Comparative quality assessment of cultured and wild sea bream (Sparus aurata) stored in ice

Comparative quality assessment of cultured and wild sea bream stored in ice for up to 23 days was achieved by the monitoring of sensory quality, levels of nucleotide, nucleotide breakdown products, and texture by a texturometer. The changes in sensory quality of both raw and cooked fish were assessed using the modified Tasmanian and Torry schemes, respectively. K and related values (freshness indicators), namely, K, K(i), G, P, H, and F(r), were calculated. Linear increases (r(2) > or = 0.99) in K, K(i), G, and P (and a decrease in F(r)) values for cultured sea bream and in the H value for wild sea bream with increasing storage periods were observed. The limit for acceptability of cultured and wild sea bream stored in ice was approximately 16-18 days (average K, K(i), G, and P values: approximately 35-40%; H values: approximately 5% for cultured and 10% for wild; and F(r ) values: approximately 65-70%). The texture of cultured and wild sea bream decreased throughout the storage period, and they were not significantly (p > 0.05) different until after day 16 when the wild sea bream was significantly softer than the cultured. The sensory score of both cultured and wild raw fish showed a good relationship with some freshness and texture indicators over the entire storage period (r(2) values > or = 0.99). These indicators were K, K(i), G, P, and F(r) values for cultured and H value for wild fish.     

Genetic diversity among watermelon (Citrullus lanatus and Citrullus colocynthis) accessions

Genetic diversity was estimated among 42 U.S. PlantIntroduction (PI) accessions of the genusCitrullus (of these, 34 PIs are reported tohave disease resistance), and 5 watermelon cultivars, using 30RAPD primers. These primers produced 662 RAPD markers that could berated with high confidence. Based on these markers, geneticsimilarity coefficients were calculated and a dendrogram wasconstructed using the unweighted pair-group method witharithmetic average (UPGMA). The analysis delineated threemajor clusters. The first cluster consisted of a group of fivewatermelon cultivars, a group of C.lanatus var. lanatusaccessions, and a group of C.lanatus var. lanatusaccessions that contained some C.lanatus var. citroidesgenes. The second cluster consisted of the C.lanatus var. citroidesaccessions, while the third cluster consisted of theC. colocynthis accessions.The two C. lanatus clustersdifferentiated from each other and from the C.colocynthis cluster at the level of 58.8%and 38.9% genetic similarity, respectively. Assessment ofgenetic diversity among accessions that have been reported to havedisease resistance indicated that resistance to either anthracnose,downy mildew, powdery mildew, or watermelon mosaic virus is foundamong all major groups of Citrullus PIs.Additionally, resistance to gummy stem blight or Fusarium wilt mayexist among C. lanatus var.citroides PIs. This study demonstrates thatmolecular markers can be useful in assessing genetic diversity, andin sorting Citrullus PIs into phylogeneticgroups prior to their evaluation for disease or pestresistance.     

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Water, Air, &; Soil Pollution -     

Degradation of chloroacetanilide herbicides by anodic fenton treatment

Anodic Fenton treatment (AFT) is an electrochemical treatment employing the Fenton reaction for the generation of hydroxyl radicals, strong oxidants that can degrade organic compounds via hydrogen abstraction. AFT has potential use for the remediation of aqueous pesticide waste. The degradation rates of chloroacetanilides by AFT were investigated in this work, which demonstrates that AFT can be used to rapidly and completely remove chloroacetanilide herbicides from aqueous solutions. Acetochlor, alachlor, butachlor, metolachlor, and propachlor were treated by AFT, and parent compound concentrations were analyzed over the course of the treatment time. Degradation curves were plotted and fitted by the AFT kinetic model for each herbicide, and AFT model kinetic parameters were used to calculate degradation rate constants. The reactivity order of these five active ingredients toward hydroxyl radical was acetochlor approximately metolachlor > butachlor approximately alachlor > propachlor. Treatment of the chloroacetanilides by AFT removed the parent compounds but did not completely mineralize them. However, AFT did result in an increase in the biodegradability of chloroacetanilide aqueous solutions, as evidenced by an increase in the 5-day biochemical oxygen demand to chemical oxygen demand ratio (BOD5/COD) to >0.3, indicating completely biodegradable solutions. Several degradation products were formed and subsequently degraded, although not always completely. Some of these were identified by mass spectral analyses. Among the products, isomers of phenolic and carbonyl derivatives of parent compounds were common to each of the herbicides analyzed. More extensively oxidized products were not detected. Degradation pathways are proposed for each of the parent compounds and identified products.     

