Does virtual discussion of a retail space affect the economic outcomes of the retail stores? The dynamics among retail environment,economic performances,and the perceived characteristics of the traditional retail markets by bloggers in Seoul

Using texts from online blogs, this study aimed to analyze the effect of perceived characteristics of a place in the virtual space and their influence on its economic performance. Specifically, this study analyzed old retail space (traditional markets) in Seoul by empirically examining the relationship among the perceived characteristics, economic performances, and the physical and operative conditions of the markets’ facilities. The perceived characteristics by the bloggers were analyzed by the text-mining of the blog posts. Next, the associations among the multiple factors including the perceived characteristics, economic measures, were analyzed by PLS-SEM. Three types of characteristics were found from the texts: (a) value shopping, (b) novelty & food, and (c) affective sentiments. Among them, novelty & food have significant positive effects on annual sales growth and the vacancy reduction rates of the markets. The improved physical condition also had a positive direct effect on annual sales growth, which can be partially explained by its positive mediating effects on Novelty & Food. The operating condition had no significant relationship with the perceived characteristics but had significant effects on the four economic measures. The results imply that renovation projects could diminish certain characteristics of the space (i.e., affective sentiments), but it enhanced other place characteristics (i.e., food and novelty) following economic gains.     

Isolating the effect of soil properties on agricultural soil greenhouse gas emissions under controlled conditions

Agricultural soils are important sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Soil properties and environmental factors have complex interactions which influence the dynamics of these GHG fluxes. Four arable and five grassland soils which represent the range of soil textures and climatic conditions of the main agricultural areas in the UK were incubated at two different moisture contents (50 or 80% water holding capacity) and with or without inorganic fertiliser application (70 kg N ha⁻¹ ammonium nitrate) over 22 days. Emissions of N₂O, CO₂ and CH₄ were measured twice per week by headspace gas sampling, and cumulative fluxes were calculated. Multiple regression modelling was carried out to determine which factors (soil mineral N, organic carbon and total nitrogen contents, C:N ratios, clay contents and pH) that best explained the variation in GHG fluxes. Clay, mineral N and soil C contents were found to be the most important explanatory variables controlling GHG fluxes in this study. However, none of the measured variables explained a significant amount of variation in CO₂ fluxes from the arable soils. The results were generally consistent with previously published work. However, N₂O emissions from the two Scottish soils were substantially more sensitive to inorganic N fertiliser application at 80% water holding capacity than the other soils, with the N₂O emissions being up to 107 times higher than the other studied soils.     

Performance,milk fatty acid composition and behaviour of high-yielding Holstein dairy cows given a limited grazing period

The effects of a limited grazing period on the performance, behaviour and milk composition of high-yielding dairy cows were examined. A total of 56 Holstein cows yielding 44.7 ± 0.42 kg/day were allocated to one of four treatments in one of two, 4-week periods. Treatments were as follows: control (C)—cows housed and offered TMR ad libitum; early grazing (EG)—cows grazed for 6 hr after morning milking then housed; delayed grazing (DG)—cows returned to housing for 1 hr after morning milking followed by grazing for 6 hr, then housed; restricted TMR (RT)—cows grazed for 6 hr after morning milking, then housed and fed TMR at 75% of ad libitum. Intake of TMR was highest in cows receiving C, intermediate in EG and DG, and lowest in RT at 26.9, 23.6, 24.7 and 20.3 kg DM/day respectively. Pasture intake was similar in cows receiving EG or DG, but was higher in RT at 2.4, 2.0 and 3.5 kg DM/day respectively. Milk yield was similar between cows receiving C, EG or DG, but lowest in RT at 45.7, 44.2, 44.9 and 41.7 kg/cow, respectively, while milk fat content of C18:3 n-3 was increased by grazing. Cows in C spent more than 55 min/day longer lying and had three additional lying bouts/day, while lying bouts were shorter than for cows receiving EG, RT or DG. It is concluded that high-yielding cows can be grazed for 6 hr/day with little impact on performance, provided TMR is available ad libitum when housed.     

Reflected‐light Influences the Coloration of the Peppermint Shrimp,Lysmata boggessi (Decapoda: Caridea)

One alternative to contribute to the reduction of the pressure on coral reef ecosystems brought about by an increasing demand for marine aquarium ornamentals is to improve and further develop the culture of desirable species for trade. Peppermint shrimp from the genus Lysmata are among the most intensively traded decapod in the trade and while several studies have been conducted to improve its culture, individuals obtained from culture facilities are generally paler than those collected from the wild. Because color is a fundamental component of the price tag on most marine ornamental live species, poorly colored animals command a lower price, reducing competitiveness. In this study, we evaluate the influence of tank background color (reflected light) on the morphological coloration change of Lysmata boggessi. In a 15‐d experiment, 30 individuals were exposed either to reflected‐red or white light and the relative change of coloration between initial and final moments was quantified with photography (RGB color model). At the end of the experimental period, shrimp exposed to red‐reflected light presented a more intense red coloration than those exposed to white‐reflected light. These results demonstrate that a simple change in background tank color can enhance shrimp external coloration. Such a cheap‐to‐implement procedure can support the culture of more colorful, hence more valuable ornamental shrimp that can compete with those captured from the wild.     

