Mapping of QTL associated with seed chemical content in a RIL population of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

The character of flat versus round fruit shape is controlled by a single gene (S/s) on chromosome 6 in peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch], with the flat fruit phenotype produced by the S/s heterozygous genotype. We used 16 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers at the S/s region and physically mapped them in the peach sequence. Seven were mapped in the new F1 population from a cross between the two flat fruit cultivars 'UFO-3' and ‘Sweet Cap’ that segregated for the S/s gene. Fourteen of the SSRs were mapped in the Prunus reference map (T×E), of which seven had already been mapped and seven were added within this work. Our results confirmed the position of S/s on the distal part of chromosome 6. Thirteen of the initial 16 markers were also studied in a collection of flat (66) and round (39) cultivars, where some of the alleles were associated to the character and one of them, the 131 bp allele of marker UDP98-412, predicted in 98.4 % of the cases the flat shape. This allele was highly predictive of the flat fruit character in an additional collection of 100 cultivars, and is an useful tool for marker-assisted selection of flat peaches and nectarines, a trait that is becoming of increasing interest in breeding programs as consumption of these fruits is growing in the European market.     

Non‐Linear Relationships of Internal and External Resources on a Firm's Innovation: The Case of the Spanish Vinalopó Footwear Cluster

This paper aims to enrich the analysis on the significance of the individual firm resources in a cluster and the effects of diverse cluster relationships, including local and non‐local ones, on firms' innovation capacity. On questioning the commonly accepted direct and positive impact, we explore the joint and non‐linear effects of internal resources and inter‐organisational relationships on innovation. Data from 251 footwear manufacturers located in the Spanish Vinalopó cluster were used to explore the proposed causal relationships. According to findings, the impact of each factor on product innovation is not homogeneous. Internal innovation efforts and cooperation with local suppliers positively affect the creation of new products, while collaboration with local customers and extra‐cluster linkages presents an inverted U‐shaped relationship with product innovation. Finally, a number of implications may be drawn for policy makers, practitioners, and future research.     

Immunoreagent generation and competitive assay development for cyprodinil analysis

Cyprodinil is an anilinopyrimidine fungicide applied worldwide for the prevention and treatment of highly destructive plant diseases in a large variety of crops, including cereals, fruits, and vegetables. This paper describes the development of the first reported immunoassays for cyprodinil. Two original haptens have been synthesized and conjugated to different carrier proteins, and polyclonal antibodies have been produced. Moreover, competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays have been developed and characterized for the analysis of this widely used pesticide. The influence of organic solvents and buffer conditions over the assay analytical parameters was studied. The IC(50) values of the optimized immunoassays were 1.6 and 2.8 ng/mL for the direct and indirect formats, respectively. Quantitative recoveries were found using spiked apple and grape juice samples after a simple direct dilution, and a limit of quantification of 20 ng/mL for both fruit matrices was achieved. These immunoreagents could be very valuable for the sensitive, straightforward, and rapid monitoring of cyprodinil residues in foodstuffs.     

Antioxidant activity and phenolic composition of wild, edible, and medicinal fennel from different Mediterranean countries

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) is a typical aromatic plant of the Mediterranean area, long used as a medicinal and spice herb. Fennel is also well-known for its essential oil, which has been extensively studied for many years owing to its commercial importance. In this work, the antioxidant activity and the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as the quantitative determination of individual flavonoids and phenolic acids of wild, edible, and medicinal fennel from different Mediterranean countries, have been determined. The antioxidant activity was measured as the free radical (DPPH), hydroxyl radical, and superoxide anion scavenging activities. Wild fennel was found to exhibit a radical scavenging activity, as well as a total phenolic and total flavonoid content, higher than those of both medicinal and edible fennels.     

Relationships between macro‐epibenthic communities and fish on the shelf grounds of the western Mediterranean

• 1. The present study characterizes the macro‐epibenthic assemblages, and the relationships between demersal species and benthic habitats on the shelf trawl fishing grounds off the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean).
• 2. The data used were collected during experimental bottom trawl surveys from 2002 to 2005. A total of 157 samples from 38–255 m depth were analysed.
• 3. Three macro‐epibenthic assemblages were identified in both the shallow (at 38–91 m) and deep shelf (90–255 m). Macroalgae bathymetric distribution was identified as the main factor explaining the segregation between shallow and deep shelf assemblages.
• 4. Two especially sensitive habitats were identified: maërl and crinoid beds; a third habitat was identified as Peyssonnelia beds, which represented the highest biomass on the whole shelf, with a similar species richness to the maërl beds. On the deep shelf, crinoid beds represented the highest biomass.
• 5. Habitat type had a significant effect on the distribution of demersal commercial species, most of them being more abundant in the two sensitive habitats mentioned and in the Peyssonnelia beds. Some species showed size‐specific habitat preferences.
• 6. Fisheries management in the area should take into account the resilience of these benthic habitats, and their importance from both ecological and sustainable fisheries management perspectives.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characteristics of the whole cell fatty acid profiles ofPseudomonas corrugate

The fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles of eighty strains ofPseudomonas corrugata from different geographic origins have been studied. Gas chromatographic profiles were obtained. The use of hexane/methyl-tert butyl ether (MTBE) (11) for the extractions improves the yield of hydroxy-FAMEs used to identifyP. corrugata as compared to hexane alone. The analysis of the extracts with hexane/MTBE showed that many strains do not have the characteristic FAMEs ofP. corrugata (3-hydroxydodecenoic acid, 3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid, 3-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid and two unknown additional fatty acids). These differences among strains seemed to be related to bacterial dissociation, associated with changes in morphological aspect of the colonies due to subculture. The comparison of profiles of wrinkled and smooth colonies isolated from ten strains confirmed the differences among those in specific FAMEs. Therefore, the FAME profiles are a useful tool for the identification ofP. corrugata when the bacteria have not been subculturedin vitro for a long time. Multivariate analyses of data showed that four clusters can be observed supporting the heterogeneity of the strains ofP. corrugata.Abbreviations FAME fatty acid methyl ester - MTBE methyl tert-butyl ether     

Effects of size and sex on swimming performance and metabolism of invasive mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki

In freshwater ecosystems, abiotic factors such as flow regime and water quality are considered important predictors of ecosystem invasibility. The aim of this study was to investigate the critical swimming capacity and metabolism of the eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki, focusing on sex and size effects, to evaluate the influence of water flow on its invasive success. Specimens of mosquitofish were captured from the Ter Vell lagoon (L'Estartit, north‐eastern Spain) in July 2014, and we measured the critical swimming speed (U_crit) and oxygen consumption of individual fish (30 females and 30 males) using a mini swim tunnel. The mean U_crit of this poeciliid fish was estimated at 14.11 cm·s^?1 (range = 4.85–22.26), which is lower than that of many other fishes of similar size and confirms that this species is limnophilic and its invasive success might be partially explained by hydrologic alterations. However, the U_crit and maximal metabolic rate vary markedly with fish size and sex, with males having much higher values for the same body mass, and thus probably being more resistant to strong water flows. Multiple regression models illustrate that multivariate analyses might increase the predictive power and understanding of swimming performance and metabolic traits, compared to results from conventional simple regressions.     

Reduced crop sowing density improves performance of rare arable weed species more effectively than reduced fertilisation

Characteristic arable weed species of dryland cereal fields have undergone significant declines, due to agricultural intensification, to the point that some of them are considered rare. Crop edges host higher abundances of arable weed species, therefore they may act as a refuge for the conservation of these rare arable species. Using mesocosms, we experimentally tested how conditions at field edges (i.e. lower sowing densities and less intensive fertiliser applications) operate on the growth (biomass and height) and reproduction (reproductive biomass and flower onset) of six rare arable species. We found the rare arable species achieved lower biomass when growing with wheat compared with growing alone, and biomass of most of species was lower under high wheat sowing density than under low sowing density. In contrast, fertiliser application affected only two of the six arable species tested, especially when they were growing alone. Although the time to flowering was not affected by the conditions tested, reproductive biomass showed the same trends as overall biomass. These results indicate that conservation of rare arable species must primarily consider reductions in crop competition to increase their biomass and reproductive ability.     

Dose and duration effect of alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation on chicken meat fatty acid composition, tocopherol content, and oxidative status

The effects of dietary alpha-tocopheryl acetate (alpha-TA) doses (75, 150, and 225 mg/kg) and the duration of this supplementation (0, 10, 21, 32, and 43 days prior to slaughter) on fatty acid composition, alpha-tocopherol content, and oxidative status were studied either in raw or in cooked dark chicken meat with its skin. With regard to fatty acid composition, raw meat was affected by both dietary factors. Various polyunsaturated fatty acids decreased as a result of higher alpha-TA doses, whereas these fatty acids increased with longer supplementation periods. Cooked meat showed similar trends for the duration of alpha-TA supplementation. On the other hand, alpha-tocopherol content in raw and cooked meat increased as a result of the dose and duration of alpha-TA supplementation. Formation of lipid hydroperoxides and thiobarbituric acid values of these meats were also influenced by these two dietary factors, and the dietary combination of 150 mg/kg of alpha-TA during the last 32 days was optimal in terms of supplementation costs and meat oxidative stability.     

Caveolin-1 is essential for liver regeneration

Liver regeneration is an orchestrated cellular response that coordinates cell activation, lipid metabolism, and cell division. We found that caveolin-1 gene-disrupted mice (cav1-/- mice) exhibited impaired liver regeneration and low survival after a partial hepatectomy. Hepatocytes showed dramatically reduced lipid droplet accumulation and did not advance through the cell division cycle. Treatment of cav1-/- mice with glucose (which is a predominant energy substrate when compared to lipids) drastically increased survival and reestablished progression of the cell cycle. Thus, caveolin-1 plays a crucial role in the mechanisms that coordinate lipid metabolism with the proliferative response occurring in the liver after cellular injury.