Einflüsse des Ackerbohnenkäfers (Bruchus rufimanus) und von Bodenpathogenen auf Feldaufgang und Ertrag bei bunt- und weißblühenden Ackerbohnensorten (Vicia faba)

We compared field emergence and yield of a white- and a coloured-flowered variety of faba bean (Vicia faba) in relation to Bruchus rufimanus seed damage in a factorial, hand sown mini-plot field experiment. Further manipulating factors at sowing were, foot root rot inoculation with a 4-species Fusarium-mixture, a seed dressing with powdered testa material of the coloured-flower variety and sowing depth. In both varieties Fusarium-inoculation was the most detrimental and significant factor to field emergence and yield, interacting with a concordant B. rufimanus effect. Expectedly, the white-flowered variety was most affected. Tannin-containing testa meal did not reduce or compensate the impact of fungal inoculation and/or B. rufimanus. We hypothesize that B. rufimanus testa damage affects seedling vigour via reported faster water imbibition, causing cellular rupture and higher solute leakage which may enhance soilborne foot root rot incidence and finally yield. The results are discussed in the context of future research objectives

Unique gene structure and paralogy define the 7D-cadherin family

Cadherins are Ca2+-dependent transmembrane glycoproteins crucial for cell-cell adhesion in vertebrates and invertebrates. Classification of this superfamily due to their phylogenetic relationship is currently restricted to three major subfamilies: classical, desmosomal and protocadherins. Here we report evidence for a common phylogenetic origin of the kidney-specific Ksp- (Cdh16) and the intestine-specific LI-cadherin (Cdh17). Both genes consist of 18 exons and the positions of their exon-intron boundaries as well as their intron phases are perfectly conserved. We found an extensive paralogy of more than 40 megabases in mammals as well as teleost fish species encompassing the Ksp- and LI-cadherin genes. A comparable paralogy was not detected for other cadherin gene loci. These findings suggest that the Ksp- and LI-cadherin genes originated by chromosomal duplication early during vertebrate evolution and support our assumption that both proteins are paralogues within a separate cadherin family that we have termed 7D-cadherins

A novel, non-invasive, online-monitoring, versatile and easy plant-based probe for measuring leaf water status

A high-precision pressure probe is described which allows non-invasive online-monitoring of the water relations of intact leaves. Real-time recording of the leaf water status occurred by data transfer to an Internet server. The leaf patch clamp pressure probe measures the attenuated pressure, Pp, of a leaf patch in response to a constant clamp pressure, Pclamp. Pp is sensed by a miniaturized silicone pressure sensor integrated into the device. The magnitude of Pp is dictated by the transfer function of the leaf, Tf, which is a function of leaf patch volume and ultimately of cell turgor pressure, Pc, as shown theoretically. The power function Tf=f(Pc) theoretically derived was experimentally confirmed by concomitant Pp and Pc measurements on intact leaflets of the liana Tetrastigma voinierianum under greenhouse conditions. Simultaneous Pp recordings on leaflets up to 10 m height above ground demonstrated that changes in Tf induced by Pc changes due to changes of microclimate and/or of the irrigation regime were sensitively reflected in corresponding changes of Pp. Analysis of the data show that transpirational water loss during the morning hours was associated with a transient rise in turgor pressure gradients within the leaflets. Subsequent recovery of turgescence during the afternoon was much faster than the preceding transpiration-induced water loss if the plants were well irrigated. Our data show the enormous potential of the leaf patch clamp pressure probe for leaf water studies including unravelling of the hydraulic communication between neighbouring leaves and over long distances within tall plants (trees)

Search for direct top squark pair production in final states with two leptons in √s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for direct pair production of top squarks in events with two opposite-charge leptons (electrons or muons) are reported, using 36.1 fb−1 of integrated luminosity from proton–proton collisions at √s=13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. To cover a range of mass differences between the top squark t~ and lighter supersymmetric particles, four possible decay modes of the top squark are targeted with dedicated selections: the decay t~→bχ~1± into a b-quark and the lightest chargino with χ~1±→Wχ~10 , t~→tχ~10 into an on-shell top quark and the lightest neutralino, the three-body decay t~→bWχ~10 and the four-body decay t~→bℓνχ~10. No significant excess of events is observed above the Standard Model background for any selection, and limits on top squarks are set as a function of the t~ and χ~01 masses. The results exclude at 95% confidence level t~ masses up to about 720 GeV, extending the exclusion region of supersymmetric parameter space covered by previous searches