Improving adoptability of farm forestry in the Philippine uplands: a linear programming model

In the Philippines, smallholder farmers have become major timber producers. But the systems of timber production practiced have several limitations. In intercropping systems, the practice of severe branch and/or root pruning reduces tree-crop competition and increases annual crop yields, but is detrimental to tree growth and incompatible with commercial timber production. In even-aged woodlots, lack of regular income and poor tree growth, resulting from farmers’ reluctance to thin their plantations, are major constraints to adoption and profitable tree farming. In the municipality of Claveria, Misamis Oriental, the recent practice of planting trees on widely spaced (6–8 m) contour grass strips established for soil conservation suggests ways to improve the adoptability (i.e., profitability, feasibility and acceptability) of timber-based agroforestry systems. Assuming that financial benefits are the main objective of timber tree farmers, we develop a simple linear programming (LP) model for the optimal allocation of land to monocropping and tree intercropping that maximizes the net present value of an infinite number of rotations and satisfies farmers’ resource constraints and regular income requirements. The application of the LP model to an average farmer in Claveria showed that cumulative additions of widely spaced tree hedgerows provides higher returns to land, and reduce the risk of agroforestry adoption by spreading over the years labour and capital investment costs and the economic benefits accruing to farmers from trees. Therefore, incremental planting of widely spaced tree hedgerows can make farm forestry more adoptable and thus benefit a larger number of resource-constrained farmers in their evolution towards more diverse and productive agroforestry systems.     

Effects of various cooking processes on the concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead in foods

The effects of cooking processes commonly used by the population of Catalonia (Spain) on total arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) concentrations in various foodstuffs were investigated. All food samples were randomly acquired in local markets, big supermarkets, and grocery stores of Reus (Catalonia). Foods included fish (sardine, hake, and tuna), meat (veal steak, loin of pork, breast and thigh of chicken, and steak and rib of lamb), string bean, potato, rice, and olive oil. For each food item, two composite samples were prepared for metal analyses, whose levels in raw and cooked (fried, grilled, roasted, and boiled) samples were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The highest concentrations of As, Hg, and Pb (raw and cooked samples) were mainly found in fish, with a clear tendency, in general, to increase metal concentrations after cooking. However, in these samples, Cd levels were very close to their detection limit. In turn, the concentrations of metals in raw and cooked meat samples were detected in all samples (As) or only in a very few samples (Cd, Hg, and Pb). A similar finding corresponded to string beans, rice, and olive oil, while in potatoes, Hg could not be detected and Pb only was detected in the raw samples. In summary, the results of the present study show that, in general terms, the cooking process is only of a very limited value as a means of reducing metal concentrations. This hypothetical reduction depends upon cooking conditions (time, temperature, and medium of cooking).     

Comparative evaluation of MCP gene in worldwide strains of Megalocytivirus (Iridoviridae family) for early diagnostic marker

Members of the Iridoviridae family have been considered as aetiological agents of iridovirus diseases, causing fish mortalities and economic losses all over the world. Virus identification based on candidate gene sequencing is faster, more accurate and more reliable than other traditional phenotype methodologies. Iridoviridae viruses are covered by a protein shell (capsid) encoded by the important candidate gene, major capsid protein (MCP). In this study, we investigated the potential of the MCP gene for use in the diagnosis and identification of infections caused Megalocytivirus of the Iridoviridae family. We selected data of 66 Iridoviridae family isolates (53 strains of Megalocytivirus, eight strains of iridoviruses and five strains of Ranavirus) infecting various species of fish distributed all over the world. A total of 53 strains of Megalocytivirus were used for designing the complete primer sets for identifying the most hypervariable region of the MCP gene. Further, our in silico analysis of 102 sequences of related and unrelated viruses reconfirms that primer sets could identify strains more specifically and offers a useful and fast alternative for routine clinical laboratory testing. Our findings suggest that phenotype observation along with diagnosis using universal primer sets can help detect infection or carriers at an early stage.     

