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Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and a semi-random PCR system were used to analyze the genetic diversity of 16 Italian common bean landraces and their relationship to four commercial cultivars. Of the primers tested, 8 ISSR, 6 RAPD and 7 semi-random primers produced polymorphic and reproducible DNA fragments. A higher proportion of polymorphic bands were observed using ISSR (85%) and semi-random (90%) primers than RAPD (69%) method. The combination of any two semi-random markers allowed the identification of all 20 bean genotypes. In contrast ISSR (except for primer (CAC) 3 GC) and RAPD markers appeared to be less informative as more than two markers were necessary to achieve the same diagnostic level. Moreover, 7 ISSR, 2 RAPD and 8 semi-random exclusive bands were identified as putative population-specific markers. Semi-random and ISSR derived dendrograms showed similar tendencies in terms of genetic relatedness, whereas clustering of genotypes within groups was not similar when compared with the RAPD technique. Despite the different ability to resolve genetic variation among the investigated landraces, two major clusters with less than 60% (ISSR) and 40% (RAPD and semi-random) genetic similarity were formed with all three marker systems. The two groups were correlated with the phaseolin patterns and seed size of the landraces. The analysis showed that the cultivar 'Lingua di Fuoco' and most of the landraces (13 out of 16) collected in Italy belong to the Andean gene pool, whereas only the three populations from Pratomagno belong to the Middle American gene pool.

Outdoor Education (OE) refers to organized experiential education that takes place in the outdoor, characterized by action-centered and thematic learning processes. Literature shows how OE may have beneficial effects on different areas of child development, including cognitive abilities, social skills, and motor development. This relationship is not necessarily linear, but moderated by different variables. Until now, few studies have examined, using rigorous methods, the role of OE in children's development and studies of preschool aged children remain lacking. The current study aimed to explore teachers' perceptions of children's developmental trajectories over 2 school years, investigating whether teachers' perceptions differed between two kindergartens, one characterized by a consolidated OE approach and the other one characterized by a more traditional method of education. The sample was composed of 20 teachers, evaluating 93 children aged 3–5 (M = 46.95 months, SD = 6.73; 42 males): 13 teachers were from a traditional kindergarten (Traditional Group- TG) and evaluated 52 children; 7 teachers were from an OE kindergarten (Outdoor Group—OE) and observed 41 children. All the teachers completed the Kuno Beller Developmental Tables (Mantovani, 1995), in order to describe specific child developmental areas in 4 consecutive moments during 2 school years (T1-T2: January-May 2014; T3-T4: October 2014-May 2015). The 20 teachers also completed the “Outdoor Activities/Trips Diary,” an instrument created for this study to collect qualitative data on the characteristics of outdoor activities. Results showed that, in all the developmental areas, OE teachers perceived higher scores over time were found for the Outdoor Group compared to the Traditional one. Specifically, GLM ANOVAs Repeated Measures revealed a significant interaction of the 2 variables Time and Groups (p < 0.001): contrast analyses showed that OE children, compared to the TG children, were perceived by their teachers with higher levels in all developmental areas at T1 and T2, but not at T3 and T4. The findings suggest that the OE activites, compared to indoor ones and according to teachers' perceptions, offer greater opportunities to promote the child's development at different levels, especially when children are younger. Future studies are recommended analyzing possible moderating variables and long term effects of OE.

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In this study, we evaluated the release of diclofopmethyl and triasulfuron from the roots of foliar-treated ryegrass and wheat. The study with 14 C-diclofop-methyl indicated a basipetal translocation of foliar-applied herbicide in wheat and ryegrass. No root exudation from 14 C-diclofop-methyl-treated wheat plants was observed, while 20 days after treatment (DAT) 0.2-0.9% of radioactivity absorbed by ryegrass was found exuded in the growing medium. Root exudation was stimulated three to six times by the presence of untreated wheat or ryegrass sharing the growing medium with diclofop-methyl-treated ryegrass. No subsequent uptake of exuded radiolabel by untreated plants (ryegrass or wheat) in the same pot with 14 C-diclofop-methyl-treated ryegrass was observed. The study with 14 C-triasulfuron indicated a basipetal translocation of foliar-applied herbicide in wheat and ryegrass and also into the growing medium. By 20 DAT, 0.5-4.2% of radioactivity absorbed by wheat or ryegrass was found exuded in the growing medium. The presence of untreated plants (wheat or ryegrass) in the same pot as triasulfurontreated ryegrass or wheat induced exudation seven to 32 times more. The study also revealed a subsequent uptake of exuded compounds by untreated wheat or ryegrass sharing the medium of 14 C-triasulfuron-treated plants. This study has demonstrated for the first time that the root exudation of exogenous compounds can be related to plant arrangement in pots. The implication is that herbicide root exudation and transfer, a form of allelopathy, could be significant in the field. A precise estimation of environmental fate, unexpected ecological side effects and residual activity of herbicides may require quantification of such exudation.

Three ItalianLoliumweed populations, one susceptible and two resistant to diclofop, were characterized by the technique of inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR). The goal of this study was to taxonomically identify theseLoliumpopulations as well as to evaluate evidence for introgression of ISSR fragments fromFestucaand the potential role of this introgression in the diclofop response. ISSR analysis confirmed the genomic background of the weed populations to be consistent with that ofLolium. However, the great range of variation in ISSR banding patterns highlighted that the three ryegrass accessions are mixed populations made up of individuals resulting presumably from intrageneric and intergeneric hybridization in theLolium–Festucacomplex. TwoFestucagenus-discriminating and 20Festucaspecies-discriminating ISSR markers were screened among all the three ryegrass populations. The resistant Tuscania population carried the highest percentage ofFestucagenome (16.8%) followed by the resistant Roma (13.6%) and susceptible Vetralla (7.6%) populations. On the basis of these data some influence ofFestucagenome in diclofop resistance levels of studied ryegrass populations could be hypothesized.

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