominent veins in the genus Horwoodia, or maybe peltate and longitudinally splintered with dark veins in Iberis, while the genus Sameraria fruit is circular to semi-circular characterized by intermediate appendages, while the individuals of the genus Isatis have linear-oblong fruits, and the species of both genus Lipidium and Hymenolobus were distinguished by their small and elliptic fruits and could be differentiated according to other fruits features. So could be conclude the importance of the characteristic of the general shape of the fruit firstly in species isolation then size, ornamentation, and some other traits.

MalaSelect: a Selective Culture Medium for Malassezia Species Isolation

Malassezia species are fastidious and slow-growing yeasts whose isolation from polymicrobial samples is hampered by fast-growing microorganisms. Malassezia selective culture media are needed because Malassezia are resistant to cycloheximide, but some fungi, including the chief human commensal Candida albicans resist to this compound. This study aimed to test whether the macrolide rapamycin could be used in combination with cycloheximide to develop a Malassezia-selective culture medium. Rapamycin susceptibility testing was performed via microdilution assays in modified Dixon against M. furfur and five Candida spp. The MIC was the lowest concentration producing 90% growth inhibition. Rapamycin medium ± cycloheximide 500 mg/L was also added to FastFung solid and yeast suspensions were inoculated and incubated for 72h. Rapamycin MICs against Candida spp. ranged from 0.5 to 2 mg/L, except for C. krusei whose MIC was >32 mg/L. M. furfur stains were rapamycin resistant. Rapamycin and cycloheximide supplementation of the FastFung medium effectively inhibited the growth of non-Malassezia yeast, including the cycloheximide-resistant C. albicans and C. tropicalis. Based on our findings, we recommend using this “MalaSelect” medium for Malassezia isolation and culture from polymicrobial samples.

Ecological adaptation of an F1 hybrid cross of carnivorous and herbivorous Cyprinidae fishes

Background Whether hybridization plays a positive or negative role in speciation remains a controversial issue to date. Genetic factors have been widely studied, but ecological factors also play an important role. Although studies on the ecological adaptation of hybrids between different niche parents have been widely reported, cases of extreme niche parental hybridization have not been documented, which may show more ecological phenomena in the fields of hybrid speciation and ecological species isolation. Results Taking Cyprinidae fish parents (Schizothorax wangchiachii and Percocypris pingi) with extreme ecological niches (herbivorous and carnivorous) and their F1 hybrids as research objects, fish, shrimp, blood worms and periphytic algae were selected as food correspond to four different ecological niches. Morphologically, most external and skeletal traits in the F1 hybrids were balanced between the parents, but digestive traits were closer to those of herbivorous parents. In terms of diet, the F1 hybrids weakly foraged for parental food resources, but can more effectively forage for intermediate food resources. In foraging abilities, the F1 hybrids showed low foraging enthusiasm and abilities for parent resources, although the former was the more important factor. Interestingly, the F1 hybrids showed high foraging enthusiasm and success rates when they first foraged for fish, but then they vomited fish debris as a result of mechanical difficulty in chewing rather than taste, and the reason was a contradiction between the genetic behaviours and intermediate morphology. This behaviour was harmful and was persistent in some individuals, representing a new mechanism in ecological species isolation. However, the F1 hybrids have also shown evidence of new ecological niche formation in favour of hybrid speciation by abandoning foraging parent resources and focusing more on foraging intermediate foods. Conclusions (1) Low foraging enthusiasm is an important reason for the fitness decrease of F1 hybrids to parent food. (2) The contradiction between genetic behavior and intermediate traits is reported for the first time. (3) F1 hybrids may form an intermediate ecological niche between parents proved experimentally.

Oral cavity fungal flora among HIV-positive people

BACKGROUND. Immunosuppressed patients, also those who are HIV-positive patients, are susceptible to oral cavity fungal infections. AIM OF STUDY. In this study, we aimed to show differences in qualitative composition of oral cavity flora between HIV-positive people and healthy controls and identify factors which affect fungal oral cavity flora. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The study group contained HIV-positive people and a control group of healthy people. All cultured species were analysed using MALDI-TOF MS. RESULTS. More HIV-positive people had two or more fungus species present than controls (p=0.008). Seven species were cultured in the study group compared to three in the control group. Smoking was associated with higher prevalence of C. albicans (p=0.03), C. glabrata (p=0.026), C. tropicalis (p=0.01). Dental prosthesis or braces was also associated with presence of more species (p=0.04).The lower level of lymphocytes CD4+ was not associated with fungus presence in oral cavity. CONCLUSIONS. HIV infection is associated with changes to oral cavity fungal flora. Given the higher number of non-albicans species among HIV-positive patients it is important to individually choose a treatment for such patients’ fungal infections. Proper oral hygene and not smoking can reduce prevalence of fungi in oral cavity. Patients’ immunological status did not have an impact on the frequency of Candida species isolation from the oral cavity.