Search for B −L R-parity-violating top squarks in √s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS experiment

A search is presented for the direct pair production of the stop, the supersymmetric partner of the top quark, that decays through an R-parity-violating coupling to a final state with two leptons and two jets, at least one of which is identified as a b-jet. The data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of √s=13 TeV, collected in 2015 and 2016 by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. No significant excess is observed over the Standard Model background, and exclusion limits are set on stop pair production at a 95% confidence level. Lower limits on the stop mass are set between 600 GeV and 1.5 TeV for branching ratios above 10% for decays to an electron or muon and a b-quark

Search for doubly charged Higgs boson production in multi-lepton final states with the ATLAS detector using proton-proton collisions at √s = 13TeV

A search for doubly charged Higgs bosons with pairs of prompt, isolated, highly energetic leptons with the same electric charge is presented. The search uses a proton–proton collision data sample at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV corresponding to 36.1 fb −1 of integrated luminosity recorded in 2015 and 2016 by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. This analysis focuses on the decays H±±→e±e±, H±±→e±μ± and H±±→μ±μ±, fitting the dilepton mass spectra in several exclusive signal regions. No significant evidence of a signal is observed and corresponding limits on the production cross-section and consequently a lower limit on m(H±±) are derived at 95% confidence level. With ℓ±ℓ±=e±e±/μ±μ±/e±μ±, the observed lower limit on the mass of a doubly charged Higgs boson only coupling to left-handed leptons varies from 770 to 870 GeV (850 GeV expected) for B(H±±→ℓ±ℓ±)=100% and both the expected and observed mass limits are above 450 GeV for B(H±±→ℓ±ℓ±)=10% and any combination of partial branching ratios

Search for photonic signatures of gauge-mediated supersymmetry in 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search is presented for photonic signatures, motivated by generalized models of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking. This search makes use of proton-proton collision data at √s = 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb −1 recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC, and it explores models dominated by both strong and electroweak production of supersymmetric partner states. Experimental signatures incorporating an isolated photon and significant missing transverse momentum are explored. These signatures include events with an additional photon or additional jet activity not associated with any specific underlying quark flavor. No significant excess of events is observed above the Standard Model prediction, and 95% confidence-level upper limits of between 0.083 fb and 0.32 fb are set on the visible cross section of contributions from physics beyond the Standard Model. These results are interpreted in terms of lower limits on the masses of gluinos, squarks, and gauginos in the context of generalized models of gauge-mediated supersymmetry, which reach as high as 2.3 TeV for strongly produced and 1.3 TeV for weakly produced supersymmetric partner pairs

Searches for the Zγ decay mode of the Higgs boson and for new high-mass resonances in pp collisions at √s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This article presents searches for the Zγ decay of the Higgs boson and for narrow high-mass resonances decaying to Zγ, exploiting Z boson decays to pairs of electrons or muons. The data analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of pp collisions at √s=13 recorded by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The data are found to be consistent with the expected Standard Model background. The observed (expected — assuming Standard Model pp → H → Zγ production and decay) upper limit on the production cross section times the branching ratio for pp → H → Zγ is 6.6. (5.2) times the Standard Model prediction at the 95% confidence level for a Higgs boson mass of 125.09 GeV. In addition, upper limits are set on the production cross section times the branching ratio as a function of the mass of a narrow resonance between 250 GeV and 2.4 TeV, assuming spin-0 resonances produced via gluon-gluon fusion, and spin-2 resonances produced via gluon-gluon or quark-antiquark initial states. For high-mass spin-0 resonances, the observed (expected) limits vary between 88 fb (61 fb) and 2.8 fb (2.7 fb) for the mass range from 250 GeV to 2.4 TeV at the 95% confidence level

Search for W W/W Z resonance production in ℓνqq final states in pp collisions at √s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search is conducted for new resonances decaying into a W W or W Z boson pair, where one W boson decays leptonically and the other W or Z boson decays hadronically. It is based on proton-proton collision data with an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb −1 collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of s=13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. The search is sensitive to diboson resonance production via vector-boson fusion as well as quark-antiquark annihilation and gluon-gluon fusion mechanisms. No significant excess of events is observed with respect to the Standard Model backgrounds. Several benchmark models are used to interpret the results. Limits on the production cross section are set for a new narrow scalar resonance, a new heavy vector-boson and a spin-2 Kaluza-Klein graviton.[Figure not available: see fulltext.]