Foraging behaviour and habitat use by Antechinus flavipes and Sminthopsis murina (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae) in response to predation risk in eucalypt woodland

We examined the foraging behaviour and habitat use of two species of small Australian mammal (Antechinus flavipes and Sminthopsis murina) in response to predation risk in remnant eucalypt woodland. Predation risk was manipulated by providing refuge in the form of ground level wire netting to reduce risks from avian and mammalian predators. Giving-up-densities (GUD) using artificial food trays (20 mealworms in 1.5 l vermiculite) quantified the foraging behaviour in response to predation risk, by measuring the quitting harvest rate. Both A. flavipes and S. murina had lower GUDs (number of mealworms remaining) under the netting than in the open, most likely because these areas have lower predation risk. Animals also made greater visits to tracking tunnels under the netting compared to in the open. Tracking animal movements using fluorescent pigments also revealed preference for natural microhabitats that were structurally complex with animals moving most where logs and rock crevices were present. These results suggest that small mammals may use habitat structure to reduce their risks of predation. If future studies are able to demonstrate commensurate population-level responses, manipulation of habitat may be a useful management option to complement the direct control of exotic predators such as foxes and feral cats.     

Biochemical diversity in the genus Coffea L.: chlorogenic acids,caffeine and mozambioside contents

Summary The extent and nature of biochemical diversity in green coffee beans was established by a large sampling of genus Coffea, representing nine species from the Guineo-Congolian region, nine species from east Africa and seven species from Madagascar. HPLC analyses were used to determine the contents of caffeine, chlorogenic acids and mozambioside. Data processed by principal component analyses showed the existence of two metabolic pathways. One leads to the synthesis of small quantities of chlorogenic acids (< 2.5% dmb) and caffeine ( < 0.3 % dmb) while the other leads to large concentrations of chlorogenic acids (> 4.5% dmb) and caffeine (> 0.4% dmb). Their distribution in the genus Coffea is discussed in relation to the biogeographic origin of the plant material.     

Multi-scale effect of landscape processes and habitat quality on newt abundance: Implications for conservation

Recent studies in population dynamics suggest that landscape processes and habitat quality act at different scales on population abundances, but very few have modelled their simultaneous effects. However, at a time of large declines in natural populations, it is essential to understand such multivariate components. We tested the hypothesis that natural populations of palmate newts (Triturus helveticus) are affected on three scales: breeding patch (pond), habitat complementation (terrestrial cover), and metapopulation structure (density of ponds, surrounding populations). We conducted our survey in 130 ponds from southern France (Larzac) and analysed data with generalized additive models (GAM). Two main novel results emerge from these models: (1) the three landscape scales have significant effects on newt abundance, with more newts in deep, vegetated ponds, devoid of fish and surrounded by wooded areas and inhabited ponds; (2) the quality of the surrounding breeding patches is of primary importance in determining the abundance at core sites in a complex way: high abundances are associated positively with high densities of inhabited ponds, but negatively with the number of surrounding ponds. Deforestation, invasive species and abandonment of ponds all have negative impacts on the persistence of palmate newt populations. Future studies should encompass landscapes at different scales and incorporate the habitat quality in surrounding sites to better understand population dynamics and provide adequate conservation measures.     

Distribution, abundance and conservation status of dugongs and dolphins in the southern and western Arabian Gulf

The marine mammals of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were censussed by three strip-transect aerial surveys. The Arabian Gulf supports a population of ca. 5800 dugongs (Dugong dugon), which is the largest known outside Australia. The most important habitats occur (1) around Murawah Island (UAE), (2) between Qatar and Bahrain and (3) between Qatar and the UAE. Surveys of the UAE were repeated 13 years apart. The two estimates of the dugong population were not significantly different, suggesting a stable population of ca. 3000 between 1986 and 1999. In the region between Kuwait and Oman, the Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) is the most common cetacean (71% of groups and individuals), followed by the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis; 27%) and finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides; 2%). The estimates of cetacean abundance in the UAE differed significantly between 1986 and 1999 and indicate a population decline of 71%. At least two die-offs of marine mammals occurred between these surveys. The countries of the southern Gulf are developed and affluent and are well positioned to take a lead in marine conservation in the region. A coordinated series of protected areas could greatly enhance the long-term prospects for marine mammals and other components of biodiversity in the region.