Effect of curing at different temperatures on biochemical composition of onion (Allium cepa L.) skin from three freshly cured and cold stored UK-grown onion cultivars

Onions are cured in order to form a complete, dry, outer skin which reduces water loss and suppresses incidence of disease, and can promote a darker skin finish. Currently in the UK, standard curing practises for onions involves heating at 28 °C for six weeks (65–75% RH), however, reducing curing temperatures may help to reduce energy usage. There is little empirical data on the effects of curing temperature on flavonol concentration in the skin of brown onions and on flavonol and anthocyanin concentration in the skin of red onions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to elucidate the compounds responsible for the change in onion skin colour when cured at different temperatures.Brown cvs. Sherpa and Wellington, and red onions cv. Red Baron, were cured at 20, 24 or 28 °C for six weeks. Replicated skin samples were analysed immediately after curing and after seven months cold storage at 1 ± 0.5 °C. Measurement of objective colour showed that skin of cvs. Sherpa and Wellington was darker and had a lower hue angle (H°) immediately after being cured at 28 °C compared to 20 °C. In contrast, skin of cv. Red Baron had a higher H° but no change in lightness (L*) when cured at 28 °C compared to 20 °C. Fructose, sucrose and glucose concentrations were analysed as they are thought to play a role in regulating the synthesis of flavonols and anthocyanins, both coloured compounds found in onion skin; however no significant correlations were found between colour data and sugar concentrations. Flavonols were measured in the skin of all cvs. and anthocyanins in the skin of cv. Red Baron. Quercetin glucoside and anthocyanin concentrations in the skin of onions cv. Red Baron immediately after curing were higher in those cured at 20 °C. Total flavonols and total anthocyanins were negatively correlated with H° in the skin of onions cv. Red Baron, but there was no similar correlation between total flavonols and H° for onion cvs. Sherpa and Wellington. This suggests that anthocyanins and flavonols may play a major role in varying skin colour of red onions cv. Red Baron cured at different temperatures; however, the difference between curing temperatures may not have been sufficient to represent a correlation between darkening of cvs. Sherpa and Wellington and flavonol concentration. Further investigation is therefore required to fully elucidate the compounds responsible for colour changes observed in brown onions.     

Effective use of glucose rather than starch in formulated semimoist diets of common octopus (Octopus vulgaris)

The aim of the present work was to test the capacity of Octopus vulgaris to use carbohydrates supplied in three diets: a diet without added carbohydrates (diet C0: 500 g kg^?1 water, 200 g kg^?1 gelatine, 100 g kg^?1 egg yolk powder, 50 g kg^?1 freeze‐dried Sardinella aurita and 150 g kg^?1 freeze‐dried Todarodes sagittatus) and two obtained by substituting 50 g kg^?1 of T. sagittatus by glucose (diet GLU50) or by starch (diet STA50). The most stable and best‐accepted diet was STA50 (SFR 1.26%BW day^?1) although there were no significant differences in the growth rates obtained with the three diets: 10.12 g day^?1, 9.37 g day^?1 and 11.22 g day^?1 for C0, GLU50 and STA50, respectively (P > 0.05). The feed efficiency indices were better for GLU50, of particular note being the protein productive value of 71.88% and a feed conversion ratio lower than 1. Protein and lipid digestibility were similar in all the three diets (96–98% for proteins and 85–94% for lipids), whereas carbohydrate digestibility was higher in GLU50 (98%) than in C0 (84%) and STA50 (0.33%). The content of carbohydrates increased in muscle and the digestive gland as a consequence of the increased carbohydrates intake.     

Performance of formulated diets with different level of lipids and glutamate supplementation in Octopus vulgaris

Growth, feed efficiency and proximate and lipid class composition of subadults Octopus vulgaris (788 ± 133 g; 18.5°C) fed formulated diets of low lipid (LL: 8 g kg^?1) and high lipid levels (HL: 84 g kg^?1) and each one of these with three different levels of glutamate supplementation (0, 5 and 20 g kg^?1) were compared. All the animals accepted the diets with a survival of 100%. The addition of glutamate did not stimulate feeding rates in any of the assays (2.48–2.64 and 1.86–2.01%Body weight day^?1 for LL and HL, respectively; P > 0.05). The best growth, feed efficiency and protein productive value were observed in the groups fed 5 or 20 g kg^?1 glutamate supplementation at both lipid levels, with significant differences for LL diet (P < 0.05). A better feed efficiency was achieved with the HL diet (14.6–27.5% vs. 2.5–19.2% for LL diet). There were no significant differences in the proximate composition of carcass (animal excluding the digestive gland). However, a substantial amount of lipids accumulated in the digestive gland, mainly triglycerides, was detected as a consequence of higher lipid ingestion or glutamate supplementation. It was notable the lower percentages of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine in the digestive gland of animals with best growth.